Tallest Hanuman Under Construction

Source: ndtv.com PARITALA, INDIA, September 22, 2002: The tallest Hanuman statue in the country is coming up at Paritala, 240 km from Hyderabad. By early next year, Lord Hanuman will stand tall here at 135 feet. Work has been in progress at this site for 18 months now. Standing way above the world, this is a marvel in engineering and…

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Swaminarayan Sect Criticizes Call for General Strike

GO TO SOURCE NEW DELHI, INDIA, September 26, 2002: The BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, whose temple in Gandhinagar was the target of a terrorist strike on Thursday, said that it did not support any bandh, general strike, called over the killings and appealed to the people to maintain peace and unity. “Bandhs only cause economic losses to the country. Even if…

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The Silent Heroes of Akshardham

Source: Rediff GANDHINAGAR, INDIA, September 26, 2002: They are the unknown and unsung heroes, the few brave men who made a real difference in containing the massacre at the Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar, Gujarat: police officers who crawled into the temple to take on the terrorists in the middle of the night; commandos martyred even as they helped finish off…

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Temples Across India Under Tight Security

GO TO SOURCE NEW DELHI, INDIA, September 25, 2002: Temples and other places of worship across the country are under tight security following the terrorist attack at the Swaminarayan Temple in Gandhinagar. Keeping in mind the recent riots in Gujarat after the Godhra train massacre, the Army has deployed 3,000 personnel to sensitive areas of Gujarat as a precaution against…

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Lord Ganesha Given a Grand Farewell

GO TO SOURCE PUNE, INDIA, September 22, 2002: The entire city came out on the streets on Friday afternoon to bid farewell to Lord Ganesha, and patiently waited until the early hours of Saturday when the last idol was immersed. The procession began after mayor Deepti Chaudhari performed puja (worship) of the first Ganapati exactly at noon at the historic…

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U.S. Team in Dhaka to Probe Attacks on Hindus

GO TO SOURCE DHAKA, BANGLADESH, September 25, 2002: A four member United States congressional team is in Dhaka to investigate reports of attacks on Hindus living in Bangladesh. The delegation will submit a report to the International Affairs Committee of the U.S. Congress by October 3 in Washington D.C. The team, which arrived here Monday, will meet Hindus who were…

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American Desi Makes Miss America Contest

GO TO SOURCE ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY, September 19, 2002: Considering the beauty business has become such a regular stomping ground for Indians, Bharata Natyam at the Miss America Pageant was bound to happen sooner or later. It arrived in grace in Atlantic City Wednesday night when Shoha Kirti Parekh, 24, performed Bharata Natyam in the talent section of the…

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Pramukh Swami Calls for Restraint in Wake of Temple Attack

Source: HPI GANDHINAGAR, INDIA, September 25, 2002: In response to our urgent inquiry, HPI received the following message from the Swaminarayan Center in Gandhinagar, “We thank you for your concern. You would already know that the incident has ended and the two terrorists have been killed by the army. Pramukh Swami Maharaj has prayed for the souls of the dead…

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US Temples Mourn Gujarat Massacre

GO TO SOURCE WASHINGTON, DC, September 25, 2002: Hours after the massacre of some 30 devotees in Gujarat, hundreds of disciples gathered for prayers at Swaminarayan temples across the United States, where the group has a wide following, while President Bush and his administration strongly condemned the murderous attack. The most prominent meeting was at the Swaminarayan Sanstha Temple in…

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Protest Planned for “Saffron Warriors” Screening

Source: Press Release NEW YORK, NEW YORK, September 25, 2002: Some Hindus have expressed concern about the screening of the film, “Saffron Warriors,” scheduled for Barnard College of Columbia University, 3009 Broadway, New York, NY, Room 304, Barnard Hall, at 6:00 pm on September 27. The 23-minute film by Elizabeth Jones is described by the college: “The documentary is on…

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