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Rishi Sunak’s Spiritual Visit to Akshardham During G20 Summit

Sharing his impressions of his visit, the Prime Minister said: “My wife and I were delighted to visit Swaminarayan Akshardham for darshan and puja this morning…reports Asian Lite News

The Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, accompanied by his wife Akshata Murthy, visited BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham in New Delhi, India, on Sunday 10 September 2023 during his official trip to the city for the G20 summit.

The PM and his convoy arrived at 6.45 in the morning. They were warmly welcomed in a traditional Hindu manner symbolising goodwill and friendship. Mr Sunak was then greeted by swamis, as well as senior leaders from Akshardham Mandir, who relayed a special message on behalf of His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj, spiritual leader of BAPS. His Holiness had extended his personal wishes and prayers for him and the other delegates. He wrote, “In the spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, we pray for you and all the attendees: May the summit be a resounding success in collectively helping the whole world towards peace, righteous prosperity, and global harmony.”

During his visit, the Prime Minister was given an overview of Swaminarayan Akshardham – a 100-acre spiritual and cultural complex that portrays the traditions and ancient architecture of India and promotes the timeless Hindu spiritual messages of faith, devotion and harmony.

Inside the main mandir, Mr Sunak and his wife paid their respects to the sacred images and admired the art and architecture. The couple also performed abhishek (ritual pouring of water) on the murti of Shri Nilkanth Varni Maharaj, and offered prayers for world peace, progress and harmony.

Sharing his impressions of his visit, the Prime Minister said: “My wife and I were delighted to visit Swaminarayan Akshardham for darshan and puja this morning.

We were amazed and awed by the beauty of this temple and its universal message of peace, harmony, and becoming a better human being. This is not only a place of worship, but a landmark that also portrays India’s values, culture and contributions to the world.

We see today in Britain these very same values and culture through the positive contributions the British Indian community makes to our country.

I was honoured to have received the blessings of His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj conveyed to me this morning, and I understand that His Holiness is inaugurating another beautiful Swaminarayan Akshardham temple in Robbinsville, USA very soon.

I would like to send my very best wishes to His Holiness and all the devotees of BAPS ahead of the opening.”

Brahmavihari Swami, the senior swami of the sanstha, added: “It was an honour to welcome the Prime Minister to Swaminarayan Akshardham and share His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj’s message of peace, unity and public service. The UK’s relationship with India is built on a bond of friendship and fostered by cultural exchanges as well as a vibrant Indian diaspora in the UK. We were delighted to strengthen this relationship through this visit.”

Despite the inclement weather conditions, the Prime Minister dedicated almost one hour to partake in the act of darshan and prayer at the temple.

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Finest tale of ‘harmony’ from Kashmir valley

Another local resident Umer said there are many examples in Jammu and Kashmir where the Muslim community takes care of Hindu temples…reports Asian Lite News

A hearing and speech impaired Muslim father-son duo have been looking after a Shiva temple for years and setting an example of communal harmony in the valley.

The father and Ahmad Alai have been caretakers of Gopi Tirith Temple, a small Shiva temple in Zabarwan hills in Srinagar.

Nisar Ahmad Alai and his father have been taking care of the temple for more than six years.

Nisar cleans the premises, maintains the gardens and grows vegetables in the temple courtyard.

The locals believe that this temple is a sign of Kashmir’s mutual brotherhood.

Firdous, a local resident said “they are working as caretakers for a long time now and are responsible for its upkeep. It is a sign of Kashmir’s brotherhood which is every citizen’s moral responsibility.”

“In case father and son are not able to take care of than other people also keep looking after the temple,” he said.

Another local resident Umer said there are many examples in Jammu and Kashmir where the Muslim community takes care of Hindu temples.

“Our Muslim community boy is taking care of this Shiva temple. This is not a unique case, there are many temples in the valley where the Muslim community takes care of Hindu temples. All the religions live here in harmony and respect each other’s religion,” Umer said. (ANI)

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Authorities restore plot for Islamabad Hindu temple after criticism

The four kanals at H-9/2 was allotted to the community in 2016 for the construction of the first-ever Hindu temple, cremation and community centre in the federal capital….reports Asian Lite News

The Islamabad Capital Development Authority (CDA) has come under severe criticism from the public for cancelling a plot allotted for the construction of a Hindu temple and cremation centre, Dawn news reported.

Within hours ,the Islamabad city managers had to withdraw a notification under which the plot had been cancelled.

The four kanals at H-9/2 was allotted to the community in 2016 for the construction of the first-ever Hindu temple, cremation and community centre in the federal capital.

During hearing of a case in Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday, CDA’s counsel Javed Iqbal told the court that the civic agency had already cancelled the plot for the Hindu community in February this year for not starting construction on it.

Following this, the mainstream as well as social media criticised the CDA, forcing it to withdraw the notification and restore the plot within few hours, the report said.

CDA spokesperson Syed Asif Raza said in the light of a decision of the federal cabinet, allotments of all lands allotted to various offices, universities and other institutions on which no construction work had been started were cancelled.

However, the officials concerned in the civic agency misinterpreted the cabinet decision and had cancelled the plot allotted to the Hindu community.

He said approval had already been given for construction of a boundary wall on the land allotted for the temple so the decision of the federal cabinet did not apply to it.

This plot did not fall in the category of those where construction had not taken place, he added, the Dawn news report said.

The spokesperson also shared a copy of the new allotment letter which stated: “The allotment of subject plot allotted for temple, community centre and cremation ground for Hindu community in Sector H-9/2, Islamabad, stands valid as the same is not affected by the cabinet decision dated 22-09-2020 as construction work on the subject plot had been initiated after approval of CDA dated 21-12-2020.

“In view of the above, Directorate of Estate Management II’s letter dated 15-2-2021 stands withdrawn as ab-initio.”

Asked if the CDA will initiate any inquiry against those who misinterpreted the cabinet’s decision, he said: “Actually, there was no bad intention involved in this case. There was some sort of confusion and misinterpretation of the cabinet decision and when the matter was brought into the notice of high-ups, the allotment was restored immediately.”

He added that it was the legal and constitutional right of all citizens to observe their faith and the CDA had been playing its positive role in this regard, the report added.

In July last year, after strong reaction from right wing groups, who criticised the government for its intention to build a Hindu temple with government funding, the CDA all of a sudden stopped the community from constructing the boundary wall around the plot.

However, the matter was resolved in December when the city managers issued permission to the community to raise the boundary wall around the proposed site, the report added.

There is no temple and cremation centre in Islamabad for the Hindu community. After lots of efforts by the community and on the direction of the Human Right Commission of Pakistan, the CDA allotted the four kanals to the community in 2016, the report said.

In the past, there was a temple in Saidpur village but that was abandoned decades ago, Dawn news reported.

The cancellation and subsequent restoration letters were addressed to former President of the Islamabad Hindu Panchayat, Preetam Das.

Last year, a delegation of the Hindu Panchayat led by its President Mahesh Kumar had held a meeting with the CDA chairman and informed him that the Council of Islamic Ideology had given a ruling for the construction of a crematorium in Islamabad, Dawn news added.

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Pak Chief Justice’s Diwali in Teri Temple

The pilgrims have already started arriving at Hassanabdal, from where they will proceed to the Teri area of Karak on Monday and return the same day…reports Asian Lite News.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Gulzar Ahmad will celebrate Diwali at the Teri Temple in Karak, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on Monday to express solidarity with the local members of the Hindu community as well as pilgrims reaching the shrine from other parts of the country, Dawn reported.

The grand function is being organised by the Pakistan Hindu Council (PHC), which invited Justice Ahmed and other dignitaries to take part in the celebrations. The Hindu council will also host a large number of pilgrims from Sindh and Balochistan, the report added.

PHC patron-in-chief and member of the National Assembly Ramesh Kumar Vankwani said the presence of senior officials during the celebration would give a strong message to the miscreants that their nefarious designs would be foiled by the state.

To provide facilities to those arriving from Sindh and Balochistan to participate in the annual fair at Teri, the Hindu council has also requested the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) to provide boarding and lodging facilities to around 1,500 pilgrims at Hassanabdal, the report said.

The pilgrims have already started arriving at Hassanabdal, from where they will proceed to the Teri area of Karak on Monday and return the same day.

The shrine is associated to a saint, Shri Param Hans Ji Maharaj, in Karak district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where a temple was established in 1920.

However, it was vandalised by a mob led by a local cleric belonging to the Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl last year.

Later, on the orders of the Chief Justice of Pakistan, not only the temple/shrine was restored to its original condition by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, but the apex court also ordered the ptovincial government in October 2021 to recover 33 million PKR from the culprits involved in vandalising and destruction of the century-old Samadhi, the report said.

On December 30, 2020, more than 1,000 people led by some local clerics belonging to the JUI-F instigated the villagers to demolish the temple as a result people led by local seminary students attacked the temple.

Subsequently, the Supreme Court took suo motu notice of the incident and during the proceedings the court was informed by then Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police chief Sanaullah Abbasi that a local leader of the JUI-F, Maulana Faizullah, had organised the protest near the shrine but of the six religious leaders present at the protest site, only Maulvi Sharif had incited the crowd to desecrate the temple, the report said.

The court was apprised that 109 people involved in the incident had been arrested soon after destruction.

Earlier in 1997, the Samadhi was first attacked and severely damaged, and PHC head Vankwani had approached the apex court in 2015 seeking help to restore the holy place and restart the annual pilgrimage to the place.

Supreme Court of Pakistan (Wikipedia)

“At that time, local clerics were creating hurdles to holding of religious congregation for the Hindus, while the followers of Shri Paramhans Ji tried to build the temple at the place but it was not allowed,” Vankwani had told Dawn.

The Supreme Court had issued directives to the provincial government to restore and preserve the Teri temple at that time, too.

Finally, Pakistan Hindu Council started holding the annual fair in 2015.

Since the temple/shrine was being managed by the local Hindu families, it comes administratively under the KP government and not under the ETPB control.

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Jignesh Mevani enters temple in Kutch with Dalits

“What are you doing about this issue? He asked the ruling BJP party which has been in power in Gujarat for around two and a half decades…reports Asian Lite News.

As part of the agitation against atrocities on Dalit community in Gujarat, the lone independent legislator Jignesh Mevani, who recently joined the Congress, entered a temple at Varnu village on Monday with other Dalit members in Rapar taluka in Kutch as a mark of protest.

On receiving a complaint from the Dalit residents of the Varnu village, the Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch of which Jignesh Mevani is the national convener, reached the temple with his team. Mevani in his presence ensured the entry of people from the Dalit community inside the temple.

“The temple has two premises and Dalits are allowed access to only the primary part and the inner sanctum sanctorum is reserved only for people from the upper caste,” Mevani told.

“Now my question is — why every citizen is not allowed an entry inside and only the upper caste? asked Mevani.

“In the authority’s presence, we made an entry into ‘Garbha Gruh’ and carried out rituals. But it was a very cold welcome from the temple authorities (Pujari-Nahant), as cold a welcome I would receive at the BJP headquarters Kamalam,” Mevani laughed.

After the entry, Mevani held a meeting with people from other communities residing in the Varnu village. Mevani told them, “We are not here to showcase our strength that we can enter the temple, but we are here to move along with you with folded hands. Let’s consider each other as our own and have a feeling of brotherhood for our fellow villagers.”

The Vadgam constituency legislator Jignesh Mevani on Saturday had given a call for “Andolan” (agitation) against atrocities and practice of untouchability against Dalits in Gujarat. This was after six members of a Dalit family at Ner village in Kutch were assaulted allegedly by a group of 20 persons on October 26.

Mevani said, “Until there is an attack or a murder (of Dalits), the police don’t act. The BJP plays politics in the name of temples across the country, my question to them is how many Ram Mandirs and temples in Gujarat do not allow entry to Dalits.”

“What are you doing about this issue? He asked the ruling BJP party which has been in power in Gujarat for around two and a half decades.

“Untouchability is a blot on our society and we as a society, as a nation are not ashamed of this. I have challenged the BJP in the House thrice to take up a single village out of the over eighteen thousand villages and make it untouchability free, which they have not accepted. They want it to continue,” added Mevani.

Mevani informed that alone in Kutch district, in Rapar and Bhachau talukas, nearly 1200-1500 acres, that is nearly 3,000 bighas of land of scheduled castes and Dalit community were illegally occupied by upper castes.

“We have already identified 10,000 acre Dalit land in Gujarat, which has been encroached upon. In the coming days, we will continue the agitation to free that along with raising voice for many such complaints we have received just like that of Ner and Varnu villages,” added Mevani.

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Muraleedharan visits construction site of BAPS temple

Muraleedharan visits construction site of BAPS temple

Union Minister of State for External Affairs (MOS) V Muraleedharan on Wednesday visited the construction site of Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan (BAPS) temple in Abu Dhabi…reports Asian Litre News

The minister said that the temple will be the first Traditional Stone Hindu Mandir in the Middle East once it completes. He also thanked UAE Government for its consistent support.

Muraleedharan visits construction site of BAPS temple

“Visited the construction site of BAPS temple in Abu Dhabi. Once built, it will be the first Traditional Stone Hindu Mandir in the Middle East. Glad to learn about the environmental friendly green foundation utilizing fly ash. Thank UAE Government for the consistent support,” the Minister of States tweeted.

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Muraleedharan was on to the Sixth Ministerial Consultations of Abu Dhabi Dialogue (ADD) which was held in Dubai from October 26 to 27. During the visit, Muraleedharan will have bilateral meetings. (ANI)

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Now, India has 40 sites on Unesco World Heritage list

India has now joined the list of countries with 40 or more World Heritage sites which includes Italy, Spain, Germany, China and France…reports Asian Lite News.

Dholavira, a Harappan-era metropolis situated in Gujarat, has been accorded the World Heritage tag by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The site, which was on UNESCO’s tentative list since 2014, is one of the very few well preserved urban settlements in South Asia dating from the 3rd to mid-2nd millennium BCE.

It is the 6th largest of more than 1,000 Harappan sites discovered so far and is an exceptional example of a proto-historic Bronze Age urban settlement.

India has now joined the list of countries with 40 or more World Heritage sites which includes Italy, Spain, Germany, China and France.

“Dholavira: A Harappan City, in India, just inscribed on the @UNESCO #WorldHeritage List. Congratulations!” UNESCO tweeted.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, “Absolutely delighted by this news.Dholavira was an important urban centre and is one of our most important linkages with our past. It is a must visit, especially for those interested in history, culture and archaeology.”

Union Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy tweeted, “Another feather in India’s cap as we now enter the Super-40 club for World Heritage Site inscriptions”.

Gujarat so far had three world heritage sites – Champaner near Pavagadh, Rani ki Vav in Patan and the historic city of Ahmedabad.

India has added 10 new world Heritage sites since 2014.

With this successful nomination, India now has 32 cultural, 7 natural and one mixed category UNESCO World Heritage property.

According to the Ministry of Culture, Dholavira not only witnesses the entire trajectory of the rise and fall of this early civilization of humankind, but also demonstrates its multifaceted achievements in terms of urban planning, construction techniques, water management, social governance and development, art, manufacturing, trading, and belief system.

With extremely rich artefacts, the well preserved urban settlement of Dholavira depicts a vivid picture of a regional centre with its distinct characteristics that also contributes significantly to the existing knowledge of Harappan Civilization as a whole.

The property comprises two parts: a walled city and a cemetery to the west of the city. The walled city consists of a fortified Castle with attached fortified Bailey and Ceremonial Ground, and a fortified Middle Town and a Lower Town. A series of reservoirs are found to the east and south of the Citadel. The great majority of the burials in the Cemetery are memorial in nature.

The configuration of the city of Dholavira, during its heyday, is an outstanding example of planned city with planned and segregated urban residential areas based on possibly differential occupational activities, and a stratified society.

Telangana’s Ramappa temple is India’s 39th World Heritage Site

The 13th Century Rudreswara Temple, also known as Ramappa Temple, in the state of Telangana has been inscribed on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage list.

This is India’s 39th such heritage to be inscribed on the prestigious list.

The decision was taken at the 44th session of the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO on Sunday.

Ramappa temple, a 13th century engineering marvel named after its architect, Ramappa, was proposed by the government as its only nomination for the UNESCO World Heritage site tag for the year 2019.

The Union Minister of Culture, Tourism and Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) G Kishan Reddy thanked PM Modi for his guidance and support.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the meeting of the World Heritage Committee (WHC) of UNESCO could not be conducted in 2020 and the nominations for 2020 and those for 2021 were discussed in a series of online meetings that are currently underway.

The discussion on Ramappa Temple took place on Sunday.

There were 21 members in the World Heritage Committee with China currently as the Chair of the Committee.

The Rudreswara temple was constructed in 1213 AD during the reign of the Kakatiya Empire by Recharla Rudra, a general of Kakatiya king Ganapati Deva.

The presiding deity here is Ramalingeswara Swamy. It is also known as the Ramappa temple, after the sculptor who executed the work in the temple for 40 years.

The temple complexes of Kakatiyas have a distinct style, technology and decoration exhibiting the influence of the Kakatiyan sculptor. The Ramappa Temple is a manifestation of this and often stands as a testimonial to the Kakatiyan creative genius.

The temple stands on a 6-feet high star-shaped platform with walls, pillars and ceilings adorned with intricate carvings that attest to the unique skill of the Kakatiyan sculptors.

The sculptural art and decoration specific to the time and Kakatiyan Empire have an outstanding universal value. The distinct style of Kakatiyas for the gateways to temple complexes, unique only to this region confirm the highly evolved proportions of aesthetics in temple and town gateways in South India.

European merchants and travelers were mesmerized by the beauty of the temple and one such traveler had remarked that the temple was the “brightest star in the galaxy of medieval temples of the Deccan”. (India News Network)

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Thousands defy Covid curbs to gather at Gujarat temple

Women in their thousands from Navapura in Changodar and Nidharada village in Sanand Taluka thronged the road leading to the temple, carrying water-filled pots on their heads….reports Asian Lite News.

Thousands of devotees from Navapura and Nidhrada villages in Sanand Tehsil of Ahmedabad gathered to shower water on the Baliyadev temple to fulfil their vow to the temple deity, thereby violating the current Covid guidelines of physical distancing and masks. The Sanand police has filed charges in the matter and arrested around two dozen people for violation of the protocols.

Even as the entire country is grappling with the crisis of the second wave of the corons pandemic, and the government as well as the public taking utmost precautions against the virus spread, Gujarat’s Sanand city on Tuesday saw thousands of women gathering to offer water at the Baliyadev Temple.

Thousands of people were mobilized for a mass gathering upon the Baliyadev Temple priest’s call to fulfil the ‘Badha’ (vow) to shower the temple. Along with the vow, a myth was also linked that by fulfilling the vow the temple deity would get rid of the corona outbreak in the country.

Women in their thousands from Navapura in Changodar and Nidharada village in Sanand Taluka thronged the road leading to the temple, carrying water-filled pots on their heads. Apart from the mass gathering, music was also being played by a DJ. Visuals of the mass gathering show the women marching as the music is being played. Apart from physical distancing going for a toss, the place was also seen with most of the people flouting mask guidelines.

As soon as the video of the incident went viral, the local police sprung into action. The Changodar police went to Navapura village to investigate the matter. The police found out that the women had gathered in huge numbers near the Baliyadev Temple.

The police arrested 23 people in Navapura village, including the village Sarpanch as well as the organiser of the mass religious gathering.

“As soon as we came to know about the incident, the police rushed to the place and we have filed charges at both the Navapura village and Nidhrada villages. We have arrested the Navapura Sarpanch, the DJ and the organizer in Navapura. We appeal to the people to please follow the Covid protocols and cooperate with the administration in fighting the virus,” said KT Kamaria, DySP, Ahmedabad Rural.

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