Page 70 - Religion Belief
Sabarimala temple opens for Makkaravilakku festival
Amid heavy security, the hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa at Sabarimala, opened Sunday evening for the 21-day "Makaravilakku" festival. The temple, which had witnessed frenzied protests from devotees over the entry of women of menstruating age, had closed on December 27, marking the culmination of the 41-day annual Mandala puja festivities. There was a heavy rush of Ayyappa devotees when the shrine opened at 5 pm. Chief Priest V N Vasudevan Namboothiri opened the temple doors and performed the rituals inside the sanctum sanctorum as well as on the holy 18 steps after which the pilgrims were allowed to have darshan. Head priest Kandaru Rajeevaru was also present. The Makaravillaku will be held on Januaury 14 and the shrine will be closed at 7 am on Januaury 20. Chanting 'swamiye saranam Ayyappa', thousands of devotees thronged the temple, after waiting for hours in the long queues. However, no special pujas were held Sunday. The Ayyappa temple had witnessed massive protests by devotees ...
Congress giving cover fire to Michel to protect Gandhi family: BJP
The Congress party is giving cover fire to Christian Michel, alleged middleman in VVIP AgustaWestland chopper scam, and is defending him, said BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi on Sunday."There is a kind of restlessness and anxiety in the Congress camp after the extradition of Christian Michel. Things are pointing towards the involvement of the Gandhi family in it," said Trivedi, while talking to the reporters here."In the last 30-32 years whenever the name of any foreign national crops up in corruption in India, whether it be Anderson, Ottavio Quattrocchi, Guido Haschke or Christian Michel, why all are found to be related to the Gandhi family only," asked Trivedi.The BJP on Saturday asserted that alleged middleman in VVIP chopper scam, Christian Michel's revelation about the 'son of Italian lady', 'big man' and 'R' to the Enforcement Directorate (ED), pointed towards the Gandhi family.The Delhi court has sent Michel to a seven-day ED remand on Saturday. The decision came following ..
Hindus asked not to celebrate New Year on Jan 1
The Hindu Janajagruti Samiti here on Friday appealed to the Hindus in the entire country to celebrate New Year only on Chaitra Shuddha Pratipada, also known as Gudhipadwa, which is going to be celebrated in April next year.According to the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, Gudhipadwa has historical, natural and spiritual significance, which lacks in the celebration of the Christian New Year on January 1.To begin the New Year on the midnight of December 31 by consuming alcoholic drinks, creating a ruckus and committing malpractices is not Indian culture, the Samiti said in its statement.In one of the survey, it is observed that the youth taste their first gulp of alcoholic drink and first puff of a cigarette in the feasts organised on the occasion of Christian New Year. To begin the New Year in this manner causes harm to social morality, disturbs law and order and turns new generation toward devastation, the statement further read.How can such perverse acts make the New Year an auspicious ...
Bannon-backed academy plan draws Italian protest
Several hundred people demonstrated Saturday in central Italy, against a planned "Academy for the Judeo-Christian West" backed by US political strategist Steve Bannon. President Donald Trump's former aide in September vowed to set up "war rooms" across Europe to help form a pan-continental right-wing movement ahead of European Parliament elections in 2019. Local activists and a network of associations protested against the plan in the village of Collepardo, expressing their views behind banners that read "Stop Bannon, Free Europe," and "Trisulti, European land." The village lies close to the Trisulti charterhouse, a former Carthusian monastery now leased to the Catholic institute Dignitatis Humanae (DHI), a group close to conservative US cardinal Leo Burke and Bannon. DHI plans to offer classes at the site east of Rome "to transmit Steve Bannon's thoughts to the next generations," founder Benjamin Harnwell told the Italian-language daily La Stampa. He said the project had many ...
Rescue crew killed in helicopter crash: UAE media
A rescue helicopter crashed on Saturday in the emirate of Ras Al-Khaimah, killing all crew members, according to the United Arab Emirates state news agency WAM. Sheikh Saud bin Saqr al-Qasimi, ruler of Ras Al-Khaimah, ordered an investigation into the incident that took place at 5:50 pm (1350 GMT). "The General Civil Aviation Authority announced the crash of an Agusta 139 helicopter during a rescue mission in Jebel Jais in Ras al-Khaimah," said the report. It was not immediately clear how many crew members were on board. The UAE comprises the emirates of Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm al-Qaiwain.
Puri's Jagannath Temple shut for 14 hours after tussle between priests and police
The stand-off took place when a priest Bhawani Shankar Mohapatra tried to take three devotees inside the temple on Thursday evening, officials said.The police personnel at the main gate stopped them as they suspected them to be non-Hindus, officials said.According to the custom, only Hindus can enter the temple.Agitated at the police action, the priests closed down the temple gates for 14 hours, causing disappointment to thousands of devotees.The temple was however, open on Saturday.The Supreme Court has asked the temple administration to implement some of the reform measures by January 1, next year.In 1984, former prime minister Indira Gandhi was not allowed by priests to enter the temple as she had married a Parsi.In 2006, a Swiss citizen Elizabeth Jigler, who had donated Rs 1.78 crore to the temple donation box, was denied entry as she was a Christian.
Jagannath Temple shut for 14 hours after tussle between priests and police
The police personnel at the main gate stopped them as they suspected them to be non-Hindus, officials said
Youngsters carrying ISIS flags create ruckus at Jamia mosque
A group of youngsters, carrying ISIS flags, forcibly entered the historic Jamia Masjid here and created a ruckus, evoking condemnation from the mosque's management committee and the separatists. The incident occurred after the congregational Friday prayers when most of the people had left the mosque, officials said, adding that the youngsters were later chased away by those present there. The video of the incident went viral on the social media on Saturday. The officials said moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who delivered the Friday sermon at the mosque, had also left before the incident took place. "A group of youngsters, wearing masks, forced their entry into the mosque and rushed to the pulpit where the Mirwaiz delivers the sermon. One of them stood atop the pulpit and shouted slogans. They were carrying ISIS flags," said an official. The youngsters were subsequently chased away by those present there, he added. The managing committee of the mosque -- the .
Srinagar Jamia Masjid management condemns desecration
The management of the city's Jamia Masjid on Saturday condemned yesterday's incident of desecration by masked boys who mounted the pulpit and videographed it to put it on social media.
AMU student demands construction of temple in campus
A student of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has written a letter to the Vice Chancellor demanding the construction of a Saraswati Temple inside the varsity's campus.Dr Manvendra Pratap Singh, a member of the National Monitoring Committee for Minorities Education, also backed the demand for the construction of temple inside the AMU campus."There are at least 6,000 Hindu students in the university, but there is not a single temple, while there are mosques in almost every hostel. What kind of secularism is this?" he said."When there can be temples in Arab countries, which are 100 per cent Muslim countries, why can't there be one here in AMU? I want to ask this question to all the secular people, to the Congress as well, who preach these talks but have never talked about a temple in AMU. The university's secularity will only be accepted when there are temples, mosques, gurudwaras, etc, side-by-side," Pratap added.However, former Student Union President of the university, Faizul Hasan
What is neeed today is open mind & large heart: Goa Archbishop
Amid debate over intolerance, Archbishop of Goa and Daman Fr Filipe Neri Ferrao Friday called for developing more positive perception of people and groups one does not belong to. He said what is neeed today is open mind and large heart. "We tend to think less generously of people or groups whom we are not familiar with or whom we perceive to be different from us or even oppose to us," the Archbishop said. He was addressing customary reception hosted by the Church on the occasion of Christmas here. "Its a time when we open ourselves to Gods dream for us. Gods dream becomes our dream when we bring joy, peace, forgiveness and service to all and work together to built a civilisation of love," Ferrao said "For this we must develop more positive perception of other people and groups," he said in his 10-minute long address at the event attended by prominent personalities from political and business circles of Goa. Ferrao called for embracing the poor and downtrodden sections of
Jagannath temple in Odisha shut over servitors-police clash
Hundreds of devotees on Friday had to return without 'darshan' of deities at the Jagannath Temple in Odisha's Puri after servitors refused to open the gates as they protested the assault on them by the police.
Incorporate Indian civilisation's values in your lives: Goa Archbishop
Christmas should help people lead lives with values like 'samvedana' (sensitivity) and 'karuna' (compassion), which form the ethos of the Indian civilization, Goa's Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrao said in his annual civic reception address on Friday.
Jagannath temple gates closed to devotees due to servitors' protest
The gates of Lord Jagannath temple here remained closed for about 12 hours due to protests by servitors against the alleged assault of one of them by police, authorities said Friday. There were no rituals of the deity since Thursday night at the temple, considered among the holiest for the Hindus, Puri Collector J P Das said. The gates of the 900-year-old temple which open around 5 am daily opened almost 12 hours later at 4.30 pm, depriving several devotees of the deity's 'darshan', officials said. The servitors are protesting against the alleged police assault of one servitor who had tried to take a devotee inside the 900-year-old temple, he said. The police had detained the devotee suspecting him to be a foreigner, the officials said. Foreigners are not allowed inside the temple as per the Sri Jagannath Temple Act. TV channels showed many devotees, angry over the long wait at the gates, uprooting the metal barricades outside the Lion Gate (Singhadwara) and trying to enter the temple
Ground waterlogged, cops keep an eye; only few turn up for namaz at Noida park
Days after authorities declared a Noida park prohibited for "unauthorised" religious gatherings, only a dozen people turned up there for the Friday 'namaaz' and found parts of the ground waterlogged and police keeping a vigil. Two weeks ago, Noida police issued orders stating that Friday prayers cannot be held at the government plot as there was no requisite permission. They cited a 2009 Supreme Court order and said there is a clear ban on unauthorised use of public places for religious activities. The local authorities had watered the park, which served as a venue for collective Friday namaaz for the past a few years and where hundreds used to turn up every week. Those who came for namaaz but could not offer prayers expressed disappointment, claiming it was only during the previous and this Friday that water was released into the park. A Noida Authority official said parks are watered by maintenance contractors and they decide when to do it. "The maintenance of the parks is looked ...
Vatican official urges Iraq's Christians to forgive, rebuild
The Vatican secretary of state has urged Iraqi Christians who endured years of Islamic State violence and persecution to forgive and rebuild their broken communities as he celebrated Mass in Iraq's largest Christian town. Cardinal Pietro Parolin has spent the Christmas holidays in Iraq in a show of Pope Francis' solidarity with the region's Christians, many of whom were forced to flee their homes to escape extremist attacks. On Friday, Parolin celebrated Mass in the Altahera Syro-Catholic cathedral in Qaraqosh, which was overtaken in 2014. In his homily, the text of which was provided by the Vatican, Parolin praised those who refused to renounce their faith, comparing them to the martyrs of the early Christian church. He urged Christians to not dwell on revenge but to instead focus on forgiveness.
Religion has no role in government, says Smriti Irani
Union minister and BJP leader Smriti Irani Friday asserted that there is no role of religion in government. She said the Sabarimala temple issue, where became a matter of national debate after the Supreme Court allowed entry of women of menstrual age into the famous hill shrine in Kerala, is being used as a "political tool". The Union Textiles Minister was speaking at the 48th edition of IIT Bombays annual cultural festival 'Mood Indigo' here. "There is no role of religion in government. There has to be a distinction between governence and politics. But, a fine balance between the two can serve the country well," Irani said. To a query on the raging debate over entry of women in 10-50 age group into Sabarimala temple, she said every religion and temples have their own practices and the freedom to follow one's own faith is enshrined in the Constitution. "The Sabrimala issue is being used as a political tool. One needs to study reasonable restrictions in context to the ...
Rath Yatras meant for God, not to indulge in riot: Mamata
Coming down heavily on the BJP for its proposed Rath Yatras in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday said such yatras are typically conducted in the name of God, and not meant to indulge in "danga" (riot). The Supreme Court on Monday declined an urgent hearing on a BJP plea challenging a Calcutta High Court order disallowing its Rath Yatras in the state. "There are yatras for Lord Krishna and Lord Jagannath, we take part in those rath yatras. Those who carry out yatras to kill common people indulge in 'danga' yatras," Banerjee said at a public distribution programme here. "We don't insult anybody. We respect everyone irrespective of their religious affinity," she added. The three-phased Rath Yatra, also being called the 'Save Democracy Rally', was scheduled to be held this month, covering all the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state. The rallies were to be flagged off by BJP president Amit Shah. Banerjee also hit out at BJP leaders, calling them 'bhogis' (people ...
TRS abstains again during voting on Triple Talaq Bill
For the second time in a row, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi, which boasts of empowering Muslim community especially women, abstained during voting on Triple Talaq Bill in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.The party which claims to be the champion of Muslim causes staged a vanishing act yesterday in the Lower House during the voting on the Triple Talaq Bill which prohibits divorce of Muslims couples by pronouncing talaq three times by their husbands. Interestingly, their alliance partner in Telangana, AIMIM has been vehemently opposing the Bill in Lok Sabha and its only member Asaduddin Owaisi voted against the Bill.During the debate in the Lok Sabha yesterday, TRS Parliamentary Party leader A P Jithender Reddy had stated that the Centre under the pretext of protecting women's rights is aiming to mess with the integrity of the country."Modifying religious practices is not the purpose of this House. This Bill is entirely arbitrary. We should ensure the integration of minority community into the
President Kovind prays at Udupi Krishna temple in Karnataka
President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday offered his prayers at the renowned Sri Krishna Temple in Karnataka's Udupi district, about 400km from here.