Author: Staff Reporter
His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj, the spiritual head of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, was welcomed to Robbinsville, New Jersey, by devotees and volunteers from all across North America with much emotion and joy. The “Festival of Inspirations,” a series of formal festivities for invited visitors planned under the direction of “Akshardham Mahotsav,” officially began when he arrived, which was reason for jubilation. The BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham campus is an iconic example of Hindu art, architecture, and culture. It has a stone Hindu mandir, a traditional stepwell, a welcome center, and the still-under-construction Akshardham Mahamandir and Museum. With a floral wreath and…
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, addressed the closing ceremony of the centenary celebrations of the historic Gita Press in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, today and released the Chitramaya Shiva Purana Granth. The Prime Minister also visited Leela Chitra temple in the Gita Press and paid floral tribute to the portrait of Lord Shri Ram. PM Modi started his speech by reciting a very popular sanskrit sloka from KRISHNASHTAKAM, written by Adi Shankarachaya in Sanskrit, worshiping the brilliance of Sri Krishna as the master of the universe. श्री हरिः। वसुदेव सुतं देवं, कंस चाणूर-मर्दनम्। देवकी परमानन्दं, कृष्णं वंदे जगद्गुरुम्॥ It…
Rohan Murthy interviews dad NR Narayana Murthy on starting up, sacrifices, values, and more. At the Moneycontrol Startup Conclave 2023, Narayana Murthy, the founder of Infosys, spoke on stage with his son Rohan Murthy, the founder of Soroco, in an open discussion. The IIT alumnus was questioned about his decision to pursue entrepreneurship. He said, “Because I believe the power of entrepreneurship, creating jobs, translating ideas into jobs, translating ideas into wealth, and increasing taxes paid to the government is the only way society can remove its poverty.” He emphasized, “They must have the power of imagination,” when asked…
The Melodies of Motion – Bharatnatyam Showcase was held at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Robbinsville, New Jersey, on June 30, 2023. Through Bharatanatyam, a type of Indian classical dance, members of the local community had the chance to experience India’s diverse culture. Under the open sky, more than thirty young girls of all ages performed various Bharatnatyam dances. Originally done as a highly esteemed act of devotion, dancers used deft footwork, expressive hand gestures (mudras), and alluring facial expressions to convey their spirituality. A lengthy history of Bharatnatyam dancers was honored, and their contributions to Indian art…
The quote “Arise! Awake! Approach the great and learn” is a verse from the Katha Upanishad (1.3.14), a Hindu scripture. The full verse is: “Arise, awake, and learn by approaching the exalted ones, for that path is sharp as a razor’s edge, impassable, and hard to go by, say the wise.” Swami Vivekananda was deeply influenced by these texts and incorporated their teachings into his philosophy and speeches. He said, “Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached”. The messages of awakening one’s potential, seeking out wisdom, and pursuing knowledge with determination and vigor are at the…
Bala Vihar, a spiritual and cultural orientation program for children, was established at South Florida Hindu Temple with the vision of fostering reverence for Indian and specifically Hindu culture, instilling self-confidence, and inspiring a spirit of service and cheerfulness in young minds. At Bala Vihar, children immerse themselves in engaging activities, such as storytelling, games, festival celebrations, and creative projects, enabling them to connect with Hindu culture on a deeper level. Furthermore, the program emphasizes character development, promoting virtues like truth, compassion, discipline, and respect. The engaging and interactive sessions enable children to internalize these values, fostering their growth into…
The first Indian to win the National Spelling Bee contest was Balu Natarajan in 1985 and the winning word was “milieu”. Here is the list of Indian-American Kids who have won the competition since 2008. 2022 – Winner: Chaitra Thummala; Word: moorhen – an aquatic bird of the rail family that is widespread in the New World, Eurasia, and Africa and that has a red bill, red frontal area on the head, and a white band on the flanks 2019: Winners: Rishik Gandhasri, Erin Howard, Saketh Sundar (Co-Champions); Word: Bougainvillea – a tropical climbing plant with colorful bracts 2018: Winner:…
At a regional spelling bee in Orlando, Florida, 15 months ago, Dev Shah was disappointed since he didn’t achieve his goal of being selected for the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Nevertheless, Dev’s perseverance paid off, as he won this year’s National Spelling Bee. Over the previous 24 years, Indian-Americans have dominated the Scripps National Spelling Bee, which is noteworthy. Indian-Americans have won 22 of the last 24 championships despite making up just 1% of the country’s population, demonstrating their superior linguistic and spelling capabilities. Dev Shah, a 14-year-old from Largo, Florida, initially participated in the national bee in 2019, but…
The C20 Education Working Group Summit on “Digital Transformation in Public Schools” was jointly organized by Vibha, Mata Amritanandamayi Centers in the United States of America, and the Consulate General of India in Atlanta. On June 25th, over a hundred people gathered in Atlanta, Georgia, to hear Padma Bhushan Dr. Jagdish Sheth, Consul General of India in Atlanta, and other notable speakers share their wisdom and experience. The goals of the event, which included encouraging discussion and producing policy proposals for the G20 Leaders, were met with great success. It takes a long time to make policy. However, it…
