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Hindus celebrate ”Ram Navami”

March 24, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Ayodhya/New Delhi, Mar 24 (ANI): Hindu devotees celebrate the festival of Ram Navami, the birth anniversary of Lord Rama on Wednesday.

The festival marks the end of the nine-day long fasting and Navaratri festival in north India.

At Ayodhya, which is considered to be the birthplace of Rama, hundreds of devotees took holy dip in river Saryu and visited temples to offer special prayers on the occasion.

“Besides the main place where Rama was born, the festival is celebrated with great fervour in Hanuman temple and the Valmiki temple as well. So, we have come here to participate in that,” said Shivnarayan Prasad, a devotee.

Devotees of all age groups thronged the temples in New Delhi since dawn with offerings of sweets, flowers and fruits. The temples were lit with decorated lamps for the day.

“On the occasion of Navami, we offer special prayers and keep fast during the nine days of Navaratri. After performing rituals on the Navami, we break our fast and the Lord fulfils all our wishes,” said Pradeep Kumar, a devotee.

According to the Hindu legend, Rama was born as an incarnation of Vishnu (a part of the divine trinity of Brahma Vishnu Maheshwara – creator, protector and destroyer).

It is believed that Rama was born to eradicate evil from the earth. His saga is depicted in the Ramayana scripture.

Ram Navami falls on the ninth day of the moonlit fortnight in the Chaitra as per Hindu almanac, which usually coincides with the spring season and falls in the month of March or April.

Most people consider it an auspicious day and some even observe a strict fast on the day.

They believe that fasting will secure them a place in heaven. It is also observed as a day of thanks giving. (ANI)

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Nine-day ‘Navratri’ festival begins all over India

September 20, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New Delhi/ Faizabad/Allahabad, Sept 19 (ANI): The nine-day ‘Navratri’ festival began across India with religious fervour on Saturday.

Thousands of devotees queued up at various temples dedicated to Goddess Durga.

In New Delhi, devotees converged at Jhandewalan to offer prayers prior to dawn and observed fast throughout the day.

“We observe fast on the first day of Navratri. On the first day, we pray for the whole day and meditate on Goddess Durga,” said Madan Gehlot, a devotee.

Meanwhile, at Faizabad in Uttar Pradesh, people made a beeline to the temple of Goddess Badi Devkali.

The devotees believe their wishes are fulfilled if they pray to Goddess Badi Devkali during the festival.

“People believe that coming here redeems them from their sins. Since the Goddess Devkali is the deity of Lord Rama’s dynasty, her significance is all the more. That’s why people come here to offer prayers to the Goddess,” said Poonam, a devotee.

Earlier on Friday, a day prior to the commencement of Dusshera, a unique annual horse procession was taken out through the streets of Allahabad.

The belief is that the horse representing sage Vyasa would relate the Ramayana.

Musical bands led the attractively decorated white horse procession organised by a leading Ram Lila committee of the city.

“Legend says that when Maharishi Valmiki narrated the story of Lord Rama to Luv and Kush then this horse standing next to them also listened to the story. The horse in the form of sage Vyasa tells the story of Rama to people during the Navratri celebrations,” said Ajay Kumar Shukla, secretary, Ramlila Committee.

“Naaratri”, which literally means nine nights, is observed twice a year.

The festival lasts for nine days in honour of nine manifestations of Durga, goddess of power, and fall in the months of April-May and September-October.

It is believed that during the Navratri, Goddess Durga descends on earth to rid it of the demons and blesses her devotees with happiness and prosperity. (ANI)

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Indian actress Shobana to display artistic talents at musical in Malaysia

August 29, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Kuala Lumpur, Aug 29 (ANI): Award-winning Indian actress Shobana Chandrakumar is all set to showcase her performing talents in Malaysia in the musical Maya Ravan, to be staged at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre today.

Hailed as one of the most beautiful actresses of India, Shobana combines her three loves-cinema, Bharata Natyam and theatre-in this production.

The actress won the hearts of Malaysian fans after she played the love interest of superstar Rajinikanth in the blockbuster movie ‘Thalapathi’.

An accomplished Bharata Natyam dancer, Shobana is the grand-daughter of late classical dancer/actress Padmini.

And now fans of the brilliant actress will marvel at her talents in conceiving, interpreting, and choreographing the unique Maya Ravan production.

Shobana, who plays Ravana in Maya Ravan, and the students from her dance school, Kalarpana, have scored major successes having staged more than 50 shows in a two-and-half years’ worldwide tour.

She said that her main objective in producing Maya Ravan was to widen the appeal for the Ramayana epic among world audiences.

“To achieve this, the musical score is made up of a fusion of world music and Indian film music,” the New Strait Times quoted her as saying.

“The narration is in English rendered by Indian film artistes, namely Naseeruddin Shah, Jackie Shroff, Milind Soman, Suhasini Maniratnam, Revathy, Rohini, Tabu, Sameer Sony and Mohanlal,” she added.

The Maya Ravan musical, presented in Malaysia by Nishchal Creations, starts today at the KLCC Plenary Hall.

Proceeds of the show will be donated to the Malaysian Association for the Blind. (ANI)

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A Gorakhpur boy plays a dutiful son to his blind mother

May 27, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Gorakhpur, May 27 (ANI): In a unique case of son’s dedication towards his mother, Kailesh Giri Brahamchari, has been carrying his mother on his shoulders and taking her all over the country to visit places of Hindu worship.

He left his house at a young age of 23 years. He has been traveling continuously for over 13 years to accomplish his mother’s desire of undertaking a pilgrimage to the four most prominent abodes of Hindu Gods, spreading across length and breadth of India.
he four abodes are the Badrinath Temple located in Badrinath in Uttarkhand, the Dwarakadheesh Temple in Dwarka, located in Gujarat, the Jagannath Temple in Puri, located in Orissa and Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameswaram, located in Tamil Nadu.

In the past 13 years, he has nearly covered the lengths and breadth of entire India traveling from one holy place to the other carrying his blind mother on his shoulders.

Kailesh says that every one should respect their parents and have a loving attitude towards them instead of ill-treating.

He says that it’s his duty to fulfill his mother’s desire of visiting the four abodes in India as his mother undertook the pledge after he had fallen off a tree.

“I am doing this because I had fallen down from the tree. So my mother had taken a pledge to go on a pilgrimage to all the four abodes of Hindu god. So I am helping her fulfill her pledge. Its been 13 years five months and 21 days since I have been traveling. I would be going to Badrinarayan, Dwarka and then to Ujjain from here and would be visiting all the holy places that I will cross on the way,” he said.

Kailesh has been getting a lot of praise from people who have seen him take his mother around. People are happy that even in modern times there exists a son who has devoted his life to his mother.

People do admit candidly that the son’s gesture is indeed rare. He is also being referred to as the modern day ‘Shravan Kumar’.

“We had read in the books about Shravan Kumar, but today I have seen him. We should take inspiration from the way he has been roaming around for the past 13 years carrying his mother on his shoulders. Nowadays, people hit their parents at home. By seeing this, we should get inspired to take care of our father and mother,” said Namrata Singh, a resident.

Shravan Kumar is a character in the great Hindu epic Ramayana who took his disabled parents on his shoulders for a pilgrimage.

The mother-son duo are being sought after everywhere, the people seek the blessings of the mother and give her offerings as well. By Pawan Shah (ANI)

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Archaeologists endeavour to conserve ancient temples in Jharkhand

May 20, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Maluti (Jharkhand), May 20 (ANI): Maluti, a village 55 kilometres from Dumka in Jharkhand and bordering West Bengal, is famous for centuries old 108 temples.

Today, expert archaeologists are trying to conserve the ancient village temples.

Reportedly, the village did boast of 108 temples, but presently only 72 remain.

It is said that all these temples in the village belong to the Mughal period and they are built out of terracotta stone.

No wonder, Maluti village has been a popular tourist destination, particularly those who love ancient and historical spots.

“Maluti is known for 108 temples in the village. The temples are very beautiful and made of terracotta stone. I have not seen so many Shiva temples before. I like the peace and serenity of the place,” said Subir Chatterjee, a tourist from Kolkata.

As most of the temples are dedicated to Shiva, Maluti has earned the name ‘Gupt Kashi’. The style in which these Shiva temples are built is known as Shikarshaili.

The temples don’t have any particular architectural style but constitute certain patterns and styles integrated from various regions of eastern India.

“Some of the temples have architectural style similar to Bengal and Birbhum patterns. But, by and large, the temples of Maluti have their own unique and exclusive architecture,” said Surendra Jha, a history scholar.

Out of 72 temples, 58 have Shiva as the deity while the rest 14 are variously dedicated to Vishnu and Goddesses Kali and Maulisha.

The temples also have lovely sculpted terracotta art works, depicting mythological stories of Ramayana and Krishna.

Earlier, the government of Jharkhand had taken up the task of preserving these ancient temples, but they didn’t have the proper experts.

Consequently, they were handed over to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for proper conservation and further improvement. By Girija Shankar Ojha (ANI)

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Gorakhpur Muslim sings Hindu prayers

May 11, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Gorakhpur, May 10 (ANI): A Muslim in Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur area has acquired big popularity for his inclination to sing praises of Lord Rama from Ramayana, the religious text of Hindus, with utter devotion.

Drawn to study Hindu religious texts since high-school days, 38-year-old Sadiq Ali is presently a charm for people to listen hymns and religious prayers from in public gatherings.

A firm believer in the oneness of God, Sadiq wants to promote humanity and affection among people of all sections, irrespective of religious faiths.

“When I was in High School, my Hindu friends used to take me to the readings of Ramayana and the Mahabharata. I developed an interest in Ramayana Kirtan (singing verses from the Ramayana). Now I am proficient in singing ‘Kirtans’,” he said.

Though initially Sadiq had to bear with the resentment of a few persons of his community, but it only strengthened his faith in bringing Hindus and Muslims close to each other.

He says if all religious have common teachings asking followers to develop goodness in life and live together, why should we allow ourselves to fight each other in the name of religion at all.

“There are problems sometimes. Religious leaders often try to dissuade me but I make them understand. I believe that all religions are equal, and I give equal respect to all religions,” Sadiq said.

“At some places people say that they do not want low caste Hindus and Muslims to sing Kirtans. But we try to make them understand that it is rather commendable that being a Muslim he is singing Ramayana kirtan,” said Radheshyam, a member of Sadiq Ali’s troupe.

Ali is, in his own way, setting an example of communal harmony and endorsing the oneness of God. By Pawan Shah (ANI)

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Gita, Ramayana keep Varun company in jail

April 7, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Feroze Varun Gandhi, detained under the National Security Act at Etah district jail of Uttar Pradesh for delivering hate speeches against minorities, is now spending time at his cell reading the Gita and the Ramayana. The cue probably has come from his cousin Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

During a visit to her brother Rahul Gandhi’s constituency Amethi on March 23, she said: “I would advise him (Varun) to read the Gita and try to understand it,” On March 8, Varun Gandhi spat venom against Muslims at a rally at Barkhera in Pilibhit, from where he is contesting the Lok Sabha elections on Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket. He said, “Maain Gita ki kasam kha kar kahta hoon jo haath aap par uthengey Varun Gandhi us haath ko kaat dalega (I swear by the Gita that I will cut off the hands that try to harm you).

” Jail superintendent Viresh Raj Sharma said the 29-year-old Gandhi had now been reading the English versions of the Gita and the Ramayana every day. He said, “Whenever a visitor drops in, Varun shares the ideals of the Gita with him.

” The BJP legislator from Etah, Pragyapalan, told Hindustan Times, “On Friday, when I met Varun in the jail, he discussed the teachings of the Gita. Varun told me that he was reading the Ramayana simultaneously.

” Sharma said, “Varun told me that he would also like to read books on international politics and a few novels. The list of books has been forwarded to the jail administration and to (his mother) Maneka Gandhi.

” When asked if Gandhi was ill or was suffering from diabetes, Sharma said Gandhi was underwent medical check-ups twice a day and nothing had been found so far.

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Politicians seek divine blessings for polls

April 5, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Bhopal, April 5 (IANS) With the Lok Sabha polling dates fast approaching, many political heavyweights have descended at the well-known Pitambara Shakti Peeth temple in Madhya Pradesh to seek divine blessings for victory in the elections.

Several candidates in Madhya Pradesh whose tickets have been finalized have started performing religious rituals, including tantrik rites, hoping for success.

‘Most of the tantrik rituals are performed in secret as there is a strong belief that they don’t work if they are performed publicly,’ said a priest.

Several top leaders, including from the Scindia family, arrived a few days ago at Pitambara Peeth, located at the entrance of Datia town near Gwalior, for performing puja.

Prominent among those who arrived include former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje and her sister and Gwalior MP Yashodhara Raje Scindia.

Their relative and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Dhyanendra Singh and his MP wife Maya Singh are also leaving no stone unturned in appeasing the goddess at the Pitambara Peeth.

‘All these leaders have shunned colourful clothes and are dressed in yellow attire. They are not only doing sewa (public service) at the temple but are not eating anything brought from outside. They are surviving only on home-cooked food in order to appease the goddess,’ said an official of the temple trust.

Others who visited the temple include BJP’s Madhya Pradesh president Narendra Singh Tomar, Madhya Pradesh PWD Minister Nagendra Singh, Water Resources Minister Anup Misra, who is the nephew of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and former minister Narottam Misra, who is contesting against Jyotiraditya Scindia from Guna.

‘They performed pujas to earn the favour of the almighty in the polls either for themselves or their party,’ the official said.

Leaders of the Congress, including Madhya Pradesh party chief Suresh Pachauri, are seeking the blessings of various deities for the success of the party.

‘Pachauri has already visited the Pitambara Peeth during Navratri. His supporters have organised yagnas in the towns of Dwarka and Ujjain though Pachauri’s candidature is yet to be finalized,’ a Congress leader told IANS.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s loyalists are reported to have fanned out to various religious places like the Lord Venkateshwara temple in Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh, the Guruvayur Krishna temple in Thrissur district of Kerala and the Sankat Mochan temple in Varanasi to pray for his victory.

Leaders from other states also visited the Pitambara Peeth. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati’s close aide Satish Chandra Misra and Minister Badshah Singh went to the temple after the announcement of the polls.

‘Candidates of all the parties are performing pujas and yagnas. Most leaders are opting for the Akhand Ramayana Path (recitation of Ramayana for 24 hours) or Durga Saptashati Path (recited for nine days),’ said Pandit Rajesh Sharma.

Some of the aspirants, hoping for sure success, have opted for a special prayer, the Shat Chandi Path, which takes 21 days, said Sharma.

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Mangle the non-Mangalorean Sri Ram Sene

January 29, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Jan.29 (ANI): Where are the famous Mangaloreans who brandish their origins at the drop of a hat? Why are they not speaking up for the protection of the secular and liberal culture of this beautiful port city?

Aishwarya Rai (films), Vijay Mallya (industrialist), Suneil Shetty (films), Margaret Alva (politician), George Fernandes (politician), Veerappa Moily (politician), Oscar Fernandes (politician), Veerendra Hegde (Dharmadhikari of the Dharmasthala temple) Shilpa Shetty (actress?) Maxwell Pereira (super cop) and Arvind Adiga (Booker prize) speak up for your city.

This is not the Mangalore that I grew up in…the city where I spent my summers at the homes of aunts and grandparents, visited restaurants and temples, wearing whatever I pleased. Nobody stopped me. Not even the Shankaracharya of the Sri Sharada Peetham, Sringeri.

The Peetham is the first and foremost of the four Peethams established by the renowned 8th century philosopher saint Sri Adi Shankara. This was in 1980, and women were safe in Mangalore. At the Sringeri Math, women only wore saris when they sought the darshan of the Shankaracharya. Rebellious me decided to wear a salwar kameez. I didn’t think I was insulting anybody after all, the men were topless! The Swamiji looked at me and asked me very politely in Kannada if I was a north Indian. I replied in chaste Kannada that I was a Kannadiga, but lived in the north. He nodded, smiled and said, “that explains your choice of attire.”

I am so glad that in my teen years I only met with the erudite 35th Shankaracharya who embodied what the culture of coastal Karnataka is all about….inclusive, tolerant and respectful of all cultures.

Thankfully Pramod Muthalik hadn’t yet formed his Sri Ram Sene. This Marathi-speaking non-Mangalorean, non-Kannadiga from Belgaum was still not sure where his political fortunes lay. He was still trying out his luck with the Shiv Sena, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, the Bajrang Dal, RSS, Rashtriya Hindustan Sena or this new and blasphemous Ram Sene. And during this time, he was also reportedly Nathuram Godse’s fan! What an endearing personality!

A part of Mangalore is called Kudla in Tulu (a language spoken in many parts of coastal Karnataka), which literally means junction. The city is situated at the meeting point of rivers Netravati and Phalguni. But figuratively, it is also the junction of various religions and cultures like Hinduism, Jainism, Islam and Christianity.

Mangalore finds mention in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. It was also in the travel itinerary of Greek, Persian and Portuguese sailors even before the 14th century. Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas and Hoysalas ruled it. And then, there was Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan. Mangaloreans are proud of their inclusive and open culture.

The city has a male literacy rate of 90 percent and a female literacy rate of 80 percent. Do Muthalik and his goondas seriously believe that the educated women of this city need his ‘protection’? No thank you. Keep your lathis inside your shakhas. Keep your narrow mindsets inside your darkened walls. By Smita Prakash (ANI)

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