Malaysia’s Putrajaya to get first Hindu temple

Putrajaya, the seat of Malaysia government, will have its first Hindu temple in the near future.

Reports suggest that the required approval has been granted and after
groundbreaking ceremonies in March, construction of the about 17,000 square feet two-storey structure of this about RM 12 million Sri Lalithambikai Alayam Temple on a one-acre plot will start in September.

Hoped to be completed in 2015, this unique one-of-a-kind first Lalithambikai temple in the country, inspired by the elements of South and North India temples, will serve about 10,000 area Hindus. Project leaders plan to include 10-20 special pillars in the complex which will ring when tapped, reports add.

Source:
http://bikyanews.com/84176/malaysias-putrajaya-to-get-first-hindu-temple/

Biopiracy at our doorstep : When will we wake up?

My fellow Indians, foreign conglomerates are queuing up in line for patents at an alarming rate which originally belong to Indians and have been used by us since thousands of years.One of the these giants argues "prior art about the product had never been published in a scientific journal”. A list of Indian treasures which are under serious threat are: Neem, Yoga, Turmeric, Ayurveda, Eggplant(Brinjal) – GM Brinjal, Wheat. These are only some that have been brought under public domain. Many countries are constantly pursuing several kinds of research. Monsanto is one of the biggest offenders for bio-piracy. It’s the company’s culture to unscrupulously exploit the fruits of others’ labor. By patenting wheat, the Indian food industry will be controlled by them and not by Indian food processors and producers. Other nations which have become victims of agricultural corruption by this foreign devil are Hungary and Peru.

Under normal circumstances, a patent application should always be rejected if there is prior existing knowledge about the product. But in the United States, "prior existing knowledge" is only recognized if it is published in a journal - not if it has been passed down through generations of oral and folk traditions. However, there have been both favorable and unfavorable results for the above and some trials are underway. “These cases not only create a global awareness but also raised issues on biopiracy, need for documentation of traditional knowledge, equitable sharing of gains from traditional knowledge and harmonization of patent rule.” But, all these incidents are a clarion call to one and all. If we are heading in the same direction – very soon the air we breathe will be patented and we will have to pay royalty to live.

"Let (US) All Say Aum"

Lisa Miller wrote an article in the Newsweek titled "We are all Hindus now". The article talks about the change in mindset among the Americans regarding religion. Looks like its time for US.... I mean United States to say Aum. Excerpts from the article are below:

America is not a Christian nation. We are, it is true, a nation founded by Christians, and according to a 2008 survey, 76 percent of us continue to identify as Christian (still, that's the lowest percentage in American history). A million-plus Hindus live in the United States, a fraction of the billion who live on Earth.

A Hindu believes there are many paths to God.The most traditional, conservative Christians have not been taught to think like this. They learn in Sunday school that their religion is true, and others are false. According to a 2008 Pew Forum survey, 65 percent of us believe that "many religions can lead to eternal life"-including 37 percent of white evangelicals, the group most likely to believe that salvation is theirs alone!

Thirty percent of Americans call themselves "spiritual, not religious," according to a 2009 NEWSWEEK Poll, up from 24 percent in 2005. Says Stephen Prothero, religion professor at Boston University "It isn't about orthodoxy. It's about whatever works. If going to yoga works, great-and if going to Catholic mass works, great. And if going to Catholic mass plus the yoga plus the Buddhist retreat works, that's great, too."

24 percent of Americans say they believe in reincarnation, according to a 2008 Harris poll. So agnostic are we about the ultimate fates of our bodies that we're burning them-like Hindus-after death. More than a third of Americans now choose cremation, according to the Cremation Association of North America, up from 6
percent in 1975.

So let us all say "Om."

Source: Newsweek

Its Ganesha all the way!

SAN DIEGO, CA.- Ganeshmobile — A 2008 Prius decorated with the design of a nineteenth century Indian paisley shawl, enhanced by images of the Remover of All Obstacles, Ganesha, India’s elephant-headed god. The hood ornament is a bronze sculpture of Ganesha dancing at the front of the car to remove obstacles from its path.

The owner is Stephen Huyler, Ph.D. cultural anthropologist, art historian, photographer and author, who has spent much of the past 33 years traveling in Indian villages documenting craftsmanship and contemporary traditions. Dr. Huyler is the Curator of SONABAI – Another Way of Seeing, an exhibition opening at Mingei International in Balboa Park on July 26.

Venture Advertising of Rockport, Maine created a vinyl wrap for the car using as a design a nineteenth century Indian shawl owned by Huyler’s grandmother, then superimposed Ganesha on the passenger doors.

Source: artdaily.org

"Nobel prize is not at all a yardstick"

Question:If non vegetarian food does not improve the mind, how do you explain so many Nobel laureates who are meat eaters?

Answer: Getting a noble prize is not at all a yardstick to measure the peace and purity, stability and concentration of someone's mind. It is known that the suicide rate is high in scientists as well. Actually scientists are more disturbed in their mind. Due to this, they get activated and get involved deeply in something and come out with some new concepts or ideas. For their success, the basic reason is not the peaceful mind, but their disturbed mind.

Generally brahmanas who are "supposed" to have the mental capacity to understand "brahman" (God), need to have a very good concentration power for performing "japa" (mantra chanting) and "tapa" (austerities). They are supposed to be people who are not mentally disturbed.

In olden days even if they consumed meat, they used to keep up their mental stability and peace of mind due to their yogic power or "tapas" (severe austerity). But now in the present age of kali-yuga, our mental powers and concentration powers are getting reduced. We are loosing our purity and peace of mind due to various reasons. As such, the sattvic atmosphere and sattvic qualities are reducing because we are not doing enough japa, tapa, etc.

So if we start consuming meat we will loose all our good mental qualities very quickly. In kaliyuga, meat is strictly prohibited for brahmanas. It is also sinful for all people, as mentioned in the previous answers.

Source: indiadivine.org

50 Year old Footage of Tirupati Balaji Temple

Move to Malign Satya Sai Baba Fails

The following is an article which appeared in The Pioneer. The false cases on Sai Baba could not stand legal scrutiny and thus the accuser withdrew his complaint. Below are the excerpts from the article.

On March 14, a lingering, insidious smear campaign against Sathya Sai Baba quietly fizzled out when Channel Nine MSN removed a biased anti-Baba broadcast from its official Website. Ardent Sai defamer Robert Priddy admitted on his blog that Channel Nine MSN “would not have removed the video had there not been legitimate complaints about the content and disinformation in their video”.

Sai Baba devotees following the so-called sex scandal case were gratified to find that over the past few years many accusers were exposed as liars and worse. The main accuser, who inspired a BBC documentary, withdrew his California court case against the Sai Baba Society on realising exposure was nigh.

As usual, when false accusations are made against Hindu gurus, a high-decibel media campaign begins. But when the innocence of the accused is established, the cacophony melts into stoic silence. It is to the credit of devotees that anti-Sai Baba information has been purged from US Government and UNESCO Websites, among others.

Mr Alaya Rahm’s sexual abuse allegations against Sai Baba gained international notoriety when featured on the documentaries, Seduced By Sai Baba and Secret Swami. His allegations were published in Britain (The Daily Telegraph) and India (India Today). Mr Rahm filed his lawsuit, Alaya Rahm vs Sathya Sai Baba Society, in the Superior Court of California on January 6, 2005 (Case No. 05cc01931).

The trial was set for April 28, 2006, but on April 7 the plaintiff self-dismissed his own lawsuit. He attempted to sue for money damages, but no offers of settlement were made and no money or other consideration was paid; the case was dismissed “with prejudice” and is binding under the international doctrine of res judicata. This means Mr Rahm can never file another lawsuit against Sathya Sai Baba, in the US or in India, for the same claims made in this case.

Mr Kreydick signed his typed deposition on April 7, 2006. The same day, the defendant (the Sathya Sai Baba Society) filed Mr Kreydick’s deposition as part of the official record, and Mr Rahm self-dismissed his case! Obviously, he did not feel confident to take his case to trial, though he was represented by an experienced sexual abuse trial lawyer.

Further, in Form Interrogatory No. 6.3, Set One, Mr Rahm admitted to being a daily user of illegal street drugs and alcohol from 1995 to 2005. Thus, throughout his allegations and the filming of the BBC Documentary Secret Swami and the Danish Documentary Seduced By Sai Baba, Mr Rahm was under the influence of illegal street drugs and alcohol. This was suppressed from the general public by his family and anti-Baba associates.

Who inspired these venomous former devotees to launch investigations into vile rumours? Devotees say the ‘Anti-Sai Movement’ is an extremist hate group which habitually makes wild allegations, including the laughable claim that the Baba is allied with terrorists! One magazine published a fake picture of Sai Baba holding hands with Idi Amin!

The truth is that neither Sai Baba nor any organisation associated with him has been charged or implicated for sexual abuse, either directly or indirectly, and that reputable media agencies and independent journalists have not been able to confirm a single instance of sexual abuse linked to Sai Baba or his organisations. Gutter allegations tend to choke on their own stink.

for full article read Source: The Pioneer

Princeton University to hold “Hinduism in the 21st Century” week

A special week of events at Princeton will focus on Hinduism in 21st Century America. Princeton University’s Hindu Life Program and student group Princeton Hindu Satsangam are collaborating to host ten separate events packed into one week of celebration and awareness. The series of events - which range from lectures and discussions to performances and yoga demonstrations - will be held from Saturday, March 28, to Sunday April, 5.

The week explores the intersection of India’s ancient spiritual traditions with the modernity of American life. Organizers hope that the theme will not only resonate with members of Princeton’s Hindu community, but also serve as an impetus for those from the broader community to learn more about the faith.

“In presenting such a variety of programming, we wish to convey the diversity within Hinduism itself,” said Vineet Chander, Princeton’s Coordinator for Hindu Life and principal organizer of Hinduism in the 21st Century. “At the same time, we hope that each event will allow us to go deeper in exploring our theme, and gain insight into the faith as a fluid, living tradition faced with both challenges and opportunities in the modern world.”

Highlights of the week include a field trip to one of the first Hindu temples established in the United States, a panel discussion exploring the tensions between the academic and practitioner’s approaches to Hinduism, a coffee-house-style discussion about Hinduism’s take on the real-life struggles faced by American college students, and a student-driven arts festival. Hinduism in the 21st Century also pays homage to the popularity of yoga and spiritual vegetarianism - perhaps Hinduism’s biggest contributions to American pop-culture - with an interactive yoga class and a discussion of Hinduism and animal rights, held jointly with the Princeton Animal Welfare Society.

The week’s climax is a formal dinner, featuring a key-note address by Dr. Uma Mysorekar, president of the Hindu Temple Society of North America. Earlier this year, Dr. Mysorekar offered a Hindu benediction at President Obama’s inauguration–the first time in history that a Hindu prayer was offered at a presidential inauguration. Princeton’s Hindu Life program will also honor Dr. Mysorekar with its first annual Hindu-American Inspiration of the Year Award.

Source: HPI

Museum highlighting Hindu History in Pakistan

Archaeology Department is setting up a museum at Katasraj near Chakwal to highlight the culture and history of this fine historical treasure. A team consisting of ex- perts and a few Punjab University Archaeology Department students is working on the site these days looking for archeological fragments found in and around Katas.

The researchers are also working on the architecture in the area and will record their findings in a report. The site is famous for its temples, the most famous among them the one dedicated to Shiva. It has existed since the days of Mahabharata and the Pandava brothers spent a substantial part of their exile here.

Punjab Archaeology Department Director Shahbaz Khan says the museum would have a pictorial gallery in which Hindu mythology will be highlighted through historical refer- ences. Another gallery would he on architecture in which fragmented pieces found from Katas will be put on display Other exhibition areas will also be estab- lished in the museum.

Haveli located inside Katas and has been conserved or at the Bayragi House. The work is being doneon the finalisation of the location for museum, he added. The temples were abandoned by local Hindus when they migrated to India in 1947. It has always been the site of holy pilgrimage for people of various faiths. Even today, worshippers from all faiths perform pilgrimages to the temple every year and bathe in the sacred pool here.

Source: http://blog.travel-culture.com/2009/03/museum-to-be-opened-at-katasraj/

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Move to market Ayyappa prasadam dropped

Kannur: Following protest by Hindu organisations and leaders, CPM controlled Raico a co-operative firm cancelled their move to produce duplicate Aravana Prasad of Lord Ayyappa. Raico Chairman T. Krishnan informed that the move has been cancelled was made controversial.

The decision to market Aravana through Raico in the name of Sabarimala Ayyappa was taken to cash in the devotees faith. The Government which loots the crores of money from temples want to accumulate their coffers by marketing Sabarimala Ayyappa and Amabalapuzha Srikrishna. Earlier the attempt to sell famed Ambalapuzha Palpayasam through Government stores were also cancelled due to timely intervention of Hindu organisations.

Source: http://www.haindavakeralam.com/HKPage.aspx?PageID=8260&SKIN=K