Source: www.asiantribune.com COLOMBO, SRI LANKA: January 15, 2009: Thirukethieswaram, an ancient temple in Manthottarmam, in Mannar District,is about seven miles north of the Mannar Town. According to legend, it was at this ancient temple that Kethu Bhagavan worshipped Lord Easwaram (Shiva). Hence the shrine acquired the name of Thiruthieswaram. Iravana’s father-in-law Mayan built the temple at Thirukethieswaram north of Mannar.…
Source: news.bbc.co.uk MADHYA PRADESH, INDIA, January 22, 2010: For every three months spent practicing yoga postures, balance and breathing exercises, the prisoners in the state of Madhya Pradesh can cut their jail time by 15 days. Authorities say the lessons help to improve the prisoners’ self-control and reduces their aggression. Some 4,000 inmates across the state are benefiting from the…
Source: www.phillyburbs.com PHILADELPHIA, UNITED STATES, January 20, 2010: The BAPS Swaminarayan Temple of Middletown joined in a weeklong celebration of unity, reflecting on the life of Martin Luther King Jr. Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament sat before the statue of the Hindu god Ganesha, the monsignor of a Roman Catholic Church politely accepted the ceremonial flames of arati, as a…
Source: www.kumbh2010haridwar.gov.in NEW DELHI, INDIA, January 22, 2010: Whether you are just curious about the Kumbha Mela, or plan to attend, this very large and inclusive website is a wealth of information. An on-going slideshow in the center of the page is a colorful jumping off point. A series of photos highlight the four locations where the Melas occur, define…
Source: news.theage.com.au CHINA, January 22, 2010: [HPI note: The trend of sex-specific abortions affects India, too, and could bring similar results to India’s population.] More than 24 million Chinese men of marrying age could find themselves without spouses in 2020 due to gender selection abortions by the previous generations. A study done by the government-backed Chinese Academy of Social Sciences,…
Source: www.hinduismtoday.com It is the unique and all-encompassing nature of Hinduism that one devotee may be worshiping Ganesha while his friend worships Subramaniam or Vishnu, and yet both honor the other’s choice and feel no sense of conflict. The profound understanding and universal acceptance that are unique in Hinduism are reflected in this faculty for accommodating different approaches to the…
Source: www.thaindian.com PATNA, INDIA, January 21, 2010: On January 20 Hindus across India celebrated Saraswati Puja on the occasion of Basant Panchami, considered as one of the most auspicious days in the year for initiation of children into learning. In Patna, former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav celebrated the event with students of his alma mater. “Mainly on this day,…
Source: news.oneindia.in MATHURA, INDIA, January 21, 2010: Though people in north India are faced with a spine-chilling cold, festivities related to Holi, the festival of colors, commenced in Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura city on Wednesday. Every year Holi festivities lasting for 40 days begin here on the day of the Basant Panchami festival. The celebrations attract a large number of domestic…
Source: www.hindustantimes.com UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA, January 21, 2010: He’s 10 years old, his voice hasn’t quite cracked, he can twist his nimble body into yogic postures that would impress Chinese acrobats, and when he grows up he sees himself as a sadhu or holy man. A member of the Juna Akhara, one of the prominent sadhu sectsparticipating in the Kumba…
Source: www.hindustantimes.com HARIDWAR, INDIA, January 20, 2010: Ram Prasad slowly walks up the steps of Har-ki-pauri, one of the holiest Hindu sites on the banks of the Ganga in Haridwar, Uttarakhand. It’s the 37-year-old Mauritius citizen’s third trip to the Kumbh Mela. “I feel quite at home here and am experiencing the kind of spiritual bliss I’ve never felt before,”…