Source MUMBAI, INDIA, July 11, 2011 (DNA India): The famous Ganpati mandals, essential to the celebrations of Ganesha Chaturthi in Mumbai, are required to get permissions from a number of government bodies. They need to approach the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) ward office concerned and the fire brigade for permission to set up a pandal. The permission of the traffic…
Source Some people think they are worth a lot of money just because they have it.— Fannie Hurst (1889-1968), American novelist
Source INDIA, July 2011 (TodayIFoundOut.com): Some Tibetan monks can control the temperature of their skin through meditation. Specifically, they have been shown to be able to raise their skin temperature, measured from their toes and fingers, as much as 17 degrees Fahrenheit, while their core temperature stays normal. Scientists from Harvard University, lead by Herbert Benson, were first able to…
Source [HPI note: Kanwariyas are those who undertake the Kanwar Yatra. The Kanvar Yatra or Kavad Yatra is annual pilgrimage of devotees of Siva to Haridwar, Gaumukh and Gangotri in Uttarakhand, to fetch holy waters of Ganges River which is later offered at their local Shiva temples. The Yatra takes place during the sacred month of Shravan (July/August), according to…
Source VARANASI, INDIA, April 29, 2011 (Hindustan Times): The first-ever illustrated French version of the Ramayana will be launched in France and India by a Paris-based publishing house. It is a seven-volume book which uniquely combines textual narratives and miniature paintings of the Ramayana arranged from museums across the globe, Ramayana project manager Colombe Verges disclosed. The French version of…
Source INDIA, July 15, 2011 (Penn-Olson.com): Facebook is huge in India and will probably overtake Indonesia as the second largest user nation in the near future. With a massive number of users — 28 million — many brands are also employing the social network to use it as a customer engagement platform. For the month of June, thanks to the…
Source Of all blessings we know of none greater than the begetting of children endowed with intelligence.— Tirukkural
Source INDIA, July 17, 2011: The man who led a legal battle which led to the recent discovery of treasure worth billions of dollars in an Indian temple has died at the age of 70. T.P. Sundara Rajan, a retired police officer, petitioned for the vaults of the 16th Century Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple in Kerala to be opened. Inside, investigators…
Source HOUSTON, TEXAS, July 10, 2011: 29-year-old Texas-born Rishi Bhutada had an arranged marriage in India three years ago and then brought his wife back to his hometown, where they recently welcomed a son. He is a strict vegetarian and avoids alcohol, as do many observant Hindus. And the dashboard of his Toyota Prius is adorned with a small metal…
Source UNITED STATES, July 19, 2011: A New Jersey appeals court has ruled that a group of 16 Hindu diners can sue to be flown to India to resolve a dispute over an order of samosas. Two years ago the diners went to Moghul Express restaurant in Edison for an India Day celebration. They were supposed to have been given…