Source KOLKATA, INDIA, July 2, 2011: Expectations are high in India for millions of devotees of Lord Jagannath. This Sunday the entire nation gets involved in dragging Lord Jagannath’s rath (chariot) symbolizing the journey of the Deity from his temple to the garden palace in the countryside. Three beautifully decorated chariots which resemble temple structures are pulled through the streets…
Source LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, June 12, 2011 (Courier Journal): Several hundred worshippers, many in colorful saris and other traditional clothing of India, attended the biggest ceremony held at the Hindu Temple of Kentucky since its opening in 1999 in northeast Jefferson County on about 20 acres of donated land. Amid a cacophonous sounding of bells and conchs, the burning of incense…
During the past 10 years, the Asian population — which includes Indians — increased by 150 percent in Lee County and 124 percent in Collier County, according to the 2010 census. There are an estimated 1,000 Hindu families in Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties. For years, Indians worshiped at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Fort Myers, but their goal was…
Source CHENNAI, INDIA, June 14, 2011 (Times of India): Epigraphists have recently unearthed a stack of engraved copper plates which show that emperor Rajadhiraja Chola I ensured that his successor and younger brother Rajadhiraja Chola II made donations he had pledged. “The famous king was a man who kept his word,” said R. Sivanandan, chief epigraphist, state archaeological department, who…
Source Sectarianism, bigotry and its horrible descendant, fanaticism, have long possessed this beautiful Earth. They have filled the Earth with violence, drenched it often with human blood, destroyed civilizations and sent whole nations to despair. Had it not been for these horrible demons, human society would be far more advanced than it is now.— Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902), disciple of Sri…
Source INDIA, June 17, 2011: A new study has suggested that sticking to a vegetarian diet can help kidney disease patients avoid accumulating toxic levels of phosphorous in their bodies. Kidney disease patients must limit their phosphorous intake, as high levels of the mineral can lead to heart disease and death. Sharon Moe (Indiana University School of Medicine and Roudebush…
Source GERMANY, June 2011 (wdr.de): The annual Amman temple festival attracts Hindus from all over Germany to Hamm-Uentrop. It is now one of the largest Hindu worship centers in Europe. The temple is the life work of Tamil priest, Sri Paskaran. The 48-year-old, who was educated in Sri Lanka and South India as a priest, arrived in Germany in 1985…
Source CHENNAI, INDIA, June 17, 2011 (Times of India): The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Board plans to introduce rain water harvesting methods in all the temple tanks in the state. Hydrologists say temple tanks are an excellent source of water conservation that also pushes up the groundwater table. Examples of this are the tanks of the Mylapore Kapaleeswarar temple…
Source THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, INDIA, June 29, 2011 (Hindustan Times): Gold articles and other precious objects believed to be worth more than Rs 1,000 crore (US$ 225 Million) have been found at the Sri Padmanabha Swami temple by the Supreme Court-appointed panel. However, since most of the stuff are antique pieces, a formal assessment of their value is difficult. Among the ones…