1. FESTIVALS: Purushottama Maasa: Bharatiya year has 354 days in 12 lunar months of around 29.5 days. Gregorian calendar has 12 months of around 365.25 days. To bring consistency in both the lunar and solar systems, there is a system of an extra month every three years, called Adhik or Purushottam Maasa in Bharatiya calendar. In Vikrami samvat 2072, there is an extra Aashadha month which is Purushottama masa this year. It will start on Aashaadha Amavasya corresponding to 17th June and will end on Shraavana Krishna Paksha chatudashi, i.e., on 15th July. During this period people perform various types of religious rituals such as fast, recitation of religious scriptures, mantras, prayers, performing various types of pujas and havans. It is believed that persons performing good deeds/satkarma in this month conquer their indriyas/senses and they totally come out of punar janam and also their miseries are eradicated. Marriages, entry into new house etc., are not performed in this month. -goTop
2. Without Buddha, 21st century cannot become Asia's century - Modi: International Buddha Poornima Diwas Celebration on May 4 in New Delhi was graced by several Buddhist Monks, followers, ambassadors and other dignitaries alongwith Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi.
Pradhan Mantri said Bhagwan Buddha's timeless message of love and compassion could help rid the world of the problems of war and violence. PM added that whole of the world had acknowledged that the 21st century would be Asia's century, and added that Buddha's teachings would be the inspiration and guiding spirit for Asia, as it showed the world the path to relief from problems of conflict and hatred.
PM said that we were conscious of the suffering that the recent earthquake has caused in Nepal - the land of Buddha's birth. But he added that this is also an opportunity for everyone to follow Lord Buddha''s message of ''karuna'' (compassion), and to wipe the tears of those suffering in Nepal.
He said that the importance given to the ''Sangh'' highlights how Lord Buddha sensed the importance of uniting people towards a noble cause. He said Lord Buddha's teaching of ''Atta Deepo Bhavah'' - ''Be your own light'' - was one of the greatest management lessons ever, contained in just three words. He recalled his visits to Buddhist temples recently in Japan and Sri Lanka, and also in China when he was Chief Minister of Gujarat. He said some people called Buddha ''the light of the east,'' and added that in his opinion, this was an underestimation, and Buddha was in fact a source of inspiration for the entire universe.
The Union Minister of State for Culture Mahesh Sharma, the Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju, and the Ven. Lama Lobzang, Secretary General, International Buddhist Confederation, were also present on the occasion.-goTop
3. Education not just to earn, but to perform dharma - Mohan BHAGWAT: ''For a person, education is not a path for earning bread, it is to make a person Vishwambhar, a person who performs and protects the values of dharma throughout his life. This should be the purpose of education,'' said RSS Sarsanghachalak Shri Mohan Bhagwat at Channenahalli near Bengaluru on April 30. He was addressing a gathering after performing bhoomipujan for a new hostel building of Janaseva Vidyakendra. Shri Nirmalanandanatha Swamiji of Adichunchanagiri Math said apart from focusing on making a building taller, we should also focus upon raising the personality of an individual. -goTop
4. Namaste Russia Festival Inaugurated By Rashtrapatiji: Rashtrapati Shri Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated a festival of Bharatiya Culture in Russia 'Namaste Russia' in Moscow on 10th May.
Speaking on the occasion, the President said, ''Indian culture and its heritage of art, music and cinema have enjoyed love and appreciation across Russia over centuries. In India too, there is enormous warmth and regard for Russian culture as showcased in its ballet, literature and traditions. Russia's Gerasim Lebedev, who was arguably the first European Indologist, pioneered the Bengali theatre 220 years ago in Kolkata.''
The President said with the support of the Russian Ministry of Culture, 'Namaste Russia' will reach various regions of Russia over the next six months. He said that he was delighted to learn that the logo for 'Namaste Russia' is designed by a young Russian from the Russian town of Krasnoyarsk, who succeeded in an open competition with both Bharatiyas and Russians.-goTop
5. Democracy is in our DNA: ''Bharat by its very nature is a democracy. It is not just as per our Constitution that we are a democratic country; it is in our DNA... I firmly believe that for us, democracy and belief in democratic values are a matter of faith... So, if you were to ask me whether you need dictatorship to run Bharat, no, you do not. ..Whether you need a powerful person who believes in concentrating power at one place, no you do not. If anything is required to take India forward, it is an innate belief in democracy and democratic values. I think that is what is needed and that is what we have,'' Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi said in an interview to Time magazine.
''If you were to ask me at a personal level to choose between democratic values on the one hand, and wealth, power, prosperity and fame on the other hand, I will very easily and without any doubt choose democracy and belief in democratic values,'' he added.
During the two-hour-long interview on May 2, Modi also allayed fears of minorities under his government, saying he would take responsibility to ensure their ''complete and total protection''. -goTop
6. Britain needs to take inspiration from Hinduism - David Cameron: In his third visit to the Swaminarayan temple at Neasden, the British Prime Minister, David Camron said, ''I go around the country, I see our iconic buildings and statues Stonehenge, the Angel of the North, Big Ben and I'll tell you what - Neasden Mandir is one of them - one of our great British landmarks. The first traditional Hindu temple built in Europe wasn't in Germany, or France, or Spain. It was here in Britain - right here in Neasden - and I'm so proud of that. I think of everything that went into creating it the 3,000 tonnes of Bulgarian limestone, the 1,200 tonnes of Italian marble, the 1500 sculptors in Bharat, the countless hours of volunteering by young and old. It really was a labour of love - and it really is a thing of beauty, a marvel,'' Cameron said.-goTop
7. PIOs elected to UK parliament: A record number of 10 Bharatiya-origin candidates including Keith Vaz, Priti Patel and Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy's son-in-law were on May 8 elected to the British Parliament.There were a total of 59 Bharatiya-origin candidates in the fray from the Tories (17), Labour (14), Liberal Democrats (14), Green Party (4), United Kingdom Independence Party (3), Independents (2) and one each from the smaller parties like All People's Party, Christian Movement for Great Britain, National Liberal Party, Socialist Labour Party and Young People's Party. Prime Minister David Cameron has chosen Bharatiya-origin MP Priti Patel as the new Employment Minister. Patel, who was re-elected from Witham in Essex with a big majority replaces another female MP in the Cabinet, Esther McVey, who lost in the polls. -goTop
8. CIVILISATIONAL CONNECTIONS:
Modi's Buddhist pitch is not just diplomatic PR
While other empires were built by kings and soldiers who conquered vast swathes of territory, the Indian civilisational empire, it can be said, has been raised by saints and seers who found a place in our souls. Unfortunately, in the recent past, India has failed to acknowledge, leave alone develop, those spiritual ties of yore with its friends and neighbours. This is partly the result of the misguided policy perspectives of some post-Independence leaders, who confused secularism with irreligiosity, (if not willfully undermined it through minority appeasement), and also partly the result of the public's own detachment from its civilisational history. It is against this backdrop that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's heartfelt address on Buddha Poornima, highlighting Lord Buddha's relevance in the contemporary world, must be viewed.
This is the first time in recent memory that Buddha Poornima has been celebrated on such a massive scale by the Government with a message for audiences abroad and at home. In the first case, Mr Modi's Buddhist pitch reaches out to our South Asian neighbours such as Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan, and our friends across Asia, from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar to China, South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Singapore and Mongolia. It highlights India's civilisational connect with these countries and its undisputed position as an Asian powerhouse. Hopefully, these efforts to underline India's soft power will bring in, apart from more tourists, also diplomatic leverages in the years ahead.
Those who have sought to dismiss the Buddha Poornima speech as publicity gimmick for Mr Modi's upcoming China trip, should keep in mind that Buddhism has been an important leitmotif of Mr Modi's diplomacy. In Japan last year, he prayed at the Toji and Kinkakuji Buddhist temples, and in Sri Lanka this March, he addressed Buddhist monks at Colombo's Mahabodhi Temple and worshipped the Mahabodhi tree in Anuradhapura. In China, later this month, he is expected to visit the Great Wild Goose pagoda, dedicated to famous Buddhist pilgrim Huen Tsang.
On the domestic front, the speech marks a rare outreach to the Buddhist community which, though tiny, is still about eight million-strong. Moreover, after centuries of decline, Buddhism is on the rise in the land of its birth, primarily due to the migration of Tibetan Buddhists and the conversion of Hindu Dalits. Also, the Prime Minister's focus on Lord Buddha as a social reformer was a message to his domestic constituencies. It is too soon to predict with certainty but the Buddha Poornima speech could be an important indicator of how the Modi Government, often derided as a Hindu-majoritarian force, hopes to shape the debate on religion and secularism, nationalism and identity. Indeed, it is to be hoped that through more such measures, the Modi Government will take its historic mandate to a different level and refurbish that elusive 'Idea of India'. (The Pioneer, Editorial, 06 May 2015)-goTop
9. FELICITATION OF DR. PT. VAMADEVA SHASTRI: Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, Bay Area vibhag organized felicitation of Pt. Vamadeva Shastri- David Frawley for him receiving Padma Bhushan award granted by the Government of Bharat, honoring his work and writings as vedic teacher.
The felicitation ceremony was on the evening of Saturday 9th May at Sunnyvale Hindu Temple. For this felicitation leaders from Hindu American foundation, Indo-American Community Federation, Sanskrita Bharati, Yoga Bharati, Sewa International and Vedica Global were present. Over 150 swayamsevak and karyakarta from other organizations witnessed the ceremony.
Ma. Chandru Bhamra ji felicitated on behalf of HSS followed by the representative of each organization, Dr. Frawley eloquently spoke on Dharma, some principles like ahimsa, dharam concept, how the forces are at work in favor of dharma etc. He was very happy to see flourishing Hindu organizations in Bay Area, he emphasized sangha shakti the most powerful. Others who spoke at the occasion were Khanderao Kand and Vijay Sinha. Pt. Vamadeva shastri also had a fruitful meeting with yuva karyakartas over dinner.-goTop
10. TRITIYA VARSH SANGH SHIKSHA VARG-2015 STATRS AT NAGPUR: The Annual 25-day Truteeya Varsh Sangh Shiksha Varg was inaugurated on 11th May at Reshimbagh premises, Nagpur.
RSS Sah-Sarakaryavah Dattatreya Hosabale inaugurated the varga. Varg Sarvadhikari Govind Sing Tank offered floral tributes to Samadhi of RSS founder Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar and Second Sarasanghachalak Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar. Varg Karyavah Yashwant Bhai Chowdhary, Varg Palak Adhikari Arun Kumar (Akhil Bharatiya Sah Sampark Pramukh) were present during the inaugural.
''There is a great expectation and confidence about RSS in our country today. We have to live up to this expectation of people and transform this country into a powerful and united nation'', said Varg Pramukh Arun Kumar during his welcome speech to the the participants of the varga.
A total of nearly 876 select RSS karyakartas are taking part in this highest level of RSS annual training camp.-goTop
11. SERVING HUMANITY IS THE ONLY AGENDA - DATTATREYA HOSABALE: RSS Sahsarkaryavah Dattatreya Hosabale visited quake-torn Nepal immediately after the disaster struck the Himalayan neighbour. He shared the sorrows and agony of the victims, understood their needs and requirements and joined the relief operations conducted by the volunteers of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) there.
HSS volunteers are reaching every nook and corner of the earthquake affected areas, be it in Kathamnadu or mountaneous remote villages like Sole, Lang Tang Gusaikund to name a few. Separate teams have been formed to receive and sort the material arriving from various sources, distributing it at required places, medical help etc. -goTop
12. Naxalbari hosts RSS camp: Annual summer training camp of RSS is being held at the place from where the dreaded Naxalite movement under the leadership of Charu Mazumdar and Kanu Sanyal had sprung during the early seventies which is an indication of withering away of violence-based movement, RSS Sah-Sarkaryawah V. Bhagayya said in his inaugural address at the camp. The Naxalite movement was launched so that the working class, labourers and farm workers could lead a respectable life. But that did not happen. Today, we are holding the RSS camp here. The RSS believes in principle of love, brotherhood and welcomes and honors all sections of the society.
148 RSS volunteers from 106 places of North Bengal are participating in this summer camp. All the volunteers are below the age of 40.-goTop
13. 1,000 DAYS OF MEGA WALKATHON: The Bharat Parikrama Yatra completed 1,000 days on May 5. It is in Tejpur district of Assam now. Aiming at upliftment of village life, the Yatra, led by former RSS Akhil Bharatiya Sewa Pramukh Sitaram Kedialya, has covered over 12,150 kilometers distance.
RSS Sarsanghachalak Shri Mohan Bhagwat congratulated Kedilaya in a message He began his tour after obtaining the darshan of Sripada Rock Memorial in Kanyakumari and since then has been walking every day on barefoot and has covered the Western Ghats, Western Coastline, the western land border up to Kashmir and the northern border areas. He has travelled through the villages of the Terai region in the Himalayas and thus having walked for a complete 1,000 days has now reached Assam. Completing this 1,000 days arduous tour as per the set intentions and the effort put, is an achievement worthy of all accolades. -goTop
14. Hinduism becomes fourth-largest faith in US: America's Hindu population has reached 2.23 million, an increase of about one million or 85.8 percent since 2007, making Hinduism the fourth-largest faith. The proportion of Hindus in the US population rose from 0.4 percent in 2007 to 0.7 percent last year, according to the Pew Research Center's ''Religious Landscape Study'' published on May 12. An earlier report from Pew on the future of world religions in April said that by 2050, Hindus would make up 1.2 percent of the US population and number 4.78 million. This would make the US Hindu population the fifth largest in the world. -goTop
15. PIO lawmaker in Oz takes oath on Gita: Bharatiya-origin Daniel Mookhey on 12th May became the first politician in Australia to be sworn in on the Gita when he took oath in New South Wales Parliament. Mookhey, 32, was elected by the Labour to replace Steve Whan in the New South Wales Upper House, making him the state's first politician of Bharatiya background. -goTop
16. Yoga reaches Capitol Hill in US: A group of US lawmakers and hill staff have come together to form the first ever and one-of-its kind ''Congressional Yogi Association''. The inaugural event at the historic Cannon House Office Building of the US Congress was attended by a number of top American lawmakers. Prominent among them were Tim Ryan, Charles Rangel and Barbara Lee. Organised by the Congressional Yogi Association with support of the Bharatiya Embassy, the first-ever ''Yoga on the Hill'' on May 1 was attended by Brennan Mullaney (Team RWB- veterans' welfare organisation) and Tom Voss (Iraq War veteran). Around 60 Congressional officials participated in the yoga and meditation session. -goTop
17. Neel Mukherjee wins pOUND 10,000 UK literary award: Kolkata born writer Neel Mukherjee's ''The Lives of Others'' has won the UK's Encore Award for the best second novel. ''We were immensely impressed by the ambition and depth of Neel Mukherjee's second novel, in which a suburban house in 1960s Calcutta comes to reflect the political and social convulsions of an entire society,'' Alex Clark, chair of the Encore Judges, said. The Lives of Others was published in May 2014 by Chatto & Windus, and in the USA in October by W.W. Norton & Company.
Neel Mukherjee (born 1970), who lives in London, called the Encore ''a burst of light in what is usually considered to be dark, damp, bleak territory - the dreaded second novel'', and said he was ''thrilled by my good fortune and, looking at the list of past winners, both humbled and deeply honoured'' to win. -goTop
18. Women should realise their duties - Malati SHARMA: Matri Sammelans are being organised all over Bharat by Durga Vahini and Matrishakti to celebrate golden jubilee of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. Addressing a Sammelan in Delhi on May 3, Smt Malati Sharma, Uttar Kshetra convener of Matrishakti said: ''Today everyone talks about women rights but none talks about the real strength of the women. The glorious words like Behan, Patni, Dadi, Nani, Mami, Bua etc are vanishing from the vogue.'' She stressed the need to protect the values. On this occasion women also took pledge to protect the national values. The Sammelan was organised in New Ashok Nagar of East Delhi and also Greater Kailash-2 in South Delhi.-goTop
19. PIO Karan Menon wins National Geography Bee: Karan Menon, a 14-year-old student of Bharatiya origin, has won the prestigious National Geographic Bee competition in the US, in which the top three positions were bagged by Bharatiya-origin contestants. Menon, an eighth grader from New Jersey, competed against 10 finalists from across the US to win the 2015 National Geographic Bee championship held on May 13 at the National Geographic headquarters in Washington. Of the 10 finalists, seven were of Bharatiya origin.-goTop
20. Bharatiya-origin woman is first Asian elected mayor in UK: A Bharatiya-origin councillor woman has become the first Asian woman elected mayor of Ealing Council in London. Harbhajan Kaur Dheer, 62, at a ceremony at the Victoria Hall at Ealing Council on May 13 became the Mayor of Ealing Council after succeeding councillor Tej Ram Bagha. Her husband councillor Ranjit Dheer is a former Mayor of Ealing. Born in Punjab in 1953, Harbhajan Kaur came to Britain in 1975. -goTop
21. 2,600 year old Mayan city is discovered: Archaeologists have found a walled Mayan city from 2,600 years ago that followed a unique grid pattern, suggesting the ruler who oversaw the design was a very powerful person. The city, which contains flat-topped pyramids, was in use between roughly 600 BC and 300 BC, a time when the first cities were being constructed in the area, archaeologists working at Nixtun-Ch'ich' in Peten, Guatemala, have found. No other city from the Mayan world was planned using this grid design, researchers said. -goTop
22. Looted Hanuman idol back home in Cambodia: An American museum has returned a 10th-century sandstone statue of Hanuman to Cambodia, decades after it was looted from a jungle temple during the kingdom’s civil war. The metre-high statue was stolen in the 1970s from the Koh Ker temple site near the famed Angkor Wat complex. The artwork, which had been in the possession of the Cleveland Museum of Art since 1982, was returned after negotiations, and was received by Cambodian officials late on May 10. ''We welcome back the statue of Hanuman from the Cleveland Museum of Art in the US,'' Chan Tani, Cambodian Secretary of State for the Cabinet Office. -goTop
23. MEMOIRS OF DR. KIRTIDA MEHTA RELEASED: Mumbai based Dr Kirtida Mehta has compiled her memoirs in Paami Paras Sparsh Aapano, Dhanya Thaya Ame (Due to You, We Experience Divine Attainment). The book is in Gujarati and was released by Didi Maa Sadhvi Ritambara in presence of the RSS Sarkaryavah Bhaiyaji Joshi at a function held in Mumbai on April 5. Bhaiyaji said, ''Ideology alone is not enough for running an organisation. It needs a foundation of practicality, emotional bonding and affection. It is owing to Bharat's culture of family relationship that it is different from all other cultures. This sentimental attachment brings joy and pleasure in our lives.'' He complimented Smt Kirtida for her painstaking work and made it a point to mention that this was perhaps the first ever documentation of the RSS personalities. -goTop
24. Pakistan begins recons-truction of Hindu temple: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial government, in a report submitted to the Supreme Court, has said that it has started the restoration and reconstruction of the Samadhi (shrine) of Hindu saint, Param Hans Ji Maharaj. ''A long-standing religious-sensitive dispute of reconstruction of Hindu Samadhi at Teri district Karak has been finally undertaken in light of the Supreme Court judgment on May 1, 2015, under heavy deployment of the police in the supervision of district administration,'' said the report.-goTop
25. Bharatiya students MAKE plane generatING power BY vibrations: A team of Bharatiya students, spread across four countries in three continents, have jointly created the world's first airplane that generates its own power by the vibration of its wings. The path breaking idea has made it to the finals of a global competition floated by Airbus. The team which includes students presently studying in Bangalore, Netherlands, US and London envisages a future when the aircraft wings can be dressed in a composite skin that harvests energy from natural vibration or flex in the wings. The team now travels to Hamburg, Germany, to make their case for the top prize to Airbus. The winners of ''Fly Your Ideas'' competition to be announced on May 27 will win a 30,000 euro jackpot. -goTop
26. 'Akash' missile inducted into Army: The 'Akash' missile system finally got inducted into the Bharatiya Army on May 5 at a function in Delhi. The system is a proven formidable shield against possible aerial threats from enemy's fighter planes, helicopters, drones and unmanned aerial vehicles up to a maximum range of 25 km and upto an altitude of 20 km.
'Akash' is a surface-to-air missile indigenously developed by the Defence Research Development Laboratory (DRDL), under Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP).
The system is capable of simultaneously engaging multiple targets and is capable of providing comprehensive short range missile cover to the vulnerable assets in the field force of the Army. -goTop
27. Hindu Ratna conferred: On fourth Anniversary of Hindu Helpline, a 24X7 emergency helpline, the coveted 'Hindu Ratna' award was conferred upon Badminton legend Pullela Gopichand. Agriculturists Dr RK Pathak and Dr RA Ram too were presented the award at a function organised in Karnavati on April 25. Hindu Ratna award is given to the people who contribute significantly for the society in the field of art, culture, science, industry, sports, economics, Vanvasi welfare, etc.
Speaking on the occasion, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad working president Dr Pravin Togadia said: "We salute P Gopichand for his commitment to build this strength in kids while coaching them Badminton. Dr RK Pathak is not only an agriculturist but he has also deeply experimented on Agnihotra Krishi, impact of five elements on various crops and its application today. Dr RA Ramji, an expert in organic bio-dynamic Krishi, has worked with thousands of farmers helping them get better yield," he said.-goTop
28. CNR Rao conferred with Japan's highest civilian award: The Emperor of Japan conferred the country's highest civilian award, the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star, on eminent Bharatiya scientist CNR Rao, the Bharat Ratna awardee for his outstanding contributions to science and Indo-Japanese science cooperation. Rao is the only Bharatiya to be elected as a foreign member of the Japan Academy.
The renowned scientist, who has published more than 1600 research papers and authored about 50 books, has been bestowed with about 70 honorary doctorates, received the highest civilian award from several nations and is an elected member of almost all scientific academies across the globe. He had also worked as the Chief Science Advisor to the Bharatiya Pradhan Mantri.-goTop
29. Belur Math: a return to spiritual roots: Taking time off from a hectic two-day visit to West Bengal, Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi, visited Belur Math, the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Mission. He spent more than an hour walking barefoot across the complex on May 10 and praying at different temples. The Pradhan Mantri reflected on how he considered the ideas of Swami Vivekananda and Lord Ramakrishna an inspiration and had decided to join the order as a monk and had visited Belur Math as a youth. Modi also visited the Dakshineswar temple, located on the bank of river Hooghly, offered floral tributes and performed aarti at the temple.-goTop
30. Go-noyl, cow dung tiles to form base of cow economy: Cow dung and urine can be used to make everything from cancer medicines to idols of gods, organisations associated with the Sangh Parivar believe. Some of these organisations are already manufacturing tiles, mosquito coils and go-noyl -- a substitute for phenyl made of cow urine -- manure from cow dung and urine. About 7 km from Bawana village in Delhi, Gopalgosadan, an organisation associated with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), runs a shelter for 4,000 cows and also sells go-noyl, cow dung cakes for environment-friendly cremation in Delhi and organic manure from cow dung and urine across the country. "Cow urine is also used for making medicines for cancer and HIV patients," Rakesh Gupta, who runs Gopalgosadan, said.-goTop
31. Former Bharatiya Foreign Secy to join Aus think-tank: Former Bharatiya Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran would be joining an Australian think-tank as an international fellow. Shyam Sharan, 68, a famous career diplomat who has played a key role in Bharat's rise in the world would be joining the Lowy Institute as its 2015 Telstra Distinguished International Fellow. -goTop
32. Lankan team approaches Kanchi Acharya on communal harmony: Emissaries of Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe recently met the Shankaracharya of Kanchi-Kamakoti Peetham and sought his advice on how to maintain communal harmony in that Island Nation and improve ties with the neighbors.
The delegation of Lankan officials included among others Saman Athaudahetti, Additional Secretary (Media) at the PM's Office. The meeting took place on May 13 at Kancheepuram Mutt. They discussed on ways and means to promote communal harmony in Sri Lanka and improving religious ties between the people of Bharat and other South Asian neighbours.-goTop
33. Celebration of the Thakkar Family-DCF Endowed Chair at UCI: May 9th, 2015 marked the public celebration of the establishment of the "Thakkar Family-DCF Presidential Chair in Vedic and Indic Civilizational Studies", at the School of Humanities at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). A $1.5M gift from the Thakkar Family and Dharma Civilization Foundation (-DCF) established the endowed chair in January 2015. Additionally, the UC President will be funding half a million dollars to establish a total endowment of 2 million dollars. The Dean of Humanities at UCI, Dr. Georges Van Den Abbeele hosted the event, at the UCI campus, which was attended by over a 100 guests. This chair is intended to foster the study and understanding of Hinduism and Vedic traditions. -goTop
34. M C Satyanarayana, former Sanghachalak UK, breathed his last in Bengaluru on 12th May. He was 90. He had not been keeping well for the past few days. Shri Satyanarayana was a swayamsevak from Mysuru, worked for sangh in Mysuru and Bengaluru before moving to UK. He was a pillar, guide and inspirer of HSS UK since its inception in 1960's till the year 2000. His cremation took place the same day and was attended by senior Adhikarees of Karnataka Prant. -goTop
35. NARAD JAYANTI was celebrated at several places in Bharat in first week of May. Narad muni, considered as aadya patrakar (journalist) was remembered and eminent media people were felicitated on the occasion. In Delhi, Ma Krishnagopal ji graced the function organized by Indraprastha Vishwa Samvad Kendra on 9th May. Among those felicitated were Madhu Kishwar - Manushi, Yatendra Sharma - India News and others.-goTop
36. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravaas: Shri Ravikumar - sahsamyojak Vishwa Vibhag is on a tour to East European countries of Greece, Hungary, Romania, Lithuania and Czechoslovakia. Visitors: Rajesh Kumar - Singapore, Gayatri Patel - UK.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: An aggregate or a congregation of men does not make a nation, nor do the geographical area and duration of time qualify a society to be known as a nation. A government formed on such basis can be called a state, but not a nation. It is common goal or mission that makes a nation. All the constituents strive collectively for something noble... Service with a spiritual orientation results in man making which is invariably and inseparably connected with nation building. It is the core of all our thoughts behind this organization (Vivekananda Kendra). - Eknathji Ranade - goTop
JAI SHREE RAM
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