89th Birthday of Dr. Bhupen Hazarika!

Kune Koy, Moi Akolkhoria..(...who says, I am a loner...)

Dr. Bhupen Hazarika........, 
The name itself bears the charisma! From our childhood, we have been fascinating by this name. We had always been fascinated by his writing styles, by his lyrics, the way he used beautiful and pure Assamese or Bengali words in his songs, poems and of course we have always been mesmerizing by his deep, yet sweet, sonorous voice by which he has gifted us numerous touching songs, adored by all. 

He was a genius, a multifaceted genius indeed! He was a poet, music composer, singer, actor, social worker, journalist, documentary maker, author and also a successful film-maker. His gigantic personality attracted everybody towards him as fire attracts flies. Whenever he performed in any cultural show, people thronged to him and got amused by his titbits equally as his songs which enthralled, spell bounded everybody. He was an example of a perfect entertaining package on and off stage. 

HIS BIRTH & EDUCATION:

Dr. Hazarika was born on 8 September 1926 to Nilakanta and Shantipriya Hazarika in Sadiya, Assam. His father was originally from Nazira, a town located in Sivasagar district. He was the eldest of ten children. He studied at Sonaram High School at Guwahati, Dhubri Government High School and matriculated from Tezpur High School in 1940. He completed his Intermediate Arts from Cotton College in 1942 and went to Banaras Hindu University to complete his B. A. in 1944 and M. A. in Political Science in 1946.

While he was working in All India Radio, Guwahati(for a brief period), he won a scholarship from Columbia University and set sail for New York in 1949. He lived there for five years and received his doctorate (PhD) in Mass Communication from Columbia University in 1952 on his thesis "Proposals for Preparing India's Basic Education to use Audio-Visual Techniques in Adult Education". He also received the Lisle Fellowship from Chicago University, USA, to study the use of educational project development through cinema.

EARLY LIFE:

When he was about 5 years of his age, he got, may be, the greatest blessings of his life in the form of a kiss from Sahityarathi Lakhminath Bejbaruah while in a cultural programme at Govt. High School Gauhati (now Cotton Collegiate HS School). At 10 years of his age, he was noticed by Rupkunwar Jyotiprasad Agarwala in a cultural function at Tezpur, the noted Assamese lyricist, playwright and the first Assames Filmmaker. There he also met Kala Guru Bishnu Prasad Rabha, renowned Assamese artist and revolutionary poet. He sang a Borgeet (the traditional classical Assamese devotional songs written by Srimanta Sankardeva and Sri Sri Madhabdeva) in that function, taught by his mother Shantipriya. Along with them, with their guidance, he recorded his first song at the Aurora Studio for the Selona Company in 1939 in Kolkata. Later, he sang two songs in Agarwala's film Indramalati (1939): Kakhote Kolosi Loi and Biswo Bijoyi Naujawan when he was about 12. He wrote his first song, ‘Kushumbar Putra Sri Shankar Guruye ………’ at the age of about 11 years in Tezpur. His second song was ‘Agnijugar Firingati moi……..’, which he wrote in 1939.

LATER LIFE:

In New York Bhupen Hazarika met Paul Robeson, a legendary singer and civil rights activist, who influenced him a lot in his thoughts and believes. His song Bistirno parore is based on the imagery and theme of Robeson's Ol' Man River(lyrics by- Oscar Hammerstein II, sang by Paul Robeson and others). Later, his We are in the Same Boat Brother(By Huddie Ledbetter, known as “LeadBelly”) became a regular feature in his stage performance. 

Two ladies:

At Columbia University, he met Priyamvada Patel, eventually both locked in nuptial tie in 1950. Their only son is Tez Hazarika, who lives in USA and Pryamvada Patel lives in Canada.

In Kolkata Kalpana Lajmi met him in the 1970s and they made the first film Ek Pal altogether(1986). Later this couple made few films like - Rudaali, Daman, Darmiyaan: n between etc.  Subsequently, Lajmi began assisting him professionally and personally until the end of his life. 

HIS LEGACY:

Soon after returning from the USA in 1953, Hazarika got the associated with Bharatya Gananatya Sangha and there he met great personalities like Balraj Sahni, Hemanga Bishwas etc. He also associated with Indian People's Theatre Association and became the Secretary of the Reception Committee of the Third All Assam Conference of IPTA, held in Guwahati in 1955. However, far before that, the seed of socialism deeply rooted in his young, but alert mind when he saw the inequality, deprivation, torture, extortion in pre independent India. Like most other people, he was also against all these. He strictly believed in egalitarianism and these thoughts and ideologies blossomed up by the close affiliations of the person like Bishnu Rabha, Jyotiprasad Agarwala, Phani Sharma etc. For all these reasons most of his songs and write ups were on these critical issues(seditiousness, humanity and love). Some of these songs are – Agnijugar Firingati……, Tapta Tikhare, Agni Shaki…., Dola Dola…., Jhak Jhak Rel Sole…., Pratidhwani Suno Moi……., Bhang Bhang…., Muktikami Lakkhajanag…., Endhar Katir Nikhate….., Raij Aji Bhawria…, Bistirna Parore….. etc. etc.

As mentioned earlier he was a great humanist. Humanism is quite distinct in his songs. He believed that through love and amity one can conquer somebody’s heart. Like other Assamese, he also blessed with the philosophy and ideology of Mahapurush Srimanta Shankardeva and Shri Shri Madhabdeva. From his childhood, directly or indirectly, Dr. Hazarika came into the influence of these two great saints through his mother. Now he knows to love others. Therefore, we can see the that his many songs are only meant for blossoming of love into somebody’s heart for somebody else. His aptitude in portraying peoples sorrows, grieves, worries, tears through songs is just astonishing! We can get the glimpses of these in these songs – Manuhe Manuhar Babe…, Koto Jowanor Mrityu Hol…., Khitore khemeka Rati…, Hejar Janar Bejar Dekhi…Jadi Jibane Kande…., Moi Eti Jajabar…, Pratham Nohoy Dwitiya Nohoy…, Atitor Burangi Likhoke…, etc, etc. For these same reason, when he sang the highly admired and famous song - Ganga Amar Maa…….., the people of Bangladesh shaded tears, and he was given Bangladesh’s highest civilian award, Muktijoddha Padak(posthumously, in 2011). 

He is incredibly genius in translating his feelings into his songs, poems or other write-ups using beautiful yet strong words. His romantic songs are just awesome. Even the greatest personalities in the field of literature also get astonished seeing his use of words in his songs. They are so pure Assamese and so simple! Since he was a great romantic person (umm.. as people say), his romantic songs are absolutely delighting. Some of the most popular songs are - Moi Jetia Eai Jiyanar…., Akakhi Ganga Bisora Nai…., Sahasra Jone Mok Prashna Kore…, Tomar Dekho Naam Patra Lekha…, Mor Morome Morom Bisari Jai, Natun Nimati…, Moi Jen Aajiban…, Shhilangare Monalisa Lingdoh… etc. few to be named.

The person, whose name is Dr. Bhupen Hazarika, was a great lover of this land which is called Assam. For that very reason, we got some beautiful songs penned from him like – Akhom Amaar Rupahi…, Jonakore Rati.., Jilikabo Luitore Par, Akashi Janere, Bohag Matho Eti…, Buku Hom Hom Kore, Siyangore Gaalong, Mising Dekati… etc.  

He used to encompass all the socio-economic, cultural, political, geographical, demographical contexts of Assam and its people along with his songs for children. Some of those songs are – Rang Kiniba Kone…, Rong Rong NaNa Rong…., Kajiranga Kajiranga, O AA Ko Kho…, Aami Bhyti Bhonti.., Aami Okoni Olamei … etc. 

His expertise and excellence does not stop here. All we know that he was also a politician, journalist, an editor, a documentary maker and a successful filmmaker. However, we will discuss all these in our next posts one by one.

DEATH:

This legendary singer, who achieved Padamshree, Padma Bhushan, Padma Bibhushan, Dadasaheb Phalke award, Assam Ratna etc. was hospitalized in Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital and Medical Research Institute in Mumbai in 2011. But very sadly, because of multi-organ failure, he took his heavenly abode on 5 November 2011. He was cremated on 9 November 2011 near the Brahmaputra river in a plot of land donated by Gauhati University. His funeral was attended by an estimated half a million people from around India & neibouring countries.

AWARDS AND HONOURS:

Award for the Best Feature Film in Assamese (Shakuntala; Directed by Bhupen Hazarika) in the 9th National Film Awards (1961) 

Award for the Best Feature Film in Assamese (Chameli Memsaab; music by Bhupen Hazarika) in the 23rd National Film Awards (1975) 

Padma Shri - the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India (1977)

Gold medal from the State Government of Arunachal Pradesh for "outstanding contribution towards tribal welfare, and uplift of tribal culture through cinema and music."(1979) 

All India Critic Association Award for best performing folk artist (1979)

In 1979 and 1980 he won the Ritwik Ghatak Award as best music director for two theatre plays, Mohua Sundari, and Nagini Kanyar Kahini

Bengal Journalist's Association Indira Gandhi Smriti Puraskar in (1987)

Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1987)

Dadasaheb Phalke Award (1992)

First Indian to win Best Music for the film Rudaali at the Asia Pacific International Film Festival in Japan (1993)

Padma Bhushan - the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India (2001)

Honorary Degree from Tezpur University (2001)

10th Kalakar Award for Lifetime Achievement in the year 2002, Kolkata.

Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship (2008)

Asom Ratna - the highest civilian award in the State of Assam, India (2009)

In February 2009, the All Assam Students Union erected a life size statue of Hazarika on the banks of Digholi Pukhuri in Guwahati. 

Muktijoddha Padak - the highest civilian award by Bangladesh Government (posthumously, 2011)

Asom Sahitya Sabha has honoured him with the title "Biswa Ratna".

Padma Vibhushan - second highest civilian award in the Republic of India (2012)

Today, on the occasion of 89th birthday of musical maestro, Assam Ratna, Padma Bibhshan Dr. Bhupen Hazarika, we are remembering him with utmost respect and lot of love with defying expression. 

Originally posted same day in 2013, in this same platform.

Reference:

Google image

http://www.bhupenhazarika.com/bio/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhupen_Hazarika

Happy Durga Puja!

Today is the Saptami of Durga Puja festival of 2014. Preparation is almost complete for all the Pandal across the country. Durga Puja is celebrated as a because whole country, irrespective of any religion enjoys it.  

This is a festival of celebration, merriment, freshness, change of season and of course a festival of peace, means destroying the evils and supporting the goodness!

Goddess Durga is one of the most popular Goddess in Hindu religion. Maa Durga is a form of Shakti (Maa Lakshmi, Maa Saraswati & Maa Kali). In Sanskrit ‘Durga’ means as the one who is unbeatable and can not be defeated hence unconquerable. During the auspicious nine days of Navratri or Navratras nine forms of Goddess Durga are worshiped predominantly.

Goddess Durga forms: The revered nine forms of Goddess Durga are Shailputri, Brahmcharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda, Skandmata, Katyaini, Kaalratri, Mahagauri and Siddhatri. Devi Durga is also known as Mahishasurmardini i.e. slayer of a mighty evil buffalo demon called Mahishasur.

Some of the most loved Sanskrit verses for the Goddess Durga are…

Sarva mangala mangalye shive sarvaartha saadhike

Sharanye trayambake Gauri

Narayani namosthute ....

Sloka meaning -

sarva mangala mangalye – To auspiciousness of all auspiciousness

shiva -to the Good

sarvarrtha saadhike – to the accomplisher of all objectives

sharanye – to the Source of Refuge

tryambake – to the mother of the three worlds.

Gauri – to the Goddess who is Rays of Light

Naaraayani – Exposer of consciousness

Namostute- We bow to you again and again. We worship you.

Another sloka...

Ya devi sarva bhutesu, shanti rupena sansitha

Ya devi sarva bhutesu, shakti rupena sansthita

Ya devi sarva bhutesu, matra rupena sansthita

Namastasyai, namastasyai, namastasyai, namo namaha!

Sloka meaning: The goddess who is omnipresent as the personification of universal mother

The goddess who is omnipresent as the embodiment of power

The goddess who is omnipresent as the symbol of peace

I bow to her, I bow to her, I bow to her again & again.

Happy Durga Puja!   Happy Durga Puja!

Happy Durga Puja!

Happy Durga Puja!

content help: http://blog.buzzintown.com/
pic courtesy: santabanta.com

Farewell O' great Madiba!

"We, the people of South Africa, declare for all our country and the world to know:

That South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white, and that no government can justly claim authority unless it is based on the will of the people." 
- Nelson Mandela  

Today(15th Dec, 2013), the eternal body of 'The Father of South Africa' has been laid to rest at his family plot and ancestral village of Qunu in the Eastern Cape after political and religious leaders paid their last tribute.

                                                                                                                           photo courtesy: bbc.co.uk                            

Little bit about Madiba:     

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (Xhosa, clan name; Madiba; or as Tata, which means 'Father') born on 18 July 1918 to the Thembu royal family.

He attended primary school in Qunu where his teacher Miss Mdingane gave him the name Nelson, in accordance with the custom to give all school children “Christian” names.

He completed his Junior Certificate at Clarkebury Boarding Institute and went on to Healdtown, a Wesleyan secondary school of some repute, where he matriculated.

Mandela began his studies for a Bachelor of Arts Degree at the University College of Fort Hare but did not complete the degree there as he was expelled for joining in a student protest. He completed his BA through the University of South Africa attended the Fort Hare University and The University of Witwatersrand, where he studied law. 

Mandela served 27 years in prison, first on Robben Island, and later in Pollsmoor Prison and Victor Verster Prison.

“Prison is itself a tremendous education in the need for patience and perseverance. It is, above all, a test of one's commitment…”    Nelson Mandela

He was South African anti-apartheid revolutionary and politician, served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the first black South African to hold the office, and the first elected in a fully representative, multiracial election. His government focused on dismantling the legacy of apartheid through tackling institutionalised racism, poverty and inequality, and fostering racial reconciliation. Politically an African nationalist and democratic socialist, he served as the President of the African National Congress (ANC) from 1991 to 1997. Internationally, Mandela was the Secretary General of the Non-Aligned Movement from 1998 to 1999. 

He had received international acclaim for his anti-colonial and anti-apartheid stance, having received over 250 awards, including the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize, the US Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Soviet Order of Lenin. In South Africa, he is often referred to by his Xhosa clan name of Madiba or as tata; he is often described as "the father of the nation".

Mandela died of a lung infection on 5 December 2013 at around 20:50 local time at his home in Houghton, Johannesburg, surrounded by his family. He was 95.

On his death, President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma said -

"Our nation has lost its greatest son," Zuma said. "Our people have lost their father."

10 great quotes of this great leader-

1. Nothing in this world is impossible and Mandela makes sure to remind us of that.

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”

2. A lot of people find it easy to be pessimistic and think of the negatives that can arise out of a situation. But in this quote, Mandela shows us that thinking positive is the only way to go. The more positive you think, the more positive the outcome will probably be.

“I am fundamentally an optimist. Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say. Part of being optimistic is keeping one’s head pointed toward the sun, one’s feet moving forward. There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair. That way lays defeat and death.” 

3. Living isn’t just about doing for yourself, but what you do for others as well. 

“For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” 

4. An ode to the fact that racism is not passed on genetically, but passed on through teachings. 

“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” 

5. Life is a course with endless obstacles to hurdle. 

“After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.” 

6. We are too quick to give up and refuse to get up from our failures. If we don’t fight to get up, we are giving up on something bigger — life.

“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

7. Sometimes you can leave a place and find that the only thing that has changed after all the years is yourself.

“There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.”

8. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

“If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.”

9. Be brave! 

“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” 

10. From the poorest of countries to the richest of nations, education is the key to moving forward in any society. 

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

BBC published an article about this great leader in this way:

Nelson Mandela was not an easy man to sum up. Icon, reconciler, fighter, charmer … The list is long and, perhaps necessarily so in a man of his stature, contradictory.

During the course of a long, tumultuous life, Nelson Mandela juggled many roles. It was that ability, as a leader, to transform and adapt to changing circumstances which may well hold the secret to his lasting achievements.

Here, then, are the four key roles that is would pick out of the pile. They were not all roles of his choosing, but they may go someway towards defining the legacy of one of the great leaders of the last century.

Icon:

The world has come to know the smile, the stoop, the gravel voice and grey hair.

But for the 27 years he spent in jail, Nelson Mandela was a mysterious, abstract figure - his image and even his name unprintable inside apartheid South Africa.

The man was transmuted into an icon, a symbol of resistance whispered in the townships and revered around the world.

The African National Congress (ANC) overcame legitimate qualms to back the notion of a Mandela "brand".

"There were a lot of debates - I can remember asking why we're singling Nelson Mandela out. But the idea of an icon does work - perhaps unfortunately," remembers Ronnie Kasrils, a member of the ANC's armed wing.

As that icon, Mr Mandela played a vital role, not only in galvanising the struggle within South Africa, but perhaps more importantly in rallying support for international sanctions - among the more powerful weapons in the fight against apartheid.

Many factors, not least the end of the Cold War, led to the collapse of white minority rule, but the abstract image of a solitary, defiant man, unjustly imprisoned for almost three decades, cut to the heart of South Africa's predicament.

photo courtesy: bbc.co.uk 

Reconciler:

"A different leader… would have said: 'OK, these people oppressed us for many years. Let's kill them.' But the stance he took will be remembered by all South Africans and all people of the world," said the famous South African photographer Alf Khumalo before he died in 2012.

The icon role was important, but Mr Mandela's defining contribution to South Africa's revolution was as reconciler-in-chief - first during the bold, risky negotiations he conducted with the apartheid government while he was still in prison, and later during his exhaustive attempts to reassure a nervous white minority - some still argue he bent over too far protecting their business interests - and to calm the rage of an impatient black majority.

There were many key moments - the Rugby World Cup final in 1995 springs to mind, when Mr Mandela presented the cup to the South African team captain.

But none defined his leadership more, or played a more crucial part in averting civil war, than his interventions immediately after the 1993 assassination of the struggle hero Chris Hani.

"Tonight I am reaching out to every single South African, black and white, from the very depths of my being," said Nelson Mandela on national television, warning that "our whole nation now teeters on the brink of disaster".

"He saved the country. No doubt about it," remembers veteran South African journalist Allister Sparks.

"That's when the natural power of leadership rose up. The whole country recognised it."

Fighter:

He may have become a reconciler, but Mr Mandela will also be remembered as a radical, a rebel and a "young firebrand" who helped to push the ANC away from its rather gentlemanly opposition to apartheid and into a violent confrontation with white rule.

Mr Mandela was among eight men sentenced to life at the Rivonia trial. 

It was Mr Mandela who initiated and led the armed struggle, despite his lack of military experience. "We had no choice but to turn to violence," he wrote in his autobiography. "I who had never been a soldier… had been given the task of starting an army."

This is the most divisive part of Mr Mandela's life and legacy.

He was branded a terrorist by the South African government. In the 1980s, Britain's then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's spokesman described the ANC as "a typical terrorist organisation". Today, most white South Africans cherish Mr Mandela's contribution to the country's peaceful revolution, but a handful both here and abroad will no doubt continue to focus on, and condemn, his militancy.

Today that militancy is also emphasised - and celebrated - by some black South African politicians.

The fiery former ANC Youth League President Julius Malema told me that foreigners "know nothing of Mandela" and are attempting to subvert his radical agenda.

Mr Malema's colleagues say they are carrying on Mr Mandela's true legacy by pushing for the nationalisation of white businesses and the seizure, without compensation, of white-owned land.

Charmer:

Mr Mandela was a powerful public speaker. But when he emerged from prison he could also appear stiff and regal in front of a crowd.

His real strength - his political genius, you might argue - lay in his one-to-one interactions with people of all walks of life."He had a gift for personal intimacy," is how veteran journalist Allister Sparks describes it. "No-one was too small to be of real interest to him."

It was that gift, among others, that helped him rise through the ANC, and to maintain his "first-among-equals" status in prison.

Later it helped convince the apartheid government's representatives, who visited him in jail to negotiate his release, that this was a man they could trust. Had they not, South Africa's revolution could have lasted much longer, and been far more violent.

Some later worried that Mr Mandela's charm had turned his head, that he kept some unsavoury friends, and was too enamoured of celebrity culture.

But most South Africans were quick to indulge him and even to enjoy the all-too-human foibles of a man they knew was much more than a mere "saint".

I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”               

                                                                                        -- Nelson Mandela

SALUTE TO THIS GREAT LEADAR AND HUMAN BEING!

Courtesy: http://newsone.com, wikipedia, http://bbc.co.uk, google image

Farewell Sachin!

Thank you very, very much Bharat Rantna Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, for your mammoth contribution to Indian cricket and the world cricket as well! On the occasion of your departure, this is our humble few words for you. 

Thanks to you!

HAPPY DIPAWALI! ...........but......!!!

Wishing a very happy Dipawali to all of you!

What's happened in this Dipwali:

Sudha Nair, a chartered accountant of Andheri, Mumbai, decided to leave the city to spend a week with her family in London. This is not a mere holiday trip to her, but the main reason for her trip is that, it is a way of escaping the raising pollution level in the city during Dipawali. She is an asthma patient.

Dr. Jalil Parker, chest physician of Lilavati Hospital advices particularly asthma patients to go to a village areas to escape from the dangerous air pollution during this time! Gaseous air pollutants emitted from firecrackers are one of the main factors for childhood bronchial asthma, particularly among children of age group 6-12 years. It is observed that almost 26% people without any history of respiratory ailments develop symptoms of coughing, wheezing and breathlessness during Dipawali, especially in city areas in India!

The reason is that cracker contains 75% potassium nitrate, 15% carbon and 10% sulphur, and, when they burn, very harmful gases like sulphur dioxide, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, manganese and even cadmium are released, which irritate the delicate areas of airways of lungs and worsen the condition of people with pulmonary diseases!

According to SAFAR(System of Air Pollution Forecasting & Research), the pollution level on air will raise up-to 700 than in normal level from Nov, 2, in some areas of cities. According to WHO this level is warning of emergency conditions, said by Gufran Beig, Project Director of SAFAR. Poisonous gases and metals like oxides of nitrogen, lead, chromium and zinc would fill the air, posing a serious health hazard for all. There have been steadily increasing the influx of Chinese crackers in the market, which are even more dangerous!

Instead of enjoying the festival with love and light, people now observing this festival to show their strength of money, bursting more crackers but, unfortunately, they are either unaware or neglect the dangers of peoples health issues.

Each state has their pollution monitoring system, and they monitor the pollution level in the air at the time of Dipawali, but we don’t know whether the state Assam does have the same policy or not!

Not only the air, but, sound pollution is also a matter of great concern for us in Dipawali. If 60 dB is considered as the normal (conversational) sound range for human, then the sound could be much, much greater if a cracker is burst near us. It may go more than 20,000 Hz .i.e. more than 120 dB, which is very dangerous. It can damage hearing ability of a person forever!

In addition, these crackers may cause water pollution. When they burst, the metal oxides eventually settle on soil and because of rain it may go to rivers and it may mix with groundwater.

Therefore, it is our earnest request to all of our festival loving people that, celebrate Dipawali with light, which is the symbol of love, wisdom, hope and peace! If it is possible, we should avoid bursting crackers, which are not only health hazardous but helps in global warming producing green house gases!

Happy Dipawali!

courtesy: dnaindia.com

photo: google image

  

Today is Gandhi Jayanti!

Today, the 2nd Octobar, India is celebrating Gandhi Jayanti, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi( Octobar 2, 1869 – January 30, 1948), who is also called as the ‘Father of the Nation’.

Each year, Gandhi Jayanti is observed as National Holiday. This Holiday is celebrated by prayer services and tributes all over India, especially at Raj Ghat, Gandhi's memorial in New Delhi where he was cremated. Popular celebration includes prayer meetings, commemorative ceremonies in different cities by colleges, local government institutions and socio-political institutions. Raghupathi Raghava Rajaram, is sung everywhere in memory of him.

Today, is also the day of International Day of Non-Violence. On 15 June 2007 the United Nations General Assembly voted to establish 2 October as the International Day of Non-Violence. The resolution by the General Assembly asks all members of the UN system to commemorate 2 October in "an appropriate manner and disseminate the message of non-violence, including through education and public awareness."

“Once, I got an opportunity to make a stay in Ganghi Niketan Ashram, T. Kallupatti of Madurai district of Tamil Nadu in 2009-2010 for one training purpose. This Ashram was founded by G. Venkatachalapathy(1909-1969), who is  regarded as “The Architect of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Movement in Tamil Nadu”. G. Venkatachalapathy was s freedom fighter and became follower and associate of Mahatma Gandhi when he met him in 1931 for the first time.  In  1940  he founded the Gandhi Niketan Ashram .with the aim of working towards rural reconstruction and imparting basic education to rural children  advised by Gandhiji.  In Gandhi Jayanti, I got a special privilege to sing “Baishnab Jana To ……”(this Bhajan was written by poet Narsinh Mehta in the 15th century and Gandhiji loved it so much) before lots of guests gathered from the Ashram and around.  Apart from other regular prayer programs, prayers are arranged regularly  in two times, like morning 5am and evening 4pm, daily (I was let sing regularly in that prayers where I used to sing Bargeets and Bhajans). It was a lifetime experience for me spending some 6 months times in that awesome culture and peaceful ambience!”

Mahatma Gandhi believed in complete non- violence ways of showing protest or demanding somebody’s own rights. By this supreme force, he was able to drive away the then great world power, the British Colonizers (some other factors were also against to the British though!) from India! For that reason, we got freedom and we respect, recognize and faith in the strength of his ‘Ahimsa’(i.e. non-violence). This great leader is also a great example of how to live life in simple yet dignified manners along with morals and sacrifices for all materialistic thinkings. For these reasons, he is respected and remembered by the world community till today and in the future.

However, showing respect to somebody and following the morals and ideologies of him is a totally different matter. The world(especially some countries including India) is full of corruption, hatred and violence now-a-days and people knows this. It is very unfortunate that the morals of Gandhiji have not been followed even in India where he was born and where he became ‘Father of Nation’ from Mahatma Gandhi! We have forgotten him! Our political leaders, who run the country(who becomes the ‘King’ from ‘public servant’), wear “Gandhi Topies”, says, our heart is like “Kamal(lotus)”, but involving in such kind of activities by their dirty “hands”, which have destroyed this great country!

Gandhiji gave his life for the people. Therefore, if people (our common citizen) don’t do anything, this country could never be a so called “superpower country”(this slogan has been forgotten by the creators, huh! Amusing words!), but will be ended up in a devastated piece of a land mass with overcrowded population!  

“Gandhiji Amar Hoi Thakok”

"Long live Gandhiji"

Janmastami, Lord Krishna and his importance in present society!

"I am the conscience in the heart of all creatures

I am their beginning, their being, their end

I am the mind of the senses,

I am the radiant sun among lights

I am the song in sacred lore,

I am the king of deities

I am the priest of great seers…"

                                                            ………………Gita 

Today is the holy birthday of Lord Krishna, the most powerful incarnations of Lord Vishnu, the Godhead of the Hindu Trinity of deities. Of all the Vishnu avataras or incarnations he is the most popular, and perhaps of all Hindu gods the one closest to the heart of the masses. Krishna was dark and extremely handsome & the eighth avatar (incarnation) of Lord Vishnu, believed to have been born about five thousand years ago in Mathura in 'Dwapar Yuga'. 

Lord Krishna took birth at midnight on the ashtami or the 8th day of the Krishnapaksha or dark fortnight in the Hindu month of Shravan (August-September). The birthday of Krishna is called Janmashthami, a special occasion for Hindus that is celebrated around the world. Krishna Janmashtami, also known as Krishnashtami, Saatam Aatham, Gokulashtami, Ashtami Rohini, Srikrishna Jayanti, Sree Jayanti or sometimes merely as Janmashtami, is an annual commemoration of the birth of Krishna. Based on scriptural details and astrological calculations the date of Krishna's birth, known as Janmashtami, is 19 July 3228 BCE and departed on 3102 BCE. Krishna belonged to the Vrishni clan of Yadavas from Mathura, and was the eighth son born to the princess Devaki, and her husband Vasudeva. 

Baby Krishna: Killer of Evils

Stories about Krishna's exploits abound. Legends have it that on the very sixth day of his birth, Krishna killed lady demon Putna by sucking on her breasts. In his childhood, he also killed many other mighty demons, such as Trunavarta, Keshi, Aristhasur, Bakasur, Pralambasuret. During the same period he also killed Kali Nag (cobra de capello) and made the holy water of river Yamuna poison free.

Krishna's Childhood Days

Krishna made cowherdesses happy by the bliss of his cosmic dances and the soulful music of his flute. He stayed in Gokul, the legendary 'cow-village' in Northern India for 3 years and 4 months. As a child he was reputed to be very mischievous, stealing curd and butter and playing pranks with his girl friends or gopis. Having completed his Lila or exploits at Gokul, he went to Vrindavan and stayed until he was 6 years and 8 months old.

According to a famous legend, Krishna drove away the monsterous serpent Kaliya from the river to the sea. He, according to another popular myth, lifted the Govardhana hill up with his little finger and held it like an umbrella to protect the people of Vrindavana from the torrential rain caused by Lord Indra, who had been annoyed by Krishna. Then he lived in Nandagram till he was 10.

Krishna's Youth and Education

Krishna then returned to Mathura, his birthplace, and killed his wicked maternal uncle King Kangsa along with all his cruel associates and liberated his parents from jail. He also reinstated Ugrasen as the King of Mathura. He completed his education and mastered the 64 sciences and arts in 64 days at Avantipura under his preceptor Sandipani. As gurudaksina or tuition fees, he restored Sandipani's dead son to him. He stayed in Mathura till he was 28.

Krishna, the King of Dwarka

Krishna then came to the rescue of a clan of Yadava chiefs, who were ousted by the king Jarasandha of Magadha. He easily triumphed over the multi-million army of Jarasandha by building an impregnable capital Dwarka, "the many-gated" city in an island in the sea. The city located on the western point of Gujarat, is now submerged in the sea according to the epic Mahabharata. In Dwarka, he married Rukmini, then Jambavati, and Satyabhama. He also saved his kingdom from Narakasura, the demon king of Pragjyotisapura(today’s Kamrup region in Assam), had abducted 16,000 princesses. Krishna freed them and married(?) them since they had nowhere else to go.

Krishna, the Hero of the Mahabharata

For many years, Krishna lived with the Pandava and Kaurava kings who ruled over Hastinapur. When a war was looming between the Pandavas and Kauravas, Krishna was sent to mediate, but failed. War became inevitable, and Krishna offered his forces to the Kauravs and himself agreed to join the Panadavas as the charioteer of the master warrior Arjuna. This epic battle of Kurukshetra described in the Mahabharata, was fought in about 3000 BC. In the middle of the war, Krishna delivered his famous preach, which forms the crux of the Bhagavad Gita, in which he put forward the theory of 'Nishkam Karma' or action without attachment.

Krishna's Final Days on Earth

After the great war, Krishna returned to Dwarka. In his final days on earth, he taught spiritual wisdom to Uddhava, his friend and disciple, and ascended to his abode after casting off his body, which was shot at by a hunter named Jara. He is believed to have lived for 125 years. Whether he was a human being or a God-incarnate, there is no gainsaying the fact that he has been ruling the hearts of millions for over three millennia. 

The great Radha-Krishna romance

The Radha-Krishna amour is a love legend of all times. Radha, daughter of Vrishabhanu, was with Krishna during that period of his life when he lived among the cowherds of Vrindavan. Since childhood they were close to each other - they played, they danced, they fought, they grew up together and wanted to be together forever, but the world pulled them apart. He departed to safeguard the virtues of truth, and she waited for him. He vanquished his enemies, became the king, and came to be worshipped as a lord of the universe. She waited for him. He married Rukmini and Satyabhama, raised a family, fought the great war of Ayodhya, and she still waited. So great was Radha's love for Krishna that even today her name is uttered whenever Krishna is referred to, and Krishna worship is to be incomplete though without the adoration of Radha.

Krishna's youthful dalliances with the 'gopis' are interpreted as symbolic of the loving interplay between God and the human soul. Radha's utterly rapturous love for Krishna and their relationship is often interpreted as the quest for union with the divine. This kind of love is of the highest form of devotion in Vaishnavism, and is symbolically represented as the bond between the wife and husband or beloved and lover.

The Importance of Being Krishna

For generations, Krishna has been an enigma to some, but God to millions, who go ecstatic even as they hear his name. People consider Krishna their leader, hero, protector, philosopher, teacher and friend all rolled into one. Krishna has influenced the Indian thought, life and culture in myriad ways. He has influenced not only its religion and philosophy, but also into its mysticism and literature, painting and sculpture, dance and music, and all aspects of Indian folklore. He has preached in Bhagawad Gita, that -

Yada Yada Hi Dharmasya

Glanir Bhavathi Bharatha

Abhyudhanama Dharmasya

Dhatatmanam srjamy aham

Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion--at that time I descend Myself.

Paritranaya Sadhunam

Vinashaya Cha Dushkrutam

Dharmasansthapanarthaya

Sambhavaami Yuge Yuge!!!

In order to deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I advent Myself millennium after millennium. 

This popular “sloka(song or verse)” has been taken out from the Bhagavad-gita, which is universally renowned as the jewel of India's spiritual wisdom. This was spoken by Lord Krishna, the Supreme personality of Godhead to his intimate disciple Arjuna, when he refused to fight against his kith & kins in the greatest battle ever on this earth as depicted in the great Hindu epic MAHABHARATA.

Humans have been the carrying the tendency to belief in God for their overall development and wellbeing. But in today’s super critical condition of our societies, the need for God has become more relevant. When weak, deprived, extorted, molested people or groups or communities have to rethink about their and their families life, security, wellbeing etc., they have no other choice but to take the shelter of some superficial powers or believes like no other than God and may be some others spirits by some people. But in this case Lord Krishna has always been the most influential character in Hindu mythology as depicted above. 

The word srjami is significant herein. Srjami cannot be used in the sense of creation, because, according to the previous verse, there is no creation of the Lord's form or body, since all of the forms are eternally existent. Therefore, srjami means that the Lord manifests Himself as He is. Although the Lord appears on schedule, namely at the end of the Dwapara-yuga of the twenty-eighth millennium of the eighth Manu in one day of Brahma, still He has no obligation to adhere to such rules and regulations because He is completely free to act in many ways at His will. He therefore appears by his own will whenever there is a predominance of irreligiousness and a disappearance of true religion.

The highest principle of the religion is to surrender unto Him only, and nothing more. The Vedic principles push one towards complete surrender unto Him; and, whenever the demoniacs disturb such principles, the Lord appears time and time again.

**************KRISHNA*************

Courtesy: google/asitis.com/indif.com/hdwpapers.com/hinduism.about.com/Wikipedia.com