Source: www.parliamentofreligions.org MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA, October 14, 2009: The 2009 Parliament of World Religions will take place in Melbourne, Australia, from December 4 to December 9, 2009. First held in Chicago in 1893, the Parliament of the World’s Religions brings together the world’s religious and spiritual communities, their leaders and their followers to a gathering where peace, diversity and sustainability are…
Source: week.manoramaonline.com LONDON, UK, October 14, 2009: British Prime Minister Gordon Brown today extended hearty Diwali greetings on the occasion of celebrations of the festival of lights in the House of Commons, attended by leading politicians. “I am delighted that Diwali Celebrations will once again take place within the House of Commons. The Festival of Lights is a wonderful example…
Source: www.deccanchronicle.com MANTRALAYAM, INDIA, October 7, 2009: Rare talapatras and original manuscripts of Sri Madhvacharya Mutt in the Vidyapeet in Manatralayam have been damaged by the flood waters of the Tungabadhra that engulfed the temple town. The talapatras and manuscripts in Sanskrit date back more than 450 years and some are from the period even before Sri Guru Raghavendra Swamy.…
Source: in.reuters.com MUMBAI, INDIA, October 7, 2007: India is nearing its peak gold sales season just as world bullion prices reach their highest ever, testing consumer demand in the world’s biggest buyer. The biggest gold-buying day of the year, Dhanteras, falls on Oct. 15, when purchasing gold is believed to invoke prosperity. Two days later the festival of lights, Diwali,…
Source: www.thaindian.com TORONTO, CANADA, October 10, 2009: The Canadian parliament celebrated Diwali this week with Prime Minister Stephen Harper and other top leaders lighting the traditional lamps. They were among the 450 dignitaries to attend the festivities Thursday night. High commissioner Shashisekar Gavai of India and Hindu envoys from Pakistan and Malaysia were also among those who attended the evening…
Source: www.dallasnews.com DALLAS, TEXAS, October 5, 2009: The thousands gathered in a parking lot at Cowboys Stadium on Sunday commemorated Diwali Mela — the Hindu festival of lights — helping celebrate the diversity of North Texas. This is the fourth year the festival, which is popular not just in India but with Indian immigrants around the world, has been celebrated…
Source: www.carynews.com CARY, NORTH CAROLINA, October 7, 2009: On Saturday, Sandeep Acharya, winner of the 2006 season of “Indian Idol,” and Aditi Paul, a fellow contestant, will bring their acts to the United States, headlining this year’s Cary Diwali festival. The free festival, one of the biggest of its kind in the Southeast, will be held at Koka Booth Amphitheatre…
Source: www.latimes.com WASHINGTON, DC, USA, October 8, 2009: The Supreme Court debated Wednesday whether a large Latin cross standing in the Mojave National Preserve is a symbol of all fallen soldiers–including non-Christians–and whether it violates the 1st Amendment ban on establishment of religion. The cross has existed since 1934 on a remote hill in the Mojave National Preserve. The National…
Source: www.nytimes.com NEW YORK, NY, USA, October 6, 2009 [An editorial from The New York Times]: The Supreme Court is currently deliberating whether a large cross that has been placed on federal land violates the establishment clause of the First Amendment, the constitutional provision that requires a wall of separation between church and state. The religious significance of the cross…
Source: www.hinduismtoday.com There are things of deadly earnest that can only be mentioned under the cover of a joke. J. J. Procter