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School after school, Church after church, Temple after temple, Shrine after shrine, there were thousands of shoes/sandals outside the doors. Wow! Why? Many of the children ran around in the remote rural villages without shoes perhaps because they didn’t have footwear but because the ground was sacred. Where the animals sojourned is sacred ground. Where the people plowed the fields for beautiful sun flowers was sacred. Where the mother milked the water buffalo for sustenance was sacred. Where the children were born and lived in humble two room houses was sacred. Where the blood of martyrs fertilized the land like Gandhi and Thomas the Apostle became sacred ground. And so I was prepared when I finally entered the sacred shrine of St. Thomas the Apostle tomb, the “shoe caretaker” stopped me at the entrance and pointed to my shoes. I immediately knew to remove them for I am AGAIN on sacred ground. Thus, I descended into the tomb chapel of St. Thomas Apostle in my bare feet, vested for holy mass and for the first time presided at mass in my bare feet over the tomb of St. Thomas. Wow! I will never again be afraid to take off my […]

New Delhi, 2nd April 2013: President Mr. Pranab Mukherjee expressing his worry on increasing incidents of crime on women and female foeticide said that social organizations should work to stop such incidents. Mr. Pranab Mukherjee was releasing the first copy of new edition of books written by Acharya Dr. Lokesh Muni ‘The Unborn Curse’ and ‘Terrorism the Global Challenge’. On the occasion State Minister for Coal Shri Shriprakash Jaiswal was also present. Mr. Mukerjee said that crime on women and female foeticide cannot be stopped just by law, for this people have to change their thinking for females. Female foeticide will lead to increase in crime, chaos and moral degradation in the society. Appreciating both the socially relevant books written by Acharya Dr. Lokesh Muni he said that these books will help in changing the thinking of people. He further said that this is not the problem related to any cast, creed or religion; this problem is faced by the whole society. The whole society together has to worry about this problem and change will come when everyone will make efforts to solve it. President Mr. Mukherjee said war, violence and terrorism cannot solve any problem. Remembering incidents from his […]

India Ahmedabad: For over 40 years, His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the spiritual leader of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), has travelled throughout the world, from villages in rural India to metropolitan cities in America. He has visited the homes of thousands of devotees, providing solace and guidance in both spiritual and personal matters. For the past few months, however, his advancing age has prevented him from travelling and imparting such personal guidance as before. On March 6, Pramukh Swami Maharaj announced through a letter that all sadhus and devotees should now consult Pujya Mahant Swami (Keshavjivan Swami) for guidance on their day-to-day affairs and issues. The letter was read out in a public assembly by Pujya Doctor Swami (Swayamprakash Swami) in Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s presence in Ahmedabad. Senior swamis of BAPS explained, “Pramukh Swami Maharaj continues to be the spiritual head and guru of the organization. However, as he is 92 years old now, and naturally due to health-related limitations, he is no longer able to travel to villages and cities to reach out to the followers as he did before, when he often met hundreds of people daily to give spiritual guidance.” Pujya Keshavjivan Swami, also known as Pujya […]

Chicago IL: Traditional Bharatnatyam repertoire is called Margam or journey. The dancers of Bharatam Academy of Dance took the audience on this delightful journey with a dazzling display of Bharatnatyam dances ranging from beginner to those of the highest professional calibre. The occasion was “Bharatam Dance Showcase 2013” at the Oswego East High School auditorium on March 23rd, 2013. In her introductory remarks, Guru Vanitha reiterated that art of Bharatnatyam is a rich continuum and living tradition of South India. It was apparent to any spectator that more than the students going through the art, the art had gone through the students, who graced the stage with poise and delight, displaying these rich traditions here in the USA. This was a testimony to Guru Vanitha, whose commitment to the art of Bharatnatyam is a testimony that for her, dance is a way of life. The emcee for the evening, Ranjani Rajan, welcomed the audience and introduced each of the dances with a brief description of the dance along with classical notations for the song that accompanied the dance. The program began with Nritta Anjali, a prayer and offering with pure classical dance elements, set to Adi Talam. After that, dancers […]

Chicago IL: In response to the recent wave of violence across the USA, the Art of Living Foundation (AOLF) has launched an ambitious movement, Non-Violence: No Higher Calling (NonVio) that was kicked off personally from Chicago by AOLF founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont the evening of Thursday, March 28, 2013. Significant participation of local grassroots civic organizations grappling with this pandemic, having Chicago as its epicenter, was capped by vocal endorsements from Illinois politicians and bureaucrats. Present were US Representatives Jan Schakowsky (9th District) and Danny Davis (7th), Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, and 47th Ward Alderman Ameya Pawar. Governor Pat Quinn’s resolution making March 28 “Non-Violence: No Higher Calling” Day across Illinois was introduced by AOLF teacher for the past 20 years Debra Poneman and read out by the Governor’s representative Teresa Marr, who presented a plaque to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in attestation. This NonVio campaign calls for individual pledges to acts of nonviolence to counter the growing violence epidemic (www.nonvio.org). The goal is to accumulate one billion pledges, which is100 pledges for every one act of violence recorded in the US each year. For Ravi Shankar, the […]

Bartlett, IL: Committed to the progress and growth of women worldwide, BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha celebrated its sixth annual Midwest Women’s Conference held in Bartlett, Illinois on March 30, 2013. Over 450 women of all ages were in attendance at the conference which focused on this year’s theme of “Timeless Traditions: Celebrating the Past, Cultivating the Future”. The conference focused on understanding the glory of Hindu traditions, communicating them with ease, and nurturing future generations by preserving a priceless culture and traditions. The conference started with a traditional Hindu prayer for peace and candle lightening ceremony. A group, which included a mother and daughter, from the Kalapadma Dance Academy performed a traditional dance on stage, while a daughter and her mother shared hosting duties; it was evident that our youth is committed to maintaining their timeless traditions and family values. Dr. Aditi Sheth, a Psychiatrist at Cleveland Clinic, stated “At the end of the day —While it “takes a village” to raise a child, it is a parent’s responsibility, especially a mothers’ responsibility. It starts with us….. It starts in our homes –our values like touching feet of our elders, our choice of language…,our food, clothes …all of it”. In 1996, […]

Chicago IL: Adnan Sami staged a live concert on Saturday, March 30, 2013 at Sears Center, 5333 Prairie Stone Parkway, Hoffman Estates, Ill. The multi-talented pianist, singer, composer, actor, and musician, also reputed to be the world’s fastest keyboardist, was back in Chicago after eight years with a spectacular new show presented by Combined Oil Company, Live 2U, and Desi Bazaar. Sami mesmerized an enthusiastic crowd of more than 3800 listeners for about 3 hours. British-born 39-year old Sami is of Pakistani origin, currently holds Canadian citizenship, and lives in Mumbai, India. His style merges Asian and Western music styles and instrumentation and ranges from classical to jazz to modern pop-rock. The first person to play Indian Classical music on the electric piano, Sami is featured in a documentary recently commissioned by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office amongst the ten most famous names from India and Pakistan, who have influenced Asian culture in the UK over the last fifty years. He is committed to experimenting with new styles and forms rather than be taken hostage by past successes. Sami started by singing “Allahu Akbar” and showing his virtuosity on the keyboard. He went on to sing the following songs: […]

Chicago IL: Punjabi Cultural Society of Chicago (PCS) celebrated its annual Baisakhi festival Rangla Punjab 2013 at Copernicus Theater (5216 W. Lawrence Ave. Chicago) on Saturday, March 30, 2013. The program was divided into four quarters each with its own MC. Sikh associations of Milwaukee contributed several dance performances with an authentic rural flavor that were greeted with appreciative hoots by the Chicagoland audience. Awards were presented to several individuals for outstanding services to the Sikh community. Illinois State Treasurer Dan Rutherford was guest of honor. PCS Founder and Past President Rajinder Singh Mago welcomed the audience. The first part of the program was emceed by Navraaz Kaur Basati, who kept switching between English and Punjabi, on behalf of her father PCS past president Thakar Singh Basati. Born in the US and married to a non-Desi, she recounted various travel anecdotes juxtaposing Punjabi, Indian, and American culture. Children of the Sikh Community of Chicago coordinated by Gurmukh Singh kicked off the evening with Shabad or Sikh hymns from the holy books. Avneet Kular, Gia Dhaliwal, Rasna Dhillon, Budna Kaur, Parlyn Banipal, and Asees Khaira of Navi Paneeri performed a dance choreographed by Sukhwinder Kaur. Avtar Singh Multani then sang “Jag […]

Chicago IL: Consul General of Islamic Republic of Pakistan Zaheer Pervaiz Khan hosted a reception to celebrate the 73rd Pakistan National Day with Diplomats, Chicago land entrepreneurs, community leaders, journalists, and eminent citizens to honor the sacrifices of Pakistan’s freedom fighters and to commemorate Founding Father Jinnah, for giving them a country where individual dignity and religious freedom is assured for all citizens. This event was held on Saturday, March 23, 2013 evening at Holiday Inn Oakbrook, 17 West 350 22nd Street, Oakbrook Terrace, IL. There was a full house of over 400 participants. The event was part of celebrations Pakistanis observed across the world on 23rd March to commemorate passage of Lahore Resolution in 1940, which laid the foundation for the creation of Pakistan. Americans politicians among the invited guests included Illinois State Treasurer Dan Rutherford, Illinois Finance Policy & Operations Director Sohair Omer, City Comptroller of Office of Chicago Mayor Amer Ahmad, and Immigrant Assistance Program Coordinator Nettie Lasko. Many members of the diplomatic community in Chicago also attended. The function began with recitation from the Holy Qur’an by Mansoor Ahmed followed by welcome speech by Samreen Khan. Mr. Zaheer Pervaiz Khan saluted the Pakistan flag. National anthems […]

Chicago IL: It was a day to remember for all the women who participated in the International Women’s Day which was organized by enthusiastic volunteers of TACG & ATA on March 23rd, 2013 at the Holiday Inn in Mount Prospect, IL. TAGC is a non-profit organization devoted to the awareness and promotion of Telugu Heritage and Culture in the mid-west region headquartered in Chicago. The Association was originally founded in 1971 and incorporated as a non-profit organization by the year 1978. What was once a brain child of small group of individuals, TAGC has grown to be one of the oldest and largest Indo-American organizations in the United States. ATA (American Telugu Association) is a non profit national organization and was founded in 1990, head quartertered in Chicago. The main purpose of the organization is to assist and promote literary, cultural, educational, religious, social, economic, health and community activities of the people of Telugu origin as well as to promote exchange programs for students, scientists, and professionals of telugu origin between the United States of America, Canada and India and other countries. For the first time TAGC together with American Telugu Association (ATA) put together this outstanding event which brought […]

Lemont, IL: Association of Rajasthanis in America (ARA) celebrated the Holi festival on Saturday, March 23, 2013 at the Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago (HTGC), 10915 Lemont Rd, Lemont, Ill., with an evening of colorful dances, good food, and much socializing. The event was organized by outgoing ARA President Ram Saini and presided by incoming President Sunita Sarup. Quite a few non-Rajasthanis, e.g., from Madhya Pradesh, were present. To keep up the Holi spirit, many guests showed up with faces already colored with powders. Sarup invited the volunteers who had contributed to the evening’s success to join her before welcoming the audience and announcing the ARA program for this year: develop leaders in its youth wing, promote small businesses, expand community services, and a monthly newsletter. Ram Saini’s little daughter Riddhi presented the cultural program with these words: “I want to tell you about my dad. Last year he was president and did a lot of hard work. He is no longer president but still helps out a lot. I hope you enjoy the program and happy Holi!” Riddhi danced to the song Soniye Soniye from the movie Aksar. Dr. Virendra Mathur sang a Hindi song celebrating the advent of […]