PUNE: The Pune rural police have questioned 20 people, having past record of stealing idols from temples, in connection with the theft of an idol [sic] from a temple at Bajarangwadi near Shikrapur. But even after a month of the theft taking place, the police have failed to make any headway in the case.

The nearly-200-year-old idol [sic] of Krishna was stolen along with silver ornaments from the temple at Bajarangwadi, about 50 km from Pune, on April 12.

“Most people are religious because they’re raised to be. They’re indoctrinated by their parents.”

So goes the rationale of my nonreligious friends.

Maybe, but a study entitled “Faith in Flux” issued this week by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life questioned nearly 3,000 people and found that most children raised unaffiliated with a religion later chose to join one.

The Government of India has announced new airport screening measures at each
of its international terminals in response to the outbreak of H1N1 flu in a
number of countries. These measures will take effect immediately.

The screening measures include requiring all travelers arriving on
international flights to complete a questionnaire that will be reviewed by
health care screeners upon arrival. Travelers who answer yes to any of the
questions or show signs of fever or cough may be referred to a doctor and
possibly detained for observation. Travelers showing signs of fever or
cough during a flight may also be asked to wear a mask for the duration of
the flight.

Henna, which has been playing a vital role in Hindu weddings since ancient times, is becoming popular with Hollywood and other celebrities.

Also known as mehndi, it is turning into an in-thing with celebrities as a trendy alternative to traditional tattoos. Although the final result is similar to tattoo, but the mehndi experience is delightful and painless, and the images are temporary, according to acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed.

My first post on the effect of eating meat on the environment provoked quite a bit of discussion, so in honor of Earth Day, I thought I should follow up with more information about how our natural resources (e.g., air, water, and soil) are depleted and devastated by animal agriculture.

Of course, Earth Day is also a good time to remember that animal agriculture only exists at these levels because people are purchasing vast quantities of chicken, beef, pork, and fish.

Moscow (PTI): Russia's former First Lady Naina Yeltsina wants every home in the country to practice yoga for a healthy lifestyle.

"I have been practicing yoga for last two years. I think it is indispensable for people above 50. It would be good if it was practiced in every Russian home," Naina Yeltsin, 77, said at a reception hosted here by the Indian Ambassador P P Shukla in honour of Yogacharya BKS Iyengar.

Federal agents may take a traveler's laptop or other electronic device to an off-site location for an unspecified period of time without any suspicion of wrongdoing, as part of border search policies the Department of Homeland Security recently disclosed.

Americans change religious affiliation early and often. In total, about half of American adults have changed religious affiliation at least once during their lives. Most people who change their religion leave their childhood faith before age 24, and many of those who change religion do so more than once. These are among the key findings of a new survey conducted by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life. The survey documents the fluidity of religious affiliation in the U.S. and describes in detail the patterns and reasons for change.

Put aside that titillating vampire lit. Author Beverly Lewis has come up with a new magic formula for producing best-selling romance novels: humility, plainness and no sex. Lewis' G-rated books, set among the Old Order Amish in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, have sold more than 12 million copies, as bodice rippers make room for "bonnet books," chaste romances that chronicle the lives and loves of America's Amish.

Hindus have called for introduction of “kirtan” as new field of awards at famed Grammys to be held at Los Angeles’ Staples Center on January 31 next.

Last Grammys were awarded in 110 music categories, covering 32 fields, including Pop, Rock, Rap, Country, New Age, Gospel, Jazz, Folk, World Music, Latin, Reggae, Blues, etc., for outstanding achievements.

Ice is expanding in much of Antarctica, contrary to the widespread public belief that global warming is melting the continental ice cap.

The results of ice-core drilling and sea ice monitoring indicate there is no large-scale melting of ice over most of Antarctica, although experts are concerned at ice losses on the continent's western coast.

Srinagar (PTI): A rare granite deity of Goddess Laxmi, believed to be 1,400 years old, has been found at Waghama village along the river Jehlum in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir, India.

The sculpture, that was found by the farmers a few days ago, has been taken in possession by the state Archives and Archeology department and its antiquity and artistic details are being studied, its Deputy Director Peerzada Mohammad Ashraf said on Sunday.

BAGHDAD — Vice is making a comeback in this city once famous for 1,001 varieties of it.

Gone, for the most part, are nighttime curfews, religious extremists and prowling kidnappers. So, inevitably, some people are turning to illicit pleasures, or at least slightly dubious ones.

Earth Day is this Wednesday, and all things “green” will be celebrated. But it’s worth asking: how environmentally friendly are “green” products, really? Consider, for example, this paragon of eco-virtue: the stainless steel water bottle that lets us hydrate without discarding endless plastic bottles. Using a method called life cycle assessment, we have evaluated the environmental and health impact of a stainless steel thermos — from the extraction and processing of its ingredients, to its manufacture, distribution, use and final disposal. There were some surprises. What we think of as “green” turns out to be less so (and, yes, sometimes more so) than we assume.

Hinduism remains the most attacked and under siege of all the major world religions. This is in spite of the fact that Hinduism is the most tolerant, pluralistic and synthetic of the world's major religions. Hindu gurus have more than any other religious teachers in the world tried to find an underlying unity of religion to create peace in humanity. Yet though Hindu gurus have called for respect for all religions, leaders of other religions have not responded in kind by offering any respect for Hinduism.

BUENOS AIRES – The herbicide used on genetically modified soy – Argentina’s main crop – could cause brain, intestinal and heart defects in fetuses, according to the results of a scientific investigation released Monday.

Although the study “used amphibian embryos,” the results “are completely comparable to what would happen in the development of a human embryo,” embryology professor Andres Carrasco, one of the study’s authors, told Efe.

LOS ANGELES (AP)- Hundreds of George Harrison's biggest fans and best friends, including Paul McCartney and Tom Petty, turned out Tuesday to see a posthumous star for the quiet Beatle unveiled during a raucous celebration on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Fellow former Beatle McCartney stood next to Harrison's widow, Olivia, and son, Dhani, as the star was unveiled in front of the landmark Capitol Records building.

The Catholic Church in the Philippines disapproves, calling it a misrepresentation of the faith. Still every year people flock to festivals in towns around the country where many flagellate themselves, with whips and others are crucified. One man, 46 year old Ruben Enajehas, been nailed to the cross 21 times.

Earth Day takes place on April 22 each year. One issue at the center of public discussions about the environment is global warming: whether it is occurring and what its causes might be. An analysis by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life of a 2008 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press examines views on global warming among major religious traditions in the U.S.

Vegetarians have been delivered some "very good news" in an Australian study of a group of strict vegan Buddhist nuns.

Bone density among the 105 nuns, who live in temples and monasteries across Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City, was found to be the same as non-vegetarian women matched in every physical respect.