Bhadrapad Krishna 14 Vik. Samvat 2081, Yugabda 5126 : 1 September, 2024: SM 6011 (For Private Circulation only)
1. FESTIVALS: GANESH
CHATURTHI: Ganesh Chaturthi (September 7 this year) is a festival that pays
homage to Bhagwan Ganesh, the remover of obstacles, and celebrates the day of
His birth. Ganeshotsav is celebrated as a 10-day festival, during which four
main rituals, namely Prana Pratishta, Shodashopachara, Uttarpuja, and Ganpati
Visarjan are performed.
2. RSS SARSANGHCHALAK MOHAN BHAGWAT HOISTED TRICOLOUR;
On the occasion of the 78th Independence Day, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)
Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat hoisted the national flag at the RSS Headquarters
in Nagpur on August 15. On the occasion Dr Bhagwat said, “We have completed 78
years of Independence… We got independence only after the sacrifices of
countless people who gave their lives for our freedom.”
He also touched upon the ongoing political turmoil in Bangladesh, particularly the challenges faced by the Hindu community there. -GoTop
3. RASHTRAPATI DROUPADI MURMU’S INDEPENDENCE DAY EVE ADDRESS
TO THE NATION: Rashtrapati Droupadi Murmu congratulated Bharat on its 78th
Independence Day.
4. PM MODI’S CLARION CALL FOR VIKSIT BHARAT FROM RED FORT:
On the 78th anniversary of Bharat’s independence, Pradhan Mantri Narendra
Modi unfurled the national flag at the Red Fort for the 11th consecutive time.
5. BHARAT'S INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATED ACROSS NEW YORK
CITY: The hues of the Bharatiya tricolor and Bharat's rich cultural heritage
resonated across the New York as the city celebrated Bharat’s 78th Independence
Day with patriotic fervour. Leading diaspora organisation Federation of Indian
Associations NY-NJ-CT-NE (FIA) held a special Independence Day celebration at
the iconic Times Square. Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra
Margherita, who was in the city, addressed members of the diaspora at the flag
hoisting ceremony in the Consulate and Times Square.
6. BILL GATES FLAGS OFF FIRST-EVER BHARATIYA INDEPENDENCE
DAY IN GREATER SEATTLE: Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates inaugurated the
first India Day celebrations with the theme of “Unity in Diversity” in the newly
established Indian Consulate in Seattle area. It was organized by the Consulate
General of Bharat in Seattle.
7. NEW YORK INDIA DAY PARADE FEATURES RAM MANDIR REPLICA:
People in large numbers participated in the India Day Parade held in New
York carrying Bharatiya flags and were seen playing dhols and dancing. A replica
of Ram Mandir featured in the parade. The 18-foot long, nine-foot wide and
eight-foot high float was largely carved in Bharat. According to the Federation
of Indian Associations, the parade featured more than 40 floats, over 50
marching groups and over 30 marching bands, along with celebrities and
dignitaries.
8. WORLD LEADERS GREET BHARAT ON ITS INDEPENDENCE DAY:
Leaders from across the world, including French President Emmanuel Macron and
Russian President Vladimir Putin, greeted Bharat's leadership and the people of
the country as it celebrated its 78th Independence Day on August 15. Israeli
Foreign Minister Israel Katz, David Lammy, Prime Minister of UAE Sheikh Mohammed
bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli, Bhutan’s Prime
Minister Tshering Tobgay, Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth,
President of Maldives Dr Mohamed Muizzu, Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka M U M Ali
Sabry, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Singapore’s Minister for Foreign
Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan, and several other leaders too wished Bharat. -GoTop
9. LOKMANTHAN BHAGYANAGAR 2024: THE ONENESS OF OUR UNITY:
Bhagyanagar is planning to host “LokManthan 2024: A Colloquium of
Nation-First Thinkers & Practitioners”. An event on August 10 served as a
curtain raiser for the grand programme scheduled for November 2024. On this
occasion, the reception committee of 108 personalities was announced, a book
detailing the event’s concept was published and a dedicated portal was made
available to the public. The speakers from different walks of life explained the
idea and concept of the upcoming big biennial conference.
J Nandakumar, National Convenor of Pragna Pravah, delivered the keynote address, focusing on the theme and the reasons behind “LokManthan”. He said that today’s event is just the beginning. It serves as a curtain raiser for the grand programme scheduled for November, where we will continue to celebrate Bharat’s strength i.e. the oneness of our society. -GoTop
10. EKATMA PARV AT OMKARESHWAR: The Acharya Shankar
Cultural Unity Trust of Madhya Pradesh has been organising the Shankar Lecture
series monthly for the past 5 years, with the aim of making the profound secrets
of Vedanta accessible to the general public in a simple form. The 70th edition
of the series was given a special form and a two-day ‘Ekatma Parv’ focusing on
concept of Shakti in Vedanta was organised by Trust at Bharat Bhavan in Bhopal
on August 17-18.
On the second day, the Trust organised 'Ekatma Samvad' between famous television actor Nitish Bhardwaj and Shri M on various aspects of Advaita Vedanta. -GoTop
11. DU HOLDS ‘RAMCHARITMANAS FOR HUMANITY’ CONFERENCE:
A one-day conference ‘Ramcharitmanas for Humanity’ was organized by the Centre
for Hindu Studies, University of Delhi on August 23. While addressing the
conference Minister of Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat highlighted
how the Ramcharitmanas offers solutions to everyday challenges, emphasising that
the life of Shri Ram serves as an ideal for humanity. Guest of Honour Santosh
Taneja, founder, Samkalp and Advisor, Sanskriti Sangyan, elaborated on the
concept of Ramrajya, emphasising the immense yet invisible power of
spirituality. Many eminent scholars and experts in the field shared their
perspectives on ‘Ram and Ramrajya’ and application of Ramcharitmanas in
contemporary times. During the event, Pradeep Kumar Singhal, National Convener
of Sanskriti Sangyan, launched a book titled "Manas ke Moti." -GoTop
12. A SILENT
PROTEST MARCH AGAINST BANGLADESH VIOLENCE: In the wake of the heinous crimes
against women, and attacks on Mandirs and other religious sites against minority
communities in Bangaldesh, the Nari Shakti Forum organised a silent protest on
August 16 from Mandi House to Jantar Mantar in Delhi.
13. CANADA SANGH SHIKSHA VARG 2024: HSS Canada organised a Sangh Shiksha Varg from August 11 to 18 at Toronto, Ontario. 86 shiksharthis from 7 Canadian provinces participated, speaking a rainbow of languages including Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi, Telugu, Creole, Malayalam, Punjabi, and Kannada. Apart from this, 24 Shikshaks and Prabandhanks devoted their time for the varg. This year's varg offered three levels – Prathmik, Pravesh, and Praveen. With participants ranging from the youngest at 10 to the most seasoned at 70, the energy was palpable.
14. HSS RAKSHABANDHAN CELEBRATIONS: HSS Taiwan
celebrated Rakshabandhan festival in its shakha on August 25, with a gathering
of 30 Bharatiyas and other local brethren.
The Naperville-Aurora HSS USA honored Naperville’s first responders on August 14, outside of the Naperville Police Department, during the annual Rakshabandhan festival. The ceremony was attended by Naperville’s firefighters, police officers, and other public officials, and served as a reminder of the bond between those who protect the community and the people they serve.
On August 16, HSS Canada Guelph’s Shivaji Shakha celebrated Rakshabandhan with local police officers. On August 25, HSS Canada Halifax celebrated Rakshabandhan with heroes at the Halifax Fire Department.
15. HSS DENMARK FOOD FEST: HSS Denmark organised
Europe's biggest Bharatiya Vegetarian/Vegan (Sustainable) Food Festival at
Østerbrohuset, Århusgade København, Denmark, on August 24. HSS volunteers from
ages 10 to 60+ made this event a success.
16. TEXAS UNVEILS WORLD’S TALLEST STATUE OF HANUMANJI:
On August 18, a towering 90-foot bronze statue of Bhagwan Hanuman was unveiled
in a grand ceremony at Ashtalakshami Mandir Texas, marking a significant
milestone in the cultural and spiritual landscape of the state. Named the
“Statue of Union,” this massive sculpture is now the tallest Hanuman murti
outside of Bharat, the tallest statue in Texas, and the third tallest in the US,
behind only the Statue of Liberty in New York and the Pegasus and Dragon in
Florida, organizers said.
17. GANESH MANDIR OPENS IN GERMANY: On the edge of
Hasenheide near Hermannplatz in Neukölln, Berlin, Bhagwan Ganesh’s mandir was
planned since 2004 and now an 18 meter high Hindu mandir stands there. 185
deities decorate the mandir tower and in the hall a statue of the Bhagwan Ganesh
with parivar was installed.
18. JANMASHTAMI CELEBRATIONS AROUND THE WORLD: On the
auspicious occasion of the 5251st birth anniversary of Bhagwan Shri Krishna on
August 26, Vishwa Hindu Parishad organized a program of 'Deep Daan' with 5251
lamps at River Yamuna's Devraha Baba Ghat in Vrindavan on August 22.
President of Nepal Ramchandra Paudel performed Pooja at the Krishna mandir in Patan Durbar Square. People in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, participated in a parade marking the Janmashtami. The Bharatiya community celebrated Krishna Janmashtami in different mandirs in USA. Janmashtami was also celebrated in Toronto, Canada and Paris, the French capital. In Singapore, religious processions were held and Shree Lakshmi Narayan mandir was decorated. The Krishna mandir in Malaysia’s capital city of Kuala Lumpur hosted the festival. In Fiji, eight-day Krishna Janmashtami was celebrated as “Krishna Ashtami”. Sri Krishna devotees celebrated Janmashtami in Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Mauritius, Suriname, Denmark, New Zealand, UK, Australia, Bali (Indonesia) and in other countries. Bhaktivedanta, ISKCON, BAPS & other Mandirs around the world celebrated Janmashtami. -GoTop
19. BHARAT CELEBRATES ITS FIRST-EVER NATIONAL SPACE DAY:
On 23 August 2023, Bharat achieved a historic milestone when the
Chandrayaan-3 lander completed a soft landing on the moon. This remarkable
accomplishment made Bharat the 4th country to accomplish this feat and the 1st
to land on the lunar South Pole. In recognition of this achievement, Pradhan
Mantri Narendra Modi has declared August 23 as National Space Day. The theme of
the first National Space Day is ‘Touching Lives While Touching the Moon: India’s
Space Saga’.
While addressing maiden National Space Day programme on August 23 at Bharat
Mandapam in New Delhi , Rashtrapati Droupadi Murmu has said that ISRO has made
important contributions not only to the space sector but also to the
socio-economic development of the country. ISRO chairman S Somanath said that
this year the National Space Day was celebrated all across the country with the
participation of departments, ministries, educational institutions, science
organisations, NGOs, and the general public. -GoTop
20. BHARAT LAUNCHES ITS 1ST REUSABLE HYBRID ROCKET
‘RHUMI-1’: Bharat launched its first reusable hybrid rocket ‘RHUMI- 1’
successfully from Thiruvidandhai in Chennai on August 24. This rocket was
developed by the Tamil Nadu-based startup Space Zone India with Martin Group.
The rocket, carrying 3 Cube Satellites and 50 PICO Satellites, was launched into
a suborbital trajectory using a mobile launcher. These satellites will be
collecting data for research purposes on Global warming and Climate change.
RHUMI is 100 per cent pyrotechnic-free and 0 per cent TNT. -GoTop
21. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Visitors: Pradeep
Gupta with son - UK.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: He who has no attachments can really love others, this
kind of love is pure and divine. -Bhagwan Sri Krishna -GoTop
JAI SHRI RAM
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CELEBRATING HINDU FOOTPRINTS
RAVI KUMAR IYER
Hinduism has approximately 1.2
billion (120 crore) adherents worldwide (15 percent of the world’s population).
It is the third largest religion in the world after Christianity (31.5 percent)
and Islam (23.5 percent). But, across the world there are only two Hindu
majority nations – Bharat which has over 100 crore Hindus and Nepal which has
2.4 crore Hindus. Other countries with large Hindu population are Bangladesh
(1.4 crore). Pakistan (52 lakh), Indonesia (50 lakh, with Bali being 87 percent
Hindu), USA (33 lakh), Sri Lanka (26 lakh), Malaysia (20 lakh), United Kingdom
(10 lakh), Australia and Mauritius ( seven lakh), South Africa (five lakh) and
United Arab Emirates (five lakh).
Overseas Hindus have built thousands of temples all over the world wherein
classes are held during the weekends to teach children shlokas, and educate them
on Hindu scriptures like Ramayana, and Puranas, as also Indian languages like
Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, Kannada and Telugu. Many
Indian schools are run for the betterment of children and there is a huge demand
for Indian dresses like sarees, kurta-pyjama etc. There are thousands of
provision stores and restaurants that cater to the taste buds of Indians. Hindi
and Tamil movies are a craze not only among overseas Indians but also among
Arabs, Malaysians, Thais and people from other nationalities. Film star
Rajnikant (and his movies) is a rage among the Japanese – Japanese youth know
Tamil movie dialogues and punch-lines by heart.
More than 20 lakh Tamil Hindus and tourists throng the Lord Shanmuga Temple at Batu Caves near Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia during this time, making it the largest annual gathering in South East Asia. The temple has a 140-feet-tall Lord Muruga statue – it is the tallest statue in Malaysia. Even the Karthikeya statue here is among the tallest statues in the world.
In Malaysia, Islam is the official religion and conversions to Abrahamic faiths are encouraged by interpreting and implementing Sharia laws. But, amid all the allurements and religious tyranny like destruction of Hindu temples, Hindus have maintained their dharma and religious practices: they celebrate festivals like Deepavali, Pongal, Navaratri and Thai Pusam with much enthusiasm. Hindus have built over 800 temples across this country.
Navratri Celebrations by Exogamic Thais: Located in Bangkok, Sri Mariamman Temple is the main Tamil Hindu temple of Thailand. It is dedicated to Goddess Parvati. More than 60,000 Tamil-Thai exogamic Hindus participate in the Navratri religious procession in October-November every year. On the last day of this 10-day festival, the street in front of the temple is colourfully decorated with yellow flower garlands and candles, and the image of Sri Mariamman is taken through the streets in a procession – a portion of the Silom Road is closed to traffic. More than 90 per cent of devotees in this procession are Chinese and Thais. During the 10 days, most Thai and Chinese shops decorate their shops with yellow and bhagwa flags, and they neither eat nor sell non-vegetarian food. Many universities in Thailand teach Sanskrit. The Princess of Thailand has even composed many songs in Sanskrit.
Hinduism in United Arab Emirates and Arab World: There are currently three temples in UAE- two in Dubai and one in Abu Dhabi. The Krishna temple in Bur Dubai was constructed in 1958. The second Hindu Temple of Dubai is in Jebel Ali Village next to the Sikh Gurudwara. This temple has 16 deities including Shiva, Krishna, Ganesh, and Mahalakshami. Constructed at a cost of approximately 60 million Dirham (US$16million), it was opened on October 5, 2022. The third grand temple in Abu Dhabi, popularly known as the BAPS Hindu Mandir, was inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 14, this year. It is built on 27-acre site at a cost of around Rs 700 crore. The land for the temple was donated by the UAE government.
The Sikh Gurudwara in Dubai, Guru Nanak Darbar, serves over 10,000 worshippers. Built at a cost of $20 million, it was opened in October 2022. Special three-hour sessions are held here for children on Saturdays: children are also taught Punjabi, how to do kirtan and other religious practices.
Many local Arabs, both men and women can be seen singing Hindu Bhajans. Yoga is very popular all over the Arab world, Iran and Turkey. Ayurvedic Burqa is gaining popularity as it is an antidote for skin disease prevalent among Arab women.
There are two cremation grounds for performing last rites of Hindus, one in Abu Dhabi and another in Dubai.
Closer home, in Pakistan, Yogi Haider (born Shamshad Haider) is a famous yoga teacher, operating since 1994. Today, his organisation teaches yoga to over 10,000 students in Islamabad, Karachi, Rawalpindi and Lahore.
Hindu and Hinduism in the West: In 2022, the then UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak performed Cow Puja with wife Akshata Murthy in London. Indian origin Leo Varadkar was elected as Prime Minister of Ireland in 2022. Dr Anand Satyanand held the office of the Governor General of New Zealand from 2006 to 2022. Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Basdeo Pandey welcomed the third millennium on January 14, 2000 by leading a 50,000 strong Hindu gathering to chant Hanuman Chalisa. In 2016, Kamala Persaud Bessessar took office as Prime Minister of Trinidad with her hands on Srimad Bhagwad Gita. In 2020, Chandrika Prasad Santoki took the oath of office of the President of Suriname, chanting Sanskrit shlokas and mantras.
There is a famous incident, often related by NRIs in the US: Once, at a gas station, an Indian went to the cashier to pay for the fuel. The cashier, a White American, remarked, 'you are an Indian’, to which the Indian asked as to how he was so sure that he was an Indian and not a Pakistani. The cashier replied, ‘you are driving a costly BMW car. Pakistanis cannot afford such costly items’. He then said, ‘you must be ABCD’ – Attorney General, Barrister, Consultant and Director. The Indian then asked him about non-Indians and the White man replied they are abcd - atankwadi, bomb blaster, coolie and driver. The American also lamented, ‘you Indians are killing our White children! Not physically, but through competitions. All our colleges are flooded with Indian students’. Several leading MNCs like Google, IBM and Microsoft have Indian CEOs.
Patel is one of the many castes of Gujaratis. In the US, the total number of Indians is less than one percent of its population, and Patels even lesser – they are not even 0.1 per cent of the total US population. Yet, they own 70 per cent of motels. How so? You must be wondering. Actually, running a motel is a labour-intensive business, so instead of employing a large staff, all the members of the Patel family share the work. Hence, they are able to offer customers lesser rates than other motels. In the last five decades, most Americans sold their motels to Patels and thus, today, 70 percent of motels owners are Patels.
Remarks an American: “If a child grows up in America, in a Hindu family, the chances of marital breakdown are very small, the chances of educational encouragement are incredibly high, the culture of hard work, achievement and everything you want in life is at a exceptionally high level than rest of us.’ This explains how India’s ancient family tradition is relevant even today for the whole of mankind.
India Today: Indian culture teaches us to put service over sales, honour over hassle, and most importantly people over profit. And, this value system has, in no way, hampered its progress. At 7.2 per cent growth rate, India is the fastest growing economy in the world. In GDP Nominal terms, India is the fifth largest economy. The population of India’s middle class is more than the population of entire USA.
India’s median age is 28, f0r China and USA it is 38.5 years, Germany and EU Countries 45 years and for Japan it is 48.6 years. This means Bharat will continue to be a country of youth till 2052. On the other hand, China, Japan and European countries are rapidly ageing. Larry Summers, former US Secretary of the Treasury (Finance Minister) recently stated, ‘China is a Prison, Japan is a hospital and Europe is a museum’. (Perhaps, he meant that US must strengthen its relations and business with Bharat). Indeed, the economically developed G-7 nations are trying to increase their business with Bharat. As a result, Hindi language is taught in many leading universities of the developed nations.
In February, 2024, American multinational strategy and management consulting firm, McKinsey & Company, stated that this is India’s century. In April 2024, the Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), emphasised India’s role as a key driver for global growth in the coming years. He highlighted India’s remarkable growth trajectory, consistently surpassing seven per cent even amidst the challenges posed by Covid-19 pandemic.
US is going to polls in November this year. The contest is between Democrats and the Republican candidates. If Democrats win, Kamala Harris of Indian origin will be the first woman President in the 248-year history of USA. If the Republicans win, Usha Chilikuri Vance will become the first Indian origin Second Lady in US history. Either way, it is a win for India and Indians. Let us all say it loudly. (Organiser, September 1, 2024) -GoTop
SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN samvadnewsletter@gmail.com http://shrivishwaniketan.
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