SourceNEW DELHI, INDIA, May 4, 2003: Former BJP president, Bangaru Laxman, taking issue with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati for her threat to convert to Buddhism, said that conversion was no cure-all for the problems of Dalits (“untouchables”). Laxman, the first Dalit president of the BJP, said the Dalits, instead of adopting an escapist approach, should fight for their honorable…
Leicester MercuryLEICESTER, ENGLAND, May 15, 2003: Religious leaders criticized a scene in the Haymarket Theater’s production of “Bollywood Jane” in which a statue of Lord Ganesha is thrown to the floor. On Monday, the play’s production staff met to discuss how the scene could be altered and made adjustments to the scene so the statue is not thrown on the…
SourceBHUBANESWAR, INDIA, May 21, 2003: A recent health camp, held for sevayats (staff) and their families, revealed that most of the sevayats of Puri’s Jagannath temple suffer from neurological ailments. Of over 300 sevayats examined, 70 percent had neurological problems that came from frequent climbing of temple stairs and carrying temple food pots on their shoulders. They also suffered from…
SourceLONDON, ENGLAND, May 13, 2003: Love is in the air thanks to Portsmouth inventor Mike Gill and his inflatable church. The life-sized house of God has an altar, steeple, organ, and room for 100 guests. It’s available for weddings anywhere in the country. The world’s one and only inflatable church is here to allow couples to get married wherever their…
SourceNEW DELHI, INDIA, May 23, 2003: A young Indian woman has become a celebrity for resisting her in-laws demands for a dowry and sending her groom to jail for it. Since her case first came to light, 21-year-old Nisha Sharma has received a series of awards, a slew of admiring suitors — and even some copycats, with reports of at…
SourceCARAPICHAIMA, TRINIDAD, May 24, 2003: A spiritually charged and beautiful shrine for Lord Hanuman will be consecrated on the grounds of the Dattatraya Yoga Center, Carapichaima, Trinidad, on June 12. The consecration will coincide with the unveiling of the Ashram Complex, which has been renovated to reflect authentic 12th century South Indian Hindu architecture, and the celebration of the 61st…
SourceIOWA, U.S.A., May 17, 2003: If you are a Hindu living in Madrid, Iowa, you now have a Hindu temple to worship in. Located right beside the Des Moines River, the new temple will cost US$1.6 million when it is finished. The community at large has accepted the new house of worship as was evidenced when 300 nonmembers visited the…
SourceNEW YORK, May 15, 2003: Sanskrit is among the world’s oldest recorded language, but putting works created over the last 3,000 years onto the Web has not been easy. Documents written in Devanagiri, a compound word whose literal translation means “city of immortals” and whose script is used for Sanskrit and other South Asian languages, can be scanned as images.…
Hindustan TimesLONDON, UK, May 14, 2003: The British government has raised the age at which a spouse can be brought to Britain in an attempt to combat forced marriages, mostly taking place in Pakistani and Bangladesh Muslim communities. The Home Secretary, introduced the measure on April 1 without making an announcement. The government has been concerned over the rising number…
SourceSAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, May 18, 2003: Manoj Mathai’s hunt for his first house could be a lesson to Silicon Valley real estate professionals. A home must have certain qualities to make the native of India happy. The front door must face east because good fortune comes from a rising sun. “In the back of our minds, we Indians are looking…