Page 90 - Religion Belief
Hindu group calls for shutdown in Kerala
A Hindu group on Saturday called for a shutdown in Kerala following the "detention" of few religious leaders the previous night from the Sabarimala temple premises.
Sabarimala: Hartal called in Kerala after Hindu woman leader's arrest
Rightwing Hindu outfits have called for a dawn to dusk hartal in Kerala Saturday in protest against arrest of a senior Sangh Parivar leader who was on the pilgrimage to Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple. VHP state president S J R Kumar alleged that Hindu Aikyavedi state President K P Sasikala was arrested by police near Marakkoottam near Sabarimala at 2.30 am Saturday. "She was arrested as she was on the way to the hill shrine carrying irumudikkettu (bundle carrying sacred offerings) to offer prayers. Some other activists have been taken into preventive custody," Kumar told PTI. He accused the Kerala government of trying to destroy the Sabarimala temple. The VHP leader said essential services and vehicles of Ayyappa devotees will not be affected by the hartal. Unprecedented security arrangements have been made at the shrine, which opened for the third time Friday for the two-month-long pilgrimage season commencing Saturday after the Supreme Court allowed women of menstrual age to offer ..
Kerala CM urges people to ensure peace in Sabarimala
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has appealed to people to cooperate in ensuring a peaceful two-month long Mandala pooja - Makaravilakku pilgrimage season in Sabarimala.The Chief Minister said in a Facebook post that the objective of the state government is to uphold the esteem of Sabarimala temple, which is a major pilgrim centre in the country and is a place of worship of all people."As a pilgrim centre, Sabarimala attracts lakhs of pilgrims from both inside and outside the state. The Government's efforts in Sabarimala are taken with the goal of ensuring a peaceful pilgrimage season. Everyone must cooperate with these efforts. As a place that attracts large number pilgrims from outside, any occurrence of untoward incidents will mar the reputation of the temple," Vijayan said.He also advised media to be sensitive to not publish any such misinformation that can cause disturbances.The Chief Minister said, "Media must also take care to not publish misinformation that can cause ...
Trupti Desai lands in Mumbai, protests staged at airport
Agitated protesters gathered outside the Mumbai airport where Pune-based activist Trupti Desai arrived after she called off her plan to visit the Lord Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala over concerns of law and order in Kerala.Founder of the Bhumata Brigade, Desai is presently stuck inside the airport as devotees of Lord Ayyappa are staging a protest outside, demanding the activist to drop her plan to visit the holy hill shrine till she attains the age of 50 years."We have come here to protest. Trupti Desai should try going there after attaining 50 years of age and not before that. She won't be allowed to step inside the temple before that. There are so many devotees working towards this and stopping other women too," an agitated protester told ANI.Although the seven-member group led by Desai arrived at the Cochin International airport on Friday early morning, the protesters did not allow her to proceed to Sabarimala Temple.The team had to wait for the entire day inside the airport as no ...
Countrymen want grand ram temple in Ayodhya: Ramdev
Calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a 'Ram bhakt' and a 'Rashtra bhakt', Yoga guru Ramdev said Friday the people of the country want a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya to be built soon and asked the Union government to bring a law in Parliament in this regard. He said neither Hindus nor Muslims are against the construction of the temple. He said the political parties may have differences and oppose each other for various other reasons but on the issue of Ram, no one has "courage to oppose the deity". The prime minister is a "Ram bhakt and a Rashtra bhakt", he said, adding Parliament is the last option through which the temple can be built at its original place. Ramdev also said that a 'Patanjali Garment' showroom will be launched in Varanasi next month where clothes based on fusion of the country's ancient cultural traditions and modern fashion will be available.
Sad how Ayyappa devotees abusing, threatening us: Trupti Desai
Social activist and founder of Bhumata Brigade, Trupti Desai, who was unable to exit the Cochin International Airport due to protests being carried out against her visit, said that the state police have advised her to go back to Pune."The cab drivers and hotel owners were threatened by the protestors here that if they will provide us shelter, then they will face a law and order situation. It feels sad that the devotees of Lord Ayyappa are abusing and threatening us," Desai told reporters here."More than 500 women have done bookings to visit the Sabarimala Temple. I would appeal to the government to provide a security which can take women to the temple. Our fight is for equality. The Kerala police have requested us to take this decision. If we will stay here then violence can erupt. This was never our agenda," she added.Desai reached Kochi this morning to visit the Ayyappa Temple in Sabarimala.As the Temple reopened today, Section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) was imposed in ...
Ker CM seeks cooperation of all for peaceful pilgrimage
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has sought cooperation from everyone to ensure that the two-month-long pilgrimage season at the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala, which began Friday, passes off peacefully. The government's aim is to uphold the esteem of the Sabarimala temple, he said. "Any untoward incident would only mar the shrine's reputation and the media must exercise caution and not publish "misinformation that cause disturbances," Vijayan said in a Facebook post. "Some are also using social media networks to propagate misinformation with an intent to disturb peace. Such activities must be monitored and reported to authorities," he said. Referring to the massive protests by devotees when the temple was opened for monthly pujas in October and early this month, the chief minister said certain incidents which should never have occurred did take place at the shrine. Sabarimala cannot be allowed to be transformed into a place of rioting and protest, he said, ...
Activist Trupti Desai aborts Sabarimala trip
After a over 14-hour stand-off, activist Trupti Desai Friday aborted her attempt to proceed to Sabarimala as she was prevented from leaving the airport here by devotees and others opposing entry of menstrual age women into the Lord Ayyappa shrine. Desai, who arrived here in the early hours with young six women colleagues, Friday night announced she would return as police informed her that there would be law and order problem if she visited the shrine, but vowed to come back to Kerala soon to have darshan of Lord Ayyappa. "We will soon come back to Kerala to visit Sabarimala but we will not declare it in advance and come," the Bhoomatha Brigade leader she told reporters at the airport after failing to proceed to the temple, which opened Friday evening for two-month long pilgrim season. According to airport sources, Desai and her colleagues have booked tickets on a Mumbai flight scheduled for departure later Friday night. Announcing her visit to Sabarimala, the activist ...
T.M. Krishna to perform in Delhi on Saturday
A concert featuring Carnatic musician T.M. Krishna, which was postponed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) reportedly following vicious trolling on social media by rightwing elements, will now be held here on Saturday under the aegis of the Delhi government.
T M Krishna to perform at AAP govt's event in Delhi tomorrow
Carnatic music vocalist TM Krishna, whose concert in the city was scrapped by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), will perform at the Garden of Five Senses on Saturday evening on an invitation of the AAP government, an official said. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has invited the people of Delhi to attend the event. "All are cordially invited. If u believe in an inclusive India, an India which belongs to all religions, faiths and castes, ur presence tomo will be a statement against those forces who r trying to divide and destroy our beloved India (sic)," Kejriwal tweeted. Entry to attend the event is free of cost, the government said. Earlier in the day, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia announced Delhi government's invitation to Krishna, saying no artist should be denied an opportunity to perform. After Krishna's November 17 concert to be held at Nehru Park was cancelled by AAI, the AAP government had on Thursday stepped in to organise another performance by Krishna, who often .
Police have asked me to return to Pune: Trupti Desai
Amid over a 12-hour stand-off with devotees and others, including BJP workers, at the airport here vowing not to let her proceed to the Sabarimala shrine, activist Trupti Desai said police have asked her to return to Pune. The development comes even as the doors to the Lord Ayyappa temple opened for the "Mandala Makkaravillakku" puja. The activist, who reached here around 4.40 am along with six young women en route to the hill temple, has been unable to come out of the airport, with the protesters saying her group would not be allowed to proceed to the Sabarimala temple. Desai said police officers held a meeting with her. "Police have requested me to return to Pune," she told reporters. Desai said she will announce her decision by 6.30 pm. Protesting local BJP leaders at the airport said the devotees, including women, would not let Desai and her colleagues to come out of the airport and proceed to Sabarimala temple. They alleged that Desai and her team came here to ...
Two-month-long Sabarimala festival begins amid tight security
The two-month-long festival season at the famed Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple in Kerala kicked off on Friday with the opening of the temple doors at 5 p.m amidst unprecedented security and new guidelines from the police for the pilgrims.
Nothing can stop construction of Ram temple: UP Minister
Uttar Pradesh Minister of Irrigation Dharampal Singh on Friday said no power can stop a grand Ram temple from being constructed in Ayodhya and that no new law is required to be enacted for the temple.
Delhi court takes cognisance of defamation complaint against Tharoor
A Delhi court on Friday took cognizance of the criminal defamation complaint filed against Congress leader Shashi Tharoor over his controversial "scorpion" remark against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.The complaint was filed by Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Rajeev Babbar, who said that the comment made by Tharoor hurt his religious sentiments. The statement of the complainant will be recorded on December 22.Babbar, in his complaint, stated, "I am a devotee of Lord Shiva. However, the accused (Tharoor) completely disregarded the sentiments of crores of Shiva's devotees, both in India and outside the country.""The complainant's religious sentiments were hurt and accused deliberately did this malicious act, intending to outrage religious feeling of Lord Shiva devotees by insulting their religious beliefs," the complaint read.On October 28, Tharoor quoted an unnamed Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) source and launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Modi, comparing him with a
TM Krishna to sing in Delhi tomorrow, calls postponement of last concert 'fishy'
Terming the postponement of his previous concert as "fishy", prominent Carnatic singer TM Krishna confirmed on Friday that he will be performing in an event organised by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal led government in Delhi tomorrow.He said, "I am singing in Delhi tomorrow, the Delhi Government is hosting the concert which is going to be held in the Garden of Five Senses near Saket at 6.30 pm. I invite everyone to come."Responding to the criticism he is facing from certain groups on the social media for being highly vocal on political issues, Krishna told ANI: "There is a certain section of people in the society who are trying to scare people. These are the people who do not know what democracy means and what it means to be an Indian. Everybody has an opinion. But nobody should be attacked because of that. India is a country of multiple culture and religions. However, some people are trying to narrow it down.""Words like urban naxal, presstitute, anti-Indian are created by people who
In a first, thousands meditate for world peace in UAE with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
For the first time in the Middle East, Indian spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar held a meditation programme at a football stadium in Fujairah, one of the emirates of the UAE, to promote world peace that saw participation of thousands of people, including women and children. The galleries of the Fujairah football stadium, which has a capacity to accommodate 10,645 people, was full late Thursday evening as the audience, cutting across geographical and gender barriers joined the 'gurudev' in the much-awaited "Illuminate Peace" event. Sri Sri imparted lessons about imbibing the art of happiness in life and explained how tension and stress create an intolerant society. The gathering mediated in unison according to the directions of the guru who concluded the session with the "shanti" mantra, wishing peace and prosperity to the entire humanity across the globe. The Art of Living (AOL) founder is visiting the Emirates for the first time. He embarked on a four-day tour to the UAE Thursday
Bishop reported missing amid Beijing-Vatican reconciliation
A bishop who has resisted demands to join China's Communist Party-controlled church body has been taken into custody, a Catholic news service reported, despite recent moves by Beijing and the Holy See toward reconciliation. Asia News reported that Peter Shao Zhumin dropped out of sight several days ago, but gave no details other than saying he had been subjected to "dozens of days of indoctrination as in the times of the Cultural Revolution," a reference to Mao Zedong's radical 1966-76 attack on traditional Chinese culture, religion and the intelligentsia. Shao was appointed by the pope in 2016 and posted to the southeastern city of Wenzhou, which has a large Christian community. Officials reached Friday by phone at the local religious affairs bureau, its department regulating the Catholic church and police headquarters said they had no knowledge of Shao's situation and refused to give their names. Shao's disappearance follows a breakthrough agreement to give China some say over the ..
BJP MLA justifies distributing money during Chhath celebrations
BJP MLA Ganesh Joshi, who has landed in a controversy for distributing money among women in alleged violation of the model code of conduct, sought to justify his action on Friday, saying he was only following an age-old religious practice. Reacting to a video clip of him distributing Rs 100 notes among women during Chhath celebrations in his constituency, which has gone viral on the social media, Joshi said there was nothing wrong in it as he was only following an old religious tradition. "You must have noticed in the video that I am handing notes only to women who apply 'tika' on my forehead, not to all those present there. Brothers do give money or a gift to their sisters when they apply 'tika' on their foreheads. It is an age-old practice. What is wrong in it?" Joshi told PTI. It has nothing to do with the forthcoming civic body polls as being alleged by the Congress, he said. "Congress is making a mountain out of a molehill as it can see its defeat in the civic body polls," he ...
Sabarimala row: Section 144 imposed, Trupti Desai unable to exit Airport
Ahead of Sabarimala Temple's reopening today, authorities have imposed Section 144 in the towns of Nilakkal, Pamba, and Sannidhanman as a precautionary measure.The section of Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), which prohibits assembly of more than four people at a place, has been put in place as the state braces for a bout of fresh protests against entry of women into the hill shrine, which is set to open today for the two-month long annual Mandala Makaravilakku festival.Social activist and founder of Bhumata Brigade, Trupti Desai, reached Cochin this morning to visit the Temple, but has been unable to exit the Cochin International Airport due to protests being carried out against her visit."We reached Cochin Airport at 4:30 am. Protests were being held outside. We booked taxis 2-3 times but drivers have been threatened that their vehicle will be vandalised if they offer us a drive. Police have said that we can't go outside now," said Desai as she was unable to carry on with her ...
Zayn Malik says he has stopped identifying as a Muslim
Pop star Zayn Malik has revealed he no longer considers himself a Muslim because he does not "believe any of it". In an interview with British Vogue, the former One Direction star said while he has a spiritual belief, he does not subscribe to the tenets of Islam. "I don't believe you need to eat a certain meat that's been prayed over a certain way, I don't believe you need to read a prayer in a certain language five times a day. I don't believe any of it. "I just believe if you're a good person, everything is going to go right for you," Zayn said. The singer is the son of British-Pakistani father Yaser, and mother Trisha, who converted to Islam. Zayn said his personal rejection of religion was not a major issue in his house, and that he still finds beauty in world faiths. "I've never spoken publicly about what my religious beliefs are. I'm not professed to be a Muslim. I believe whatever people's religious beliefs are is between them and whoever or whatever they're practising. For me,