Source THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, INDIA, October 7, 2012 (The Hindu): Head priests (Melsanthi) of the Ayyappa temple and Malikappuram Devi temple, both in Sabarimala, will be selected through draw of lots to be held on October 17, the first day of the Malayalam month of Thulam. For this, the Travancore Devaswom Board has drawn up a shortlist of nine priests for the…
Source SRINAGAR, JAMMU, October 11, 2012 (Economic Times): J&K is all set to create another autonomous board to manage the lesser known Machail Yatra (click http://www.paddar.com/machail_yatra.html for more on this Yatra) that is conducted yearly in the Chenab Valley. Around 350 thousands Hindu pilgrims trek a long distance to a high altitude Goddess temple set up not more than forty…
Source Give up everything to Him, resign yourself to Him and there will no trouble for you. Then you will come to know that every thing is done by His will.— Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa (1836-1886)
Source COLORADO, U.S., September 26, 2012 (Air Force Academy Public Affairs): A group of 10 cadets and 20 other guests attended a Hindu service in the Cadet Chapel’s multipurpose room Sept. 21 to honor one of the major Gods of the Hindu pantheon, marking the first Hindu service in the Cadet Chapel in recent memory. The Academy chaplain’s office provided…
Source UNITED KINGDOM, October 4, 2012 (Daily Mail): Cao Yan, a 36-year-old teacher from China, came to India last year on a mission to decode ancient Buddhist literature. Cao Yan picked up Sanskrit in the year-long training he received under retired professor Pushpa Dikhshit, an eminent Sanskrit scholar based in Chhattisgarh. Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan has 33,668 students enrolled in its…
Source NEW YORK, NEW YORK, October 9, 2012 (The Telegraph UK): Dr. Eben Alexander, a Harvard-educated neurosurgeon, fell into a coma for seven days in 2008 after contracting meningitis. During his illness Dr Alexander says that the part of his brain which controls human thought and emotion “shut down” and that he then experienced “something so profound that it gave…
Source Time is more precious than money; it is the most valuable thing in the world. Time is life. Use it profitably in spiritual pursuits.— Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh (1887-1963), founder of Divine Life Society
Source MUMBAI, INDIA, September 28, 2012 (India Times): Away from the odiousness and mercuriality of international politics, Jaikumar Trivedi last week installed a Ganesh statue in the heart of Swaminarayan Mandir on Ganesh Chaturthi. The next day, Ganpati Bappa was taken around the temple premises in a rath yatra. Bhajans resonated, dandiya raas followed, and then a bhandara. Finally, the…
Source DHAKA, BANGLADESH, September 20, 2012 (Hindu Business Line):Bangladesh’s parliament has passed a landmark bill aimed at protecting the rights of the Hindu community members, especially women from marriage-related cheating. The new law — the Hindu Marriage Registration Bill 2012 — aims to provide legal and social protection to members of the Hindu community. State Minister for Law, Justice and…
Source CANADA, October 4, 2012 (CBC News): The federal government is canceling the contracts of non-Christian chaplains at federal prisons, CBC News has learned. Inmates of other faiths, such as Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists and Jews, will be expected to turn to Christian prison chaplains for religious counsel and guidance, according to the office of Public Safety Minister Vic Toews, who…