Trinidad and Tobago Get New Hanuman Shrine

SourceCARAPICHAIMA, TRINIDAD, May 24, 2003: A spiritually charged and beautiful shrine for Lord Hanuman will be consecrated on the grounds of the Dattatraya Yoga Center, Carapichaima, Trinidad, on June 12. The consecration will coincide with the unveiling of the Ashram Complex, which has been renovated to reflect authentic 12th century South Indian Hindu architecture, and the celebration of the 61st…

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Iowa Hindus Have New Temple

SourceIOWA, U.S.A., May 17, 2003: If you are a Hindu living in Madrid, Iowa, you now have a Hindu temple to worship in. Located right beside the Des Moines River, the new temple will cost US$1.6 million when it is finished. The community at large has accepted the new house of worship as was evidenced when 300 nonmembers visited the…

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A New Tool for Translating Ancient Script for the Internet

SourceNEW YORK, May 15, 2003: Sanskrit is among the world’s oldest recorded language, but putting works created over the last 3,000 years onto the Web has not been easy. Documents written in Devanagiri, a compound word whose literal translation means “city of immortals” and whose script is used for Sanskrit and other South Asian languages, can be scanned as images.…

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U.K. Raises Marriage Age to Curb Forced Marriages

Hindustan TimesLONDON, UK, May 14, 2003: The British government has raised the age at which a spouse can be brought to Britain in an attempt to combat forced marriages, mostly taking place in Pakistani and Bangladesh Muslim communities. The Home Secretary, introduced the measure on April 1 without making an announcement. The government has been concerned over the rising number…

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Californian’s Realtors Opt For Diversity Training

SourceSAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, May 18, 2003: Manoj Mathai’s hunt for his first house could be a lesson to Silicon Valley real estate professionals. A home must have certain qualities to make the native of India happy. The front door must face east because good fortune comes from a rising sun. “In the back of our minds, we Indians are looking…

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Britain May Ban Muslim And Jewish Animal Slaughter Methods

SourceLONDON, U.K., May 17, 2003: The British Government appears ready to ban the slaughter of animals without stunning them. This would affect the supply of halal meat (animals that are slaughtered according to the Islamic sharia law.) For the last few years, authorities have gone out of their way to accommodate the request by the Muslim community to provide only…

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India’s Women Begin Wearing Pants to Work

SourceNEW DELHI, May 18, 2003: India’s working women are all set for an outfit conversion. Though the salwar kameez remains their most-preferred work wear, a strong urge for a shift to Western attire has placed them on the brink of change, according to the responses of 891 participants. Most respondents said they would put on Western wear for the office,…

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Arrests Follow South Indian Village Killings

SourceCALICUT, INDIA, May 4, 2003: More than 60 people are under arrest in a south Indian fishing village, after nine fishermen were killed and more than 20 people injured. The victims who died in the attack in the state of Kerala, were all Hindus. Marad had been tense since January last year, when five people, including four Muslims, died in…

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Ride the Tirukkural Express

The HinduCHENNAI, INDIA, October 19, 2002: There is a train called the Tirukkural Express with weekly routes between Hazarat Nizamuddin to Kanyakumari and back. The Tirukkural is a 2,200-year-old South Indian Dravidian classic on ethical living. Its 1,330 verses were written by a Tamil weaver sage name Tiruvalluvar. Tiru means “holy” or “sacred,” and kural describes a brief verse or…

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Violence Intended to Stop Dalits Worshipping at Temples

SourceKOLHAPUR, INDIA, May 14, 2003: A Dalit (“untouchable”) movement to allow entry into temples in the Kolhapur district of Maharashtra has taken a bloody turn with the upper castes resorting to violence against it. Earlier, upper caste community members had tried ostracizing and threatening Dalit Mahasangh, the group spearheading the movement. The Mahasangh is active in Sangli, Satara and Kolhapur…

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