Page 200 - Religion Belief
Nepal's King Gyanendra offers puja at Jagannath Temple
The last King of Nepal Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev today visited Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri and paid obeisance to the deities by offering special puja. King Gyanendra entered the 12th century shrine in the seaside pilgrim town along with Gajapati King of Puri Dibyasingha Deb through the south gate after the latter went in and preformed the puja. The Nepal King also offered three rare Salagrams (ammonite) and a gold coin. "I prayed for peace across the world," the last Nepal king said adding that he also prayed for strengthening of friendly ties between his country and India. The Shri Jagannath Temple Administartion (SJTA) had made special arrangements in view of the visit of the Nepal king. The temple remained closed for devotees for around three hours for the smooth conduct of rituals by him. The king of Nepal has the special privilege of performing 'aarti' of Shree Jagannath atop the 'Ratna Singhasan' (Podium). The king of Nepal has special seva and rituals in ...
Muslims will not give up Babri Masjid, says AIMPLB
The AIMPLB, the apex body of the Indian Muslims, on Sunday declared that Muslims will not give up Babri Masjid and that struggle for its reconstruction will continue.
Attempts being made to outlaw, alter some aspects of Shariah:
Indian Muslims are feeling "insecure" as attempts are being made to disunite the community and sow the seeds of discord among them, the Hyderabad Declaration of the 26th plenary of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board stated today. It alleged the country was passing through a very critical phase and its democratic values were being systematically "eroded" as minorities, especially Muslims and other backward sections, were being subjected to atrocities. "Attempts are also being made to outlaw, alter or change certain aspects of the Islamic Shariah. Under these circumstances, Muslims for sure are feeling insecure. There is no doubt that the present day conditions in the country are a matter of grave concern to the Muslims," the declaration said. The declaration said the current situation in the country indicates that attempts were being made to sow the seeds of dissension and discord by bringing to the fore issues which can create rift among various sections of the ...
Cleric who said shifting of mosque possible 'quits' as AIMPLB
The AIMPLB today approved Maulana Syed Salman Husain Nadvi's "decision to quit" as its executive member, days after he met Sri Sri Ravi Shankar over the Ayodhya dispute and said at the board's meeting that shifting of a mosque is possible according to the Sharia. "Moulana Salman Nadwi is no longer a board member. Sub- committee of the board accepts Nadwi's (sic) decision to quit the organization,"the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) today said in its official Twitter account. However, AIMPLB member Qasim Rasool Ilyas said "action" was taken against Nadvi after he disagreed with the board's views on the matter. Nadvi had last week met Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, who is exploring an out-of-court settlement in the long-pending Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute, and had said that shifting of a mosque is possible in the Sharia. Asserting that Nadvi had himself "disassociated" with the board's views, Ilyas told reporters today, "The board has ...
Pak senator makes sexist remarks on woman's saree
A Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) senator on Friday targeted a Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) senator, with a sexist remark about her wearing a saree, during a session.According to The Dawn, Nasreen Jalil, the MQM senator was wearing a saree and was chairing a session on the Senate's Functional Committee on Human Rights when Mufti Abdul Sattar, the JUI-F senator, criticised her for wearing a saree and said that an "able and intellectual" woman like her should have an "appearance like Muslims"."It is mandatory in Islam for women to cover all parts of their body except the face, hands, and feet," said Sattar."God has raised you to this status, you should become a role model for other women. What message will it send when the footage [of this meeting] is aired on TV?," he added.At this, Jalil, a seasoned politician, reminded the senator that she was a 74-year-old lady who recently "dodged death" and asked him as to what, in his opinion, was the suitable way for a woman such as her to ..
Modi witnesses temple foundation stone laying in UAE
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday witnessed via video-conferencing the foundation stone laying ceremony of a temple in the UAE while attending a community event here.
Modi launches project for first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today officially launched a project for the construction of the first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi, describing the holy place as a "catalytic agent" of humanity and harmony that will become a medium of India's identity. Modi laid the foundation stone for the BAPS Swaminarayan temple via video conferencing from the Dubai Opera House, where he addressed the members of the Indian community. "I would like to request all those associated with the construction of the temple that the rulers here have shown so much respect for India. They have been proud of India's cultural history. Now it's our responsibility that there is no mistake on our part," he told the gathering, amid applause. Modi asked people associated with the construction of the temple and also the worshippers not to cause any harm to others. "This is my expectations from you," he added. He thanked Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on behalf of 125 crore Indians for the .
Darwin Week to prove 'how humans evolved from apes'
To remove the "doubts being planted in the minds of the common people" about the theory of evolution, and demonstrate with evidence how humans evolved from apes, scientists from across the country are celebrating 'Darwin Week' from tomorrow. Recent statements by Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development Satyapal Singh have compelled the scientific community to step out of their laboratories and raise their voices against political interference in the field of science. Singh had stated last month that the Darwin's theory of evolution was "scientifically wrong" and proposed to drop it from the school and college curriculum. The February 12 to 18 'Darwin Week' is being organised by The India March for Science Organising Committee and the Breakthrough Science Society. The committee had organised a protest march in August last year demanding greater financial support for scientific research and education. "The objective of the Darwin Week will be to remove any ..
Science writing: A neglected form of literature that needs focus (Column: Bookends)
Along with philosophers, tax lawyers and computer programmers, scientists are perceived as speaking in a language which is supposedly the same as that of common people, but scarcely intelligible to them. And then they use strange symbols, complicated equations, and considerable jargon to talk of "things" unlikely to affect an average person's life or to be even seen without specialised equipment.
AIMPLB member says shifting of mosque is permissible
Maulana Syed Salman Hussain Nadvi, an executive member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), who met Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar earlier this week, today said he favoured an amicable settlement of the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi dispute. "The atmosphere should be good (between the two communities)....There is permission for this in the Sharia. As per the Hanbali school of (Islamic) thought, a mosque can be shifted," Nadvi said. He put forth his views at the board's meeting here last night, and there was a disagreement, he said. "We have to conserve our mosque. Conserving does not mean we will fight at the same place and take it. We can shift the mosque. A grand mosque can be built... where a university can also be set up," Nadvi added. A meeting of the working committee of the AIMPLB took place here last night, as part of the board's ongoing 26th plenary session. Nadvi said while he expressed his views at the meeting, the board's stand was .
Saudi women need not wear abaya robes: senior cleric
Saudi women should not have to wear the loose-fitting abaya robe to shroud their bodies in public, a senior cleric said, in the latest sign of a far-reaching liberalisation drive. "More than 90 per cent of pious Muslim women in the Muslim world do not wear abayas," said Sheikh Abdullah al- Mutlaq, a member of the Council of Senior Scholars -- the kingdom's highest religious body. "So we should not force people to wear abayas," he told a television programme broadcast yesterday. Saudi Arabia, which has some of the world's tightest restrictions on women, requires them to wear the garment by law. The government has not said whether it will change the law, but this is the first such comment from a senior religious figure. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has recently introduced a series of reforms in favour of women as the kingdom prepares for a post-oil era. Saudi Arabia last month allowed women to enter a football stadium for the first time to watch a game. The move came ..
CMs of UP, Hry, Manipur to attend Lathamaar Holi in Barsana:
The Uttar Pradesh government is making all efforts to make the Lathamaar Holi in Barsana this year a memorable event which will be attended by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and his Haryana, and Manipur counterparts, state minister Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary said. A glimpse of Holi played in different parts of the country would also be displayed on the occasion, he said. "This year, the Holi in Barsana would be akin to one played by Lord Krishna with Radha Rani 5,000 years ago," Chaudhary claimed. After inspecting the preparations for Holi in Barsana, the minister said besides Adityanath, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and his Manipur counterpart Biren Singh would also attend Lathamaar Holi slated for February 24. Chaudhary also attended a meeting to take stock the preparations for the event. Principal secretary of tourism Shailjakant Mishra, Vice Chairman of Brij Tirth Vikas Parishad DM Sarvagya Ram Mishra also attended the meeting, district information officer
'Bahubali's monolithic statue reminds one of heights human
Vice President Venkaiah Naidu today said the more than a millennium old monolithic statue of Lord Gommateshwara Bahubali here reminds one of the heights human ingenuity and craftsmanship can reach. Speaking on the fourth day of the inauguration of the Mahamastakabhisheka (head anointing ceremony) event here, he said the message of 24 Tirthankars was the theoretical foundations of the freedom struggle. Bahubali was one of the 24 Teerthankars of Jain sect. "To me the message of the 24 Tirthankar is one of the theoretical foundations of our independence movement, led by Gandhiji. Non-violence was the central principle of that epic struggle," Naidu said. He said that attending to basic human needs and avoiding wastage as well as recognising and respecting diversity and pluralism is part of the Indian psyche. "This is a path that the Jain saints have shown us. It is a path that can lead to the harmonious,peaceful and prosperous India we all wish to build," Naidu said. The Vice
Competitive communalism agenda of one party: Tharoor
Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor today said "competitive communalism" was the agenda of one party. Addressing one of the sessions of the Kolkata Literature Festival on last day, the former Union minister said "Competitive communalism is the agenda of the party which preached Hindutva ... ". "We should go on the plank of development to neutralise the Hindutva argument....I would ask everyone in this hall are you better off than four years ago when BJP came to power or not," he said. "If your answer is no then rather than being vulnerable to the argument if you are good Hindus then vote for us (in 2019)," Tharoor said. The Congress MP said there are many people who are more Hindus than these people (Hindutva preachers) and claimed that they are not planning to vote for BJP. "Our agenda is to assess the government on performance," he said. To a question by the moderator, Tharoor, the author of 'Why I am a Hindu' said, "The lynching of a number of people in the name of
Interference in personal law unacceptable: AIMPLB chief
AIMPLB President Maulana Rabey Hasani Nadvi on Saturday made it clear that no interference in Muslim Personal Law will be accepted as the community enjoys the Constitutional right to follow and practice Islamic Shariat.
Abu Dhabi to get its first Hindu temple
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of the first Hindu temple to be built in United Arab Emirates' capital Abu Dhabi on Sunday.The sprawling temple spread over an area of 55,000 square meters will be located off the Dubai-Abu Dhabi Sheikh Zayed Highway at Al-Rahaba, the Indian Ambassador to UAE, Navdeep Singh Suri told ANI.The Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone at the Dubai Opera, during an Indian community event that he will be attending."On Sunday, you will see a groundbreaking ceremony, which is going to be live-streamed into Dubai Opera House. It is going to be tradition meeting technology. The Indian Prime Minister will flag off laying of the temple's foundation stone during the community event," Suri said.The Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Sanstha (BAPS), which is taking care of temple's building area, will be arranging a special pink-coloured stone from Rajasthan to lay as the foundation stone."The temple's construction will be completed by ...
French PM launches UAE-France Cultural Dialogue
Abu Dhabi, Feb 10 (IANS/WAM) A six-month series of cultural collaborations between the UAE and France was launched in Abu Dhabi on Saturday by French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe.
Modi to witness foundation stone ceremony for first Hindu
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will witness the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the first Hindu temple in the capital of the UAE, home to over three million people of Indian origin. Modi, who will arrive here tonight, will be visiting the United Arab Emirates for the second time after his 2015 trip to the country. "The first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi will come up on 55,000 square metres of land and the groundbreaking ceremony on Sunday will be a historic event," said Indian Ambassador to the UAE Navdeep Singh Suri. The Indian Prime Minister will flag off laying of the temple's foundation stone during the community event. "On Sunday, you will see a groundbreaking ceremony, which is going to be live-streamed into Dubai Opera House. It's going to be tradition meeting technology," Suri said. Modi will hold a meeting with the Indian community at Dubai Opera House, he said, adding that representatives of all major organisations and a number of Indian professionals have been
Modi to lay foundation stone for Abu Dhabi's first Indian temple
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Sunday lay the foundation stone for the first Hindu temple in the United Arab Emirates' capital, which is home to a huge Indian diaspora.
Grand Spiritual Expo inaugurated in Noida
Union Culture and Environment Minister Mahesh Sharma on Saturday inaugurated the 16-day Grand Spiritual Expo, 2018 in Noida.Prajapita Brahma Kumaris Ishwariya Vishwa Vidyalaya organised the Spiritual Exposition at India Expo Mart in Noida to highlight the importance of 'Raj Yoga' among the civilians.The Union Minister said, "A paradigm shift from a greed-based culture to a need-based culture is possible only by adopting India's rich spiritual wisdom, yoga, universal values and positive lifestyle."The purpose of this 16-day long fair is to spread the importance of Raj yoga meditation and spiritual education among the entire country.Rajyogi BK Brij Mohan, the chief spokesperson of Brahma Kumaris, said, " It (Rajyog) will enlighten and make the people, society and country healthy, happy, strong and successful. That is the main purpose of the fair".Director of India Expo Mart BK Vivek Vikas further explained the schedule of the entire exposition.He said, "In various stalls the depiction ..