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SWITZERLAND, March 18, 2013 (Solothurner Zeitung): On Sunday, hundreds of Tamil Hindus from around the region gathered to inaugurate the new Sri Manonmani Ammbal Hindu temple in Trimbach. It is the largest of its kind in Switzerland.

In front of the main shrine of Manonmani Ammbal a kind of pergola was built, which was decorated with garlands of flowers and leaves. In the center of this wood frame there were richly decorated vases filled with holy water. In the many rituals that were performed, offerings were distributed and incense was burned on small altars. The ceremonies were performed by ten priests headed up by the chief priest Somas Kandar from Jaffna (Sri Lanka). During the rituals four musicians played on their traditional instruments, the Nathaswaram (a double-reed horn related to the oboe) and the Thavil double-headed drum.

In a procession the priests took the vessels of holy water up onto the roof of the temple and blessed the main tower. Then the main shrine and the numerous side shrines were consecrated by the priests. The statues of Deities were adorned with garlands of flowers and draped with precious silk fabrics. After the ceremony, Vasanthavajan Ramalingam, president of the Association for the Advancement of Tamil Culture in Switzerland, Guenter Hildebrand, architect of the temple, and Shtapathi Nagaraj, chief of the Silpakala Nilayam temple architects firm in Chennai, were honored. The inaugural festivities will continue, on a smaller scale, for the next seven weeks.

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HOUSTON, TEXAS, April 25, 2013 (Indo American News): An organization that can speak for Hindus in the greater Houston area in one strong voice is emerging. The board of advisors of Hindus of Greater Houston at its first meeting held at Chinmaya Mission Houston recently laid the foundation for the umbrella organization that will be an authentic and credible force, protecting the cause and interests of all Hindus.

Dev Mahajan, chairman of the board of advisors, after the inaugural meeting, addressed the invited representatives from about 60 Hindu religious, social and cultural organizations in the Houston area. The umbrella organization will unite all the Hindu organizations and each organization will nominate one permanent representative to the team, Mahajan said.

Mahajan said the board will shortly formalize the mission and objectives of the new organization. The board of advisors comprises of Dev Mahajan ( Arya Samaj of Greater Houston), Gaurang Nanavaty (Chinmaya Mission), Ramesh Bhutada (Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh) , Prabhat C . Sharma ( Hindu Worship Society), Jugal Malani (India House), Dr. Hansa Medley (Hare Krishna Temple) and Dr. Venugopal Menon (Shri Meenakshi Temple).

Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami, head of the Kauai Hindu Monastery in Hawaii and publisher of Hinduism Today, was the guest speaker. "My guru was keen on the concept of Hindu solidarity. The magazine was started for making Hindus work together. Its motto is solidarity through diversity." The magazine does not promote the Hawaii ashram or temple, but promotes Hindus globally. Hinduism Today empowers the youth and its efforts devoted to educating the youth. Hindus should come together with what is in common and show that we are a force to reckon with when needed, he said.

Bodhinatha Swami applauded the efforts of Hindus in Houston in solidarity. "The Hindus in Houston are fortunate to have over so many organizations conducting worship and teaching programs in the greater Houston area. Normally, all that is needed is for these organizations to perform well their respective missions. However, on occasion there is a need for a united Hindu front, for all Hindus to come together to address a pressing issue such as mistreatment of Hindu students, newspaper articles grossly misrepresenting Hinduism or a natural disaster where Hindus want to work together to create a joint response. The Hindus of Greater Houston, as an umbrella organization, is ideally situated to do just that. We were pleased to attend their recent membership meeting and see the diversity and large number of organizations committed to its mission," Bodhinatha Swami said.

Board Member Venugopal Menon said, "About 100,000 Hindus, with 18 established temples have established their presence and their significance in Houston. It is only prudent and proper that we create a unified voice to be heard, that our commitments and concerns are understood as an important expression of the mainstream. With that motivating philosophy, the organization of the Hindus of Greater Houston along with its Advisory Board with representatives of all the Hindu establishments in the area is created."

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TRINIDAD/TOBAGO, April 14, 2013 (Newsday by Vishnu Bisram): I write to pay tribute to Guyanese Pundit Reepu Daman Persaud who passed away on April 7 and was cremated last Thursday. He is well known throughout Trinidad for his expertise in Hinduism and for conducting yagnas in several parts of the island.

He was one of the longest serving Members of parliament in Guyana -- over 40 years. During that period, he also served as deputy speaker of the assembly and vice-president of the country between 1997 and 2004.

Pundit Reepu, as he was known, was enormously popular and was the most respected pundit in Guyana and the Caribbean and among the Guyanese and Indo-Caribbean diasporas. He was the quintessential Hindu leader for non-Hindus as well during the period of the oppressive PNC dictatorship in Guyana. He was a frontline soldier in the struggle for the restoration of democracy during the 28-year period of authoritarian rule. He was seen as a true patriot, taking on the British and the rigging of elections in his homeland.

Pundit Reepu, as we fondly called him, was an icon held in high esteem in North America and Trinidad where Hindu leaders have been speaking fondly of him and tributes have been pouring in on Indian radio stations. He left deep long-lasting impressions. He will never be forgotten.

See related story: http://www.guyanatimesgy.com/?p=8650

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In the four eternal Vedas; In the study and reading of scripts; In sacred ashes and in holy writs and muttering of prayers you will not find the Lord! Melt with the heart inside And proclaim the Truth. Then you will join the light life without servitude.
-- Sivavakkiyar, 10th-century Tamil devotional poet and mystic

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MIDLAND, TEXAS, April 18, 2013 (My West Texas): In an effort to promote peace and tolerance, leaders from different religious backgrounds met in Midland on Wednesday night for an interfaith discussion. St. Nicholas' Episcopal Church played host to leaders of the Baptist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Mormon faiths, and more than a hundred listeners.

The Muslim faith was represented on stage by Imam Wazir Ali, of Houston. The imam was one of the six who responded to a set of questions surrounding his faith and what role it plays in the day-to-day lives of people all over the world. "It was the plan of God that the world is a pluralistic place," said Ali. "What he wants us to do instead of looking at pluralism and diversity as a problem, is look at it as an opportunity to benefit from the genius of other human beings and other cultures."

Much of the night's messages -- from all religions -- had tones of tolerance, love, acceptance and harmony. Questions ranged from how the different faiths can co-exist peaceably in today's world to complex issues such as what each religion teaches about death, resurrection and an afterlife.

Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami, of Kauai's Hindu Monastery, explained to the West Texas audience that his faith does not teach about resurrection. The resurrection is such a foreign concept in the Hindu faith that he took time to explain the basis of it to people in the audience who might not recognize the term or know its meaning. "This idea of the resurrection is focused on what's going to happen to the body, ... where the Hindu idea is focused on not the body, but the soul," he said.

Despite differing views on the specifics, all leaders seemed in agreement on the existence of a higher power and that power's desire for humans to live peacefully and in harmony, always caring for the needs of others.
Also participating in the discussion were the Rev. Randel Everett, of First Baptist Church; Rabbi Holly Levin Cohn, of Temple Beth El in Odessa; and Jerry Zant, stake president of the Odessa Texas Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

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SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, April 19,2013 (Deseret News): Preeya Prakash is difficult to define -- even for Preeya Prakash. "I consider myself an American," she said during a recent break in classes at the University of Utah, where she is a 24-year-old graduate student with a BA in neuroscience from the University of Southern California. "And I'm a Utahn. I was born here in Salt Lake City. I have lived here all my life. I've got the accent and everything."

She is also Indian. Her parents were both born and raised in India, and her hair, skin and handsome features bear the genetic imprint of a country in which she has never actually lived. "When people ask me, 'Where are you from?' I always say, 'Well, I was born here,'" she says with characteristic wit and good humor. "And then they look at me and say, 'Well, yeah, but where are you ... you know ... from?'

Things get a little more complicated for Preeya when you throw her Hindu beliefs and culture into the definitional equation. "Culturally, I am Hindu -- and a pretty traditional Hindu, at that," she said while relaxing in one of the Marriott Library lounges. "For me, I kind of look to my faith as a guideline for how I should lead my life. It's the part of me that keeps me grounded, that tells me who I am and that I am part of something bigger than myself."

For Preeya, growing up Hindu in Utah has meant being part of a decided minority -- racially, culturally and religiously. According to the U.S. Religious Landscape Survey conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, Utah's 9,000 Hindus comprise .5 percent of the state's population -- a number consistent with the percentage of Hindus throughout the United States.

"I credit my parents for teaching me how to balance our Hindu culture with the culture of Utah," Preeya said. "We were Americans, we were Utahns, we were Indians, we were Hindu. We were all of these things, and we embraced all of them fully and completely."

Much more of the interesting article as well as a slideshow at 'source.'

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"Learn to make the whole world your own. No one is a stranger, my child, the whole world is your own."
-- Sri Sarada Devi (1853-1920) wife of Sri Ramakrishna

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BANGLADESH, April 20, 2013 (the Daily Star): Unidentified criminals set a 200-year-old Hindu temple ablaze at Rajoir upazila in Madaripur in the wee hours yesterday. Police and locals said miscreants torched the Kali Mandir at Mahendradi village sometime after midnight.

Dadon Kanta, chairman of Haridashdi-Mahendradi upazila, suspects that Jamaat or BNP men are behind the attack. Police, meanwhile, arrested Haridashdi-Mahendradi union unit BNP President Abul Kalam Azad yesterday afternoon suspecting his involvement in the incident. Mofazzal Hossain, officer-in-charge of Rajoir Police Station, said they were yet to identify the attackers and that they were investigating the incident.

Uttam Banerjee, president of the temple managing committee, said locals rushed to the spot on seeing the flames but the temple had been badly burnt before they could bring the flames under control. In December last year, miscreants vandalised some statues of the same temple, he added. Hindu temples in several districts have come under attacks in the past few mont

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RUSSIA, April 18, 2013 (Elena Krovvidi,RIR): This week, the Jawaharlal Nehru Cultural Centre at the Indian Embassy in Moscow, the Ramakrishna Society - Vedanta Centre and the Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences, jointly commemorated the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. Academics, Indologists and religious leaders speak of the relevance of the great Indian sage's teachings in modern day Russia. In his opening remarks, India's Ambassador to Russia, Ajai Malhotra, dwelt upon the contributions made by Swami Vivekananda, one of the most influential spiritual leaders of the 19th/20th centuries. The sage was a social reformer and a great scholar whose teachings influenced many across the globe and continued to do so even today. The Indian ambassador highlighted the message propagated by Swami Vivekananda that "service to God can be rendered by service to mankind." Other prominent speakers on the occasion were Swami Jyotirupananda, Rostislav Rybakov and Mark Mokulsky who highlighted various aspects of the life and teachings of Swami Vivekananda and their enduring contemporary relevance.

Swami Jyotirupananda, president of the Ramakrishna Mission in Moscow, was the first speaker. He emphasised Vivekananda's role as a fighter for the rights of the suppressed members of society in India. Jyotirupananda reminded that in India that April 15 - the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda - is celebrated not only by holding lectures and functions but also by holding charitable activities.

Mark Mokulsky, Prof. and Dr. of physical and mathematical sciences at the Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, followed the discussion about Vievakananda by sharing his hypothesis on the connection between spirituality of Vedanta and genetic-molecular science.

Another eminent speaker Rostislav Rybakov, Indologist, Dr. of historical sciences and Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences in 1994-2009, elaborated about the relevance of Vivekananda's teachings to the issues Russia has to face in our day. Rybakov maintains that Vivekananda's philosophy is very much on the agenda for Russia and Russians of the 21st century. Rybakov believes that the only path to follow is to educate children from the youngest age, but not simply educating but imbibing them with moral and ethical values that will lay the foundation for their future view of the world. "The way that we need to go is lengthy, torturous and complex," Rybakov says. But it is the only possible way." The finishing stroke of Rybakov's speech was drowned in enthusiastic applause: "Recently, the French actor Gerard Depardieu has become an honorable citizen of Russia. But, in my view, Swami Vivekananda should become an honorable citizen of Russia, even after his death. We need him very much in our lives today."

Bharti Tailor

UNITED KINGDOM, April 20, 2013: (HPI Note: This report was sent in by Bharti Tailor, bharti@rgenterprises.co.uk).

The groups who are considered 'Low caste' on whose name the legislation on case is being brought in spoke out today to say that they do not want the legislation (being proposed in the British Parliament). "All the groups enjoy protected status and enjoy the privileges that come with this in India." said Mukesh Naker of the British Hindu Voice a Leicester-based organisation. "However they are fully integrated into the British Indian and the wider British community in the UK and feel that there is no need for legislation on caste grounds in Britain." "We were brought up as equals, we know our history but it has never restricted our present and certainly does not hold an influence on our children and grandchildren's futures." said Jitendra Mistry President of the Prajapati Association of the UK who represents 25,000 potters and carpenters from the state of Gujarat.

Manish Amriwala General Secretary of the GAKM who represent 25,000 people from the Gujarati Mochi (Cobblers) in the UK said "Why are Labour MPs legislating for something that they admit hardly occurs? Why are they not legislating on class discrimination, which is more prevalent and effects all the population of Britain? This legislation on caste will lead to caste profiling, identification of people along castes lines and permanently stigmatise many groups across the country. It will bring caste into forefront when there is so little of it in the minds of the people. We appeal to British politicians to think hard and long before embarking on legislation over here that has done much harm in India; where it has become ingrained and permanently a marker on people's records."

Until this issue was brought to his notice last week, Jawahar Patel of the Koli community, like many people in the UK was not even aware what his caste was. Now he has read up about it and feels that the legislation will lead to caste entering the psyche of many. He feels it is best left in the past, in the History books. The children born in the UK after the 1970's do not know what caste is. In one or two generation they will even forget their roots as to which village, town or State their forefathers came from.

The groups are angry that the Labour Party has used this issue as a political tool and are trying to rush it through without due diligence, when there is no initiative to event talk about the issue of class in the British context. Shila Tailor President of the Darji Community who represents 2500 people in London, noted, "The NIESR report on which the politicians are jumping to act was inconclusive. Who did they consult? Because it seems that not a single person was interviewed from any of the communities we represent.

The Anti Caste Discrimination Committee, The ACLC is a task force which has come together solely for the purpose of stopping caste being institutionalized in Britain. It is made up of 56 groups representing 344,569 people who are saying that legislation on this issue will do more harm than good and that the equalities legislation in place in Britain is adequate for all needs accept class. Of the 344,569, approximately half are people who would be classed at 'low caste' in India and be in the Scheduled and Backward class categories and in receipt of positive discrimination measures. However in the UK the communities are fully integrated and they feel there is no need for positive discrimination or legislation on the issue of caste.

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Waste not a minute. Be bold. Realize the Truth, here and now!
-- Swami Sivananda (1887-1963), founder of Divine Life Society, Rishikesh

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UNITED STATES, April 2013 (The Atlantic): Jai Subedi still doesn't know why Mitra Mishra killed himself. Subedi, a case manager for Bhutanese refugees at Interfaith Works Center for New Americans in Syracuse, NY, was with the 20-year-old Mishra at Schiller Park the evening of July 3, 2010. "We played soccer just the previous day until 6 p.m. and he was totally fine," Subedi said. On Independence Day, early morning walkers found Mishra's body hanging from a tree at the soccer field.

Mishra's death is part of a troubling pattern among Bhutanese refugees resettled in the U.S. The federal Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) began to notice a pattern. Ultimately, 16 suicides were confirmed among U.S. resident Bhutanese refugees as of February 2012. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) had noticed a similar trend among the Bhutanese in the camps in Nepal. IOM documented 67 suicides and 64 attempts between 2004 and 2010. The numbers were high, but without a statistical comparison, it was hard to know how bad the problem was.

ORR tasked the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Refugee Health Technical Assistance Center of the Massachusetts Public Health Department with investigating. By interviewing close contacts of the deceased (typically family members), the study team performed "psychological autopsies" on 14 of the 16 U.S. suicide victims. They also did a broader survey of the general Bhutanese refugee population to determine the rates of suicidal thinking and mental health conditions.

The study team confirmed the government's suspicions; the problem was endemic. The global suicide rate per 100,000 people--how suicide rates are calculated--is 16, and the rate for the general U.S. population is 12.4. The Bhutanese rate is much higher: 20.3 among U.S. resettled refugees and 20.7 among the refugee camp population. A handful of suicides were reported among other refugee groups during the same period as the CDC study, but nothing like the number among the Bhutanese.

The rate of depression among the Bhutanese surveyed was 21 percent, nearly three times that of the general U.S. population (6.7 percent). In addition to depression, risk factors for suicide included not being the family's provider, feelings of limited social support, and having family conflict after resettlement. Most of the suicides were within a year of resettlement to the U.S. and, in all cases, the victims hanged themselves.

Post-migration difficulties that the victims faced offer clues about their possible motivations. Most are unable to communicate with their host communities. Many were also plagued by worries about family back home and over the difficulty of maintaining cultural and religious traditions. Most of the victims were unemployed. While few had previous mental health diagnoses, mental health conditions were probably significantly under-diagnosed in the camps where medical care was basic at best.

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WALES, April 15, 2013 (BBC): An organisation to promote Hindu culture, religion and values in Wales has been officially launched. The Hindu Council of Wales (HCW) was established to give Hindu communities "one voice" and to promote better understanding of the culture. The council will also aim to work with other faiths to promote "mutual understanding."

There are more than 10,400 Hindus living in Wales, according to latest figures. The HCW chair Vimla Patel, secretary of the Sanatan Dharma Temple in Splott, Cardiff said the organisation was much needed. She added: "There are other temples and groups all across Wales, but there was no one voice to speak on our behalf."

Radhika Kadaba, secretary of the HCW, said eight organisations currently made up its membership and two people from each group could sit on the council. "The members are not elected and have been selected initially because we wanted a working committee to set up the council," she said. "Over the coming months we will have proper elections according to our constitution."

Mrs. Kadaba said the council was made up of temples, Hindu charities and community centres. Cardiff's Shree Swaminarayan and Sanatan Dharma Mandal temples are also members of the HCW.

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Respect, don't suspect.
-- Swami Tejomayananda, head of Chinmaya Mission

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BOLIVIA, March 23, 2013 (La Patria): The Grand National Festival of Indian Dance will be held today, displaying the best of that culture, in terms of dance and dress, which will be shown by dance groups coming from La Paz, Cochabamba, Potosi, and Oruro.

The Hamesha Hindu Cultural Center, celebrating its fifth anniversary, has coordinated the event which will to be held in the Oruro Municipal House of Culture from 15:00 hours.

One of the organizers, Esdra Lafuente, owner of the Indi Dil Shop, said that in promoting this activity they've seen that the Bolivian youth really enjoy Indian culture, and that through the Bollywood movies from India, they learn a lot about family and community values, patriotism, relations with neighbors, and more.

Indian dance has influenced several East Asian cultures through the course of history as well as dances like flamenco, jazz and contemporary dance. It has acquired world wide recognition as one of the finest folk dances.