Latest Hindu News

LONDON, ENGLAND, April 13, 2007: HPI received the following request from Rachael Smith, who created the well-made "Karma Lives" documentary about the UK Hindu community.

ONTARIO, CANADA, April 12, 2007: The Niagara River, which leads to Niagara Falls, could become Canada's stand-in for the sacred Ganga in India. As the tradition of sending ashes back to India's holy rivers becomes less popular with second- and third-generation Canadian Hindus, Ontario's Hindu community wants a waterway designated for traditional burial rituals. The chosen river or lake would also be used to dispose of flowers and leaves offered to the Deities by the faithful. "Currently, people are depositing the ashes in bodies of water, in Lake Ontario and other places, but they are doing it in a very unceremonious manner -- with fears in their minds that they may be doing something wrong," said Roopnauth Sharma, the president of the United Hindu Federation and the spiritual leader of the Shri Ram temple in Mississauga. There is no law in Canada preventing one from depositing ashes in a lake or river.

ONTARIO, CANADA, April 3, 2007: History was made by Pandit Damodar Sharma, the spiritual leader of the Devi Mandir, when he was sworn in last Sunday as the first-ever Hindu Honorary Chaplain for the Durham Regional Police. In attendance were the Mayor of Pickering Dave Ryan, the Deputy Chief of Police in the Durham Region Chuck Mercier, Inspector Jim Douglas, Judge David Stone, and a full congregation of all the supporters and members of the Devi Mandir. Pandit Sharma who lives in Pickering, immigrated from India 15 years ago. He is married and has three children. "Today is a very special day not only for the Devi Mandir but the entire Hindu community in Canada," stated Vishnu Sookar, Chairman of the Devi Mandir.

JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, March 23, 2007: Jacksonville Hindus are delighted that a Hindu temple has been opened in their community. Now the 4,000 Hindus living in Jacksonville have a place to pray and worship. The news release explained, "On Friday, Hindu priests and others were busy readying the temple, which is located on Greenland Road in Mandarin. A ceremony was held outside on Friday as five priests from across Florida came to sanctify Jacksonville's first Hindu temple. With fire and water, Priest Kadambi Shrinatte Ji led the ceremony. Others gathered to pray."

Shrinatte Ji added, "They're praying for this divine event. All these prayers are going for this installation ceremony. So, these are all adding to the energy. We worship the different forms in our temples, different forms of the One Almighty. One almighty Supreme Being is being worshiped in the different forms in the Hindu religion."

NEW DELHI, INDIA, March 10, 2007: Leaders of several social groups from within the Hindu community, the Dalits included, were among the 4,000 who gathered at the open air theater in Pragati Maidan here Friday evening and took a pledge to end the caste divide that Sri Sri Ravi Shankar warned would harm India's progress in the long run. A seven-point action plan that Ravi Shankar unveiled at the meeting and which the thousands of men and women accepted with their right hands outstretched included an immediate end to the ban on the entry of Dalits ("Untouchables") into Hindu temples in parts of India. The other aspects of the action plan are ending the practice of keeping separate utensils for the use of Dalits in eateries and also providing religious and spiritual education to Dalit children. "The anger of the past should not engulf us and divide the country. The fear and communication gap between communities is what is keeping us apart," he said in a brief address.

KAUAI, HAWAII, March 10, 2007: "Hinduism from Ancient Times" is the 16-page educational insight section in the April issue of Hinduism Today. It is a sixth grade social studies lesson in Hinduism, Hinduism Today's response to the California textbook controversy. The intent is to present Hindu history in an accurate, academically sound and sensitive manner acceptable to the Hindu community. At the URL above, one can buy bulk copies of the lesson reprint (300 copies for $99 plus shipping, which can be as low as $11.25 for "media mail" in the US, but you can get the box even to India for $49.80 surface mail.). Click here for the website of supplemental material for the lesson which includes a URL to download a PDF version of the lesson, endorsements from academics and community leaders, and links to additional material on the various subjects of the lesson.

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Hindu Aikya Vedi is planning to start a major mass movement through out the state and the initial meetings are going on. We are also planning to move the High Court where simple justice is denied to the Hindu community. As you know all these need your support. Kummanam Rajasekharan
General Secretary,
Hindu Aikya Vedi
(Co-ordination Committee of All

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