SourceTRIMBAKESHWAR, INDIA, September 7, 2003: Thousands of sadhus today took part in the third and final Shahi Snan (Royal Bath) of Kumbha Mela 2003 at Kushavartha Teerth amidst unprecedented security while mahants and Naga sadhus of Juna Akhada declined to participate in protest against the boycott of their Akhada (monastic order) by other Akhadas. Mahants and sadhus belonging to Avahan,…
SourceCHENNAI, INDIA, September 7, 2003: The week-long Ganesh Chaturthi festival came to an end on Sunday in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry with the immersion of hundreds of Ganesh icons passing off peacefully. In the city, hundreds of Ganesh icons, including a 24-feet high one, were brought in processions from all parts of the metropolis and immersed in the sea off…
SourceCHENNAI, INDIA, September 6, 2003: The Madras High court and the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (PCB) are in disagreement over the immersion of Ganesha icons made of plaster of paris. PCB recently prohibited the immersion of icons made of plaster of paris and painted icons in the sea and other water bodies, saying they polluted the water and were…
SourceNEW DELHI, INDIA, September 7, 2003: Kashmiri Pandits are “threatened with extinction,” says a study presented to the conference on Kashmiri Pandits held in New Delhi on September 1-2, 2003. Among the problems cited were premature ageing and premature death, unnatural death, high incidence of serious and potentially fatal diseases, affliction with multiple disease syndromes, poor medical aid, economic bankruptcy…
SourceORISSA, INDIA, September 2, 2003: Heavy rains and floods in Orissa this year did not deter children from celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi. The festival is usually celebrated with much enthusiasm by students seeking Lord Ganesha’s blessings for success in their studies. “Our school is flooded with water. So we decided to have the puja by the roadside,” said one student. Ninety…
SourceDURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA, September 6, 2003: Hundreds of delegates from all parts of the country are in Durban for a two-day National Hindu Convention. The gathering is to assess Hinduism and its place in South Africa. President Thabo Mbeki is to officially open the meeting later this morning. The convention is being hosted by the South African Hindu Maha Sabha…
SourceBANGALORE, INDIA, September 4, 2003: A temple priest from Kolar district and two others were arrested in the city by the police when they were trying to sell antique icons (of Chola dysnasty) worth over US$3.2 million in the international market on Wednesday. Giving details of the thieves and their operation, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Alok Mohan said archeological…
SourceKERALA, INDIA, September 6, 2003: The festival of Onam commences from Monday in Kerala and many homes roll out flower carpets, locally known as athappoo. The flower carpet welcome is for the legendry King Mahabali. Efforts are being made to revive this floral tradition for which a competition was organized in Kochi. Many people took part in that competition for…
SourceDHARAMSALA, INDIA, August 31, 2003: Himachal Pradesh has the reputation for being the land of Gods and Goddesses and is known as Devbhoomi. The state has many historical and modern temples of various sects. The Masroor temple located in the Jawali sub-division of Kangra district, around 35 miles from Dharamsala, is one such temple. The rock-cut temple is a unique…
SourceKATHMANDU, NEPAL, September 5, 2003: Next Tuesday, tourists in Nepal will have the rare opportunity of seeing a living Goddess. Normally, the Kumari appears for tourists through an intricately carved window at her residence in the Hanumandhoka palace square. But for the past six months six-year-old Preeti Sakya — the living Hindu Goddess or Kumari — has been hidden away…