New Delhi, Jan 2 (ANI): A large number of Christians on Wednesday staged a demonstration here against the recent killings and burning of churches in Kandhamal district of Orissa.

"Those who are being targeted by the communal forces are led by the VHP and RSS which are getting the patronage and protection of the state government in which, the BJP is a partner," Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Brinda Karat said.

"Because they are Christians, they are being targeted. So, it is totally unconstitutional. It is unfortunate that the government under the leadership of UPA has to respond to it. It is unfortunate that we have not heard any public response from them," she added.

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil reviewed the situation in the violence-hit areas of Kandhamal district.

Patil also met Orissa Chief Minister Navin Patnaik and other top government officials at the Raj Bhavan in Bhubneswar.

Later in the day, Patil met a delegation led by the leader of the opposition J B Patnaik that submitted a memorandum demanding protection of minorities in the state. The delegation alleged that the State Government had failed from its duty of protecting the minorities.

On Tuesday, the Orissa Government had transferred a top police official from the riot-hit Kandhamal district. The district's Superintendent of Police N Bhol was removed from the post and given assignment at the Home Department.

The Naveen Patnaik Government, on Monday, announced compensation for victims of riot in the district. Families whose houses were burnt down by the attackers would be provided with one dwelling unit each under the Indira Awas Yojana. Whose houses had been damaged partially would get Rs. 10,000 each as compensation. The next of kin of the three persons who were killed in the violence would be given one-lakh rupees each as ex-gratia from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund.

The State Government has set up a judicial commission, headed by Judge (retired) Basudev Panigrahi to probe the communal violence in Khandamal district.

Many people have gone missing since the violence broke out on December 24.

At least three people were killed in the violence that was sparked off on December 24 when Vishwa Hindu Parishad activists led mobs burnt down churches. (ANI)

Labels: Religion, Top-Stories

New Delhi, Nov 10 (ANI): The 17th Karmapa Lama, Ugyen Thrinley Dorje, has arrived in Delhi while on his way to Bodhgaya to attend an annual Buddhist prayer.

Karmapa will first go to Varanasi and from there he will head for Bodhgaya to attend the 10-day long Molam Puja.

"In Bodhgaya we have annual Puja which is very known as 'Molam Puja.' Basically, Molam in Tibetan means 'aspiration', so, this Molam Puja is considered to be very sacred and it has now become an annual event and ever since His Holiness came to India, he has been taking a special interest for the promotion of this Puja," said Sonam Tsewang, assistant secretary to the Karmapa.

Dorje, one of the highest lamas in Tibet's Buddhist hierarchy, is the only senior monk to be recognised by both Beijing and exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.

Karmapa Lama escaped to India in January 2001 after an arduous 1,400- km (875-mile) journey through the Himalayas.

He is now settled in Dharamsala, and was granted refugee status by the Central Government in 2005. (ANI)
- AY

Labels: Religion

Bemina (J-K), Nov 9 (ANI): The Jammu and Kashmir Government has set up the state's first state-of-the-art Haj House for the stay of Haj pilgrims, ahead of the beginning of the annual pilgrimage on November 11.

Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad inaugurated the swanky lodging at Bemina, on the outskirts of Srinagar, on Thursday.

The Haj House has arrangements for absolutions, foreign exchange, immigration and other passenger amenities under one roof.

Azad said that the Haj House would be beneficial because in the coming years the pilgrimage would take place during winters, when the pilgrims would be required to reach the airport in early morning hours and may have to face flight delays due to bad weather.

"Then sometimes if the flights get cancelled due to bad weather, they have to return all the way back. So, for this reason this has been provided," Azad said.

Azad said that by 2008, there would be better facilities when the construction of the Haj House would be complete.

The Haj House is being constructed in two phases, at an estimated cost of Rs 105 million. The first phase of the Haj House was completed in 300 days by the Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation (JKPCC).

The first batch of the Haj pilgrims will leave for Jeddah in Saudi Arabia on Sunday directly from the Haj House.

"Till today we had not hoped for such a thing to happen. But today with Allah's blessings, this Haj House has opened having every facility," said Saifullah Khan, a Srinagar resident.

Every year more than 70,000 pilgrims from India visit the Muslim's holy place. Over two million pilgrims undertake the journey each year from all over the world.

The Haj involves weeklong celebrations and takes place nearly 70 days after the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

About 110,000 pilgrims will be covered under the government subsidy scheme during the Haj operations this year.

The total cost of operation for Haj 2007 is estimated to be around Rs. 519 crores (Rs. 5.19 billion). (ANI)

- AY

Labels: Religion

AA: New Delhi, Nov 6 (ANI): President Pratibha Patil has condoled the passing away of the President of Ramakrishna Mission, Swami Gahanananda.

In her condolence message, she said, "The Swami was dedicated to the welfare of the poor and needy throughout his life."

Swami Gahanananda, 91 died on Sunday after a prolonged illness. He was elected as the 14th President of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission in May 2005.

Born in Paharpur village in Sylhet (now in Bangladesh) in October 1916, Swami Gahanananda joined the monastic order in Bhubaneswar in January 1939.

He became the general secretary of the Math and Mission in 1989 and continued in that capacity till 1992 after which he became the vice-president of the Order.

Swami Vivekananda had founded the Ramakrishna Mission Association in 1897. The body received a legal status and was registered as 'Ramakrishna Mission' in 1909. (ANI)

Labels: Religion

AA: New Delhi, Nov.6 (ANI): A "Tulabhaaram" ceremony was organised here on Monday by followers of Sugunendra Theertha Swami who weighed him with coins and prayed for his successful tenure as the head of Sri Krishna Mutt at Udupi in Karnataka.

Shri Sugunenda Theertha will assume the Paryaya on January 18 next year. This will be his third Paryaya.

The ceremony performed at the Raghavendra Mutt here was attended by a large number of his followers from Delhi.

The ceremony was all the more important as it subsided the concerns raised by some persons that Sugunendra Theertha Swami had crossed the seas and it was against Hindu customs.

But many of his followers stated that just as Swami Vivekananda went abroad to spread Hindu philosophy, the Swami Sugunendra Theertha has done the same.

It was stated that the ancient rule forbidding overseas visit for a Hindu seer was obscure in today's global world.

Thousands of Hindus were working in the United States and it was necessary that they should be guided by holy persons like Swami Sugunendra Theertha. Moreover, Hinduism today had followers all over the world, the devotees stated.

During his recent visits abroad Swami Sugunendra Theertha had met President George Bush and President Vladimir Putin in Russia.

Swami Sugunendra Theertha established many temples in different parts of the United States like New Jersy, Phoenix and Los Angeles to spread Hindu philosophy.

At the Tulabharam ceremony here support for the efforts of Swami Sugunendra Theertha in spreading Indian philosophy all over the world was articulated by Rajagopalachar of Raghavendra Mutt.

Shri Surendra Kumar of Dharmasthala and I. Ramamohan Rao, former Principal Information Officer of the Government of India were present on the occasion.

Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Tejendra Khanna had attended the welcome ceremony on Sunday (October 28) organised to mark the arrival of Swami Sugunendra Theertha Swami in the capital for a week. (ANI)

Labels: Religion

Sikh Temple invites prominent Hindu chaplain Zed

 

Reno (Nevada, USA):

In a remarkable interfaith gesture, Reno Sikh Temple invited the prominent Hindu chaplain Rajan Zed to read the historic prayer during its Sunday service, which he recited in the United States Senate in July last.

 

Amolak Singh Powar, President of Reno Sikh Temple, in his welcoming address, listed various projects undertaken by Zed to bring communities together through interfaith dialogue. He said that a broader, deeper, more inclusive understanding of religion was necessary. Religion was the most powerful force in human society, so we all must take religion seriously, Powar added.

 

Rajan Zed read the first Hindu prayer of United States Senate in Washington DC, California State Senate, Nevada State Senate and Nevada State Assembly in the past few months. He is very active in interfaith dialogue in the region and has received various awards recently.

 

After re-reading the historic Hindu prayer, Zed said that one had to act for the benefit of all. Despite our seriously different traditions, we should learn to live in some sort of trust and mutual loyalty. God, as a sign of God's bountifulness and generosity, positively willed the existence of different faiths, he added.

 

Both Powar and Zed listed various similarities in different traditions and agreed that in our shared quest for truth we could learn from each other and thus come closer to the truth and cooperate in common causes.

 

Founded by Guru Nanak (1469-1539 CE), Sikhism believes in one immortal Being, ten Gurus from Guru Nanak to Guru Gobind Singh, the Guru Granth Sahib, the utterances and teachings of the ten Gurus and the baptism bequeathed by the tenth Guru. Its holy scripture, Guru Granth Sahib, brings the reader to a poetic vision of ordered harmony and unity and a spiritual discipline. Tenth Guru Gobind Singh initiated the Khalsa in 1699. First Gurudwara in the United States of America opened in 1912. There are about 200 Sikh families in the area and over 20 million Sikhs worldwide. Personal contact with Sikhs usually impresses the outsider with energetic hospitality.

 

Oldest and third largest religion in the world, Hinduism dates back to around 3,000 BCE. It has no founder, no datable beginning, and no single holy book. Hindus believe what is commonly considered to be reality—the physical world—is actually temporal and illusory. The goal of existence is liberation from the cycle of birth and rebirth and entrance into the indescribable state of moksha (liberation). There are about 781 million Hindus in the world.

Labels: Religion

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