Vegetarianism a Challenge During India’s Cricket Tour of Pakistan

SourceLAHORE, PAKISTAN, March 21, 2004: Pakistan isn’t the place to be if you are a farm animal — nor is it the best place to be if you aren’t a farm animal eater. Hemang Badani, the pure vegetarian in the Indian team says he’s struggling. “I’m surviving on toast and spaghetti,” he says. Team analyst S. Ramakrishnan is struggling as…

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Czechoslavakia Liberalizes Church and Religious Society Registration

Czech News Agency (CTK)PRAGUE, CZECHOSLOVAKIA, March 18, 2004: This news item was mostly about the decision of the Culture Ministry in Czechoslovakia to accept a proposal to register the Centre of Muslim Communities. But the report added that the Czech Republic registered 25 churches and religious societies, four of which — the Christian Societies, the Community of Christians, Hindu and…

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Vedic Association on a Tour Through Northeast India

SourceHYDERABAD, INDIA, March 4, 2004: The Vedic Friends Association Northeast India recently toured the area to “Give talks on encouraging people to preserve their culture and resist the pressure from Christian groups to give up their own traditions and convert to Christianity.” The trip began with a seminar in Hyderabad called “Global Hinduism in the New Millennium.” Hosted by Swami…

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Ancient Rock Art Site Rediscovered in Southern India

SourceKUPGAL HILL, INDIA, March 19, 2004: A rock art site dating back to the Neolithic or late Stone Age has been rediscovered in southern India. There is evidence that the site was first found in 1892 but the exact location was lost to future archaeologists. The Kupgal Hill site, according to the article, has boulders which have small, groove-like impressions…

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South Africa’s Only Hindu School Honors First Matriculates

SourcePRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA, March 15, 2004: Proud parents, teachers and well-wishers of the only full-time Hindu school in South Africa have honored its first batch of matriculates. Ramesh Chhagan, Chairman of the Pretoria Hindu School (PHS) board, said the function was held not only to vindicate the establishment of the school in 1997 — with just the first three grades…

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Religious Tourism in India Becoming Lucrative

SourceMUMBAI, INDIA, March 13, 2004: International media coverage and the celebrities descending on the 2001 Kumbh Mela in Allahabad for their holy dip marked a new opportunity for religious travel tours. Religious tourism, until lately the domain of small-time tour operators, is fast turning into a lucrative market for travel companies. A visit to Vaishnodevi, for example, which attracts more…

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Zoning Board Unanimously Votes Down Hindu Temple

SourceSOUTH PLAINFIELD, U.S.A. March 13, 2004: The borough Zoning Board has voted unanimously to block the proposed construction of a Hindu temple in New Jersey. The International Swaminarayan Satsang Organization wanted to build a one-story, 14,000-square-foot temple on a 6.7-acre tract zoned for light-industrial use. “The congestion and traffic would be a detriment to the safety and welfare of the…

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Phagwah Parade Lends Local Color To Queens Neighborhood

SourceNEW YORK, U.S.A., March 14, 2004: Tens of thousands of people turned Liberty Avenue in Queens, New York, into a festival of color and music in celebration of Phagwah. People lined the avenue to watch the annual Phagwah Parade, which has been organized by religious leaders in the Queens Guyanese community for more than 10 years. As they watched floats…

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Designers Draw On Ancient Indian Science Of Vastu For Inspiration

SourceNEW YORK,U.S.A, March 13, 2004: As interior design gurus go, Kathleen Cox is no Martha Stewart. But she has organized her living space according to Vastu, the ancient Indian science of architecture. Vastu is the science of design of buildings, living spaces, towns and temples followed in India for thousands of years. Now it has made its way into the…

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