Frontier India » Religion

Indian Army installs drinking water point at Baba Payamuddin Reshi shrine

(FINN) Frontier India News Network — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 14:20:46 +0000

Gulmarg: The Mughal era Shrine of Baba Payamuddin Reshi at Baba Reshi, Gulmarg, is visited by millions of pilgrims from all over India, who face difficulties in finding clean and safe drinking water. Now Indian Army Camp at Ziran has installed a drinking water point at the shrine.

The drinking water point was formally inaugurated by Brigadier SS Mamak, in the presence of senior officials of Police and CRPF. The Maulvi of the Shrine, Maulvi Mohammed Akbar thanked the army for the kind gesture and said the drinking water point will alleviate the problems faced by the pilgrims to a large extent.

Indian Army installs drinking water point at Baba Payamuddin Reshi shrine

The Commander offered prayers at the shrine and assured that Ziran Army Camp will always continue to extend its goodwill and assistance to the pilgrims and residents of Babareshi.

Ziarat or the mosque of Baba Reshi is situated on the slopes below Gulmarg in Baramulla District of Jammu and Kashmir. The well-known Muslim saint was a courtier of the Kashmir King Zain-ul-Abidin. The tomb was built in the year 1480 after his death.

Saudi Arabia allots quota of 1.7 lakh pilgrims to India for Hajj in 2013

(FINN) Frontier India News Network — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 03:37:04 +0000

Jeddah: 1.7 lakh Indian pilgrims are allowed to go to Saudi Arabia for Hajj in 2013. India has requested for additional 10,000 slots, as the government expects more applications. As per sources, the Indian request has been rejected.

Minister of State for External Affairs, E Ahamed called on Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Hajj, Bandar Bin Mohammed Al Hajjar, on March 16th to discuss arrangements for this year’s Hajj and to sign the Annual Bilateral Hajj Agreement.

MOS E. Ahamed meeting with Saudi Haj Minister Dr. Bandar Bin Mohammed Al Hajjar in Jeddah on March 16, 2013

India has also set a cap on Hajj application by an individual. On 18th January, 2013 directed the Haj Committee of India to restrict the number of Pilgrimages to a Haj Applicant through Haj Committee of India to “Once in a life time” as against the existing “Once in five years”. For Hajj 2013, only the Pilgrims who have never performed Haj earlier through Haj Committee of India will be allowed to apply. Pilgrims will be required to submit a Notarized Affidavit available on Haj Application Form (HAF).

Last date for Hajj applications is set as 20th March, 2013. It can be delivered at all State and Union Territory Haj Committees.

Pashupatinath braces for 1 million pilgrims for Maha Shivratri

(FINN) Frontier India News Network — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 05:08:33 +0000

Katmandu: Pashupatinath Temple in Nepal is expecting about 1 million devotees on the occasion of Maha Shivratri. Devotees from India and Nepal pay obeisance to Lord Shiva on the occasion.

Pagoda style Pashupatinath Temple in Nepal

Built in the fifth century, Pashupatinath Temple is regarded as one of the holiest places for Hindus.

The Pashupati Area Development Trust, the body that manages the temple’s affairs, said they are expecting more devotees from India as Maha Shiratarr and Kumbh Mela coincides this year. Nepal’s Tourism Minister Poshta Bahadur Bogati, a Maoist,is heading the 251 member celebration committee.

Five Indian priests, including the chief priest and their Nepali aides will be provided with a fixed salary, instead of distributing cash income collected from the devotees.

Goa gets ready for Shigmotsav 2013

(FINN) Frontier India News Network — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 14:12:20 +0000

Panjim: Goa is getting ready for Shigmotsav, a 14-day display of Goan Hindu ethnicity and mythology. The annual Shigmo parade will be held the Panjim city. Attired in traditional costumes, various groups consisting of women and men dancers give vibrant performances of various dances. These are interspersed with small groups that move along the route with their traditional Goan drums.

The grand finale is the artistically-designed and beautifully-lit floats. The parade is also held on a lesser scale in Ponda, Vasco, Margao and Mapusa.

Shigmo Parade

Shigmo in Goa is essentially a festival of the masses, though it is celebrated under different names and in different ways in various parts of India. It is the festival of farewell to winter celebrated on the full moon day in the month of phalguna (March), the last month of the Hindu calendar.

In Goa, the land of temples, Shigmo begins with Naman or collective obeisance of villagers from the ninth moon day to full-moon day. During these days, they are to abstain from non-vegetarian food and all intoxicants.

From the eleventh moon day to the fifteenth moon day, village groups clad in their most colorful dresses set out with festive mood with multi-colored cloths, torans, flags and column-like red spoted ‘dwajas’, beating drums and blowing flutes to gather at the village temples, and dance in the temple court yard singing various folk songs to the beat of the drums.

On the fifth day comes the real day of rejoicing. It is called ‘Rang Panchami’. The main function of the day, however, is the profuse use of ‘gulal’ or red powder!

Singers Anup Jalota & Jaspinder Narula liven Shri Radhe Maa birth celebrations in Mumbai

(FINN) Frontier India News Network — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 03:13:29 +0000

Mumbai: For the tenth year, devotees in the city organised a Maa Jagdambe’s Chowki on Sunday at Kora Kendra Ground, Borivali West, to commemorate the birthday of Shri Radhe Maa. The musical evening was opened by devotional singers Indu Khanna and Kamal Anand from Delhi. Later Gazal maestro Anup Jalota; and Punjabi singer and Bollywood playback singer Jaspinder Narula, mesmerized the devotees who gathered in thousands.

Shri Radhe Maa is a spiritual teacher in ancient Sanatan Hindu traditions. She hails from Dorangalal Village in Gurudaspur, Pujab. As a child she was drawn to both Sikh tradition in which she was born and a temple of Hindu deity Maa Kali in her village.

Shri Radhe Guru Maa in divine Vessel during her birth celebration in Mumbai on 3 march 2013

She was initiated into spiritual practice by her Guru Shri Shri Mahant Ramdeen Das 1008 of Paramhans Bagh Dera, Hoshiarpur, Punjab, when she was 23. She considers worship of lord Shiva as an antidote for all ills.

Sanjeev Gupta, the managing director and CEO of outdoor advertising firm, Global Advertisers, who is also one of the staunchest devotees of Shri Radhe Maa said ” Thousands of Guru Maa devotees flew in from US, UK, Switzerland, Singapore, Dubai, Australia and Hong Kong for the celebrations. There was a large attendance from Mamtamai Shri Radhe Maa’s home state Punjab. Devotees from other parts of the country including a large contingent from Delhi also has arrived.”

The celebrations will see social service, blood donations and other activities during the month.

Mumbai’s Cardinal Oswald Gracias is new President of Latin Rite Bishops of India

(FINN) Frontier India News Network — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 15:02:14 +0000

Mumbai: Cardinal Oswald Gracias of Mumbai has been elected as the President of Latin Rite Bishops of India. he takes over from Cardinal Telesphore Toppo of Ranchi, who has completed his term.

The annual plenary assembly held at the Retreat House in the Marian pilgrim town of Vailankanni also re-elected archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrao of Goa and Bishop Varghese Chakkalakkal of Calicut as vice-president and secretary respectively for the consecutive second term.

Cardinal Oswald Gracias

Cardinal Gracias, elected for a second time as the leader of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI), is also the current president of the national forum of bishops of all three rites.

Cardinal Gracias also heads the Asian level bishops’ forum as the secretary general Federation Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC).

Cardinal Fernando Filoni, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples and papal delegate to the meeting, attended valedictory meeting of the CCBI silver jubilee and the Golden Jubilee of the declaration of the Marian Shrine as a Minor Basilica (1962).

Above 3 crore pilgrims take holy dip on Mauni Amawasya at Mahakumbh, 2 dead

(FINN) Frontier India News Network — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 14:29:58 +0000

Allahabad: Amid tight security in Uttar Pradesh above 3 crore pilgrims have taken holy dip on third and most important bathing festival of Mauni Amawasya of Maha Kumbh Mela. Bathing is going on under tight security and lakhs of pilgrims are still on their way to holy dip at Sangam, the confluence of rivers Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati.

Ascetics and religious leaders of various orders and prominent religious leaders including Jagatguru Shankaracharya from Dwarka and Jyotish Peeth Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati and Jagatguru Shankaracharya Swami Nishchalanand Saraswati from Puri Peeth took the holy dip.

Mauni Amavasya bathing at Mahakumbh

All Sri Mahats and Peethadhishwars from all 13 Akharas and persons from different fields have taken holy dip on this occasion. Second Shahi Snan of Akharas has been completed. All 7 Sanyasi and 3 each Akharas from Bairagi and Udasin sects have returned to their respective camps after taking holy dip. It began with an impressive procession of Mahanirvani Akhara and Atal Akhara.

About 25 thousand security personnel from state police as well as Para military forces are deployed in and around the Mela area. Three choppers from India Air force have also been pressed into service for keeping vigil.

Two pilgrims including a woman were killed in an incident of stampede in the sector 12. Sector Magistrate said that both deceased have been identified and they were from Varanasi and Chaubis Paragana district in west Bengal. He said incident occurred when rush of pilgrims suddenly increased on Sarsawti road in the sector.

Twenty-two ghats, spread across 14 sectors, including 12 on the north of the Ganga and with a total length of 18,000 feet, are in place for the snan (bath).

Sivaprakasa Desika Paramacharya Swami, the Chief of Thiruvaduthurai Saivaite Mutt passes away

(FINN) Frontier India News Network — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 09:41:04 +0000

Chennai: Sivaprakasa Desika Paramacharya Swami, the 23rd Chief of Thiruvaduthurai Saivaite Mutt is no more. The head of the ancient Saivaite Mutt at Thiruvavaduthurai in Nagapattinam District, passed away on Thursday. He was 72 at the time of his death.

Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam sources say that Swamy had complained of difficulty in breathing and was rushed to an hospital in Kumabkonam. However, he died en route at about 2 a.m. The Swami had been unwell for most of the year.

Sivaprakasa Desiga Paramacharya Swami assumed the position of the 15th century mutt head in 1980. Meenakshisundara Desiga Paramachaya Swami, who was serving as the Kattalai Thambiran or the chief disciple of Thiruvidaimaruthur Adheenam, a branch of the Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam, is now the 24th head of the mutt.

Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam maintains the Mayuranathaswami temple at Mayiladuthurai and a host of Shiva temples.

Nithyananda sacked as junior pontiff sacked or stepped down from Madurai Adheenam?

(FINN) Frontier India News Network — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 03:42:47 +0000

Madurai: Headline maker and spiritual leader Paramahamsa Nithyananda is no more with 1,500-year old Saivaite mutt in Madurai, where he was appointed as the successor for pontiff Sri Arunagirinatha Desikar. Sri Arunagirinathar, the 292nd head of Madurai Adheenam, drew heavy criticism for the appointment but had defended Paramahamsa Nithyananda, who is facing criminal charges, including rape, in Karnataka. The news sources say that Swami Nityananda was sacked after Karnataka Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment department moved a local court seeking removal of Arunagirinathar himself and opposed Nithyananda’s appointment holding it violated rules and mutt traditions. However, Sami Nityananda contends that he voluntarily offered to step down, after which the current pontiff Arunagirinatha Desikar announced Nithyananda’s exit.

Reacting to reports that the controversial self-styled godman was “sacked” as the next pontiff of Madurai Adheenam, his spokesperson Dale Bhagwagar clarified, “Nithyananda had himself offered to resign from the post. His exit seems right as he understood that technical issues surrounding his anointment could be taking its toll on the elderly senior pontiff’s frail health, peace of mind, or his position as the current head of the mutt.”

In view of the recent submission of the Tamil Nadu government that under the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act, two individuals cannot jointly hold the position of pontiff of Madurai Adheenam, the senior pontiff agreed to revoke the appointment of Swami Nithyananda, the statement added.

Sri Arunagirinathar, who is sacking a successor for the second time, said that Swami Nityananda’s followers posed a threat to his life. The spokesman also denied the rumours that the Swami’s supporters could cause trouble to inmates of the mutt, the spokesperson remarked, “Nithyananda advocates peace and happiness. He would never want any untoward incident. Through his ashram Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam in Bangalore, he will carry on and continue with his work and mission to serve humanity”.

Maronite Patriarch Mar Bechara Boutros Rahi visits India

(FINN) Frontier India News Network — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 03:46:51 +0000

Trivandrum: Patriarch Mar Bechara Boutros al-Rahi of the Syriac Maronite Church of Antioch is on a pastoral visit to India. He arrived from Lebanon on Tuesday via Abu Dhabi and the visit will last till Sunday. This is his first visit to India and will attend different functions of the Syro Malankara Catholic church and will conduct discussions with its Major Archbishop Baselius Mar Cleemis.

Major Archbishop Baselius Mar Cleemis had visited Lebanon during Pope Benedict XVI’s Lebanon visit. During the Pope’s visit, Patriarch Mar Bechara Boutros Rahi, Damascus’s Syriac Catholic Church Patriarch Ignatius Joseph Younan III and Baselius Mar Cleemis had jointly visited Syriac Orthodox patriarch of Antioch, Patriarch H.H.Ignatius Zakka I in Lebanon prior to Pope’s arrival.

On Thursday, Rahi along with Syriac Catholic Malankar a Archbishop, Catholicos Mar Basilius took part in the consecration of the new Malankara Cathedral. A number of Malankara Church bishops were present on the occasion which coincided with annual 88th anniversary of the foundation of Malankara Church.

During the day, he celebrated a mass at the Church of Sisters of Love Monastery in the presence of Lebanese nuns, visited Malankara Center that offers hospitalization services, visited St. John’s Cathedral in Tiruvalla to raise evening prayers in the presence of Malankara bishops and in the evening attended a dinner banquet held in his honor at Malankara Church Metropolitan, at the invitation of Catholicos Mar Basilius.