Holi spreading communal harmony in Jammu and Kashmir
March 9th, 2009 – 7:04 pm ICT by ANI –
Srinagar, Mar. 9 (ANI): Hindus and Muslims are already celebrating Holi in Rajouri District forgetting their differences. Holi has a special significance here. Hindus and Muslims celebrate this festival a week in advance by carrying out processions in the name of Lord Bhairon. This kind of procession happens only in Rajouri. According to our forefathers, earlier when the procession wasn”t carried out in a certain year, people faced calamities the next year like water scarcity and lack of fruits on trees. So our progenitors made a tradition to organize this procession every year, said Hasan Mushtaq, a local. During the procession a half naked man, who is painted black from top to bottom, holds a forceps in his hand and takes a round of the whole area. People from both Muslim and Hindu communities also move along with him. It is believed that whoever gets a smashing on his back with the forceps receives the blessings of Lord Bhairon. We have been hearing from our forefathers that this is a very old tradition and it is celebrated on the occasion of Holi, said Bharat Bashan Vaid, a local.
The 200-year-old ”Bhairon procession” has not only become an integral part of Holi celebrations in Rajori district, but it is also a symbol of communal harmony. (ANI)
Problems always seem bigger in the dark
A farmer came into town and asked the owner of a
restaurant if he could use a million frog legs. The
restaurant owner was shocked and asked the man where
he could get so many frog legs! The farmer replied,
“There is a pond near my house that is full of
frogs–millions of them. They croak all during the
night and are about to drive me crazy!”
So the restaurant owner and the farmer made an
agreement that the farmer would deliver frogs to the
restaurant five hundred at a time for the next several
weeks. The first week, the farmer returned to the
restaurant looking rather sheepish, with two scrawny
little frogs. The restaurant owner said, “Well…where
are all the frogs?” The farmer said, “I was mistaken.
There were only these two frogs in the pond. But they
sure were making a lot of noise!” Next time you hear
somebody criticizing or making fun of you, remember
it’s probably just a couple of noisy frogs.
http://in.news.yahoo.com/139/20090306/824/tnl-cow-urine-soft-drink-all-set-to-hit.html
Fri, Mar 6 10:35 AM
Kanpur, Mar 6 (ANI): Come summers and markets would see the launch of a new soft drink made from cow’s urine, which is considered sacred in parts of the country.
Media reports say that a hard line Hindu outfit, known for its opposition to “corrupting” Western food imports, is all set to launch this soft drink.
Reports say that the bovine beverage is undergoing laboratory tests for the next two to three months and thespecific date for its commercial release is not known as yet.
Nor are the different flavors known as yet, but manufacturers said the liquid produced by cows is being mixed with products such as aloe vera and gooseberry to fight diseases such as diabetes and cancer.
“This soft drink has been made from cow urine. One bottle contains around five to six milliliters of cow urine. We have used other useful herbs also. This soft drink not only has cooling properties, but also cures various other diseases,” said Ramanuj Mishra, In charge, research and development of the cow urine soft drink.
Many Hindus consider cow urine to have medicinal properties and it is often drunk in religious festivals. The organization said it had not decided on a name or a price for the drink.
Purushottam, an officer-in-charge of the soft drink manufacturing unit in Kanpur said the product will be sold nationwide and that it will beat other soft drinks like Pepsi and Coke.
“We are sure that this will sell like hot cakes. This soft drink is beneficial for everybody. The MNCs that are selling various soft drinks caution customers about various ingredients. But our soft drinks has only benefits to offer and we are sure people will buy it,” said Purushottam.
Many Hindu groups feel that foreign imports such as Pepsi and Coca Cola in the past, have a corrupting influence and see these products as a tool of Western imperialism. By Mahendra Mishra (ANI)
Do all the good you can
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In every place you can,
At all the times you can,
To everyone you can,
As long as you ever can
John Wesley
http://www.newkerala.com/topstory-fullnews-102320.html
By Madhusree Chatterjee, New Delhi, March 1: How about a slice of Lord Krishna’s Vrindavan or a touch of the Buckingham Palace in your living room? The decor in high-end Indian homes across metros, especially in the capital, is going back to tradition after years of dabbling in the utility and Spartan chic of contemporary West.
Two exclusive lifestyle retail spaces point to the trend. These are Good Earth in Delhi’s Saket area which has adapted traditional designs from medieval India and Elitaire in Faridabad which has been inspired by the royal palaces of Europe.
They are targeting the high-end home market segment of the ‘aesthetic elite’ with a price sweep of Rs.500 to Rs.500,000.
Good Earth, a national lifestyle accessory chain, has put together an exhibition of home accessories by five designers that combined Indian resonance with an international appeal. Titled ‘India Modern’, it is on display at the 18,000-square foot Flagship, Good Earth’s maiden store at Saket in the capital.
‘In a resurgent India, the rich cultural heritage is getting layered with a contemporary global relevance. This duality has given rise to a new aesthetic that draws from history to create modern perspectives suitable for contemporary living. The highlight this year at the Delhi store is the Vrindavan collection,’ Anita Lal, creative director of Good Earth, told IANS.
She said the store picks up one collection every year, which is usually an ‘interpretation of any part of history and culture from India.
‘The Vrindavan collection celebrates the harmony between man and nature – the story of Lord Krishna and his days in Vrindavan where he played with his consort Radha.’
‘We have just taken the symbolic aspects of Vrindavan – like the motifs of the flora and fauna, the peacock, the cows, the lotus and the lamps – minus the gods and goddesses to give the collection an international look,’ Lal said.
The collection features ‘kamalinis’ or lotus showpieces, lotus stools in brass and beaten silver, ornate candle stands shaped like medieval wall panels from Vrindavan homes, peacock and cowherd wall hangings in brass, fluted flower pots, Mughal minarets and geometrical tables inlaid with mother of pearls, abalone and malachite.
The Vrindavan furniture is complemented by Vrindavan Chenille cushions and the Neeltara cushions in silk and velvet, trimmed with satin ‘mashru’ weave and embroidery.
Mashru is a traditional silk and cotton weave from Kutch, printed in the Ajrakh technique using natural dyes.
A dining table laid with ‘kansa’ ware (an alloy of tin and copper) and collections of cutleries like the ‘tia pakhi’ (parrot) from Bengal, the Rasa or marigold range from central India, the Periyar Indus Rajah from Kerala and Baradari collection from the Mughal era add to the Brajbhumi look.
Designer Vikram Goel, the man behind the Vrindavan collection, said the designs debuted at a Good Earth exhibition in Mumbai in 2008.
‘I tried to recreate the motifs of peacocks, cows, lotuses and trees as depicted in the pichwais (traditional Vrindavan paintings and texts) to suit new awareness. I love the diverse techniques of metals,’ Goel told IANS.
The collection is also a tribute to the dying art of metal crafting and a bid at revival.
‘The clutter is going out of home decor and they are becoming more realistic,’ artist Subodh Gupta told IANS at the opening of the store. ‘Interiors are going back to roots and I just love the heritage look,’ he explained.
On the other hand, Faridabad-based Elitaire goes back to medieval Europe. The home decor retail store spread across 2,000 square metres at the Interiorz Mall has recreated replicas of six European palaces for Indian drawings rooms.
‘Our collections combine opulence with contemporary convenience. The idea behind recreating the palace themes was to offer buyers something more than luxury – a slice of heritage, which they can preserve,’ K.V. Rao, chairman of the Dolphin Group, which owns Elitaire, told IANS.
According to him, the high-end retail space is commercially viable because the ‘recession has not been able to dent the luxury lifestyle segment’.
The home themes – featuring complete rooms with period furniture, accessories and lights – include the 16th century Rosenberg Castle, Buckingham Palace, Castle of Prague, Castle of Sans Souci in Prussia, Palace of Wilanow of the Dutch royal family and the Palace of Versailles from the era of Louis XIV.
The accessories drawn from 82 leading design houses from across Europe are a blend of the grand baroque, the romantic French Rococo and the austere neo-classicism of British royalty.
(Madhusree Chatterjee can be contacted at madhu.c@ians.in)
- In: Festival | Hinduism | India Positive | Tamil Nadu
- Leave a Comment
Coimbatore, Feb 26 (IANS) April, a young American artist from New
York, swears by Lord Shiva. As do the 900,000 devotees who attended
the Mahashivratri celebrations at Isha Foundation, a global non-profit
organisation, 40 km from Coimbatore.Clad in a white salwar kameez and a vermillion mark on her forehead,
the slim bespectacled blonde was in a daze.
“I was overwhelmed by the celebrations and the purification rites that
Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev conducted on the day of Shivratri. I felt
completely purified and connected to a higher plane, especially
through the music that accompanied the ritual,” she told IANS after an
unusual “purification rite” christened the “pancha bhuta aradhana” at
the commune Feb 23.
She was struck by the intense energy of the Hindu deity of “creation
and destruction” and the scope of the celebration of Mahashivratri
(Night of the Lord Shiva) at the Isha Foundation, which places the
festival at the top of its events calendar.
Hina, a software programmer from the US, got the shivers after the
purification rite at the Dhyan Linga (Shiva) temple inside the
retreat. She had to be calmed down by her companions, also from the
US.
“They were possessed by the divine energy of the Lord,” Swami Patanga,
a spokesperson for the retreat, explained at the end of the rite.
Led by mystic and yoga expert Jaggi Vasudev, the organisation, with
150 centres worldwide and over 250,000 meditators and volunteers, is
engaged in holistic living through yoga and inner transformation,
spreading environment awareness, social forestry and rural education.
Isha Foundation is spread across 145 lush acres at the foot of the
Vellingiri Hills in the Nilgiri biosphere in Tamil Nadu (near the
Karnataka border).
Nearly 900,000 devotees – including 5,000 foreigners and celebrities –
had assembled at the retreat to celebrate the festival with a
nightlong carnival of prayers, religious chants, meditation, yoga,
music and dance.
Billed as the biggest in the country, the Shivratri celebration, in
its 15th year, was opened to the media for the first time.
Throughout the day, devotees kept trickling in to the venue in buses,
three-wheelers and cars from all over the country, braving the rising
mercury and the scorching sun.
Music and sacred mantra were the essence of the celebrations. The star
performers of the live concerts that continued till wee hours of the
morning were the Gundecha Brothers of the Dhrupad Gharana from Ujjain,
Sounds of Isha (the Isha Foundation band) from the commune and the
Indian Ocean from Delhi.
The Shivaratri celebrations began at 5.40 p.m. with a special
consecration rite by Vasudev at the Dhyana Linga temple – a
cylindrical dome-shaped shrine of Lord Shiva built with bricks and
granite, in the heart of the retreat.
The consecration rite, “pancha bhuta aradhana”, was a variation of a
form of yoga known as the “bhuta shuddhi” or purification of elements
for good health and de-stressing.
The seer lighted the ritual fire, bathed the giant lingam in the
sanctorum of the temple and offered flowers – to the beat of drums,
music and dance. At the end of the hour-long rite, most of the
devotees swooned apparently “with the intense cosmic energy generated
by the music, primordial beats of the drums, chants, incense and the
music”.
The purification rite was a precursor to the main celebrations later
in the night – which started from 8.30 p.m. on a stretch of even
ground encircled by hills, coconut groves, flowering plants and
tropical trees.
Later in the evening, the seer clad in a saffron drape flagged off the
festivities.
Shivratri is the 14th day of every lunar month or the day before the
new moon. Of the 12 Shivaratris that occur in a calendar year,
Mahashivratri, celebrated in February-March, is spiritually the most
significant.
“Once upon a time, India had 365 festivals – one for every occasion,
but changes in lifestyles have reduced the number of festivals.
Mahashivratri, however, stands out as a festival of a different kind
because of the planetary positions, which creates a natural upsurge of
energy, which make people react in different ways. This energy must be
used in the best possible to raise one’s system by a notch,” Vasudev
said.
The connotations of Shivratri were diverse, he explained. While some
felt that it was day Shiva, the Adi Guru, became enlightened, many
believed it was the day he defeated his enemies. “For householders, it
signifies the great celestial wedding of Shiva and Parvati. It was
also the day, according to myths, when Kubera, the thief and the
gambler, was granted a place in Shivalok (Shiva’s home) and made the
custodian of his wealth,” he said.
By dawn, over 900,000 devotees, both the common man and the
celebrities – danced wildly to the music of the Delhi-based rock band
Indian Ocean, along with their guru, in a state of trance and abandon.
By Alpita Masurkar
Posted On Saturday, February 14, 2009 at 02:12:57 AM
Students of Laxmibai English Medium school will wash their parents’
feet and perform aarti, then seek their blessings in their own unique
version of Valentine’s Day
By Alpita Masurkar
Posted On Saturday, February 14, 2009 at 02:12:57 AM
Students rehearse for the Valentine’s Day celebrations on Friday
This will probably be one of the few Valentine’s Day celebrations that
neither the Shiv Sena, Sri Ram Sene or any right wing political party
will oppose.
The Laxmibai English Medium school in Mulund has decided to celebrate
the day as ‘Matru-Pitru Din’ – parents’ day. Parents have hailed this
concept.
“Youngsters usually think of celebrating Valentine’s day with their
friends. It feels nice when you become the Valentine of your children.
We are really pleased with the idea,” said Ashwini Dadpe, mother of
Rutuja, a class VIII student of the school.
Dinesh Faria, father of Niti who studies in class II said, “Instead of
banning the day because of the way it is perceived now, the school has
shown the right way to celebrate it and we are very happy.”
In the celebrations that will start at 8.30 am, the students will wash
their parents’ feet with water and perform their ‘aarti.’ The parents
will then bless their children.
“Earlier, this is how children would seek the blessings of their
parents. As times have changed, the practices too have changed. Today,
the tradition of seeking the blessings of your parents by bowing
before them is fast disappearing. We feel that conducting a ‘puja’
this way will revive that concept among our children and strengthen
their bond with their parents,” said Prasad Kulkarni, the president of
the school.
The students too are enthusiastic about the idea. Says Rutuja,
“Whenever there are such days, we tend to celebrate them with our
friends.But when the announcement regarding this day was made,
everyone in my class really felt pleased. Instead of just trying to
ban Valentine’s Day, the school decided to celebrate it in the right
way.”
Gaurav Borse, a student of class VIII said, “We usually celebrate
Valentine’s Day with gifts of soft toys, roses etc for friends. I have
never sought my parents’ blessings this way, so I am very happy I got
the chance to do so.”
Punjab, the land of honey
Posted on: April 8, 2008
- In: India Positive | Punjab
- Comments Off on Punjab, the land of honey
http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/lifestyle/punjab-the-land-of-honey_10030919.html
March 25th, 2008 – 12:13 pm
By Karan Kapoor
Ludhiana, Mar 25 (ANI): Punjab is gradually becoming the promised land of diversified farming, as farmers are looking for ways to get out of the paddy-wheat cycle.
Backed by expert knowledge and marketing expertise, Punjab today accounts for almost half of the total production of honey in the organised sector. The widespread bee floral plants and crops act as catalysts to the
Punjab farmers to `take a bow for the new revolution’. Apiculture, the cultivation of bees for honey, has grown to a profitable para-agricultural for the hundreds of farmers all over Punjab. It was at the Punjab Agricultural University in Ludhiana, the seed of bee farming was sown. Today, it has become a movement. Continuing its support, the University has constituted a Progressive Bee Keepers’ Association to help farmers with marketing and packaging strategies. “I am into bee keeping for the last five years and started it with ten boxes. Now, I have some 150 boxes. If you compare honey production and crop production, three boxes are equivalent to one-acre production of crop,” said a farmer.
The outcome has been dramatic as apiculturists in Punjab have the confidence to compete with the best-known brands. “I am into honey production for the last 10-12 years, which I started with just US 30 dollars. Today, my annual income from honey production is above US 5,000-7,500 dollars per annum,” added another farmer.
Diversification being the buzzword now, the University arranges farmers’ fairs to educate farmers’ of varied methods in honey production. Having over 22,000 beekeepers, Punjab produces about 42,000 tones of honey.
At the fair, the aspiring farmers collect scientific knowledge about how to set up a colony, along with bee breeding and the usage of tools. With growing reliance on honey production, farmers’ are keen to take on bee keeping. Dr. P K Chhuneja, Entomologist, Punjab Agricultural University, said, “Bee keeping is a very good side business as well as whole time business or for self-employment. This occupation does not require sophisticated equipment or any specific structure. We require only honeybees and colonies and large beds of bee flora, which is available in Punjab.”
“Punjab being sure having assured irrigation, good flora is available and because of availability of flora the Punjab has capacity to maintain ten lakh honeybee colonies. So, still we have very good scope to increase this profession,” he added. It’s a jackpot, which Punjab has unearthed recently. On the outskirts of Ludhiana in Doraha is Kashmir Apiaries Exports. The company accounts for 40 per cent of the total organized sector honey production in India, owns the largest number of bee hives and procures honey from all over the country. Products of Kashmir Apiaries are exported to 35 different nations and its honey is being used in Swiss chocolates, candies and even French cosmetics. The company’s latest target is the Middle-East nations, Algeria and Morocco. “This industry, I think is worth several million dollars, if you take this cross-pollination. Because one of the scientists from New Zealand, he made a very appropriate study in Nepal in which he had shown that you keep one colony of Italian bees and there benefit to the farmer in terms of pollination service would be more than two lakhs. Just one colony per annum!,” said Kashmir Apiaries Exports The company’s growth will only add to the farmers’ benefit.
Producing over 20 varieties, India exports 25,000 tones of honey worth 50 million US dollars. And, Punjab has a major share to make India proud. (ANI)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/history/history_4.shtml
One of the most controversial ideas about Hindu history is the Aryan invasion theory.
This theory, originally devised by F. Max Muller in 1848, traces the history of Hinduism to the invasion of India’s indigenous people by lighter skinned Aryans around 1500 BCE.
The theory was reinforced by other research over the next 120 years, and became the accepted history of Hinduism, not only in the West but in India.
But many people argue that there is now evidence to show that Muller, and those who followed him, were wrong.
Others, however, believe that the case against the Aryan invation theory is far from conclusive.
The matter remains very controversial and highly politicised. The article below sets out the case made by those who believe that the Aryan invasion theory is seriously flawed.
The case against the Aryan invasion theory
The Aryan invasion theory was based on archaeological, linguistic and ethnological evidence.
Later research, it is argued, has either discredited this evidence, or provided new evidence that combined with the earlier evidence makes other explanations more likely.
Some historians of the area no longer believe that such invasions had such great influence on Indian history. It’s now generally accepted that Indian history shows a continuity of progress from the earliest times to today.
The changes brought to India by other cultures are not denied by modern historians, but they are no longer thought to be a major ingredient in the development of Hinduism.
Dangers of the theory
Opponents of the Aryan invasion theory claim that it denies the Indian origin of India’s predominant culture, and gives the credit for Indian culture to invaders from elsewhere.
They say that it even teaches that some of the most revered books of Hindu scripture are not actually Indian, and it devalues India’s culture by portraying it as less ancient than it actually is.
The theory was not just wrong, some say, but included unacceptably racist ideas:
· it suggested that Indian culture was not a culture in its own right, but a synthesis of elements from other cultures
· it implied that Hinduism was not an authentically Indian religion but the result of cultural imperialism
· it suggested that Indian culture was static, and only changed under outside influences
· it suggested that the dark-skinned Dravidian people of the South of India had got their faith from light-skinned Aryan invaders
· it implied that indigenous people were incapable of creatively developing their faith
· it suggested that indigenous peoples could only acquire new religious and cultural ideas from other races, by invasion or other processes
· it accepted that race was a biologically based concept (rather than, at least in part, a social construct) that provided a sensible way of ranking people in a hierarchy, which provided a partial basis for the caste system
· it provided a basis for racism in the Imperial context by suggesting that the peoples of Northern India were descended from invaders from Europe and so racially closer to the British Raj
· it gave a historical precedent to justify the role and status of the British Raj, who could argue that they were transforming India for the better in the same way that the Aryans had done thousands of years earlier
· it downgraded the intellectual status of India and its people by giving a falsely late date to elements of Indian science and culture
- In: India | India Positive | Religion
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The Sydney Morning Herald
Alex Brown
December 26, 2007
IT IS often said that cricket is a religion in India, but little is mentioned of the role religion plays within the Indian cricket team itself.
The Indian side is an intriguing mix of Hindu, Muslim and Christian influences, and players are well accustomed to celebrating religious festivals outside of their own faiths.
Yesterday, for example, the Indians gathered in the morning to bestow Christmas wishes upon their Christian logistics manager, Russell Radhakrishnan, before heading to the home of Melbourne doctor Uma Pathy for Christmas lunch.
“Everyone is very respectful of each other’s religions,” said India’s interim coach Lalchand Rajput. “Whether it is Diwali for the Hindus, Eid for the Muslims or Christmas for the Christians, we all make an effort to observe the holy days.”
The Indian team has a strong Hindu core, but Muslims are also well represented in the form of Wasim Jaffer, Zaheer Khan and Irfan Pathan.
“Some of the Hindu players carry with them small Ganeshas and Hannamans, and others have golden pendants of Sai Baba that they wear,” Rajput said.
“I think that the diversity is a special part of our team, and it sends a good message to people in our country … there is no problems, and everybody respects the others’ beliefs.”
India Positive 