Page 5 - Religion Belief
Ambulances donated to Muzaffarpur hospital, Kanhaiya Kumar not
A former IPS officer on Saturday donated two ambulances, a hearse and other materials to the Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital here, where 127 children have died due to suspected case of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES). Acharya Kishore Kunal, also ex-chairman of the Bihar State Board of Religious Trusts, donated 40,000 packets of ORS, biscuits and glucose each to the hospital. Accompanied by Baba Garibnath temple's chief priest Vinay Pathak, Kunal handed over the materials and vans to the district administration to help the children suffering from suspected AES in the SKMCH and their families. Meanwhile, JNU Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar came to Muzaffarpur to visit the SKMCH but he was not allowed to enter its paediatric ICU and general ward following an order of the hospital authorities. The SKMCH superintendent had issued an order on Thursday that no outsider including mediapersons is allowed to enter the hospital's paediatric unit. Kumar, who ...
TN: State government conducts 'Yajna' for rains
Resorting to prayers in the face of acute water scarcity, Tamil Nadu government on Saturday conducted special 'Yajna' at Patteeswarar temple in Perur.State water supply minister S P Velumani was also present during the special prayers.A holy fire was lit up surrounding which priests conducted the 'Yajna'. Prayers in the form of 'mantras' were chanted throughout.A similar event was reported from Madurai earlier in June, where unique prayers were offered to rain gods in the form of processions.This comes after scorching heat wave gripping a large part of the country and sections of Tamil Nadu being severely hit by drought.
Rare calligraphic works from Iran on display at Quran exhibition in Hyderabad
Masterpieces of Irani caligraphy, including a rare Islamic manuscript, which is reportedly over a thousand years old, are among the exhibits on displayed at an international Quran Exhibition that began here on Saturday.The three-day long exhibition has been organised by the Iran Embassy here.Deputy Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Iran H.E. Prof. Dr. Abdul Hadi Fiqhizadeh, Agha Mahdi Mahdavipour, the representative of the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatullah al Uzam Khamenei in India and, Consul General in Hyderabad H.E. Muhammed Haqbin Ghomi attended the press briefing here on Friday.Dr Fiqhizadeh said that that the exhibition will feature more than 100 masterpieces of Irani caligraphy of verses of Quran including more than the 1400-year-old rare manuscript handwritten by Hazrath Ali and the grandson of Prophet Muhammed (PBUH), Hazrath Imam Hassan.Also, an international seminar on the contribution of Indo Iran Exegesis of the Holy Quran will be held today which will be ...
Odisha minister faces flak for calling himself 'God', CM Naveen Patnaik 'Lord Jagannath'
Odisha's Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Sudam Marandi on Friday drew flak for calling himself "God" and equating Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik with Lord Jagannath.Marandi's remark, which has offended the servitors of Haribaldev Jew temple at Baripada, is being circulated widely on social media.At a meeting on Wednesday, Marandi said that the servitors, who had begun a 'padayatra' (foot march) from Baripada to Naveen Niwas (Bhubaneswar) for the fulfilment of their eight demands, should have held a meeting with him first. Notably, the march was later withdrawn.The Bangiriposi MLA had actually implied that since he is their elected leader, the servitors should have met him first. And even if their issues were not taken care of, they should have met the Odisha Chief Minister.Registering strong protests against Marandi's statement, servitors of Haribaldev Jew temple, Kameswar Tripathy and Arun Mishra, said the MLA will be "punished by Lord Jagannath".Baripada MLA Prakash ..
Not favouring any religion, says Guj pilgrimage board to HC
The Pavitra Yatradham Vikas Board of the state government has told the Gujarat High Court that it is not involved in promoting and developing pilgrimage sites of a particular religion as alleged in a Public Interest Litigation filed last year. In its affidavit submitted on Friday, before the division bench of acting Chief Justice A S Dave and Justice Biren Vaishnav, the board said the PIL was meant for publicity and needs to be dismissed as it lacks merit. The bench has asked the petitioner to file reply by July 12. The board told the court that its main objective was to provide "basic facilities and amenities to all the important pilgrimage centres, irrespective of any faith", and "not to promote or develop pilgrimage sites of any specific religion as canvassed by the petitioner in the PIL". These basic facilities include transportation, subsidies, water, electricity and other facilities for tourists, it said. "The petition deserves to be dismissed. The petitioner submits that the ...
18th century Christian convent ruins in Goa gets heritage tag
The Goa government Friday declared the 18th century ruins of a Christian convent as a heritage structure, paving the way for its conservation. The structure, among the first institutions of Christian studies in the state, is situated in Chimbel village near here. "The request for declaring the faade of the building, which once housed institution of Christian religious studies and then a mental hospital in 1930, was made by Charles Correa Foundation to the state government," Goa Town and Country Planning Minister Vijai Sardesai said. "This structure is an important site in cultural history of Goa. It was established in 1750 and it was one of the first institutions for Christian studies. Many Goans studied there to become priests," he said. Sardesai said Correa Foundation had made a request to declare it as a protected structure under Goa Land Development and Building Construction Regulation Act, 2010. "There is a significant architectural and archaeological study already .
5th International Yoga Day: Tibetan, Indian Buddhist monks perform yoga at event in Shimla
Tibetan and Indian Buddhist monks performed yoga on the occasion of 5th International Yoga Day on Friday, in the presence of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur and Governor Acharya Dev Vrat.Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel, differently abled children and Buddhist monks gathered here to perform yoga asanas together."Yoga is an intrinsic part of our lives and it releases all the stress and tension, giving us inner peace and strength. We all should perform yoga every morning at least for 20 minutes." Tibetan Buddhist monk Yarphel Lama told ANI."I want to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking this initiative and marking this day as International Yoga Day. Yoga adds to the development of our society, yoga shows us different ways in which we can keep ourselves healthy and strong" another Buddhist monk Tenzin Dorjee told ANI.Health minister Vipin Singh Parmar said that "This is a good beginning that the Buddhist monks have also joined the yoga day practice in Shimla. The ...
Fadnavis, Ramdev lead Yoga Day celebrations in Maharashtra
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and yoga guru Ramdev performed various 'asanas' as they led International Yoga Day celebrations in the state here at an event attended by over one lakh people. The state-level function to mark the day was held at a sprawling ground here in Central Maharashtra where Fadnavis and Ramdev performed various 'asanas' (poses). It was organised by various social, religious and educational institutions. Speaking on the occasion, Fadnavis said, "Yoga is an essential part of life as it helps in healthy living. Today, more than 150 nations have taken to yoga for good health." He hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts in getting the United Nations declare June 21 as the International Day of Yoga five years ago. Modi's proposal on celebrating the International Day of Yoga was supported by more than 150 countries at the UN, Fadnavis said. Ramdev has helped in popularising the ancient discipline with roots in India all over the world, ..
Sri Lanka Pres praises Modi for bringing yoga to international stage
On the occasion of International Yoga Day, Sri Lankan President Maitripala Sirisena praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his efforts to bring the "common heritage" of India and Sri Lanka to the international stage.He also urged everyone to practice yoga."I compliment my friend @narendramodi for his efforts at bringing our common heritage of Yoga to the international stage. I urge all to practice yoga like me," he tweeted.Sirisena also shared a video in which he could be seen performing various asana including Vriksasana and Bhujangasana.The idea of International Day of Yoga was first proposed by Modi during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on 27 September 2014."We consider Yoga as a form of meditation. There are similarities between instructions inspired by Buddhism for conducting a healthy life," he said in Sinhalese."Daily workouts, meditation and Ayurvedic practices are of extreme importance to live a happy and blissful life," he added.Later, Modi ...
Oppn seeks Muslim quota in Maha; govt says no provision for it
Opposition parties Friday demanded 5 per cent reservation for Muslims in education and government jobs in Maharashtra, but the BJP-led dispensation countered them, saying there is no provision for religion- based quota in the Constitution. Congress and NCP MLCs vociferously raised the demand in the Maharashtra Legislative Council. Taking part in a calling attention moved by Manisha Kayande (Shiv Sena), Congress and NCP legislators said despite a large section of Muslims falling under the economically weaker section, the state government has failed to offer any reservation benefits to the community in education and jobs. However, Minister for Higher and Technical Education Minister Vinod Tawde said the ruling BJP cannot go against constitutional provisions regarding quota. "Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar had categorically mentioned at the time of drafting the Constitution that reservation should not be provided on the basis of religion. "The BJP, as the party in power, cannot set ..
MP to move Private Member Bill in LS to ban entry of 10-50-yr old women into Sabarimala temple
Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) MP N K Premachandran will move a Private Member's Bill in the Lok Sabha on Friday, seeking a ban on the entry of women aged 10-50 years in the Ayyappa temple, also known as Sabarimala temple.The Private Member's Bill -- Sabarimala Sreedharma Sastha Temple (Special Provision) Bill 2019 -- seeks to maintain the status quo on religious practices of the Sabarimala temple, which existed before the Supreme Court order last year.On September 28, 2018, the Supreme Court declared a Kerala government law barring women aged between 10-50 years from entering the shrine unconstitutional.Reacting to Premachandran's move, Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran said: "If a law helps in preserving the custom and tradition, it is a good thing. However, we know it is not going to happen so easily.""The Centre should address the issue immediately. We have already requested the Centre to pass legislation in connection with the Sabarimala issue. We have urged the ...
Pope seeks more 'freedom' in theology, dialogue with Islam
Pope Francis is calling for a reform of the way theology is taught in Catholic schools, saying students must learn about dialogue with Judaism and Islam, and that overall there must be greater freedom in theological pursuits. The Jesuit pope made the call during a speech Friday at the Jesuit-run theology university in Naples. It follows his outreach this year to the Muslim world with the signing of a joint statement with the imam of Cairo's Al Azhar, the seat of Sunni learning, establishing the relationship between Catholics and Muslims as brothers, with a common mission to promote peace. In his speech, Francis said dialogue and partnership with the Muslim world is necessary "to build a peaceful existence, even when there are the troublesome episodes by fanatic enemies of dialogue.
Yoga not connected with any religion, says Kerala CM
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan Friday said yoga does not have connection with any religion and attempts were being made to brand it as a communal practice, which was not right. "There are attempts to brand yoga as a communal practice. This is not right. Yoga does not have any connection with religion... Yoga will help people to stay away from lifestyle diseases and drugs... it provides all the physical health for a human body," Vijayan said inaugurating the state-wide yoga day celebrations here this morning. Vijayan also said the state government will take necessary steps to spread the practice of yoga. Kerala Governor P Sathasivam participated in the yoga day celebrations at the Raj Bhavan here. Yoga day celebrations were also held at the Southern Naval Command at Kochi. In Alapuzha, former Mizoram Governor Kummanam Rajashekharan participated in the yoga day celebrations organised by the local unit of BJP.
AN-32 crash: Def Min Rajnath pays homage to air-warriors, meets their families
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Friday paid homage to all 13 air-warriors who lost their lives in the AN-32 crash in Arunachal Pradesh early this month. Mortal remains of some of the deceased were also brought to Delhi, from where they would be sent to their hometown. Singh also met families of the deceased personnel here at the Palam Technical Area. "Met with the families and friends of the deceased Air-warriors of An32 and shared my grief and heartfelt condolences with them. My thoughts and prayers are with them. May God give them strength to bear this monumental loss," he tweeted. The Russian-made aircraft crashed on June 3 in Arunachal Pradesh. The IAF traced the aircraft on June 11, but could not retrieve the bodies due to bad weather and hostile terrain. The bodies were finally recovered and brought to the Johrat Air base on Thursday.
Yoga should not be misunderstood as a religious practice: Kerala CM
On the occasion of International Yoga Day, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday urged locals not to misunderstand yoga as a religious practice while adding that everyone, irrespective of caste, must practice asanas in order to stay fit and healthy."When you perform 'Padmasana' you inhale while raising both your hands; now that is not a common effort but a kind of an exercise. That will help modulate our minds positively. That need not be misunderstood as a religious practice. Anyone can practice yoga; people irrespective of religious and caste boundaries should practice yoga," he said at the state-level celebrations in Thiruvananthapuram."In fact, none of the postures being performed as part of yoga have any connection to any religion," he added.The Kerala Chief Minister also said that some people in the region are trying to deliberately mislead others over the practice of yoga."Will ensure that yoga is practiced all across the state. Lifestyle diseases are affecting us. Yoga ...
Indian-origin pioneer of Muslim charity in South Africa dies
Shawkat Ali Thokan, an Indian-origin man considered the pioneer of the Islamic movement in South Africa, was buried here Thursday after he died following a lengthy illness. He was 81. Born in Maharashtra in India, Thokan died on Wednesday and was laid to rest at Westpark Cemetery in Johannesburg. He emigrated to South Africa with his parents when he was 10. Thokan was the first National Coordinator of the South African National Zakah Fund (SANZAF), a faith-based, educational and socio-welfare organisation that helps the Muslim community. The organisation in almost five decades has assisted tens of thousands of students at all levels, as well as funding scores of budding entrepreneurs to become self-sufficient through training programmes. "Sanzaf stands as a monument and symbol of passionate persistence, commitment, dedication, vision and a yearning to succeed - these are the values that he leaves behind," head of AWQAF SA Zeinoul Abedien Cajee said. "Even in his last years and days he
Cong Veerashaiva-Lingayat leaders seek OBC status to community
Karnataka Congress leaders from Veerashaiva-Lingayat community Thursday met Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and demanded that the government recommend to the Centre, granting of the OBC status to the community. The leaders also sought setting up of Veerashaiva-Lingayat Development Corporation. The delegation that met Chief Minister in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara included- KPCC Working President Eshwar Khandre, Home Minister M B Patil, senior legislators Shamanur Shivashankarappa and S R Patil, among others. "Those in Veerashaiva-Lingayat community who are backward- socially, economically and in education- for them Veerashaiva-Lingayat Development Corporation has to be set up. All of us leaders and MLAs have submitted a memorandum to theChief Minister," Khandre told reporters after the meeting. "Also, we have requested to recommend inclusion of Veerashaiva-Lingayat in the Other Backward Class (OBC) list at the Centre. CM and DCM have responded ...
SGPC's support sought to celebrate 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev
The Punjab government has sought the support of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to celebrate the 550th birth anniversary of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev. Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Thursday asked a group of ministers (GoM) to approach the SGPC, the apex religious body of Sikhs, for support to celebrate the 550th Parkash Purb of Guru Nanak Dev on a common platform. Singh gave the directions during a meeting of the executive committee constituted to commemorate the birth anniversary, an official statement said here. The CM expressed his keenness to celebrate the event in unison with the participation of the SGPC and other religious organisations, in line with Guru Nanak Dev's message of love, peace, harmony and brotherhood. Amarinder Singh mandated the GoM to extend a formal invite to the Akal Takhat Jathedar and the SGPC president to seek their whole-hearted support, cooperation and guidance. The GoM comprising Pujab ministers Charanjit Singh Channi, O P Soni ..
Special prayers for Muzaffarpur children at Kolkata's Bhootnath temple
In view of the ongoing Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) crisis in Muzaffarpur, people in Kolkata offered special prayers at the Bhootnath temple here on Thursday for the speedy recovery of the children."We are praying for the speedy recovery of children suffering from encephalitis in Muzaffarpur. We pray to God that he gives strength to the families of those children," Hindu Chetna Manch worker Dilip Giri told ANI.So far as many as 117 children have lost their lives in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district due to the outbreak of encephalitis."It is said that when modern medicine fails, only prayers work. That is why we are praying," Giri said.
Telangana: Trump's fan observes fast for him every Friday
A young man from Konnea village, who unveiled a six feet statue of the United States President Donald Trump in Telangana, on Wednesday, said that he observes a fast every Friday for the American leader.Bussa Krishna unveiled the statue on the occasion of the Trump's birthday on June 14 and performed 'Abhishek'."I have installed Donald Trump's statue on his birthday and I pray to him like a God. For the first time, I saw Trump in my dream and it has repeated for the second time. The day India vs Pakistan match was held I saw him in my dream and thankfully India won the match. After this incident, I have kept Trump's picture as my display wallpaper of my mobile," he said while speaking to ANI.Krishna said that Trump's statue cost him around Rs 1.3 lakh."I installed Trump's statue with my own money and it cost me around Rs 1.3 lakh. After installing his statue many people are calling me a Trump fan. I also observe fast on every Friday for Trump. I will live as Trump fan and die as Trump .
