Source: www.dnaindia.com MUMBAI, INDIA, August 27, 2009: On Wednesday, 11 priests sat neck-deep in water in three-foot wide drums for over three hours, chanting sutras from the Vedas at the Sri Sankara Mattham in Matunga. “We do this to gain the goodwill of the rain god Varuna for abundant rains in the city and the country,” said 65-year-old Venkataraman Shastri,…
Source: www.nytimes.com NEW YORK, USA, August 28, 2009: Some 50 singers, beautifully dressed in traditional Indian clothing, gathered Sunday morning in the senior center across the street from the Ganesha Temple in Flushing, Queens for one last rehearsal of a hymn. They would be performing on the busiest day of the temple calendar — the first day of the festival…
Source: beta.thehindu.com HAMPI, INDIA, August 30, 2009: The 500th anniversary of the coronation of Sri Krishnadevaraya, emperor of the erstwhile Vijayanagara kingdom, will be celebrated at Hampi, the seat of the dynasty, from January 27 to 29, 2010. Tourism minister Janardhana Reddy said that several special programs will mark the event. The government has also planned celebrations across the state…
Source: www.religionnews.com USA, August 19, 2009: A new study of over 26,000 U.S. students suggests that certain academic majors can influence students’ religiosity, either positively or negatively. In this six-year study conducted by economics professor Miles Kimball and researchers from the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research, students responded to questions beginning in high school and continuing through the…
Source: www.hinduismtoday.com Education is the manifestation of the perfection already in man, and character is the test of that manifestation. Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902)
Source: www.thehindubusinessline.com MUMBAI, INDIA, August 29, 2009: Piety towards Lord Ganesha, considered the remover of obstacles, seems to have triumphed over the economic slump, security concerns and swine flu. Donations at various Ganpati temples across Maharashtra are flowing. Cash and gold collections are expected to exceed last year’s numbers at mandals across the State. “In spite of the recession, there…
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com MUMBAI, INDIA, August 26, 2009: The state government on Tuesday approved the blueprint for the proposed statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji in the sea off Marine Drive, and began the process of appointing a developer for its construction, although it has yet to secure clearance from the Union environmental ministry. The 321-foot-high monument less than a mile from the…
Source: www.wereldjournalisten.nl NETHERLANDS, August 11, 2009: Dispelling the common image of a modern student, the Hindu Students Forum Netherlands (HSFN) is holding its third annual Sewa Week to show students that they can contribute to society. The members of the Sewa Week HSFN go along with other volunteers for one week’s time. Last year approximately 130 students took part in…
Source: www.ganeshmall.com KAPAA, HI, USA, August 31, 2009: The HPI team recently discovered that there is an online store for all things Ganesh: murtis of Hinduism’s dearest God, paintings, jewelry, books and more. The store, Ganesh Mall, has also an exquisite collection of statues of Lord Ganesh. Billing itself as “A place where everything that’s Ganesh can be experienced,” Ganesh…
Source: www.youtube.com KAUAI, HAWAII, August 30, 2009: Hinduism Today magazine published the third in its series of lessons on Hindu and Indian history in its October, 2009, issue. The 16-page lesson is available as a PDF file for download at: https://www.hinduismtoday.com/modules/wfchannel/index.php?wfc_cid=20, with an introduction and overview of the lesson on YouTube at the “source” above. This third lesson cover the…