February 2005 Newsletter HINDU CONNECTIONS ~~~ VOLUME 3 – Num. 2
TSUNAMI NO MATCH TO LORD MURUGAN
Our Jan 2005 news-letter carried the devotion-inspiring news that the Tiruchendur
temple of Lord Murugan located on the east coast of Tamil Nadu state (India) remained
unaffected by the onrushing tsunami which ravaged other areas nearby in December
last year. Such was the power of Murugan, the presiding Deity of the temple.
He has several AKAs---Arumugham (the God with six faces), Velayuthan
(the one with the deadly spear which strikes fear in the minds of Asuras)
and many more. In the northern parts of India, especially in Bengal, He is
known as Karthikeya. To those who are philosophically inclined, He is
Subrahmanya---'Su' means good or auspicious and 'Brahmanya' is One who knows
Brahman, the Universal Spirit, the ONE without a second... The AHA prayer
book carries some hymns in His praise as "Subrahmanya'.
There are numerous temples for Murugan spread all over Tamil Nadu, the most
prominent among them being the ones at: Tiruttani, Tirupparankundram. Pazhamuthir
Solai, Swami Malai, Tiruchendur and Palani. Together, they are known in Tamil as
"Arupadai Veedhi".
SCUBA DIVING IN DWARAKA, THE KINGDOM OF LORD KRISHNA
A scuba diving facility is being initiated by the government of Gujarat (India)
to enable devotees with the spirit of adventure to take a leap into history and
see the remains of Dwaraka, Lord Krishna's kingdom extolled in Mahabharata, the
immortal Epic.
Dwaraka is no more just a part of mythology. Its existence has been proved recently
by the Archaeological Survey of India. However, it will be for the first time that
ordinary people will be able to dive into the ocean to see the ancient city.
9-YEAR-OLD SCORES HIGHEST ON RAMAYANA EXAM MUMBAI, INDIA, February 18, 2005:
Kshitij Garg, age 9, is a lanky boy, quiet and soft-spoken. His favorite hero is a
complete contrast to this. "I like Hanuman because of his extraordinary strength.
One day, I would also like to be as huge and powerful as him," he says. Typically,
his favorite part of the classic Hindu epic Ramayana is when Hanuman reduces Lanka
to cinders. But in the age of playstations and raunchy music videos, how does he know
so much about the epic? Well, Garg scored the highest (98 per cent) in the Ramayana
Yojana exams conducted in 227 schools across Mumbai and Thane on January 28. The
results were declared on Wednesday. The Ramayana Yojana--an initiative of the
Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP)--offers the study of the Ramayana as a comprehensive
alternative to Value Education. "Our students really enjoy the course,"
says Garg's headmistress Priyanka Rajani, principal of the Hindi-medium Vidyanidhi
High School, Vile Parle (West). "And our teachers conduct sessions in a number of
fun methods. Sometimes, we use skits, sometimes poster competitions. It's so much
fun for the teachers, too." Vidyanidhi also received the annual award for best
overall response to the program. In its second year, the Rama Yojana initiative
recorded a massive increase in participation, with 37,059 students taking the
objective examination on January 28. That's an increase of 100 schools over the
first year's total of 127. "We were concerned about the dying sense of culture in
our children," says VHP Secretary Mohan Salekar. "So we decided to do something
about it. We now offer subsidized study material to interested schools and guidance
to teachers. We have also requested schools not to project Rama as a deity but
rather as a national hero, like Lincoln is regarded in America." The secular
approach has won universal appeal, with nine civic schools, two convents and a
whopping 216 private schools taking up the offer in four languages--English, Hindi,
Marathi and Gujarati--for students of Stds V, VI and VII.
Pakistan Govt. Makes Grant For Hindu Temple LAHORE, PAKISTAN, February 19, 2005:
(HPI note: Any news report from the Pakistan media should be considered a government-sanctioned
announcement and read accordingly) In a significant move, the Pakistan government has allotted
US$20,220 for the repair of Krishna Mandir on Ravi Road. The Daily Times quoted Syed Saeedul
Hassan, the Punjab minister for Auqaf and religious affairs, on Friday as saying that the
government would also spend $252,756 on a "Langar Khana" (public kitchen) at the Sikh sacred
site of Punja Sahib at Hasanabdal and $84,252 on the Gurudwara's marble flooring. According
to him, the funds would be issued by the Evacuee Trust Property Board to restore the glory
and sentiments attached to the Krishna Mandir. The minister also highlighted that Islam was
a religion of tolerance and gives security to all non-Muslims. He called the minority communities
to actively participate in the national development and take benefit from the government
policies. The government was releasing necessary funds for the maintenance of the sacred
sites and places of worship of non-Muslims.
Bombay Bazar
Fashions of India & Tibet
753S Gammon Road
Madison, WI 53719
Fresh vegetables every Thursday
(Next to Woodman's West & Associated Bank)
Ph:608-270-9822
www.BombayBazaarMadison.com
Open 7 day a week
India House
805-B S Gammon Road
Madison, WI 53719
(Near Pizza Hut and Woodman's West)
Ph: 608-268-0240
www.IndiaHouse-Madison.com
Open 7 day a week
Honor Someone You Love
Special Occasion Gift Ideas - What finer way to share your commitment to helping the
AHA Programs, than by making a special gift in the name of another individual?
It's a warm and wonderful way to make any occasion more meaningful. In short, your
gift donation to American Hindu Association is a way to celebrate life's special
occasions with a truly meaningful gift. For each gift contribution of $25 or more,
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donation you have given in his/her name. Friends, family members and business
associates will all appreciate your caring sentiment.
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