Sunspot.netBALTIMORE, MARYLAND, April 7, 2003: Yoga, a popular household word across the U.S. is now popping up in early childhood education. Head Start, a federal preschool program designed to give low-income children a better chance in elementary school, has now adopted yoga at a center in Baltimore. More than 400 children have participated in the program at the Meade Village…
SourceOREGON, U.S.A., April 5, 2003: Findings from research conducted at the Oregon Health and Science University indicates that exercise and yoga can help patients with multiple sclerosis. Sixty-nine MS patients were divided into three groups. Group one participated in a weekly yoga class adapted for people with MS. Group two took a weekly exercise class using stationary bicycles combined with…
SourceUNITED STATES, April 14, 2003: SpankOut Day USA was initiated in 1998 to give widespread attention to the need to end corporal punishment of children and to promote nonviolent ways of teaching children appropriate behavior. EPOCH-USA (End Physical Punishment Of CHildren) sponsors SpankOut Day USA on April 30th of each year. All parents, guardians, teachers and caregivers are encouraged to…
The Kashmir TimesSRINAGAR, INDIA, April 3, 2003: Three major changes will distinguish the yearly Hindu Amarnath pilgrimage this season. Affluent pilgrims could fly to the Himalayan cave from Srinagar in state-owned helicopters. The shortest route, the Baltal route used by about 25% of pilgrims, has been widened from 6 ft to 12 ft, allowing for 1,500 instead of 800 pilgrims…
SourceSINGAPORE, April 6, 2003: Buddhists and Hindus recently came together for purification prayers to free the world from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The event was organized by the Singapore Buddhist Lodge and Arulmigu Velmurugan Gnanamuneeswarar Temple. Priests from Hindu and Buddhist temples recited prayers for 24 hours, seeking divine blessings and to help the world to be relieved of…
SourceKERALA, INDIA, April 13, 2003: The Global Malayalee Council and Sree Sankara School of Classical Dances are jointly organizing a national dance and music festival to be held at Kalady, Kerala, May 6-9, 2003. Some of India’s leading dancers and musicians will be performing along with the top performers from Kerala’s youth festivals. Organizers anticipate over 200,000 people to attend…
SourceSRINAGAR, INDIA, April 5, 2003: Kashmir is witnessing an increase in conversion from Islam to Christianity. Christian groups are putting the number of new converts at over 10,000 and a Sunday Express investigation confirms that conversions have been taking place regularly across the Valley. At least a dozen Christian missions and churches based in the U.S., Germany, the Netherlands and…
Media CenterPONDICHERRY, INDIA, April 7, 2003: Mother of Shri Aurobindo Ashram, affectionately known as Shri Ma, was a great devotee of Lord Ganesha. The Pondicherry Shri Manakkula Vinayaka Devasthanam released a booklet in August, 2001, which gives an inspiring story of Shri Ma and her relationship with Lord Ganesha. “There is a famous 700-year-old temple of Manakkula Vinayaka adjacent to…
SourceDHAR, INDIA, April 8, 2003: A day after the Archaeological Survey of India ordered open the disputed Bhojshala shrine for Hindus every Tuesday nearly 600 people offered prayers there in an atmosphere of peace. The devotees, some of whom were beating drums, entered the shrine at 9:00 AM and there were no signs of any tensions. Meanwhile, a spokesperson from…
HPINEW DELHI, INDIA, March 28, 2003: Dalits, viewed as the traditional target for conversion, are not the only ones turning to Buddhism here. Even high-caste Hindus with upper middle-class backgrounds are increasingly attending Buddhist meditations. Their practice has a Japanese connection for there are about 100 Nichiren Buddhism cells in Delhi, says Madhumita Sen. She works for an international NGO…