BA, FIJI, March 28, 2013 (Press Release): Preparations for the first Pacific Regional Economic conference organised by the World Hindu Economic Forum (WHEF) are well under way. Dr Neil Sharma, the Minister for Health, Government of Fiji will inaugurate the conference. WHEF Pacific Regional Forum will be held at Sheraton Fiji Resort, Denarau, Nadi, Fiji on Saturday, 4 May 2013. The theme is "Making the South Pacific community prosperous".

In a statement, Swami Vigyananand, the founder of WHEF, said, "The primary objectives of WHEF are to promote activities for developing enterprise and entrepreneurship globally; to develop solutions for the most crucial of the issues confronting the world economy such as sustainable development, education, eradication of poverty, climate change and infrastructure development; and to promote a value based corporate governance system through organizing seminars, conferences and research activities."

"The aim of the Pacific Regional Hindu Economic Forum is to connect well established and newly establishing business-persons of the South Pacific and to facilitate sharing of knowledge through reputed economic thinkers," said Jay Dayal, one of the coordinators of this forum.

If you are interested in attending this Forum, and for more information, please email whef.pacific@gmail.com or contact Mr. Jay Dayal on (679) 992 9605.

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You must not let your life run in the ordinary way; do something that nobody else has done, something that will dazzle the world. Show that God's creative principle works in you.
-- Paramahansa Yogananda (1893-1952), founder of Self Realization Fellowship

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UNITED STATES, March 2013 (Hinduism Today): Holi is wild and raucous, a frolic of friendly playfulness. During Holi, India's streets are overtaken by crowds awash with colored powder. Not only clothes, but faces, arms and hair are smeared and sprayed with every color of the rainbow. Holi is a community's exuberant expression of joy to welcome the warmth of spring. In a reflection of nature's abundance, Hindus celebrate with bursts of color, camaraderie and shared abandon. It begins on Purnima, full moon day, in the Hindu month of Phalguni (February/March) and lasts for as long as 16 days.

Many communities create a central bonfire on the night before Holi, starting with kindling and logs and adding organic debris as they clean up their property. The fire symbolizes the torching of negative or troublesome experiences and memories. An effigy of Holika, a demoness personifying negativity, is consigned to the flames, and freshly harvested barley and oats are offered. The embers are collected to light sacred fires, and the ashes are used to mark the forehead as a blessing.

On the day of Holi, people celebrate by playing, dancing and running in the streets. Water pistols are filled with colored water and squirted on family, friends and strangers alike. Dye powders and water balloons are a big part of the play. The wise wear old clothes, usually white, in anticipation of the mess! Virtually anything goes, including ribald humor, practical jokes and sexual teasing--all excused with the saying, "Don't mind, it's Holi!" (Hindi: Bura na mano, Holi hai.) Men are at the playful mercy of women, who dance with them and even dress them in drag. Especially in North India, people celebrate with abandon, even splashing color on their homes as a prelude to the more sober custom of renewing the paint with shell-based white. Deities and images of ancestors are hand-painted and placed in beautiful altars. Dramatic events feature devotional songs and the retelling of the love epic of Radha and Krishna. Bonds are renewed, particularly among in-laws and the extended family. Etiquette on Holi requires that one accept all overtures with an open heart, burying grievances to begin relationships afresh. People of all walks of life mingle and greet, applying vermilion on each other's foreheads in an uninhibited exchange of goodwill.

Special sweet and savory treats including mathri, puran poli and vadai are made. Many communities make an intoxicating, cooling drink, called thandai, made of purified water, sugar, seeds of watermelon, muskmelon and lotus, along with nuts, cardamom, fennel, white pepper, saffron and rose petals.

What is the meaning behind the bonfire?
Love, positive values and goodness are celebrated on Holi. Their triumphs over divisiveness and negative forces have been reinforced in legends, such as that of Holika and her brother Prahlad. The famous king Hiranyakashipu had earned a boon that made him virtually indestructible. Blinded by this power, he thought he was God, the only being worthy of worship. His young son Prahlad was devoted to Lord Vishnu and refused to obey his father. Infuriated, the king devised the cruelest punishments. In one attempt, Prahlad's evil aunt Holika, who possessed the power to withstand fire, tricked him into climbing a burning pyre with her. Prahlad's love for true Divinity protected him from the flames. Holika burned while Prahlad lived. The bonfire of Holi is symbolic of this victory of good over evil.

How did the frolicking with color originate?
Legend has it that Krishna noticed one day how much lighter Radha's complexion was than His own. His mother playfully suggested that He smear Radha's cheeks with color to make Her look like Him, which Krishna did. The strong-willed Radha gleefully retaliated, and a merry chaos ensued. Another legend has it that Krishna celebrated this festival with His friends and the gopis. They danced and frolicked, filling the air with color in a joyous welcome of spring.

More at source above--including making safe natural colors.

Dr. Kumar Mahabir

TRINIDAD, March 30, 2013 (by Dr. Kumar Mahabir): For the first time in multi-ethnic Trinidad and Tobago, three religious festivals will be celebrated this weekend: Spiritual Baptist Liberation Day, Easter and Phagwa. Phagwa or Holi is the Festival of Spring in India, but it is the Festival of Harvest in Trinidad. In both India and Trinidad, Phagwa is known as the Festival of Color in which people play with pigment in all its forms. They squirt abeer [coloured liquid] and smear gulal [coloured powder] on each other amidst music, song and dance. On the eve of the celebration, a huge bonfire is lit symbolising the destruction of the demoness, Holika. Special songs such as chowtals are rendered, accompanied by two major instruments - the dholak [small hand drum] andmajeera [small cymbals]. This musical genre is a mix of Hindi and English ballads invented mainly as a response to the derogatory calypsos about Hindus, and Indian in general, sung during Carnival. The Kendra has also introduced Makhan Chor, a sport which was the pastime of Lord Krishna when he was alive in India 5,000 years ago. In this game, a human pyramid is formed with the strongest person at the bottom and the lightest at the top. The objective of the game is to reach a pot tied 18 feet above the ground. The Kendra has also introduced Ranga Barase [community dance in a shower of colors] and Bachon Ka Khel [exciting novelty games for children].

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INDIA, March 30, 2013 (Hindu Janajagruti Samiti): In this festival the main emphasis is laid on the burning of Holika or lighting of the Holi bonfire. The origin of the traditional lighting of Holi is attributed by some to the burning of evil demons like Holika, Holaka and Putana who troubled little children or to the burning of Madan (the Deity of Beauty who tried to distract Lord Shiva's meditation) according to others.

This particular full moon day carries special importance as this day holds the Raja-Tama in the atmosphere in its original fire-form (Tej). This is the day when the Principle of the Primal Shakti from the Universe, which imparts dissolution, is active in a Marak form. The worship of this Principle helps the jiva by purifying its subtle body and to a certain extent the atmosphere around it is also purified. The worship performed on this day liberates the jiva from its Raja-Tama orientation. Thus in a way, the jiva is reborn after this Pournima.

Beginning from the full moon day (pournima) of the Hindu lunar month of Phalgun till the fifth day (panchami) this festival is celebrated for two to five days depending on the regional variations. It has various names such as Hori, Dolayatra in North India, Shimga, Holi and Hutashani mahotsav, Holikadahan (burning of Holika) in Goa, Konkan and Maharashra and Kamadahan (burning of desires) in South India. One can also call it Vasantotsav or Vasantagamanotsav that is the festival celebrated to welcome the Vasant (spring) season.

Rangapanchami is celebrated on the fifth day (panchami) in the dark fortnight of the Hindu lunar month of Phalgun by throwing a red, fragrant powder (gulal) and splashing colored water, etc. on others.

Much more at source.

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See yourself everywhere. You are the whole world.
-- Satguru Yogaswami (1872-1964), Sri Lankan mystic

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UNITED STATES, March 24, 2013 (Huffington Post, by Anantanand Rambachan): We recently lost a beloved family elder. He lived out his life within the structures of meaning and ritual provided by the Hindu tradition. These guided his commitment to work, his devotion to family, and his sense of justice. The beginning and the end of his life were marked by traditional Hindu ceremonies. He was a paragon of fidelity and a repository of rich life experiences that he shared passionately in stories with receptive grandchildren. The Hindu tradition is still domestic centered. Since funeral ceremonies are performed at home, it is customary, in Hindu obituaries, to mention the address, identify the funeral ritual as Hindu and specify the place of cremation.

We received many cards, notes and letters of sympathy in the days following the funeral ceremony. There were several, however, from persons whose names and addresses we did not recognize. Each one was structured in a similar way. The writer opened with words of sympathy, making mention of many personal details from the obituary. This was followed by Biblical texts about the way to eternal life and reunion with loved ones. The letters spoke of punishment for unbelievers but also of the promise of salvation from effects of sin "through the ransom sacrifice of ...Jesus Christ." The letters included published Christian literature. We quickly realized that these Christian letter-writers searched newspaper obituaries with the aim of identifying families belonging to other religious traditions with the aim of proselytization. We learned also that this was not unusual and that Hindus experiencing death in their families regularly received such invitations to convert.

Some Christians, like these letter writers, assume a religious need in the other for Christianity and make no effort to understand the religious life of the other. They conclude wrongly that traditions other than Christianity have no good resources and insights for helping their practitioners understand and cope with the loss of a loved one and they appeal to fear of punishment as a basis for religious commitment. They are driven by their need to convert the other and not by the need of the other for conversion. Christians will understand better our discomfort by taking our places and imagining themselves as recipients of invitations, from Hindus, to convert in the midst of grief for a loved one.

What troubled me also about this effort to proselytize is the undisguised attempt to exploit what they saw as an occasion of emotional vulnerability resulting from our grief. Such exploitation is not dissimilar to proselytization in circumstances of poverty or in situations of natural disaster that we witnessed, for example, on the occasion of the Asian tsunami. Grief-evangelism, as I choose to describe what we experienced, is similar to aid-evangelism and both need to be vigorously repudiated by people of all religions. There are many good reasons for reading obituaries. Trolling for opportunities to proselytize is not among the good ones.

More at source.

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UNITED STATES, September 4, 2012 (YouTube): Raised Catholic, and considering herself spiritual for many years, Danielle decided to convert to Hinduism at age 16. The name Gauri Maheshwari was given to Danielle by one of the priests at the temple upon her decision to be a Hindu.

Hinduism is a way of life for Danielle. In fact, it is the very essence of life and gives her purpose in all she does. It makes her a kinder, gentler person because she realizes that God is in everyone and so she must treat people the way she would treat God. Danielle worships in her puja room at home and at the Hindu Temple in St. Louis.

In this 30 minute interesting and well-made video, Gauri articulately explains her views on Hinduism, religion, beliefs, adopting Hinduism and more. At the time of the interview she is 18 years old.

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The joy of the vengeful lasts only for a day, but the glory of the forbearing lasts until the end of time.
-- Tirukkural

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VALENCIA, SPAIN, March 19, 2013 (elmundo.es, translated from the original Spanish): Controversy erupted over a tableau created for the annual Las Fallas festival in Valencia, Spain, when two Hindu groups complained to the mayor that their cultural and religious feelings were being being insulted. Ninots, huge wood and cardboard "puppets," depicting Saraswati, Ganesha and Lord Shiva Nataraja had been created as part of a tableau entitled "Old Tales of India." The sticking point for the Hindu community was that the tableau was destined to be burned amid fireworks, like the hundreds of others of tableaus produced for the celebration, at the festival's end.

Things got heated between the artist and his supporters and the Hindu group as everyone was initially genuinely perplexed at the lack of understanding and cultural insensitivity from the "opposing" side. In the end, the artist affirmed that no offense to the Hindu community was intended, and it was agreed that the images of Gods would be spared from the flames. This was not the only ninot not destined, for religious reasons, to end up in ashes. An image of the Virgin Mary, in a tableau sponsored by the municipality, was also spared from the fire.

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INDIA, March 22, 2013 (The Hindu): More than 100 million people from across the world, including 10 million from India, would like to move permanently to the U.S., which remains the most popular global destination, according to a latest opinion poll. Potential migrants who would like to move to the U.S. are logically the most likely to come from some of the most populous countries in the world, the Gallup poll said. The poll said that 19 million Chinese would like to move to the U.S., followed by 13 million from Nigeria, 10 million from India and six million each from Brazil and Bangladesh.

However, other populous countries such as Iran and Pakistan do not have large groups of people who say that they would like to move to the U.S. permanently. This is not surprising, as Iranians and Pakistanis have some of the lowest U.S. leadership approval ratings in the world. Gallup said about 13 per cent of the world's adults

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True gurus are available in every religion. They may not be in the ordinary world of strife, for such a world does not want them, nor have they any use for it. Go, therefore, in search of a true master. He is ever available and is only waiting for a symptom of real earnestness in you. If you have true humility and earnestness to see God, he will solve all your doubts and show you God in no time at all.
-- Jagadguru Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati (1912-1954), 34th pontiff of the Sarada Peetham

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BANGLADESH, March 20, 2013 (The Daily Star): Yet again religious fanatics have attacked temples, houses and shops of Hindus in four districts. Since Jamaat leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee was handed down a death sentence in a war crimes case on February 28, more than 26 temples, 175 houses and dozens of shops of the minorities across the country have been vandalized, torched and looted.

Basudev Dhar, president of Greater Dhaka Puja Committee, yesterday said these communal attacks were demoralizing many Hindu families. "The leaders and members of parliament have not stood by the Hindus the way they should have," he said. "In the past," he added, "we have resisted such attacks together."

In Khulna, over 150 people equipped with iron rods and other lethal weapons attacked Banikpara Pabla Sarbojonin Kalibari Mandir around 9:00pm Monday. The rioters also attacked Gachtala temple. Over 50 Hindu homes and shops adjacent to the two temples were vandalized and torched. According to locals, law enforcers did not come on time to prevent the attacks.

Meanwhile, police have arrested two people, Humayun Kabir, 26, and Arman, 18, in this connection, said ASI Anwar Hossain of Daulatpur Police Station. The identities of the arrestees could not be known immediately.

In Netrakona, rioters vandalized Hari Mandir in Bobahala village under sadar upazila, damaging seven statues. Also on Monday night, vandals damaged four statues of Hindu goddesses at Kripamoyee Kali Mandir under Sripur upazila in Gazipur.

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MALAYSIA, March 18, 2013 (Khabar Southasia): Planning the first Hindu temple in Putrajaya has required patience, perseverance and faith on the part of Kanagaraja Raman, president of the Federal Territories Maha Mariamman Devasthanam Devotees Association. Submission plans alone cost the association RM 180,000 ($58,000). According to Kanagaraja, they were rejected three times due to their initial failure to meet requirements for building height, built-up area, fire safety, sewerage, facilities for the disabled, among other reasons.

Before Malaysia began developing its gleaming new administrative city in 1999, the area - about 15.5 miles south of Kuala Lumpur - was known as Prang Besar and home to vast palm oil estates. Clearing the plantations meant demolishing some 15 Hindu temples built by plantation workers, predominantly ethnic Indian Malaysians, who make up about 8% of the country's population.

It took seven years before Kanagaraja got the nod in September 2012 from Putrajaya Corporation, an agency under the Ministry of Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing. The only hurdle remaining is funding for the temple's construction, estimated at RM 9m ($2.9m). So far, devotees have pledged RM 200,000 ($64,500). A fundraising drive, scheduled to kick off later this month, will hopefully raise more. There are hopes the federal government will also chip in.

Five of the temples pooled their compensation monies and built the new Sri Mahamariamman Temple, completed in 2011, in Taman Permata, Dengkil, located 8 miles away from Putrajaya. But according to Kanagaraja, a plot for a new Hindu house of worship was included in Putrajaya's development blueprint. And the proposed temple site sits amidst a green landscape of plots allocated for churches and Chinese temples that are still empty.

The Hindu community is confident of its right to a temple in the seat of government in Muslim Malaysia. A letter of support bearing 200 signatures from the Hindu community sits on Kanagaraja's desk, spurring him through difficult days. Meanwhile, the association committee is pondering how the new temple will serve the 10,000 Hindus in the area. Karunagaran says it will save devotees a 30 minute-drive to Dengkil.

Kanagaraja said the new temple will be built in honour of Lalithambikai, the Hindu Goddess who oversees all of life's needs, on the spot where a forest ranger once found an injured eagle and nursed it back to life. The eagle is believed to be the Goddess' mode of transportation. Kanagaraja takes it as a sign that she has chosen to reside in Putrajaya. "I have faith that Lalithambikai will pave the path for this temple. If she has chosen to make this place her home, she will provide the means," he said.

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At this time in the Kali Yuga, ignorance is equally distributed worldwide, and wisdom has become an endangered species.
-- Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami (1927-2001), founder of Hinduism Today