Source THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, KERALA, INDIA, April 4, 2011: The Travancore Devaswom Board, which manages the hill shrine of Sabarimala, has begun the process of distributing solatium of US$5,668 each to the families of the 102 devotees who died in the stampede at Pullumedu on January 14. Most of the devotees who died in the tragedy, mainly from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and…
Source In the whole world there is no study so beneficial and so elevating as that of the Upanishads. It has been the solace of my life–it will be the solace of my death. Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860), German philosopher and writer and first Western philosopher to have access to translations of philosophical material from India.
Source UNITED STATES, April 2011: The President’s Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge will help magnify, value and encourage America’s religious and cultural diversity. The initiative will engage the rich, pluralistic diverse communities in partnerships for the common good. It will empower them to be innovative in providing services (seva) to communities in need. The Campus Challenge can build social…
Source UNITED STATES, April 4, 2011: Celebrating the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day, over 5000 women attended the BAPS Women’s Conference 2011 at 20 locations across North America in the month of March. This conference focused on the theme “Women: Honoring the Past, Envisioning the Future.” Conference organizer in New York, Parul Patel said, “BAPS is committed to the…
Source TRINIDAD/TOBAGO, March 15, 2011: Plants of Religious Significance: The Hindu Perspective, by Rabindranath Lackhan from Trinidad and Tobago, aims to provide information about the plants and flowers used in Hindu rituals and pujas. Sri Lackhan wrote the first edition of the book while he was an undergraduate student at the University of the West Indies (UWI)-St. Augustine. Now, after…
Source THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, INDIA, April 4, 2011: The Travancore Devaswom Board, which manages the hill shrine of Sabarimala, has begun the process of distributing solatium of US$5,668 each to the families of the 102 devotees who died in the stampede at Pullumedu on January 14. Most of the devotees who died in the tragedy, mainly from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra…
HPI KAUAI, HI, USA, April 13, 2011: If you celebrate the New Year often enough, does time move faster? Maybe not, though Hindus can say it certainly makes it more enjoyable. Particularly in North India, many celebrate New Year on the day after Diwali, which signifies hope and new beginnings. There are other dates still. But nearly everyone joins the…
Source [HPI note: The New York Times ran two stories recently about how delicious Veggie Burgers have become in the last few years.] They were the four syllables that used to have the power to make both carnivores and vegetarians cringe: veggie burger. If that has been your mental framework, it might be time to take another bite. Across the…
Source INDIA, April 07, 2011 (rediff.com): Is Sathya Sai Baba recovering? That’s the question which has triggered anger and anxiety among devotees at both ashrams at Puttaparthi and Whitefield. According to this report here from four days ago, “Sai Baba, the 85-year-old wild-haired spiritual leader with a following of millions across the world, is in a critical state suffering from…
Source PANCHKULA, HARYANA, INDIA, April 5, 2011 (Times of India): With Chaitra Navaratra commencing on Monday, a number of devotees from across the region visited Mata Mansa Devi temple in Panchkula. On the first day of the festival, about 60,000 devotees paid obeisance here. Many could be seen performing rituals early in the morning. From children to newly-married couples and…