SourceCHENNAI, INDIA, August 22, 2003: A self-styled Swedish holy man who built an ashram in India has been arrested and faces deportation. Harold Davidson, 45, built the ashram illegally on a two-acre plot in Mallayapuram, in southern Tamil Nadu state. It has a massive statue of Garuda, the holy eagle that is associated with the Lord Vishnu. Davidson came to…
SourceKATHMANDU, NEPAL, August 18, 2003: Two weeks after a fire gutted Pratappur temple at Swayambhu (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), another fire Sunday broke out at Tara temple, adjoining the southern side of the main stupa of Swayambhunath, a report said Monday. “The fire was instantly put out before it could cause any major damage,” The Himalayan Times reported. Some…
SourceNEW DELHI, INDIA, August 20, 2003: Over the last three days, the demand for milk has suddenly shot up, resulting in Mother Dairy outlets running dry. The reason: The dual festivals of Rakhi and Janmashtami have increased the intake of sweets of Delhiites over the last week. On Tuesday, many areas of the city could not get milk and people…
SourceUSA, August 21, 2003: The following report appears on the Gospel for Asia web site. “Gospel for Asia church of 51 believers in Jharkhand, India, is under attack as anti-Christian leaders meet to decide its fate! Many in the village have expressed their desire to beat GFA missionary Babuser and the new believers, steal their land and other belongings, and…
SourceFREMONT, CALIFORNIA, August 19, 2003: After two days of celebration with none of the major problems that nearly forced its cancellation a year ago, Fremont officials say they expect the city will remain home to the Festival of India for many years to come. Last year, city officials initially denied the festival’s permit after persistent litter, scheduling, noise and security…
SourceJALNA, INDIA, August 21, 2003: Twenty-eight-year-old music teacher, Prasad Shriram Choudhary, has entered into the Guinness Book of World Records for continuously playing tabla for 46 hours. A certificate and letter were sent congratulating Prasad for successfully setting a new World Record on April 15-16 of this year. He had already been included in India’s Limca Book of World Record.…
Religion News ServiceLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, August 21, 2003: A Los Angeles federal judge has agreed to reconsider his earlier ruling that declared parts of the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge Stephen V. Wilson had alarmed some lawyers and religious leaders when he ruled in June that the federal law aimed at helping houses…
SourceSUNNYVALE, CALIFORNIA, August 23, 2003: Dr. Yvette Rosser will give a talk August 23, 2003, from 6: to 7:30 pm at the Fair Oaks Community Center, 540 North Fair Oaks Avenue, Sunnyvale, California on the subject of the treatment of India as a subject in American schools. Admission is free. Dr. Rosser’s study, an analysis of the treatment of India…
SourceKAUAI, HAWAII, August 22, 2003: Vishwan@aol.com made this interesting suggestion for an article in Hinduism Today: “The Unitarian Universalist Congregation churches have opened their doors to many small Hindu bhajana or study groups in many cities in the U.S. In our town, they have even permitted us to put up a permanent altar within the confines of their church building,…
SourceBRAZIL, August 15, 2003: India and Brazil may have more in common than the story of the historical error made by Portuguese explorer Pedros Alvares Cabral, who sailed from Lisbon in 1500 for India but landed in Brazil. Now the two countries, on board the IBSA tri-lateral initiative, may discover a “Shri Ram” connection in their ties. The Amazon rain…