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Showing posts from July, 2007


Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev, Yoga Trainer Subodh Gupta and Weight Loss Controversy

Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev is familiar with people interested in Yoga and Hinduism. Subodh Gupta too must be familiar with people interested in Yoga but he is not as famous as Baba Ramdev. Now Subodh Gupta has challenged Baba Ramdev for giving misleading statement or remaining silent on misleading news regarding weight loss achieved through yoga. Subodh Gupta , Yoga Trainer based in London , has issued a press release in public interest regarding this. The two misleading news articles according to Subodh Gupta ' Yoga has nothing to do with religion. It is not Hinduism ' in Rediff. “I lost 6 kg after attending two sessions of yoga with Baba Ramdev in New Jersey last week says Raj Kumar (not his real name).” “ Ramdev's Yoga Brand Launched In America ” in several news portals. Ten overweight people volunteered to have their weight checked before and after the session. Amazingly, the weight reduction ranged from 0 to 5 pounds. Subodh Gupta is contesting t

Spiritual Books by Sri Sri Ravishankar

Several published books of Sri Sri Ravishankar, founder of Art of Living, are casual discourses to seekers in different parts of the world and contain practical solutions for everyday problems. But many of the thoughts are revolutionary in nature. Most of the books are pregnant with meaning and written in simple language. Most of the books of Sri Sri Ravishankar have been translated into various regional languages in India including Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu. German and Spanish translations of the books are available online. Sri Sri Ravishankar Books An Intimate Note to the Sincere Seeker – Volume 1 to 7 – Each book in the volume consists of discourses by Sri Sri Ravishankar in a year. There are total seven books. The first volume from June 21 1995 to June 13 1996 and the seventh from July 12, 2001 to July 11, 2002 . Pearls of wisdom offered in the volumes help to overcome several issues in daily life. Anne Elixhauser and Bill Hayden are the compilers.

Bonalu Festival in Hyderabad and Secunderabad

Bonalu is an important festival celebrated in Hyderabad and Secunderabad in Telangana in the month of Ashada (July – August). Bonalu means ‘food’ and is a ritual in honor of Mother Goddess - Mahankali. The ritual consists of an offering of food made to the Goddess by women which is later shared by the family and friends as ‘prasad.’ The festival is a month long affair and includes colorful processions and community feasts.   Bonalu on Sundays in the Ashada month: The first main festival is held on the first Sunday of the Ashada month at the Sri Jagadamba temple in Golconda Fort, the next main festival on the second Sunday at the Ujjain Mahankali Temple in Secunderabad and the third main festival on the third Sunday at the Matheswari Temple of Laldarwaja. The rituals are also performed in all the other Mother Goddess temples in the twin cities. Origin of Bonalu festival: Bonalu had its origin in an epidemic of plague in 1869 in Hyderabad and Secunderabad, which kil

One Month Rejuvenation Treatment of Guruvayur Temple Elephants

The elephants in the Sri Krishna Temple in Guruvayur undergo a rejuvenation treatment in the month of July. The rejuvenation camp is at the Guruvayur Punathur Aana Kota, a sprawling 18-acre area. At present there are 64 elephants under the Guruvayur Temple trust and most of them were donated by devotees. The rejuvenation camp is monitored by famous Kerala elephant physicians and vetenary doctors. Special diet, Ayurvedic and allopathic medicines are part of the camp. The famous Ayurvedic medicine chavanprash is given to the elephants. Nearly one million rupees is spent for the month long rejuvenation treatment. The Guruvayur Temple elephants are strictly only used for temple rituals. They also partake in festivals and rituals in other temples. Nearly six elephants are needed for the various rituals in the temple daily. Sheeveli is an important ritual performed daily in the temple. In Sheeveli, the Lord Krishna idol is taken around the temple on the top of an ele

Dress Code Change in Guruvayur Temple Women wearing Churidar and Salwar allowed

Guruvayur Devaswom managing committee of the famous Sri Krishna Temple in Guruvayur changed the dress code and allowed women wearing churidars and pyjamas to enter the temple. Men wearing pants (trousers) and shirts are still not allowed. So are women wearing jeans and other non-Indian dresses. Before the decision, only women wearing sari or Kerala traditional ‘mundu’ and ‘veshti’ were allowed in. The change in the outdated custom is a great relief to thousands of female devotees from India and abroad. Even majority of the young women in Kerala will find it more comfortable in churidars and salwar and kamis. Earlier, women to enter the temple used to wear mundu over the ‘kamis’ and it used to look funny and it was a mockery of the outdated custom. A group of people in the temple thrived due this custom by providing mundu for rent to women. The poor women devotees were often forced to wear those unclean mundu to enter the temple. Similar is the fate of men who are fo

Saving the Sun Temple at Konark

The Sun Temple at Konark is a UNESCO World Heritage site but numerous reports suggest that Konark is crumbling . The villain seems to be the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which incidentally has invited a global tender to preserve the sun temple . Konark Suraksha Samiti, an organization fighting for the cause of Konark, feels ASI has done more damage to the structure than the Muslim invaders who mutilated and tore down the structure. Orissa State Government too has similar views. But according to ASI the saline wind from the nearby Bay of Bengal is responsible for the crumbling. But the local people are not ready to buy this explanation as they point out other structures in the region, including the Puri Jagannath Temple , has not been damaged by saline wind. As the blame game continues, only one of the famous Wheels of Konark is intact. The rest of structures of the temple too are not in a healthy condition. The new global tender planned by the central

Hindu Temples and Religious Institutions Join In Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Thanks to the Kyoto Protocol for climate change, several Hindu Temples and religious institutions are now helping in reducing the gas emissions that are responsible for global warming. Tirupati Balaji Temple, Sringeri Mutt in Karnataka, Kalahasti Temple in Andhra Pradesh, and Ambaji Temple in Gujarat are now using solar community kitchens and similar applications to reduce emission of greenhouse gases. The Kyoto Protocol for climate change has set specific carbon emission reduction targets for countries around the world. But most developed countries are not ready to meet the targets because cutting down on emissions will adversely impact their production and cost. Instead, they fund specific projects aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions in developing countries and the points thus earned allows developed countries to meet the specific targets of Kyoto Protocol for climate change. In India, Gadhia Solar Energy Systems Pvt. Ltd. in cooperation with Factor C

Kharchi Puja A Unique Festival in the Temple of 14 Gods and Goddesses in Tripura

During the later half of July a unique festival, called Kharchi Puja, is held at Old Agartala or urana Haveli in Tripura. The highlight of the festival is the bathing ritual of 14 deities in the Chaturdas Devata Temple . The 14 deities include most of the important deities in the Hindu pantheon. Tribals and non-tribals participate in this unique event, which is originally a Tribal puja. The festival is held annually on the eighth lunar day of the light fortnight of the month of Asadha (July) in Bengali Calendar. Numerous stories about the worship of the fourteen deities can be found in the Rajmala - the archives of the kings of Tripura. The deities are originally tribal and were later adapted into the Hindu fold. All the deities have names in Kok-barok, the tribal language. The deities also have unique functions in tribal folklore like one deity is creator of universe, another god of death and another goddess of weaving. The fourteen deities worshipped here are

Vijayanagara Visions – Religious Experience and Cultural Creativity in a South Indian Empire

The book Vijayanagara Visions – Religious Experience and Cultural Creativity in a South Indian Empire is written by William J. Jackson Professor, Department of Religious Studies at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis . The book focuses on the religious imagination and the visual images of the great South Indian Bhakti saints such as Vidyaranya, Purandaradasa, Jayatirtha, Vedanta Deshika, Potana, Vemana, Kanakadasa, Annamacharya, Appaya Dikshita and Badhrachalam Ramadas. About the book from Oxford University Press William J. Jackson discusses two specific themes – patterns shared in the culture of bhakti, and visionary experiences of saints. There are vivid phrases, ideas, images, and melodies that echo in the lyrics of the singer-saints across the different regions and centuries. Jackson investigates these patterns and the persistent continuities in the bhakti tradition. The work is scholarly in nature and Vanamala Parthasarathy reviews the book in The

Leaning Hindu Temple of Huma in Sambalpur, Orissa

The leaning Hindu Temple at Huma in Sambalpur, Orissa, breaks all the written rules in Shilpasashtra, the traditional book for Hindu temple architecture. The leaning temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, who is known here as Lord Bimaleswar. Interestingly, the other smaller temples in the complex too are tilted in various angles. In fact, all most all the structures in the Huma temple complex including the boundary walls are tilted. The wonders don’t end with leaning structures; there are fishes on the river near the temple which gobble food from the hands of the devotees. The 17 th century Lord Shiva temple Huma is located on the banks of the River Mahandi. The main temple leans at an angle of 47 degrees to the west and the other small temples and gateway tilts at various other angles to various directions. Strangely, the pinnacle of the structures does not lean. People believe that the structures were designed by Vishwakarma – the divine architect of the Hindu world. T

Sudharma – the Only Sanskrit Daily in India

Started in 1970 by Sanskrit scholar Kalale Nadadur Varadaraja Iyengar, Sudharma is the only Sanskrit daily in India . The daily is mainly subscribed by institutions having Sanskrit courses, public libraries and schools. The daily sells around 2000 copies mostly through subscriptions. K.V. Sampath Kumar, son of Mr. Iyengar, is the present editor of the daily. Apart from India , the daily is subscribed in few other countries including the United States and Japan . Sudharma is struggling to survive and it is Sampath Kumar’s passion for Sanskrit which is keeping the daily afloat. The annual subscription of Sudharma costs 250 rupees. For more details contact sudharma.sanskritdaily@gmail.com sudharmasktdly@rediff.com

Is Hindu Brahmacharya or Celibacy a Hypocrisy?

Talk about Brahmacharya and the first thing that comes to mind is sex. A Brahmachari abstains from all types of sexual intercourse. Brahmacharya is search of Brahman – the Supreme Being that pervades in all animate and inanimate. Is the path to Brahman only open to Bramacharis. Will the knowledge of Brahman be denied to a person who has had sex or erotic imagination? But one the greatest sanyasins in the Santana Dharma (Hinduism) tradition Yajnavalkaya had two wives – Gargi and Maitri. Take a list of all the great sages of Santana Dharma and one will find that most of them were married and had a family life. Some indulged in sexual intercourse to produce heirs. In fact ‘Tatvamasi’ the core Hindu philosophy was taught by Sage Uddalaka to his son. On a careful analysis of the Hindu scriptures – mainly the Upanishads, the Puranas and the epics – one will realize that married life or indulging in sex was never an impediment in knowing Brahman. In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Kris

Book on Hinduism in United States by Prema A. Kurien

A Place at the Multicultural Table: The Development of an American Hinduism explores the Hindu American Experience and discusses the new forms, practices, and interpretations of Hinduism in United States . The author Prema A Kurien is a faculty at the Maxwell School of Syracuse University. According to the author “The book examines the relationship between the institutionalization of Hinduism as a minority religion and the political mobilization of Hindu Indians seeking a place in multicultural America .” From the Book Description Drawing on the experiences of both immigrant and American-born Hindu Americans, the author demonstrates how religious ideas and practices are being imported, exported, and reshaped in the process. The result of this transnational movement is an American Hinduism--an organized, politicized, and standardized version of that which is found in India . This first in-depth look at Hinduism in the United States and the Hindu Indian American

Amarnath Cave Look Alike at Devi Talab Mandir in Jalandhar, Punjab

The famous Devi Talab Mandir in Jalandhar, Punjab, has a model of the Amarnath Cave in Jammu and Kashmir in it premises. The structure of the cave temple is an exact replica of the Amarnath Cave shrine. Numerous devotees taking part in Amarnath Yatra are now visiting this shrine and those unable to take the original arduous journey are finding solace in the replica. Situated in the heart of Jalandhar City, the Devi Talab Mandir is dedicated to Goddess Durga and is one among the 51 shaktipithas. An old Kali Temple is also located in the premises. Devi Talab Mandir is the venue for the world famous annual Sri Harballabh Sangeet Sammelan.

Swaminarayan Mandir in Toronto the First Traditional Vedic Mandir in Canada

The magnificent and intricately carved BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Toronto will open on Sunday 22 July 2007 . The temple is built at a staggering cost of $40 million and is free of steel. Majority of the parts of the temple have been hand carved in India . The local Hindu community in Toronto offered the services of more than 300 volunteers and financed for the major part of the temple. The temple has no government funding and has been erected in record 18 months. Interestingly, limestone was imported from Turkey to India and marble from Italy to India . The carved pieces were then imported from India to Canada . The interesting numbers of Swaminarayan Mandir in Toronto presented by Zosia Bielski, National Post 1,800 craftsmen involved at 26 different sites in India 18 months to complete stone work 18 acre site, fronting on High-way 427 and Finch Avenue ( Swaminarayan Mandir Toronto Address and Location can be found here. ) 132 archways 84 decorative ceiling

Illustrated book on Vedic Astrology for Beginners

Vedic Astrology Simply Put: An Illustrated Guide to the Astrology of Ancient India by William Levacy appeals to the students of Vedic astrology and novices through its easy-to-understand method of presentation. Some of the important topics dealt in the book are the myths and origins of Vedic astrology, the difference between Vedic astrology and Western astrology, an easy to understand explanation of each house, each planet, and each individual sign and how they relate to the overall chart. Numerous other related subjects like Vedic forecasting, Ayurveda, remedial measures, deities are dealt in the book. An important highlight of the book is its illustrations. The Vedic art in the book was custom created by master artists from India . William Levacy has been a practitioner of ‘Jyotish’ since 1983. He has a master’s degree in the Science of Creative Intelligence from Maharishi European Research University on Vedic science. Levacy was awarded the prestigious Jyotish

Holy Vastrams from Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple to Tirupati Temple

During the Tamil month of ‘Aani’ the authorities of Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple, Srirangam, sends ‘holy vastrams’ or holy dresses to the Tirupati Temple. This is in respect of Tirupati Temple protecting the processional deities of Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple from Muslim invasion. When Mohammed bin Tuglaq invaded the Srirangam town, Pillailogachariyar, a Vaishnavite saint took the idols of Lord Namperumal and Goddess Sridevi and Sri Bhoodevi to the Tirupati Temple . The idols were safely kept at the Tirupati temple for more than two decades. In memory of this incident, the authorities of Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple, Srirangam, sends ‘holy vastrams’ every year in the month of ‘Aani’ (mid-June to mid-July) to Tirupati Temple.

Ganga by Julian Crandall Hollick

River Ganga is in danger of dying - but if the river dies, will Goddess Ganga too die? The question took journalist Julian Crandall Hollick on an extraordinary journey on the River Ganga – starting at Gaumukh, going down the Himalayas, past the great cities on the its banks and finally to Sagar Island where the river meets the sea. The book Ganga by Julian Crandall Hollick talks about the sacred Ganga and the exploited Ganga . Julian Crandall Hollick is an award-winning producer and writer of radio documentaries and is co-founder of Independent Broadcasting Associates, Inc., a non-profit media production company based in Massachusetts . Through his journey, Crandall Hollick looks at all the issues Ganga faces: from the Tehri dam which diverts most of her source water to create electricity for Delhi to the Farakka barrage which has wrecked havoc in the villages in Bengal; from Kanpur where the river is at its most polluted to Varanasi, next door, where millions take their holy d

Mission to Save Satras in Assam

Satras are Vaishnavaite religious centers in Assam , India , and were founded mainly by saint and reformer Srimanta Sankardev and his disciples during the 15 th and 16 th century. These Vaishnavaite monasteries are noted for its collection of Assamese manuscripts, relics, sculptures and other artifacts. Large scale encroachment, neglect by the government administration and natural causes have nearly destroyed the Satras and numerous manuscripts in it. Biman Hazarika of Dhing College and New Delhi-based Bijoy Bhuyan are now on a mission to save the Satras of Assam. Biman Hazarika says ‘Till half a century ago, most of these satras were both culturally and academically rich. Our plan is to make the local villagers aware of the necessity of preserving the cultural and religious resources of these institutions.’ Hazarika said. The duo intend to cover seven Vaishnavite monasteries ( satras ) — Kubaikata, Ai Lakhi, Aibheti Nasatra, Salaguri Leteri, Bali , Kuji and Ali Pukhuri P

Lord Krishna's Cuisine: The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cuisine

Lord Krishna's Cuisine: The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cuisine by Yamuna Devi is an impressive cookbook with more than 500 recipes and was the winner of the International Association of Culinary Professionals Cookbook of the Year Award. The book was first published in 1987 and numerous editions followed. All recipes are based on readily available ingredients. The recipes are enlivened by the author's anecdotes and personal reminiscences of her years in India , including stories of gathering recipes from royal families and temple cooks, which had been jealously guarded for centuries. From a review on the Book… I'm not Indian, and I'm not vegetarian, but the recipes in this book are outstanding! I've cooked out if it for years, and am still tempted by new and wonderful recipes, and I can't remember ever cooking something out of this book that my family didn't love. The instructions are clear and easy to follow. You can buy the book or find m

Jai Jagannath – Film based on Lord Jagannath’s attempt to end caste discrimination

Jai Jagannath based on the story of Lord Jagannath was released on 13 th July 2007 . Jai Jagannath, shot in Hindi and Oriya, is directed by Sabyasachi Mohapatra. The movie has been translated into fifteen languages including English and Nepali. The Oriya version of the movie is being dubbed into Assamese and Bengali. The Hindi version is being dubbed into other regional languages and English. The story of Jai Jagannath is a statement against caste system and is based on Lakshmi Purana. Goddess Lakshmi helps her untouchable devotee to worship Lord Jagannath (Lord Krishna). But Lord Balram, Krishna ’s elder brother, is not happy with it and this leads to the separation of Lord Jagannath and Lakshmi. Without Lakshmi both Lord Vishnu and Lord Balram suffers and they decide to bring her back. But Lakshmi is adamant and will only return if all people irrespective of caste and creed are allowed to worship the Lord. Sage Narada reveals in the end that the whole drama was p

Hindu Temples and the Kerala State Government

Who should manage the Hindu temples in Kerala? The State government or the devotees. This is an ongoing debate in Kerala. The debate gained momentum recently with the present Communist government in Kerala bringing ordinances to take over the administration of various temples in Kerala. The latest being the Malabar Devaswom Ordinance to take over the temples in Malabar. The Hindu population in Kerala is just over fifty percent. The rest of the nearly fifty percent consists of Muslims and Christians. The Hindus in Kerala are a divided lot and are mainly represented by caste based organizations like the Nair Service Society (NSS), Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) and numerous other such organizations. It must also be noted here that the Communist parties in Kerala finds its support base mainly among the Hindus. The temples in Kerala are mainly administrated by the Travancore Devaswom Board, Cochin Devaswom Board and Guruvayur Devaswom Board. Recently, the government took

Koya Tribes – The Tribal Face Readers of India

The Koya tribals in Gandhasiri Village in Khammam district of Andhra Pradesh are famous face readers. For the Koya tribals face reading is an ancient tradition handed down through generations. The process of face reading is simple – the tribals focus on the customer’s face and talks about the customer’s past, present and future. Tribal face reading might sound irrational and unscientific to many but these tribals have clients from South Asia and Australia . Some tribals are known to tour these countries. The tribals consider it as a science and visit various cities and towns in India. The tribals worship the Vana Durga and special pujas are done on Amavasi and Poornima.

Sanskrit Universities in India

The popularity of Sanskrit is on the rise and is being taught in several universities around the world. In India , there are several universities dedicated to Sanskrit research and teaching. They offer several degree and post graduate courses. Only few states in India have Sanskrit Universities but most of the major universities in the states offer Sanskrit degree and post graduate courses. Sanskrit University in Andhra Pradesh: Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha, Tirupati. Bihar : Kameshwar Singh Darbhanga Sanskrit University , Kameshwar Nagar, Darbhanga. Sanskrit Universities in Delhi : 1)Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan (Deemed University), 56-57, Institutional Area, Janakpuri, New Delhi. 2) Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha, Katwaria Sarai, New Delhi. Gujarat : Somnath Sanskrit University , Somnath Trust, BITCO Building , Prabas Patan, Somnath, Junagarh. Kerala: Sree Sankaracharya University of Sa

Dalit Priests in Hindu Temples in Bihar

The appointment of a dalit priest in a Hindu Temple in Bihar is celebrated with much fanfare in the Indian media. But on the ground the oppression of the dalits continues unabated. The process of the appointment of the Dalits as priests is a move in the right direction. But the number of dalit priests should be increased. And for the process to be effective, the Dalit priests should be appointed along with Brahmin priests. The Brahmin priests and dalit priests should do the puja together and this will send out a clear signal to the devotees. Not only Dalits but all Hindus should be allowed to perform pujas. Tamil Nadu has set an example by starting courses for all Hindus for doing pujas in Hindu temples . Also the activity of the Dalit priests should not be confined within the temple walls. People should invite them to homes to conduct pujas. Finally, there should be only Pujari (priest) not Brahmin Pujari and Dalit Pujari. In the 20th century, the social revolt against B

Dharmaveer Bharati’s Andhayug – On What Happened after the great Mahabharata War

The play ‘Andhayug’ by Dharmaveer Bharati (1926 – 1997) deals with the atrocities and moral devastation brought by the Mahabharata war. The war brought depression, hopelessness, frustration and guilt in those who survived the war. Andhayug is a milestone in Indian Theater and is written in Hindi. The play narrates the inner conflicts in the mind of Lord Krishna and other important participants in the war. Andhayug starts on the last day of the Mahabharata War and ends with Lord Krishna leaving the earth. The play is written in Hindi. One of the striking scenes in Andhayug is Gandhari, the mother of Kauravas, cursing Lord Krishna for not stopping the war. Krishna accepts the curse stating that during the eighteen day war it was I who died hundreds of times and it was I who got injured hundreds of times.

Malaysian Muslim Woman Wants to Live as Hindu But

Revathi, 29, a Malaysian woman was born to Indian Muslim parents, who converted from Hinduism to Islam. But Revathi was raised as a Hindu by her grandmother. She married Suresh Veerappan, a Hindu, in 2004 and they had a daughter in 2005. BUT the Malaysian law won’t permit Revathi to live as a Hindu. Because Malaysians who are born as Muslims are legally barred from changing religion. The marriage of Suresh and Revathi is not registered because under Malaysian law Suresh would have had to convert to Islam first. The trouble started when Revathi applied before a court to officially designate her as a Hindu. The authorities seized the couple's daughter and handed the child to Revathi's Muslim mother. Revathi was send to an Islamic rehabilitation center for six months. At the center Revathi was forced to recite Muslim prayers, wear Muslim dress and eat beef. Now authorities have released her from the rehabilitation center but have ordered her to live with her Muslim

Woman Barber at Bhadrachalam Temple

Fate made 30-year-old Saidamma a barber at the tonsure center in the famous Bhadrachalam Temple in Andhra Pradesh. She took up the job when her husband died. If Endowment Commission Department of the state makes her a permanent employee, Bhadrachalam Temple will follow Tirupati to become the second temple in Andhra Pradesh to have Women barbers. Head tonsuring at Hindu temples is symbolic surrendering of one’s ego before the Supreme Being. Tonsuring was a male prerogative in Hindu temples and earlier there were objections from several quarters for permitting women to tonsure head. But things are slowly changing and several women are coming forward to take up the job. Especially, when large number of Hindu women devotees are tonsuring at many famous temples including Tirupati, Palani and Bhadrachalam. Women devotees have opinioned that they feel comfortable with women performing the tonsuring. And Tirupati Trust is earning thousands of dollars by selling women’s hai

Mata Amritanandamayi Dolls – Amma Dolls

Mata Amritanandamayi Dolls or Amma Dolls are handmade by Mata Amritanandamayi volunteers with sacred items blessed by Amma. The dolls are ornamented with beads and wear a white petticoat and a sari cut from the cloth of one of Amma's own garments. This spiritual guru doll was a real surprise. There are also Amma dolls that come in the divine moods of particular gods and goddesses from Kali to Krishna to Devi and Radha and Shiva. The price ranges from $45 to $250 on the online store and the money goes to fund charities.

Samskrita Bharati – Taking Sanskrit to the Masses

Samskrita Bharati , headquartered in New Delhi , is a private organization involved in reviving Sanskrit in India and around the world. It is a movement for self-development and social change through Samskritam. Started in 1981, this volunteer based group through its natural and effective listen-speak-read-write technique has taken Sanskrit to the masses. The US chapter of Samskrita Bharati has its head quarters in San Jose , CA . The international center of Samskrita Bharati is located at Bangalore . There are numerous state units spread across India and United States supported by 250 full-time volunteers and 5,000 part-time teachers in the United States and India . Samskrita Bharati also provides opportunity to learn Sanskrit through correspondence in India and around the world.

Purna Vidya – A Vision of Hindu Dharma for Children and Teenagers

The book Purna Vidya – A Vision of Hindu Dharma from Sastraprakasika Trust attempts to impart value based cultural education to children. The purpose of the book is to help children and teenagers understand the rich cultural heritage of India in keeping with the Vedic vision. According to the trust, the book is part of Vedic Heritage Teaching Programme and is a guide for schools, families and communities that wish to teach cultural heritage to children in an authentic and systematic manner. The book is organized into three volumes and is tailored to the ages of the children. Treading a new path the book contains illustrations and games based on Hindu scriptures for kids. Guidelines for teaching Hindu values, religious disciplines, culture and Vedic knowledge. For teenagers, the book has Vedangas and other Vedic scriptures, an introduction to the Bhagavad Gita, human development and contemporary teen issues. The book is credited to Swamini Pramananda Saraswati and Sri Dhira C

Demolition of Hindu Temples in Malaysia

Several Hindu temples have been demolished in Malaysia in the last couple of years and more than 50 temples have been served notice. Some of the temples are more than 100 years old. Most of the demolitions are taking place at the pretext of development and some even without proper government documents. Malaysia ’s Hindus make up close to eight percent of the country’s 26 million people. Islam is the dominant religion in Malaysia . Last week, The Hindu Rights Action Force, a coalition of 30 NGOs committed to the preservation of Hindu heritage in Malaysia , submitted a memorandum to the office of the country's solicitor general. In May, 2006, a march was held by Hindus when the 60-year-old Om Sri Siva Balakrishnan Muniswarar Temple in Mukim Setapak was demolished. All this is happening when the Constitution of Malaysia has provided with the freedom to practice any religion. It is estimated that there are more than 15,000 small and big Hindu temples in Malaysia and most of

New 7 Wonders of the World – All Fools Rush In

The New 7 Wonders of the World campaign is at its zenith and the result will be announced on 07/07/07 . Wonders of the World is something that is to be decided by the representatives from all the nations in the world. The only organization that represents all the nations in the world is United Nations. So what is UNESCO, the cultural arm of the United Nations, saying about the New 7 Wonders of the World? In order to avoid any damaging confusion, UNESCO wishes to reaffirm that there is no link whatsoever between UNESCO's World Heritage programme, which aims to protect world heritage, and the current campaign concerning "The New 7 Wonders of the World". If UNESCO is not involved on what criteria was the present 20 list of wonders selected. The entire New 7 Wonders of the World program is accessible only to people with internet and mobile or telephone connections. What about the opinion of billions of people who do not have access to internet, mobile or

When Indian Politicians become Hindu Gods and Goddesses

Indian politicians are always surrounded by a bunch of sycophants. These sycophants are ready to go to any extend to please their political masters and mistresses. Among the numerous methods of sycophancy, one popular method is to depict political masters and mistresses as Hindu Gods and Goddess. Equating politicians with Hindu mythological characters is a common occurrence in Indian politics today. Some examples – Durga, Ram-Lakshman team, the ever loyal Hanuman, Kali. The villains in Hindu mythology like Duryodhana, Kamsa, Shakuni and Ravana are used lavishly to refer politicians in the opposite camp. After Indian army’s victory over Pakistan , the then Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi was compared to Goddess Durga. Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Advani were always Ram and Lakshman. In the initial stage, politicians were only referred as Hindu Gods and Goddesses or as Hindu mythological characters. Posters and statues of politicians depicting gods and goddesses were very ra