Page 105 - Religion Belief
Bring law to build Ram temple at Ayodhya: Bhagwat
Upping the ante ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday pitched for building a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya "at the earliest" with an "appropriate and requisite law" and slammed "fundamentalist forces" for obstructing the process.
Kerala remains tense on 2nd day of Sabarimala season
Tension prevailed on Thursday a day after the opening of the short five-day pilgrimage season as the state observed a shutdown against the alleged police attack on protesters even as a senior member of the Sabarimala priest's family urged women of the hitherto barred age group to respect tradition and not visit the Lord Ayyappa temple.
Kerala Brahmana Sabha moves SC for Sabrimala verdict review
The All-Kerala Brahmins Association has approached the Supreme Court seeking review of the verdict that allowed entry of women of all ages into Sabarimala Temple. The association is also known as Kerala Brahmana Sabha.The petition said that the judgement of the Constitution bench passed on September 28, suffers from several errors that have resulted in a "grave miscarriage of justice" in so far as the actual devotees of Lord Ayyappa are concerned.The petition, filed through advocate Sanand Ramakrishnan, stated that overwhelmingly large section of women worshippers including the review petitioners are supporting the custom of prohibiting the entry of women between the age group of 10 and 50 years at the temple.The association stated in the review petition that the court ought not to have taken a broad-brush approach in a matter which impacts millions of devotees of Lord Ayyappa."In applying the broad-brush approach, the court has completely ignored the diverse practices, traditions and
Give women basic respect: Film fraternity urges this Dussehra
In the midst of a fight against sexual harassment in India and the rise of #MeToo movement, Bollywood celebrities on the occasion of Dussehra, have urged people not just to choose good over evil but also give women basic respect.
Indian sacked in Saudi for 'offensive remarks' on Sabarimala row
A Keralite expat in Saudi Arabia has been sacked from his job for allegedly posting offensive remarks on women amid the Sabarimala temple row, the media reported.
Sabarimala chief priest expresses displeasure over SC verdict
Amidst protests in Kerala against the Supreme Court verdict on Sabarimala Temple, its chief priest has expressed displeasure over the apex court's ruling that allowed women of all ages to enter the temple premises.Kandararu Rajeevaru, the head priest, said that the court did not consider the age-old traditions and customs while delivering the verdict."The Supreme Court only cares about the law, it does not care about the customs and traditions. I stand by the old customs and tradition," he told ANI.Urging the protestors to not take law in their hands, Rajeevaru said, "It is a panic situation, it has become very dangerous. Most of the devotees have become desperate after the Supreme Court verdict. It is my personal request, please respect the system and customs of the Sabarimala Temple. I do not support any form of violence."He asserted that the people indulging in violent activities are not the followers of Lord Ayyappa, who is the deity of the Sabarimala Temple."Don't blame the ...
Women now empowered, not ashamed to speak up: Madhoo Shah
Actress Madhoo Shah says Indian society has evolved to accept harsh realities of the working environment for women, who are more empowered than ever to speak up about their sour experiences.
Bhagwat criticises SC's Sabarimala decision
RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday criticised the Supreme Court's decision allowing entry of women of all ages to the Sabarimala temple in Kerala, saying it was flawed as it did not consider all aspects and hence would not be easily adopted.
Sabarimala row: Former TDB chief demands ordinance against SC verdict
Former president of Travancore Devaswom Board, Prayar Gopalakrishnan, on Thursday demanded an ordinance from the state and central governments against the entry of women aged between 10-50 years into Kerala's Sabarimala Temple.Gopalakrishnan's remarks came in the wake of the 12-hour statewide strike called by the Sabarimala Protection Committee earlier today over the incidents of violence and protests across Kerala.Protestors skirmished with police and attacked women and journalists on Wednesday ahead of re-opening of the Sabarimala Temple- the first time after the apex court paved way for entry of all women into the holy shrine of Lord Ayappa.Reacting to women of menstruating ages not being allowed to enter the temple despite the top court's directive, Gopalakrishnan said, "We will think over how to face that. The devotees of Ayappa must be with us, not only in Kerala, not only in India, but all over the world."Towing a similar line, a devotee of Lord Ayappa explained how the court ..
Protesters clash with police near Sabarimala, women turned back (Round-up)
Protesters opposed to the entry of women in the 10-50 age group to the Sabarimala temple clashed with police and heckled women journalists as the pilgrimage season opened on Wednesday, with no woman in that group making it to the hill shrine despite police assurances.
No Scheduled Caste status for Buddhist Adi Dravidars: HC
Noting that Buddhism has never advocated casteism in its ideology and preaching, the Madras High Court dismissed a plea seeking Scheduled Caste status under Buddhism. A division bench, comprising Justices R Subbiah and R Pongiappan noted there was no entry of Buddhist Adi Dravidar in the Scheduled Caste list prescribed under the Constitution. In the absence of a notification listing Buddhist Adi Dravidars as a caste, no community certificate could be issued, the court said in its recent order. The issue pertains to the order of the Erode district collector in 2017, rejecting a petition by G J Tamilarasu, seeking the community certificate as a Buddhist Adi Dravidar. Tamilarasu submitted that he was born on December 5, 1970 to Christian parents, who named him Victor Joseph J. For the sake of his education, he obtained a community certificate in 1989, saying he was a Christian Adi Dravidar. In 2015, he converted to Buddhism and changed his name to G J Tamilarasu and sought a ...
Devotees throng ancient Sheetla Mata temple to celebrate 'Ashtami' in J-K's Doda
Thousands of devotees Wednesday thronged the ancient Sheetla Mata temple, perched on a hillock called Rehoshra on the eastern side of the Chinta valley here, to celebrate 'Ashtami', a symbol of Nag culture, with religious fervour and gaiety. The festival, which marks the beginning of autumn, saw a large number of devotees trekking eight kilometre steep hill to pay obeisance at the 8,000 feet high ancient temple, the doors (kewaar) of which were opened on first Navratra, officials said. The place comes alive during Navratras, especially on Ashtami (eighth day of Navratra) as devotees converge at the temple surrounded by snow-peaked mountains to seek the blessings of Sheetla Mata, a local deity. Located in a mountain pass, 43 kilometres away from Bhadarwah town in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir, the temple remains out of bounds for most part of the year for the devotees owing to heavy snowfall during winters. Legend has it that Rehoshra temple is believed to have its origins in ...
Jains urge Centre to declare 'Parasnath Hill' official place of worship
Members of the Jain community have demanded the Centre to declare the 'Parasnath Hill' in Jharkhand as the community's official place of worship. Shikharji in Giridih district of Jharkhand is located on the Parasnath hill, the highest mountain in the state. It is the most important Jain Tirtha (pilgrimage site) for the Jains, believed to be the place where 20 of the 24 Jain tirthankaras along with many other monks attained Moksha (salvation). The 'Save Shikharji' campaign is being run by an NGO, Jyot and has received support from the Jain diaspora across the globe. "Shikharji Hill, the most revered hill for Jains, is a place where 20 of 24 Tirthankaras performed their ultimate sadhana and achieved nirvana. This entire hill is charged by the reverberations emanating from the top-most purified souls having unparallel resolute and determination, making its every inch sacred. It is now impossible to re-create such sanctity," an official statement said. "What distinguishes India from the .
Protesters clash with police near Sabarimala, women turned back
Protesters opposed to the entry of women in the 10-50 age group to the Sabarimala temple clashed with police and heckled women journalists as the pilgrimage season opened on Wednesday, with no woman in that group making it to the hill shrine despite police assurances.
Rape accused bishop arrives in Jalandhar, supporters shower rose petals on him
Roman Catholic bishop Franco Mulakkal, who faces allegations of raping a nun, received a rousing welcome from his supporters when he reached Jalandhar after being released on bail by a Kerala court. Mulakkal smiled as followers showered rose petals on him. Till a few weeks ago, he held charge as the bishop of the Jalandhar diocese. The bishop, who was escorted by Punjab police personnel, did not talk to the media. He was granted conditional bail by the Kerala High Court on Monday, and released from a jail near Kottayam a day later. He was arrested on September 21 after being accused of repeatedly raping and sexually abusing a nun between 2014 and 2016. As the demands for his arrest grew, the Vatican temporarily relieved him of all pastoral responsibilities as the bishop of the Jalandhar Diocese of the Missionaries of Jesus. While granting bail, the court had directed him to surrender his passport and not to enter home state Kerala except for appearing before the probe officer once in .
Sabarimala row: Yechury and VS Sunil condemn protests against entry of women
Kerala Minister VS Sunil and CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury have strongly condemned the protests opposing entry of women of all ages into the Sabarimala temple.Alleging the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of trying to make it a law and order issue, Kerala minister VK Sunil told ANI: "Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and BJP are taking double standards. On the one hand, five advocates associated with the BJP gave a petition in the Supreme Court over entry of women of all ages into Sabarimala temple. On the other hand, BJP is leading a fight against the verdict, and now they are trying to make it as a law and order issue."On Wednesday morning, Congress party leaders had organised a peaceful protest in Nilakkal against the entry of women into the temple. Over 50 people, including former Travancore Devaswom Board president Prayar Gopalakrishnan, were taken into custody in Nilakkal and Pamba, both Sabarimala base camps for protesting against women's entry into the Lord Ayyappa ...
There's no God; no one directs our fate: Stephen Hawking in final book
There is no God. No one created the universe and no one directs our fate, celebrated physicist and a known atheist Stephen Hawking writes in his final book, which also covers important existential questions such as creation of the universe, alien intelligence, space colonisation and artificial intelligence. Published by John Murray (a Hachette company), Brief Answers to the Big Questions is a selection of the late cosmologist's most profound, accessible, and timely reflections from his personal archive. For centuries, it was believed that disabled people like me were living under a curse that was inflicted by God. Well, I suppose it's possible that I've upset someone up there, but I prefer to think that everything can be explained another way, by the laws of nature, he wrote in the chapter titled Is There a God? He says he uses the word God' in an impersonal sense, like Albert Einstein did, for the laws of nature, so knowing the mind of God is knowing the laws of nature. My prediction
Jains, Zoroastrians added to UK's war memorial service
Representatives of the Jain and Zoroastrian will now join 15 other faiths, including Hinduism, Sikhism, at Britain's annual war memorial service to make it more reflective of modern Britain, Faith Minister Lord Bourne announced on Wednesday. Hinduism, Sikhism, Islam, Christianity and Judaism are among the faiths already represented at the National Remembrance Service held at the Cenotaph in central London on November 11 every year, to commemorate British and Commonwealth soldiers who died in the two World Wars and later conflicts. "For a tiny faith community, the Zoroastrians have punched well above their weight and contributed immensely to Britain in both World Wars," said Malcolm M Deboo, President of Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe, welcoming the move. "At the outbreak of the First World War, thousands volunteered from Britain and India to serve as soldiers and doctors and many were decorated for their bravery and sacrifice. Sadly, many also lost their lives and a Zoroastrian War
India man sacked in Saudi for offensive remarks on women
An Indian man in Saudi Arabia has been fired from his job for posting "derogatory comments" on women, amid the Sabarimala temple row, a media report said Wednesday. Deepak Pavithram, a Keralite working with Lulu Hypermarket in Riyadh, was sacked on Tuesday for making misogynistic and insensitive remarks about women on social media. "We have a strict and zero tolerance policy with regard to our staff misusing social media to spread malicious or derogatory comments which might hurt religious sentiments," V Nandakumar, Chief Communications Officer at Lulu Group, told Khaleej Times. "All GCC nations are home to a large cosmopolitan population from almost all countries in the world and we respect their sentiments, culture and religious beliefs," Nandakumar said. Kerala expats in the Gulf took to social media to express their appreciation for Yusuff Ali M A, chairman and managing director of Lulu Group, for taking a strong step against the derogatory remarks, the report said. This is the ...
Protests near Sabarimala turn violent, 2 female journalists injured
Police used lathis after protesters opposed to the entry of women in the 10-50 age group to the Sabarimala temple turned violent and attacked journalists covering the stand-off here on Wednesday.