Caste, Cows Still Define US Mindset on Hindus, Says Anju Bhargava

Source: www.expressbuzz.com CHENNAI, INDIA, August 25, 2009: Barack Obama may have been the only American president to refer to Hindus in his first presidential address. He could also be the first US President to call for Hindu participation in his advisory council. Yet, the concept of Indian Hindus in the US is largely confined to cow, caste and curry in…

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A 161-Year-Old Ganesh Temple Cries For Attention

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com VADODARA, INDIA, August 27, 2009: The 161-year-old Dhundiraj Ganpati Mandir in the Wadi area is one of Gujarat’s oldest Ganesh temples and perhaps the only one made completely out of wood. The carvings on its wooden pillars are a must-see, as is the fountain in front of the Lord’s murti. However, the temple is struggling to survive and…

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Scotland Celebrates Indian Festival of Dusherra

The Scottish Indian Arts Forum¬†Press Release EDINBURG, September 12, 2009: The Scottish Indian Arts Forum will celebrate the famous Indian Festival of Dusherra on Sunday, October 4, at Calton Hill, Edinburgh. The Ram Lila Parade will consist of horse-drawn chariots with Rama, Lakshman and Hanuman on one and Ravana on the other. There will also be colorful floats of Sita…

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Daily Inspiration

Source: www.hinduismtoday.com The whole path is a total surrendering. All four sects of Hinduism meet in surrender, prapatti, to the Divine.    Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami (1927-2001)

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Scotland Celebrates Indian Festival of Dusherra

Source: Source: Press RElease EDINBURG, September 12, 2009:The Scottish Indian Arts Forum will celebrate the famous Indian Festival of Dusherra on Sunday, October 4, at Calton Hill, Edinburgh. The Ram Lila Parade will consist of horse-drawn chariots with Rama, Lakshman and Hanuman on one and Ravana on the other. There will also be colorful floats of Sita in Ashok, Vatika,…

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Moksha Could Cost A Lot In Varanasi

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com VARANASI, INDIA, September 6, 2009: Satyanarain Chowdhary supervises his family’s business: running the world-famous cremation ground Manikarnika ghat. The businesslike Chowdhary seems miffed at allegations of extortion at the ghat, where victim’s families have to cough up anywhere between US$20 to US$2,000, depending on their financial status, for last rites. “It is merely a tax people have been…

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We Are Born To Believe in God

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk UK, September 6, 2009: Humans may have been hardwired by evolutionary forces to believe in God, some scientists are suggesting. Far from being the result of poor education and childhood “indoctrination,” religious tendencies may have provided an evolutionary benefit by increasing the tendency of people to work together well, thus enhancing their ability to survive. Bruce Hood, a…

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Daily Inspiration

Source: www.hinduismtoday.com In life, to handle yourself, use your head, but to handle others, use your heart.    Swami Chinmayananda (1917-1993), writer, lecturer and Hindu renaissance founder of Chinmaya Mission International

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Daily Inspiration

Source: www.hinduismtoday.com After receiving grace of a God, the devotee can never be the same again, never look at life again in the old way. By grace we are directed deeper into spiritual life, pointed in the right direction, carefully guided on the San Marga, the straight path to our supreme God. After grace has been received, our thoughts are…

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Shortage of Priests Affects Hindu Last Rites

Source: www.thaindian.com AGRA, INDIA, September 2, 2009: Few of the younger generation are entering the priesthood, and the number of “karamkandi” pandits is declining sharply in Agra, Mathura and Vrindavan. Despite an influx of pandits from other areas, there is a severe shortage of properly trained people to perform the rituals of Pitra Paksh, when Hindu families pray for peace…

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