News

Source: www.hinduismtoday.com On the whole, human beings want to be good, but not too good and not quite all the time.    George Orwell

Source: www.zeenews.com JAMMU, INDIA, August 2, 2010: The naturally-formed ice lingam of Lord Shiva in Amarnath cave shrine in South Kashmir has totally melted, official sources revealed. “The holy ice lingam does not exist any more for this year,” official sources said. The pilgrimage to the Himalayan cave shrine, situated at a height of 13,500 feet, started July 1 and…

Source: www.straitstimes.com KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, July 28, 2010: A Malaysian court on Tuesday fined 12 Muslims and sentenced one of them to a week in prison for illegally protesting the construction of a Hindu temple by parading a severed cow’s head. The 12 men were among scores of Muslims who marched with a bloodied cow’s head from a mosque to…

Source: www.lotussculpture.com/huge-22-foot-bronze-nataraja-statue.html SWAMIMALAI, TAMIL NADU, August 1, 2010: For years, metal sculptor Varadaraj dreamed of making the largest-ever bronze statue of Lord Nataraja. The work started this year, and it is shaping up to be a magnificent piece. Scheduled to be cast in late 2010, it will be 22-23 feet tall and weigh nearly ten tons. The base will display…

Source: www.nytimes.com CALCUTTA, INDIA, August 14, 2010: Before 1947, when the British left India, Anglo-Indians — also known at the time as half-castes, blacky-whites and eight annas (there were 16 annas in a rupee, the official currency of India) — formed a distinct community of 300,000 to 500,000 people. Most were employed in the railroads and other government services, and…

Source: Press release PORT-OF-SPAIN, TRINIDAD, August 11, 2010: The 2010 World Association of Vedic Studies — WAVES — conference held in Trinidad last week attracted over 100 scholars from all over the world. Participants shared their insights on the inner meanings in the Vedic literature and discussed the future of Vedic knowledge systems such as yoga and Ayurveda. Dr. Surujrattan…

Source: Press Release EASTON, PA, August 11, 2010: Sri Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati, a dynamic voice for dharma and Hinduism in the world, is being honored by his devotees on the occasion of his 80th birthday. From August 12 to August 15, a series of events at the Arshavidya Gurukulam in Pensilvannya will bring together his American followers. For more…

Source: newsweek.washingtonpost.com USA, August 11, 2010: [HPI note: The Washington Post’s “On Faith” blog has started a discussion about Julia Roberts professing her Hindu faith. You can post a comment, and read other people’s opinions, at the source above.] Julia Roberts has long been called America’s sweetheart. But is America ready for a Hindu sweetheart? Roberts’ embrace of the faith…

Source: www.facebook.com UNITED STATES, July 2010: Since 2006, Sewa USA has taken initiative in the resettlement of Bhutanese Refugees. By 2012 a total of 60,000 refugees will be calling America home. Sewa’s Bhutanese Refugee Empowerment (BRE) Project is assisting the refugees with education, housing assistance, farming, mobility, essential items, and employment. They are also providing help with heath care, women’s…

Source: www.religionnews.com USA, August 6, 2010 (By Daniel Burke, Religion News Services): When U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker struck down California’s Proposition 8, he said voters’ motivation for outlawing gay marriage was clear. “The evidence shows conclusively that moral and religious views form the only basis for a belief that same-sex couples are different from opposite-sex couples,” Walker wrote in…