Hindu Temple Celebrates 30 years of faith, culture in Toledo, United States

The Hindu Temple of Toledo has always been a hub of both faith and culture. So it makes sense that it would incorporate both in a celebration of its 30th anniversary on Saturday.

“The temple is religious, it’s our place of worship,” Lakshmi Dalwalla, this year’s temple president, said. “But more than that, since we are so far away from our home country of India, it’s also a place for social activities, not just religious activities. It’s social, cultural, spiritual — it’s almost like a one-stop shop for everything for our Indian families here.”

“It’s everything under one roof,” she said. “It satisfies all our needs.”

The anniversary events this weekend are set to reflect that multi-faceted role, beginning with ritual chants, prayers and offerings and continuing into a secular celebration of Indian Independence Day.

More:

https://www.toledoblade.com/news/religion/2019/08/17/hindu-temple-of-toledo-celebrates-30-years-of-faith-and-culture/stories/20190817005

Hindu Temple launches Jatayu Army for protection of Women in Hyderabad

The famous Chilkur Balaji shrine in Hyderabad on Tuesday symbolically launched a programme to form a 'Jatayu Army' on the temple premises to prevent atrocities on women and girls.

'Jatayu' is the divine giant eagle that dies while fighting Ravana to prevent him from abducting Goddess Sita in the mythological epic Ramayana.

Special rituals were performed on sacred threads that were tied on the wrists of women and girls in the shrine, which marked the symbolic launch of 'Jatayu Sena'an army for protection of girls and women, Chilkur Balaji temple head priest, C S Rangarajan said.

Several male devotees took oath to serve as members of the Jatayu sena, he said.

"Men can join to become members of the Jatayu sena and they need to be proactive in preventing crimes against girls and women," he said.

More:

https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/hyderabad-temple-launches-jatayu-army-for-protection-of-girls-women-1580503-2019-08-13

Rainwater harvesting structures being spruced up in Hindu Temples

Hindu temples in the city are gearing up for the monsoon to store water in their tanks. For this purpose, both modern and ancient rainwater harvesting structures are being cleaned, desilted and even new ones are set up.

Temple tanks help recharge groundwater in the localities they are situated.

At Saidapet’s Karaneeswarar Temple, new channels that are wider than what was constructed earlier have been laid to the tank. “If the channels are wider, they will carry more water. When the tank dried in March-April, we cleaned up the bed. We made a small pit inside the tank and put the fish there. And now after two spells of rain, there is quite a bit of water and the fish are fine,” said a temple official.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/rainwater-harvesting-structures-being-spruced-up-in-temples/article29037376.ece

Devotees Throng to Pashupati Nath Temple in Nepal

Detailed news:

https://www.aninews.in/news/world/asia/nepal-devotees-flock-to-pashupatinath-temple-on-shravans-last-monday20190812140806/