CHENNAI, INDIA, January 31, 2018 (India Today): Thai Poosam, a key event in the Tamil Shaivite calendar signifying triumph of good over evil was today celebrated in temples across Tamil Nadu. Devotees lined up in huge numbers at the temples of Lord Muruga across the state, including the Vadapalani Sri Murugan temple here, since early morning and offered prayers. Special arrangements were made by authorities to facilitate hassle free darshan for devotees at the six Padai veedu (sacred six abodes of Muruga) temples. The temples include the hill shrines of Palani, Tiruttani and the seashore temple of Tiruchendur, all of which attracted a large number of devotees.
Thai Poosam is celebrated in the Tamil month of Thai, and on the day of star Poosam, which also happens to be a full moon day. According to spiritual texts, the festival is held to celebrate the victory of Lord Muruga, also known as Karthikeya and Subramanya, over demon Tharakasura. As per Tamil spiritual literature, Lord Muruga hailed as the Tamil war God was given a Vel (spear) to conquer the demon by his mother Goddess Parvathi on Thai Poosam day. Devotees fulfilled their spiritual vows by carrying milk pots and piercing their cheeks with spears. They also carried kavadi.
NEPAL, January 30, 2018 (Nepali Sansar): Hindus across Nepal witnessed the celebration of the annual Madhav Narayan festival at Thecho, Lalitpur on January 28, 2018. The festival that begins with the start of full moon in the month of Poush, the ninth month according to Nepali calendar, commenced on January 03, 2018 this year. Devotees take dips in holy waters during the festival as a tribute to Goddess Swasthani. Marking the commencement of the festival, a large number of Hindu devotees thronged at Hanumante River in Bhaktapur on January 03, 2018. As part of a special custom, young boys dressed in traditional attire take part in a long procession around the town with oil lamps on head, hands and shoulders.
The 30-day-long fast is called Brata in Newari and Nepali languages, and only involves a combination of grains used for the festival. Finally, the festival concludes with the Ashwamegha Yagya, where devotees offer prayers to Lord Shiva throughout the night. Also known as the Swasthani Brata Katha festival, the festival usually falls during January-February and ends on the full moon day.
WASHINGTON, DC, January 27, 2018 (HAF): Over the last few months, anti-Hindu sentiment has spiked, prompting HAF to gather more data on the prevalence of anti-Hindu bullying in classrooms. This is why we’re appealing to you, both as students and as parents of students, to make sure your children take HAF’s second nationwide survey on bullying. But this survey can’t happen without your help, without everyone’s help. Survey data will be collected until March 1, 2018. Some participants may be contacted for a follow up anonymous interview.
One must seek the shortest way and the fastest means to get back home–to turn the spark within into a blaze, to be merged in and to identify with that greater fire which ignited the spark.
— Swami Nityananda of Ganeshpuri (1885-1961), South Indian Mystic
