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Hindu Center launched in Luxembourg
 
A Hindu Center has reportedly been launched in the Beggen district of Luxembourg.
 
The “inaugural pooja” conducted by purohits from nearby countries; included Ganapthi-Lakshmi-Dhanvanthri-Navagraha homams, aarti, etc. It plans to have “Diya/ Deepam” lighting rituals daily with devotional songs, reports suggest.
 
It has been launched by Hindu Forum Luxembourg (HFL) which has 21 founder-trustees and whose Objectives include “Honoring the Hindu Heritage” and Values include “Live and Let Live”. It wants to serve the Hindu Community with a place of worship, community center, library, museum, knowledge sharing, community building; and would likely organize Hindu talks, festivals, retreats, rituals, etc. M.D.Venkataraman, Devindranathsing Hurpaul and Hari Bahadur Khatri are President, Senior Vice President and Vice President respectively; reports indicate.
 
Meanwhile, distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, commended efforts of Center leaders and area community towards realizing this worship-gathering place for Hindus.
 
Rajan Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, further said that it was important to pass on Hindu spirituality, concepts and traditions to coming generations amidst so many distractions in the consumerist society and hoped that this Center would help in this direction. Zed stressed that instead of running after materialism; we should focus on inner search and realization of Self and work towards achieving moksh (liberation), which was the goal of Hinduism.

Besides worship space, this Center plans to celebrate religious festivals, organize religious classes, host yoga-dance-music instruction, etc.; reports add.
 
Multi-faith Nevada clergy gathering to celebrate weekly inter-religious dialogue entering 8th year
 
Faith leaders belonging to diverse religions/denominations are gathering in Reno (Nevada) on July 11 to celebrate completion of seven years of “Faith Forum”, a highly popular one-of-a-kind weekly multi-faith dialogue on religion at a Pulitzer winner Gannett publication in Nevada.
 
Distinguished religious statesman Rajan Zed, who has been bestowed with “World Interfaith Leader Award”, leads a panel of leaders of various religions and denominations to produce this unique weekly discussion Forum on Sundays at Reno Gazette-Journal (RGJ) (one of the leading newspapers of Nevada), involving important religious issues affecting the area-country-world.

 
Panelists currently include: Father Robert W. Chorey, Father Charles T. Durante, Monique Jacobs, Lauri Anne Reinhart—all Roman Catholic; Dr. Steve Bond & Bryan J. Smith—both belonging to a Christian Church; Dr. Sherif A. Elfass (Muslim); Father Stephen R. Karcher (Greek Orthodox); Reverend Matthew T. Fisher (Buddhist); Rabbi ElizaBeth Webb Beyer (Jewish); Sharla S. Hales and Ryan J. Earl—both of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Dr. Nancy Lee Cecil (Baha’i); Brian E. Melendez (Native American spirituality); and Dr. Kenneth G. Lucey (religion professor at University of Nevada). Guest panelists, belonging to diverse religions/denominations, are also invited to participate from time to time.
 
Rajan Zed points out: Religion is complex. Religion is powerful. Religion is much more than one’s own particular tradition. There are interconnections and interdependencies between religions and there are differences. If we dig deeper, we shall find that we have more in common than in conflict. This widely read column is dedicated to constructive dialogue and this dialogue effort has brought more mutual understanding and trust and loyalty in the community.
 
RGJ, whose traces go back to 1870 and which has been recognized for its journalistic excellence, produces various other print and online publications also. McLean (Virginia) headquartered Gannett is a leading media and marketing company headed by Bob Dickey.

Hindus welcome Alabama Methodist Church offering free yoga classes
 
Hindus have welcomed First United Methodist Church (FUMC) in Gadsden (Alabama) for offering free yoga classes.
 
FUMC is offering free yoga classes to the community as a “Gift to Gadsden”.
 
Tagline of FUMC includes: “Changing Lives by…Serving People and Giving Hope”. Sam Hayes and Andy Yarnell are Senior Pastor and Associate Pastor respectively.
 
Welcoming FUMC for offering free yoga classes, distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, urged all the Alabama public schools to introduce multi-beneficial yoga programs in their curriculums.
 
Yoga, referred as “a living fossil”, was a mental and physical discipline, for everybody to share and benefit from, whose traces went back to around 2,000 BCE to Indus Valley civilization, Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, noted.
 
Rajan Zed further said that yoga, although introduced and nourished by Hinduism, was a world heritage and liberation powerhouse to be utilized by all. According to Patanjali who codified it in Yoga Sutra, yoga was a methodical effort to attain perfection, through the control of the different elements of human nature, physical and psychical.
 
According to US National Institutes of Health, yoga may help one to feel more relaxed, be more flexible, improve posture, breathe deeply, and get rid of stress. According to “2016 Yoga in America Study”, about 37 million Americans (which included many celebrities) now practice yoga; and yoga is strongly correlated with having a positive self image.  Yoga was the repository of something basic in the human soul and psyche, Zed added.