India Herald
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VOL. 25 • NO. 45 • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2019 • P.O. BOX 623, SUGAR LAND, TX 77487 • PERIODICAL PERMIT USPS 017699 • 25 cents
Knowledge, tradition Father-son duo present pathway to business transition shine during Deepavali at Chinmaya Prabha
Deputy Consul-general of India Surendra Adhana felicitates Aku Patel and his son Anant Patel, with IACCGH Executive Director Jagdip Ahluwalia, left, President, Swapan Dhairyawan and Dr. Subodh Bhuchar, right. Photo by BIJAY DIXIT. By MANU SHAH On October 22, three father-son duos shared the dais at Doubletree Hilton to talk about generational business transition and their induction into the family business. The panel discussion, organized by the IACCGH, is the second of its series and shed Chinmaya Mission Houston’s Acharya Shri Gaurang Nanavaty, left, performs light on how business families are preparing to turn over the family business to their the Diwali puja with the guidance of Sri Saumyakasi Sivalaya’s priest, Sri children and secure its future. Ganesh Satyanarayan.— Photo by RAJESH THATTE. (Story on Page 4.) Executive Director Jagdip Ahluwalia highlighted the fact that senior panelists Bal Sareen, Abeezar Tyebji and Aku Patel have all been honored with the IACCGH “Businessperson of the Year Award.” The Gen 2 panelists were Kevin Sareen, Quresh Tyebji and Anant Patel. See CHAMBER, Page 3
Hindu Youth Awards set for Nov. 16
Hindus of Greater Houston will host its 30th anniversary celebration and the 9th Hindu Annual Youth Awards and Gala on Nov. 16, from 5 p.m at the Houston Durga Bari Society, 13944 Schiller Rd, Houston, TX 77082. . Raj Syal envisioned a new direction with the idea of uniting Hindus together in establishing HGH. In a span of thirty years, the Hindu community has grown from having three temples to 30 temples currently in the Greater Houston area. Along with the growth, the scope of activities for the youth also increased. The keynote speaker will be Rishi Bhutada, director, Hindu American Foundation. Acharya Shri Gaurang Nanavaty and Acharya Smt. Darshana Nanavaty, founding members of Chinmaya Mission
Houston, will be the chief guests and will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. HGH’s mission is to build harmony within the community and provide outreach services to all Hindu Organizations. It organizes Hindu Leaders Meet of all temples and organizations. It participates in the Hindu Heritage Youth Camp and supports the group, Young Hindus of greater Houston. Akash Dingra, team member of Young Hindus of Greater Houston says, “It’s been a true pleasure to be involved with Young Hindus of Greater Houston, to see our community come together and celebrate our culture and values, an enrichment to all of us. Being able to serve with this purpose in mind has been rewarding in See HGH, Page 3
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PAGE 2 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2019
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INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2019 • PAGE 3
NEWS
Moderator Dr. Subodh Bhuchar introduces the panelists, Bal Sareen, Kevin, Abeezar Tyebji, Quresh, Aku Patel and Anant. Photo by BIJAY DIXIT.
Chamber
From Page 1
Practicing family physician, Pediatrician and talk show host Dr. Subodh Bhuchar as moderator brought his wit and easy comebacks to the discussion. Event sponsors BB&T were enthused about underwriting the series after attending the first series which saw Houston’s three Indo American familiesthe Bhutadas, Malanis and the Dhingras share how they are handling transition in their business. BB&T representative Mark Chou stated that he looked forward to a long-term relationship with the Chamber. Welcoming the panelists, President Swapan Dhairyawan observed that many in the second generation of family owned business opted to carve out their own paths before returning to the family fold. The panelists were from three sectors: the Sareens came from manufacturing, the Tyebjis from the service sector and the Patels from retail. Karat 22, a high end diamond and gold jewelry business was started by Meena and Aku Patel as a home based business before becoming a leading name in jewelry, Shipcom Wireless, a
leading global service provider of integrated supply chain execution software solutions was founded by Abeezar Tyebji while Brask, Inc. was started by Bal Sareen and is today the second largest manufacturer of heat exchangers in the US. According to statistics, family owned businesses account for an estimated 80% of companies worldwide and are the largest source of longterm employment in most countries. In the US, they employ 60% of workers and create 78% of new jobs. Was Gen 2 keen to pick up the baton? Surprisingly, the answer is no. All three were reluctant to follow in dad’s footsteps. Kevin Sareen, a mechanical engineer had to prove to himself that he could do it on his own. He worked in the corporate environment for several years before taking charge of the company’s second plant in Pearland. Quresh’s degree in architecture and business led him to designing Smart Airports in New Jersey while Anant, having seen the early struggles of the business, was set to start a job after his degree in finance and accounting. This resistance was
gradually worn down over the years. As Bal Sareen put it to Kevin “if you are going to work that hard, work for yourself. Aku Patel advised his son to talk to friends who had joined the corporate world only to return to the family business because the “opportunity to grow is exponential.” Quresh was drawn by Shipcom’s mission to “innovate simple applications because of the age we live in.” As far as exit strategies go, Bal Sareen shared his intention to wean away from the business by 2025. He also added that when a child takes over the business and sustains the same value system, the continuity sends a reassuring signal to banks, employees and customers. The Tyebjis are looking for world class talent, meritocracy and leadership while in Aku Patel’s case, he hasn’t really considered retiring from the business because he quipped “he’s still young.” All three founders share not only a strong sense of philanthropy but also a spiritual inclination. This, they believed, helped them cope with setbacks and challenges as in the case of Aku Patel, whose shop was broken into
and termed as the biggest break-in in the history of Texas. One of the challenges which all three youngsters agreed on was that generational conflict was inevitable. Knowing that the best decision will benefit the company helps Aku and Anant find common ground. For Quresh the “ying and yang balance” at the end of the day while Kevin believed that differences helped a business “evolve as it forces one to look at the other’s perspective.” True millennials, all three believed in adopting innovative technologies and data, which could sometimes “be met with some resistance.” While Gen 1’s knowledge and experience prove
invaluable, Abeezar was quick to acknowledge that he has learned tremendously from the rising generation. The hour-long dialogue indicated that the next generation, while feeling the weight of their responsibility, look set to “fly the flag” IACCGH continues to serve the Houston business community with a series of events to address different sectors the next event being in partnership with the Indian Doctors Association in the Woodlands in November focused on how the US SBA can help doctors leverage SBA guaranteed loans and other programs. Visit www.iaccgh.com to learn more about the Chamber.
HGH
Awards says “It is a great honor working with youth awardees and witnessing their enthusiasm and dedication for their organizations. Hindu Youth Awards gives youth the opportunity to connect and exchange ideas to take forward the noble work of perseverance and Hindu Unity.” Donations can be made to Hindus of Greater Houston by sending checks to: Attn: Girish Naik, 4018 Westhollow Pkwy, Houston, TX 77082
From Page 1 itself, seeing the amazing impact that is possible through community service is nothing short of inspiring. The Hindu youth awards is a meaningful recognition and truly connects you with other Hindu youth. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting this year’s awardees, and I can confidently say, our culture and values are in the best of hands.” Bhawna Luthra, Event Coordinator of Hindu Youth
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PAGE 4 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2019
NEWS
CMH celebrates Deepavali The most iconic of Hindu festivals – Deepavali, also called Diwali, was celebrated at Chinmaya Mission Houston (CMH) on October 27th, 2019 with great fervor. Deepavali, meaning ”row of lamps,” is usually celebrated by lighting many lamps and hence the sobriquet, “Festival of Lights.” In many places, the festivities span five days. It marks the day of return of Bhagwan Rama to Ayodhya, along with Sita and Lakshmana after the defeating Ravana. Deepavali also marks the victory of Bhagwan Krishna and Satyabama over Narkasura. The significance compounds as it marks the day of emer-
gence of Lakshmi during Saagar Manthan. In many communities, it marks the New Year on their calendar. In short, Deepavali signifies victory of light over darkness, of Knowledge over ignorance. The festivities are marked by social gatherings, exchange of sweets and gifts, bursting of firecrackers; it is also a time for contemplation and temple visits. CMH brought out the festival’s grandeur through its army of volunteers. Gurudev’s pratima was decorated with flowers and colorful rangoli. In Chinmaya Smriti hall, at the center of a colorful stage were the murtis of Narayana T:6” with his consorts - Sridevi and
Bhoodevi. Sri Ganesh Satyanarayana, Sri Saumyakasi Sivalaya’s priest conducted the puja with Acharya Shri Gaurang Nanavaty. Acharya Darshana Nanavaty was also present. Acharya Gaurangbhai cast deep insight on the subtler meaning behind Deepavali in his crisp address. He noted that in Dussera, where good gains victory over evil, the process begins by destroying darkness through the worship of Parvati. It is then followed by seeking spiritual wealth through Lakshmi puja culminating in Saraswati worship for getting knowledge. In Deepavali, the entire process is reversed. It commences on Vaakbaras (Saraswati),
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to some tasty prasad. Deepavali and CMH, both, remind us of the importance of constantly working on one’s own darkness and letting the bright light of knowledge to shine within. The inner journey continues. CMH, its Acharyas, volunteers and family members strive to live the teachings of their great master Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda. Gurudev’s entire life was one of a bright lamp shining incessantly to spread the Vedic wisdom in the simplest way to the masses. Tradition steeped in wisdom, diffused with fun is the norm at Chinmaya Mission Houston, located at Chinmaya Prabha, 10353, Synott Road, Sugar Land, TX-77498. For more information, visit www.chinmayahouston.org or call Jay Deshmukh 832 541 0059. —By Satchitananda
India Herald
Established in 1995 by Rajeev Gadgil, Seshadri Kumar & Salim Sindhi India Herald (USPS Periodical 017-699) is published every Wednesday by India Herald, Inc. for a subscription rate of $25 per year. Periodical postage paid at Houston and Sugar Land, Texas. POST MASTER: Send address changes to India Herald, P.O. Box 623, Sugar Land, Texas 77487 Publisher & Editor: Seshadri Kumar www.india-herald.com; email:editor@india-herald.com India Herald assumes no liability resulting from action taken based on information included herein. ©India Herald. All rights reserved. T:3.5”
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Danteras (Lakshmi), Kalichaudas (Parvati) and ends with Deepavali. With knowledge, one begins cultivating spiritual wealth and remains vigilant against vasanas; thus shines the real dawn of inner light. After his address, rows of families, decked in the most brilliant clothes, followed Ganeshji’s directions in performing Ganesa Puja, followed by Lakshmi Astottarasatanama puja and recital of Vishnusahasaranama. The vaidika aarti was followed by a visually pleasing aarti that all the families did with their lamps. As is the norm in CMH, the celebration was done in two sessions. Since CMH proudly holds on to the traditions of imparting and honoring knowledge, the families then lined up to offer Gurudakshina to their beloved Acharyas; each family, in return, was blessed with a gift. As the festivities came to a close, the families were treated
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INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2019 • PAGE 5
So, You Want to be an Entrepreneur?
By Devina Bhojwani When I attended Rice for my MBA, my favorite class was entrepreneurship. I quickly realized that I loved talking about profit and loss, analyzing financial statements, and making business plans. However, as every newly minted MBA, I pursued the traditional path and landed a dream job in Houston’s oil and gas sector. I spent five years working on rolling forecasts, preparing CFO call notes for quarterly earning calls, travelling to Brazil to work on the South America budget, and so on and so forth. So, what made me leave this world and take the plunge into business ownership? Working on your own terms: When you own a business, you learn quickly that time is your most precious commodity. You must have very good time management and prioritiza-
tion skills. Yes, I get to choose which of my children’s school events to attend. However, that does mean that I spend an extra hour or two sitting at my computer, making up for that time. Who wouldn’t want to be their own boss, right? Nevertheless, one does need to be razor focused and driven to be an entrepreneur. Risk appetite: To truly succeed in business, at some point it will be necessary to step out of your comfort zone. If you are risk averse by nature, then owning your own business might not be for you. A corporate job gives you a bi-monthly paycheck regardless of how the company is performing. Whereas, when you own your own business, there might be several months when you are unable to draw an earning, as the business might be operating in the red.
80-20 rule: Establish an 8020 rule and spend 80% of your time on the things that grow your top line. As a small business owner, it is very important to know your core competencies and strengths. A lot of times, I hear small business owners say, I could have done that job way better than my employee. And that might be the case, but your time is worth a lot more than the employee that works for you. Establish processes: You should know that owning your own business does mean that you are responsible for it at all hours of the day and even weekends. I owned several retail stores and we had set protocols in place on how to deal with a minor vs. major emergency. For example, when a teacher called in sick, the staff knew to call their on-call manager and find someone to cover
their shift. This is where the trait of establishing processes ahead of time plays a major role. Managing failure: Our society focuses on successes rather than failures. However, as a small business owner, you might have more failures than successes, and you need to have the gumption to be able to deal with this. The key I live by is knowing when to cut my losses. I had a nonperforming retail store, and after a few months of the store’s performance being in the red, I calculated how much more I would have to invest to keep the lights on vs. how much of that money could be saved by closing it down. While it was a very tough decision, sadly, one that had to be made. Ego and empathy: You are responsible for motivating your team more than in the corporate sector. This applies to people in corporate and the entrepreneurial world alike. I do believe it plays a bigger role in small businesses. If you have low empathy skills or your ego prevents you from truly listening, then starting your own business might not be for you. Research has shown that “people don’t leave jobs; they leave bad bosses”. So, the next time you think about owning a franchise or starting your own business, ask yourself some of the above questions and you might conclude that the small business world is not for you.
(Devina Bhojwani is a leader who is passionate about education. She moved to the United States in pursuit of better education and graduated with honors from Rice University with an MBA. Devina owned and operated four of the Gymboree Play & Music centers in Houston. She found professional success, by leading her centers to be among the top performing stores in the nation. She also made a commitment to give back to those who could not afford a Play & Music class, by hosting free classes at the Down Syndrome and the United Cerebral Palsy Associations. Devina currently serves on the board of a STEAM-based education franchise, Idea Lab Kids. She also serves on the board of directors of SOS - a unique life-skills development organization. In her free time, Devina enjoys working with several non-profit organizations such as CRY, Know Autism, and Overcome.)
PAGE 6 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2019
NEWS
Thomas Abraham appointed to Brazos River Authority
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Two area residents have been appointed to the board of Brazos River Authority by Texas Governor Greg Abbott. Former Sugar Land Councilman Thomas Abraham and Katy resident David Savage were among the eight new members named to the board last week. Thomas Abraham of Sugar Land is the president and chief executive officer of Transtar AC Supply. Abraham received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tampa and a Master of Business Administration from Delhi University. David Savage of Katy is senior director contracts and commercial for Team Industrial Services. He is a member of the Strategic Account Management Association, American Fuels & Petrochemicals Manufacturers, and the American Chemistry Council. He is a deacon at Second Baptist Church and former council cabinet member of the World Affairs Council of Houston. Savage received a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University. Abbott reappointed Jim Lat-
Abraham timore and Wesley Lloyd with five others for terms set to expire on February 1, 2025. Additionally, Austin Ruiz, O.D. was appointed for a term set to expire on February 1, 2021. The Board formulates plans deemed essential to the operation of the District and its administration in the control, storing, preservation and distribution of the storm and flood waters of the Brazos River and its tributary streams. In addition, the authority may discover, develop, and produce groundwater in the Brazos River basin for the use of its customers.
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INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2019 • PAGE 7
NEWS
Six deaths in one family over 14 years; Police say they have found their killer: The daughter-in-law
NEW DELHI — Koodathayi is an unremarkable landlocked village in the state of coastal Kerala in south India. But in October, police there claimed to have made an “unbelievable” discovery: A woman had killed six relatives over 14 years with cyanide. Tom and Annamma Thomas were the first members of the family to die. Police say they were poisoned by their daughter-in-law, Jolly Joseph, who is being investigated for six killings. Jolly Joseph, a 47-year-old mother of two sons, was arrested in October for the murders of her first husband and five others between 2002 and 2016. Police say she has confessed to the killings. Joseph appeared Friday before a judge, who ordered that she remain in police custody. Her lawyer says he is preparing to file for bail. Shocked neighbors described her as “pious,” and her sister-in-law said Joseph was “smart and jovial.” But in the press, she has come to be known as the “cyanide killer,” for the use of the fast-acting poison that police claim was used in the deaths. Two men accused of supplying her with cyanide are also under arrest. “Initially, it [the case] was quite unbelievable for everyone,” said K.G. Simon, the lead police investigator in the case. The Koodathayi killings are a rare case involving a female serial killer in the country. India’s first convicted female serial killer was K.D. Kempamma, who targeted distressed women at temples between 1999 and 2007. She would befriend them, poison them with cyanide and steal their jewelry. In the recent slayings, the Thomas family, into which Joseph married, thought they were cursed as family members began to die one by one. The first was Joseph’s mother-in-law, Annamma, a retired schoolteacher. In August 2002, she fell unconscious after a meal of mutton soup and died soon after. Six years later, Tom, Joseph’s father-in-law, died after eating a plate of tapioca. Neither of the deaths were investigated at the time. Next to be found dead was Joseph’s husband of 14 years, Roy. In 2011, he died after throwing up his meal and losing consciousness. The case was ruled a suicide when cyanide was detected in his body. Three more members of the extended Thomas family died over the next five years. The case caught Simon’s attention after one of the remaining members of the Thomas family requested that police investigate the deaths. Renji Thomas, Joseph’s sister-in-law, said she initially sympathized with Joseph, who
was raising two children as a widow. But when Joseph decided to marry Shaju, her deceased husband’s cousin, Renji became suspicious. Shaju’s wife and daughter died in similarly mysterious circumstances in the years before the wedding. Alphin, the 2-year-old daughter, died in 2014 during a family function at a church after eating a piece of bread. Her mother, Cily, died two years later after collapsing during a dental appointment. Joseph was present on both occasions, according to police. Police say they began to suspect Joseph when they discovered she had lied about being a lecturer at a prestigious college. Her cover was elaborate. She had an identity card of
the college and would drive to work each morning. Local media reported that she was never employed by the college. As grisly details of the killings emerge, the case has transfixed the country. Crowds gather at every court appearance to gawk at Joseph, sexist memes have flooded the Internet, and a movie on the murders might be in the works. But even as police claim Joseph has confessed to the crime, prosecuting her in court could prove difficult. “This is a case which we have to establish with circumstantial evidence,” said Simon, the police official in charge of investigation. No autopsies were conducted in the deaths, except in the case of Joseph’s husband, mak-
Tom and Annamma Thomas ing it difficult to establish the But Renji is confident. “I because of deaths. Confessions lieve that there is the invisible made in police custody are not hand of God in this case,” she admissible as evidence in court said. “Otherwise, this wouldn’t unless made before a magis- have surfaced after 18 years.” trate. Witnesses for the deaths from years ago will also be —The Washington Post hard to find.
ICC Nomination Form for Board of Directors Position (Last date to receive applications: Nov. 22, 2019, Election: Dec. 1, 2019)
Election for Directors (9 positions for 2 year term) & Trustees (2 positions for 3 year term) For more information, visit www.icchoustontx.org
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India Culture Center will be holding its 2018 Annual General Body Meeting on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2019 at India House, 8888 West Bellfort, Houston TX 77031 at 2 p.m followed by the general elections. All life members are invited to join in. For more information, you may reach President Nisha Mirani 832-755-9365.
PAGE 8 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2019
VIEWS
New study: Hindu children in India more susceptible to nationalist messaging
Berkeley — With a multifaith population of some 1.3 billion, India claims to be the world’s largest secular democracy. But when it comes to the question of who is a true Indian, the country’s Hindu children are more likely than their Muslim peers to connect their faith to their national identity, according to new research from the University of California, Berkeley. The findings, published in the journal Child Development, are particularly timely in the face of the Indian government’s recent annexation of Muslim-majority Kashmir and the removal of nearly 2 million Muslims from Assam’s citizenship rolls. Researchers at UC Berkeley and Yale University sought to understand how rising Hindu nationalism under Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party might be internalized by both Hindu and Muslim children. “Our results indicate that by age 9, Hindu children have already internalized an ‘Indian equals Hindu’ association, and we show that this association predicts children’s support for policies that favor Hindus over Muslims,” said
study senior author Mahesh Srinivasan, an associate professor of psychology at UC Berkeley. On a more hopeful note, the study also suggests that Muslim children feel no less Indian because of their faith, indicating they are shielded from religious nationalist messaging and able to identify both as Indian and as Muslim, added Srinivasan, a California native who is of South Indian Hindu descent. “If Muslim children were to equate being Indian with being Hindu, they could very well feel conflicted about being Indian or being Muslim. We know from other research that disconnection from one’s own national, ethnic, or religious group is bad for mental health and other life outcomes,” he said. Through surveys and social psychology measures, the researchers examined the explicit and implicit associations and attitudes of 160 schoolchildren aged between 9 and 16 in Vadodara, an industrial city in Gujarat, a western state where communal riots in 2002 left some 1,000 Indian Muslims dead. All the children attended Zenith, a charitable school for
low-income children in Vadodara. The children, 79 of whom were Hindu and 81 of whom were Muslim, were each given an implicit association test, which asked them to swiftly pair together words and pictures. The results showed that Hindu children more readily paired images associated with India with the word “Hindu” and images associated with foreign countries with “Muslim,” suggesting that they think of India as primarily a Hindu nation. By contrast, Muslim children were just as fast at pairing Indian images with the words “Hindu” or “Muslim.” India is home to about 900 million Hindus and 200 million Muslims, as well as Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jews and offshoots of these groups. While nationalist populism is by no means unique to India — and is surging globally — the rise of India’s BJP party, which was founded in 1980, shows how easily a country can be divided along ethno-religious lines, and how the attitudes of children might come to mirror propaganda efforts, researchers said.
“Individually, we found that children who held stronger associations between being Indian and being Hindu were also more likely to support regressive social policies favoring Hindus over Muslims, and organizations promoting Hindu nationalist goals,” said study lead author Monica Ellwood-Lowe, a Ph.D. student in psychology at UC Berkeley. The study was conducted in Gujarat, where Modi served as chief minister in 2002 when a fire on a train killed 59 Hindu pilgrims and communal violence broke out. At the time, Modi was accused of inciting sectarian violence, but was cleared of wrongdoing in 2012 by a committee appointed by the Indian Supreme Court. In 2014, he and his BJP party were elected in a landslide victory. He has since attracted a massive following among Hindu nationalists, earning India the moniker of “Modistan.” Srinivasan, a graduate of Stanford and Harvard who joined UC Berkeley’s psychology faculty in 2013, has been traveling to Vadodara with his team of graduate students and other collaborators over several years. They
have studied a variety of topics in the face of rising Hindu nationalism, including children’s implicit biases, reasoning about religious differences, and segregation in social networks. While the data they have collected so far signals a mutual acceptance, if not the potential for a peaceful coexistence between Hindus and Muslims, Srinivasan acknowledges the situation is volatile. “At this point, Hindu-Muslim relations in India could either steer toward more conflict or toward more tolerance based on mutual respect,” said Srinivasan. “That’s why it’s more critical than ever to understand the conditions that promote tolerance and inclusivity among children.” Next, Srinivasan will study children’s understanding of and attitudes toward religious differences in Israel and in the United States. In addition to Srinivasan and Ellwood-Lowe, co-authors of the study are Catherine Berner of UC Berkeley and Yarrow Dunham of Yale University.
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INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2019 • PAGE 9
COMMUNITY
Secret of a Successful Leader
On October 12, 2019, I, along with many other students in the Youth Leadership Development Program, were given the privilege to tour the massive facility of the Houston Food Bank, the largest food bank in the country, and listen to an inspirational talk by the CEO and president of the food bank, Mr. Brian Greene. Mr. Greene has grown the Houston Food Bank from a small
warehouse to the enormous production site it is today, serving over 18 counties and 800,000 people every year. An idea that was reiterated throughout Mr. Greene’s presentation was the importance of moral courage. After quoting Mark Twain, “It is curious that physical courage should be so common in the world and moral courage so rare,” he explained how
physical courage is an innate action and how displaying moral courage is the real challenge. Anyone would save a drowning child, even if it meant risking one’s own life, but very few would be ready to stand up and raise a voice against injustice. This moral cowardice is a result of the fear of social rejection present in our character. Mr. Greene emphasized the need
for society to transition from moral cowardice to moral bravery. This would help make the world equitable and success easy to attain. After listening to Brian Greene’s captivating presentation, I asked myself: Where would America be if Rosa Parks had given up her seat on the bus and succumbed to the pressure of the racist American beliefs at that time? Where would India be if Mahatma Gandhi hadn’t led the Independence
movement against the British rule and instead had accepted India’s inferior position in the world? Moral courage is an essential quality necessary to be a successful leader. By conducting many welfare projects in the Houston Food Bank, Brian Greene displayed the moral courage needed to bring change in the community and has proven himself a true leader. He is an inspiration for me and many others of my age. —By Arya Gupta
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PAGE 10 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2019
COMMUNITY
Jothi Venkatesan and team with Svetak Sundhar and Dhruv Vishwanath.
Vivek Sundararaman (vocal), Sanjay Sharma (violin), Rohit Ashok (mridangam)
MaargaUSA Houston chapter hosts music festival “MaargaUSA’s Houston chapter celebrated its second Subramanya & Veena festival on Sunday, November 3rd, at Shri Krishna Vrundavana Temple, in Sugar Land. The event featured three back-to-back thematic concerts showcasing Thiruppugazh, Veena, and Kanda Sasti Kavacham, respectively. The opening performance was a vocal concert by Vivek Sundararaman from Austin, who is currently under the advanced tutelage of Isai Peroli Shri Neyveli Santhanagopalan. Vivek was ably accompanied by young upcoming talents Sanjay Sharma from Maryland, a disciple of Maarga Founder and Guru Delhi Sri P. Sunder Rajan, and Rohit Ashok from Austin, a disciple of Sri KS Kalidas. Vivek’s concert focused on Thiruppugazh, a 15th-century collection of Tamil religious songs penned by Saint Arunagirinathar dedicated to Lord Murugan. The concert opened with a bright invocation to Ganesha, Kaithala Niraikani in Nattai ragam. The concert continued with a wide variety of Thiruppugazhs in terms of composer, ragam, talam, compositional structure, and deity, including Karipurari Kamari in Nasikabhushani (set to tune by Sri Neyveli Santhanagopalan), Marukulaviya in Purvi Kalyani, Needham Ethanayalum in Kambhoji (set to tune by Shri Thodi Kannan), to mention a few. The main exploration of Kambhoji ragam by Vivek and Sanjay was very enjoyable, followed by a Rupaka talam thani avarthanam by Rohit which included a neat kanda nadai portion. The concert continued with Peravavara Vaimai, a ragamalika in Misra Jhampa thalam, and concluded with a soulful, unhurried rendition of Eru Mayil in Bhageshri in Kanda Chapu Talam. The festival continued with a solo veena recital of Houston’s own Sastry Vedam, a disciple of Kalaimamani Sri Pichumani Iyer. Sastry, in addition to practicing and performing veena, actively supports numerous musical organizations and initiatives in Houston, including MaargaUSA. Sastry was accompanied by Amit Ranganathan from Bay Area, CA, a disciple of Shri Ravindrabharathy Sridharan. Sastry’s concert featured both popular compositions of Muthuswami Dikshitar, such as Shri Gananatham Bhajare and Swaminatha Paripalaya, and lesser heard ones such as the main song Karthikeya Kamalekshana by V. V. Srivathsa Dasa. The performance included beautiful raga alapanas in Nattai and Valaj ragams. Amit’s thani avarthanam in Adi talam was another highlight of the performance, and included challenging Kanda nadai and Sankeerna nadai segments. Sastry concluded his concert with the popular Kaliyuga Varadan in Brindavana Saranga by Periyaswamy Thooran and Muruga Muruga Muthukumara, a bhajan in Sumanesha Ranjani ragam by Ganapathi Saccidananda Swami. The final performance of Kanda Sasti and Kanda Guru Kavacham was led by Jothi Venkatesan of Houston, disciple of the late Shri D.K. Jayaraman. Jothi’s group was accompanied on the flute by Svetak Sundhar of Austin, and on the tabla by Dhruv Vishwanath of Houston. The performance was very soulful and in particular, Svetak’s tanam interludes in Kanda Guru Kavacham were very enjoyable. This musical tribute provided an auspicious conclusion to the event, and it was wonderful to see many audience members join the performers in their presentation. —Abhishek Balakrishnan
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INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2019 • PAGE 11
COMMUNITY
THREADS 2019: World Hindu Council Conference
The organizing committee of Threads 2019. BOSTON, MA - The Threads 2019 conference, organized by World Hindu Council of America concluded today after three days of thought-provoking and captivating deliberations. Hindu-American thinkers, artists, educators, writers, public policy makers, scientists, medical professionals, technologists, entrepreneurs, business leaders came together on one platform to share their stories and journeys, celebrate their accomplishments and share ideas for brighter and better America for future generations. . On the opening day, the conference opened with ceremonial Shankh Naad, Ganesh Stuti, lighting of lamp by dignitaries and beautiful rendition of Indian and American national anthems. Dr. Jai Bansal, the convenor, opened the conference by welcoming the 400+ delegates and dignitaries, travelling from more than 30 US states and Canada. In his welcome address, Dr. Bansal talked about how Hindu Americans have integrated into the fabric of American culture while retaining their own identity. Welcoming the delegates, Mayor Scott Galvin of the host city Woburn, in a written statement, said, “our Hindu-American neighbors have strengthened our community in many ways, including our economy, knowledge, culture and community engagement.” In a written statement, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito welcomed the delegates as well and said, “the conference is an excellent opportunity for Hindu Americans from
various backgrounds to share their stories and journeys and to discuss ways to further increase recognition of their contributions.” Shri Rajiv Malhotra, Founder of Infinity Foundation, in his keynote address, explained how Hindu Americans’ have contributed to the American society at large. He summoned the delegates to take a leadership role in defining and integrating authentic Hindu values in the American mosaic. He said, “we Hindu Americans need to lead to redefine the American exceptionalism while maintaining mutual respect.” While welcoming the delegates, Co-Chair of the conference Shri Sanjay Kaul expressed the essence of the conference and how Hindus from all over the world have worked hard to realize their American dream and are making their Karma Bhoomi America stronger and a better society for their future generation. He also talked about how the conference will put a spotlight on varied arenas of activity where Hindu-Americans have shone brightly. The inaugural evening ended with two scintillating Carnatic and Hindustani musical performances. Young Tabla artist Vivek Pandya, accompanied by his father Shri Kalpit Pandya on Harmonium, showed the magic in his fingers and mesmerized the delegates with a beautiful performance. Violinist Aishu Venkataraman, accompanied by Trivandrum Balaji on Mrindangam and Ghatak Karthick on Ghatam enthralled the delegates
with her spellbinding performance. The second day started with Morning Ragas, followed by a captivating panel discussion about the pursuit of Indian arts and aesthetics in the Americas. The experts from the world of performing arts, culinary, music and literature collaborated in telling the story of their personal journey as the carriers of their Vedic heritage. In an absorbing panel discussion, successful entrepreneurs from Hindu American community explored opportunities in the U.S. – India commercial relationship as well as the impact of this commercial relationship on the rest of the global economy. The session on Public Services and Advocacy generated inspirational discourse among three state congressmen and two public policy advocates, with a focus on mechanisms to expand the role, visibility, and influence of Hindu Americans in public policy domains. The panelists discussed how to effectively train, mentor, and develop support systems and networks for young Hindu Americans to enter and succeed in the public square. The session on Holistic Living, focussed on the realization that individual parts are deeply interconnected and explicable only by reference to the whole. The panelists provided a deep insight into: (a) how a holistic lifestyle benefits us physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually; and (b) how consistency, regularity and self-discipline is key in living a holistic lifestyle and keeping a positive outlook and attitude.
The panel on Innovation, comprised of highly accomplished entrepreneurs, investors and eminent scientists shared their own life stories and discussed how all of them believe in risk taking and outside-the-box thinking. The panel engaged in an inspirational discussion about the attributes and the non-linear thinking that makes successful entrepreneurs. The panel on the ethics of emerging lifesaving therapies and technologies engaged in a refreshing discussion on the innovation in Healthcare. Expert panelists shared their individual perspectives on how they are collectively working across the healthcare system - in hospitals, in the pharmaceutical industry, and in academia to accelerate efficient and effective access to life saving therapies and technologies, while staying true to Hindu values and ethics. Last panel session of the day focussed on the science of consciousness and lessons from modern science and vedanta. Eminent scientists and philosophers from the fields of physics, medicine, biology and cosmology explored this intriguing phenomenon through their respective expertise and provided a deeper understanding for inquisitive minds in the audience. The second day’s proceedings ended with a riveting series of 5-6 minutes long lightning talks by 12 enterprising speakers on the varied topics of arts, music, advocacy, medicine, artificial intelligence, financial literacy, and holistic living. Concluding day started
with melodious and soothing morning Ragas, followed by a thoughtful discussion about how a society’s ability to prosper and growth depends upon its people’s edification. A panel of educators, thought leaders, researchers and administrators shared their varied experiences and personal stories to inspire future educators. The session on philanthropy focused on thoughtful, effective and joyful philanthropy. The experts on this panel shared their passionate stories of how they found their true calling and love for giving back to the society at large. In the final session of the conference, founder of Canadian Thinkers Forum Shri Tahir Gora and International Director of Art of Living Shri Darshak Hathi delivered the concluding keynote addresses. Mr. Gora talked about his identity as a Bhartiya and how he has been influenced by Hindu values and ethos. He also narrated Saadat Hasan Manto’s famous satirical short story “Toba Tek Singh” that examines the absurdity of India’s partition in 1947. Mr. Hathi while talking about about the Vedic Hindu way of living - religious tolerance, solidarity, and brotherhood, implored the delegates to find the focal point within ourselves and focus on consciousness. The conference finally came to an end with the host Mr. Sanjay Kaul presenting the vote of thanks to all the delegates, speakers, organizers, and sponsors. For more details about the conference, please visit http:// www.Threads2019.Org .
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PAGE 12 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2019
COMMUNITY
Pearland Mayor Tom Reid inaugurates the Health Fair at Sri Meenakshi Temple’s annual Diwali festival bazaar.
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Sri Meenakshi Temple celebrates Diwali Diwali, the festival of lights was celebrated at Sri Meenakshi
Temple on October 26. The festive look of the temple with colorful lights, huge tents and filled parking lots with thousands of people was all set for the celebration of grand spectacular Diwali. The festival signifies the triumph of good over evil as well as truth and knowledge. The day started with the annual free community Health fair, inaugurated by dignitaries including Pearland Mayor Tom Reid, Kyle Price, CEO, Memorial Hermann, Kelly Ochoa Chief, Nursing Officer, Memorial Hermann, Rebecca Lilly Memorial Hermann, and Joanne Barrett, Chief clinical officer, Kindred hospital. Service provided were Blood Pressure, EKG, Blood tests, Complete Blood Count, Metabolic Profile, Thyroid test, Lipid Profile, Dental Check, Eye Exam, Prostate Exam, Women’s wellness check and general Medical advice. Health Fair coordinator Dr. P. Vaduganathan thanked the Kindred Hospital for the generous support for the lab tests, Drs. Arun Narayanan, T. Dorairajan, Vijaya Kaila, Preethi Palvadi, Rama Rao Denduluri, Subhadra Bandhakavi. Subba Rao, Bhavani Iyer and Dr. Patel, students and residents.. Honarary President of MTS Sam Kannappan coordinated the attendance of Pearland Mayor Tom Reid, Pearland City Manager Clay Pearson, Brazoria County Commissioner Stacy Adams, UH Clear Lake President Dr. Ira Blake, UH Main campus Humanities Dean Antonio Tills, Heidi Weiss, Executive Director, Pearland Alliance for Arts & Culture, Raul Franco Jr, Manager, Chase Bank, at the inauguration of the Diwali Bazaar. The Youth Center was beautifully decorated by Décor One with yellow and purple theme, thanks to Nalini Kannan. More than 40 vendors had their beautiful items for sale, jewelry, saris, costumes, art works, paintings, and handicrafts that filled up the entire youth center. Under the food tent we had six local restaurants served authentic Indian food from morning 10 AM till mid-night. There was a steady stream of devotees with families throughout the day to pray, shop and participate in many activities organized by MTS simultaneously for all age groups. Kids enjoyed the Carnival with rides, rock climbing, moonwalks and Arcades while parents were busy shopping. Thanks to this year Carnival coordinator Senthil Devaraj, Rajini Rajendran for coordinating arts workshop and Gopee Ravipati for leading the parking coordination along with the board and volunteers. The temple tower was beautifully decorated with colorful lights and corner Mandapams with bright lights. Among the many attractions organized by MTS were the children’s cultural program. Brightly clad children entertained the visitors by displaying their wonderful talents. Budding artists participated in art workshop and rangoli competitions. This year Kumon, West University, sponsored the art workshop. The traditional Lakshmi puja was conducted in the Main Temple at 11 a.m. and at 6:30 p.m. Sri Lakshmi was then taken on a procession around the temple in a silver chariot. Several devotees took part in pulling the chariot rope to the resounding drumbeat of chenda melam. Raffle tickets were sold throughout the day and raffle draw was conducted at 8:30 p.m. The raffle had many gift items like jewelry, art wall hangings and sarees. Thanks to generous sponsors Kirti Jewelers, Sehgal diamonds and others. Around 9:00 p.m. the grand professional fireworks show began with beautiful fireworks lit up the night sky in a blaze of glory. The crowd then joined in Garba and Dandia in front of Main Temple in Rajaveedhi. MTS Chairman Dr. Padmini Nathan thanked the overall event coordinator Bhargavi Golla, board, advisory council, volunteers and employees of MTS for organizing such a flawless festival year after year. —By Bhargavi Golla
INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2019 • PAGE 13
NEWS
Indian-Americans are achieving historic representation across the U.S. Judiciary
By RONAK R. DESAI Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia’s unexpected passing in February 2016 ignited the predictable speculation over his replacement. The Obama White House generated a shortlist of candidates comprised of some of the country’s most eminent jurists to succeed Scalia. Judge Sri Srinivasan of the prestigious Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia emerged as one of the final two candidates to fill the vacancy. Srinivasan had already made history nearly three years earlier by becoming the first Indian-American to become a federal appellate court judge. Srinivasan’s D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals colleague, Merrick Garland, ultimately got the nod, but the United States Senate would not consider his nomination, citing the upcoming presidential election. Donald Trump’s victory in November 2016 meant that he now would choose Scalia’s replacement, one of the first decisions of his nascent presidency. Judge Amul Thapar, then of the Eastern District of Kentucky, was among the finalists under consideration. Thapar had become the first IndianAmerican confirmed to a federal district court judgeship several years earlier. President Trump ultimately nominated Thapar to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in April 2017 and the Senate confirmed him the following May. That two different IndianAmerican judges were under final consideration for appointment to the United States Supreme Court, by two different presidents, from two different parties, illustrates the extent to which the community is achieving historic representation across the U.S. judiciary. Although the community has long had strong representation in the medical, engineering and science fields in the U.S., it has not achieved commensurate success, let alone visibility, in the judicial arena. This has slowly started to change. Most recently, the Senate confirmed Neomi Rao to replace Brett Kavanaugh on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals following his ascension to the Supreme Court. President Trump has also nominated at least three more Indian-Americans to federal judgeships in recent months. A Surge in Indian-American Judges In addition to Judges Srinivasan, Thapar and Rao at the federal appeals level, the com-
munity also boasts at least five federal district court judges and more than two dozen state and county judges throughout the country. In total, there are at least 35 Indian-Americans presiding in courtrooms across the U.S., the highest number ever recorded. Several factors account for this surge. First, more Indian-Americans are becoming lawyers than ever before, creating a growing pool of talent from which community members are being elected or appointed to judgeships. According to data cited in the The Other One Percent, an authoritative history of the Indian-American diaspora, hardly 0.4% of first generation Indian-Americans became attorneys. By contrast, 4.6% of second-generation IndianAmericans have become lawyers, a significant increase. Second, and related, the number of Indian-Americans pursuing careers in public service more broadly has skyrocketed in recent years. Although exact numbers remain uncertain, community members are achieving unprecedented success in virtually every arena of the public sector. Indian-Americans constitute approximately 1% of the U.S. population, and now comprise 1% of the U.S. Congress. They are being appointed to U.S. ambassadorships and cabinet posts while also being elected to state and local office among other countless positions. The rise in Indian-American judges is part of this larger trend of success. The Circuit Court in Cook County, Illinois, for example, has nine IndianAmericans on its benches alone, including Judge Sanjay Tailor who has been serving since 2003. The sharp rise reflects the community’s commitment to public service, says Judge Amit P. Mehta, who sits on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. “There is a strong desire to repay the country that gave us so much.” Third and most simply, Indian-Americans elected or appointed to judgeships are exceptionally qualified for the posts. A closer examination of the pool of current IndianAmerican judges reveals a group of relatively young men and women with sterling legal credentials, diverse personal backgrounds and oftentimes pioneering work in private practice, academia and public service. “The Indian-American community’s success in the legal
DC Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Sri Srinivasan administers the judicial oath to D.C. Federal District Court Judge Amit P. Mehta during his 2014 investiture. profession, like so many other professions, has been outsized,” notes Judge Tailor. Despite this success, IndianAmericans still face a glass ceiling. According to a study co-authored by California State Supreme Court Justice Goodwin Liu and the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, Asian American (including Indian-American) attorneys are the fastest growing ethnic group in the legal profession, but are dramatically underrepresented not just within the judiciary, but also across the highest echelons of the legal industry as a whole. At the same time, Aneesh Mehta, president of the South Asian Bar Association of North America (SABA North America) points out that “while much work remains to be done, the community still has reason to celebrate the progress made to date. Making History: Judge Sri Srinivasan Judge Srinivasan is a case in point. Raised in Lawrence, Kansas, Srinivasan embarked on a distinguished career in private practice and government, working on a series of landmark cases following his clerkship with Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. He would ultimately become Principal Deputy Solicitor General under future Justice Elena Kagan, arguing 25 cases in front of the high court, establishing himself as one of the country’s most distinguished practitioners of the elite Supreme Court bar. Unsurprisingly, Srinivasan’s name had been floated for a judicial appointment as early as 2007. In 2013, President Obama nominated the Kansas native to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, widely considered a steppingstone to the Supreme Court.
The nomination was met with widespread acclaim and the Senate confirmed him unanimously in a 97-0 vote. The rare display of bipartisanship was a testament to Srinivasan’s peerless personal and professional reputation given the acute political paralysis afflicting the Senate’s confirmation process at the time. President Obama’s decision to shortlist Srinivasan for Justice Scalia’s seat less than three years later not only ignited immense pride among millions of Indians and Indian-Americans worldwide, but also demonstrated the extent to which the community had finally made its mark on the judiciary. Srinivasan has paved the way for others to follow him. Barely a year after his own confirmation, Srinivasan administered the judicial oath of office to Judge Mehta during his own investiture in a historic first. During the ceremony, Srinivasan observed that both he and Judge Mehta were products of a community that takes “special pride in what today signifies.” Srinivasan will undoubtedly remain on the shortlist to fill any future vacancy on the Supreme Court. In February, he will be named Chief Judge of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. A Deep and Growing Bench In his remarks during his investiture, Judge Mehta noted how much had changed in just a few short years with respect to the number of community members becoming judges. A growing number are likely to join him on the bench in the coming years. Several Indian-Americans names are commonly circulated for judgeships across the country. Some of these include Pre-
eta Bansal, trailblazer and former Solicitor General of New York, Pratik Shah, co-head of Akin Gump’s Supreme Court and Appellate practice, Kannon Shanmugam, head of Paul Weiss’ Supreme Court and Appellate practice, Neal Katyal, Srinivasan’s predecessor at the Solicitor General’s Office and appellate partner at Hogan Lovells, and Vanita Gupta, legal powerhouse who most recently served as the country’s top civil rights attorney during the Obama Administration and is now the President and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. “It’s only a matter of time” before Indian-American judges “become a commonplace thing,” Judge Mehta believes. “Trends are moving in the right direction in terms of judicial offices.” In the end, Judge Tailor says, “a judiciary that reflects the community it serves promotes respect for the rule of law.” (Ronak Desai: I am an Associate at the Lakshmi Mittal South Asia Institute at Harvard University. My scholarship focuses on US-India relations, corruption, global governance, and the Indian American Diaspora. I am also a Washington D.C.-based attorney, and have worked extensively in both the public and private sectors. My law practice encompasses a wide range of investigatory, regulatory, litigation, anticorruption, compliance, and public policy matters. I am also an Asia 21 Fellow and serve on Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s AAPI Commission. Once a year, I teach a course on U.S. foreign policy toward South Asia at the Johns Hopkins University. I earned joint public policy and law degrees from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and Harvard Law School. ) (ww.forbes.com)
PAGE 14 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2019
NEWS
Golden age is ending in India
The world’s most important gold market isn’t what it used to be. Just a decade ago, India’s hunger for gold jewelry and bullion meant it accounted for about a quarter of global demand. Consumption has since fallen by about 24%. Ahead of Sunday’s Diwali festival, when purchases traditionally peak, imports in September fell to their lowest level in three years. Note: Geographic references show consumer demand for jewelry and bullion. Technology, ETFs and central banks aren’t broken down by region. Part of this is a reaction to short-term pricing factors. Buyers tend to stay away when the bullion price in Mumbai rises above about 30,000 rupees ($422.97)
for 10 grams. Thanks to the rupee’s slump and the metal breaking through its long-standing $1,350-a-troy-ounce ceiling, it’s been in that territory now for the best part of two years, and is currently trading at 38,200 rupees. There are longer-term issues to worry about, though. About two-thirds of the country’s gold is bought in rural areas, where its traditional roles as investment and adornment are oddly intertwined. Rural Indians are far more inclined to buy gold jewelry than their urban counterparts, and tend to favor plain pieces that can easily be valued and traded in if money gets tight. That makes demographic changes a risk to the entire market. Rural population growth is grind-
ing to a halt as people migrate to the cities and birth rates fall, shifting the focus of consumption spending. “Millennials in urban India are increasingly tempted by goods other than gold, particularly luxury fashion and smartphones,” according to a report by the World Gold Council, an industry group. There are also a growing number of alternatives to gold jewelry for those who want to save up for a rainy day. (In the case of rural India, the better term might be “a dry day,” as weak monsoons tend to tighten farmers’ cash flows and force them to pawn or sell.) Gold was originally popular as a store of value because banks weren’t available, but the share of rural adults with an account has soared to 79% in 2017 from 33% in 2011,
according to the World Bank. A larger proportion of the adult population now has a bank account than in Hungary or Turkey. The share of Indian adults with bank accounts has soared in recent years. Source: World Bank Global Findex Considering the State Bank of India’s current 6.4% benchmark one-year deposit rate and inflation at 3.99%, a savings account is a far better way to protect your wealth against rising prices than a bangle. Even in deprived urban areas, alternative stores and sources of capital are opening up. About four million people in Delhi’s shantytowns will be granted ownership rights, the government said this week, a move that would help them take out loans to build houses. To be sure, the allure of gold can’t be wiped out by banking. Another reason that buying tends to be so vigorous in late October is that it’s peak wedding season. About half of India’s gold-jewelry demand is for the heavy pieces worn as part of a bridal outfit, according to the World Gold Council. Consumer spending, the other main leg of gold demand alongside investment (industrial uses are a distant third) will tend to rise with income, benefiting from the same urbanization that’s depressing purchases in rural areas. This year, however, consumers are a tough market to bet on. Motor-vehicle purchases, usually a good proxy for the public’s appetite for big-ticket items, are collapsing. Sales of cars, trucks and buses fell by more than a third in September from a year earlier, and twowheelers were down 22.1%. The share of Indians who think their economic situation has worsened is at its highest level since 2013 Source: Reserve Bank of India The same pattern is borne out in broader data. The share of consumers who think their current economic situation has worsened and is set to deteriorate over the coming year was its highest since 2013 in September, according to the Reserve Bank of India. Perceptions of the job market are the worst in seven years of records. For the first time in four years of data, consumers think they’re spending less on discretionary purchases. India’s outsize role in the world gold market isn’t going to disappear overnight. Its consumers still account for more than one in six ounces bought globally. Still, this change in gold demand should be a warning to investors. For many years its role as a rural investment made India a downside buffer for the yellow metal, with farmers rushing in to make physical purchases whenever the price fell to levels that tempted investors to liquidate their positions. As the country changes, that dynamic is disappearing. While high gold prices still appear to put off purchases, consumption-focused urban jewelry buyers aren’t necessarily going to be around to prop up the market when it’s weak. Gold’s attraction for investors has long been its counter-cyclical tendencies. As this crucial part of the market grows more pro-cyclical, they’d do well to pay attention. —Bloomberg News
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NEWS Police-lawyer clash: Delhi Police personnel protest assault on policemen
Two days after a clash between the Delhi Police and lawyers at Delhi’s Tis Hazari Courts complex, a group of lawyers allegedly thrashed an on-duty Delhi Police officer and passersby in South Delhi’s Saket Courts complex on Monday. The lawyers allegedly broke the signboard of the police post on the court complex and blocked the roads for a few hours at Saket and Karkardooma courts leading to traffic snarls. Also, the lawyers on Monday abstained from judicial work to mark their protest against the Delhi Police. Several videos of lawyers manhandling police personnel and passersby at Saket and Karkardoma courts were doing the rounds on social media. In a video, a lawyer is seen slapping a bike-borne police-
man. When the cop tried to leave the spot, another lawyer threw his helmet on him. Fortunately it hit the bike. In another video, a passerby was seen being roughed up by the lawyers. His clothes were torn by protesting lawyers. “I don’t know why the lawyers beat me. They had even broke my mobile phone and tore my shirt,” the man alleged in the video. A video of a group of lawyers dismantling the police post board and pulling out the wires of CCTV camera attached near the police post went viral. At Karkardoma court, the lawyers went on rampage. An unidentified man, wearing red T-shirt, on a Royal Enfield bike, was stopped, surrounded, slapped and even beaten up with sticks by some lawyers outside Delhi’s Karkardooma court.
INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2019 • PAGE 15
headquarters here on Tuesday to protest the assault on policemen following a clash with lawyers. Several policemen holding placards that read “We are human in police uniforms” and “Protectors Need Protection” were outside the police headquarters at ITO and urged their seniors to stand with them to save the honour of the uniform. Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Eish Singhal assured the protesting policemen that their concerns would be addressed. “Your concerns and anger have been conveyed to senior officials and I want to assure you that your protest here will not go unsuccessful,” Singhal said. An on-duty policeman was thrashed by advocates outside the Saket Court on Monday. In a video of the purported incident, lawyers were seen beating up the policeman who was riding a bike. One of the lawyer was also seen slapping the policeman. When the policeman was leaving the spot, the lawyer The individual was forced to also hit his bike with his helabandon his bike and flee the met. Lawyers and police clashed scene. “All incidents are being at the Tis Hazari Court complex probed and further investiga- here on Saturday during which tion is under way,” said Atul at least 20 police personnel and Kumar Thakur, the Depu- several lawyers were injured ty Commissioner of Police while many vehicles vandalised or set on fire, according to (DCP), South Delhi. The present case is an exten- officials. Delhi Police Commissioner sion of the scuffle that is ongoing between the lawyers and Amulya Patnaik on Tuesday the policemen since Saturday. urged protesting police personA scuffle broke out between nel to return to work and said lawyers and Delhi Police per- they should behave like a “dissonnel over parking in the Tis ciplined force”. Patnaik was addressing the Hazari Court Complex on Saturday in which 21 vehicles, in- protestors outside the police cluding Police Control Room headquarters in ITO. They have been agitating (PCR) vans, prison vans and 12 private bikes were set on against the attack on a policefire and vandalised by lawyers. man outside the Saket court on Protesting police personnel Monday. “We have to behave like a demand revoking of licences disciplined force. The governof lawyers behind assault Hundreds of police person- ment and the people expect nel gathered outside the police us to uphold the law, it is our big responsibility. I urge you to resume duty,” Patnaik told the police personnel, adding that their concerns will be addressed. Delhi Police personnel ended their nearly 11-hour-long protest after assurance by se-
nior officers that their grievances will be addressed. Addressing the protesters, Special Commissioner of Police (Crime) Satish Golcha urged them to end stir and resume duty, while assuring them that a review petition will be filed against the Delhi High Court order in connection with a clash between cops and lawyers at the Tis Hazari Courts Complex. The senior officer said the injured policemen will get an ex-gratia of at least Rs 25,000. Delhi Police’s protesting personnel on Tuesday demanded that the licences of lawyers who assaulted their colleagues be revoked and the transfer of the officers involved in the Tis Hazari clash last week rescinded. “We also want a police association, provide better treatment to injured policemen, reinstate suspended police personnel. Strict action should be taken against advocates and the FIR,” said one of the protesters, reading out the list of demands. Tuesday’s unprecedented protests were triggered by two attacks on their colleagues, one on Monday when a policeman was beaten up outside the Saket district court, and another on Saturday after a parking dispute between an on-duty policeman and a lawyer which led to at least 20 security personnel and several advocates being injured. Demanding strict action against the lawyers, the police personnel also want an FIR to be registered against every lawyer involved in the Tis Hazari case. They also want FIRs filed against the policemen by the lawyers in connection with the Tis Hazari case to be quashed. The protesting police personnel demanded that Delhi Police challenge the Delhi High Court order in the Supreme Court against the suspension order of senior policemen Special Commissioner of Police Sanjay Singh and Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (north) Harinder Singh. On Sunday, the Delhi High Court directed the Delhi Police commissioner to transfer the two senior officers during pendency of the investigation.
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PAGE 16 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2019
NEWS
Why are young Muslims leaving Islam
A new generation of educated Muslims is starting to question the fundamentals of their faith The Economist narrated the story of an American Muslim boy of Somali descent, Mahad Olad, whose immigrant parents tricked him into going on a holiday with them to Kenya where they had made arrangements for him to go to a seminary to ‘restore’ his failing faith in Islam. He had no idea about his parents’ plans until he landed in Kenya. As soon as he stepped off the plane on a family holiday to Kenya, Mahad Olad knew something was wrong. His mother, a ‘very devout, very conservative, very Wahhabi’ woman, was acting strangely—furtively taking phone calls when she thought he was out of earshot. His suspicions would soon be proved correct. Mr Olad’s family, Somali immigrants to America and devout Muslims, had discovered that he had not only renounced Islam but was also gay. The holiday was a ruse, an intervention to save his soul. (The Economist, 15 March, 2018) When he got wise of their plan to hand him over to the care of Muslim clerics who would ‘restore’ his faith, he got so frightened that he managed to escape. ‘In the dead of night he sneaked into his mother’s room, stole his passport and was whisked away by taxi to the embassy, which eventually returned him safely to America. He has not spoken to his
family since,’ according to the above report. Behind Olad’s story hangs a tale we don’t usually hear about: how Islam is facing a wave of desertion by young Muslims suffering from a crisis of faith. The story we normally hear is of an Islam growing from strength to strength, and how for all the phobia that exists around it, it remains the fastest growing religion with 1.6 billion followers across the world and acquiring new converts on an almost daily basis. What we don’t hear is that it is also being abandoned by moderate Muslims, mostly young men and women, ill at ease with growing extremism in their communities. The ranks of ex-Muslims is reported to be swelling. ‘As the number of American Muslims has increased by almost 50 per cent in the past decade, so too has the number of ex-Muslims,’ The Economist report said, citing a Pew Research Centre survey according to which 23 per cent of Americans raised as Muslims no longer identify with the faith. Most are young secondgeneration immigrants, but there are also older Muslims ‘married to devout Muslim spouses and driving children to the mosque to study the Koran, at weekends to cover up their apostasy.’ And it is not just an American or Western phenomenon. Even deeply conservative countries with strict anti-apostasy regimes like Pakistan, Iran and Sudan have been hit by desertions.
The Saudis were taken aback when the American journal, The New Republic, revealed the scale of Muslim conversion to atheism in their country, and more widely in the Muslim world. The numbers were eye-popping, ranging from hundreds to thousands in some countries. The Editor-in-chief of FreeArabs.com says: When I recently searched Facebook in both Arabic and English, combining the word ‘atheist’ with names of different Arab countries I turned up over 250 pages or groups, with memberships ranging from a few individuals to more than 11,000. And these numbers only pertain to Arab atheists (or Arabs concerned with the topic of atheism) who are committed enough to leave a trace online,’ (Invisible Atheists, Ahmed Benchemsi, The New Republic, 24 April 2015) The journal cited a 2012, WIN/Gallup International poll which found that 5 per cent of Saudi citizens—more than a million people—self-identified as ‘convinced atheists,’ the same percentage as in the United States. ‘19 per cent of Saudis—almost six million people—think of themselves as “not a religious person.” In Italy, the figure is 15 per cent. These numbers are even more striking considering that many Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Sudan and Yemen, uphold the Sharia rule punishing apostasy with death,’ it pointed out. It is claimed that the atheistscientist Richard Dawkin’s God Delusion is the most downloaded book in the Middle East, particularly in Saudi Arabia. It is now being translated into Arabic and there are plans to offer it free to Arab readers. The trend is catching on despite the fact that in many Islamic countries, apostasy is punishable by death. Most Islamic countries oppose the universal declaration of human rights and have refused to sign it because it provides for the ‘freedom to change religion or belief.’ The exact figure of former Muslims may never be known as most remain in the shadows to avoid detection. Those who have ‘outed’ themselves say they live in permanent fear for their own lives and safety of their families. In Pakistan, preachers have called for the houses of apostates to be burned down. They communicate through anonymous online forums claiming tens of thousands of followers, and loose global networks under the umbrella nomenclature, ‘Ex-Muslims’ and ‘Muslimish.’ A Twitter campaign in Britain in 2015, had thousands of
ex-Muslims from across the world tweeting their reasons for choosing to abandon their faith. These ranged from intolerance and inferior status of women to absence of freedom of thought and the idea of immutability of a seventh century doctrine. One -@Lib Muslim wrote: #ExMuslimBecause Misogyny, homophobia, stoning people to death, and killing apostates don’t suddenly become “respectable” when put in a holy book. (Ali A. Rizvi, Huffington Post, 23 November, 2015) Oxford University academic Faisal Devji has argued that by retaining ‘Muslim’ in their name, ‘ex-Muslims are recognizing the theological character of their renunciation.’ The Muslims among whom I was raised in East Africa included many who refused to pray or fast and were openly critical of religion. It would never occur to them to renounce Islam and proclaim atheism as a new identity or mission, which would have catapulted them back into a theological narrative. (Conversions from Islam in Europe and Beyond, Faisal Devji, The New York Times, 15 April, 2017) Simon Cottee, a British academic, has documented stories of many former Muslims in The Apostate: When Muslims Leave Islam. In each case, reasons for their decision differ, varying from religious bigotry and oppression, to violence in the name of Islam. Sometimes, as The Economist wrote in the 15 March, 2018 report, it could be a reaction to certain Quranic verses or the Hadith—the sayings of the Prophet Mohammad. ‘Often the verses that trigger this are controversial ones about slavery or gender that family members and imams cannot explain satisfactorily. Coming across the writings of Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Richard Dawkins or Christopher Hitchens sometimes has the same effect. Some chafe at sexism or homophobia,’ it reported. According to Faisal Devji, Whether the converts are repulsed by the violent forms Islam has taken in places like Syria and Afghanistan or are backing up their claims for asylum, the conversions occur quietly and rarely as a result of proselytism. Nor do they tend to be accompanied by any transformation in the appearance, behavior or language of the convert. Analyzing the news reports suggests that these conversions are characterized by multiple quotidian and ambiguous motives. (The New York Times, 15 August, 2017) Brian Whitaker, a noted Middle East correspondent and the author of Arabs Without God, debunks the explanation that the phenomenon is a reaction to the violent acts being perpetrated in the name of
Islam. While researching my book…I spent a lot of time trying to find out why some Arabs turn to atheism and none of those I spoke to mentioned terrorism or jihadism as a major factor… That is not particularly surprising, because atheism is a rejection of all forms of religion, not just the more outlandish variants of it. Benchemsi in his Invisible Atheists, New Republic article mentioned earlier, pointed out: For the vast majority of Arab atheists, the road to disbelief begins…with personal doubts. They start to question the illogicalities found in the holy texts. Why are non-Muslims destined to hell, even though many of them are nice, decent people? Since God knows the future and controls everything, why would he put some people on the wrong path, then punish them as if he had nothing to do with their choices? Why is wine forbidden, yet virtuous Muslims are promised rivers of it in heaven? ***** It is a significant common thread running through most of the accounts of ex-Muslims I’ve read: that it was NOT an easy decision to make. Some mulled for years before they were able to make up their minds as they struggled to reconcile what they saw as the contradictions between all the nice things they were taught about Islam and how it was actually practised. Before jumping ship, most apostates claim they made sincere efforts to clarify their doubts and overcome their scepticism— some learned Arabic and went back to original texts to make sure for themselves that they hadn’t got it wrong. It was only when—on the basis of their own independent reading of the scriptures— they concluded that they could not honestly continue to cling on to their faith, that they reluctantly took the plunge. Many are said to suffer intense emotional and psychological trauma afterwards in a sign of how strongly Muslims feel about their religious identity, and Islam’s dominant presence in their lives, as I have already discussed. The loss of that identity leaves them in a social and moral limbo. There is at least one documented case of suicide—a young British Muslim, Irtaza Hussain, felt so disorientated and depressed that he went to seed and ultimately took his own life. The trend has been described as a ‘ticking bomb’ with a new generation of educated Muslims starting to question the fundamentals of their faith. Extracted from Who Killed Liberal Islam by Hasan Suroor, with permission from Rupa Publications
Yogasans? Swami Mukundananda: The art of healthy living must incorporate all aspects of the personality: the physical, mental, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual. While the central theme of Yog remains the highest goal of the spiritual path, physical yogic practices enshrined in it give direct and tangible benefits to everyone regardless of their spiritual aims. Likewise, the soul is sentient, Yogasans harmonize the body, and by its presence, it makes the mind and emotions. For example, dead matter of the body sentient at the physical level, organs, muscles and nerves may not be as well. As long as the soul resides functioning properly. Asans bring in the body, the senses, organs and the different bodily functions into limbs, all display signs of life. perfect coordination so that they Upon death, when the soul departs, work for the good of the whole the body is dead matter once again. How does the soul communicate body. with the elements in our body? At the mental level, people Where is the connection between harbor poisonous thoughts and the body and the soul? emotions within. Muscular knots SM: The soul communicates can occur anywhere in the body – with the body by energizing it with in the neck as cervical spondylitis, the force of life, or consciousness. in the face as neuralgia, etc. Every Its presence makes the intellect, mental knot has a corresponding mind and body work. As already physical, muscular knot and vice mentioned the soul is sentient, and versa. For example, emotional by its presence, it makes the dead tensions can affect the smooth functioning of the lungs, and matter of the body sentient as well. Now the reverse communication breathing process, contributing – how does the body communicate to a very debilitating disease, with the soul? The link between which is asthma. The aim of the material body and the spiritual asans is to release these knots. For soul is established by the ego. In full benefit, these asans should the materially conditioned state, the be Aperformed with the legislation along with multi-sectoral appeal is needed to combat first covering on the soul is of the meditation.than Meditational exercises rule air time pollution letting politicians ego. The word for ego in Sanskrit cleanse the mind, to bring alessons feeling and passing the parcel of respon-is The time for learning asmita, which means “that which is of peace and contentment sibilities is over. We arewithin. suffering our worst consequence as clinot.” This ego creates a false identity Proper asans, Pranayam, subtle mate deniers. for the soul. Due to it, the soul is body relaxation, meditation, tackle The solution to Delhi’s alarming toxic is inthat treating not under theair illusion it is theitbody, these knots both at the physical just as an environmental crisis butmind a public health hazard, which and intellect. In this illusion andkilling mentaluslevels. As are a result of is as if we in a conflict needs ouridentifies collecthatzone, it is theand body, the soul the release of dormant energy, the tive last shot at survival. So the political blame game, that with the pleasures and pains charof the body becomes full of vitality acterises this annual debate,and needsbody. to stop rightthenow. We come requirein When senses the approach. mind becomes light astrength, bipartisan contact with the sense objects, they andThis creative, joyful and balanced. is a national emergency, experience considering that pleasure. the whole of fleeting Under Yogasans succeeded North India have is affected and as a seriousness of purpose in Delhi the illusion that it is the body, the an alternative therapy intrigger diseases would automatically corrective speed in the hinterland suchother as asthma, diabetes, blood soul too experiences this pleasure. and city administrations. However, the experience does not pressure, digestive No doubt,arthritis, the Aam Aadmi Partysatisfy Government Delhi takthe soul, in which canhas only be disorders many ailments of aand ensured en severaland commendable steps protocol compliances satisfied by Divine Bliss. So the chronic and constitutional to get things moving in anature, city thatsearch had done little since the green for pleasure continues. This where modern fleet of CNG medical changedscience publichas transport during the Sheila Dikshit is how the two-way communication failed. regime. What is consciousness? How between the soul and the bodyBut clearly, its claim of 25 per cent reduction works. in pollution holds mind-intellect is it different from the soul? no ground in the face of its worst stranglehold this season and SM: “Consciousness” is the just sets up a comparative competition with rival political parties. symptom of life that is manifested Swami Mukundananda is a worldParticularly at a time when Assembly elections are around the by the soul. It is not the soul itself; renowned teacher of spirituality, corner, each is upending why certain moves were made or unrather, it is a quality of the soul. Yoga and Meditation. He is the made. This is just as heat and light are founder of the unique Yogic system For example, talkbut of by curbing vehicular pollution through JKYog, also known as Yoga for the manifestations offor theall fire, the odd-even scheme, one forgets that no party wants to ever talk Body, Mind and Soul. He received themselves, they are not the fire. about rationing the most polluting two-wheelers, too, for fear of Everything that exists is verily His degrees in Engineering and athevote backlash. energy of God. However, it Management from IIT (Delhi) Given Delhi Government’s crossfire the Centre, pol-is IIM with (Kolkata). Swamiji is not all the consciousness. Matter and lution has clearly become fodder for another round of conflict is “insentient” or devoid of the senior disciple of Jagadguru over territorial and rolesKripaluji that require a proactive Maharaj. For the consciousness, whileadministrative the soul Shree module from the Centre no less, which is still in two minds last 3 decades, Swamiji hasabout been is “sentient” or possessing striking hard on farmers in the time of an agricultural crisis. inspiring people all over the world, consciousness. This is an The Congress has also got intoonthe Punjab holistic Chief thegame path ofwith Spirituality, important distinction between Minister Amarinder Singh claiming that despite his own efforts health, yoga, meditation, service the soul and matter. Apart from in arresting stubble burning, the Centre should a policy dito society andgive God-realization. having consciousness itself, the rection. He has been invited to speak at soul also has the ability to impart Party chief Priyanka Gandhi called for a civic bandh to force various Fortune 500 companies. consciousness to matter, when it For the youth, Swamiji has the Centre into action even as PMO officials huddled to get rid associates with it. Just as “a flower conducted programs at prestigious of the haze. carries aroma itself, and the garden universities. At least Modi 2.0, professedly prioritises the farm econwhere it grows alsowhich becomes omy, should incentivise stubble burning and buy up farm residue aromatic by its presence.” till mechanised shredders become viable in numbers and prices. Even in competitive stakes, State governments could re-allocate funds from within the populist schemes already announced. Farm policies must be tweaked to reorient cropping patterns on a scientific zoning basis rather than rely on past practice. We must discourage water-guzzling and stubble-generating crops like rice in Punjab and Haryana, the rice bowls in the plains being enough
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to sustain volumes. Politicking needs to give way and actionable poliOnly if all put their heads to- to cogentFESTIVE right now. For this is not gether for a concerted plan of cies,CELEBRATIONS action instead of harvesting po- just about momentary gains or litical capital out of a killer or our lifetime, it is generational. claiming credit for being a sav- A CSE report says that 8.5 of every 10,000 children in India iour, would we have a chance. Populism should be replaced die victims of pollution before by pragmatism and not be de- turning five. What we need is pendent on the Supreme Court, not just a stopgap measure but which hasEXCLUSIVE imposed a Rs 1 lakh a comprehensive national polifine on garbage burning and has cy and a law like the Clean Air EXHIBITIONS made everybody directly ac- Act in the US. In other words, a countable to it for stubble fires, legal rather than political manboldly saying “farmers cannot date. One that ensures crackdowns, encourages alternative be allowed to kill people.” But the court’s ruling, too, energy players to innovate and is not heeded when it crosses develop economies of scale and paths with political agenda. In ensures deterrence, account2016, the Supreme Court com- ability and compensation. We mittee had warned how regu- need to recast the 1981 Air Act, which does not link pollution unauthorised colonies Ballroom larising | Conference-Room | Classrooms to health hazards. And overin Delhi would stress existOur 3,780 sq ft banquet halls can accommodate functions of nearly any size. archingly, everything should be ing infrastructure and increase Special rental rates available for week days, repeat customers & non-profit organizations. carbon footprints. But clearly transparent instead of a numeriFor More Information Contact: with an eye on the Delhi elec- cal puzzle. Everybody should 713-929-1900 | Vipin@indiahouseinc.org | www.indiahouseinc.org be a leader, not an opportunist. tions, the Modi Government 8888 West Bellfort Ave., Houston, —The Pioneer has given ownership rights TX to 77031 residents in poorer settlements.
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COMMUNITY CALENDAR COMMUNITY CALENDAR COMMUNITY CALENDAR COMMUNITY CALENDAR COMMUNITY CALENDAR kids 4 to 18 yrs - meditation, Yoga, Arya Samaj Satsang
Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw chinmayahouston.org or contact Wednesday there is Swadhyay days:Book 7-8 AMon & 6-7 PM. Weekly Arya Samaj Satsang kids 4 to 18 yrs meditation, Yoga, slokas, stories from scriptures, Sri Meenakhsi Temple Arya Samaj Satsang ery Sunday at 5810 Almeda GeBook on Field Marshal Manekshaw 361-243-6539 for puja or other Telugu Fellowship Sri Meenakshi Temple Kumaris Weekly Havan Satsang every SundayBrahma from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. Friday, July 10 @Sam 6:30 p.m.
Weekly Havan Satsang every 2-Nov Sat.Havan 10:30 AM Weekly Satsang every10Sunday 10 to 12pleased noon. 8Apr Fri 7:00 p.m UgaBrahma is 12 DAV Sanskriti School Sundays a.m. tofrom 12Kumaris noon. - Havan, Hindi Sunday from 10 a.m. a.m. to noon. Skanda Shashti Homam DAV Sanskriti Sundays a.m. to 12 noon. Havan, Hindi dhi Telugu andSchool Kannada New to announce a new location in and Naitik Shiksha classes. DAV10 Montessori School for ages 2 7 DAV Sanskriti School Sundaysto10 9-Nov Sat.10:00 AM and Naitik Shiksha classes. DAV Montessori School for ages 2 to Year Houston at 14333 Pavilion Point years. Call Arti Khanna 281-759-3286. Free Yoga classes on Sat. a.m. to 12 noon. - Havan, Hindi7 Maha Sathyanarayana Puja years. Call Arti 7:00 Khanna 281-759-3286. FreeAt Yoga classes onDAV Sat. 14- Apr Thu p.m Tamil (77083)(near Beechnut and Hwy Sanskrit & Upanishad classes Tue.and 6-8Naitik p.m. 14375 Schiller Rd. Shiksha classes. 12-Nov Tuesday 7 PM classes Sanskrit & Upanishad Tue.6). 6-8 p.m. At 14375 Schiller New year 6). Daily Raja Yoga Meditation (bet Westpark & Bellaire off Hwy 281-752-0100. Montessori School for ages 2Rd. to Anna Abhishekam (bet Bellaire Hwy 76). 281-752-0100. 14-Westpark Apr Thu&8:30 a.m off Vishu classes are offered to the comyears. Call Arti Khanna 28116-Nov Sat.10:30 AM Kani Darshanam munity freeFree of charge. Visit the Chinmaya759-3286. Mission Yoga classes on Ayyappa Sapthasuddhi 15Apr Fri 7:00 p.m Sri center for a tour every SaturChinmaya Mission Sunday satsangs for adults, youth, and children. There are no weekly Sat. Sanskrit & Upanishad classes Abhishekam Rama Navami day or Sunday between Sunday satsangsand forPM adults, youth, andfor children. are no weekly Balavihar classes Sunday satsang during the sumTue. 6-8children p.m.There Atanytime 14375 Schiller 17-NovS unday7:00 15-Apr Fri 6:00 pm 11:00 am – 1:00 pm. The center Balavihar classes and Sunday satsang for children during the summer. Regular weekly classes will resume on Sept. 13. Located at Rd. (bet Westpark & Bellaire off Ayyappa MandalaMahotsavam Puja begins is open 7 days a week. Contact Dwajarohanam, mer. Regular weekly classes will resume on Sept. 13. Located at Chinmaya Prabha, 10353 Synott Road, Sugar Land, TX 77498. New Hwy 6). 281-752-0100. 18-Nov Monday 7 PM 1st day us at (832) 379-8888, houston@ Chinmaya Prabha, 10353 Synott Road, Sugar Land, TX 77498. New members maySomavaram visit the welcome desk between 8 a.m. - 8:45 a.m. or Brahma Kumaris 1st16-Apr Krithigai Satvisit 6:00 p.m Poo desk bktexas.com, or bktexas.com to members may the welcome between 8 a.m. - 8:45 a.m. or 10:15 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Visit www.chin mayahouston.org or call Bharati The Brahma Kumaris Raja Yoga 25-Nov Monday 7 PM Patta- sign-up for classes and Pallakku, Meenakshi tours. All 10:15 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Visit www.chin mayahouston.org or call Bharati Sutaria 281.933.0233. Meditation Center is open 7 days a bbhishekam Raja Yoga Meditation teachers 2nd Krithigai Somavaram Sutaria 281.933.0233. week. The center offers free Raja 24-Apr Sun 9:30 a.m Ma- Yoga at theMeditation Houston center each have classes: MonVedanta Society hotsavan Art finalMuseum day, Meenakshi 15+ years of teaching experience. Fri @ 6:00-6:45am and (77083) 7-8 pm, Vedanta Society Vedanta Society of Greater Houston, 14809 Lindita Drive Chinmaya Mission Kannappan Art Museums 2341 Kalyanam Sat-Sun @ 7:00-8:30am, 10 am-2 Vedanta Society of Greater Houston, 14809 Lindita (77083) has classes every Sunday 10:30Sunday a.m. to 12:30 p.m.Drive on Gospel of satsangs for adults, N Galveston Ave,9:00 Pearland, TX 30-Apr Sat a.mfrom Sita pm. Visiting hours are Sat-Sun @ has classes every Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, 1st & 3rd Sunday; Bhagavad Gita, 2nd Sunday; on youth, and children. Located at 77581. Please contact sam.kan- 10 Rama Kalyanam a.m.-5 p.m. Contact usSarada’s at (832) Sri Ramakrishna, 1st & 3rd Sunday; Bhagavad Gita, 2nd Sunday; on works of Swami Vivekananda, 4th Sunday; Holy Mother Chinmayahouston@bktexas.com, Prabha, 10353 Synott nappan@gmail.com or 713 724- 379-8888, works Vivekananda, 4thRoad, Sunday; Holy Mother Gospel, 5thSwami Sunday. Swamis of Ramakrishna Order visit TX to Sarada’s conduct Sugar Land, 77498. 4399 to of visit. or bktexas.com to sign-up for Sri Radha Krishna Gospel, 5th Sunday. Swamis of Ramakrishna Order visit to conduct retreats and lectures. www.houstonvedanta. org or 281-584-0488. Ashirwad Classes New members may visit the classes. All Raja Yoga Meditaretreatsfor andKids lectures. www.houstonvedanta. org orbetween 281-584-0488. Temple in Katy welcome desk 8 a.m. teachers at the Houston center On the auspicious occasion of tion Durga Bari Enrollments are open for In- Temple 8:45 a.m. and or 10:15 a.m.-11:30 are samarpit have 15+ years of Nav Ratri, thetemple Temple will have Durga Bari Durga Bari isfor openKids from 9teaching toTemple 11Visit a.m. and 4 to 7 p.m. Mon. dian Heritage classes a.m. www.chin mayahous experience. Mata Ji Ki Chauki Akhand Bari temple isatopen from to 11Chinmaya a.m. and to 7 p.m. thruDurga Sat. Sandhya 6:30 p.m.9ton.org Temple closes 7 p.m. Sunday and Teens from 4aarti to& 16 yrs. or callat4Bharati Sutaria Mission Mon. Ramayan Path. Mata Ji Ki Chauthru Sat. Sandhya aarti at 6:30 p.m. Temple closes at p.m. Sunday specialcurriculum from 9 a.m. to 7 Yoga, p.m. Puja services - Priest Bishnupada Class includes 281.933.0233. Sunday satsangs for7adults, youth, ki by Mahant Ravi Shanker Puri. special from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Puja services Priest Bishnupada Goswami 281-597-8100 Temple is and located at 13944 Schiller Rd (off Vedanta Society Meditation, Sloka, Ramayan, children. A unique Bala Vion Friday April 08, &2016 start- isCall Goswami Temple located at 13944 Rd (off Hwy 6 bet.281-597-8100 Bellaire Westpark). Ganesh Mandal at 713-797Vedanta Society ofSchiller Greater HousMahabharat, Bhagwad Githa, har program for each grade, from ing onwards. Akhand Hwy07:30PM bet. VEDIC Bellaire & Westpark). Call Ganesh Mandal at 713-7979057 /6832-423-8541. ton, 14809 Lindita (77083) Sports Day, Fair Presen- PreK to Grade 12.Drive Satsangs in Ramayan Path starting Saturday 9057 / 832-423-8541. has sessions classes every Sunday fromtations, Dance, Drama, Hindi & two between 8:35 a.m. April Contact 09, 2016 at 5:00PM ona.m.andto11:20 12:30 on more. : 281-995-0930 or 10:30 a.m. a.m.p.m. - 1p.m. Shiv Mandir wards until Sunday AprilShakti 10, 10:15 Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, 1st AshirwadABlessing@gmail.com. Shiv Shakti Mandir Bala Vihar students can7take Sanatan Shiv Shakti Mandir, Open daily a.m.shloto 8 2016 7:00 PM. Prasad Will6640 Durga Bari Temple &Harwin. 3rd Sunday; Bhagavad Gita, ka, bhajan and orchestra classes Sanatan Shiv Shakti Mandir, 6640 Harwin. Open daily 7 a.m. toor8 p.m. All major festivals, as well as birthdays, naam karan, engageservedBari aftertemple Ramayan Path. Durga is open fromFor 9 language 2nd Sunday; onfor works ofTelugu, Swami classes Hindi, p.m. All major festivals, as well as birthdays, naam karan, engagement and other ceremonies. Call Pandit Virat Mehta 713-278-9099 or further information call Vivekananda, 4th Sunday; Holy to 11 a.m. and 4 to 7 please p.m. Mon. Marathi, and Gujarati. Chinmaya ment and other ceremonies. Call Pandit Virat Mehta 713-278-9099 or Hardik Raval 361-243-6539 for puja or other ceremonies. temple 281-933-8100 visit Mother Sarada’s Gospel, 5th thru Sat.at Sandhya aarti or at 6:30 Mission is located at Chinmaya Hardik Raval 361-243-6539 for puja or other ceremonies. www.SRKT.Org. lo- Sunday. Swamis of Ramakrishna p.m. Temple closesTemple at 7 p.m.isSunPrabha, 10353 Synott Road, Sugar ‘The Universe Within’ cated 11625 Beechnut Street. day special from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Land, Order visit77498. to conduct retreats TX New members ‘The Universe Within’ SahajisNirankari Marg is aatnatural and simpleand system of heart-centered mediSant Mission Temple located 13944 Schillectures. www.houstonvemay visit of theheart-centered welcome deskmedibeSahaj Marg is a natural and simple system tation and spiritual practice that helps one realize the utimate potential Sant Nirankari Mission holds its ler Rd (off Hwy 6 bet. Bellaire & tween danta. 8org or -281-584-0488. a.m. 8:45 a.m. or 10:15 tation and spiritual practice thatis helps one realize the utimate potential within oneself. meditation available to anyone who wishes to weekly spiritual congregation Durga Bari Temple Westpark). Call The Ganesh Mandal a.m.-11:30 a.m. Please visit www. within oneself. The meditation is available to anyone who wishes to practice. Weekly meditation sessions held throughout the Houston on every Sunday at India House at 713-797-9057 / 832-423-8541. Durga Bari temple is open from practice. Weekly meditation sessions held throughout the Houston area. www.sahajmarg.org Email: meditate_ houston@yahoo.com. 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. fol9 to 11 a.m. and 4 to 7 p.m. Mon. area. www.sahajmarg.org Email: lowed by community meals. All meditate_ thru Sat.houston@yahoo.com. Sandhya aarti at 6:30 BUY For further SELL are welcome. inforp.m.OLD Temple closesNEW at 7 p.m. Heritage Classes mation, call Raj BhalaHeritage at (281) Sunday special from 9 a.m. to Classes Ashirwad’s Heritage Classes& in Katy, Cypress and Sugar Land for7 RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL 980-2825. p.m. Puja services Priest BishAshirwad’s Heritage Classes in Katy, Cypress and Sugar Land for Arya Samaj Satsang nupadaCell Goswami Phone 281-597-8100 SANJEEV KUMAR Weekly Havan Satsang every Temple is located at 13944 Schil832-689-1819 Sunday 10 a.m. to 12 noon. ler Rd Your from realtor for life. (off Hwy 6 bet. Bellaire & Email: sksrealtor@hotmail.com DAV Sanskriti School Sundays Westpark). Call Ganesh Mandal 10 a.m. to noon. Havan, at 713-797-9057 / 832-423-8541. Lot for12Sale off- of Kalyani Hwy in Sodhpur, WE DEAL IN WE DEAL IN Houses, Hindi and Naitik Shiksha classes. Shiv Shakti Mandir Lot for Sale off of Kalyani Hwy in Sodhpur, West Bengal. 1Motels bhiga or 20Sanatan KathasShiv with 2300 Sq. Houses, Gas DAV Montessori School for ages Gas Stations, Shakti Mandir, West Bengal. 1 bhiga or 20 Kathas with 2300 Sq. ft. bungalow built.6640 Architectural plans 2 Stations, to 7 years. Call Artihalf Khanna Harwin. Open daily 7 and Farm &Motels Ranch. ft. bungalow half built. Architectural 281-759-3286. Freeavailable. Yoga classes Office: 281-497-7000 a.m. to 8713-722-8870 p.m. All plans major festiRs. 90 lakhs. Ranch Apartment Complex onand Sat. Farm Sanskrit & & Upanishad vals, as well as birthdays, naam available. Rs. 90 lakhs. Fax: 713-779-4656 281-497-7007 Please contact Saha at classes Tue. 6-8 p.m. At 14375 Shilpi properties Available!! Call Now karan, engagement and other cerPlease contact Shilpi Saha at Shilpi@yourblvd.com or 832-647-9433 Schiller Rd. (bet Westpark & Bel- emonies. Call Pandit Virat Mehta Shilpi@yourblvd.com or 832-647-9433 laire off Hwy 6). 281-752-0100. 713-278-9099 or Hardik Raval
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Bharati Sutaria for “Gopa Kuteeram” children’s heri- class from 7-8pm and meditaslokas,Sahasranam, stories281.933.0233 from scriptures, Vishnu bhajans, comnoa classes Rd. Sunday School at 9:15 ceremonies. Telugu Christian Friday, July 10 @from 6:308-9pm. p.m. EveryFellowship more information. tion Thursday andAssociation Srimad BhagavaZoroastrian Houston will every Vishnu Sahasranam, bhajans,Adult com- tage petitions and fun activities. a.m. Malayalam service atof9:30 meets third Saturday of Jeeyar Educational Trust from 9:30-11am there is special tam classes. Call 281-402-6585; Heartfulness Meditation Association of Houston will Behram Panthaki and his petitions andclasses. fun activities. Adult meditation Register at present a.m.Zoroastrian onBrigadier 1st & 3rd Sunday. Adult the month at Triumph Church, Translate knowledge into action Yoga class for Ladies only. Every visit www.godivinity.org (Global Heartfulness Meditation is or aat wife present Brigadier Behram Panthaki and his Zenobia Panthaki, of the10555 much meditation classes. Register www.ashirwada-blessing.org Bible class atfor 9:30 a.m.authors English W.there Airport Stafclasses every Sunday at 10:15 Saturday, is YogaBlvd., Class from Organization Divinity). practical technique of tuning inwife Zenobia Panthaki, authors of the much acclaimed book: “Field Marshal Sam www.ashirwada-blessing.org or Sri Ravula 281-995-0930. service at 10:30 a.m. on 2nd & 9-10am ford TX 77477 at 6:30 p.m. Join a.m to 12 p.m. at Sri Ashtalakand Meditation from 10Saumyakasi Sivalaya wards to experience our higher Manekshaw: acclaimed “Field Marshal Sam The 713-991-1557 Man and His Times”, Sri Ravula 281-995-0930. 4th Sunday.book: Call us for a time of praise, worship Hare Krishna Dham shmi Temple, 10098 Synott Road, 10.30am. Ist & 3rd Sundays, there Sri Saumyakasi Sivalaya is loselves. Meditation with someone at Manekshaw: The Heritage Man andand HisCultural Times”, the Zoroastrian or 281-261-4603. andGyanshala fellowship. Worship in Hare Krishna Dham Sugar Land, Txcapacity 77498. Call 785 cated is Classes for isKids Chinmaya Prabha, 10353 who has theoriginal of temple, yogic Houston’s Vedic at theatZoroastrian Heritage and Cultural Center, 8787 W Airport Blvd., Houston, TX Call Chris English. Gantela 281Sri Guruvayurappan 550 3621 or 832-334-9163. Visit ages 4-14yrs. from 10-12:15pm Synott Road, Sugar Land, TX Houston’s original Vedic temple, transmission can help exISKCON of Houston. Atyou 1320 W 77071. Center,Starts 8787 W Blvd., Houston, TX at Airport 6:30 with social hour. 344-0707,by or Rev. Visit www. V. Gurrala Temple www.ashtalakshmi.org forDarshan regis-W 77478. followed Lunch. Monday ISKCON of Houston. 1320 plore the(77018). Heartfulness practice 34th St. DailyAt 77071. Starts attimings: 6:30was with socialfirst hour. Sam Temple Manekshaw India’s Field 281-997-0757. Hours: Mon to Fri 6 a.m. -8 a.m. tration. jvbhouston.org or email info@ to Friday: 9:00 AM 12:00 Noon 34th St. (77018). Daily more deeply. There are noDarshan charg& Arati Times: 4.30am, 7am, Marshal Sam Manekshaw was India’s first Field and a distinguished war hero. HisGaudiya Math and 5:00 8:30 p.m. Vedanta Society jvbhouston.org for more details. 5:30 p.m. PMcharacter, -distinguished 8:00 PM. Satur& for Arati Times: 4.30am, 7am, es this, and we invite you to and 8.30am, 12noon, 4.30pm, 7pm, Marshal and ato wardedication hero. His courage, his andWeekthe Sri Govindaji Gaudiya Matha ends & Holidays: 6 a.m. to noon Vedanta Society of Greater HousPatanjali Yogpeeth day and Sunday: 9:00 AM 2:00 8.30am, 12noon, 4.30pm, 7pm, experience theFestival: unique benefits of 9pm. Sunday 5.30 pm to to courage, his character, andare thelegendary. dedication his troops and country at 16628 Kieth Harrow Blvd., and 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Bhaton, VSGH (official Branch CenFree Yoga Classes every Sat/Sun PM and 5:00 PM 8:00 PM. For 9pm. Sunday Festival: 5.30 pmfor this transmission. Workshops onto to 7.30 pm. Weekly Gita classes country are legendary. Thehis lifetroops of thisand distinguished soldier is portrayed by two distinguished Houston 77084. Satsang Sundays jans Saturdays 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.; ter of Ramakrishna Math, Belur), at Arya Samaj from 8 am to 9:30 more information Contact 2817.30 pm.call Weekly Gita classes for Heartfulness relaxation and medadults; 281-433-1635 or authors The lifewho of this distinguished soldier isto portrayed by twoof distinguished worked closely with him and shared many the historic 5 7 pm. Mantra meditation, Sundays 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. Special 14809 Lindita Dr. (77083), has a.m. Call Anil 281-579-9433. For 568-1690 or Jay Deshmukh at adults;arecall itation held281-433-1635 weekly through-or events harekrishnadham @gmail.com authorsthat who workedthe closely with him and shared many of theThrough historic changed geo-political landscape of the region. kirtan, Sanatan Dharma classes. poojas (weekends and holidays) lectures & talks on every Sunday other free classes, call Indra 281832-541-0059 or visit www.sauharekrishnadham @gmail.com out Houston, including Saturdays anecdotes events thatrelated changed geo-political landscape of theand region. bythe Behram and Zenobia Panthaki we Hindi get aThrough unique Vedic Education classChoroon (Annaprasam) for kids, 11 am am - 12atpm, followed 537-0018. For Yoga/Herbal prodat 11 India House.by Arati Web: myakasi.org anecdotes related by Behram and Zenobia Panthaki we get a unique insight into the man’s ideals, his military acumen, his mannerisms, and Houston Namadwaar es for kids. Gita classes noon Thulabharam, Vahana Pooja, & Prasad; Bhagwad Gita Class ucts, call Shekhar 281-242-5000. Gauri Siddhivinayak Temple www.heartfulness.org; Email: his insight into the man’s ideals, his military acumen, his mannerisms, and sense of humor. Houston Namadwaar 1:30 pm Wed. Hanuman Chalisa A prayer house where the Hare Nirapara. Temple is located at on Tuesdays, 7:30 pm 8:30 pm; www.pyptusa.org; www.DivyaDarshan from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. houston.heartfulness@gmail. hisBrigadier sense of Panthaki humor. himself boastsand a distinguished 30-yearon military AGospel prayer house where the Hare Ramcharit Manas Tue. Rama Hareof Krishna Maha-man11620 Ormandy St. (77035) Tel: and Sri Ramakrishna on daily. Products.com. All major festivals as well com. Cell: 713-929-0040 Brigadier Panthaki himself boasts a distinguished 30-year military career that earned him 12 military honors. Zenobia Panthaki accomRama Hare Krishna Maha-man7:30–8:30 p.m. info@sggm.org tra is continuously chanted. Week713-729-8994 email: temple@ Thursdays, 11 am 12 pm. Rev. Hindu Temple of as birthdays, naam karan, engage(Ragini Prakash Miryala MD) career that earned him 12 military Panthaki accom panied her husband on his postingshonors. to 281-499-3347. manyZenobia small cantonment towntra isAtmarupanandaji, continuously chanted. Weekor ends: 8-11 AM & Classes 4-7 PM, guruvayur.us Sw. the WeekResi- ment The Woodlands and other ceremonies. Call Heritage panied her husband on his postings to many small cantonment town ships all over India and became involved with running welfare proends: 8-11 AM 4-7PM. PM,Weekly Weekdays: 7-8 AM &&6-7 Hindu Temple of Preksha Meditation dent Monk, gives all classes, lec7601 S. Forest Gate Dr, Pradip Pandya 832-466Ashirwad’s Heritage Classes in Pandit ships all over India and became involved with running welfare pro grams for soldiers’ wives and children; she has run the Army School, days:&7-8 AM Ramnaam &and 6-7 PM.SankirWeekly “Gopa Kuteeram” children’s heri- 9868 New facilities of other JVB Preksha tures talks. The Woodlands, TX 77382 for puja and ceremothe Woodlands Katy, Cypress Sugar Land grams for soldiers’ wives and children; she has run the Army School and worked for the World Bank for 28 years until retirement in 2012. “Gopa children’s tage classes Meditation Classes for forTemple tan is onKuteeram” 6 Srimad pm heri- 7 nies. Hours, Atbook 5645Center. Hillcroft Steover 701, 7601 S.reviews. Forest Gate Dr, in“From for kids 41st to Saturdays 18 yrsand - meditation, and worked for the World Bank 28 years until Weekdays: retirement 2012 The has received 60 positive To quote: tage classes and Srimad Bhagavatam classes. Call 281Yoga and Meditation under guidpm. Please visit www.houstonve7:30 AM 9:30 AM Houston, TX 77036. The Woodlands, TX 77382 Yoga, slokas, stories from scrip- beginning The book has received over 60 positive reviews. To quote: “From to end this delightful narrative simply races along, providing Bhagavatam classes. Call bha281- ance by 402-6585; Samani and discours-narrative danta.org orvisit callwww.godivinity.org 281- 988-7211. PMalong, Veerashaiva Samaja Temple tures, Vishnu Sahasranam, beginning towitty endjisthis simply races providing an intimate, anddelightful scintillating 5:30 storyPM ofHours a- 8.30 superhero “ Sam’s hu402-6585; visit www.godivinity.org (Global Organization for Divinity). es. At 14102 Schiller Road (off Jain Society Aarti @ 7:30 PM VSNA Houston is a group of Weekdays: jans, competitions and fun activi- manism, an intimate, witty and scintillating story of a superhero “ Sam’s hu his notations on official files, his colorful language and his (Global Organization for Divinity). Hwy 6 bet Bellaire andinWestpark Jain Society ofmeditation Houston, JSH, is families Saturday and Sunday who believe Veeras7:30 AM 9:30 AM ties. Adult classes. manism, his notations on official files, his colorful language and hi doodling”. - doodling”. 77082). Tel 281-596-9642. located at 3905 Street Hous- haiva 8:30 AM 1:30 PM dharma (Basava dharma). 5:30 PM 8.30 PM Register at Arc www.ashirwadaSaumyakasi Sivalaya This book, with over 200 photographs, is dedicated to the men in Patanjali Yogpeeth ton 77063. Key tenets Aarti at is12:00 PM country Mahamane program for Aartidefending @ 7:30 PM Saumyakasi Sivalaya blessing.org or SriSivalaya Ravula 281This book, with over 200 their photographs, dedicated to the men in SriTexas Saumyakasi is lo- Monthly uniform who have laid down lives their and to Free Yoga Classes every Sat/Sun of Jainism are: Non-violence 5:30 PM 8:30 PM prayer and discussion on VachaSaturday and Sunday 995-0930. Sri Saumyakasi Sivalaya is louniform who have laid down their lives defending their country and to cated at Chinmaya Prabha, 10353 their widows who have also sacrificed so much. The book will be on attheir Arya Samaj fromhave 8byamPrasada. to 9:30 Ahimsa, Philanthropy with mulAarti @ 7:30 PM; na Sahitya followed 8:30 AM 1:30 PM Hare Krishna Dham cated at Chinmaya Prabha, 10353 widows who also sacrificed so much. The book will be on Synott Road, Sugar Land, TX sale at the discounted price of $35, and autographed by the authors. A a.m. Anil 281-579-9433. ticity inTemple views –Sugar Anekantvad, No Contact Aarti at832-585--0001 12:00 PM Houston’s original Vedic temple, Synott Road, Land, TX sale atCall thevsnahous discounted price of $35, and autographed byWar the authors. 77478. timings: Monday to Contact: major portion of theton@gmail. royalty will be donated to the WoundedA For other free classes, call Indra possessiveness Aparigrah, Right or temple@myhtw.net com or Jagadeesh Halyal 8325:30 PM 8:30 PM ISKCON of Houston. At 1320 W 77478. Temple timings: Monday to major portion of the royalty will be donated to the War Friday: 9:00 AM - 12:00 Noon and Foundation of India and the War Widows Welfare Assn. Wounded of India. 281-537-0018. Yoga/Herbal Knowledge -- Saturday Samyak Gyan, Sathya Sai centers @ 7:30 PM; 34th (77018). Darshan Friday: 9:00 AM - Daily 12:00 Noon and 744-4166. Foundation ofFor India and the WarAarti Widows Welfare Assn. of India 5:00 -St. 8:00 PM and SunShekhar 281-242- Sunday Right – Samyak Darshan, program held at two locaMarcall Thoma Church Contact(Basava 832-585--0001 & Arati Times: 4.30 7-a.m, 5:00 - Path 8:00 PM Saturday and Sun- products, day: 8:30-2:00 PM anda.m, 5:00 8:00 familiesWeb: who believe in Veerashaiva dharma dharma). Monthly 5000. www.pyptusa.org and Right Conduct – Samyak tions (North Houston: 12127 MalTrinity Mar Thoma Church every ordiscussion temple@myhtw.net 8.30 a.m,Bharti 12 noon, 4.30 p.m, 7 Mahamane day:Call 8:30-2:00 PM and 5:00 - 8:00 PM. Sutaria 281-568families whoprogram believe infor Veerashaiva (Basava prayer anddharma on dharma). Vachana Monthly Sahitya and www.DivyaProducts.com. Charitrya. JSH has Jain Pathshala comson Road, Houston; South Sunday at 5810 Almeda Genoa p.m, 9 Jay p.m. Sunday Festival: Temple PM. Call Bharti Sutaria832-541281-568- followed 1690 or Deshmukh Mahamane programContact: for prayer andSwaminarayan discussion on Vachana Sahitya by Prasada. vsnahous ton@gmail.com or Jagadeesh Sathya Sai centers Classed for students of all ages Houston: 246 Fluor Daniel Drive, Rd. Sunday School at 9:15 a.m. 5.30 to Deshmukh 7.30 Weekly Halyal Hindu Satsang at Shree Swami1690pm oror Jay 832-5410059 visit p.m. www.saum followed by Prasada. Contact: vsnahous ton@gmail.com or Jagadeesh Sunday832-744-4166. program held at twoa.m. lo- Sugar each Sunday starting at 10:15 Land) from 3:00 to under 5:30 Malayalam service at 9:30 Gita classes for adults; call 281narayan Hindu Temple, 0059 or visit www.saum yakasi.org. Halyal 832-744-4166. cations (North Houston: 12127 AM. The center is open M-F from pm) Sai Spiritual Education on 1st & 3rd Sunday. Adult Bible 433-1635 Shree NarNarayan Dev Gadi kayakasi.org.or harekrishnadham @ Marservice Thoma Church Louetta Rd,a.m.Houston; South (SSE) 7:30 AM to 12 Noon and 4 to 7 class classes children; at 9:30 English gmail.com lupur. Opens for daily from 7Study a.m. Gandhi Library Mar Thoma Church Trinity Mar Thoma Church every Sunday at 5810 Almeda Genoa Houston: 246 Fluor Daniel Dr, PM, and Sat, and Sun from 8 AM Circle for adults & Devotional at 10:30 a.m. on 2nd & 4th SunHouston Namadwaar to 12:30 p.m. and from 4 p.m. Gandhi Library Mahatma Gandhi LibraryatBook Mar Thoma Church every Sunday 5810 Almeda Genoa Rd.Trinity Sunday School at3:00 9:15 a.m. service at 9:30 a.m. on 1st Suga Land, from toMalayalam to PM. Call Jainwhere Center 713 day. singing foratall. Service programs Call 713-991-1557 orpm 281A 6prayer house the Hare to 8:30 p.m. Daily aartia.m. at 7on a.m. Mahatma Gandhi Library Book Club: Meets 2nd Sunday of each Rd. Sunday School at 9:15 a.m. Malayalam service at 9:30 1st & 3rd Sunday. Adult Bible class at 9:30 a.m. English service at 10:30 5:30 pm. Sai Spiritual Education 789 2338 or visit www.jainsofood distribution, canned food 261-4603. Rama Hare Krishna Mahaand 7 p.m. Saturday sabha from Club: Meets 2nd Sunday of each month; 12:30 PM at Arya Samaj & 3rd Sunday. Adult Bible class at 9:30 a.m. English service at 10:30 a.m. on for 2nd & 4th Sunday. or 281-261-4603. children; study Call circle713-991-1557 cietyhouston.org for calendar of classes drives, home visits, Telugu Christian Fellowship mantra is continuously chanted. 5p.m tonursing 7 p.m. followed bytutoraarti month;. Houston, 12:30 PM13475 at Arya Samaj Telugu Greater Schiller a.m. on 2nd & 4th Sunday. Call 713-991-1557 or 281-261-4603. for adults. Service programs events ing at schools, etc. Contact Venkat Christian Fellowship Weekends: 8-11 AM & 4-7 PM, at 7 p.m. and Maha-Prasad (free Greater Houston, 13475 Schiller SriSaturday Guruvayurappan Temple Rd. Join the discussion of the great food distribution & food drives; Shiv Shakti Mandir (North) - 602-503-2249 or every third of the Rao Weekdays: 7-8 AM & 6-7 PM. meets dinner). Website www.issotx. Sri Guruvayurappan Temple Rd. Join the discussion of the great man’s autobiography – The Story Hours: Mon to Fri 6 a.m. -8 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Weeknursing home visits, tutoring Sanatan Shiv Shakti Mandir, 6640 Ranji Raghavan (South) 281-451month at Triumph Church, 10555 Weekly “Gopa Kuteeram” chilorg, phone (281) 530-2565. man’s –a.m. TheTruth. Story of My autobiography Experiments Hours: Mon to 6 a.m. -8 and 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Weekends & Holidays: 6Fri a.m. toSanjay noon and 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Bhajans at schools etc. Contact Harwin. Open daily 7with 8 W. 8238. Visit www.sairegion10.org Airport Blvd., Stafford TXa.m. dren’s heritage classes and toSriSanatan Dharm of My Experiments withas Truth. Call Manish Wani 713-829-6979. ends & Holidays: 6 a.m. to noon and 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Bhajans Saturdays 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Sundays 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. Special poojas Gupta (North) 832-687-6766 or p.m. All major festivals, well Sadhu Vaswani Center 77477 at 6:30 p.m. Join us for a mad Bhagavatam classes. Call Call Manishnaam Wanikaran, 713-829-6979. Maha Sabha Saturdays 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.; 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. Special poojas (weekends and holidays) Choroon (Annaprasam) for kids, Sondip (South) 832-215as birthdays, engage- time Sadhu Vaswani Center of Housof Mathur praise, worship and Sundays fel281-402-6585; visit www.godiWest Indian Religious Organiza(weekends and holidays) Choroon (Annaprasam) for kids Thulabharam, Vahana Pooja, Nirapara. Temple is located at 11620 8675 www.sairegion10.org. ment and other ceremonies. Call ton holds regular Satsang on 3rd lowship. Worship is in English. Gauri Siddhivinayak vinity.org (Global Organization tion called Sanatan Dharm Maha Thulabharam, Vahana Pooja, Nirapara. Temple is located at 11620 Ormandy St (77035) Tel: 713-729-8994 email: temple@ guruvayur.us Pandit Virat Mehta 713-278-9099 Thursday of the month and daily Gauri Siddhivinayak For information call Chris GanSadhu Vaswani Center for Divinity). Sabha # 377 is281-463located Ormandy St (77035) email: guruvayur.us or Saumyakasi Hardik Temple Raval 361-243-6539 at Branch 7.30temple@ p.m. Call tela 281-344-0707, orTel: Rev. Vijay Arti Sadhu Vaswani Center of713-729-8994 HousSivalaya Temple at 26100 Tina Lane, Katy, TX fromceremonies. 7Sivalaya a.m. to 8isp.m. Preksha for puja or other 0379 or e.mail ramolaj@aol.com 281-997-0757. ton holds regular Satsang on 3rdMeditation SriDarshan Saumyakasi lo- Gurrala 77494. Durga Mata Pooja is held Darshan fromfestivals 7Prabha, a.m. toas 8 well p.m. Thursday Preksha Meditation daily. major Heartfulness Meditation Gaudiya Math for Yoga Sri Guruvayurappan Temple New facilities of JVB Preksha Center. Classes of the month and daily Meditation cated atAll Chinmaya 10353 every Friday from 7 pmAt toMatha 9.30 daily. All major festivals as well as birthdays, naam karan, engageHeartfulness Meditation is a Shri Govindji Gaudiya New facilities of JVB Preksha Meditation Center. Classes for Yoga Hours: Mon to Fri 6 a.m. -8 a.m. and Meditation under by Samani jis and discourses. 14102 at 7.30 p.m. Callguidance 281-463Synott Road, Sugar Land, TX Arti pm. Contact Ram Sharma @ as birthdays, naam karan, engagement and other ceremonies. Call practical technique of tuning in- and is a Hindu Vaishnava temple of and5:00 Meditation under guidance Samani jis and discourses. At 14102 p.m. toramolaj@aol.com 8:30Hwy p.m. Schiller Road (off 6Weekbet by Bellaire and Westpark - 77082). Tel 0379 or e.mail 77478. Temple timings: Monday 713-412-9985 ment and other ceremonies. Call Pandit Pradip Pandya 832-466wards to experience our higher Sanatan Dharam and worshipSchiller Road (off Hwy 6 bet Bellaire and Westpark 77082). Tel ends & Holidays: 6 a.m. to noon to Friday: 9 a.m.- 12 Noon and 5 281-596-9642. Pandit Pradip Pandya 832-4669868 puja Saturday and other ceremoselves. with and someone 281-596-9642. 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Bha- ping place of Shri Shri Radha p.m. -for 8Meditation p.m. Sun- and 9868 for puja and other ceremonies. At 5645 Hillcroft Ste 701, who has the capacity of yogic Krishna, Shri Gaur Nitai & Shri jans Saturdays 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Yogpeeth day: 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Patanjali Exciting Summer Camp nies. At 5645 Hillcroft Ste 701, Houston, TX 77036. transmission can help you explore Ram Darbar. Mandir Sundays 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. Special - 8 p.m. Call Bharti Sutaria 281Free Yoga ClassesPatanjali every Sat/SunYogpeeth at Arya Samaj from 8 amis toopen 9:30 Houston, TX 77036. the Heartfulness practice more daily from 5.30 AM until poojas (weekends and holidays) 568-1690 or Jay Deshmukh 832- a.m.Free every Sat/Sun at Arya from am to8.30 9:30 CallYoga AnilClasses 281-579-9433. For other freeSamaj classes, call8Indra 281Veerashaiva deeply. There noSamaja charges for Choroon The are forproducts, kids,For PM. 541-0059 or are visit www.saum a.m. Call(Annaprasam) Anil 281-579-9433. other freeservices classes, call held Indrafrom 281537-0018. For Yoga/Herbal call Shekhar 281-242-5000. Web: Veerashaiva this, and weHouston invite you experito 7.30PM followedWeb: by Ni- 5.30PM VSNA isSamaja atogroup of Thulabharam, 537-0018. ForVahana Yoga/Herbal products, call Shekhar 281-242-5000. www.pyptusa.org andPooja, www.DivyaProducts.com. yakasi.org. enceVSNA the unique benefits of thisof rapara. prashad. Daily Aarti times : ManTemple is located at 11620 Houston is a group www.pyptusa.org and www.DivyaProducts.com. Gauri Siddhivinayak Templeon Ormandy transmission. Workshops St. (77035) Tel: 713- gala Aarti- 5:30 am. Bhog Aarti Darshan from 7 a.m. and to 8medip.m. 729-8994 email: WANTtemple@ TO HOST YOUR SUMMER CAMP?Aarti - 7:00 Heartfulness relaxation - 12:30 pm. Evening gurudaily. are Allheld major festivals as well vayur.us PARTNER WITH US & HOST YOUR SUMMER CAMP AT INDIA tation weekly throughout pm. Enroll your childHOUSE in Sri Goas birthdays, naam karan, enHouston. Web: www.heartfulness. vindaji Vedic School. We offer Preksha Meditation or agencies looking amazing space gagement other Lottery ceremonies. Theseand Texas Commission Scratch-Off games willfor beanclosing soon: org; Email: houston.heartfulness@ Hindi classes for all ages. Sri GoJVBInstructors Preksha Meditation CenCall Pandit Pradip Pandya 832to conduct summer camp activities may TheseCell: Texas Lottery Commission Scratch-Off gamesvindaji will Gaudiya be closing soon: gmail.com. 713-929-0040. Matha is located ter conducts weekly their Meditation, Official Close End Validations 466-9868 puja andDham other cerGame #forKrishna Game Name / Odds $in-to provide with us fun, safe andat 16628 Hare Yoga and collaborate Swadhyay sessions in ofNorthwest Houston Game Date Official Close End Validations emonies. At 5645 Hillcroft Ste Game #original Vedic temple, Game Name Odds $ Houston’s side /its unique Pyramid hall under Kieth Harrow Blvd Houston TX enriching experience for the kids. of Game Date 701, Houston, TXUltimate 77036. 1651of Houston. Overall Odds are 1guidance in 3.27 of Samani $10 7/12/15 1/8/16 ISKCON At Crossword 1320 W - the 77084. Call 832-464-4686. auspicious 1651 Ultimate Crossword -Kanchan Overall Odds are 1 in 3.27 $10 7/12/15 1/8/16 Samaja 34thVeerashaiva St.1690 (77018). Daily Darshan visit our website: http://sggm.org. Cash Frenzy& - Overall Odds are Pragyaji 1 in 4.09 and Samani $5 7/30/15 1/26/16 VSNA Houston is a group of Arati Times: 4.30 a.m,Cash 7 a.m, 8.30- Overall Swaminarayan Temple Pranav who are A stationed YOU TALENTED INSTRUCTOR? 1690 Frenzy OddsPragyaji are 1 ARE in 4.09 $5 7/30/15 1/26/16 families who 4.30 believe in7Veerasa.m, 121701 noon, p.m, p.m,- 9Overall Hindu Satsang at Shree at Odds Houston this year. It Blackjack are 1JOIN inCenter 4.75 $1 8/26/15 2/22/16 INDIA HOUSE AS A SUMMER CAMP COORDINATORSwaminahaivaSunday dharma (BasavaBlackjack dharma). p.m. 5.30 pm to 1701 Festival: - Overall Odds are special 1 in 4.75events and pro$1 8/26/15 2/22/16 rayan Hindu Temple, under Shree also runs Monthly program for - Overall 1646Mahamane Hot Gita ‘N Spicy Tripler areare 1 in 4.29 8/26/15 7.30 p.m. Weekly classes We looking for$2talented instructors, in art,kalupur. NarNarayan Dev 2/22/16 Gadi gramsOdds like I-Choose, Meditation prayer and call discussion Vacha1646 Hot ‘Non Spicy Tripler - Camps Overall Odds areGyanshala 1 in 4.29 program $2 8/26/15 2/22/16 for adults; 281-433-1635 or Opens daily from 7 a.m. to 12:30 and craft, theater, 8/26/15 henna, language arts, 1657 followed Redby Chili Tripler - Overall Odds are 1dance, in 4.14 music, $2 2/22/16 na Sahitya Prasada. harekrishnadham @gmail.com p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. for children ages 4-14 yrs. JVB cooking, baking, robotics or8/26/15 any other activities 1657 vsnahousRed Chili Tripler - Overall Odds are 1 in 4.14 $2 2/22/16 Contact: ton@gmail. TM Houston Namadwaar Daily aarti at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. is located at 14102 Schiller Rd. 1648 Loteria - Overall Odds are 1 in 3.98 $3 8/26/15 2/22/16 that interest the kids. com or1648 Jagadeesh Halyal 832TM A prayer house where the Hare Saturday 5 p.m to 7 Houston Loteria - Overall Odds are 77082. 1 in 3.98 Every Tuesday, $3 8/26/15 sabha from 2/22/16 744-4166. Rama Hare Krishna Maha-mantra 9:30am-11:30am, Samaniji has p.m. followed by aarti at 7 p.m. For detailedThoma odds and game information, visit txlottery.org or call 1-800-375-6886. Must be 18 or older to purchase a Mar Church is continuously chanted. Weekand Maha-Prasad (free dinner). pravachan forCommission. all adults ticket. The Texas Lottery supports Texas education and veterans. © 2015 Texas Lottery rightsinterested reserved. 713-929-1900 |AllVipin@indiahouseinc.org For detailed oddsThoma and game information, visit txlottery.org or call 1-800-375-6886. Must be 18 or older to purchase a Trinity Mar Church evends:ticket. 8-11 AMLottery &supports 4-7 PM, Weekwww.issotx.org. (281) 530-2565. in© learning about Jainism. Every TX The Texas Texas education and veterans. 2015 Texas Lottery Commission. All rights reserved. 8888 West Bellfort Ave., Houston, 77031
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