New Temple and Arts Center in Bali

Source: www.thejakartapost.com KLUNGKUNG, BALI, January 7, 2010: Klungkung is often described as the birthplace of Balinese culture because it was here that Javanese Hindus relocated after the end of the Majapahit kingdom 700 years ago, recreating classical Hinduism on the island. In Klungkung a new performing, visual arts center and contemporary art museum is being built. The Arts Monument, or…

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Maha Kumbha Mela Has Now Begun

Source: www.expressindia.com HARIDWAR, INDIA, January 14, 2010: Braving the winter chill, thousands of devotees took their dip into the holy Ganga in the first days Maha Kumbha Mela, considered the worlds largest religious congregation, that takes place once every 12 years. With the sun rise, devotees who had started lining up along the streets of Haridwar leading to various ghats,…

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Anantanand Rambachan on Dalit DIscrimination

Source: www.shastras.org MINNESOTA, USA, January 17, 2010: (HPI Note: Dr. Rambachan is Professor and Chair, Religion Department, St. Olaf College.) Although the exclusion of Dalits from places of Hindu worship ought to be a matter of deep concern and distress, there is hardly a ripple of protest in the sea of Hindu complacency. Shutting the doors of Hindu temples to…

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The Issue of Blasphemy

Source: newsweek.washingtonpost.com USA, January 6, 2010: (By Aseem Shukla) A person could be fined up to $35,000 if “he publishes or utters matter that is insulting in relation to matters held sacred by any religion.” That absurd anti-blasphemy law, proposed in Ireland, provides a timely occasion to explore the Abrahamic concept of blasphemy.Thomas Aquinas in the 13th century considered blasphemy…

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Daily Inspiration

Source: www.hinduismtoday.com When individuals change for the better, then society will change, and when society changes, then the country will change.    Pramukh Swami Maharaj, BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha

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Breathtaking “Places to Go in 2010” List Includes Sri Lanka and Other Hindu Destinations

Source: www.nytimes.com NEW YORK, USA, January 10, 2010: Rich in natural beauty and cultural splendors, Sri Lanka, for a quarter century, seems to have been plagued by misfortune, including a brutal civil war between the Sinhalese majority and Tamil minority. Hopefully, last May, the conflict finally ended, ushering in a more peaceful era for this magnificent island. With a population…

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Daily Inspiration

Source: www.hinduismtoday.com Man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can do without.    American philosopher Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)

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In Haridwar, All Set for Kumbh Mela

Source: www.ddinews.gov.in HARIDWAR, INDIA, January 12, 2010: Thousands of devotees arrived in Haridwar to celebrate the first Kumbh Mela of the century this Thursday. On this day, over 25,000 are expected to take a dip in the river Ganga on the auspicious occasion of ‘Makar Sankranti’- the day marking the decline of winter. Eighty thousand people have already reached the…

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Millions Witness Makara Jyothi at Sabarimala

Source: beta.thehindu.com SABARIMALA (PATHANAMTHITTA), INDIA, January 14, 2010: Millions of devotees waiting anxiously for hours to witness the celestial light, shouted in joy and thanksgiving when the Makara Jyothi appeared thrice on the horizon at the Sabarimala temple here Thursday evening. The celestial light was seen after 6:40 p.m. Sighting of the celestial light on the horizon is considered most…

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