Posted on 06/29/2008 6:49:24 AM PDT by Esther Ruth
Obama's luck token charms Indians
—Laurie Goering
8:13 AM CDT, June 29, 2008
NEW DELHI — Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, already running ahead of his Republican rival John McCain in international popularity, has won a host of new fans in India since a photo published earlier this month revealed that he carries a tiny brass monkey king among his handful of good-luck charms.
In India the charm is presumed to be an image of Hanuman, Hinduism's popular monkey god. So on Tuesday, a delighted Brij Mohan Bhama, a politician associated with India's ruling party and a devotee of Hanuman, decided to boost Obama's mojo (and chances in November) by presenting the Illinois senator with a 2-foot-high gold-plated Hanuman idol, blessed by a dozen Hindu priests in a special prayer service.
(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...
http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080054305
excerpts...
Amid reports that US presidential hopeful Barack Obama carries a ‘’tiny monkey god’’ as a talisman, priests at a Hindu temple in Delhi presented a gold-plated idol of Hanuman with a prayer for his success in the elections.
Convinced in their belief that the 46-year-old Illinois senator was a devotee of Lord Hanuman, the revered monkey god worshipped by Hindus as a symbol of courage and faith, the priests of the Sankat Mochan Dham Hanuman temple in Delhi organised an elaborate prayer service of the 15 kg idol before presenting it to Carolyn Sauvage-Mar, chairperson of Democrats Abroad-India, who said she was receiving it on behalf of the presumptive Democratic nominee.
Thronged by devotees, especially since Tuesdays are considered to be auspicious by Hanuman worshippers, the 108-feet-tall Hanuman temple wore a festive look in the crowded Chandni Chowk area in Delhi’s old quarters.
Lalu Maharaj, one of priests who performed the prayers along with a clutch of other priests before giving away the idol, said that they have prayed for Obama’s success in the November elections.
‘’Tuesday is an auspicious day for Hanuman devotees. Therefore, we performed a ‘puja’ of the Hanuman idol and then presented it to Carolene who will in turn gift it to Obama,’’ Maharaj told a news agency.
Brij Mohan Bhama of the Sankat Mochan Dham said that they have also appealed to the Indian people in the US to support Obama in his endeavour.
‘’Barack Obama is a great believer in lord Hanuman. His victory will benefit India,’’ Bhama added.
Aarti Misra, a Hanuman devotee who had come to the temple in Chandni Chowk like she does every Tuesday and Saturday, was equally impressed with Obama’s faith.
At last the truth comes out.
Obama isn’t a Muslim.
He’s a Hindu.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanuman
Earlier post
http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2036345/posts
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universalism
All ways, all roads, all gods lead you there....where ever their there is.
Thats racist. A guy who puts curious george on a t shirt that says vote for obama is called a racist, but some indian can give him a monkey charm and that isnt racists???
The candidate from Hawaii is a strange little man.
BRASS MONKEY! THAT FUNKY MONKEY!!! .....Beastie Boys circa 1984.............
LOL! What ever happened to the good ol fashioned rabbits foot? Did PETA put a stop to that?
The candidate from Kenya is a strange little man.
There, fixed it for you.
Stevie Wonder identified the problem many years ago: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OJsYwLs7yE
Next thing you know Obama will be trying to snub the Monkeys working on his campaign..just like the Moslim Women he snubbed.
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