BANGALORE, INDIA, January 7, 2011: After English, Hindi and Kannada, Sanskrit is the most sought-after second language in India. Among the 400,000 odd students taking the pre-university exam every year the numbers rose from 13,630 in 2009 to 14,221 in 2010. However, the number of takers for regional languages is dropping. Usually, languages like Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu are taken…
TAMIL NADU, INDIA, January 17, 2011: A 1250-year-old temple has been saved from collapse using ‘granite stitching’ in the southern part of India. The Kailasanathar Temple in the town of Uthiramerur is more than 1,250 years old according to studies of its inscriptions. ‘The centuries-old monument is made up of a brick super-structure and a granite substructure,’ explains Dr. Sathyamurthy…
EDMONTON, CANADA, January 22, 2011: Edmonton’s Hindu community is celebrating the life of spiritual leader Swami Vivekananda. This weekend coincided with the 148th birthday of the swami. On Sunday, a new pictorial gallery of his life was opened. Swami Kripamayananda Ji, president of the Vedanta Society of Toronto, blessed the gallery at the Hindu Society Temple. Source
MOUNT KISCO, NEW YORK, January 22, 2011: For Lower Hudson Valley residents, a free public workshop Sunday will teach the 10 yogic poses and breathing techniques that make up a sun salutation or surya namaskar. Since 2007, the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh USA, a nonprofit socio-cultural organization, has sought to popularize surya namaskar by organizing a two-week yogathon across the country.…
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, INDIA, January 17, 2011: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will provide satellite pictures of Sabarimala area using remote sensing technology for taking measures to prevent disasters like the stampede that claimed 102 lives last week. ISRO Chairman Dr. K. Radhakrishnan said such three dimensional images would help the government and temple board to improve infrastructure in Sabarimala area…
SUVA, FIJI, January 15, 2011: Premila Devi Prasad, 50, has been practicing her role as a priestess for nearly 20 years now. But it was only recently that she has found satisfaction in her work because of acceptance by the community. Prasad was registered as a priestess in 1992 by the Arya Pratinidhi Sabha of Vanua Levu and has solemnized…
NEW DELHI, INDIA, January 22, 2011: The Supreme Court on Friday held that conversion from one religion to another had no justification in ‘secular’ India as it amounted to interference in religious belief. ‘We hope Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of religion playing a positive role in bringing religions and communities together into an integrated prosperous nation will be realized. There is…
NEW DELHI, INDIA, January 22, 2011: Dr. John Dayal, Secretary General of the All of India Christian Council, said, ‘Although we are yet to analyse the full judgment of the Supreme Court, we are disturbed by the parts carried by the media, mentioning terms like fraud and forcible and conversion. But more than anything, we fear such remarks may negatively…
MUMBAI, INDIA, January 17, 2011: The United Commercial (UCO) Bank has opened the country’s first lockless branch at Shani Shinganapur in Maharashtra. Shani Shinganapur is a small village in Ahmednagar district whose presiding Deity is Lord Shani. More than 5,000 devotees visit the temple every day, while on weekends the number crosses the 100,000 mark. Local NCP legislator Shankar Gadakh…