Source MYANMAR, June 21, 2011 (Sify): In a major boost to its cultural and historic ties with Myanmar, India Tuesday agreed to renovate and restore a 12th century temple in the ancient city of Bagan in Myanmar’s Mandalay region. Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna made the offer to the three-month-old Myanmarese civilian government. The Ananda Pahto, which dominates Bagan’s…
Source TIRUVANNMALAI, INDIA, June 19, 2011 (demotix.com): In a rare ritual, 121 Brahmins recited “Sri Rudram,” a prime section of the Yajur Veda, 11 times a day over 11 consecutive days, concurrently with ‘yagna’ (fire worship) and chanting of all four ancient Vedas. Tiruvannamalai is regarded as especially auspicious for this event, because in the seventh section of the “Sri…
Source We who have come from the East here have been told day after day in a patronizing way that we ought to accept Christianity because Christian nations are the most prosperous. We look about us and see England as the most prosperous nation in the world, with her foot on the neck of 250 million Asiatics. We look back…
Source UNITED STATES, July 2011: The url at source (above) is now available on iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. And it’s free! You can also search for keywords ‘vegan ingredients’ or ‘vegetarian ingredients’ in the Apple Store. The Guide lists the uses, sources, and definitions of 200 common food ingredients. It also states whether the commercial source of the ingredient…
Source UNITED STATES, July 2011: A coalition of major Christian churches including the Vatican launched a rule book on Tuesday for spreading their faith that aims to reduce hostility from Islam and other religions to efforts to convert their followers. The code, entitled “Christian Witness in a Multi-Religious World: Recommendations for Conduct”, comes amid growing tension between small local Christian…
Source NEW YORK, July 6, 2011 (Press Release): HAF announces its third annual NextGen Essay Contest, open to writers ages 14 through 27. As HAF continues its efforts to build a progressive Hindu American voice, it is also working to ensure the voices of future Hindu American leaders are heard. The NextGen Essay Contest was established in 2009 to engage…
Source KATHMANDU, NEPAL, July 2011 (AFP): It must be treasure season. After the fabulous wealth of the Padmanabhaswamy temple, workers renovating a former royal palace in the Nepalese capital have discovered a stash of gold and silver ornaments weighing more than 300 kilograms (661 pounds), the government said Tuesday. Only one of three boxes has been opened so far and…
Source MADURAI, INDIA, June 28, 2011 (hindu.com): For the devotees standing in the winding queues for darshan at the Meenaksi Sundareswarar Temple here, the temple authorities are installing a total of ten 32-inch LCD televisions for their benefit. The devotees will be able to see pictures of the presiding Deity, festival schedules and puja time while they are moving in…
Source Before I came on this earth, I was the same. As a little girl, I was the same. I grew into womanhood, but still I was the same. And, even now, I am the same. Though the dance of creation will ever change around me in the hall of eternity, I shall be the same.— Sri Anandamayi Ma, (1896-1982),…
Source INDIA, July 2011 (The Hindu): Developmental pressure on forests and their unscrupulous exploitation have caused “severe depletion” of Himalayan medicinal wealth, a government report said and warned that the situation would go worse if corrective steps are not taken. A report submitted to the Environment Ministry also said encouraging commercial cultivation is vital for the success of medicinal plants…