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KAUAI, HAWAII, September 25, 2014 (HPI): As readers may know, the California State Board of Education’s Instructional Quality Commission just set in motion a 60-day review period for the revised Framework for History-Social Studies. In this revised Framework, which sets the classroom curriculum for each grade, the section on India and Hinduism has been extensively changed, in our opinion, often…

Source INDIA, August 22, 2014 (Hindustan Times): Giving a reason for officials to smile, more than 900 pilgrims have pilgrimaged on foot to Kailash Mansarovar in Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) this year via the India route, setting a new record of sorts. The yatra is an annual affair which passes through Uttarakhand and goes till Kailash Mansarovar in TAR under…

Source THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, KERALA, INDIA, September 21, 2014 (Deccan Chronicle): The documentation of invaluable antiques in vaults A, C and D of Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple has been completed. No major theft of temple treasures has been detected during the two-year inventorying and experts reckon the treasures to be worth more than the initial guesstimate of US$16.4 billion. There is no clue…

Source When the fundamentalists of any religion teach an unrelenting duality based on good and evil, man and nature or God and Devil, this creates friends and enemies. This belief is a sacrilege to Hindus, because they know that the attitudes which are the by-product are totally dualistic, and for good to triumph over that which is alien or evil,…

Source PATTAYA, THAILAND, September 12, 2014 (Pattaya Mail): Followers of the Hindu and Buddhist God Ganesha capped a 15-day festival with a ceremony lowering a statue of the “God of Success” into the sea at Bali Hai Pier. Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh and Pattaya Ganesha Lovers Club President Chaiwat Detnathee led the faithful at a fire sacrifice and prayer ceremony…

Source On the day the first vault was opened, the court team also tried to open a second, known as Kallara B. Today, the question of whether to open Kallara B to examine its contents is at the center of a bitter and protracted Supreme Court battle, as is the bigger question of exactly who should control the temple, and…

Source INDIA, September 8, 2014 (by Anindita Dev, zeenews): It’s that time of the year for the Bengali Hindus and Assamese, who wake up to the Dhak (drum) beats every morning, following the ten-day long festival of Durga Puja. Durga Puja is also referred to as Durgotsava in Bengali, which marks the victory of Durga over the buffalo demon, Mahishasura.…

Source SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, September 19, 2014 (HPI): California governor Jerry Brown vetoed Senate Bill 1057 which would have called for the revision of the “Content Standards” which guide the creation of the state’s history-social science books for grades K-12. The Hindu-American community was disappointed with the veto as the bill could have improved the presentation of Hinduism and Indian history…

Source After death, the soul goes to the next world bearing in mind the subtle impressions of its deeds, and after reaping their harvest returns again to this world of action. Thus, he who has desires continues subject to rebirth.— Shukla Yajur Veda, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4.4.6

Source TIRUMALA, INDIA, September 17, 2014 (Deccan Chronicle): Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams is all set to effect changes in the darshan patterns during the nine-day annual Brahmotsavam slated between September 26 and October 4 at Tirumala. In view of the heavy influx of devotees expected to throng the Tirumala hill shrine during the festivities, the temple administration has already cancelled VIP…