Source JAMMU, INDIA, December 26, 2011 (Zeenews): A record number of 9.9 million pilgrims from India and abroad visited the Hindu shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi in Jammu region this year, an official said on Sunday. The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) said the number of pilgrims has been increasing by about a million every year in the…
Source INDIA, December 25, 2011 (The HIndu): The State Archives Department is digitizing the Mathilakom records (old palm leaf manuscripts of Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram) as part of the second phase of digitization of old records. The records throw light on the history of the temple, and digitization might help in researching the records and finding missing links. There is…
Source USA, December 19, 2011 (Huffington Post, by Philip Goldberg): Last month I attended the annual conference of the American Academy of Religion (AAR). Comprised mainly of scholars who teach and do research at North American universities, the AAR is, according to its mission statement, “dedicated to furthering knowledge of religion and religious institutions in all their forms and manifestations.”…
Religion News Service U.S., December 2011 (RNS, by G. Jeffrey MacDonald): Billed as the most comprehensive and reliable study to date, the Pew Research Center’s “Global Christianity” reports on self-identified Christian populations based on more than 2,400 sources of information, especially census and survey data. Findings illustrate major shifts since 1910, when two-thirds of the world’s Christians lived in Europe.…
Source AHMEDABAD, INDIA, December 6, 2011 (Times of India): While daughter Dhara’s wedding made him nostalgic as he wrote a book on his experiences of bringing her up, his son Jay’s made him research and dig into the rituals of Hindu weddings. Ashok Patel, lecturer at SUG, a college in the city, has recently documented 72 rituals performed during the…
Source INDIA, December 23, 2011 (Press Information Bureau Government of India): The Department of Posts has released India Post 2012 Calendar based on the theme of sculptural heritage of India. India has produced some of the most intricate and unrivalled sculptures in the world. India Post has celebrated the sculptural heritage of India by issue of a number of postage…
www.Hindu-Wedding.org UNITED STATES, December 20, 2011 (press release): The new book “Vivaha Samskara – Hindu Wedding Ceremony” will answer many questions raised by the inquisitive young Hindu men and women contemplating a traditional religious wedding. And the book will also help their parents in many respects. After reading the book, the bride and groom will understand the significance of the…
Source If there are errors in other religions, that is none of our business. God, to whom the world belongs, takes care of that.— Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa (1836-1886)
HPI KAUAI, HI, USA, December 22, 2011: The celebrations for Pancha Ganapati continue today, when Lord Ganesha is dressed in red. The family sadhana for the third day is to create a vibration of love and harmony among business associates, the casual merchant and the public at large. This is the day for presenting gifts to merchants and customers and…
Religion News Service WASHINGTON, December 2011, (RNS by Lauren Markoe): The “World Giving Index,” based on 150,000 interviews with citizens of 153 nations, ranks the U.S. highest on a scale that weighed monetary donations, volunteer work, and willingness to help out a stranger. “In spite of economic hardships and uncertainty in the future, the American spirit is caring and strong,…