Page 31 - Religion Belief
Baisakhi festival concludes at Pak's Gurdwara Panja Sahib; over 2K Indian Sikh pilgrims participate
The three-day annual Baisakhi festival -- which was participated by thousands of Sikhs from across the world, including over 2,000 from India -- concluded at Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Hasan Abdal city of Pakistan's Punjab province on Sunday. Baisakhi is celebrated to mark the beginning of a new harvest season. Under the framework of the Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines of 1974, every year, large number of Sikh pilgrims from India visit Pakistan to observe various religious festivals and occasions. A total of 2,206 Sikh pilgrims arrived at Hasan Abdal from India on Friday to attend the festival at the Gurdwara Panja Sahib, even as tensions between the two neighbours remain at fever pitch. Special security arrangements were made for the pilgrims to ensure law and order. The Panja Sahib gurdwara at Hasan Abdal, which is about 35 km from Islamabad, has a handprint of the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev, on a boulder of the shrine. Addressing the pilgrims, Prime ...
SL Prez Sirisena to offer prayers at Venkateswara shrine on
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena will offer prayers at the famous hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala near here on April 17. Accompanied by his wife Jayanthi Pushpa Kumari and other family members and Lankan officials, Sirisena would land at Renigunta airport 20 km from here from Hyderabad at noon on April 16 and reach the hills by road. After an overnight stay at the TTD guest house on the hills, he would take part in the 'Suprabhatha' ritual (the recitation of Sanskrit hymns by priests to wake the Lord) in the early hours on April 17, a temple official told PTI. After offering prayers at the ancient hill temple, Sirisena would fly to Bangalore, the official said, adding that it would be his third visit to the shrine as President of Lanka Earlier, he had visited the holy hills in August 2016 and February 2015.
BJP wants EC to probe speech by Goa priest
The BJP on Sunday wrote to the Election Commission demanding a probe in a controversial sermon delivered by a Catholic priest which it said could destabilize religious harmony in Goa.
Passion Week begins as Palm Sunday observed in Kerala
Churches across Kerala on Sunday morning were crowded as a large number of devotees took part in the 'Palm Sunday' service which marks the beginning of 'Passion Week'.
Times Square inundates with Sikh culture as thousands tie turban on Turban Day
A sea of colours and tradition of the Sikh culture inundated Times Square, the crossroads of the world, as members of the community tied turbans to thousands of New Yorkers and tourists in an annual fixture aimed at spreading awareness about the Sikh identity. Sikh organisation 'The Sikhs of New York' organised the annual Turban Day on Saturday in association with the Consulate General of India in New York. This year's Turban Day also marked the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev and the festival of Baisakhi. Deputy Consul General of India in New York Shatrughna Sinha said the Consulate is commemorating the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak with Gurubani recital programmes. As part of the commemoration of Guru Nanak's 550th birth anniversary as well as to mark Baisakhi, this year the Consulate associated with The Sikhs of NY on Turban Day, Sinha said. "This is a great environment and ambience and the crowd is fantastic," Sinha said, sporting a blue turban as he took part in
My productions have universal appeal: renowned classical dancer
Renowned Bharatanatyam exponent and scholar Bala Devi Chandrashekar, who recently performed her latest production Brihadeeswara - form to formless' in the city, has said that her productions have universal messages culled out from India's epics that do not require any language. Chandrashekar was speaking before the premiere at the leading performing arts center Symphony Space at Broadway last week. She presented her production through the eyes of an ancient Indian Temple dancer - Devaradiyal. It is a story based on the Brihadeeswara Temple in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. The temple, a UNESCO world heritage site, is an architectural marvel, historically significant and dedicated to Lord Shiva. When your message is universal, you don't have to be worried whether the culture is coming from the Asian continent or from Europe or the Middle East, she told PTI in an interview ahead of her performance. It is a very common language especially when it is demonstrated through dance. It is visually ...
Kaila Devi temple: Mulayam Singh Yadav's lucky charm
To win elections politicians leave nothing to chance. There are many religious places as well which are known for their importance in politics. Maa Kaila Devi Mandir in Sambhal district is one such place.The temple has a special significance for the people coming from the Yadav community as she is their family deity. Irrespective of their political parties, politicians throng to this temple to perform rituals, especially those hailing from the Yadav community.The devotees claim that the temple has changed the fate of former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav and that is why the family has deep faith in the powers of the Devi.When seen from a political angle, it is apparent that the parties keep in mind the caste equations while coming to the temple.The whole area is dominated by the Yadav community, making the area important during election season.Uttar Pradesh, where 80 seats are at stake, saw voting in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections for eight seats. The polling
Digvijaya Singh commits DCC land to Ram Temple Trust in Bhopal
Senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh on Saturday announced to give the land of District Congress Committee (DCC) to the Ram Temple Trust."I want to tell you that land for the Ram temple was provided during our term. The land was provided for the DCC office as well. The Congress party has decided that this land will also be allotted to Ram Mandir Trust," Singh said while talking to reporters here.Asked about the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Singh, who is contesting Lok Sabha seat from Bhopal, said, "The matter is in the court. Let there be a decision."The Ram temple lies in front of the District Congress Committee office.The polling for 29 Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh is scheduled to be held in four phases from April 29 to May 19. The results will be announced on May 23.
Lynchings will be commonplace under Shah: Kejriwal
If BJP President Amit Shah ever becomes the Union Home Minister, lynchings will be commonplace in India, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Saturday.
Gowda fears Modi would ruin the country if given a second
Former Prime Minister and JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda Saturday expressed apprehension that a second chance to prime minister Narendra Modi would ruin the country and its Constitution. Speaking at a joint public meeting addressed by Congress and JD(S) leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Gowda said, "Under the ego of having won 282 seats, Narendra Modi is out to destroy the nation." He insisted that the country did not belong to the people of one faith, but of all those who practised different religions, whether be it Islam, Christianity, Jainism and Hinduism. Gowda also reminded the people to understand the "hollowness" in Modi's speech. "With folded hands I want to tell you that Modi's talks are hollow. You please understand this. If by chance Modi becomes prime minister again, there will be a situation where the Constitution written by B R Ambedkar would be destroyed. I am saying this with experience.I can give many examples how the system has been destroyed in the ...
Quebec proposes ban on religious clothing for public workers
A proposal to ban many public employees from wearing religious clothing is creating a fiery debate in the Canadian province of Quebec, where people are fighting to freely practice their religion or to be free of it. The measure introduced late last month would prohibit civil servants, teachers, nurses, bus drivers, lawyers and other people who interact with the public from wearing symbols of religion while at work. It would apply to Sikh turbans, Christian jewelry and Jewish yarmulkes, but the focus of the controversy has been over hijabs worn by many Muslim women in Quebec. "The proposed legislation will affect Muslims more than other groups as they are the fastest growing religious group," said Nelson Wiseman, a political science professor at the University of Toronto. Muslims represent about 3 per cent of Quebec's 8.3 million people. Thousands of demonstrators attended a recent march in Montreal to protest the measure, with some holding signs saying, "No one tells women what they .
Mamata slams BJP for armed rallies on Ram Navmi
Slamming the Bharatiya Janata Party for taking out armed rallies on the occasion of Ram Navmi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday said the BJP was using religion to seek vote and incite violence.
Ali-Bajrangbali row: BJP asks Azam Khan to 'mind his language'
The BJP Saturday slammed Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan for his controversial "Bajrang Ali " remark, accusing him of trying to flare up communal tension and asking him mind his language. BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain asked Khan to choose his words wisely. "With his 'Bajrang Ali' comment, he has insulted both Hinduism and Islam. The only suggestion I have for him is 'zuban sambhal ke' (mind your language). Both Akhilesh Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav have been taught lessons for his comments in the past," he said at a press conference. "The fear of defeat in their (opposition's) language is very much visible. All they serve to the country is lies," he added. Khan waded into a controversy Friday, saying "in place of Ali and Bajrangbali, it should be Bajrang Ali. Bajrang Ali todd day dushman ki neli (Bajrang Ali will destroy our enemies' bones)." Khan made the remark after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath compared the Lok Sabha elections to a contest between Ali', a revered ..
Goa Cong complains against BJP chief's remarks on infiltrators
The Goa Congress Saturday filed a complaint with the state's Chief Electoral Officer against a speech by BJP president Amit Shah which the opposition party claimed was a "grave intimidating threat against minorities especially Christians and Muslims in Goa". Shah, during a rally in Darjeeling in West Bengal on April 11, had reportedly said minorities, especially Christians and Muslims, will be removed from the country as infiltrators, claimed Goa Congress spokesperson Sunil Kawathankar, who has filed the complaint with the CEO. "He had said the BJP will remove every infiltrator except Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs. If the BJP leader had said that he will remove infiltrators, that was okay but giving it a religious colour has created communal discord and fear and anxiety in the minds of people of minority communities," Kawathankar's complaint reads. The Goa Congress leader has further alleged that Shah, by stating that the BJP would implement the National Register of ...
Word 'Mujahid' should not be linked with terrorism: Srinagar Deputy Mayor
Sheikh Muhammad Imran, the Deputy Mayor of Srinagar, said on Saturday that the word 'Mujahid' is often used in a negative sense and appealed to the people to prefix the word to their names to highlight its actual meaning.
Goa Congress demands police complaint against Shah
In a complaint to the EC, the Goa Congress on Saturday demanded to file a police complaint against BJP President Amit Shah, accusing him of making a communal statement by "threatening" to weed out all infiltrators in India, barring Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs.
Hatred speech spreads like wildfire via Internet: UN chief
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that hatred speech has been spreading like wildfire through the Internet, saying attention should be given to "physical aggressions" as the recent attacks against the Jewish, Christian or Muslim centres.
Adityanath, Mayawati respond to EC notice on model code violation
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and BSP supremo Mayawati Friday responded to the show cause notices issued by the Election Commission for prima facie violating the model code of conduct by invoking religious feelings. While Adityanath handed over his reply to the chief electoral officer in Lucknow, Mayawati sent her reply to the Election Commission here, sources said. The poll panel had on Thursday issued notices to the two UP leaders. Mayawati was issued the notice over her speech in Deoband appealing to Muslims not to vote for a particular party, finding that the BSP chief had prima facie violated the model code of conduct. The commission, in its notice to Mayawati, had said prima facie it is of the opinion that the BSP chief has violated provisions of the model code of conduct. During the rally on Sunday, Mayawati said the Congress was busy dividing the votes and cautioned the gathering to guard against any such attempt. "In western UP, where people of all communities .
Thousands of Pakistanis form human chain in image of Christchurch mosque
Thousands of Pakistanis clad in white gathered in the central city of Jhang Friday to make a human image of Christchurch's Al Noor mosque, where 50 people were killed by a white supremacist four weeks ago. Drone images showed worshippers standing in formation, their snow-white traditional shalwar kameez and prayer caps in stark contrast to the emerald green of a public field, as a second group formed the words "Islam is peace" nearby. Huge New Zealand and Pakistani flags were also displayed along with a giant banner which read: "Solidarity with the martyrs of Christchurch from Pakistan". The tribute was organised by the Muslim Institute, a non-government organisation aimed at promoting peace and stability in the Muslim world, which also released the drone footage. Brenton Tarrant, a 28-year-old Australian and self-avowed white supremacist, has been charged with 50 counts of murder and 39 of attempted murder after opening fire at the Linwood and Al Noor mosques on March 15. Nine of the
Over 2,200 Sikhs from India arrive in Pakistan to celebrate Baisakhi
Over 2,200 Sikh pilgrims from India arrived here on Friday to celebrate Baisakhi festival at Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Rawalpindi district. The pilgrims, who arrived at Wagah railway station by two special trains, were received by Secretary of the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) Tariq Khan and Pakistan Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee president Sardar Tara Singh. The ETPB looks after the holy places of the minority community in the country. Gurdwara Panja Sahib has a handprint of the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev, on a boulder of the shrine. "A total 2,206 Sikh pilgrims have arrived here from India on two special trains. After immigration they left for Gurdwara Punja Sahib in Hasan Abdal(in Rawalpindi)," ETPB spokesman Amir Hashmi told PTI. Baisakhi is celebrated to mark the beginning of a new harvest season. Under the framework of the Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines of 1974. Every year, a large number of Sikh pilgrims from India visit Pakistan to observe ...