Source: mailto:vchander@princeton.edu PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY, November 7, 2009: Princeton University will host its official celebration of the Hindu festival of Diwali at the University Chapel on November 14, 2009. The Diwali celebration is hosted by the University’s Office of Religious Life (ORL) and spearheaded by the University’s recently created Hindu Life Program. The program was launched last year as a…
Source: epaper.timesofindia.com NEW DELHI, INDIA, November 01, 2009: Delhi’s great winter wedding season has begun. But tying the knot will be more expensive this season. Few auspicious dates have led to a desperate rush for venues and sub-vendors, and consequently, higher costs. Astrologers say between November and February, the winter wedding season, there are only 24 auspicious days as per…
Source: epaper.hindustantimes.com GARHMUKTESHWAR, INDIA, November 3, 2009: Aside from the Kumbh Mela, the Hindu religious gathering that takes place once in 12 years, the 10-day annual Garhmukteshwar Ganga Fair on the banks of the Ganga is the largest festival in North India in terms of attendance. The official number of visitors to the annual fair is close to 3 million.…
Source: news.bbc.co.uk STRASBOURG, GERMANY, November 6, 2009: In a case brought by an Italian mother who wanted to give her children a secular education, The European Court of Human Rights has ruled against the use of crucifixes in Italian classrooms. The Vatican said it was shocked by the ruling, calling it “wrong and myopic” to exclude the crucifix from education,…
Source: www.hinduismtoday.com O God of mercy who performs the dance of illimitable happiness in the hall of inconceivable intelligence! The Rig and the other Vedas are thundering forth in words, announcing to us that all are thy slaves, all things belong to thee, all actions are thine, that thou pervades everywhere, that this is thy nature. Such is the teaching…
Source: news.bbc.co.uk [HPI note: Hindu leaders have long been among the most outspoken defenders of natures balance. For the Hindu, nature is sacred, to be respected and cared for. The last few weeks saw a growing momentum worldwide for initiatives that gather religious leaders to discuss climate change’s causes, consequences and possible solutions. This edition of HPI brings you news…
Source: nvonews.com INDIA, October 29, 2009: In a bid to protect the Himalayas from global warming, Chief Ministers of five Himalayan states signed the Shimla Declaration concluding day of a two-day meet. Chief Ministers of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim issued a detailed action plan. Experts from the five Himalayan states discussed in detail the…
Source: dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com NEW YORK, USA, November 2, 2009: A remarkable conclave of leading figures from nine of the world’s major religions is under way at Windsor Castle in Britain, under the auspices of Prince Philip and the United Nations secretary general, Ban Ki-moon. Called “Many Heavens, One Earth,” the meeting is intended to generate commitments for actions by religious organizations,…
Source: news.bbc.co.uk LONDON, ENGLAND, November 2, 2009: Leaders from the Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Baha’i, Jain and Zoroastrian faiths called on G20 nations to cut greenhouse gases saying there is a “moral imperative” to tackle global warming as it posed a “very real threat to the world’s poor.” Their joint call for action came at a meeting in…
Source: www.hinduismtoday.com Mahatma Gandhi visited London in 1932. He toured the city wearing traditional dhoti and khadi shawl. People who met him were shocked with his “barbaric” attire, and he was the subject of ridicule–notably by Churchill himself. On one occasion Gandhi accepted an invitation to tea from King George V, “Emperor of India.” When asked afterwards if he felt…