Source: The Times Union

http://www.dharmawalk.org

On August 26, 2002 The Times Union reported that "20 peace marchers began a journey from Schenectady County [New York] to New York City on Sunday...    They plan to reach New York Sept. 11 in time for a candlelight vigil seeking a nonviolent resolution to global conflicts...    Representing various religions and nationalities, marchers started near the site of the former Mohawk Mall in Niskayuna and made their way to the Islamic Community...

Source: Newsday

On August 25, 2002 Newsday reported how "as the children of Indian immigrants have come of age, wedding fever has reached a high pitch. On some weekends there are no fewer than 20 Indian weddings in the tri-state area [New York, New Jersey and Connecticut], with wedding planners scurrying from event to event. In the home country it's often an elaborate 10-day celebration with unending rounds of parties, rituals and [revelry], including a mehndi, or a symbolic hand-painting, party for the women and a raucous 'sangeet,' or music party,...

Source: Albuquerque Tribune

On August 24, 2002 the Albuquerque Tribune reported that "three local organizations have teamed up to survey how people born abroad hold on to their culture... language, art and religion [in Albuquerque, New Mexico]... the survey... is aimed at identifying and documenting about 45 ethnic groups with populations of 750 or more... Funding slightly more than $60,000 comes from the city's Urban Enhancement Trust Fund, the National Endowment for the Arts, New Mexico Arts and the Arts Alliance...   Interviews are designed to find...

Source: Los Angeles Times

On August 24, 2002 the Los Angeles Times reported that "a Hare Krishna society has won permission to begin clearing a 23-acre parcel for construction of an elaborate temple and cultural center in northern Escondido [California]... Construction plans call for a 32,000-square-foot cultural center and a 7,200-square-foot dormitory for monks and four single-family homes. Two Hindu -style temples are proposed."

Source: India Abroad

On August 23, 2002 India Abroad reported that "Guru Purnima, when students pay obeisance to their teachers, was celebrated by the Bochasanwasi Shree Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha at its temples across the United States and elsewhere."

Source: India Abroad

On August 23, 2002 India Abroad reported that "Hindus of South Asian origin are an increasing presence in American society, now numbering approximately 1,800,000. Hindu communities have settled in most parts of the United States. To maintain religious traditions and celebrate their cultural heritage, they have dedicated some 450 temples in the United States over the past 30 years, with many becoming centers of pilgrimage."

Source: The New York Times

On August 21, 2002 The New York Times reported that Hindu religious leader Swami Satchidananda died on Monday in Madras in South India. He was 87...    He lived in Yogaville, Va., a community he founded, and was in India attending a peace conference... He established ashrams, or places of worship, and yoga training across the United States, including his Light of Truth Universal Shrine (Lotus) on 750 acres on the James River in Virginia."

Source: Hindu Press International

On August 19, 2002, Hindu Press International reported that Swami Satchidananda, "one of the world's most beloved spiritual masters, passed away... From the beginning of his spiritual service, Swami Satchidananda was a leader in the interfaith movement... For more than forty years, he sponsored interfaith worship services and conferences... [He] was the founder and spiritual guide for the worldwide Integral Yoga Institutes... He established Satchidananda Ashram-Yogaville near Charlottesville, Virginia. The community is...

Source: Newsday

On August 18, 2002 Newsday reported on "the Hindu festival of Raksha Bandhan... The holiday commemorates the enduring relationship between brother and sister, and the sister's gift of the rakhi [a wristband] is her way of honoring her brother's role as her lifelong protector... [The brother], in turn, presents his sister with a gift of jewelry, or clothing, to honor her."

Source: The Boston Globe

On August 17, 2002 The Boston Globe reported that "Harvard University this week named the first Islamicist - and the first layman - to head its venerable divinity school... A professor of Middle Eastern studies and religion history, William A. Graham is a recognized authority on the Koran and early Islamic literature. He has also studied Hindu and Buddhist texts. He speaks Arabic, French, and German fluently and reads Greek, Latin, Dutch, Italian, Turkish, Persian, Sanskrit, and Pali, a Buddhist scriptural language."

Source: The Columbus Dispatch

On August 16, 2002 The Columbus Dispatch reported that "for millennia, religions have addressed workplace ethics and business conduct. In recent months, however, such issues have been given heightened attention because of corporate scandals, widespread layoffs and the vast influence of corporations... Lama Kathy Wesley of the Karma Thegsum Choling Buddhist Meditation Center on the West Side, said people in her temple often come to her with questions about work relationships and duties. They sometimes express anxiety about...