Latest news with #Nadi
Mint
4 days ago
- Business
- Mint
Japanese businessman leaves empire behind to become Shiva devotee in Uttarakhand: ‘That dream changed everything'
A 41-year-old Japanese man has traded his business empire for a life of spiritual pursuit in India. Hoshi Takayuki, now known as Bala Kumbha Gurumuni, was once the owner of a successful chain of beauty product stores in Tokyo. Today, he is a saffron-clad Shiva devotee, walking barefoot on a pilgrimage through Uttarakhand. Accompanied by 20 Japanese followers, Mr Takayuki was recently spotted participating in the Kanwar Yatra, carrying holy Ganga water. He also organised a two-day food camp for fellow kanwariyas in Dehradun, offering meals as part of his spiritual service. According to a report in The Times of India, Mr Takayuki's spiritual journey began nearly 20 years ago during a visit to Tamil Nadu, where he encountered Nadi astrology, an ancient Siddha practice involving palm-leaf manuscripts. The reading reportedly revealed that he had lived a past life in the Himalayas and was destined to follow a path rooted in Hindu spirituality. The turning point, however, came in a vivid dream. 'I saw myself in Uttarakhand in a past life. That dream changed everything,' he told TOI. Following this experience, Mr Takayuki gave up his business and adopted a new spiritual identity. He converted his Tokyo home into a Shiva temple and built another shrine soon after. In July, he returned to India to join the Kanwar Yatra. His friend Ramesh Sundriyal, an Indian-origin resident of Japan, shared that Mr Takayuki has also purchased 35 acres of land in Puducherry, where he plans to build a major Shiva temple. An ashram in Uttarakhand is also on the cards. 'I feel deeply attached to Devbhoomi Uttarakhand. I believe I spent my past life here and am still searching for my village in the hills,' Mr Takayuki said.
NDTV
4 days ago
- Business
- NDTV
"Deeply Attached To Devbhoomi Uttarakhand": Tokyo Businessman Gives Up Beauty Empire To Become Shiva Devotee
A 41-year-old Japanese man is making headlines for leaving behind his thriving business empire to become a saffron-clad Shiva devotee. Now known as Bala Kumbha Gurumuni, Hoshi Takayuki once owned a chain of 15 successful beauty product stores in Tokyo. But now? He is a Lord Shiva devotee on a soul-searching journey through Uttarakhand. Dressed in traditional saffron attire and accompanied by 20 Japanese followers, he was recently seen walking barefoot during the Kanwar Yatra, carrying sacred Ganga water. He reportedly also hosted a two-day food camp for fellow kanwariyas in Dehradun as part of his pilgrimage. Mr Takayuki's spiritual journey began two decades ago in Tamil Nadu, as per The Times of India. During the trip, he stumbled upon a Nadi astrology - an ancient Siddha practice that interprets life from palm-leaf manuscripts said to date back thousands of years. During the reading, he was reportedly told that he had lived a past life in the Himalayas and was destined to follow Hindu spirituality. Then, shortly after returning to Tokyo, Mr Takayuki said that he had a vivid dream. "I saw myself in Uttarakhand in a past life. That dream changed everything," he told TOI. Hoshi Takayuki, a 41-year-old former businessman from Tokyo, once owned a successful chain of 15 beauty-product stores in Japan. However, he gave up his luxurious lifestyle to fully embrace Hindu spirituality and devotion to Lord Shiva. Now known as Bala Kumbha Gurumuni, Hoshi… — Neeraj Singh Dogra 🇮🇳 (@dogra_ns) July 24, 2025 Moved by this experience, Mr Takayuki decided to hand over his business empire to his followers and adopted a new spiritual identity and changed his name to Bala Kumbha Gurumuni. He also transformed his Tokyo home into a full-fledged Shiva temple and even constructed a second shrine. Mr Takayuki returned to India this July and is currently hosting a two-day food camp for kanwariyas in Dehradun as part of his yatra. Moreover, according to his friend Ramesh Sundriyal, an Indian expatriate from Pauri Garhwal and long-time Japan resident, the 41-year-old has purchased 35 acres of land in Puducherry, where he plans to build a major Shiva temple. He also intends to open an ashram in Uttarakhand soon. "I feel deeply attached to Devbhoomi Uttarakhand. I believe I spent my past life here and am still searching for my village in the hills," he said.
The Star
5 days ago
- Business
- The Star
From Pulau Banggi to Geneva
PULAU Banggi is the biggest island that is fully within our country's borders, occupying a land mass larger than the better known Langkawi and Penang islands. However, it is not as well known as either, as it is located off the northernmost points of mainland Sabah, about 70km from Kudat. Only accessible by ferry or speedboat, it is home to 20,000 residents whose main economy is fishing, oil palm and rubber. Its remote location is one reason I was elated when the National Information Dissemination Centre (Nadi) Malaysia Digital Inclusion Project was crowned the winner of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Prize 2025, in Geneva, Switzerland, recently. The victory was achieved through the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission's (MCMC) Nadi Pulau Banggi Initiative. Indeed, the initiative was also named the champion in the 'C4: Capacity Building' category for its success in providing digital literacy, skills training, and economic opportunities to one of Malaysia's most remote island communities. The island's remote location has limited residents' access to education, healthcare and economic growth, but now the Nadi initiative has established community digital hubs that provide high-speed Internet and ICT training to fishermen, farmers, students and small business owners, equipping them with the skills to succeed in today's digital economy. It is a project that rapidly transforms the lives of residents, with youth acquiring ICT skills, women starting online micro-businesses, and local entrepreneurs expanding their markets. It once again reaffirms our firm belief that no one should be left behind in the digital era. Whether they be in a dense and congested urban centre, an impenetrable jungle or the most remote of islands, we will do our best to connect all Malaysians, as quickly and as efficiently as possible. As far as I am concerned the award also belongs to the communities who have embraced digital skills for a better future and to all Malaysians – driving our vision of an inclusive connected nation. As of May 31, we have achieved 82.4% 5G coverage in populated areas and 80.4% adoption rate nationwide. Sabah is now up to 69% coverage and we will strive to achieve more. We have download speeds of 149 megabits per second and a whopping 27.47 million 5G users. Nadi is now being expanded to other underserved areas, including Pulau Mandi Darah (in northern Sabah), with plans for nationwide expansion by 2035 through scalable training modules, community hubs, and long-term funding in Sabah and Sarawak. MCMC's participation in WSIS+20 also signifies support for the efforts of the International Telecommunication Union and demonstrates Malaysia's commitment to all telecommunications and digital initiatives carried out by the UN agency. Malaysia is among the top 10 countries in the world with the cheapest Internet, and we have the second fastest Internet speed in the Asia-Pacific region after South Korea. Frankly, we should be proud and yet use these achievements to spur us on. At the same time, we don't want just faster and cheaper Internet, but we want it to be safer also. That is why we are spearheading the development of the Guidelines for Safe and Responsible Use of Social Media Platforms for Asean. The truth is that if technology is open, without security oversight, it can become a haven for cyber criminals. Every sovereign nation has regulations ensuring safety and security, which big tech must respect. I also call upon those players who are dragging their feet to adhere to our social media licensing policies. Our aim is to establish common principles and best practices for governments, platforms, and users to address harmful content while safeguarding freedom of expression. In this way, we can ensure the Malaysian children of today can have a safe path to becoming digital leaders of tomorrow. Datuk Fahmi Fadzil is Communications Minister.
Daily Express
5 days ago
- Daily Express
Sabah first State to launch Nadi Ambassador Programme
Published on: Friday, July 25, 2025 Published on: Fri, Jul 25, 2025 By: Bernama Text Size: Kota Kinabalu: Sabah has become the first state selected to implement the Nadi Ambassador programme, aimed at promoting the benefits of the National Information Dissemination Centre (Nadi) Smart Services and advancing digital literacy, particularly among rural communities. Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said 50 volunteers, comprising students from Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), were selected to participate in the programme, which is being introduced for the first time by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), in collaboration with UMS and the Yayasan Sukarelawan Siswa. He said that the Nadi ambassadors will also assist MCMC in raising public awareness on cyber safety through the Safe Internet Campaign, by engaging with residents' associations and school students in their respective areas, to promote responsible and ethical internet use. 'Sabah was chosen, among other reasons, because during the Covid-19 pandemic, it was one of the states which faced significant internet infrastructure challenges. We have been working hard to address these issues, whether through the installation of towers, substations, or expanding campus WiFi coverage,' said Fahmi. 'Therefore, it is fitting for us to continue our efforts by strengthening digital literacy through the Nadi Ambassador programme,' he told reporters, after officiating the Sabah Nadi Ambassador programme at UMS, yesterday. Also present at the event were secretary-general of the Ministry of Communications, Datuk Mohamad Fauzi Md Isa; UMS vice-chancellor, Prof Datuk Dr Kasim Mansor; and MCMC managing director, Abdul Karim Fakir Ali. Fahmi said that there are currently 131 Nadi centres across Sabah, and the selected ambassadors will undergo a two-day training session to support digital literacy efforts, and help extend the benefits of these centres to the wider community. He added that the student volunteers from UMS were drawn from various academic disciplines, with the selection process jointly carried out by MCMC and the university. Fahmi also expressed hope that the participation of UMS students in the programme would serve as a platform for them to provide input and suggestions for improving telecommunications services in Sabah. He said that the Nadi Ambassador initiative will eventually be expanded to universities nationwide, in collaboration with student representative councils. Meanwhile, the MCMC, in a statement, announced that selected volunteers who successfully passed the screening process will undergo a two-day Training of Trainers (TOT) workshop, beginning tomorrow, at UMS. During the workshop, participants will be introduced to the fundamentals of volunteerism, the objectives and functions of the Nadi, Nadi Smart Services modules, and the key components of the Safe Internet Campaign. Upon completion, they will be appointed as Nadi Ambassadors, tasked with delivering briefings to local communities, including primary and secondary school students, parents, teachers, and entrepreneurs, who participate in various programmes at Nadi centres. 'This approach is designed to encourage widespread community involvement across all age groups and backgrounds, fostering a better understanding of Nadi's role, and helping the public make full use of the services available. MCMC added that 25 Nadi centres have been identified and matched with the hometowns of the 50 selected UMS student volunteers, to ensure that the programme remains community-oriented and responsive to local needs. Meanwhile, MCMC has introduced the Nexus MCMC mobile application to help improve internet accessibility, particularly in areas with poor coverage. Fahmi said the app, available for both Android and Apple devices, allows users to conduct internet speed tests from anywhere. 'For Android users, the app includes an additional route survey feature that performs periodic tests as users move from one location to another,' he said. 'These tests connect to nearby telecommunication towers to help identify coverage issues in specific areas.' The data collected through Nexus will be a key reference point in developing solutions to enhance internet access, he said. Fahmi said the app relies on crowdsourced data, and the public is encouraged to download and use it to assist MCMC in identifying infrastructure needs in specific locations. 'We've also implemented a new network-sharing policy that allows telco companies to cooperate in certain areas,' he added. 'For example, if a location is only covered by providers A, B, and C, but not D, the new policy enables them to share network coverage more easily. 'Our principle is simple — where there's a road, there must be internet.' * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
New Straits Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
50 UMS student 'ambassadors' in digital literacy effort
KOTA KINABALU: Fifty student volunteers from Universiti Malaysia Sabah will be the pioneer batch of Nadi ambassadors tasked with promoting the National Information Dissemination Centre (Nadi) Smart Services and advancing digital literacy, particularly in rural communities. Nadi are government-run community facilities equipped with computers linked to the Internet. The facilities are meant to bridge the digital divide in the country and offer local residents accurate information on government programmes. Sabah is also the first state to roll out the Nadi ambassador programme, which is organised by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), in collaboration with UMS and government-run youth volunteer body Yayasan Sukarelawan Siswa. Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said Nadi ambassadors would also help MCMC raise awareness on Internet safety through the Safe Internet Campaign, by engaging with residents' associations and school students. "Sabah was chosen, among other reasons, because during the Covid-19 pandemic, it faced significant Internet infrastructure challenges," he said after launching the Nadi ambassador programme at UMS yesterday. Fahmi said there were 131 Nadi facilities in Sabah, and the ambassadors would undergo two days of training on how to support digital literacy efforts and promote the benefits of these centres to the public. Fahmi said the student volunteers were selected jointly by MCMC and UMS. The minister said he hoped that the UMS students would offer suggestions on improving telecommunications in Sabah. He said the Nadi ambassador initiative would be expanded to universities nationwide with the help of their student councils. --BERNAMA
