Source BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA, December 13, 2017 (Times of India): The government on Wednesday moved in to check patenting of products using genetic resources such as neem, haldi, aamla or even bhaang, as well as illegal rights over traditional knowledge such as yoga and ayurveda. India circulated a paper at the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) ministerial meeting to make it…
Source I felt great need of a holy pilgrimage, so I sat still for three days and God came to me.— Saint Kabir (1440-1518)
Source SOUTH AFRICA, December 6, 2017 (IOL): Ten years ago, on December 10, Swami Sahajananda, the spiritual head of the Divine Life Society of South Africa, passed away after guiding, inspiring and shaping the lives of thousands for 58 years. In commemoration, the society will celebrate his life with a Ganga arati from 6am followed by breakfast at 6.45am. The…
Source NEW DELHI, INDIA, December 8, 2017 (NDTV): Kumbh Mela has been recognised by UNESCO as an “intangible cultural heritage of humanity”, a tweet by the international organisation said. The Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage under the UN body inscribed Kumbh Mela on the “Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity” at its 12th…
Source He who befriends a man whose conduct is vicious, whose vision impure, and who is notoriously crooked, is rapidly ruined.— Chanakya (350-275 bce), Indian politician, strategist and writer
Source AMARAVATI, INDIA, DECEMBER 7, 2017 (Times of India): In a sharp departure from tradition, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) is ready with its first batch of non-Brahmin priests. The priests, mainly belonging to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe are expected to be given posts soon. TTD is going to construct around 500 temples in SC, ST and fishermen colonies…
Source PAKISTAN, December 3, 2017 (Pakistan Today): Authorities are working on a comprehensive plan to restore religious sanctity and archaeological value of Katas Raj Temple near Chakwal. Evacuee Trust Property Board Chairman Siddiqul Farooq said this while talking to APP here on Sunday. He said that the plan was part of efforts of the government to work for minorities and…
Source INDIA, December 5, 2017 (Economic Times): After shaking up the FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) sector, yoga guru Ramdev’s Patanjali Ayurved is headed to the infrastructure sector. It plans to diversify into solar power equipment manufacturing, a burgeoning sector that is largely dependent on Chinese imports. “Getting into solar is in line with the swadeshi movement. With solar, each…
Source CAMBODIA, December 12, 2017 (Le Point, translated from French): A set of Angkor gold jewelry was returned to Cambodia on Saturday with a procession through Phnom Penh held for the occasion, decades after their looting from a famous temple of the ancient city. The 10-piece collection, consisting of a crown, earrings, bracelets and chest ornaments, was stolen from the…
Source VIETNAM, November 30, 2017 (Nhan Dan): An exhibition displaying over 300 ancient Oc Eo artefacts opened at the National Museum of Vietnamese History in Ho Chi Minh city on November 29 and is scheduled to run until March 3, 2018. Flourishing between the first and seventh century, Phu Nam Kingdom covered a large area of the southern plain and…