Source BALI, INDONESIA, September 8, 2012 (Jakarta Post): Streets are expected to be empty and offices closed on Saturday as millions of Balinese Hindus flock to the temples to pray and celebrate Kuningan. The festival marks the end of ceremonies to celebrate the victory of dharma (virtue) over adharma (vice) that began with the observation of Galungan on Aug. 29.…
Source ISLAMABAD, September 11, 2012 (Daily Times, Pakistan): Scores of Pakistani Hindu pilgrims currently in India’s Rajasthan have said they do not intend to return to their country, a media report said on Monday. A group of 171 Pakistani Hindus travelled to Jodhpur on the Thar Express train yesterday. Though the Hindus are on a pilgrimage, their leader said they…
Source If it seems strange to you that the old Indian philosophers should have known more about the soul than Greek or medieval or modern philosophers, let us remember that however much the telescopes for observing the stars of heaven have been improved, the observatories of the soul have remained much the same. — Friedrich Maximilian Mueller (1823-1900), German philologist…
Source MALAYSIA, September 9, 2012 (Asia One): Malaysia has one million vegetarians and the numbers are growing, steadily. Most Malaysians who become vegetarians opt either for the lacto (who take dairy products), lacto-ovo (dairy and eggs), vegan (no dairy products, eggs, onions or garlic), raw food or even the fruitarian diet. Malaysian Vegetarian Society president Dr. P. Vythilingam says many…
Source GENEVA, SWITZERLAND, September 6, 2012 (Toronto Sun): Minority religious communities in Pakistan are living in “fear and terror” of Islamic fundamentalists amid abductions and forced conversions that the government is helpless to stop, the World Council of Churches (WCC) said on Wednesday. A statement from the WCC’s ruling Central Committee declared that Pakistan’s small Hindu and Christian communities were…
Source NEW ZEALAND, August 24, 2012 (Indian Weekender): After 10 years, the Shri Shirdi Saibaba Sansthan of NZ Inc. is finally on track in its mission to begin work on its new temple in Church Str Onehunga. “We are finally getting there,” Sanstahan president Hari Gangisetty said. “Today is a historic day for the Sansthan,” he said, referring to the…
Source See yourself everywhere. You are the whole world.— Satguru Yogaswami (1872-1964), Sri Lankan mystic
Source CLAREMONT, CALIFORNIA, August 24, 2012: Claremont Lincoln University (CLU) and the Nalanda Confluence Institute (NCI) today signed an agreement to have collaborative initiatives to strengthen and enhance the study of Hindu Dharma in the United States and India through the implementation of innovative programs in CLU. NCI is partnering with Dharma Civilization Foundation (DCF), in order to bring a…
Source CALIFORNIA, U.S., September 8, 2012 (LA Times): California employers face new restrictions against shunting Sikh and Muslim workers to backroom jobs out of public view based on their wearing of turbans, beards and hijabs, under a law signed Saturday by Gov. Jerry Brown. “This bill, AB 1964, makes it very clear that wearing any type of religious clothing or…
Source BANGALORE, Sept 9, 2012 (Times of India): Come September 19 and eco friendly icons of Lord Ganesha look good to find their way to homes of many a devotee in Bangalore. Eco-friendly Ganeshas are ‘in’ this year, evident by the advance bulk bookings. “People are now aware of being environment-friendly, which the sale and booking figures clearly indicate. We…