WASHINGTON,D.C.-US Vice President Mike Pence has lauded the Sikhs’ contribution, saying the community should continue to give serve in the military and public offices at local, state and federal levels in the country.Pence, 58, said the community’s “issues” were close to his heart and he was aware of them. “Sikhs Community and its issues are always close to my heart and I always admire the contribution of...

BY DEVIKA C. MEHTA
DOWNEY, CA - Shree Swaminarayan Satsang Mandal of California (SSSM) temple in Downey celebrated its Mini-Patotsav from June 9-11 in honor of Acharya 1008 Shree Rakeshprasad Maharaj’s arrival from India. The temple marked the occasion by arranging a special program ‘Shree Krishna Katha Parayan’ 

BY DEVIKA C. MEHTA
DOWNEY, CA - Hymns, chants, and prayer bells welcomed  devotees in a week-long celebration at the Shree Swaminarayan Satsang Mandal of California  temple here. The temple celebrated its 17th Patotsav (anniversary) on April 21, with the Pothi Yatra, which was attended by a couple of hundred devotees. 

CHINO HILLS, CA-The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in here, held its annual Women’s Conference themed ‘Resolutions: Bonds that Liberate.’ The onference centered on positive resolutions that transform lives by transforming habits: accepting ownership, performing hard work, and making sacrifices. Distinguished speakers discussed how positive resolutions can strengthen character and develop grit. The conference was led by...

WASHINGTON - A large contingent of Indian-Americans gathered outside the CNN office in Chicago after the channel aired a documentary that "tarnished" Hinduism, the media reported. The protest held on Sunday was attended by over 600 Indian-Americans, the American Bazaar reported. "We are here to protest against the show aired on CNN called 'Believer', directed by Reza Aslan. The community is outraged by the way he...

ISLAMABAD- The Pakistani parliament has adopted the landmark Hindu Marriage Law to regulate the community’s marriages in the country. The Hindu Marriage Bill, unanimously passed on Mar 10, will be the first personal law to regulate marriages in the Hindu community living in Pakistan. Minister for Human Rights Kamran Michael presented the bill, which was approved by the Senate in February, in the National Assembly. 

WASHINGTON - CNN television presenter Reza Aslan has caused shock and consternation across the board by eating a human brain on camera while filming with an obscure Hindu sect. Members of the religion's mainstream have widely condemned the act. The host of "Believer with Reza Aslan" was in India to meet with ascetic members of the Aghori sect. The six-episode "spiritual adventures series", was premiered last week. 

NEW YORK, NY - The documentary focused on the rare Aghora sect, which uses ritual practices with physical objects to invoke Divine grace. Although the Aghora way is an important element of the Hindu spectrum, it is far from the mainstream of Hinduism and needs to be understood as an extremely specialized path followed by a small group of ascetics. By focusing on these practices alone and presenting them in a distorted...

BY DEVIKA C.MEHTA
LOS ANGELES, CA - India’s two most prominent religions, Jainism and Sikhism, came together under one roof at the Loyola Marymount University here on February 23 and 24. The conference was the first ever combined Jain and Sikh Studies program and once again brought together Dr. Sulekh Jain  and Dr. Harvinder Singh Sahota, 

WASHINGTON,D.C.- Most religious groups in the US rate Hindus fairly warmly, according to “polling and analysis” posted by the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan fact tank, on February 15. Asked to rate a variety of groups on a “feeling thermometer” ranging from 0 to 100, Americans’ feelings toward Hindus have shifted from relatively neutral place of 50 in 2014 on the thermometer to somewhat warmer rating of 58.  Americans aged 18-29 put the Hindus...