Source LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, December 28, 2016 (LA Times): Bathroom mats. Toilet seats. Shoes. Dog tags. All of these items have, in recent years, gone on sale adorned with images of Hindu deities, particularly that of Ganesha, known most commonly in the West for His elephant face. “It is inappropriate, and it is offensive to devotees,” said Rajan Zed, a…
Source BELGIUM, January 15, 2017 (academia.edu): Jakob De Roover of Ghent University here published today an insightful paper, “Scheduled Castes vs. Caste Hindus About a Colonial Distinction and Its Legal Impact.” We excerpt from his conclusion: Today, commentators often react with indignation when one points out the anomalies confronting the classical account of the caste system. Worse, questioning this orthodoxy…
Source He is the inner Self of all, hidden like a little flame in the heart. Only by the stilled mind can He be known. Those who realize Him become immortal. He has thousands of heads, thousands of eyes, thousands of feet; He surrounds the cosmos on every side. This infinite being is ever present in the hearts of all.…
Source NAIROBI, AFRICA, January 7, 2017 (Daily Nation, by Allaudin Qureshi): While relaxing with family and friends at the coast during the Christmas and New Year break, I had the opportunity to watch a recording of Manipuri, a classical and ritualistic dance style. It brought back fond memories of watching a troupe from India perform the dance in Nairobi a…
Source PAKISTAN, January 12, 2017 (by Drazen Jorgic, Reuters): Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday inaugurated the restoration of an ancient Hindu temple complex in Punjab, a symbolic gesture that may appeal to the Muslim nation’s minority communities and soften the country’s image abroad. However, the visit and other recent overtures to minority faiths and women, including the passing…
Source There is no greater Truth than the Guru, no greater penance than the Guru, no knowledge greater than the Guru
Source MOSCOW, RUSSIA, January 10, 2017 (Radio Free Europe): A Russian yoga teacher has been forced into the role of spiritual warrior in the face of charges he was missionizing in violation of a controversial new law. Computer programmer Dmitry Ugay was detained by police in St. Petersburg on October 22 while giving a talk at a festival about the…
Source NEW DELHI, INDIA, January 10, 2017 (The Statesman): Pongal is a four-day harvest festival of Tamil Nadu which commences from the last day of Tamil month Margazhi. Crops like rice, sugarcane, turmeric, etc are harvested during this month. The term Pongal in Tamil means “to boil” and it is the only Hindu festival which follows a solar calendar. In…
Source NOIDA, INDIA, January 9, 2017 (The National): Outside their workshop, a raucous debate rages on whether India should spend half-a-billion dollars on a statue to honor a 17th century Hindu warrior. Inside, the two men sculpting the bronze figure work in silence in their vast, high-ceilinged studio outside New Delhi. “Is there a controversy about it?” asks Anil Sutar,…
Source When we encounter wickedness in others, let us be compassionate, for truly there is no intrinsic evil. — Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami (1927-2001)