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Hindus laud White House for Diwali celebration

Hindus have applauded reports of United States President Barack Obama celebrating Diwali with community leaders and administration officials on October 28 in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building located next door to White House in Washington DC.

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that Hindu community worldwide felt honored by Obama’s active participation in Diwali and urged heads of state of all countries of the world to be a part in the Diwali celebrations in their respective countries.

“It is a step in the right direction”, Rajan Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, pointed out. He also urged the US Postal Service to launch a Diwali postage stamp and asked the school districts with large Hindu populations to declare Diwali as school holiday so that families could celebrate Diwali together.

“While previous administrations have observed the holiday, President Obama is the first to participate personally each year. He and the First Lady celebrated the holiday in India last year as the Vice President led the commemoration back here in DC”, according to a White House announcement.

“I was proud to be the first President to mark Diwali and light the Diya at the White House”, a statement attributed to Obama on White House website says.

White House has also invited the public to share their favorite Diwali memories with them on Twitter and is hosting a “Diwali Twitter event” on October 28.

From the White House to your house, we join with the President in wishing you and yours a Happy Diwali!...To all who are observing this sacred holiday here and around the world, Happy Diwali and Saal Mubarak, White House website states.

A blog posted on White House website by Deputy Chief of Staff at the Corporation for National and Community Service, says: “I am proud to serve for an Administration that espouses these same Hindu values and demonstrates them every day…”

The Eisenhower Executive Office Building is located next to the West Wing, and houses a majority of offices for White House staff.

Most popular of Hindu festivals Diwali, the festival of lights, aims at dispelling the darkness and lighting up the lives and symbolizes the victory of good over evil. Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal. There are about three million Hindus in USA.

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Sydney Murugan Hindu Temple having grand re-consecration

Sydney Murugan Temple in Australia will hold elaborate re-consecration (Kumbhabhishekam) ceremony from November 5-7, according to reports.

Starting at four am on November five, the detailed rituals will be performed according to ancient Hindu traditions and scriptures.

Run by “The Saiva Manram”, this Temple in Mays Hill (New South Wales) performs daily morning-afternoon-evening poojas and Kootu Valipadu on Thursdays-Fridays, besides Abishekams, Navagraha Shanthi, Hindu traditional weddings, Athma Shanthi, etc. This Temple is known for its intricate designs handcrafted by expert sculptors brought in from around the world, following strict requirements of scriptures.

Meanwhile, Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, applauded efforts of Temple management and area community for keeping the traditions alive in this wonderful temple complex.

Rajan Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, further said that it was important to pass on Hindu spirituality, concepts and traditions to coming generations amidst so many distractions in the consumerist society and hoped that this re-consecration and other regular temple activities would help in this direction. Zed stressed that instead of running after materialism; we should focus on inner search and realization of Self and work towards achieving moksh (liberation).

This Temple’s major annual events include 11-day annual festival in March/April, Skandasasthi, Navarathiri, Thiruvempaavai, Thai Poosam, Thiruvilakku Pooja, Kaarthikai, Maha Sivarathiri, etc. It also provides various special poojas, archanas and other services to the devotees; conducts Saiva Religious classes and Pannisai classes for school children; and offers Hinduism and yoga classes.

It aims to develop Carnatic Music in Sydney area and its Sydney Murugan Youth Circle aims to “promote the revival of Hinduism amongst youth”. Besides other things, objectives of “The Saiva Manram” include fostering “social and cultural harmony”. Dr. V. Manomohan, K. G. Bascaran, K. Sivapalan, and  M. Thayaparan are President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer respectively.

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Upset Hindus ask for removal of “inappropriate” Ganesha T-shirt designs

Perturbed Hindus have asked for the immediate removal of some Lord Ganesha T-shirt designs displayed on Chicago (USA) headquartered "Threadless Tees" company website, calling these inappropriate.

Hindus are finding the following objectionable: "Nerdy Lord Ganesha" (a nerdy take on Ganesha where he holds a tobacco pipe, glass of wine, etc.), Ganesha shown as "Ping Pong God", "Ganesha alien" and “Ganeshamadonna” (Ganesha and Mother Mary merged together in one figure).

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that Lord Ganesha was highly revered in Hinduism and was meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not to be thrown around loosely in reimagined versions for dramatic effects for mercantile greed. Such absurd depiction of Lord Ganesha with no scriptural backing was hurtful to the devotees.

Hinduism was the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about one billion adherents and a rich philosophical thought and it should not be taken lightly. Symbols of any faith, larger or smaller, should not be mishandled, Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, argued.

Rajan Zed further said that such trivialization of Lord Ganesha was disturbing and offensive to the one billion Hindus world over and requested Threadless to immediately remove it from its website. Hindus were for free artistic expression and speech as much as anybody else if not more. But faith was something sacred and attempts at trivializing it hurt the devotees, Zed added.

Founded in 2000, “Threadless Tees”, whose tagline is “Nude No More”, is a community-centered online apparel company of skinnyCorp which also has a store in Chicago and branch office in Boulder (Colorado, USA). Also referred as "World’s Most Inspiring Online Design Community", it claims over one million members. Jake Nickell is founder and CSO, while Thomas Ryan is CEO.

In Hinduism, Lord Ganesha is worshipped as god of wisdom and remover of obstacles and is invoked before the beginning of any major undertaking.