We have now uploaded to our translations page a few more jewels. One of them is the much-need Ten Questions insight in Tamil. See it and other translations here!

Another addition is the parenting insight in French, a big hit in Mauritius. If you love your children, correct their behavior in a positive way, making them confident, not fearful.

The Ganapati Kulam is hard at work on the July/August/September, 2009, edition of Hinduism Today. This issue's feature article will be about Iraivan Temple. It is a beautiful, colorful article penned by our correspondent Lavina Melwani in New York. The worshipful image of Iraivan Temple, the maha sphatika Sivalingam, figures prominently. Out of our archives we dug this image, painted by artist Manivelu in Chennai, updating it with Photoshop magic to show the avudaiyar (base of the lingam) in panchaloka, a special type of bronze that is a blend of five metals prescribed in the Agamas for certain temple murtis. As you have seen on TAKA recently, this massive, 10,000-pound metal base has recently been cast by sthapatis in Swamimalai, Tamil Nadu. It is now getting its final touches before it is shipped to Kauai.

Gurudeva's remarkable legacy books, his Master Course trilogy, have been translated into Russian, Spanish, Tamil, Marathi and partially in French. Now comes another exciting language. Gujarati. Gujarati is an official national and regional language of India. It is spoken by approximately 46 million people, making it the twenty-third most widely spoken language in the world today. In India, some 45.5 million people speak the language. Outside India, Gujarati is spoken by a quarter of a million people in Tanzania, 150,000 in Uganda, 100,000 in Pakistan, 50,000 in Kenya, and roughly 12,000 in Zambia. Gujarati is a Central Zone Indo-Aryan language of the Indo-European language family. It is most closely related to Punjabi and Hindi.

The state of Gujarat is located on the western shores of India. It is one of the most progressive parts of India, and traditionally has had a strong Saivite presence. So, you can see that bringing Dancing, Living and Merging with Siva into this language will have an impact.

But we did not really understand the fullness of that impact until we got an e-mail from a family in Texas which has undertaken the translation. They have hired to skilled linguists, men who recently finished equally challenging Kashmir Saivite texts. Here is part of their enthusiastic report. "I wanted to give you an update on the translation project. I talked to one of the translators this week and was very happy to learn that they both are enjoying (he used the word Ananda) their work of translation. They have started to translate the lexicon from all three books first so they can be consistent in using the right word every time it is repeated in the books. Mr. Dave, who has translated a book on Kashmir Shaivism, said there has never been a book in Gujarati literature with so much depth of the subject and with such clarity, there is no ambiguity in Gurudeva's writings. He said they both are happy to be part of such a project and expect to complete the first book in the next 4-6 months." Gurudeva will be smiling broadly today in his World of Light!

The April/May/June Edition of Hinduism Today has been off the press for sometime and today we are pleased to announce the release of the PDF editon. For those of you have subscribed to our PDF manager, simple boot up and you will be prompted to download the current issue. If you have not subscribed, click here to go get you PDF Edition Manager.

The April/May/June issue of the magazine called “the voice of Hinduism,” contains a remarkably lucid eight-page “Introduction to Hinduism” by Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami. You can also listen to him deliver this discourse on YouTube and print out the PDF for your local community. This issue’s center section is on “Affirmations: Mantras to Remold the Mind” bringing you powerful tools to change your life and consciousness. If you think miracles are myth you may change your mind after reading about the miraculous activities of a temple bull who acts as an oracle for the community in India. Murali Balaji gives a great opinion piece on “The Colonized Mind.” The article on the New Age from an Indian Hindu angle, reveals that the New Age, at least in India, might just be the Sanatana Dharma, smartly repackaged for modern consumption. The feature story on Rameshwaran gives us a rare and intimate look at the experiences of pilgrims having their karmas washed away by the waters of the wells of this holy temple of South India. We also meet face-to-face with the young leaders of America’s most dynamic Hindu public relations team, the American Hindu Foundation, which is making the voice of Hinduism be heard loud and clear all the way up into the halls of Congress and the White House. Don’t miss it!

On Saturday, March 28, a ceremony awarding the 2009 HIndu Organization of the Year to the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) was celebrated at Dr. Mihir Meghani’s home in northern California.

To celebrate the awards ceremony, on behalf of Hinduism Today, Kulapati Easan Katir and Kulapati Deva Rajan offer complimentary copies of the current Hinduism Today issue to the Board Members, Executive Council and members of HAF.

The Boad and Executive Council of HAF with the beautiful plaque commemorating the 2009 Hindu Organization of the Year Award.

Suhag Shukla, one of the founders, with Dr. Mihir Meghani.

Kulapati Deva Rajan talks about the feature article on the Hindu American Foundation in this issue.

An assembled crowd of 50+ people, including Fremont Councilman Steve Cho.

Photos by Raja Sivamani

Kauai Aadheenam became a secluded powerhouse where Gurudeva kept his monks together doing intense Raja yoga, worship of Lord Siva in the temple and teamed up on his mission work during the day. Out of this mix of Natha Kundalini meditation sadhana, daily chanting and worship of our beloved Siva Nataraja flows a bee-hive of dedicated activity that has manifested many remarkable publications.

Gurudeva started publishing in San Francisco. He himself ran a small Gestetner printing machine that produced the early copies of his “Master Course.” In 1979 he started his first international news publication effort which was to become one day the famous magazine we all know and love: Hinduism Today. This year, 2009, marks its 30th anniversary.

This humble “newspaper” was only letter sized. It was sent to Friends and Members of Saiva Siddhanta Church and called “The New Saivite World.”

In two years the publication advanced to a full-sized broadsheet tabloid.

The editorial team worked nearly full time. It was a monthly then and began to bring in major feature stories with an editorial mission of international scope. It was dedicated to serve “300 Million members of the Saivite Hindu Religion.” Worldwide.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s Gurudeva made a whirlwind of trips to many countries on invitation from leaders in England, Europe, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand, Mauritius, the Caribbean and of course across USA and Canada.

He returned to Kauai Aadheenam with a new vision. He said that Hindu communities all over the world had no idea what their brethern were doing in other countries. Hindus in Fiji had no clue about the large Hindu presence in South Africa. Hindus in Malaysia were unaware of the dynamic Hindu presence in Trinidad and Tobago. He boldly commissioned the monks to create an instrument which would bring to all the world over a new vision of global Hindu solidarity, based on a unity in diversity. He told the monks that this would be a public service to all Hindus, of all colors, of all nationalities and all traditions. The new publication would promote all lineages, all Hindu sampradayas and especially be focused on honoring and highlighting Hindu leaders and the work of Hindu sevaks the world over. He also mandated the magazine to serve as a Hindu front which would tackle the issues facing the transition of Sanatana Dharma from the past to today and on to tomorrow’s children.

In September of 1985, the publication received a new title, Hinduism Today, and added a single color to the black. Wow! Well, that’s what we thought back then when we were doing the printing. The lead article on Sri Lanka was a fateful one, still relevant today.

By 1987 the publication was gaining recognition, readership and support by advertisers throughout the world. Financially it has always paid its own way. Never made money, never lost it either. Other journals have come and gone. Other journals reach only the small group of followers of a specific institution. Hinduism Today is not about us. It is about the rest of the Hindu world. When Gurudeva set these principles in motion, he told the monks, “Don’t beat your own chest. Make others strong, and see how strong you get in the process.” He was so right.

In January, 1986, after considerable discussions over the added expense, the publication goes full color.

With a growing international distribution, the newspaper format was no longer a viable medium. It was logistically difficult to pack and ship. The editorial content was “crying out” for a more elegant, sophisticated vehicle.

In December of 1996 we tackled what was then referred to in-house as “Project Quantum Leap!” Hinduism Today became a full-color glossy magazine and was to be distributed through all the mainstream distribution channels. The monks worked hard for 3 months, changing over the format, finding a new printer and opening up new business relationships with the mainstream publications industry in the US while reaching out to international distributors. Hinduism Today, the magazine, was re-born again.

And here we are today, 30 years later, going strong! Hinduism Today and Forever!