last updated 25th February 2007

Kazakhstan continues aggression against minorities, ignores international outcry
http://www.sivaramaswami.com/?p=900

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: February 9th, 2007

Contact: Vineet Chander - (201) 925-4973; vineet@iskcon.com

Almaty – Impervious to international outcry, government officials in the Central Asian country of Kazakhstan have intensified their attacks against members of the Hare Krishna religion, a Vaishnava Hindu tradition. A local court ordered more homes belonging to the Krishna devotees to be demolished, the Associated Press reported, threatening to leave more families homeless in freezing temperatures at any moment.
The latest court ruling, sanctioning the government to confiscate the Krishna land without compensation, came as a shock to members of the community.  According to a January 31 report by Forum 18, a religious rights watchdog group, the decision was rendered after the judge told Hare Krishna chairperson Viktor Golous that the case would be postponed and that he could leave. Incredulously, after Golous left the court, the judge ruled against him in his absence.   Such questionable judicial practices have led many to conclude that the Hindus are being denied due process and targeted because of their faith.
“The issue at dispute has less to do with property rights than with the right of people living in Kazakhstan to exercise their religion freely,” International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights Executive Director Aaron Rhodes stated in an open letter. “Since the dispute started, Kazakh authorities have been reluctant to deal with the issue in a fair and unbiased manner.”
MORE…
The court order is the next step in what human rights organizations have labeled a land-grab by government officials against a religious minority.  In November 2006, several busloads of riot police and two bulldozers demolished thirteen homes owned by members of the Hare Krishna religion.
The surprise attack evoked outrage from the worldwide Hindu community, and elicited statements of concern from the U.S. Embassy in Kazakhstan, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom.  In the United Kingdom, Parliament passed an Early Day Motion condemning the harassment of Hindus in Kazakhstan and calling upon Kazakh President Nazarbayev to intervene.  British Prime Minister Tony Blair echoed Parliament members’ concerns during his Question Time, assuring them that he would continue to push the Kazakhstan government to protect religious rights.
Kazakhstan’s mistreatment of Hindus and other religious minorities was a key reason the country was refused its bid to chair the OSCE in 2009.
“[S]tate sponsored action has been focused upon members of the Hare Krishna community in a manner that suggests they have been targeted on the basis of their religious affiliation,” the OSCE Advisory Council on Freedom of Religion or Belief said in a statement they released, adding that it “calls upon the Kazakh authorities to halt any further demolitions and to extend immediate humanitarian assistance to those whose homes have been destroyed.”
In light of the Kazakh government’s latest moves against the Krishna community, that call seems to have fallen on deaf ears.
For more information about the persecution of religious minorities in Kazakhstan visit:
www.KazakhKrishna.com and www.Forum18.org
# # #

Backgrounder - ISKCON Communications

The following are excerpts from statements raising concerns about the Kazakhstan government’s aggression against the Hare Krishna community in Almaty.

“The embassy has several concerns regarding the legal basis for the actions against the Hare Krishna community.  Regardless of the merits of the underlying case, the forceful eviction of homeowners in freezing temperatures and the destruction of their possessions, contradicted principles of due process and fairness.  The embassy urges the Karasai district authorities to refrain from any further aggressive actions against the Hare Krishnas, and to work toward a fair, lawful, and peaceful resolution of the ongoing legal dispute.”
(U.S. Embassy in Kazakhstan)

“From the information available to the Advisory Council, it appears that state sponsored action has been focused upon members of the Hare Krishna community in a manner that suggests they have been targeted on the basis of their religious affiliation. In the view of the Advisory Council, this raises serious issues regarding the enjoyment of the freedom of religion and belief by members of the Hare Krishna community in Kazakhstan.”
(The OSCE Advisory Council on Freedom of Religion or Belief)

“Recent steps against the Hare Krishnas and members of other religious communities indicate that the government of Kazakhstan, regrettably, is moving in the wrong direction with regard to respecting the universal right to freedom of religion or belief.  This action against the Hare Krishna community is the latest in a series of developments over the past two years that signal a retreat from Kazakhstan’s previously positive record of respect for the right to religious freedom.”
(The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)

“While President Nazarbayev’s initiative to bring world religions together to promote tolerance is laudable, his government’s harsh treatment of small and independent groups displays a sad absence of tolerance.  In short, I do not believe these actions befit a country that would be a leader of nations.  I urge President Nazarbayev and the Government of Kazakhstan to end these practices, withdraw the court cases to seize the Hare Krishna’s land, and ensure that all individuals are compensated for their lost property.”
(The Hon. Christopher H. Smith, New Jersey)

“That this House, prior to the visit of the President of Kazakhstan, condemns the harassment of and discrimination against Hindu minorities in Kazakhstan… and further calls upon the President to order the Karasai District Hakimat to have all cases against the Kazakh Hindus withdrawn… and to stop harassment of Hindus in Kazakhstan.”
(The United Kingdom Parliament, Early Day Motion No. 140)

Read HERE how the original issue began in Kazakstan

Read HERE what the previous articles from November 2006 were

Written by HH Bhakti Purusottama Swami

Dear Maharaj/ Prabujis/ Matajis,

It is my great pleasure to inform all the devotees of Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu that a great service opportunity has been offered by the temple authorities of Gambhira, in Puri dham, where Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu spent the final years of His manifested pastimes on this earthly planet. Kasi Mishra's house, also known as Gambhira, and the Radha Kanta math, were both under the care of the Orissa government due to 20 years of litigation. Finally, this litigation problem has been resolved and the management of the institution has been returned to the temple mahanta.

The temple has sustained much damage over the years due to lack of proper maintenance. The whole place is very dirty and the roofs and walls are falling down. The temple roof is also cracking. Additionally, the temple has a lack of proper income for the maintenance of the devotees and for deity puja—and, of course, the more the Gambhira is allowed to deteriorate, the fewer visitors it will have.

At this crucial point, the mahanta of Gambhira has requested ISKCON to extend kind assistence to him in order to protect and maintain this most holy place. Devotees from all over the world come to offer their prayers and obeisances at Gambhira. This is one of the most important places for the followers of Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and must be maintained nicely.

Thus, this is a golden opportunity for devotees to render service to this most sacred cause. I request all devotees to kindly donate towards this purpose. There are many things to be fixed at the place. For the time being we have prepared a rough budget, for whatever the most urgent needs are, just to bring the situation up to  survival position. Later on, we will let you know about further opportunities for service in the development of the Gambhira.

For further information contact

Bhakti Purusottama Swami

Phone: ++ 91 9434506434

E mail: bps@pamho.net

From: Shyamakrishna (das) RNS (Vrindavan - IN)
Date: Sat, 17 Feb 2007 09:09 +0100

Respected Maharajas, Prabhus and Matajis

Hare Krishna,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Devotees from around the world are hereby informed that in pursuance to an interim order passed by the Hon'ble High Court at Allahabad on 12th  February, 2007, Srila Prabhupada's Bhajan Kutir is now re-opened.

Srila Prabhupadas deity and his other belongings were moved inside the room in a small function organised at Radha Damodar Mandir today morning.  H.G.Srestha Prabhu, Co-Temple President, ISKCON, Krishna Balaram Mandir and Nirmal Chandra Goswami, Sevayat Radha Damodar Mandir led the event. ISKCON devotees have resumed their seva puja to the deity of Srila Prabhupada.

The bhajan Kutir shall remain open for offering homage to Srila Prabhupada during the Temple opening hours.

Millions of thanks to all the devotees who responded to our appeal and prayed for us. We invite all of you to visit Vrindavan and give us an opportunity to serve you.

Your Servant,

Shyamakrishna Das

February 22nd, 2007 Editor

The first pod is Sivarama Swami and BB Govinda Swami talking about Caitanya lila, followed by a talk at Jagannatha dasa Babaji’s bhajan kutir.

The second pod is a continuation after Jayapataka Swami spoke; unfortunately the mike didn’t pick that up, so the first 7.30 mins is unclear. Forward to that point and the talk is nectar…

This is also translated into Russian.

Please check this posting tomorrow for photos of the Navadvipa Mandala parikrama and harinama through the streets of Navadvipa)

Download (00:11:40) 9.5 MB http://www.sivaramaswami.com/podcasting/463.mp3

Download (00:18:50) 4.3 MB http://www.sivaramaswami.com/podcasting/465.mp3

Gaura Mandala is one hundred sixty-eight miles in circumference, with the Ganges running through the center. Gaura Mandala takes the form of a hundred-petaled lotus with Navadvipa in the center. Navadvipa is known as Audarya Dhama. The word audarya means magnanimity, generosity, and overflowing grace. It refers to the state when all the Lord qualities manifests in the devotees.

Navadvipa consists of nine (nava) islands (dvipa), and the nine islands resemble an eight-petaled lotus flower. The circumference of the center of the flower, Antardvipa (Mayapur), is ten miles, and the circumference of the eight flower petals of Navadvipa is thirty miles. According to the scriptures, the diameter of Gaura Mandala is 56 miles and the radius is 32 miles. The center point, situated within Navadvipa, is Yoga Pitha, the sacred place where Lord Caitanya appeared. The whole of Navadvipa is a spiritual manifestation, for at this holy place Sri Gauranga performed His transcendental activities.

The Lord appeared in Navadvipa Dhama in all four yugas. In Satya-yuga He appeared as Lord Narasimha. In Treta-yuga Lord Rama came to Navadvipa. In Dwapara-yuga, when King Samudra Sena fought with Bhima, Krishna came to help him. In Kali-yuga, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu performed his pastimes in Navadvipa Dhama. According to Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur the leading acaryas of the four Vaishnava sampradayas all came to Navadvipa Dhama. They are Ramanujacarya (Sri sampradaya), Nimbarkacarya (Kumara sampradaya), Madhvacarya (Brahma sampradaya), and Vishnusvami (Rudra sampradaya).

A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada said that Vrindavana was his home and Mayapur (Navadvipa Dhama) was where he worshiped Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Holy Places in Navadvipa Dhama
The holy rivers such as the Ganges and Yamuna, as well as the seven holy cities headed by Prayaga are within Navadvipa Dhama. They are Mathura, Ayodhya, Maya (Haridwar), Kasi (Varanasi) Kanci, Avanti (Ujjain) and Dwarka. Gaura Mandala is directly in the spiritual world.
The 12 transcendental forests of Braja are all found in Navadvipa Dham in concealed forms. Antardvipa is Gokula-Mahavana. The forest of Madhuvana and Mathura city are north of Prithu Kunda. Godrumadvipa is Nandagram. In Koladvipa is Bahulavana. In Koladvipa is a hill called Kuliya and this hill is Govardhana Hill. Jahnudvipa is Bhadravana. Modadrumadvipa is Bhandiravana. Mahatpur in Modadrumadvipa is Kamyavana. Mayamari in Simantadvipa is Talavana and Rudradvipa is Baelvana. Khadiravana is at Champahatti. Radha Kunda is in Ritudvipa.

The main Ganges always flows in the middle of Navadvipa. Near the Ganges flows the Yamuna. East of the Yamuna are the Tamraparni, the Kritamala and the Brahmaputra. The Sarayu, Gomati, Narmada, Godavari, Sindhu and Kaveri also flow through Navadvipa Dham. All these rivers intersect to form the nine islands of Navadvipa. The island at the junction of the Ganges and the Yamuna is called Antardvipa. Within Antardvipa is Sri Dham Mayapur, where Lord Caitanya appeared. Sixteen holy rivers previously flowed through Navadvipa, but over time all but the Ganges and Saraswati have dried up. The 16 sacred rivers that used to flow through Mayapur are the Yamuna, Bhagavati, Alakananda, Kaveri, Saraswati, Tamrapni, Brahma-putra, Saraju, Ganges, Manasa Ganga, Kritamala Vidyadhari, Narmada, Gomati, Mandakini and the Godavari.

In Sri Navadvipa Dham Mahatmya it is said that in just one portion of Navadvipa all the sacred places, sages, munis, demigods, the Vedic scriptures and mantras reside. Whatever results a person can attain by performances of thousands of horse sacrifices, and various types of rituals can be attained ten million times just by remembering Navadvipa. What can be said about actually seeing Navadvipa?

In Sri Navadvipa Dham, the abode of Lord Caitanya, the Lord does not consider a devotee’s offenses.

Nine Islands of Navadvipa Dham
The area of Sri Navadvipa Dhama is divided into nine divisions, called islands. Within the central island of Antardvipa is Mayapur. This entire area is considered a holy place. Each one of these divisions represents one of the nine processes of devotional service. The nine divisions are: 1) Antardvipa, Sri Mayapur (surrendering everything); 2) Simantadvipa (hearing); 3) Godrumadvipa (chanting); 4) Madhyadvipa (remembering); 5) Koladvipa (serving the lotus feet); 6) Ritudvipa (worshipping); 7) Jahnudvipa (praying); 8) Modadrumadvipa (being a servant); and 9) Rudradvipa (being a friend). When you do Gaura Mandala Parikrama you visit each island in the order that is listed.

If you know of information that is not listed here, or if you would like to help update our listings, please e-mail us at: vrupdates@yahoo.com

Written by HG Shyamagopika devi dasi

More than 200 devotees from Russia arrived at Mayapur and around 4000 devotees from 58 countries have registered for the festival. The Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir takes on a festive look to infuse the spirit of joy to the visitors. The campus is lit up with lights everywhere, a special pandal is set up for guest reception, festival and parikrama registration, assistance and several volunteers serve there to facilitate the visiting devotees. The free prasadam has began and kitchen devotees work over time enthusiastically to see a satisfactory smile on the devotees faces. Purified mineral water counter, supply store, variety pizza and pasta outlets, special fresh juice shop by Jagrata Chatra samaj devotees, Train tickets booking counter, pharmacy, an ornate stage set up for the cultural program everyday evening, the lightings in the buildings are well appreciated by the devotees . Mayapur Festival committee works hard year after year to see to it that the devotees when they go back to their places, Mayapur dham and memories of the GauraPurnima festival remains ever green in their heart.

The police station was specially decorated for the occasion and arrangements were made for 'prasad'. The prayers and rituals were carried out by four traditionally clad priests amid recitation of religious scriptures, said officials.The policemen and local people went on singing and dancing to religious songs for hours after the yagna was over.

  Feb 22, 2007, 4:45 GMT
       'Patna, Feb 22 (IANS) A Bihar Police officer has performed special prayers in a police station seeking divine intervention to control crime in a state notorious for murder, extortion and where hardly a day passes without reports of at least one or two kidnappings.
Rita Kumari, the officer-in-charge of the industrial area police station in Hajipur, the district headquarters of Vaishali about 30 km from here, organised a special \'yagna\', or fire rituals, to check rampant violence.

Rita, in her 30s, said proudly: \'The prayers are the first of their kind to be held in any police station in the state. Apart from police officers, dozens of people turned up to participate.\'

The religious event lasted many hours. \'I performed the rituals according to the Hindu priest\'s advice, asking for god\'s blessings to change the mindset of criminals and to check the crime graph here. I strongly believe that it will help create a crime-free society,\' Rita told IANS over the phone from Hajipur.

The police station was specially decorated for the occasion and arrangements were made for \'prasad\'. The prayers and rituals were carried out by four traditionally clad priests amid recitation of religious scriptures, said officials.

The policemen and local people went on singing and dancing to religious songs for hours after the yagna was over.

The special prayers have become the talk of the town. \'Dozens of local people called the police station to inquire about whether this was really true,\' said a police official posted there.

Rita Kumari is not the only police officer to believe that crime can be controlled with the help of divine intervention. Some months ago a DIG from Muzaffarpur had delivered a discourse at a function organised by the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) urging locals to follow religious guidelines to control crime.

The rising crime graph in the state is one of the main worries of the Nitish Kumar administration. When he took over as chief minister in 2005 he had promised to turn Bihar into a crime-free area within three months. But police records continue to suggest otherwise.
© 2007 Indo-Asian News Service';       PrintArticle();//-->      Patna, Feb 22 (IANS) A Bihar Police officer has performed special prayers in a police station seeking divine intervention to control crime in a state notorious for murder, extortion and where hardly a day passes without reports of at least one or two kidnappings.
  Rita Kumari, the officer-in-charge of the industrial area police station in Hajipur, the district headquarters of Vaishali about 30 km from here, organised a special 'yagna', or fire rituals, to check rampant violence.

  Rita, in her 30s, said proudly: 'The prayers are the first of their kind to be held in any police station in the state. Apart from police officers, dozens of people turned up to participate.'

  The religious event lasted many hours. 'I performed the rituals according to the Hindu priest's advice, asking for god's blessings to change the mindset of criminals and to check the crime graph here. I strongly believe that it will help create a crime-free society,' Rita told IANS over the phone from Hajipur.

  The police station was specially decorated for the occasion and arrangements were made for 'prasad'. The prayers and rituals were carried out by four traditionally clad priests amid recitation of religious scriptures, said officials.

  The policemen and local people went on singing and dancing to religious songs for hours after the yagna was over.

  The special prayers have become the talk of the town. 'Dozens of local people called the police station to inquire about whether this was really true,' said a police official posted there.

  Rita Kumari is not the only police officer to believe that crime can be controlled with the help of divine intervention. Some months ago a DIG from Muzaffarpur had delivered a discourse at a function organised by the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) urging locals to follow religious guidelines to control crime.

  The rising crime graph in the state is one of the main worries of the Nitish Kumar administration. When he took over as chief minister in 2005 he had promised to turn Bihar into a crime-free area within three months. But police records continue to suggest otherwise.
  © 2007 Indo-Asian News Service

February 11th, 2007 Editor

As first-time fliers take to India’s skies, new budget airlines are reportedly dealing with all kinds of problems — like passengers trying to open the doors while the planes are moving.

The Times of India cited a security report Friday saying that pilots had even had to make an emergency landing in one incident when passengers stood outside the cockpit disturbing them.

“First-time fliers are eager to know about the aircraft and complications first-hand as they would do in a train or bus,” Siddhanta Sharma, the CEO of Spicejet, told the paper.

“But the safety implications for contacting pilots in a flying aircraft are far more stringent and can’t be compromised.”

At least half a dozen carriers, including budget airlines, have taken flight in India in the past three years. The airline industry was previously dominated by two state-run companies.

Flying in India is already a taxing experience, with long lines, delays and cancellations common, particularly in the foggy winter. Increased air congestion has also meant longer wait times for take off and landing.

But the booming economy that has been increasing wages in this nation of more than one billion people means many people are flying for the first time in their lives — and that has sometimes spelt chaos on board.

“Last month, a passenger opened an emergency exit to soothe his nerves,” said a study on internal security by a major airline, according to the Times.

“More recently, two passengers tried to open the doors of an aircraft while it was moving on the runway.”

In another incident, passengers tired of waiting for their aircraft to receive clearance to land went and stood outside the cockpit, disturbing the pilots and forcing an emergency landing.

“Such unruly passengers are mostly first-time fliers and people who consider themselves important,” the study said.

Female staff, who have to prevent the passengers from engaging in rowdy behaviour, often face the risk of assault as a result, it said.

“A couple of months back, a passenger broke the arm of a lady airport staffer,” a person connected with the study told the Times.

“Sometimes female employees have their clothes torn by unruly people inside airports.”

Because of safety concerns, airline staff must be allowed to physically restrain the worst offenders, one aviation security expert said.

“There are times when reason fails. The crew is then permitted to resort to the use of physical restraint,” said Colonel B.P. Suman. “Some foreign airlines now carry on board plastic handcuffs for this purpose.”

UNITED STATES, February 12, 2007: There is a growing consensus in the scientific community that small doses of pesticides and other chemicals can adversely affect people, especially during vulnerable periods of fetal development and childhood when exposures can have long lasting effects. Because the toxic effects of pesticides are worrisome, not well understood, or in some cases completely unstudied, shoppers are wise to minimize exposure to pesticide whenever possible. While washing and rinsing fresh produce may reduce levels of some pesticides, it does not eliminate them. Peeling also reduces exposures, but valuable nutrients often go down the drain with the peel. The best option is to eat a varied diet, wash all produce, and choose organic when possible to reduce exposure to potentially harmful chemicals.

A produce ranking guide was developed by analysts at the not-for-profit Environmental Working Group (EWG) based on the results of nearly 43, 000 tests for pesticides on produce collected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U. S. Food and Drug Administration between 2000 and 2004. The guide ranks 43 different fruits and vegetables with a score of 1 to 100. According to the guide peaches score 100 (the highest pesticide load), apples 89, and sweet bell peppers 86. Onions score 1(the lowest pesticide load). For the full list, see url above.

courtesy of Hinduism Today  http://www.hinduismtoday.com

Thousands of British Churches Face Closure
http:/www.virtueonline.org

LONDON, ENGLAND, February 11, 2007: There are more than 47,000 churches in Britain today, and 42 million people. More than 70 per cent of the population consider themselves to be Christian. It sounds a lot, but behind the figures lies a story of decline in the country's established religion. According to experts, thousands of churches face closure, demolition or conversion in the next decade, leading to the demise of some branches of Christianity in Europe. Just one tenth of the nation's Christians attend church and churches are now closing faster than mosques are opening. Practicing Muslims will, in a few decades, outnumber practicing Christians, if current trends continue. A generation ago the churches in Britain seemed unassailable. The first mosques in Britain opened at the end of the 19th century but by 1961 there were just seven mosques, three Sikh temples and one Hindu temple in England and Wales, compared with nearly 55,000 Christian Churches. Ceri Peach of Oxford University said in The Geographical Review, "The new cultural landscape of English cities has arrived. The homogenized, Christian landscape of state religion is in retreat."

courtesy of Hinduism Today  http://www.hinduismtoday.com

ENGLAND: Thousands of churches face closure in ten years
http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=5511

by Ruth Gledhill, Religion Correspondent
The London Times
February 10, 2007

Thousands of churches face closure, demolition or conversion in the next decade, leading to the demise of some branches of Christianity in Europe, according to experts.

In some parts of the country, former churches are being turned into centres of worship for other faiths. A disused Methodist chapel in Clitheroe on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales is the latest, destined to become a mosque for the town's 300 Muslims.

There are more than 47,000 churches in Britain today, and 42 million people, more than 70 per cent of the population, consider themselves to be Christian. It sounds a lot, but behind the figures lies a story of decline in the country's established religion.

Although the Pentecostal and Evangelical branches of Christianity are growing, worshippers often prefer modern, functional, warehouse-style buildings to the traditional neo-Gothic landscape of British ecclesiastical architecture.

Just one tenth of the nation's Christians attends church, and churches are now closing faster than mosques are opening. Practising Muslims will, in a few decades, outnumber practising Christians if current trends continue.

A generation ago the churches in Britain seemed unassailable. The first mosques in Britain opened at the end of the 19th century but by 1961 there were just seven mosques, three Sikh temples and one Hindu temple in England and Wales, compared with nearly 55,000 Christian Churches.

Sometimes, with denominations such as the Methodists split into three types, there could be as many as seven or eight churches in one small town to cater for Roman Catholics, Anglicans and different groups of Protestants.

By 2005 the number of churches had fallen to 47,600. According to the organisation Christian Research, another 4,000 are likely to go in the next 15 years.

In the Church of England alone, which still has 16,000 churches, 1,700 have been made redundant since 1969.

Over the same period, the number of mosques in Britain has grown to almost the number of Anglian churches that have closed. The Islamic website Salaam records a total of 1,689 mosques.

Covenants attached to redundant Anglican churches, however, make it difficult for them to be used by another faith. None has become a mosque, and only two have become Sikh gurdwaras, and the Church of England has opened more than 500 new churches since 1969. Redundant Anglican churches tend to be developed into houses, offices or restaurants. In Cheltenham, 19th-century St James's is now a branch of Zizzi's, an Italian restaurant.

Methodist churches, down from 14,000 in 1932 to 6,000, and closing at the rate of 100 a year, are often sold with no restrictive covenant attached.

Inayat Bunglawala, of the Muslim Council of Britain, said: "In 1990 there were about 400 mosques in the UK. Many existing mosques are also being refurbished and enlarged."

Peter Guillery, of English Heritage, said that the trend was not new. The 18th-century Huguenot church in Brick Lane, in the East End of London, became a Methodist chapel in 1819. It became a synagogue at the end of the 19th century, and a mosque in 1976.

Multifaith use of buildings is growing. Art and Christianity Enquiry, a Christian arts trust, is planning a seminar next month on how many buildings in Britain are being shared by different faith groups.

But Ceri Peach, of Oxford University, said in The Geographical Review: "The new cultural landscape of English cities has arrived. The homogenised, Christian landscape of state religion is in retreat."

Read Ruth Gledhill's blog on matters of faith
timesonline.co.uk/blogs

Rajiv Malik, HPI Correspondent, Delhi

NEW DELHI, INDIA, February 14, 2007: India has an estimated five million ancient manuscripts, most of which lie unknown and neglected. The National Mission for Manuscripts, set up by the Ministry of Culture has been tasked to locate, preserve and promote the manuscript wealth of India. Their activities range from conducting nation-wide surveys to discover each manuscript, the documentation and cataloguing of manuscripts and their conservation, training personnel in manuscript studies, publishing important research on manuscripts, organizing lectures, seminars and debates for students and workshops for children. For this, the Mission has established a network of partner institutions across the country. The attempt is to involve scholars, academics, students and the general public. Today, four years into the project, Ambika Soni, Culture and Tourism Minister, launched the National Database of Manuscripts along with a proclamation of 45 selected manuscripts as the manuscript treasure of India.

Now more than ever, said Minister Soni, as India is emerging onto the world stage as a modern society, there is renewed focus in rediscovering the past and integrating it with the present to revive the ancient stream of knowledge for contemporary society. She said the task is to engage in a search for India's own intellectual resources with full awareness of the components of our rich culture. The knowledge from India's past has been forgotten by many. As a result, contemporary Indians have begun looking at the past with scorn and indifference which has resulted in these ancient systems becoming lost or neglected.

The Minister called upon NGOs, scholars and all interested individuals to come forward and contribute in spreading the message about the value and wealth of old manuscripts. India has the largest collection of manuscripts in the world, the Minister said, and this was a momentous occasion for the nation to have an electronic catalogue of one million Indian manuscripts is unsurpassed by any other country.

The Minister also launched the online database, Kritisampada, and opened it to public. Individuals can search on title, author, script, language, subject and material. The database hosts information on individual manuscripts, manuscript collections and printed catalogues and will be accessible in Hindi and English. The National Electronic Catalogue of Manuscripts, will be available on the internet through the Mission's website here http://www.namami.org/

Citations were awarded to several scholars and institutions who helped the National Manuscripts Mission launch the electronic database and Information and Broadcasting Secretary S.K. Arora, Indologist Dr. Lokesh Chandra and Prof. V. Kutumba Shastri also spoke on the occasion.

courtesy of Hinduism Today  http://www.hinduismtoday.com

LAS CRUCES, MEXICO, February 17, 2007: When Paul Bosland, a regents professor at New Mexico State University, had his first bite of India's Bhut Jolokia chili he exclaimed that he felt like he was breathing fire. It all started back in 2001 when a member from the New Mexico State University's Chile Pepper Institute was visiting India and discovered the pepper. Bhut Jolokia seeds were sent to New Mexico for testing. The news release explained, "Bosland then grew Bhut Jolokia, Red Savina and habanero peppers under controlled settings and found that Bhut Jolokia had significantly higher Scoville ratings. Those findings were confirmed by two independent laboratories. Bhut Jolokia comes in at 1,001,304 Scoville heat units, a measure of hotness for a chili. It is nearly twice as hot as Red Savina, the variety it replaces as the hottest. By comparison, an average jalapeno measures at about 10,000." A U.S. Researcher said that India's Bhut Jolokia chili has been confirmed as the world's hottest pepper by The Guinness Book of Records.

courtesy of Hinduism Today  http://www.hinduismtoday.com

On February 19th, late-night sky watchers across Australia witnessed a bright explosion followed by a debris cloud that hung in the sky for nearly an hour.  At first a mystery, the source of the blast is now understood.  It was a Russian Briz-M rocket booster misplaced in orbit last year by the failed launch of an Arabsat communications satellite.  The fuel tanks of the Briz-M ruptured on Feb. 19th, producing a vivid naked-eye display and more than 1000 pieces of debris.  Experts are calling this a "major breakup event," comparable to or even worse than last month's Chinese anti-sat test.

Visit http://spaceweather.com for more information and pictures of the Briz-M breakup.

Saint Benedict, who said it was good for spiritual people to live in community

Picture this: seven devotees of Krishna, all in white robes and yellow clay forehead markings, discussing practical spiritual community development with black-robed Benedictine monks. It’s a scene that would gladden the heart of any black-and-white photographer. We are all in a jolly mood and there is a sense of kinship despite the diametric differences in our attire. I think we get on very well because our lives actually have a lot in common, both philosophically and practically.

I am at Buckfast Abbey in Devon with seven leaders from Bhaktivedanta Manor. We’re making a short visit here on our way to a remote farmhouse where we will have two days of discussions on the forthcoming year at the Manor and the multitude of projects that take place there.

The Benedictines have a daily routine sadhana of prayer, physical work and study. It’s a balanced formula that their founder, the father of western monasticism, Saint Benedict (480-547 AD), thought would ensure the essential combination of personal spirituality and communal sustainability. He wasn’t amiss in his calculations, as this order has endured for almost 1500 years.

It’s a tough one that ­ living in community. There are certainly immense benefits to be gained from living together in the same building with ten or twenty others who follow the same path. And there are immeasurable rewards when you sacrifice personal ownership and practise a sharing of all goods and tasks. These monks have taken vows of Stability, Obedience and Chastity, and you really do need some tough personal disciplines like that to help you make the subjugation of ego required to live in community. I was a monk for eight years and sometimes, on a bad day, there’s nothing you want to do more than scream in frustration and put a great distance between you and your brothers. But you reach a point ­ just before you explode ­ where, if you’ve actually learned anything about spiritual life at all, you understand that your anger stems from a deeply held desire to enjoy and control, coupled with a great appetite for the respect and love of others. And of course you do not always get that in community ­ and it hurts. But through that pain comes change and transformation of the heart.

Perhaps that is one benefit of living in the Big Brother House. By a number of people being together in close physical proximity, sharing tasks and trying to understand each other, they all have an opportunity to grow spiritually. Not that I’m a fan of the Channel 4 television programme, you understand, but the location of that much-observed temporary community is only two miles from my house in Hertfordshire, and of course, people do talk about it ­ rather a lot.

The Vedic scriptures refer to our times as the Age of Kali, the Age of Quarrel and Hypocrisy, when human beings can be propelled into violent outbursts by the slightest of provocation. We owe it to ourselves, whether our community is monastic, business, family or televised, to learn the techniques of tolerance, respect and service. Whether it is Brother Andrew and Brother Thomas, Rama Das and Krishna Das, or Jade and Shilpa, we all have to learn the spiritual techniques of how to live, work, and move toward the ultimate destination ­ together.

http://www.rxpgnews.com/india/Japans-Hindu-linkages-still-alive_15985.shtml

NEW DELHI, INDIA, February 17, 2007: Apart from the widely known fact that Buddhism in Japan has its origin in India, not many probably know that so many Hindu Deities surround the life of a Japanese. Speaking at a lecture titled "Hindu Gods and Goddesses rooted to Japan" here Friday, Lokesh Chandra, the director of International Academy of Indian Culture, highlighted how deeply Indian religion and culture has influenced Japanese culture and tradition over the past centuries. He said that many temples across Japan are full of Hindu Deities. Chandra said Japanese couples who desire to have a beautiful daughter pray to Goddess Saraswati even to this day. Saraswati is also believed as the patroness of writers and painters. "In ancient times, Japanese generals prayed to Saraswati to be victorious in war," Chandra told the gathering which was also attended by the Japanese Ambassador to India Yasukuni Enoki and his wife. Year 2007 is being celebrated as Japan-India Friendship Year to commemorate the 50th year of the cultural agreement between the two countries. According to Chandra, who has travelled to Japan many times to study the country's culture and tradition, Saraswati is also worshipped as the "Goddesses of the kitchen."

There is a suburban district in Tokyo named Kichijo, which traces its roots to "Lakshmi," the Hindu Goddess of Wealth. Lakshmi was propagated to China along with Buddhism in the ancient time, to be known as Kichijo in its Chinese form and then reached Japan as a Buddhist Goddess. Chandra also spoke extensively about how Sanskrit language has influenced traditional Japanese calligraphy. The Indian text was introduced into Japanese society many centuries ago. Japanese monks had to study Sanskrit in order to master Buddhism from original Indian scriptures and textbooks. Lord Ganesha in Japan symbolizes the joy of life that arises from the power rooted in the virtues of wisdom and compassion. There are roughly 100 temples dedicated to Ganesha in Japan, Chandra added. An 11th century Ganesha temple is the oldest among them. Together with Hindu Gods and Goddess, ancient Japanese society was also introduced to Indian dance forms and musical instruments. One can also see the Indian epic Ramayana in the traditional Japanese dance forms of Bugaku and Gigaku.

courtesy of Hinduism Today  http://www.hinduismtoday.com

Vedic World Heritage links:

See our pages supporting these views HERE:
http://www.hknet.org.nz/VWH.html (Vedik World Heritage)
Western Indologists been exposed page:
http://www.hknet.org.nz/WesternIndologists-page.htm
How British Misguided the World on Vedic History
http://www.hknet.org.nz/MotiveBritishRajMissionaries.html

Now we're not the sort that go ranting on and on whenever someone around us fancies a slice of ham, but we thought it only fair to dispel some of the myths concerning vegetarianism and reveal some of the uncomfortable truths of the meat industry.

The facts below have been compiled by the excellent Viva! charity have been reproduced with their permission.

Antioxidant Allies
Antioxidants protect against more than 60 diseases. Found mostly in fruit and vegetables. They destroy 'free radicals'.

Protein Plus
'Vegetarians have excellent health. Protein is not a limiting factor.'
US Government

Cutting Cholesterol
A vegetarian diet can reduce cholesterol levels. (Cholesterol is linked to heart disease – fruit and vegetables contain none.)
BMA

Free Folic Acid
Vegetarians and vegans have higher intakes of folic acid than omnivores.
BMA

Cool for Kids
A vegetarian diet meets all the nutritional needs of infants and adolescents.
ADA/BMA

Iron – the Truth
Vegetarians are no more likely to suffer anaemia than meat eaters.
ADA/BMA

Kitchen Zinc
Zinc levels are normal in vegetarians.
ADA

Marine Madness
The world's 17 major fisheries are on the point of environmental collapse because of over-fishing. United Nations Raining Acid
Animal faeces is a major cause of acid rain – in Holland and Belgium, the main cause.
Wageningen University

Felling Forests
Rain forests are still being felled to graze hamburger cattle. Going vegan saves one acre of forest every year.
Cornell University

Desert Dangers
Deserts spread every year – by an area the size of England and Scotland. Livestock grazing is the main cause.

Wasting Water
On irrigated land, 1lb of vegetables uses 25 gallons. 1lb of beef uses 5,214 gallons.
University of California

Chemical Killers
Every year in Britain, one billion gallons of pesticides are used – 200 chemicals, 50 suspected of causing cancer.
Soil Association

Beg Your Pardon
Farmed animals rank second in causing global warming. Reason – methane from prolific farting and belching.
SAFE

Astounding Appetites
More than 90 per cent of all agricultural land in Britain is used to feed animals

Land to Spare
If Britain went vegetarian, less than half the farm land would be needed – vegan, less than a quarter!
Reading University

Live Longer
Vegetarians often live longer and suffer less from several chronic diseases.
ADA

Better Births
Vegetarians have a much lower incidence of caesarean section.
PCRM

Slowing Strokes
Vegetarians are less likely to suffer strokes caused by coronary artery disease.
BMA

Unclogging Arteries
Vegetarian diets have been successful in arresting and reversing severe coronary artery disease.
ADA

Defeat Disease
Vegetarians have lower rates of obesity, coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, large bowel disorders, cancers and gallstones.
BMA

Ditch Diabetes
Diabetes is much less likely to be a cause of death in vegetarians.
ADA

Perfect Protection
Vegetarian diets offer disease protection because of lower saturated fat, cholesterol and animal protein and higher folates, antioxidant vitamins and plant nutrients.
ADA

Banishing Bugs
95 per cent of all food poisoning comes from meat and animal products.

Cancer – No.2 Killer
Cancer rates among vegetarians are 25-50 per cent less than non-vegetarians.
PCRM

Pressure Points
Hypertension (high blood pressure) in vegetarians is one third to one half that of meat eaters.
PCRM

Heart Disease – No.1 Killer
Vegetarians have half to three-quarters the risk of dying of heart disease compared to non-vegetarians.
PCRM

Alzheimer’s Awareness
New research suggests that dementia may be linked to a BSE-like 'prion' found in some meat.

Legal Mutilation
50 per cent of all piglets have their teeth crushed and tails cut off without anaesthetics.

Dairy Deaths
Calves are taken from their mothers a day or two after birth. Males are usually killed.

Boiled Alive
Up to one fifth of chickens may be fully conscious when they enter the scalding tank to loosen their feathers.

Not So Humane
The majority of calves, lambs and pigs are conscious when their throats are cut

Broiler Barbarity
Four-fifths of broiler chickens (killed for meat) have broken bones and deformed feet, legs and other bone deformities.

Saving Space
Broiler sheds may contain up to 50,000 birds – each one allowed a space the size of a telephone directory.

Terror for Turkeys
25 per cent of turkeys are in chronic pain because of swollen joints – 70 per cent of big birds.

Ducks' Despair
Most ducks are factory farmed in crowded sheds. They never see daylight or swim in water.

Assault and Battery
80 per cent of all eggs come from battery hens – kept five to a cage no bigger than a microwave oven.

No Reprieve
24 per cent of dairy cows are pregnant when slaughtered – many nearing full term.

Misery and Medication
Disease, dirt and crowding, antibiotics and chemical growth enhancers – that’s the five-month life of most pigs.

The Healthy Option?
Nearly all 650 million UK chickens are fed antibiotics daily. 72 million die from disease.

Silent Lambs
20 per cent of lambs die from cold, disease and starvation.

Waste Not, Want Not
It takes about 10kg of good quality plant protein – such as wheat and soya – to produce 1kg of meat protein.

Meat is Murder
The amount of veg protein fed to the US beef herd would feed almost the entire populations of India and China – two billion people.

From the Mouths of Babes
90 per cent of UK’s animal feed protein concentrates come from poor countries – often those where children die from starvation.

Wicked Waste
Amount of grain needed to end extreme hunger – 40 million tonnes. Amount of grain fed to animals in the West – 540 million tonnes.
United Nations

Veg is Best
Veg consumption is much more efficient than growing feed for meat production and dairying.
WHO

Food for a Future
35 per cent of the world’s people can be fed on a meat-based diet. A plant diet could feed everyone – then plus some. Sir Crispin Tickell

The medical sources quoted are from some of the most prestigious in the world: BMA (British Medical Association); ADA (American Dietetic Association); WHO (World Health Organisation); PCRM (Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine).

For more information, contact:
Viva! 12 Queen Street, Brighton BN1 3FD UK
Tel: 01273 777688

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Sometimes great authorities will teach asat sastra, a teaching which is not actually bona fide, but is just something to beat the heads of the atheists and kick them out.  There is one story of Gopala Bhar.  He was employed by king Krsnacandra, who lived about 300 years ago in Bengal, and Gopala was the joker.  He was also very intelligent, and very bold.  There was a digvijaya pandita, who came to Bengal.  At that time, the main king or emperor of Bengal was a Muslim, but in different provinces there were also Hindu kings, and Maharaja Krsnacandra was one such Hindu king, he was king in that area of Navadvipa.  So this digvijaya pandita had been going all over India defeating all the panditas, and getting it written down, "I have defeated this one, I have defeated that one."  So he came to the muslim emperor, saying, "I am the great digvijaya pandita, I have come now to Bengal and I'm making a challenge.  You bring your best pandita.  I will defeat him."  What he expected was that whoever he defeated had to become his disciple.  So he made a very strong challenge.  The muslim emperor turned to his adviser and said, "What should we do?"  The minister replied, "Well, you know all our best panditas are down in Navadvipa."  That was the centre of learning.  So a message was sent to Maharaja Krsnacandra that a big pandita has come to the muslim emperor and given challenge.  "Send your best panditas, and if I defeat them they must become my disciples."  So it was very heavy for Maharaja Krsnacandra, because he knew, "The muslim emperor is expecting that I send some panditas that can defeat him.  It is all now on my shoulders."  So then, together with his advisers, he decided to bring in the big panditas.  They  explained to the panditas what was going on, but all the panditas in Navadvipa said, "No.  We're not getting involved in this."  They didn't want their prestige to be diminished, they were thinking, "If we go there and he defeats us then it means we have to become his disciples, and then our prestige will be diminished.  So we'll just stay out of this."  The king was very much worried, because he was a kshatriya, he cannot force Brahmins to do his will.  He can only ask, and if they say no then he's in a helpless situation.  So he was very worried.  Then Gopala Bhar came in, and saw the king sitting there very morose.  "Hey king!  What's wrong?"  "Oh Gopala, look don't bother me now."  Gopala said, "Oh, come on, What's the matter."  The king was very sober, "Look Gopala, we don't want to laugh now.  We don't want to hear jokes.  Please come back another day."  "No no," Gopala said, "Why don't you just tell me?"  "All right," the king said, and then he explained everything.  Then Gopala said, "All right, then I will go."  "You?" the king asked.  "Yes, I will go, and I will defeat this pandita.  No problem."  So then Gopala went home, and he dressed himself up like a big Brahmin.  Cut his hair with a big sikha, huge tilaka and a harinam chadar, looking very bonafide.  And Brahmins used to carry their sastra in a roll, a scroll wrapped in silk cloth, under their arm.  So he was looking for something to wrap up, and he had in his house one old broken bed.  So in Bengal these beds are strips of cloth which are woven together, like a deck chair, and in Bengali they call such a bed a kata.  Because the English settled India, many English words come from the Indian language.  In English such a bed is called a cot.  So he took a leg from that old broken bed, and he wrapped in cloth.  He went back to the king, and showed himself.  Everyone was astonished.  "Wow, he looks like a real heavy Brahmin."  He was really getting into the role.  "What is this sastra?" the king asked, and Gopala replied, "This is my Khatvanga Purana."  "But we never heard of this sastra," everyone was saying.  "When I come back I will tell you," Gopala said, and then he left.  Actually what it was, was that khata means "bed", anga means "part of" or in this case the leg, and purana means "old."  So it was "an old leg of a bed," or "Khatvanga Purana."  So this was his sastra.  Then he went to the emperors palace, and he came walking in.  "Oh, what great pandita is this?"  "My name is Gopala Bhar Das Pandit Maharaja.  I have been sent by the king Maharaja Krsnacandra to defeat this so-called digvijaya.  I am master of the four Vedas, and especially my field of expertise is the Jyotir-Veda (which includes astrology."  He was speaking so confidently, and he was looking fearless.  Everyone was very impressed, and even this digvijaya pandita was thinking, "He's not at all afraid of me.  He must be a heavy one."  So the digvijaya pandita saw this scripture that Gopala was carrying, and he asked, "What is this scripture, may I ask?"  "This," Gopala replied, "Is my Khatvanga Purana, of which I am a master."  The pandita was saying, "Wait a minute, I've heard of Visnu Purana, Skanda Purana.  I've never heard of Katvanga Purana.  May I see this?"  Then Gopal Bhar exclaimed, "Ohh!"  He was looking into the sky and going, "Ohhh!  I have just noticed the angle of the sun, and I am remembering now the date today.  We have just now entered a most auspicious moment, according to the Jyotir-Veda.  Anybody who takes a hair from the head of this pandita," pointing to the digvijaya, "will immediately be granted with long life, and wealth in this lifetime, and liberation in the next.  All auspicious result will come in this life and the next, simply by taking a hair from such a great digvijaya pandita as this."  So then immediately everyone in the court ran and was taking hairs from the pandita.  The pandita was being driven, and they were taking from his beard and everything.  He went running and they were all chasing him.  He was gone.  Gopala Bhar returned to Navadvipa with his head in the air.  "Don't worry King, he is gone.  That pandita has run off.  He's completely defeated, completely finished."  "Oh!" the king said.  "How did you do this?"  "As you were saying, I have this Katvanga Purana.   I am a master of the learning of this."  And when he opened it he showed a leg of a bed, and everyone was astonished.  Then he explained the story, and they could all understand that he had just played a big joke, that's all.  Then they asked him, "How is it that you could go so confidently, so boldly into that courtyard of the muslim emperor, simply dressed up like a brahmin and carrying an old bed leg under your arm.  How were you so sure that you could defeat him just by a trick?"  Gopala replied, "As soon as I heard that this pandita was going to the muslim king and declaring that he is a great learned scholar, and that he would defeat any other scholar, then I knew that he must have been a fool.  He must have actually been a kind of rascal because what do muslims know about Vedic learning.  Why did he go to the muslim, why didn't he come down here or go to another Hindu king.  He was going to the muslim king, so I knew that he must just be a rascal, trying to make a big show, so I did not think I had anything to fear when I went there."

MORAL: The digvijaya pandita was just actually a rascal, which means not really one who's situated on the platform of knowledge, just someone who's trying to gain some name and fame.  That's a rascal.  Rascals can be defeated by rascal means.

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