hinduismtoday.com KAUAI, HAWAII, June 10, 2007: Hinduism Today has released at URL above a 17-page analysis of the proposed rule change to the religious worker visa. The executive summary, below, is followed in the analysis by an extensive discussion of the various issues involved. This rule change is quite drastic, and will definitely impact the use of the R-1 visa…
www.washingtonpost.com VARANASI,INDIA, June 9, 2007: Deep in a labyrinth of stucco buildings, in a dark, cave-like warehouse, Mohamed Javen, 18, switched on a light bulb, sat before his rickety loom and began working on what was once the prize possession of every Indian bride: the hand-woven silk sari. His feet operated the bamboo pedals, making a rhythmic clopping sound. He…
www.hindu.com CHENNAI, INDIA, June 7, 2007: A funds crunch has come in the way of the Kuppuswami Sastri Research Institute’s project to preserve thousands of old manuscripts and books. Such preservation initiatives are important for the over-six-decade old Institute at Madras Sanskrit College, Mylapore, as it serves as a reference library for researchers and scholars. The collection at the Institute…
news.bbc.co.uk The government of the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh has banned the propagation of other religions in the holy venues of Hindus across the state. The authorities say the move is to ensure that Hindu sentiments in holy places are not offended. It follows a dispute over alleged Christian missionary activity around a shrine in the town of…
www.columbusdispatch.com COLUMBUS, OHIO, June 9, 2007: No matter your faith, you can learn something from the Dharma. That is the message of Sri Karunamayi Amma, a Hindu spiritual leader who was in Columbus this week. “Dharma does not belong to any religion,” Karunamayi Amma said during an interview. “It is a responsibility to all mankind to be peaceful.” Karunamayi stopped…
timesofindia.indiatimes.com UNITED STATES AND CANADA, June 4, 2007: Pramukh Swami Maharaj, 85 and head of the Gujarat based Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), is visiting the US and Canada from June 10 to September 28 to mark the centenary celebrations of the organization. During his visit, two magnificent new temples depicting Indian heritage and civilization will be inaugurated…
www.ibnlive.com KATRA, INDIA, May 26, 2007: A small economic revolution is taking shape in the confines of a room near the Vaishno Devi shrine. And it’s led by a group of 11 village women handing the prasad offerings at the shrine. 65-year-old Rattan Devi starts at 8 in the morning along with 10 others carefully turning rice and corn flour…
Religion News Service NEW DELHI, India, May 31, 2007: A draft bill in Pakistan’s National Assembly would impose the death penalty on Muslim men — and a life sentence on Muslim women — if they renounce Islam. The bill has received its first reading and now sits before a standing committee of the National Assembly. It has been tabled by…
www.christianpost.com MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA, May 30, 2007: Thousands of representatives of the world’s religions will convene in Australia for the 2009 Parliament of the World’s Religions, the world’s largest inter-religious gathering. An estimated 8,000-12,000 people will meet in Melbourne, Australia, December 3-9, 2009, to dialogue, build interfaith relationships, and discuss critical issues facing the global community. Adherents of a wide range…
paras_ramoutar@yahoo.com TRINIDAD, TOBAGO, June 4, 2007: One of India’s top choreographers, Goswami Suushiljhi Maharaj, is now conducting a series of workshops on Ram Leela. Swamiji will be here for a couple weeks again and his presence is under the auspices of the SWAHA Educational Institute. His assignment includes training students in dance, music, stage-lighting, costume construction, crown-making and other ornaments…