Page 163 - Religion Belief
Haryana Dalits convert to Buddhism over unfulfilled demands
Up to 100 Dalits from Jind district recently converted to Buddhism after non-fulfilment of their demands, despite protesting for 115 days.The group had demanded an ordinance by the state government against the Supreme Court ruling that had made amendments to the Schedule Caste/Schedule Tribe Prevention of Atrocities Act, which had introduced a provision of anticipatory bail in the act while directing that there would be no automatic arrests on any complaint filed under the law.They had also demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into an alleged gang-rape in Jhansa.Speaking to ANI, Dinesh Khapad, a Dalit leader, said Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had agreed to fulfil their demands on March 7. However, protesters had to resort to a religious conversion due to non-fulfilment of the same."He (chief minister Khattar) had agreed to fulfill our demands within 12-15 days. We gave an ultimatum on May 20 that we will convert if he doesn't fulfil our demands in a ...
Security tightened in Amritsar ahead of 'Op Blue Star' anniversary
Security agencies were put on alert in and around this Sikh holy city from Monday in view of the 34th anniversary of Operation Blue Star carried out by the Army on the Golden Temple complex in June 1984.
J-K: With drop in militancy, volunteers revive age-old Ramzan practice
After a gap of over two decades, a group of people in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district have revived the practice of sehar khawani- a ritual to help Muslims wake up for preparing sehri (pre-dawn meal) in the holy month of Ramzan.As per locals, rising bigotry and torture by militants had forced them to end the practice owing to restrictions in the movement of residents at night, thereby forcing them to keep their month-long celebrations of Ramzan low-key for about 30 years.However, with the end of militancy and return of peace in this hilly district of Jammu and Kashmir, some volunteers have restarted 'sehar khawani' this year.The credit for making this culture alive goes to a group of men who have revived this traditional and important ritual which was last seen in 1992.Speaking to ANI, one of the main volunteers, Naseer Ahmed Khora said, "We took a pledge to not let our old ritual fade. It was important for the youth here to know the significance of this ritual. People thank us for ..
Singapore re-sanctifies 148-year-old Hindu temple
Communications and Information Minister S Iswaran and priests flown in from India led some 10,000 devotees at a ceremony to re-sanctify a 148-year old Hindu temple here. The ceremony that began at 9:15 am yesterday, marked the start of a 48-day consecration process of the temple that underwent renovation for over four years at a cost of nearly SGD 4 million, The Straits Times reported today. Maha Samprokshanam, as the ceremony is called, is organised every 12 to 15 years in Singapore's Hindu temples, many of which were built by Indian migrants over 100 years ago. In the four-year process, the temple committee collaborated with artists and technical advisers to review and endorse ideas for the renovation. The dome and the statues around it were clad in gold-plated copper, while decorative works on the pillars required two sculptors crafting them on site for over three years. In the main hall, eight cement shrines were replaced with onyx sanctums. The stone, chosen for its durability, ..
Trump to host Ramzan dinner next week
United States President Donald Trump is set to host an iftar dinner at the White House next week to celebrate the holy month of Ramzan.According to a White House official, the iftar dinner is scheduled to be held on June 13. A guest list was, however, not made available by the office, according to Politico.Muslims around the world fast from sunrise to sunset and break their fast with an evening meal known as iftar.This is the first time Trump will be hosting the dinner after the White House did not hold the ceremony last year, breaking a long-established tradition.Other former US Presidents such as Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton have hosted the iftar dinner, as per the report.Last month, Trump issued a statement marking the start of Ramzan as saying, "Ramadan reminds us of the richness Muslims add to the religious tapestry of American life."Trump reportedly has an uneasy relationship with the Muslims. After he came to power as the US President last year, Trump called ...
Process for establishment of JK madrasa board underway: Minister
A process is underway to establish a board to run the affairs of madrasas in Jammu and Kashmir, Minister for Hajj and Auqaf Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali has said. He announced this at a meeting with ulemas in Rajouri district last evening, an official spokesman said. The minister said the government under the leadership of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti was keen to give due recognition for their services and it could be achieved by giving them an institutional set up. There is an immediate need to bring in some order in the functioning of madrasas and the madrasa board is the inevitable option, Ali said. The process for formulation of the Jammu and Kashmir Madrasa board has been started, a prototype worked out and efforts are underway to carve out an institution much at par with madrasa boards in other states of the country, Ali said. He said such a board would help in dealing with a whole gamut of things, including the preparation of syllabi, certification of courses, setting eligibility ...
Dalai Lama says ancient Indian knowledge can contribute to world peace
Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama appreciated the ancient Indian knowledge as he said it helps to tackle negative emotions and could help to contribute to world peace.Addressing a gathering in Kangra on Saturday, the Dalai Lama highlighted the relevance of India in the Buddhist world and said if the country takes lead in combining its ancient knowledge of emotions and spiritualism with modern education, India will become inspiration for many Buddhist countries.He mentioned that one of his lifelong commitments is to revive this "ancient yet scientific" tradition in modern India by incorporating it in the education system.He further stressed the need to impart environmental education right from the childhood.The Dalai Lama also commented upon the role of media in the society."The role of media is to objectively inform and educate people, based on truth and facts."During the addressal, the Dalai Lama called the Tibetans residing in China as the followers of the Nalanda tradition.He
Nitish thanks Centre for exempting 'langar' items from GST
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today expressed gratitude towards the Centre for agreeing to exempt from GST items used in community kitchens at Gurudwaras and other religious places. "Expressing my gratitude to Central government for taking a positive step and accepting our request for giving exemptions to the raw materials used in langar and religious places under GST," Kumar posted on his official twitter handle. The chief minister tagged the post to Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, besides sharing screenshot of a newspaper report relating to the decision of the Centre. Kumar had on April 12 written to Jaitley urging him that the GST council, headed by the Union Finance Minister, grant exemption to ingredients like ghee, edible oils, sugar etc. used in preparing food for at "langars". Kumar had made the request saying Gurudwaras are engaged in charitable activities. Bihar is home to many Gurudwaras, most notable of them being the Takht Harmandir Patna Sahib ...
Pope digs deeper into roots of Chile sex abuse scandal
Pope Francis is digging deeper into the roots of Chile's sex abuse scandal by meeting with a group of priests who were trained in a cult-like Catholic community and suffered psychological and sexual abuse there. Francis celebrated Mass today with three priests trained by the Rev. Fernando Karadima, a powerful preacher in Chile who was sentenced by the Vatican in 2011 to a lifetime of penance and prayer for having sexually and spiritually abused young parishioners through an abuse of power. The Vatican said the Mass and weekend meetings would help the pope understand life inside Karadima's El Bosque community, which generated some 30 priests and four bishops over the years. Francis wants to help the priests heal "once they become conscious of their own wounds.
Nipah virus: Kozhikode church to stop giving holy communion on tongue
In view of the Nipah virus outbreak claiming 16 lives in Kerala, the Syro-Malabar church here has decided to stop serving the holy Communion to the faithful on their tongue. The Thamarassery diocese here in a circular informed people about the church's decision that the holy communion, the sacrament commemorating the last supper in which bread and wine are placed on their tongues, will henceforth be kept on their palms as a precautionary step, until further notice. Baptisms, house warmings, marriages and prayer gatherings, which can be postponed, should be re-scheduled considering the special circumstances in the wake of Nipah, the Bishop Mar Remigiose Inchananiyil said in the circular. Believers need to be alert against the virus and strictly follow the directives issued by the state authorities to maintain extreme caution in the wake of the virus claiming 16 lives so far, he said. The circular further said that the catechism classes, which were to begin from tomorrow, have been ...
Bargari sacrilege: Amarinder rejects allegations of failure, says probe still on
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today rejected allegations of his governments' failure to resolve the Bargari sacrilege case and said that the Justice (retd) Ranjit Singh Commission was still investigating the matter and other such cases. On October 12, 2015, torn pages of the Guru Granth Sahib were found in Bargari village in Faridkot district. In the protests that followed, two Sikh men died in police firing in Behbal Kalan village on October 14. The commission, set up in April 2017, is probing the Bargari and Behbal Kalan incidents, as well as other cases of sacrilege of the holy Guru Granth Sahib and other religious texts, Singh said. The commission is currently visiting the sites of the incidents in various districts to collect evidence, he added. Lashing out at the opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and other leaders, Singh said not only was the commission meticulously investigating the cases but his government was cracking down on the culprits involved in incidents of ...
PM Modi visits Hindu, Buddhist temples and mosque in Singapore
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today visited Hindu and Buddhist temples and a mosque in Chinatown here, demonstrating the age-old people-to-people contact between India and Singapore. The prime minister, who is here on a three-day tour, visited Sri Mariamman Temple and participated in prayers. Sri Mariamman is the oldest Hindu temple in the country. The priest of the temple gifted a golden stole to Modi. "Reinforcing our strong cultural connect, PM @narendramodi visited the Mariamman Temple," Ministry of External Affiars spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said. Built in 1827, the temple was constructed for worship by immigrants from Nagapatnam and Cuddalore districts of South India. The temple is dedicated to Goddess Mariamman, known for her power in curing epidemic illnesses and diseases. He also visited Chulia mosque which was built by Chulia Muslim merchants from India's Coromandal Coast under the leadership of Anser Sahib. This is one of the earliest mosques in Singapore. The mosque was ...
Government introduces new scheme 'SevaBhojYojna'
The scheme envisages to reimburse the Central Government share of Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) and Integrated Goods and Service Tax (IGST) on purchase of raw items such as ghee, edible oil, atta/maida/rava/flour , rice pulses, sugar, burra/jiggery etc which go into preparation of food/Prasad/langar/bhandara offered free of cost by religious institutions. The objective of the scheme is to lessen the financial burden of such Charitable Religious Institutions who provide Food/Prasad/Langar (Community Kitchen)/Bhandara free of cost without any discrimination to Public/Devotees.
'Karsevaks demolished structure where Hindus offered prayers'
Senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh today said that in 1992, karsevaks demolished a structure in Ayodhya where Hindus offered prayers. Singh touched upon the demolition of Babri masjid when asked about his views on the Ram Janmabhoomi issue in view of state Congress's 'Unity Yatra' which started from the Raja Ram temple at Orchha in Tikamgarh district yesterday. "By linking it (Congress's choice of Raja Ram temple to start its Yatra) with Ayodhya, you all are dwarfing Raja Ram's importance," Singh said. "I am coming here for the last 40 years. Don't connect it with the controversial Ram Mandir issue," he said. "Prayers were being offered at the structure (by Hindus) before its demolition (at Ayodhya). So what was the reason behind demolition? That's why I accuse the Vishwa Hindu Parishad of disrespecting Lord Ram," he added.
Software engineer rescued, kidnappers arrested
Police have rescued a software engineer, who was kidnapped from Raj Nagar Extension area about a week ago, from a village in Ghaziabad, a senior police official said today. Rajeev Kumar, who works with a leading IT services firm, was kidnapped on the night of May 23, when he was waiting to board a bus for Haridwar. His kidnappers had demanded Rs 15 lakh as ransom, Senior Superintendent of Police Vaibhav Krishna said. Following a tip-off and electronic surveillance, police and STF officials laid a cordon in Raj Nagar Extension area where the suspected kidnappers were believed to have gathered. Finding themselves cornered, the kidnappers opened fire on the police team. During the encounter, two kidnappers and two police constables sustained bullet injuries. Three kidnappers have been arrested, Krishna said. They have been identified as Mahesh Mishra, Sharad Sharma and Rinku. They lived in Indirapuram, the SSP said. After interrogation, they confessed that they had abducted Kumar and ...
PM Modi presents replica of 6th century Buddhagupta Stele to Lee
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today presented his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong a replica of 6th century Buddhagupta Stele that bears Sanskrit phrases and symbolises the transmission of Buddhism from India to Southeast Asia. Modi presented the replica to Lee when the two leaders met for bilateral talks. The inscription on the stone was the product of a Buddhist community that was residing along the coast of the Malay Peninsula, likely a sangha of local and Indian monks supported by Malays and Indian merchants who had settled in the area, sources said. The stele bears Sanskrit phrases in Pallava script and serves as an important evidence of the transmission of Buddhism from India to Southeast Asia, particularly the Straits and the Malay peninsular region. It was discovered by Lt. Col. James Low of the East India Company in Bujang Valley, Kedah, in 1834, in association with brick and laterite ruins of what was assumed to be a Buddhist monument. The original Buddhagupta Stele ..
Journey into marriage is about 'we', away from it is about 'me': Writer Devdutt Pattanaik (IANS Interview)
A marriage is not just about the bride and the groom, asserts mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik who has done considerable work on ancient Indian scriptures. In fact, according to him, it has always had a much larger connotation than what is normally perceived of it.
American televangelist asking followers to buy him private jet
An American televangelist is asking his followers to chip in so his ministry can purchase a brand new Dassault Falcon 7X, which costs about $54 million, after having a divine conversation with Jesus Christ, the media reported.
Author of 14 books, Bhawana Somaaya just can't get enough of Krishna (Lead, correcting name)
Journalist, editor, costume designer: film aficionado Bhawana Somaaya has worn many hats during a 36-year career that began in the 1970s, along the way penning 14 books -- including authorised biographies of film icons like Amitabh Bachchan and Hema Malini.
Author of 14 books, Bhawana Somayya just can't get enough of Krishna
Journalist, editor, costume designer: film aficionado Bhawana Somayya has worn many hats during a 36-year career that began in the 1970s, along the way penning 14 books -- including authorised biographies of film icons like Amitabh Bachchan and Hema Malini.