Page 145 - Religion Belief
Building collapses in Ghaziabad, six injured
Five labourers and a child were injured when a five-storey building collapsed in Ghaziabad on Sunday when workers were giving finishing touches to it.
Ulta Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath celebrated in West Bengal
'Ulta Rath Yatra', the return car festival of Lord Jagannath was celebrated at Mayapur, the global headquarters of International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in Nadia district, apart from different parts of West Bengal. After their stay in Gundicha temple at Prabhupad Ghat Mayapur for nine days, the deities - Lord Jagannath, his elder brother Lord Balabhadra and sister Devi Subhadra went back to Rajapur temple in chariots which were decorated with variety of colourful flowers. Apart from devotees from the country, people from Australia, Spain, America, Peru, Britain, France, Brazil, Russia, China also took part in the return car festival at ISKCON, Mayapur with more than 30,000 people pulling the chariots, an ISKCON spokesman said. The journey was marked by beating of bells and 'khol' (drums) and blowing of conch shells and traditional dances performed in front of the chariots. Meanwhile, braving rains thousands pulled the chariot of Lord Jagannath at ...
Maharashtra CM cancels visit to Pandharpur temple
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has cancelled his tomorrow's visit to a temple in Pandharpur town in view of the proposed protest by the Maratha community seeking reservation in government jobs. As part of a long-standing tradition, the chief minister every year offers prayers at the temple dedicated to Lord Vitthal and Rukmini at Pandharpur in Solapur district, located around 400 km from here, on the occasion of 'Ashadhi Ekadashi'. The auspicious day of performing puja is decided as per the lunar calendar and this year it falls on July 23. "Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will not attend the puja tomorrow, going by the strong sentiments of pro- reservation leaders of the Maratha community," cabinet minister Girish Mahajan said today. Maratha community leaders have threatened to disrupt the religious event if their various demands, including reservation in government jobs and education, are not accepted by the government. "If Fadnavis visits Pandharpur on ..
Police security up for convent where nun who alleged rape lives
The police have stepped up protection to a convent near here which is home to a nun who had alleged that she was sexually abused by a Catholic bishop.
Loudspeakers permitted under noise pollution rules: Delhi Police tells HC
The police have told the Delhi High Court that loudspeakers were permitted under noise pollution rules which only lay down restrictions, like timings and decibel level, to regulate their use. The Delhi Police made the submission before a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar which was hearing a PIL seeking ban on use of loudspeakers at religious places in the national capital. The Delhi government additional standing counsel, Gautam Narayan, told the court that under the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000 use of loudspeakers was permitted and it only lays down conditions regulating or restricting their use. The police, in an affidavit placed before the bench, said that if the petitioner, activistSanjjiiv Kkumaar, wanted a ban on loudspeakers, he should challenge the rules. The court listed the matter for further hearing on October 16 to give time to the petitioner to file his response to the affidavit of Delhi Police. The plea has said .
Rath Yatra celebrated with equal fervour in Northeast
The famous Jagannath Rath Yatra or the chariot fest is underway in different states of the country.Keeping up the same zest and fervour, the Northeast region has also decked up and saw thousands of devotees thronging the Jagannath temple and seeking blessing on the occasion.In Tripura, thousands of devotees thronged the Jagannath Temple located in the capital city, Agartala.Meanwhile, similar festive fervour was witnessed in Assam's Guwahati city as well as Manipur's Imphal.Jagannath Rath Yatra or the chariot festival commemorates Jagannath's annual visit to Gundicha temple near Balagandi Chaka Puri.In Guwahati, lakhs of pilgrims took to the street to pull the chariot of the deities as part of the auspicious occasion.Organized by ISKCON Guwahati, the procession started from the Ulubari Higher Secondary School playground and culminated at the Jagannath Cultural Complex at Six Mile.The devotees believe that the chariot festival is observed across the country to unite people and foster ..
Reward announced for chopping triple talaq victim's hair
A fatwa or a ruling on a point of Islamic law was issued on Saturday against triple talaq victim Nida Khan, announcing a cash reward of Rs 11,876 for anyone who chops off her hair.Khan has been in the news lately for defying Muslim clerics by challenging instant divorce and 'nikah halala'.In an interview to ANI, Khan said: "A fatwa has been issued against me, which says whosoever brings chopped hair of Nida Khan will be rewarded with an amount of Rs 11,786, and if I do not leave this country within three days then I will be attacked with stones."She also appealed to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the same issue."I will take a proper appointment to meet Prime Minister Modi and will appeal to him about it. He was in Shahjahanpur today, but I decided not to go to meet him due to my own security issues," she noted.Earlier this week, the Imam of Bareilly's Jama Masjid had issued a fatwa against Nida for opposing several Islamic practices, including Triple Talaq, and ...
Ayodhya case hearing witnesses spat between lawyers in SC
The crucial hearing on the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute in the Supreme Court today witnessed a spat between senior lawyer Rajeev Dhavan and an advocate over former's remark that the 'Hindu Taliban' destroyed the mosque in 1992. "I will not take back my words. I stand by the statement. The Hindus who demolished the Babri mosque are Taliban and some advocates also behave like that in the Supreme Court," Dhavan told a bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and justices Ashok Bhushan and S A Nazeer. Even after the terse observation of the top court that Dhavan's remark was "inappropriate", the senior lawyer, appearing for M Siddiq, one of the original litigants of the Ayodhya case, kept repeating that he differed with the comment of the bench. "I have got the right to disagree. I do not agree with the Chief Justice of India (CJI) that I should have observed restraint in saying that Hindu Taliban demolished the mosque. "The image of the Hindus was tarnished on December 6,
Thousands of devotees visit Chaturdash Devata temple
Thousands of devotees visited the Chaturdash Devata temple at 'Puran Agartala' near here, to offer pujas as the week-long 'Kharchi festival', one of the most popular festivals of Tripura began today. Tripura Chief Minister, Biplab Kumar Deb inaugurated the festival by lighting lamp in the presence of State Revenue Minister N C Debbarma, Mayor of Agartala Municipal Council and other dignitaries. Deb said Kharchi is the biggest traditional festival in the state. "Earlier, the kings of Tripura offered pujas to the 14 Gods and Goddesses, but later it became the festival of common people," he said.
British Parliament commemorates Indian spiritual leader's 750th birth anniversary
British parliamentarians cutting across party lines joined several Hindu leaders in the UK at the House of Commons complex in London to commemorate the 750th birth anniversary of Vedanta Desika, one of India's leading spiritual masters. Desika, who taught the path of 'prapatti' or loving surrender, was described by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a shining jewel in the Indian spiritual tradition in a special message for the event held on Wednesday. A 13th century spiritual leader of the Sri Vaishnava sect in the post-Ramanuja period, Desika was also a poet and a philosopher. Sri Vedanta Desika enthralled thousands of people with his adeptness at handling both simple, practical realities and sophisticated theological concepts. I hope that the function will make more people aware about the great contributions of Sri Vedanta Desika and motivate them to follow his teachings as well as imbibe his quality of seeking knowledge tirelessly, the Prime Minister's message said. The event included
Tripura CM inaugurates traditional 'Kharchi Puja'
Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Friday inaugurated the seven-day long "Kharchi Puja" at Puran Habeli, seven km from the state capital.
SC reserves order on plea for hearing by larger bench whether mosques are integral to Islam
The Supreme Court today reserved its order on a plea by Muslim groups of the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute seeking reconsideration by a larger bench the observations made by it in a 1994 verdict that a mosque was not integral to Islam. M Siddiq, one of the original litigants of the Ayodhya case who has died and is being represented through his legal heir, had assailed certain findings of the 1994 verdict in the case of M Ismail Faruqui holding that a mosque was not integral to the prayers offered by the followers of Islam. It was argued by Muslim groups before a special bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and justices Ashok Bhushan and S A Nazeer that the "sweeping" observation of the apex court in the verdict needed to be reconsidered by a five-judge bench as "it had and will have a bearing" on the Babri Masjid-Ram Temple land dispute case. "The order is reserved," the bench said and asked the parties to give written submissions by July 24. Senior advocate Rajeev .
Hungary's Orban visits Jerusalem Jewish shrine
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban today ended a brief but controversial trip to Israel with a visit to a major Jewish shrine in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem. Wearing a dark hat in accordance with Jewish practice which says that men must not go bare-headed, Orban arrived at the Western Wall --0 the holiest place at which Jews are allowed to pray -- accompanied by its rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz. He placed a note in a crack between the wall's massive stones in keeping with the tradition of slipping written prayers or requests in between the stones that Jews believe were a supporting wall of their biblical second temple. The Hungarian premier, who arrived on Wednesday evening, has been accused of fanning anti-Jewish sentiment back home. "Europe's Most Extreme Nationalist Leader Visits the Jewish People's Nation-state," the left-leaning Haaretz daily said in an analysis published today, in reference to a contentious law passed yesterday by the Israeli parliament. The government of Prime
Devaswom justifies ban on entry of women into Sabarimala
The Travancore Devaswom Board on Thursday defended the ban on the entry of females in the age group of 10 to 55 years to the famed Sabarimala temple in Kerala but insisted that it was not a discriminatory practice.
Farooq Abdullah slams lynching of Muslims
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah criticised lynching and killings of Muslims in India during a condolence meeting in Kupwara on Thursday."Some forces still exist in our state who do not want peace to return in Kashmir valley as their business runs in killings of the people," said Abdullah.Speaking on the problem of lynching and killings of Muslims in India, Abdullah said that "This was not the India we considered."Prioritising secularism in India, Abdullah stated, "India belongs to people of all religions, be it Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs and Christians."In the recent past, incidents of lynching of Muslims especially in Uttar Pradesh, had gained rapid notoriety.
Audio of abused Kerala nun, cardinal reveals latter aware of issue, Church denies
An audio clip, broadcast by a Malayalam television channel on Thursday, purpotedly revealed that the head of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church had lied about not knowing that a nun had been sexually abused by a bishop, but the Church argued that the conversation had been "wrongly interpreted".
Maha Assembly clears bill on Shani Shingnapur temple
The Maharashtra Legislative Assembly today passed a bill that enables the state government to take control of the Shani Shingnapur temple in Ahmednagar district. The bill was cleared by the Lower House in the wee hours. The state government had last month decided to enact a legislation allowing it to take control of the Shani temple with a view to make the Temple Trust administration more encompassing, transparent and also to provide better amenities to devotees. The famous temple located in Shingnapur village is devoted to Lord Shani, believed to be the personification of planet Saturn. The temple doesn't have an idol but a stone in its sanctum area. According to the government, it had received complaints about the alleged irregularities by previous members of the temple trust.
Audio of talk between abused Kerala nun, cardinal reveals 'lie'
A Malayalam television channel on Thursday broadcast an audio purpotedly revealing that the head of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church Cardinal has lied about not knowing that a nun had been sexually abused by a bishop.
Australian prime minister calls on pope to fire archbishop
Australia's prime minister has called on Pope Francis to fire an Australian archbishop who is the most senior Roman Catholic cleric ever convicted for covering up child sexual abuse. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said two weeks ago that Adelaide Archbishop Philip Wilson should have resigned when he was convicted in May of failing to report to police the repeated abuse of two altar boys by a pedophile priest in the Hunter Valley region north of Sydney during the 1970s. Turnbull told reporters on Thursday the 67-year-old cleric should not be allowed to remain an archbishop while he appealed against his conviction. Wilson has said he would only offer his resignation to Francis if his appeal against his conviction fails in the New South Wales state District Court.
Women have fundamental right to enter Sabrimala temple: SC
The Supreme Court today said that the fundamental right of freedom to practice religion is provided to "all persons" by the Constitution and the women have the right to enter and pray like men at the famous Sabrimala temple in Kerala. "Can a religious practice run contrary to the constitutional mandate?"asked a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra during the hearing on the contentious issue relating to women in the menstruating age of 10 to 50 years being barred from entering the over 800-year-old shrine. "When a man can enter, a woman can also go. What applies to a man, applies to a woman also," the bench, also comprising justices R F Nariman, A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra, said. The observations came when senior advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for intervenor Nikita Azad, referred to a provision of the Kerala Hindu Places of Public Worship (Authorisation of Entry) Act, 1965 and said that all Hindus have the right to enter the temple