Source UNITED STATES, August 30, 2013 (Huffington Post by Murali Balaji): This week, the University of South Carolina hosted a conference celebrating the launch of the Encyclopedia of Hinduism. To be sure, it’s more than just an encyclopedia — it’s an effort to tell the life story of the world’s oldest active major religion. In an age where we can…
Source To enter into the spiritual life is a rare blessedness, it is a great good: to take it seriously and engage in active spiritual Sadhana is a second blessedness and a still greater good: but to persevere in the spiritual life, to be ever progressive and ceaseless in one’s spiritual life, is the greatest good, the crowning blessedness.— Swami…
Source SINGPUR, INDIA, August 27, 2013 (The Hindu): Religious leaders of the Sarna tribe in this area outside Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, have announced an agitation this December demanding that a statue of Virgin Mary be removed from a Catholic parish church in Singpur. The religious leaders described the statue — Virgin Mary, hair tied in a bun, dressed as a…
Source COLUMBIA, USA, August 30, 2013( by Susanne M. Schafer,Associated Press): A comprehensive encyclopedia of one of the world’s major religions was unveiled Monday in South Carolina. The 11-volume work covers Hindu spiritual beliefs, practices and philosophy, and is the culmination of a 25-year academic effort. The encyclopedia is written in English and includes about 7,000 articles on Hinduism and…
Source BALI, INDONESIA, August 24, 2013 (Jakarta Post): (Note: the Balinese spell “Visnu” as “Visnu,” which tends to confuse the rest of us, so we’ve changed it to Visnu for this article). Dramatic performances by the famous Kecak Rina troupe, guitar prodigy Dewa Budjana, singer Trie Utami, up-and-coming dancer Keni Kurniasari, harpist Maya Hasan and hundreds of local residents marked…
Source Just as, when we touch a live wire, the electric force infuses itself into our body, when we deeply meditate on God the power of the whole universe seeks entry into our personality.— Swami Krishnananda, General Secretary, Divine Life Society
Source GEORGE TOWN, MALAYSIA, August 24, 2013 (The Star): Thieves broke into the 180-year-old Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in Queen Street here and escaped with 36 precious stones, gold and silver items. At least 10 statues of deities placed at five platforms (peedam) inside the temple were damaged. The suspects dug up three statues before escaping with the loot. The…
Source MALAYSIA, April 22, 2013 (By Tan Sin Chow, The Star): Police have recovered almost 90% of the gold which was earlier reported stolen from the Kovil Veedu Temple in Penang Street. Penang CID chief Senior Asst Mazlan Kesah said they had recovered about 1.8kg of the golden drape for the statue but the gold had since been smelted into…
Source INDIA, August 28, 2013, (by Ankita Mehta, ibtimes): On August 28, India celebrated the Hindu festival of Janmashtami, marking the birth of Lord Krishna, with much pomp and splendor. The festival is celebrated across the whole country for two days with dramatic play Ras Lila and Dahi Handi. People also fast during this festival, which is also called Krishna…
Source The chief pujari (priest) from Vrindavan and the Pope are in a meeting in Rome. The pujari notices an unusually fancy phone on a side table in the Pope’s private chambers. “What is that phone for?” he asks the pontiff. “It’s my direct line to the Lord!” The pujari is skeptical, and the Pope notices. The Holy Father insists…