Hindu devotees perform 'pinda daan' despite cold

Gaya, Jan 12 : Ignoring the biting cold sweeping Bihar, hundreds of Hindu devotees have come to this holy town to perform the 'pinda daan' ritual to ensure salvation for the souls of their ancestors, officials said Tuesday.

"At a time when cold wave conditions force local people indoors in Gaya, Hindu devotees from across India and neighbouring Nepal are performing the 'pinda daan' ritual for ancestors in the open," Madhav Kumar, a district official said.

Bihar has been experiencing an intense cold wave for the last 12 days with Gaya, about 100 km from state capital Patna, recording a minimum temperature of 5.6 degrees Celsius Monday and 5.4 degrees Tuesday, local met officials said.

"Every day dozens of buses full of devotees arrive here to perform the 'pinda daan' ritual for ancestors," Hindu priest Gayawal Panda, who conducts the rituals for the devotees, told IANS.

During the month of Magh in the Indian calendar, considered as a "mini pitrapaksh" (a fortnight-long ancestor worship period), thousands of devotees come to Gaya to perform the 'pinda daan'.

The main pitrapaksh, is observed every year in September or October, and is considered to be an auspicious time for 'pinda daan'.

"The soul keeps wandering till this ritual is performed by male descendants of the dead," Murari Lal, a priest said.

'Pinda daan' is traditionally offered by Hindus, but historical records available with priests show that some Muslims also performed the ritual in the past.

Would-be father offers his tongue to Gods

A childless Indian man sliced off his tongue as an offering to the god Shiva in the hope of becoming a father.

Police said 28-year-old Mukesh Kumar chopped off his tongue with a razor blade at a temple in the state of Uttar Pradesh dedicated to the Hindu god.

Mr Kumar, from a village in Banda district around 125 miles from the city of Lucknow, was taken to a private hospital by other devotees.

Doctors said he is out of danger, but would probably suffer from major speech problems later, police said.

Senior inspector R P Mishra added that Mr Kumar remained childless after more than four years of marriage.

He added: "An ardent devotee of Lord Shiva, an angry Kumar left his house following a tiff with his wife for not being able to conceive.

"He went to the temple, where he offered his tongue to the deity."

Eagle's Eye: Resolve to follow Swamiji's ideals

If we introspect ourselves in present political and social scenario, we have become bankrupt in all respects, whether it is character, discipline or devotion towards our nation - NS Trivedi
It is pertinent to note that our country celebrates (Rashtriya Yuva Diwas) on the occasion of Swami Vivekanand's Jayanti the 12th Jan every year with fervour and gaiety. On this occasion political leaders, social reformers and scholars take out rallies, deliver speeches and other cultural programmers are held in honour of Swami Vivekanand.
Swamiji said "The Country from its early beginning has looked upon human being as a spark of spirit, fragment of God. The aim of every human being is to attain this unity, this communion with the spiritual reality." It is an admitted fact, that we have to ascertain how best we can attain this end of life. We are not asked to accept any thing or take any thing for granted, but discover for ourselves the truth of things, the cosmic process which takes up from matter to life, life to mind, mind to intelligence and intelligence to spirit."
Once Swamiji proclaimed "We Hindus do not merely tolerate, we unite ourselves with every religion, praying in the mosque and kneeling to the Cross of the Christians". It is beyond imagination, India's much respected secular image, glory and tradition, have been tarnished by Hindu fanatics extremists attacking church buildings, preventing Father's from their prayers, raping the nuns and committing gruesome murders of people like Garaham Steins. Thus brushing aside our ideal power of perception as well as the concept of "Vasudev Kutkumbakam". How can by killing others, one can attain any religious gain further his religious dogmas? It is bizarre, since our independence under the patronage of politicians country has been divided on issues like language, region, and religion. Moreover corruption, dishonesty, amassing of wealth flourishes from cradle to grave.
Ironically, the pyramid of legislature, judicial and execution (pillar of democracy) is crumbling and can collapse like a pack of cards at any moment. During the six decades, if we introspect ourselves in present political and social scenario, we have become bankrupt in all respects, whether it is character, discipline or devotion towards our nation has been forgotten. The administrative machinery is fully working on the whims and caprices of the political leaders. Under the prevailing circumstances, corrupt IAS, IPS, business tycoons hoarders, black-marketers and adulterators are blooming and blossoming for the past there decades. The prophecy of Swami Vivekanand" In your country, tailor makes a man but in our country, character makes a man", has become out of date and obsolete. Interestingly, under the patronage of politicians and bureaucrats crimes like harassment, rapes, murders, kidnap, dowry have become order of the day.
We fail to understand, when we would be able to fulfill the dreams of Swamiji.
It is need of the hour to wake-up from slumber, if we in real sense want to pay tribute to Vivekanand, merely speeches, rallies, oath ceremonies would not bear fruitful results. It would be better, if we follow the teachings of Swamiji just to revive and rejuvenate our pristine glory which he has mentioned as under.
1) Love is the law of life: All love is expansion, all selfishness to contraction. He who loves lives, he who is selfish is dying.
2) Life is beautiful : First believe in this world that there is meaning behind everything. Everything. in the world is good, is holy and beautiful.
3) The way you feel : Feel like Christ and you will be Christ: feel like Buddha you will be Buddha. It is the feeling that is life, the strength, the vitality, without which no amount of intellectual activity can reach to God.
4) Set yourself free, The moment you realised God sitting in the temple of every human body, the moment you stand in reverence before every human being and see God in him that moment you feel free from bondage, every thing that binds vanishes.
5) Listen to your soul: we have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your soul.
6) Learn Everyday: The goal of mankind is knowledge, now this knowledge is inherent in man. no knowledge comes from out side. It is all inside.
7) Be truthful: Everything can be sacrificed for truth, but truth can not be sacrificed for anything.
Let us resolve to follow the above said point in day to day life, to make our nation glorious in the eyes of developed countries. The practical application of these teachings in our life would justify our celebrating "RASHTRIYA YUVA DIWAS"

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed honoured

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed was honoured by Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Northern Nevada on Sunday in Reno (USA). The testimonial given on the occasion to Zed said that Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Northern Nevada "honours Mr. Zed for his advocacy of peace, justice, interfaith understanding, environmental consciousness, and religious pluralism in the United States, Australia and the European Union." It was signed by President David Bianchi and Pastor Reverend Neal T. Anderson.
Dr. F. Kevin Murphy, one of the Fellowship leaders, who presented Zed with this testimonial, listed Zed's various efforts in promoting religious pluralism and his work with Roma people of Europe. Rajan Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, speaking on the occasion, said that religion was a very powerful and complex force in our society and it was much more that one's own particular tradition/experience. Dialogue brought us mutual enrichment and helped us end prejudices passed on to us from previous generations. Zed is one of the panelists for "On Faith", a prestigious interactive conversation on religion produced jointly by Newsweek and WashingtonPost.com, and has been bestowed with "World Interfaith Leader Award". He read the first Hindu prayer of United States Senate in Washington DC.
Unitarian Universalists promote seven principles including "the goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all". Unitarian Universalist Association, headquartered in Boston (Massachusetts, USA), was formed in 1961 and it has 1,041 congregations, who believe that "ethical living is the supreme witness of religion". Reverend Peter Morales is President while Gini Courter is Moderator. Hinduism is the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about one billion adherents and moksha (liberation) is its ultimate goal.

Modi, VHP set for clash over guru

New Delhi, Jan. 12: Narendra Modi and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad are heading for a clash over the alleged harassment of one-time BJP mascot Asaram Bapu and the arrest of the spiritual leader’s disciples in connection with an assault.

Sources said the Gujarat chief minister told off Ashok Singhal when the VHP international president called on Modi last month.

BJP and VHP sources confirmed that Modi took his own time to meet Singhal. When he did, he told Singhal that at his age —the VHP chief is in his eighties — he ought to renounce public life and not take up “dubious” causes. Singhal was left speechless.

On November 27, Gujarat police had raided Asaram Bapu’s ashram and rounded up some of his disciples following a murderous assault on a person, Raju Chandak, who had testified against the guru before a commission.

The commission had been set up by the Gujarat government to probe the unexplained death of two boys in the ashram. Chandak had alleged he was being intimidated by Asaram Bapu along with another evangelist, Murari Bapa.

Both had campaigned for Modi. But once the ashram came under a cloud after the murders, Modi distanced himself from Asaram Bapu.

At a news conference on December 22, Singhal alleged that the “deplorable” acts against the spiritual guru were “instigated” by Christian missionaries who saw him as a “threat” to their conversion activities in tribal areas.

He also demanded that BJP leaders should rein in Shabbir Hussain, the Gujarat police chief, because Modi was “too weighed down by the burden of the false litigation relating to the Godhra riots”.

A top VHP leader said the outfit and its sadhus and sants would meet next month to adopt resolutions against Modi and the appointment of a Muslim as Gujarat DGP.

A senior Gujarat RSS pracharak, however, said Singhal should not have taken up cudgels for a “controversial” person. “There is no popular support for Asaram Bapu and the courts have not backed him though several PILs were filed on his behalf,” he said.

A BJP leader said the central command had endorsed Modi’s response. “After such serious charges and so much evidence, how can a responsible government not act?”

Band rapped over CD cover

GEORGE TOWN: The Penang branch of the Malaysia Hindu Sangam is upset that a picture of Hindu deity Lord Murugan has been depicted on the cover of a rock album being sold at music stores nationwide.

The state association said the music in the RM38.90 album had nothing to do with Hinduism.

“The 14-track album titled ‘Eternity’ is by a four-member rock band calling themselves Datura.

“The cover with the picture of Lord Murugan is not only offensive to the Hindu religion but is also a cheap and degrading sales gimmick,” said the state association social and welfare sub-committee chairman P. Murugiah.

He said album producers and marketing agents were using pictures of Hindu deities for commercial gains; and this humiliated the community especially with the Thaipusam festival just around the corner.

Murugiah urged the authorities to ban the CD and to withdraw it from music stores nationwide.

Ganges braced for 60 million bathing pilgrims

By Andrew Buncombe in Delhi

Wednesday, 13 January 2010

As millions of Hindus prepare to descend on the holy city of Haridwar, the authorities have urged people to avoid dirtying the Ganges – India's most sacred river yet one of its most heavily polluted.

When the three-month-long Kumbh Mela festival begins tomorrow in the northern Indian city, 2.5 million people could take a ritual bath in the river on the first day alone. Many more – perhaps as many as 60 million – will follow in the weeks ahead. Yet for all its importance to the Hindu faith, those overseeing the festival – held in four different locations over a period of 12 years – are aware of the very damaging effect so many people could have on the river that is considered a living Goddess.

Yesterday, the government of Uttarakhand state took out full-page advertisements in national news papers listing a code of conduct for pilgrims. Chief among the rules is not to use detergents or soaps when bathing in the river, and not to bring polythene and plastic. "Observe the sanctity of the holy sites," it adds. Along with several other sacred rivers, the state of the Ganges is one of India's greatest environmental embarrassments.

A combination of billions of litres of raw sewage being pumped into the river along with the waste from industry have transformed the 1,500-mile waterway into one of the world's most heavily polluted. Just last month, the World Bank announced it was to give India $1bn (£618m) to help it clean up the river, which provides a lifeline to at least 400 million people who either live beside it or depend on it to irrigate their crops. "There is an increasing pressure from population at these festivals," said Lalit Pande, director of the Uttarakhand Environmental Education Centre. "But most of the problems with the pollution come from sewage that is discharged."