Page 209 - Religion Belief
Temple politics heats up in the land of Lord Krishna
Alarmed by increasing "assaults on the original and natural character" of the Hindu holy town, the "leela-sthal" of Lord Krishna and Radha, temple priests and owners of "Devalayas" here have joined hands to launch a sustained movement against "governmental interference".
Vairamuthu says Hindu Goddess Andal is "my mother"
Tamil lyricist Vairamuthu, who is caught in a row over his alleged remarks on Andal, today said he considered the Goddess as his mother. "Andal is also my mother. She is a Tamilian," he said in a nearly ten minute video released in social media. It was through her that he learnt Tamil, he said, adding, he held both his "own mother and mother Andal" on the same high-footing. The lyricist said he is being hounded for a "mistake I did not do." Vairamuthu said he held the goddess in high esteem as was the case with the original authors whom he had referred in an article. Andal, the only woman among the 12 revered Vaishnavite saints hailed as 'Alwars' in Tamil, is also venerated as a goddess and a gifted poet in view of her classic Tamil work 'Thiruppavai,' in praise of Lord Krishna. At a literary event at Rajapalayam in Tamil Nadu on January 7, Vairamuthu reportedly spoke about Andal and it was also published subsequently in a Tamil daily. His alleged remarks led to outrage ..
Beyond the Hindutva debate, Shashi Tharoor's new book a self-discovery of a 'believing Hindu'
Book: Why I Am A Hindu; Author: Shashi Tharoor; Publisher: Aleph Book Company; Pages: 302; Price: Rs 699
Reflecting on Rahul Gandhi and the cow belt -- with eyes closed
I missed out on the "tumult" these past weeks in circumstances which remind me of Shah Sarmad, the great Sufi saint of Jewish extraction, who wrote:
Brijbhoomi to start 50-day long Holi celebration from Jan 22
The Brijbhoomi, a region around Mathura-Vrindavan, will mark the beginning of a 50-day long Holi festival from January 22. The region starts the celebration from Vasant Panchmi, the first day of spring. "Purnas say that Radha Rani on this auspicious day, for the first time had played Holi with Krishna" Govardhan Pitadhishwar Krishna Das Kanchan Das Maharaj said. They both played Holi with flowers on this auspicious day, he said. After the Vasant Panchmi, rose powder is tossed on the devotees as 'Prasadam' in all the temples here, Vijai Bahadur Singh, PRO at Srikrishna Janmasthan said, adding the practice would continue till 'Rang Bharani Ekadashi'.
Two Meghalaya churches say no to tourism ministry package
Two major churches in Meghalaya have decided not to avail of a Rs 70-crore package announced by the Centre for development of places of worship in the state. The Catholic Church and the Mawkhar Presbyterian Church have said they would give a miss to the package announced by Union Tourism Minister K J Alphons on January 8. The Parish Pastoral Council of the Cathedral of Mary Help of Christians (Catholic Church), in a statement issued yesterday, said it has not applied for any financial aid from the Centre. "We have not applied for any financial assistance from the government for face-lifting of the Cathedral. The ongoing face-lifting is being carried out solely through the generous contributions of the faithful," it said. Barnabas Nongbah, the council's secretary, said the announcement of such a package ahead of elections in the state is not welcome, as it could indirectly bring the church in electoral politics. "There was no communication made between the ministry and ..
Putin takes frigid religious plunge
Russian President Vladimir Putin has stripped to his swimming trunks in freezing temperatures before immersing himself in icy waters of a lake in northwest Russia to celebrate the feast of Epiphany.Putin bathed in Lake Seliger, around 250 miles north of Moscow, as part of a traditional Orthodox Christian ritual which commemorates the baptism of Jesus, reported CNN.The 65-year-old lowered himself into the water, made a sign of the cross and submerged himself for a moment, in a scene captured by state media.The temperature was about 21 degrees Fahrenheit, said his spokesman, Dmitry Peskov.Russians observe the feast of the Epiphany on Jan 19, rather than Jan 6, as in the West, according to the reports.Peskov further informed that this is not the first time Putin has taken part in the Epiphany ceremony. However, it is the first publicly viewed occurrence.Furthermore, this is not the first time he has stripped down in public.He was photographed topless while fishing last August. In 2009, a
HC stays proceedings against lyricist
The Madras High Court today stayed all the criminal proceedings against Tamil poet and lyricist R Vairamuthu with regard to his alleged remarks against a Hindu goddess. Justice M S Ramesh granted the injunction while passing interim orders on a criminal original plea from Vairamuthu, who had sought a direction for quashing the proceedings against him at the Kolathur police station here. The judge also orally observed that prima facie no case was made out against Vairamuthu. The Kolathur police had lodged a case against Vairamuthu, following a complaint from Muruganatham, who is said to be an office-bearer of the "Samudaya Nalliyakka Peravai", a wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). According to the complainant, the lyricist had made some remarks against Hindu goddess Andal, which could lead to communal disharmony and a law-and-order problem as they hurt the religious sentiments of the Hindus, especially the Vaishnavites. In his petition, Vairamuthu had submitted that .
President Kovind unveils book on self development in Delhi
President Ram Nath Kovind today unveiled a book on heartfulness techniques and principles titled 'The Heartfulness Way'.Authored by Kamlesh Patel, widely known as Daaji, the fourth Global Guide of Heartfulness, and Joshua Pollock, a heartfulness trainer and practitioner, the book promises to be a treat for those who are curious about what is heartfulness and how it can change our day-to-day lives. It was launched by Commerce and Industries Minister Suresh Prabhu.Speaking after the launch, Master, Daaji said, "The Heartfulness Way encapsulates a seeker's journey while examining the nature of spiritual search within and around us. The books reflects the essence of prayer and yogic transmission aimed at deconstructing and demystifying the act of meditation based on meditation tips. To feel, be a part of and practice Heartfulness is an experience, which aims to seek the essence beyond the form and the reality behind the mere ritual."With over a million practitioners worldwide, ...
Indonesian Christian whipped for selling sharia-banned booze
An Indonesian Christian was publicly flogged today for selling alcohol in conservative Aceh province, a violation of Islamic law, as a crowd of onlookers including children jeered. Jono Simbolon grimaced in pain when a masked religious officer lashed his back with a rattan stick on a makeshift stage outside a mosque in the provincial capital Banda Aceh. He is only the third non-Muslim to suffer a public whipping since Aceh, on Sumatra island, began implementing Islamic law after it was granted special autonomy in 2001 -- an attempt by the central government to quell a long-running separatist insurgency. "This is our government's commitment to enforcing Islamic law," said Banda Aceh mayor Aminullah Usman. "If there is a violation (of the law) immediately report it to the sharia police and we will carry out a punishment like today's caning," he said, referring to religious authorities. A doctor checked on Simbolon's condition after 10 strokes before the flogging ...
ISKCON head's new book 'The Journey Within' launched
'The Journey Within', penned by ISKCON spiritual head Radhanath Swami Maharaj as a sequel to his earlier New York Times bestseller 'The Journey Home', was released here in the presence of a galaxy of personalities.
Putin takes Epiphany's icy plunge with pilgrims
Russian President Vladimir Putin and many Orthodox pilgrims braved a bitter winter snap overnight to take the annual plunge into icy water in a traditional ritual marking the baptism of Jesus. In some areas, the extreme temperatures -- which in parts of Siberia dropped to minus 68 degrees Celsius (minus 90 Fahrenheit) -- the local authorities cancelled the rite which marks Epiphany. Surrounded by Orthodox priests and glittering religious icons, and with the temperature hovering around minus 5 degrees C, Putin lowered himself into the freezing waters of Lake Seliger some 350 kilometres (220 miles) northwest of Moscow. Many other Russians followed suit, submerging themselves in the freezing waters in a widely-observed ritual normally observed on 18-19 of January and which last year saw two million people take the plunge. In Norilsk, a city beyond the Arctic Circle, local authorities on Thursday banned the extreme bathing rite "for security reasons" as temperatures hit ...
CM Yogi to attend 'sant sammelan' in UP
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will be joining the saints of Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad and Ram Janmabhoomi at Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP)'s 'sant sammelan' at Parade Ground on Friday.The VHP will organise the conclave at its Magh Mela camp.Many prominent saints from all over the country have been invited to the event.The VHP premises have been decorated in saffron colour.
Pope arrives in Peru after tumultuous Chile visit
Pope Francis arrived today in Peru on the final leg of his South American trip, where he will meet indigenous people and hear firsthand how the country's gold rush is destroying large areas of their Amazon homeland. Earlier, the pontiff highlighted the plight of vulnerable immigrants and robustly defended a bishop accused of covering up sexual abuse at the end of a visit to Chile overshadowed by controversy. In the northern border region of Iquique -- which he said was "the land of dreams" for so many -- the pope hit out at human traffickers and others who seek to take advantage of helpless immigrants. "Let us be attentive to those who profit from the irregular status of many immigrants who don't know the language or who don't have their papers 'in order,'" Francis told a colorful congregation of some 50,000 people at an open-air mass on Iquique's sprawling Lobito beach. Francis' Latam plane touched down at 4:30 pm (2130 GMT) in Peru's capital where he was greeted by ...
Netanyahu praises Jewish community for boosting Indo-Israel
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today praised the Jewish community for helping strengthen ties between his country and India. Interacting with members of the community at the iconic Taj hotel overlooking the Arabia sea, Netanyahu praised their contribution in preserving Jewish culture. He also thanked and acknowledged the community members of cementing India-Israel relations. Several leaders from the community shared stories about their experiences in living in India, a participant in the interaction, held this evening, said. Netanyahu was informed of how some Jewish people served in the Indian army, he said. Another community member shared how some Jews migrated to Pakistan when the Partition happened but had to move back to India from Karachi during the 1967 Palestine war and how they feel safe here in India. At Mumbais Magen David synagogue, worshippers were excited about the first visit to India by an Israeli leader in almost 15 years. Netanyahu became only ..
Pope defends Chilean bishop accused of abuse cover-up
Pope Francis today strongly defended a Chilean bishop accused of covering up a priest's sexual abuse of minors. "The day they bring me proof against Bishop Barros, then I will speak," the pope said in response to a journalist's question about the 61-year-old bishop, appointed by Francis in 2015 despite being accused of covering up another priest's abuse of boys. "There is not a single piece of proof against him. Everything is slander. Is this clear?" the pope said before celebrating open-air mass in the northern city of Iquique. Bishop Juan Barros was attending the giant mass at Lobito beach near Iquique along with hundreds of other bishops and clergy. Barros has been a conspicuous presence at both of the pope's previous open-air masses and his meeting with clergy at the Santiago cathedral. Days before the start of the visit on Monday, the US- based NGO Bishop Accountability said that almost 80 members of the Roman Catholic clergy had been accused of sexually abusing ...
Raza Academy raises 'Netanyahu go back' slogans
Members of the city-based Raza Academy held a sit-in protest against visiting Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu outside its office in Byculla here today and raised slogans against him. Although the organisation wanted to take out a protest march from Byculla to Taj Hotel, the police did not grant permission to them to do so. Thereafter, members of the organisation sat outside their office carrying banners with 'Netanyahu go back' written on them and raised slogans in protest. The outfit, which represents Barelvi Sunni Muslims, alleged that Netanyahu's visit to the city was a "publicity stunt". Netanyahu visited the Chabad House, or the Nariman House in the metropolis, after meeting 11-year-old Moshe Holtzberg, whose father Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and mother Rivka were killed along with six others there during the 26/11 terror attacks. Raza Academy's general secretary Saeed Noorie said, "Expressing solidarity with an orphan is right, but certainly not the way ...
"I'm anti-Modi & anti-Amit Shah, not anti-Hindu": Prakash Raj
Coming down heavily on the government and BJP leadership, Union minister Anant Kumar Hegde and the groups that "attack free expression", actor Prakash Raj said today he was "not anti-Hindu", but "anti- Modi, anti-Amit Shah and anti-Hegde". The popular south Indian star's comments during a session at the India Today South conclave here, drew a sharp reaction from the BJP's Telangana spokesperson Krishna Saagar Rao. "They say I am anti-Hindu. No. I am anti-(Narendra) Modi, I am anti-Hegde, I am anti-Amit Shah. According to me, they are not Hindus. Mr Anant Kumar Hegde, who says he wants to wipe out an 'ism', a religion from the face of this earth cannot be a Hindu," Prakash Raj said. "The person who supports killing, cannot be a Hindu," he said. The BJP spokesperson stood up and objected to Prakash Raj's comments on Modi and Shah. "BJP per se does not come down heavily on who to speak, what to speak, where to speak, how to speak. But, the question is, when you are saying ..
Chabad House a symbol of love that fell victim to hatred:
Mumbai's Chabad House, which lay soaked in blood during the 26/11 terror attack, is a unique symbol of love that fell victim to hatred towards the people of Israel, the country's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said today. He was addressing people at the Chabad House, or Nariman House, in south Mumbai, after meeting 11-year-old Moshe Holtzberg whose father Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and mother Rivka were killed along with six others there during the terror strike over nine years ago. Moshe, then a toddler of two years, was miraculously saved by his Indian nanny Sandra Samuel, who now lives in Israel. The Jewish couple ran a cultural outreach centre of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement at the five-storey building in south Mumbai's Colaba. Moshe, who now lives in Israel with his grandparents, came to Mumbai on Tuesday, returning to the place where he was orphaned nine years ago. "This place is a unique merge between love for Israeli people and the hatred towards the people ..
Palimar mutt chief ascends Paryaya Peeta at Sri Krishna
Sri Vidyadeesha Teertha Swami of Palimar Mutt today ascended 'Paryaya Peeta' at the over 800-year old Sri Krishna temple at the neighbouring Udupi. 'Paryaya' is the biennial transfer of power among heads of 'Ashta (eight) Mutts' of Udupi. The event marks the conferring of rights of worshipping the presiding deity of Sri Krishna Temple at Udupi on the seer ascending the 'Sarvajna Peeta. Under the "Paryaya" scheme of things, the puja and administration of Krishna Mutt is distributed among the Swamijis of Ashta Mutt established by 13th century Dvaita philosopher Sri Madhvacharya, who installed the idol of Lord Krishna at the famous Udupi temple.