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The Voice Of Shiva with The Manganiar Musician #39;s at The Music Ashram,Dubai--1
Unexpected grace and magic turns a routine weekend morning into a vibrating energy zone as our neighbor brings in The Manganiar Musician #39;s into the Darbar of our Lord... As the musical jugalbandi...

By: Sujata Chaudhri

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The Voice Of Shiva with The Manganiar Musician's at The Music Ashram,Dubai--1 - Video

NOVEMBER 10 Excuse me, what is this place? asked a young Middle Eastern tourist as we stood in front of the 100-year-old Vivekananda Ashram.

I told him this is a building that hosts a variety of arts and cultural programmes. It used to be a hostel for students.

Is it open? How do I enter? he asked further.

I looked at the gates and it was locked. Not wanting to disappoint him, I told him it was best if he returns another day, preferably in the evening, before I said goodbye.

I was disappointed as I was not able to tell him more about the site. From the look on his face, he was fascinated with the rustic colonial style building which stands out among the other modern skyscrapers in Brickfields.

I returned home, and through my trusted friend, Google, I learnt that the building was in fact 110 years old and is named after the Indian spiritual leader Swami Vivekananda who visited Malaya in 1893.

Such a significant piece of information should be etched at the entrance of the building to not only inform tourists about the site but educate the locals. Many people do not know that the bronze statue which stands in front of the building is that of Vivekananda.

Members of the public have been campaigning online through the Save Vivekananda Ashram Facebook page.My encounter with this young gentleman was some two weeks before news broke that Vivekananda Ashram chairman Tan Sri Dr K. Ampikaipakan said the board of trustees had approved the decision to sell the 0.4ha plot of land surrounding the building to private developer F3 Capital Sdn Bhd for the construction of a 23-storey service apartment.

There have been many cases of historical buildings torn down in the name of development and the latest edition riled up many, including politicians from both divides.

Despite Dr Ampikaipakans assurance that the structure of the main building and Vivekanandas statue will remain, sceptics say the old structure will not stand when heavy construction begins.

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Come clean on Vivekananda Ashram redevelopment

The NGO feels at the same time there is sufficient information for the MACC to probe whether there is an element of wrong-doing on the part of its board of trustees and a company linked to it.

KUALA LUMPUR: Hindraf Makkal Sakthi has urged the Tourism and Culture Minister to pledge an immediate RM5 million in trust to save the Swami Vivekananda Ashram as a national heritage project while public donations can be another source of contributions for the stricken organisation.

The NGO, at the same time, feels that theres sufficient information for the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) to probe whether theres an element of wrong-doing on the part of its board of trustees and a company linked to it.

Its evident from the February 2014 annual returns that the proposed plans by the board to develop the Ashram into a 23-storey condominium with 264 units and an eight-storey car park may not be above board, said Hindraf Chief P. Waythamoorthy in a statement attaching the annual returns and certain corporate information.

The annual returns must be read together with the corporate information of F3 Capital Sdn Bhd which is linked to the proposed development.

Delving into the details, Waytha pointed out that a certain individual, Vignesh Naidu, is not only on the board of trustees of the Ashram as Honorary Treasurer but appears as a shareholder in F3 Capital Sdn Bhd.

This appears to indicate, said Waytha who is also a lawyer in private practice, that there may be conflict of interest involved, bordering on elements of corruption and/or criminal breach of trust in the proposed development.

The Swami Vivekananda Ashram is an organization limited by guarantee, pointed out the Hindraf Chief, and its primary objective was to conduct its affairs for the benefit of the public.

The MACC must help safeguard the Ashram as a national heritage reflecting the contributions of our forefathers to the country, said Waytha. The public is outraged at what is going on at the Ashram.

Waytha urged the MACC to read the boards rejection of a proposal by the Tourism and Culture Minister to gazette the Ashram as a heritage site together with the entire tender process for the proposed development.

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Hindraf wants Ashram probed, funds pledged

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Dr.Jayant Athavale (Hindu Janajagruti Samiti ) Message for all Sadhaks
To Watch FREE LIVE Webcast of Sant Shri Asharamji Bapu on Mangalmay TV Visit : http://www.ashram.org/live For More Information Visit : http://www.ashram.org Join Ashram on Facebook ...

By: Sant Amritvani

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Dr.Jayant Athavale (Hindu Janajagruti Samiti ) Message for all Sadhaks - Video

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Sant Shri Asaram Bapu Ji Amritvani - 5th November 2014
To Watch FREE LIVE Webcast of Sant Shri Asharamji Bapu on Mangalmay TV Visit : http://www.ashram.org/live For More Information Visit : http://www.ashram.org Join Ashram on Facebook ...

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Sant Shri Asaram Bapu Ji Amritvani - 5th November 2014 - Video

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Sant Shri Asaram Ji Bapu Amritvani - 6th November 2014
To Watch FREE LIVE Webcast of Sant Shri Asharamji Bapu on Mangalmay TV Visit : http://www.ashram.org/live For More Information Visit : http://www.ashram.org Join Ashram on Facebook ...

By: Sant Amritvani

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Sant Shri Asaram Ji Bapu Amritvani - 6th November 2014 - Video

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Sant Shri Asaram Bapu Ji Amritvani - 7th November 2014
To Watch FREE LIVE Webcast of Sant Shri Asharamji Bapu on Mangalmay TV Visit : http://www.ashram.org/live For More Information Visit : http://www.ashram.org Join Ashram on Facebook ...

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College co-founder offers to start a RM1 million rolling fund to save the historical building.

KUALA LUMPUR: Brickfields Asia College co-founder Raja Singham plans to save and restore the century-old Vivekananda Ashram in Brickfields, which is under threat from development, back to its glory days.

The ashram has been earmarked for redevelopment as a 23-storey residential tower with 264 units and an eight-storey car park.

Although the Vivekananda board of trustees had assured the public that the buildings 110-year-old structure along with the bronze statue of Swami Vivekananda would be preserved, news of the proposed development invited a backlash from MIC, Hindraf, PKR and Gerakan.

The Edge Financial Daily reported that Raja had offered financial help upon hearing that the ashram management had cited financial problems as the reason for redeveloping the land.

I will start the ball rolling with a RM1 million fund and hopefully it will attract other corporate sponsors. But the trustees must accept this first, he said explaining that he was not trying to pick a fight with the trustees but was trying to help them.

The trust owns and manages four schools SJK (T) Vivekananda, Brickfields, both the Vivekananda primary and secondary schools in Kuala Lumpur and SJK (T) Thamboosamy Pillai, Sentul and is focused on developing the youth and education.

Raja was eager to save the ashram which he said was an education centre in its heyday and the early 1990s where various dance and vocal music classes, yoga lessons and spiritual activities were organised.

Swami Vivekananda, of which the ashram is named after was a philosopher who inspired his followers to build the ashram in Brickfields.

The ashram started off as a reading group and opened its first Tamil school in 1914, followed by the countrys first Tamil kindergarten in the 1920s and continues to be recognised as a place of learning.

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RM1 million fund started to rescue Ashram

November 6, 2014

Tourism and Culture Minister willing to take matter to court if need be.

KUALA LUMPUR: Tourism and Culture Minister Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz today stressed that the land surrounding the 110-year old Vivekananda Ashram building in Brickfields should be declared a national heritage site.

He said the National Heritage Department has once again offered the Vivekananda Ashram Board to gazette it as a national heritage site recently even though the offer made on November 13, 2008 was turned down.

We are awaiting a reply from the board to keep the historical site as it is more than 100 years old. We will also be meeting Federal Territories Minister (Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor) to discuss how to ensure the site is maintained and not to allow the developer to carry out any demolition of the historical building, he told reporters after visiting the site in Brickfields, here today.

He said any artifacts and building structure which is more 100 years old is a national heritage.

Nazri said the ministry did not rule out the possibility of bringing the matter to court if discussions and efforts to keep the heritage site was not successful.

According to media reports, the Vivekananda Ashram board of trustees plan to redevelop the site in Brickfields into a 23-storey apartment had sparked off a spate of controversies including protests from the Indian community in the area.

The board of trustees defended their action that the move would provide funds for schools and charity homes under its care and for its future plans.

For the Indian community, the Swami Vivekananda Ashram is a symbol of its presence in the country with the first school built by Ashram in 1914.

Originally posted here:
Nazri: Vivekananda Ashram should be preserved

Swami Vivekananda was ahead of his time in fostering interfaith dialogue and we should preserve his memory.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Swami Vivekananda Ashram in the Brickfields suburb of Kuala Lumpur, currently at the heart of a struggle between developers and the heritage conscious, has won a vote of confidence from Catholic Bishop Dr Paul Tan, the Jesuit-educated prelate who heads the Malacca-Johor diocese.

The ashram was built in 1904 to mark the visit of the venerable Swami Vivekananda to Malaya.

Swami Vivekananda was ahead of his time in fostering interfaith dialogue, and because that effort is so important to our country now, we should preserve his memory, preferably in the form we find it today, said Bishop Paul. The swami introduced Hindu philosophy to the West and helped interfaith consciousness.

The ashram is a venerable building and gives character and resonance to an area where there are several places of worship.

If the ashram site is redeveloped, lamented Bishop Paul, it will be a loss not only to Hindus but also to Malaysians in general because Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim and Christian places co-exist here side by side.

The Bishop noted that the Brickfields area in general, where Little India dominates, is a wonderful testimony to our countrys multi-religious character and should be preserved.

This is what makes us unique, added the Bishop.

Parliament heard on Monday that the people who own the land on which Swami Vivekananda Ashram sits have plans to develop the site into a 23-storey condominium block and eight-storey car park.

They have apparently refused an offer by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism to gazette the Swami Vivekananda Ashram as a heritage site.

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Bishop Paul Tan wants ashram preserved for posterity