Source BALI, INDONESIA, March 24, 2020 (Yahoo): Bali’s “Day of Silence” was even quieter than usual this year as coronavirus fears prompted authorities to scale back an annual celebration that sees the Hindu-majority island in Indonesia come to a near standstill. Known as Nyepi, the festival calls on locals to stay at home for 24 hours and reflect in a…
Source AYODHYA, INDIA, March 24, 2020 (Swarajyamag): In a significant development, the construction of a grand temple of Lord Ram began in the ancient city of Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh on March 23rd with special prayers being initiated to shift the statue of the Deity to a temporary structure, reports Hindu Businessline. Special prayers will continue even today, after which…
Source Discipline your speech. Speak the truth at all costs. Speak little. Speak sweetly. Always utter encouraging words. Never condemn, criticize or discourage. Do not raise your voice and shout at little children or subordinates.— Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh (1887-1963)
Source AUSTRALIA, March 23, 20202 (ABC National Radio): Hemangini Patel has been attending her temple every Sunday for as long as she can remember. As a devout Hindu, and member of Sydney’s Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) community, the weekly “sabha” or congregation is a routine she looks forward to each week. But for the past two Sundays, the…
Source PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA, March 22, 2020 (The Conversation): Apart from Pretoria’s legacy of grand institutional buildings, South Africa’s capital city and historical seat of the apartheid government, also contains some unique architectural masterpieces that have been built and cared for by various religious communities. These buildings reflect the stories, traditions and resilience of diverse community groups. Perhaps the most…
Source Man needs a guru. But a man must have faith in the guru’s words. He succeeds in spiritual life by looking on his guru as God Himself. Therefore the Vaishnavas speak of guru, Krishna and Vishnu equally.— Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa (1836-1886)
HPI/Paras Ramoutar PORT-OF-SPAIN, TRINIDAD/TOBAGO March 22, 2020 (Hpi by Paras Ramoutar): Because of the unpredictably of the Covid 19 spread, Hindu major organizations have cancelled all religious and social observances starting with Nau Raatri, Lord Rama Naumi and Lord Hanuman Jayanti. Spokesman for the major Hindu organization, the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha(SDMS) has ordered all mandirs under its jurisdiction to…
Source The secret of the true life is to remain still in the midst of activity and vibrantly awake while in meditation.— Dada Vaswani, Sindhi spiritual leader, head of the Sadhu Vaswani Mission and nonagenarian
Source NEW DELHI, INDIA, March 20, 2020 (Sputnik News): Hindus in a northern Indian state were excited about the upcoming Ram Navami, a nine-day festival to mark the birth anniversary of the important Hindu Deity Lord Rama. This year, the celebrations were special due to the Ayodhya verdict, which allowed Hindus to retain disputed land to build a temple dedicated…
Source Surrender can never be regarded as complete so long as the devotee wants this or that from the Lord. True surrender is the love of God for the sake of love and nothing else, not even for the sake of salvation. Love Him unconditionally.— Sri Ramana Maharishi (1879-1950), South Indian mystic