Source WASHINGTON, D.C., USA, September 24, 2011 (Press Release via southasiamail): Nearly fifty leaders and major supporters of the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) met with many key congressional offices the last week of September, focused on the human rights of the 400,000 Hindu Pandits, the original inhabitants of the Kashmir Valley, who were forced from their ancestral homes in 1989.…
Source There is not a fellow under the sun who is my disciple. On the contrary, I am everybody’s disciple. All are the children of God. All are His servants. As for me, I consider myself as a speck of the dust of the devotee’s feet.— Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa (1836-1886)
Source NEW YORK, NY, USA, September 24, 2011 (nytimes.com): The American obesity epidemic is often “explained” by saying that junk food is cheaper than a healthy, home-cooked meal. But despite extensive government subsidies, hyperprocessed food remains more expensive than food cooked at home. Moreover, it’s unnecessarily high in calories, and most people in this country–especially the poor–already consume too many…
RNS USA, October 3, 2011 (Religion News Service): Attendance in American churches has dropped in the last decade and their membership has aged, despite an increase in minority congregations, according to a new Hartford Seminary study covering thousands of Christian, Jewish and Muslim congregations in 2000 and again in 2010.T he median worship attendance at a typical congregation decreased from…
Source CHENNAI, INDIA, September 25, 2011 (Bernama): The world-famous Tirumala Tirupati Venkateswara Temple in south India has auctioned human hair donated by devotees for a whopping US$ 22.2 million. The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the temple’s custodian, sold 466 tons of hair in its maiden e-auction last Thursday, where 49 bidders, including foreign buyers, joined in the bid, reported the…
Source NEW YORK, NEW YORK, September 27, 2011 (WNYC): It’s a big season for Indian art at New York City museums. As the Brooklyn Museum wraps up its “Vishnu: Hinduism’s Blue-Skinned Savior” exhibit this weekend, the Metropolitan Museum of Art opens its own major show of art from the subcontinent on Wednesday. The show, called “Wonder of the Age: Master…
Source PUNE, INDIA, September 22, 2011 (Times of India): Under the National Manuscripts Mission, a collection of around 40,000 manuscripts in Sanskrit are being digitized at the Bharat Itihas Sanshodhak Mandal. A team began work over a month ago. The work includes digitizing manuscripts from private sources in the city as well. The process of digitization began at early August,…
Source KAPAA, HI, USA. October 5, 2011: Wikipedia, ever a work in progress, has established itself as the world’s most important repository of information, the first place to go to learn about almost anything. Curated by dedicated contributors, behind the scenes Wikipedia works to assess the quality of information presented and fill in the gaps. One of the methods is…
HPI INDIA, October 4, 2011 (HPI): Tavathiru Nachiappa Gnanadesika Swami of Koviloor Aadheenam, the math’s 12th matadhipathi, left his body at age 70. A brilliant man with an expertise in photography and printing technology, Swami took sannyas later in life. He was part of the Kalakshetra established by Smt. Rukmini Devi Arundable for nearly six decades. After renouncing the world…
Source Life is a pilgrimage. The wise man does not rest by the roadside inns. He marches direct to the illimitable domain of eternal bliss, his ultimate destination.— Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh (1887-1963), founder of Divine Life Society