Page 57 - Religion Belief
Kerala govt oppressing Sabarimala devotees, says RSS chief at VHP meet
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat Thursday accused the Kerala government of oppressing devotees of Lord Ayyappa by exceeding the judicial mandate on the Sabarimala temple. This has led the Hindu society deeply disturbed and agitated, he said at the Vishva Hindu Parishad's 'dharm sansad' (religious council) here. "We support this agitation of the Hindu society as the petitioners to the judiciary were not Lord Ayyappa's devotees," he said at the meeting, presided by Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Vasudevanand Sarswati. "There are many moves afoot to divide the Hindu society. Accordingly, it's the need of the hour to reunite the segmented Hindus through a religious renaissance," the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief said. The meet, which began Thursday, was also addressed by Yoga guru Ramdev, who called for a common civil code. The VHP's religious council was also addressed by Swami Parmanand, who likened the ongoing Sabarimala agitation in Kerala to that over building a Ram temple in Ayodhya. He .
Sabarimala devotees oppressed by Kerala govt: RSS chief at VHP meet
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat Thursday alleged that the Sabarimala devotees were being oppressed by Kerala's leftist government that has exceeded the judicial mandate. This has deeply disturbed the Hindu society, he said at a Vishva Hindu Parishad's 'dharm sansad' (religious council) here. "We support this agitation of the Hindu society as the petitioners to the judiciary were not Lord Ayyappa's devotees," he said on the first day of the meeting, presided by Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Vasudevanand Saraswati. "There are many moves afoot to divide the Hindu society. Accordingly, it's the need of the hour to reunite the segmented Hindus through a religious renaissance," the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief said. The VHP meet, which coincides with the Kumbh Mela, is also expected to put pressure on the government over the delay in the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also visited the Kumbh Mela Thursday and reportedly discussed the Ram ..
G V Krishna Rao takes charge as Chief Commissioner of CGST
G V Krishna Rao assumed charge on Thursday as Chief Commissioner of CGST, Central Excise & Customs, Guwahati Zone having jurisdiction over all the North Eastern States. A CGST press release here said Krishna Rao, an officer of the 1987 batch of the Indian Revenue Service (Indirect Taxes & Customs), is a senior officer of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC). Before joining here, he was holding charge as Principal Commissioner of CGST, Mysuru, the release said. Rao's work jurisdiction will be Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Tripura, it added.
Kerala govt oppressing Sabarimal devotees, says RSS chief at VHP meet
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat Thursday accused the Kerala government of oppressing devotees of Lord Ayyappa by exceeding the judicial mandate on the Sabarimala temple. This has led the Hindu society deeply disturbed and agitated, he said at the Vishva Hindu Parishad's 'dharm sansad' (religious council) here. "We support this agitation of the Hindu society as the petitioners to the judiciary were not Lord Ayyappa's devotees," he said at the meeting, presided by Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Vasudevanand Sarswati. "There are many moves afoot to divide the Hindu society. Accordingly, it's the need of the hour to reunite the segmented Hindus through a religious renaissance," the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief said. The meet, which began Thursday, was also addressed by Yoga guru Ramdev, who called for legislation for a common civil code.
No power in the world can stop construction of Ram temple: Giriraj Singh
Union Minister Giriraj Singh Thursday said no power in the world can stop the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya. He said Lord Ram's identity is linked to the country and those viewing him with a religious lens are doing injustice to the nation. "Lord Ram's identity is linked to our country. Therefore, the temple will be built 200 per cent, whether they (saints) march on February 21 or on another date. No power in the world can stop construction of Ram temple," Singh, who is Union Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, told PTI. Religious leader Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati on Wednesday said a ceremony to mark the start of construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya will take place on February 21, even if those gathering there have to "face bullets". The date for the planned ceremony, akin to a 'shilanyas', was announced at the end of a three-day congregation of seers at the Kumbh Mela. The announcement came a day after the Centre filed a petition in the Supreme ..
Diverse, international flock awaits Pope Francis' UAE trip
At St Mary's Catholic Church in Dubai, an effort to transcribe the Bible in the native tongue of its flock saw the holy book presented in 52 languages a sign of the cosmopolitan welcome awaiting Pope Francis' upcoming visit to the United Arab Emirates. The diversity among its parishioners can be seen in its pews and heard in the sermons of St Mary's priests, who celebrate Mass and offer prayers in Arabic, English, French, Tagalog, Tamil, Urdu and other languages. The church, they say, offers an anchor for the Roman Catholics among the UAE's vast foreign labour force, many of whom live in this federation of seven sheikhdoms alone while their families stay home. "The whole world meets here in a way," said the Rev. Lennie Connully, the parish priest of St Mary's. "We have people from all over." Pope Francis' visit from February 3 through February 5 marks the first papal visit to the Arabian Peninsula, the birthplace of Islam. The pontiff will visit Abu Dhabi, the headquarters of the ...
Hindu temple vandalized in US
A Hindu temple has been vandalized in the US state of Kentucky, with officials calling the incident as 'hate crime'.
Pope says 'happy to write new page in history' with UAE visit
Pope Francis said he was looking to write a new page in the history of relations between religions with his visit to the United Arab Emirates from Sunday. "I am happy ... to write on your dear land a new page in the relations between religions, confirming that we are brothers although different," he said in a video message to the Emirati people released Thursday. In the message, in Italian but also dubbed into Arabic, the pope thanked Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan for his invitation to participate in an interfaith meeting on "human fraternity" from February 3 to 5. He said the visit would give him the opportunity to again see "friend and dear brother" Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, the head of Egypt's top Sunni Muslim authority, whom he met on a visit in 2017. Francis has made boosting ties between Christianity and Islam a cornerstone of his papacy. The pope said he believes the interfaith meeting reflects "the courage and willingness to affirm that faith in God ..
Kumbh 2019: Ramdev urges sadhus to quit smoking, says 'Ram, Krishna didn't smoke so why should we'
Yog guru Ramdev has urged saints and seers at the Kumbh Mela to quit smoking."We follow Ram and Krishna who never smoked in their life then why should we? We must take a pledge to quit smoking," he said. "We sadhus have left everything including our home, mother and father for a greater cause, then why we cannot leave smoking." He collected "chillam" from several sadhus and made them take a pledge to quit tobacco. He said he will deposit all the "chillams" for display at the museum he will build."I have made youngsters quit tobacco and smoking, then why not Mahatamas," said RamdevThe 55-day long Kumbh Mela will end on March 4. It is the largest human congregation in the world, with over 130 million pilgrims expected to participate in the festival with the belief that taking a dip in the holy water of Ganges River will pave the way for their salvation and would rid them of their sins.
Adityanath to participate in VHP Dharma Sansad, meet RSS Chief
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is slated to visit Maha Kumbh today to meet RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat in the backdrop of the grand two-day Dharma Sansad being organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) starting Thursday.Adityanath will also meet major saints including the Shankaracharya of Puri Swami Nishchalanand. A conglomerate of saints on Wednesday said the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya will start on February 21.Speaking to ANI, Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati said the 'dharam sansad', after a three-day meeting here decided that the foundation stone of the temple will be laid on February 21.He also said the saints and those mobilized for the effort would not be deterred by arrests or any other kind of obstacles.The decision came a day after the government approached the Supreme Court for permission to restore the "excess" land surrounding the disputed portion in Ayodhya to Ram Janambhoomi Nyas.The government, in a petition, sought direction for releasing to the ..
Seers' meet fixes Feb 21 for beginning Ram temple construction in Ayodhya
A meeting of Hindu seers and religious leaders -- Param Dharma Sansad -- on Wednesday announced they would march to Ayodhya on Basant Panchami day and lay the foundation stone for a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya on February 21. Office-bearers of the organisation said the ceremony would be replete with all rituals.
Rahul doesn't know this country, has no clue about religion: Ananth Hegde
Union Minister Ananth Hegde hit out at Congress president Rahul Gandhi's claim of being a Hindu saying that his father was Muslim, a mother a Christian, how can he be Hindu?Addressing a gathering here on Wednesday, "He (Rahul) does not know this country, he has no clue about religion. Look how they lie. A father who is Muslim, a mother Christian and the son is supposed to be Brahmin. How is that even possible? "Further sharpening his attack he added, "We can understand such issues but that empty-headed man does not know or understand. You will not find such a hybrid specimen in any laboratory across the world. You will only find such a specimen in the Congress laboratory in this country where the father and son are of two different types."Earlier today Smriti Irani had said: "It is appalling that a Congress MP, with the tactical support of his president Rahul Gandhi, has indulged in smearing of the Kumbh. Crores of Hindus across the world consider Kumbh not only as a part of their ...
Protests fizzle as Bibi expected to leave Pakistan
A call by Pakistani religious hardliners for protests fell flat Wednesday as Aasia Bibi, the Christian woman at the centre of a years-long blasphemy row, was expected to leave the country having cleared a last legal hurdle. The Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP), which led days of violent mass demonstrations after Bibi was acquitted of blasphemy last year, announced new protests after the Supreme Court upheld her innocence in a fresh ruling Tuesday. But its leaders remain in detention after a government crackdown several weeks ago, and police deployed heavily at the junction between the capital Islamabad and neighbouring Rawalpindi which the TLP had designated as a protest site, preventing any huge gathering. A mere 20 people demonstrated in Lahore while just eight mobilised in Rawalpindi, despite emotive calls from the TLP that its supporters "cannot compromise on the honour of the Prophet". Bibi, a labourer from central Punjab province, was convicted of blasphemy in 2010 and was on ...
TDB seeks financial aid for Sabarimala temple
The Travancore Devaswom Board that manages the Lord Ayyappa shrine at Sabarimala has sought financial aid from the state government for the temple following drastic fall in revenue during the just concluded Mandala-Makaravillaku festival. Board sources said the final amount to be sought from the government was yet to be arrived yet, but they were keeping their fingers crossed and hoping at least Rs 250 crore would be set apart for the development of Sabarimala in the state budget, which is to be presented Thursday. The August floods and the recent massive protests by right wing activists and devotees over the women entry issue at the temple had led to a revenue dip of Rs 100 crore in Hundi collections and 'prasadam' sales this year. Right wing outfits had also allegedly asked devotees not to make any money offerings at hundis in temples managed by the TDB as a mark of protest against the stand taken by the CPI(M)-led LDF government to implement the Supreme Court verdict
Gandhi for Youth by Dr Jawahar Surisetti
Dr Jawahar Surisetti and Religion of Youth kickstart a series of events under "Gandhi for Youth" (GfY) across the world through the launch of a video "Gandhiji, Give us a chance" today through a YouTube World Premier release at 5 pm on the YouTube channel Religion of Youth (ROY).The concept Gandhi is the only single largest globally accepted phenomenon of leadership in the world. Across nations, he is respected for his clear vision and the democratic and non-violent way of leading a mass movement which could ultimately achieve us a Free India.But the sad part is that we have reduced Gandhiji to be a symbol that is celebrated on particular days of the year. This is more so because of a burgeoning youth population born from parents who were born post-independence and did not identify too much with the freedom struggle except from what we read in history textbooks. So, for the past two generations not directly in touch with the freedom struggle and due to some political insinuations on ..
98 Christians reconverted to Hinduism by force, claims CPI(M)
Opposition CPI(M) Tuesday accused the Hindu Jagaran Mancha, a right wing group, of forcibly reconverting 98 people belonging to 23 tribal families to Hinduism earlier this month by making a threat that it can put them behind bars. The Mancha, however, denied the allegation. These 98 people, mostly tea garden workers hailing from Bihar and Jharkhand, live at Ranchi Tilla in Unakoti district, about 190 km from here. The Mancha had said these people had been lured into Christianity in 2010 after the tea garden they had been working was closed down. Jiten Chowdhury, president of Upajati Ganamukti Parishad, CPI(M)'s tribal wing, said he visited Ranchi Tilla on January 25 to find out the truth behind the reconversion. "I found out that the Hindu Jagaran Mancha has forced them to be reconverted to Hinduism. They said they were Christians earlier and were very happy," Chowdhury told reporters here. A general diary has been registered with Kailashahar police station on December ..
International conference on 8th century sage held to mark 50 years of India-Bhutan ties
Celebrating 50-years of formalization of diplomatic ties between India and Bhutan, a two-day international conference on 8th century Himalayan sage Guru Padmasambhava was held in New Delhi that saw the participation of distinguished scholars from both countries.The conference, organised by the Centre for Escalation of Peace (CEP) and titled 'Life and Legacy of Guru Padmasambhava', was held on January 29-30. Scholars from both countries discussed the Guru who was born in India and moved towards Bhutan in the 8th century to spread Buddhism and Buddhist teachings all across the Himalayan region."This seminar has been organized as a part of a series of events that are being organised to celebrate India-Bhutan friendship," said former Indian diplomat to Bhutan VP Haran. "Guru Padmasambhava was born in India and is highly respected in Bhutan. India-Bhutan relations have been good all through the last 70 years. In fact, from the earliest part of the 20th century, even during the British era,
Nalin Kohli slams Shashi Tharoor for jibe at UP CM's holy dip in Sangam
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has come under fire from the BJP for his "everyone in naked in this Sangam" jibe at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's holy dip in the Sangam at Prayagraj on Tuesday.Speaking to ANI on Wednesday, BJP spokesman Nalin Kohli said such comments on Hindu practices by an educated person like Tharoor is very unfortunate."This is very unfortunate. An extremely educated and respected person like Tharoor always comes up with such kind of comments related to practices of the Hindu religion" Kohli said referring to the tweet posted by Tharoor yesterday.The Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram had posted on twitter, "Ganga bhi swachh rakhni hain, aur paap bhi yahi dhone hain. Iss Sangam mein sab nange hain. Jai Ganga Maiya ki!" (Ganga has to be kept clean and sins also have to be washed there. In this Sangam everyone is naked. Hail Goddess Ganga!)."Venting his anger at Tharoor, Kohli further said, "One will never find his tweet related to beliefs and ...
Tibetan children banned from attending classes in monasteries: HRW
A county in China's Qinghai province, which is adjacent to the Tibetan Autonomous Region, has banned Tibetan children from attending informal classes at local monasteries, Human Rights Watch reported on Wednesday.
Grand Opening of Unique Temple in India
/ -- Just 10 days to go till the Grand Opening of Kirti Mandir, the first-of-its-kind in the whole world In just 10 days, on 10th February, 2019, the world will see the grand opening of the wondrous Kirti Mandir BROADCAST LIVE on Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat channel on YouTube . Kirti Mandir, is the first temple of its kind in the whole world, showcasing a very special sculpture that has never been seen anywhere else, in any temple. The sister temple of the breath-taking, gorgeous Prem Mandir in Vrindavan and the charming Bhakti Mandir, this temple is sure to turn heads as it stands on a vast land of untouched India in Barsana. (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/815392/Kirti_Mandir_Barsana.jpg ) The height of the magnificent temple is 111 feet from the ground up with a foundation depth of 18 feet. The internal pillars are made from pure Emerald Peri Granite and there are a total of 24 pillars within and outside of the main temple. No cement or steel has been used to build this ...