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World Peace “Nine Steps to Bliss Absolute”
This is how the veena maestro Raghurama Ayyar, interprets the nine songs of the saint composer, Muthuswamy Dikshitar, two centuries ago, the vibrations taking you step by step from material existence, stress relief to ultimate enlightenment.
Each of the nine stages corresponds with one of the nine circuits of which the SRI YANTRA is composed. Starting from the outer square and moving inwards, the nine rings bear specific names related to their characteristics; the first circuit (Trilokya moiiana chakra) enchants the three worlds: die second (Sarvasapanpuraka chakra) "fulfills all expectations: the third (Sarvasankshobana chakra) "agitates all (churning to get nectar)"; the fourth (Sarvasaubhgyadayaka chakra) "grants excellence"; the fifth (Sarvarthasadhaka chakra) is the "accomplisher of all" ; the sixth (Sarvaraksakara chakra) "protects all" ; the seventh (Sarvarogahara chakra) "cures all illnesses"; the eight (Sarvasiddhiprada chakra) "grants all perfection"; and the highest (Sarvaiiandamaya chakra) is "replete with bliss".
The "yantra", Mr Ayyar explains, is essentially a geometrical composition; but to understand, its true nature our notions of geometry must yield to those of dynamics. The yantra, then represents a particular configuration whose power increases in proportion to the abstraction and precision of the diagram. The study of Hindu yantras or power diagrams, shows how each elementary geometrical form can generate a series of linear and multi-dimentional figures of the same shape, regardless of its original size. Common to such permutations or certain recurring linearities; the bindu, or point; the triangle; the square; and. the circle. In the yajitra, these function as " thought-forms" that are so constructed that the aspirant understands by them particular patterns of force. To identify wholly with the configuration is to "realize" or to release the inherent forces that each form denotes. The principal behind this use of the yantra is basic to tantric perception. Each yantra makes visible the patterns of force that can be heard in the mantra sound-syllable, and each yantra reciprocally encloses its own unique power-pattern. Together, yantra-inantra maybe set to build form (by the act of configuration), to conserve form (the configuration itself), and finally to dissolve form (as the aspirant comprehends irs inner meaning and soars beyond it).
All the stages (avaranas) excepting the last and inner most, representative of the propensities of the mind, which have to be subjugated by discipline until the mind thus purified and in its most exalted state, becomes one with the Supreme Soul. The Kamalamba Navavarana kritis expound the worship of Devi in the Sri Chakra according, to the Sri Vidya cult known as "Tanrra". There are nine avaranas or prakaras in the Chakra, the inner most is the Bindu Pitha where Devi or the Supreme Soul is seated. To reach Her one has to pass all the avaranas or encloses. Each avarana has its own reigning or tutelary deities who are all Devi herself in various forms and capacities.
Professor Raghurama Ayyar hopes the vibrations of Veena will contribute to peace all around and provide the much needed stress relief and leading to bliss for mankind.
Veena is the most ancient musical instrument of India, and maestros have expressed their serene feelings in ethereal language solely devoted to the deity in dealing with human destiny in its highest aspirations. Blessed are those who could catch the inner message, inherent in such music expressed and conveyed in ecstasy.
Professor Raghurama Ayyar being honoured by Chairman, Mumbai Fine Arts Society
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President’s Page ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION
The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is observed worldwide annually on 21 March. On that day, in 1960, police opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration in Sharpeville, South Africa, against the apartheid "pass laws". Proclaiming the Day in 1966, the (UN) General Assembly called on the international community to redouble its efforts to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination (resolution 2142 (XXI)).
That proclamation is 42 years old now. Have we taken a stock of our achievements in the elimination of racism? I don’t think so. While in some places the racism is blatant in most places it is latent. Legislations and government bodies like multicultural commissions have been formed all over the world. But they remain bureaucratic white elephants. Only those who have right contacts at right places get favours from the multicultural bureaucratic white elephants.
Let us talk about Australia. We celebrate 21 March as Harmony Day! Are we afraid of observing The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and calling the 21 March celebrations with this nomenclature? ‘Harmony’ is not the same as ‘Elimination of Racial Discrimination’. While the Harmony celebrations in Australia aim at promoting communal harmony, Elimination of Racial Discrimination is not specifically focused in most States.
Racism is rampant in a number of schools in Australia, primarily in private schools and more so in Catholic schools. The teachers directly or indirectly seem to encourage racism and more often than not bully the students from non-Catholic background. This matter itself needs a separate discussion paper.
Nowadays even the word Multicultural is becoming an untouchable taboo for the Australian governments – Federal and States included who appear to have developed some sort of allergy to it.. The governments in the past have tried to push the words ‘assimilate’ and ‘assimilation’ instead of multiculturalism. Assimilate or Assimilation connote that the immigrants should merge their cultures into the ‘main stream’ Australian culture and thus lose their unique identity. Of late the governments have started toying with the idea of replacing multiculturalism with ‘Integration’ – portraying that the immigrants should integrate their cultures with the ‘main stream’ Australian culture. That will also need substantial compromise and sacrifice from the immigrant cultures.
Then we have this farce of ‘Equal Rights’ and ‘Equal Opportunities’ included in the various Acts related to the Principles of Multiculturalism and all the Government legislations. Perhaps ‘Equal’ is a mysterious nomenclature to be interpreted by the politicians and the bureaucrats according to their own sweet will. And such whimsical interpretations allow the politicians and the bureaucrats to treat some communities more favourably than others and still claim to be providing Equal opportunities and promoting Equal rights!
And still we have guts to call Australia a proud democratic society! "Racist practices hurt their victims, but they also limit the promise of entire societies where they are tolerated. They prevent individuals from realizing their potential and stop them from contributing fully to national progress." - Ban Ki-moon United Nations Secretary-General "Racism, Discrimination and poverty form a vicious cycle." - Louise Arbour United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights According to Mahatma Gandhi fortunate people who have amassed wealth are trustees of the wealth in their possession which they must utilise for the benefit of the underprivileged people. The practice codes of the various religious scriptures
also encourage keeping aside a proportion of one’s income for charitable causes.
Gambhir Watts President Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Australia
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Editorial Page Current Board of Directors
Publisher & Managing Editor: Gambhir Watts
Editorial Committee: J Rao Palagummi Catherine Knox
Rajesh Katakdhond [email protected]
Designing Team:
Utkarsh Doshi J Rao Palagummi
Advertising:
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Australia Suite 100 / 515 Kent Street,
Sydney NSW 2000
* The views of contributors to Bhavan Australia are not necessarily the views of
Bhavan Australia or the editor. *Bhavan Australia reserves the right to edit any contributed articles and letters submitted for publication. Copyright: all advertisements and original editorial material appearing remain the property of Bhavan Australia and may not be reproduced except with the written consent of the owner of the copyright.
Bhavan Australia - ISSN 1449 – 3551
Office Bearers :
Other directors are:
Abbas Raza Alvi; Moksha Watts
Nominees of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Worldwide:
Homi Navroji Dastur, Executive Secretary and Director General
Jagannathan Veeraraghavan, Executive Director, Delhi
Mathoor Krishnamurti, Executive Director, Bangalore
Palladam Narayana Sathanagopal, Additional Registar
President Gambhir Watts
Treasurer Catherine Knox
Chairman Emeritus Surendralal Mehta- President Bhavan Worldwide
Company Secretary Sridhar Kumar Kondepudi
Articles & Focus Themes
Did You Know Exhibition 5 Festivals of the World III 28
Holi Mahotsav 2008 - Report 6 Senior Citizens can be useful to the society 38
Right to Wear Different Forms of Clothing In Australia, A Multicultural Society
13 The Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA) 39
Conference On South Asian Conflicts Underlines Spirituality And Peace As The Ways Forward
16 Subjugating the Female Gender 42
An Interview with Anousha Shankar 21 Flash Back - Rewind 43
As Economy Grows, So Does the World’s Thirst 23 Global Organization Of People Of Indian
Origin (GOPIO) 44
Mahatma Gandhi on Indian Culture Dimdima - Children’s Section 45
Judiciary's Voice of Conscience 26 Holy & Wise 47
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Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Australia Showcases Indian Community in Australia
At Did You Know? Exhibition at the Sydney Royal Easter Show
Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park
Sunday 30 March 2008 10:00am to 7:00pm
Did You Know? Exhibition is an initiative of Community Relations Commission For a Multicultural New South Wales (CRC) started 3 years ago around Cronulla riots period. The aim of the exhibition is to promote cultural awareness and harmony through an understanding of eh migration experience in Australia. Migrant communities have contributed greatly to Australian society economically, socially and politically.
The ‘Did You Know?’ Exhibition is an opportunity for different migrant communities to promote their contributions and highlight their achievements in the broader Australian society. This year the Migration Heritage Centre has joined the CRC in hosting the Exhibition. The Exhibition hours are 10:00am to 7:00pm.
Parade of Cultures: the 30 March has a theme of Day of Cultures – promoting multiculturalism and NSW diverse communities. At 1pm and 5pm there will be a parade of Cultures around the NAB Arena. The people involved in the Did You Know? Exhibition will participate in the parade wearing their traditional/national dress. Congregation of the people participating in the Parade will commence at 12noon and 4pm respectively.
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Australia (Bhavan) proudly present the history of Indian migrant communities and their contribution to the broader Australian society.
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s stand was part of the CRC marquee which was hosting the Exhibition, near NAB Arena. A special Souvenir containing the history of Indians in Australia and also details of population and other statistics of the Indian community in Australia was distributed at the Royal Easter Show.
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Australia Facilitates Holi Celebration at the University of Wollongong.
International students from about 30 countries participated in this festival. There was a lot of colour, water, music, food and lots of fun involved and they enjoyed it thoroughly.
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Holi Mahotsav 2008 15 - 16 March 2008
The City of Sydney came alive in a spectacular festival of colours to celebrate friendship and harmony at the 6th annual Holi Mahotsav, organised by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Australia at the Tumbalong Park and Chinese Garden Forecourt precinct at Darling Harbour in Sydney.
The festival began with the traditional Rath Yatra, the holy procession of the chariot of Lord Jagannath from Hyde Park to Darling Harbour. The Rath was devotionally hand drawn by ISKCON devotees and fervently joined by Sydneysiders, followed by devotional prayers to invoke the blessings of the Almighty for a joyous and peaceful festival.
Uncle Max Eulo of the Tribal Warrior Association performed the symbolic smoke ceremony in the traditional Aboriginal approach to mark the beginning of the two day festival. This important gesture where traditional Indian chants filled the air along with the characteristic aboriginal tunes underpinned one of the basic philosophies of Bhavan Australia – let noble thoughts come to us from every side.
Over the weekend, the grand festival attracted tens of thousands of visitors who revelled in the colourful fusion of Indian music, dance, food and exhibitions.
Saturday evening witnessed the symbolic Holika Dahan (Holi Fire). The sacred fire ceremony symbolises the emergence of good over evil. Unlike in India where it is done in an open space where devotees walk around the fire and chant prayers, in Sydney it was observed by lighting a symbolic bonfire within a designated fenced area.
The color throwing session on the second day was enjoyed by children and adults from various communities alike. Boys and girls with color smeared faces and clothes enthusiastically wished a Happy Holi to everyone and looked forward to a colorful and bright new year. With chaos, laughter and thrill, it was interesting to see everyone enjoying and throwing colours in the designated area, whilst the rest looked on with delight, and perhaps even envy.
Seeing the fruitition of his six years of dedication to uniting cultural diversity through arts, Mr. Gambhir Watts, president of Bhavan Australia, said, “I am immensely grateful to those who have travelled with me in the past five years turning Holi Mahotsav, the celebration of triumph over evil and the commemoration of truth peace and harmony, into mainstream grand Australian festival of harmony of today.”
He vehemently extended his appreciation to the support given by various organisations and government bodies, including: Sydney Harbour Foreshore
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Authority; India Tourism Sydney; Reliance India Call, Community Relations Commission for Multicultural New South Wales; ISKCON; City of Sydney; Sgt. Stewart Lockery of NSW Police, the City Central Command of NSW Police and many others.
As the SHFA chief executive officer Dr. Robert Lang wrote in a message published in the 2008 Holi Souvenir magazine released during the event, “It is fitting that the Holi Festival – the colour of friendship
and harmony - is being held at Darling Harbour which has long been a meeting place for Sydneysiders, Australians from many cultural backgrounds and visitors from all over the world…Holi Festival holds a special place in Darling Harbour’s annual calendar and offers a wonderful opportunity to increase the vibrancy and diversity of the precinct.”
The Premier of New South Wales Hon. Morris Iemma MP congratulated Bhavan Australia and in his message said “May the spirit of Holi continue to inspire us by adding Gulal (colour) and creativity to our lives, and strengthen the spirit of friendship and acceptance among the diverse communities of New South Wales.”
Hon Laurie Ferguson MP equally extends his enthusiasm and support in the event which he has attended several times previously. “We are fortunate that the Indian and Hindu Australian community has made Holi part of our evolving cultural calendar.”
Senator the Hon. Chris Ellison, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship expressed his pleasure to contribute to the souvenir magazine on the occasion of Holi Mahotsav 2008 and blessed the Holi Mahotsav 2008 to be biggest ever in Australia. He said “Australia and India share a close friendhip with many people from our respective nations living in India and Australia and travelling between our respective nations for work and holiday.”
Dr Stepan Kerkyasharian, Chair, Community Relations Commission For a Multicultural NSW while congratulating Bhavan Australia “for providing this major event for the enjoyment and education of the people of Sydney” said: “Holi, with its sense of unbridled fun, is a very practical form of harmony and community interaction…“It is a festival where unfamiliar cultural traditions would seem to be very accessible…”This festival continues to grow and attract more and more attention from the broader community and is now firmly establishing itself on Sydney’s cultural calendar.”
Robert M Goot AM SC, President, Executive council of Australian Jewry expressed his “great pleasure to send greetings on behalf of the Australian Jewish Community” and said: “Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, has made a most significant impact on Multiculturalism in Australia by facilitating intercultural activities and providing a forum for true understanding of Indian culture, multiculturalism and fostering closer cultural ties among individuals, governments and cultural institutions.”
Other dignitaries and community leaders contributing their message of goodwill and well wishes
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included: Lord Mayors Ron Hoeing of City of Botany Bay, Sonya Phillips of Baulkham Hills Council, Robert Furolo of City of Canterbury and Nick Lalich of Fairfield City; Jynene Helland, International Vice President of Women’s Federation for World Peace Australia; Dr Balasubramaniam, President, Hindu Council of Australia.
VIP sessions were graced by: Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda of Yoga in Daily Life; Her Excellency Sujata Singh, High Commissioner of India in Australia; Hon. David Borger MP representing the Premier of NSW, Louise Markus MP (Federal) Immigration and Citizenship; Gajendra Kumar, Regional
Director, Government of India Tourist Office, Australasia; His Grace Varanayaka, President ISKCON Sydney; Mr Albert Vella, President, NSW Federation of Community Language Schools; Prof Abd Malak Immediate Past President, Federal Ethnic Communities Council of Australia; Raj Natrajan President, United India Association; Vish Viswanathan, Federation of Australian Indian Associations; Moninder Singh, President Punjabi Council of Australia; Vijay Singhal, Secretary Hindu Council of Australia; Harmohan Singh Walia, community leader; Dayal Yaduvansh, Consul representing the Consul General of India, Sydney. These well wishers and others provided their own insightful perspective of the colourful event and wished everyone a very warm, joyous and peaceful celebration.
During the festival Bhavan Australia launched their own charity Bhavan Cares for the benefit of the general public. For the special occasion, the charity teamed up with Red Cross in promoting their bipartisan activities towards the welfare and protection of all human beings irrespective of their cultural, social, religious, political background.
Inspirational and motivational exhibitions at the Chinese Garden included the Gandhi King Ikeda peace exhibition showcasing the legacy, power and importance of peace. The temple of Lord Jagannath by ISKCON had regular devotional prayer sessions providing a spiritual insight and the Yoga in Daily Life offered workshops and techniques which are performed by Yogic masters from centuries for the holistic development of the body and mind.
Kenzo Amour the internationally renowned French perfumes company honoured Holi Mahotsav by launching a special perfume named Holi Hai.
A variety of delectable Indian vegetarian favourites, beverages and sweets were on offer by renowned Indian restaurants such as Planet Bollywood; Indian Chaat House; Govinda’s; Curries India; Taza Tandoori and others. Traditional Indian drinks such as the staple Holi beverage, Thandai, the ever popular, sugarcane juice, the refreshing and nutritious yoghurt drink, lassi proved to be the perfect thirst quenchers. And Esmail and Faraz Basiri brought the cooling and calming coconut water and the typical road side ‘Gola’ made from crushed ice, sweet syrup and spiced salt and fresh sweet corns.
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Meanwhile, merchandise stands offered great bargains such as traditional dresses and tops from Saileen Fashions, fashion accessories and fancy bangles from Exotic India, latest DVDs and CDs from Music World, and artistic Henna art tattoos. Other stalls such as Ausindia Holidays, Vision Asia, Shaadi.com, Bharatmatrimony.com, Bank of Baroda, UAE Exchange, Melbourne Institute of Technology, Charindaa, The Indian Link and The Indian added variety to the festival.
The event was full of activity and fun with three young masters of ceremonies Sophil Raja, Mecki Ansari and Soiam Raja providing wit and direction to the cultural shows.
The crowd passionately sang and tirelessly danced to a mix of recent Indian favourites and dances, classical performances and high–energy numbers by the Ruchi Sanghi Dance School, Raghavan Nair’s Indian Dance Centre, Bhangra and folk songs by Panjabi Sangeet Centre, Shruti Bose Dance and her troupe, Priya Dewan Dance Academy, Geetanjali School of Dance and Performing Arts, Contemporary Dance Academy and Nupur Dance School. Mayukh Sengupta’s Hindi songs were well appreciated by the crowd.
Adding glitz and Bollywood glamour to the event were performances by Mango Dance Studio artists choreographed by the famous Bollywood choreographer Farah Shah. The Scottish Highland Dancers complimented the event with their dance spreading the Scottish cheer. Whilst all the professional performers kept the audience grooving, the real stars of the show were the talented little girls as young as five, giving their version of Bollywood hits.
The grand finale was presented by Ustad Sharshad and his disciple and son Yamha (affectionately known as Zakir Hussein of Australia) in juggalbandi – duet on Sitar and Tablaa followed by a long array of patriotic Hindi and Punjabi songs by the Anand Arora and his troupe supported by Yamha on Tablaa and Masse on keyboard.
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan is thankful to the Performers / Stage Managers / Volunteers who made Holi Mahotsav happen. Masters of Ceremonies: Sophil Raja, Mecki Ansari and Soiam Raja
Stage Managers: Bhoji Watts, Jennifer Murtas, Manju Chand, Rajesh Katakdhond
Performers over both the days 15 March & 16 March 2008
Sikh Kirtan by Shruti Gurmat Sangeet Jatha; Coordinator : Harmohan Singh Walia
Tribal Warrior Association Inc, Coordinator: Shane Phillips; Performers: Arthur Tamwoi, Benelong Balangary, Ron Guivara, Uncle Max Eulo
Ruchi Sanghi Dance School; Coordinator: Ruchi Sanghi; Performers: Shruti Bhardwaj and Smriti Bhardwaj
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Kavita Ponnuju
Amilee Saha & Group : Coordinator: Amilee Shaha; Performers: Amilee Shaha, Jyoti, Marion, Nishttha
Rakhi Birla
Zarmar Pandya & Group; Coordinator: Zarmar Pandya, Performers: Kitty, Prabhati, Swati, Zarmar
Raghavan Nair’s Indian Dance Centre; Coordinator: Poornima Sharma; Performers: Poornima , Urvashi , Sanushka , Ashishna Bhim, Ashishna, Charlene, Janet, Natalie, Nicci, Akshara & Aiona, Ravi
Yoga in Daily Life; Coordinator: Bhakti Jhonson; Performers: Sita Fletcher, Surya Prakash Prose, Arjuna Welsh, Mokshanand Welsh, Pavitra Kiss
Tanya Goswami
Scottish Highland Dancers; Coordinator: Karen McPhillips; Performers: Elizabeth Munro, Emily Carr, Holly Anderson, India Anderson, Jessica Norman, Lauren Caunter
Richa Srivastava
Punjabi Sangeet Centre, Coordinator : Devinder Singh Dharia.
Shruti Bose & Group; Coordinator: Shruti Bose; Performers: Anindita Saha, Dipta Tapasvi, Oona Banerjee, Rani Khan, Shrinkha Vinod, Shruti Bose
Priya Dewan Dance Academy; Coordinator: Priya Dewan; Performers: Deeksha, Divya, Isha, Kavisha, Priyanka, Shivani, Sohana, Sona, Sonali, Sunaina
Geetanjali School of Dance and Performing Arts ; Coordinator: Sharmila Maitra; Performers: Advika Kamboj, Anisha Krishnasamy, Debolina Chowdhury, Eesha Arora, Eesha Chitale, Emil
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Rayhan, Erika Rayhan, Erina Rayhan, Kanika Choudhury, Medha Gupta, Moumita Chowdhury, Priya Basu, Ragini Sood, Ritika Bhattacharya, Sahil Arora, Shruti Yardi, Shuchi Gupta, Sonal Arora, Sonali Yardi, Tiana Malhotra.
Mango Dance Studio; Coordinator: Farah Shah; Performers: Alpa Gupta, Amanda Lovegreen, Amanda Lovegreen, Amee Ormaechea, Amita Salvi, Angharad Davis, Annika Karan, Anurag Kanwar, Claudine Haber, Daksha Dhanji, Daniella Mansour, Dhara Karunaratne, Dipali Goel, Divya Saxena, Farah Shah, Isabella Polgar, Kanika Nanda, Kartika Dubey, Kavery Dubey, Ketaki Kale, Kirsty Archer, Krithika Hariharan, Leoni Wishart, Lesley Branagan, Lesley Louchnan, Louise Reily, MaimoonahAhmed, Manisha Prasad, Mathilda Luister, Mehnaaz Khan, Nerissa Jayasingha, Nilusha Guruge, Raghav Handa, Rajnita Kumar, Ronis Kumar, Sajna Shukla, Siksha Singha, Simran Hingorani, Stephanie Bauche, Sureyya Alkan, Tahlia Dias, Uzma Rayani, Valentina Angelovska, Vanessa Skipp, Viksha Muthanna, Vishal Prasad, Vivienne Cabraja, Zoe Wakelin-King.
Nupur Dance School; Coordinator: Manjusha De; Performers: Antara Chowdhury, Jaya Chowdhury, Promi Saha, Jyotsna Shimoga, Smriti Rao, Tanaya Barat, Misty Paul, Tithan Paul, Kanika Pathania
Contemporary Dance Academy; Coordinator: Shwetambra Barar; Performers: Alisha Nandan, Anadita Taneja, Krisha Kumar,Kriti Gupta, Niyati Desai, Shauna Abel, Alisha Arora, Manasa Bhat, Nikita Naidu, Samiksha Rampersad, Sanjana Madhyasta, Tavishi Arora, Piya Sodhi, Riya Chowdhry, Sandhya Menon, Sanya Chopra, Anmol Arya, Elina Manirekar, Mayisha Srakar. Mehak Arya, Pallavi Suri,
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Rachna Despande, Ruchika Mitter, Salonika Mitter, Tanvi Suri, Ashneet Kaur, Sanjana Nagesh, Varsha Krishnappa, Ayushe Arya, Bhavana Baht, Maansi Arora, Sanjana Chand, Shubhra Bajaj, Tarana Khunger
Anand Arora & Group; Coordinator: Anand Arora; Performers: Sharshad, Yamha, Masse, Anand Arora, Jasmine and Rajeshwer
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Mr Harmohan Singh Walia raised the issues with the Prime Minister Hon Kevin Rudd MP concerning the right to wear a turban without incurring discrimination in reference to the recent incidents at Brisbane Airport and in a public school in Queensland.
The Prime Minister has taken prompt action. A response from the Citizenship, Settlement and Multicultural Affairs Division is reproduced below:
“Australia is a multicultural society and Australians from different cultural backgrounds may choose to wear different forms of clothing. There is no legal restriction to wearing a turban or any form of religious clothing in public places. Including educational institutions and airports.
I have been advised that the Queensland's Anti-Discrimination Commission Is looking into the school incident.
I sincerely regret any offence and inconvenience caused to the Sikh community as a result of the staff at Brisbane Airport requesting the removal of all headwear at the security screening point. I understand that instructions have since been given, consistent with the Aviation Transport Security Act 2004 and Regulations, not to request the removal of religious headwear unless the passenger alarms the metal detector or is inducted in a random and continuous search.
Advice from the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Is that the request to remove headwear was a misunderstanding between the Brisbane Airport Corporation and ISS Security Pty Ltd, and was not intended to target the Sikh community.
The Australian Governments counter-terrorism laws aim to strike an appropriate balance between protecting our individual rights and liberties and providing the tools to take action against those who would use terrorism to disrupt our way of life However, as a normal part of Australia's aviation security screening regime, the screening officer is required to be satisfied that a member of the travelling public is not concealling prohibited items on their body or in their carry-on luggage.
This may sometimes result in a request for removal of headwear or other items of clothing. If such removal is sensitive to the individual, the use of a private room is commonly offered by the screening providers. The Government expects screening authorities to respect the dignity of all passengers when they perfonn their work.
Any aggrieved persons are encouraged to lodge a complaint regarding experiences of diacrimination or vilification through the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) complaints line on 1300 656 419 m by email at [email protected]. The postal address for HREOC is GPO Box 5218 SYDNEY NSW 2001, and the web site is http://www.hreoc.gov.au.
I address your call for action to increase awareness of discrimination, i carn advise that the Government is combating prejudice and discrimination through community education programs and anti-discrimination legislation and the maintenance of effective and independent processes for resolving complaints, It is currently examining community relations programs, such as the Living in Harmony program, to strengthen them and ensure they are as effective as possible.
The Government is also committed to building Australia as an inclusive and cohesive society and adhering to our international human rights obligations. The Government is working towards these obligations being more fully considered in administrative decision making, and more comprehensively incorporated into our domestic laws.
Thank you far bringing this matter to the Prime Minister's attention. I trust the information provided is useful.”
Daniel Boyer A/g First Assistant Secretary
Citizenship, Settlement and Multicultural Affairs Division
Right to Wear Different Forms of Clothing
In Australia, A Multicultural Society
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Bangladesh Annual Sports Day and Independence Day (23 March 2008 )
Mr Gambhir Watts, the President of Bhaban Australia, attended as the Chief Guest at the Annual Sports Day and Bangladesh Independence Day event. This annual event was held on 23 March 2008 at Ashfield Park organised by the Bangladesh Society for Puja & Culture Inc. The Society celebrated its annual event with the celebration of the Independence Day (26 March 1971, when the Bangabandhu Sheikh Muzibur Rahman declared the independence of Bangladesh from the then West Pakistan).
In his opening speech Mr Watts emphasised the on-going friendly relationship between Bangladesh and India and reminded the direct help that India extended in liberating Bangladesh from the then West Pakistan in 1971. He highly appreciated the Society’s constructive activities in strengthening and propagating cultural practices by the Bangladeshi community here in Australia. He offered Bhaban’s future support for the Society.
Dr Swapan Paul, the President of the Society, extended sincere thanks to Gambhir for his encouraging words and the Bhaban Australia for the continued support and help in the Society’s cultural activities. Dr Paul emphasised the need for a closer relationship with Bhaban Australia for their mutual benefits.
The Opening session was conducted by the Society’s General Secretary Mr Sushovan Das.
Later, the Society members and their kids took part in various sporting events, including two new items- Sports Dress As You Like and Sports Quiz. The Day’s program ended with distribution of prizes and certificates.
- Report by Dr Swapan Paul
www.uia.org.au
The Following individuals were elected to the UIA executive committee for the year 2008/09 at the UIA AGM held on 30 March 2008 :
President: Mr Raj Natarajan Joint Secretary: Mr Shivanand Marigguddi
Vice President: Dr Vijay Kumar Joint Treasurer: Mr Dilip Chopra
Secretary: Mr Dev Tripathi Public Officer: Mr Vijaykumar Halagali
Treasurer: Dr Balu Sankrithyan
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Bharatha Natya Arengatram of Ritika Ramaswamy
26 April 2008 at Parramatta Riverside Theatre
Under the auspices of the Anadavali’s Ligalayam Dance Academy
Guru Anandavali is an internationally renowned dancer, choreographer and teacher of Bharatha Natyam & Kuchipudi two of the major dance forms of India.
Sishya Ritika Ramaswamy: “My first exposure to the Art of Bharatha Natyam was at the age of 9, under the tutelage of Smt. Anandavalli. I have been fortunate enough to continue my learning under her competent guidance to date. The motivation to pursue this ancient art form was inevitable considering my family history. My grandfather, a Veena maestro and my mother a renowned Bharatha Natyam dancer in her youth”.
Bharatha Natyam is an ancient performing art form more than 2000 years old originating from Tamil Nadu being the oldest of the 7 classical dance forms of India. It comprises several arts like sculpture, painting, theatre, literature, music, dramaturgy and poetry.
The dance is based on the important principles laid down within the “Natya Shastra” written by the Hindu sage Bharatha Muni. Thus the word Bharatha can also be broken up as follows: BHA - for Bhava or abhinaya (expression), RA - for Raga (melody), TA - for tala (rhythm). It is wholesome in incorporating the entire classical idiom in this artform. The dance itself is divided into two categories, which are the pure dance ‘NRITTA’ and the expressional dance ‘NRITYA’.The dancer uses the space as her own sacred temple and brings the audience into her magical circle as she performs and acts out stories. Bhakti being the corner stone of Bharatha Natyam, she uses as her mode of expression the Hindu pantheon of Gods, ancient scripts and mythology of India. Being a living art form, it has continued to enrich itself changing with the times, yet keeping its pristine beauty and nature intact. Linear geometrical patterns, a perfect balance of the body, eloquent expressions, and precision of footwork to intricate mathematical rhythms are the hallmarks of this dance.
Gambhir Watts, President of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Australia was the chief guest. In his address Mr Watts said that the ancient Indian arts of classical music and dances like Bharatha Natyam have expansive knowledge base in the form of shashtras (scriptures) and the teaching guru has to be proficient and well read of those scriptures. He said the spirituality and emotions were inherent in all those art forms of classical music and dances.
Mr Watts said that the Sanskrit word ‘Guru’ is much heavier than ‘Teacher’; it carries the responsibilities of the teacher and parent together. Similarly the Sanskrit word ‘Sishya’ has broader meaning than the ‘Student’; it carries greater commitment and devotion and demands surrender to the Guru. Thus the Guru Sishya relationship is very important demanding strong commitment towards the art form. Mr Watts said that it is only a fortunate Sishya finds (scarcely) a proper Guru. And only a fortunate Guru finds (scarcely) a proper committed Sishya.
“The philosopher’s soul dwells in his head, the Poet’s soul in his heart; The singer’s soul lingers about his throat, but the soul of a dancer abides in all her body”
– kahlilGibran
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CONFERENCE ON SOUTH ASIAN CONFLICTS UNDERLINES SPIRITUALITY AND PEACE AS THE WAYS FORWARD
Oslo, Apr 12, 2008: Bringing together top leaders, senior diplomats and experts from diverse backgrounds, a historic Conference on Peace and Reconciliation in South Asia concluded in the "peace capital" of the world today, calling for peaceful resolution of the unsettled issues and highlighting "spirituality" as a way forward.
The two-day Conference, which focused on the internal armed conflicts in South Asian nations of India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Nepal, was organized by 'The Art of Living Foundation' of spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and discussed possible solutions and ways and means to achieve them. Another aim of the initiative was to highlight the need to promote dialogue and evolve a consensus among the stakeholders to deal with the problems, which have together taken millions of lives in the last few decades.
Norway's Special Envoy for the Peace Process in Sri Lanka Jon Hanssen-Bauer, Members of European Parliament Erika Mann and Nirj Deva and Aud Kvalbein, Deputy Mayor of Oslo were some of the prominent European speakers in the conference.
From Asia, Ramvichar Nitam, Home Minister of the Naxal insurgency-affected state of of Chattisgarh and MDMK chief Vaiko represented India, while Sri Lankan perspective was presented by Arumugham Thondaman, Minister for Youth Empowerment and Socio-Economic Development ,Jayalath Jayawardhne, MP,Dr Rajiv Wijesinghe( Gen secy of the Peace Secretariat) and prominent Buddhist Monks Dr. Brahmanawatte Seevali Nayaka Thero, Deputy Secretary General, Sri Lanka Amarapura Mahanikaya and Dr Maduluvave Sobitha Nayaka Thero, Chief Incumbent of Nagavihara Kotte,.
"It is a humongous task to find harmony in diversity. We must continue to pursue the path of peace. Conflicts are bound to come and we have to make them a stepping stone to achieve the ultimate goal of global peace," Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the main motivation behind the initiative, said.
''Whether it is inter-religious conflict, or intra-religious conflict, or it is a conflict between communist or capitalist ideology, it all starts in the minds of people, in the hearts of people.
When such conflict begins, they shut themselves for reasoning, prejudice overtakes, and communication goes haywire. It's here we need to build the trust among the communities. Spiritual leaders, religious leaders, can play a bigger role in this'' Sri Sri added. ..."Through this conference, we appeal to Sri Lankan government, Liberation of Tamil Tigers Eelam (LTTE), Buddhist monks in China, Chinese government, Myanmar regime...everyone for peace and restraint, and to have a preference for coming to the table for resolution of issues," the globally known Indian spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said in his concluding remarks.
Deliberating upon the Tamil problem in Sri Lanka, top Norwegian peace negotiator Jon Hanssen-Bauer said: "The common understanding between the government and the LTTE has been that talks are aimed at finding a political solution that are acceptable to all communities in Sri Lanka. For Norway,any solution endorsed by the Sri Lankan people is of course acceptable to us."
Participants also expressed concern at the existing situation in Sri Lanka . Mr Thondaman, minister from Sri Lanka said,''I am strongly of the opinion that there is no military solution. His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has been preaching the attainment of inner peace for years, through yoga, meditation and stress relief.
An individual at peace, within himself, he obviously influences the inner peace of other individuals around him.''
Buddhist Master Seevali Nayaka Thero said that today there is so much conflict happening and this is the time to think for both the Government and LTTE about how many lives are being lost because of this war. "In any place, in any country, only by war you cannot solve the problems. Only peace talks, and reconciliation, can solve the problem," he added.
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MDMK leader Vaiko speaking about Sri Lanka said,''a whole ancient race is about to be wiped out. I would appeal to the European Union to put pressure on the Sinhalese government to end its military offensive on the LTTE, " ''Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has done a commedable job by convening this conferrence of this scale'' he added.
Meanwhile, the conference also zeroed down on the problem of 'Naxalism', which has been identified as "the single largest threat to the internal security of the country" by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the past. Explaining the government's perspective, Home Minister of Chhattisgarh Ramvichar Nitam said that the problem also had a serious socio-economic aspect to it.
Among other prominent participants were Khin Maung Win, Deputy Executive Director, Democratic Voice of Burma, Francois Gautier, Editor-in-chief, La Revue de I'lnde, Brahma Chellaney, Centre for Policy Research, India Wasim Zaman, Director, CST for South and West Asia, United Nations Populations Fund and Sashi Raj Pandey from Nepal.-
- Atul Aneja, Art of Living Sydney
If Martin Luther King were to reappear by my side today and give us a report card on the last twenty-five years, what would he say? You did a good job, he would say, voting and electing people who formerly were not electable because of the color of their skin…. You did a good job, he would say, letting people who have the ability to do so live wherever they want to live, go wherever they want to go in this great country…. He would say you did a good job creating a black middle class ... in opening opportunity.
But he would say, I did not live and die to see the American family- destroyed. I did not live and die to see thirteen-year-old boys get automatic weapons and gun down nine-year-olds just for the kick of it. I did not live and die to see young people destroy their own lives with drugs and then build fortunes destroying the lives of others. That is not what I came here to do. I fought for freedom, he would say, but not for the freedom of peo-ple to kill each other with reckless abandon, not for the freedom of children to have children and the fathers of the chil-dren walk away from them and abandon them as if they don't amount to anything. I fought for people to have the right to work but not to have whole communities and people abandoned. This is not what I lived and died for.
I did not fight for the right of black people to murder other black people with reckless abandon. . .
There are changes we can make from the outside in; that's the job of the President and the Congress and die governors and the mayors and the social service agencies. And then there are some changes we're going to have to make from the inside out, or the others won't mat-ter. . . . Sometimes there are no answers from the outside in; some-times all the an-swers have to come from the values and the stirrings and the voices that speak to us from within. ...
Where there are no families, where there is no order, where there is no hope .... who will be there to give structure, dis-cipline, and love to these children? You must do that. And we must help you.
So in this pulpit, on this day, let me ask all of you in your heart to say: We will honor the life and the work of Martin Luther King.... Somehow, by God's grace, we will turn this around. We will give these children a future. We will take away their guns and give them books. We will take away their despair and give them hope. We will rebuild the fami-lies and the neighborhoods and the communities. We won't make all the work that has gone on here benefit just a few. We will do it together, by the grace of God.
- My Life, by Bill Clinton, Hutchinson 2004 pp558-560
Speech on Martin Luther King Jr by William Jefferson (Bill) Clinton, Former President of USA
Delivered at Mason Temple a hallowed ground in the history of civil rights.
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Life Positive Radiant Living Workshops at Arogyadham February 16-28, 2008
Two Unique seven day residential Life Positive Radiant Living Workshops were organized by Life Positive Foundation at Arogyadham, Sevagram during February 16-28, 2008. Thanks to Shri Aditya Ahluwalia, Chairman, Life Positive foundation for approving the same.
Shri. Vijay Dhiman, Event Manager, Life Positive Foundation introduced the workshop facilitators, Dr.(Mrs) Vijaya Venkat and participants and briefed about Life Positive Workshops. Dr. B. C. Harinath, Coordinator, Arogyadham, welcomed Dr.(Mrs.) Vijaya Venkat, Mr. Vijay Dhiman and the participants and briefed about the objectives and activities of Arogyadham which was established in 2002 by Kasturba Health Society in the cottages constructed with donation by Smt. Aparna Ben Trivedi.
First workshop was on Nutrition Re-education by Dr.(Mrs.) Vijaya Venkat, renowned Nutritionist, The Health Awareness Centre (THAC), Mumbai.
Ten participants including one couple were from all over India (Mumbai, Simla, Delhi, Bangalore, Haryana etc.) and four (two couples) from other countries (Australia and Malaysia) participated in the workshop.
Dr. (Mrs). Vijaya Venkat lead the workshop by providing relevant information about how to be healthy with Nutrition.
• Clarified myths and misconception about health, Nutrition, Food and sickness too.
• Explained the way nature designed a holistic, natural and simple way to stay fit and well especially if you are in pain, mainly consuming fruits, vegetables, nuts, spices with less salt, oil, cereals & milk products.
• Emphasized the maximum potential of wellness by understanding the basic principles of health.
• Given the alternatives for oil, milk, sugar, wheat to keep the health fit and better.
• Same kind of food, highly Nutritious is served daily.
• Menu included, 3-4 fruits in the Breakfast with Milk free Herbal Tea (Kada).
• 5-7 different vegetarian recipes in lunch which include salads, vegetable juice, Red boiled rice, roti, steamed vegetables, gravies, chutney, snacks, sweets. Curd/buttermilk without milk by substitutes
such as groundnut milk etc., Drinks (lime juice, mixed vegetable juice etc.).
All participants are highly benefited by the workshop which has given importance of Nutrition and how to follow it in life, a whole new food philosophy.
Daily schedule of the workshop starts at morning 6:00 AM with walking and continued with yoga class which includes Asana, Pranayama, Meditation, relaxation techniques, kriyas (upper Nasal Tract cleansing, Bowel Cleansing etc.). All participants enjoyed the Rejuvenating natural therapies as prescribed by Nature cure physician which included Body Massage, Herbal Pack, Mud baths, Sun bath etc.
Shri. Dhiru S. Mehta, President, Kasturba Health Society; Dr. (Mrs.) P. Narang, Secretary, KHS; Dr. (Ms) S. Chhabra, Dean, MGIMS visited on 17th February and interacted with the Facilitator and participants.
Dr.(Mrs.) Vijaya Venkat has also delivered a lecture for Academy of Medical Sciences, MGIMS on “Role of Nutrition in Health and Healing” on 21st February 2008.
Plantation of fruit trees near Nature park at Arogyadham was done on 21st February by facilitator and participants as a part of workshop, respecting the nature Earth.
Participants were taken to Bapu Kuti as a part of workshop and attended the evening prayer. Last day was spent for sight seeing, visiting Wardha, Paonar, Nagpur etc.
Second workshop was on Love yourself, heal your life by Ms. G. L. Sampoorna, Counselling Psychologist and Founder, ONEIRIC, Chennai during 22 to 28th February, 08.
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Dr. B. C. Harinath, Director, JBTDRC & Coordinator, Arogyadham welcomed Facilitator, Ms. G.L. Sampoorna; Mr. Vijay Dhiman, Event Manager, Life Positive Foundation and the participants. Mr. Vijay Dhiman briefed about the Life Positive workshop ‘Love yourself, heal your life’.
Seventeen participants from all over India (Mumbai, Tirupathi, Pune, Hyderabad, Bangalore,Vapi, Gujarat, Simla, Haryana etc.) participated in the workshop.
Thereafter Ms. G. L. Sampoorna lead the workshop by
teaching different interesting techniques such as anger release, forgiving, stress relieving etc.
• Breathing exercise was taught to relieve stress.
• Visualization exercise was taught for developing the personality
• Exercise for developing Positive thoughts.
• Visualization of inner child, Handling anger.
• Psychic dramas
• Exercise for Forgiveness
• Exercise for (1) “How to love yourself”, (2) “Affirmation”, (3) “Living a life of well-being”.
• Exercise for concentration, memory, right brain activation etc. was taught.
• Herbal Garden walking, observing Nature, Watching birds in morning.
• Group stretching exercise, Group singing, Group Meditation, relaxation etc. was taught.
Ms. G.L. Sampoorna has also delivered a lecture for Academy of Medical Sciences, MGIMS on “Relationship between Body and Mind” on 27th February, 2008.
Dr. T. Karthickeyan
Yoga & Naturopathy Specialist
Sanatana Dharma tunes The Art and Science of Living
[I always used to wonder how Hinduism survived for thousands of years in spite of onslaughts by other faiths and cultures. Possibly its strength lies in its having Sanatana Dharma as its core. I tried to explore and share the information with the readers in this article. I gratefully acknowledge Bhavan’s journal, Life Positive, Yuva Bharati, Tattvaloka and other Spiritual Magazines. - Ed.]
Vamadeva (Daid Frawley) writes in Bharatiya Pragna that Hinduism has the devotional theism of Western religions, the Karma Theory and Meditation practices of Buddhism, and the Nature worship of Native traditions, all unified at a deep philosophical and experiential level into one harmonious fabric. The power of Sanatana Dharma continues behind the Hindu tradition, particularly in its Yoga and Vedanta spiritual forms, providing it with a depth, breadth and vitality that perhaps no other spiritual tradition on earth is able to sustain. One can find in Hinduism all the main religious
teachings of the World from Nature Worship to theism, to the formless Absolute. Hinduism is not anchored to any single Prophet, book or historical revelation that can tie down the expanse of its vision. Hinduism is the religion in which Sanatana Dharma has best survived. But Sanatana Dharma is relevant to all peoples and must be recognized through out the World for the planet to achieve its real potential for the unfoldment of consciousness.
Sanatana (eternal) Dharma stands for universal spiritual truths / values in the past, present and future based on Upanishadic principles which are compatible with science and not based on Historical characters. The sublime principle of Sanatana Dharma is - the whole existence is the expression of the Divine and hence, the family, society, nation and the whole creation – ever expanding circles of consciousness – are linked to each other. This secular and non sectarian principle of Vedanta – the spiritual oneness of the whole universe helps the World for ushering in universal brotherhood. Each Soul is
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potentially divine and the goal of life is to manifest that divinity by Jnana (philosophy), Bhakti (worship), Karma (work) or Raja yoga (psychic control), by one or more or all of these. Different paths have been suggested to achieve the goal based on the nature of an individual, namely intellectual, emotional, hard worker or strong willed showing built in diversity of Vedanta for universal application. Hence Sanatana Dharma is not a religion similar to Islam, Christianity and Judaism. Vedic or Sanatana Dharma has no founder or date of its creation. In religion, if you question, you commit blasphemy; but in Sanatana Dharma questioning or enquiry is education, not blasphemy. The Sanatana Dharma philosophy is treated by Vedanta as a link between the physical science and science of spirituality (Spiritual science). Vedanta calls this Science of Spirituality as “Adhyatma Vidya” which is experiential by various techniques such as Vipassana, Transcendental meditation, Pranayama, Sudarshan kriya, Practice of Rajayoga, Devotion to Work, Devotion to Almighty etc. Yog is union of the individual Self with the Universal Self i.e. union of the body, mind, emotions and intellect. Yoga concretizes the wisdom of Upanishads to our Day-to-day life by systematic practices coupled with understanding. Yoga doctrine may be said to have been handed down from prehistoric-times. Patanjali Rishi gathered together and codified the principles that were scattered in many philosophical texts. His focus is on the development of the mind so that it is able to attain the ultimate state of super consciousness.
The discipline of Yoga is divided into eight parts and thus called Asthanga Yoga namely Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi. Yama and niyama enumerate ethical rules with rigorous training in physical habits and daily routine. Asana deals with physical exercise focusing on the spine. Pranayama is control of nervous energy (vital energy) of the body by breathing techniques. Pratyahara is the withdrawing of our senses and mind away from the outside World. By practice of Dharana (concentration), he gets to the next stage of Dhyana (meditation) which culminates in Samadhi (liberation). Thus yoga takes a normal person from his unenlightened limited status by training and by graded steps to a state of Supreme Power and Knowledge with miraculous powers. Thus yoga is non-sectarian and is a science of Holistic / Natural living, universally applicable for promotion of physical, mental and spiritual health.
Prof. B. C. Harinath
Mother India is in many ways the mother of us all. Nothing should more deeply shame the modern student than the recency and inadequacy of his acquaintance with India. This is the India that patient scholarship is now opening up like a new intellectual continent to that Western mind which only yesterday thought civilisation an exclusive Western thing… Perhaps in return for conquest, arrogance and spoilation, India will teach us the tolerance and gentleness of the mature mind, the quiet content of the unacquisitive soul, the calm of the understanding spirit, and a unifying, a pacifying love for all living things . -
Will Durant (American philosopher)
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ANOUSHKA SHANKAR : "...I am waiting for the time when I will be called Anoushka's father... Anoushka has indeed a rare talent... there is something spiritual in the way she plays... she feels the music and gives in to it”-
- Ravi Shankar in an interview to Maya Bahir, Yedioth (Israel)
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Australia (Bhavan) talks to Anoushka Shanker (Anoushka)
Bhavan: For the Australian-Indian Music Community in Sydney, it will be a great privilege to attend & hear a live concert by Anoushka, on Sitar, at the Opera House. Privileged, because we have heard her illustrious father, the great Sitar Maestro Ravi Shankar, perform live at the same venue, Opera House, nearly two decades ago.
How do you feel in performing at he same venue the great Sitar Maestro Ravi Shankar, performed live, nearly two decades ago.
Anoushka: It happens very often around the world, well there are obviously not many of the top venues that my father hasn’t played at so it does happen a lot that I play somewhere and my father has been there or I had played with him there. I am much exited to come to Sydney since I am coming to Australia for the first time so I am very much looking forward in playing at the Opera House
Bhavan: What do you attribute to, for being recognised as one of the foremost Sitar artistes of India?
Anoushka: Well offcourse, I was very fortunate to have my father as my teacher and He is the best teacher you can have offcourse. My training has been wonderful with him and other than that I also put in a lot of work myself and I try to do my best.
Bhavan: In your opinion, is there a “Ravi Shankar Style” of sitar playing? What are the main traits of such a style?
Anoushka: Yes, The sound of the sitar is quite different and distinct including the tunning of the Sitar, the model of the Sitar [the one that he uses is] often called the Ravi Shankar model and there is certain greatness to the tone and the playing of the deep bass string is distinct as well.
Bhavan: Who else are all the notable disciples of her Guru-cum-father?
Anoushka: There are so many disciples that my father has. Starting from the elderly Pandit Vijay Raghav Rao, Shami Mohammed and in the next generation Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Arun Bhattacharya. Offcourse there are many other young disciples as well who are doing very well.
Bhavan: It is an accepted fact that Ravi Shankar was greatly instrumental for introducing the Indian Classical music in a big way to world’s music community, specifically in the western countries. With your vast experiences gained in your music career, in a short time, travelling the world and living overseas can you comment on the acceptance and appreciation of Indian Classical Music by Western Audiences?
Anoushka: Indian Classical music has a wonderful following globally, I can speak from experience as I travel every year around the world and play to very educated audiences who know a lot about our music and love our music & I think it is wonderful”
Bhavan: What are your thoughts on fusion music (i.e. interaction of Indian Classical Music with different forms of music of other countries) and details of her such music productions?
Anoushka: I do not really have any thoughts about it really. As a term as in generalisation it is impossible to say what I can think of something because it is too big, too broad, I think sometimes it can be wonderful & sometimes it can be horrible so it really depends”
Bhavan: So you are not against that?
Anoushka: “No, I do it myself in many of my concerts and also in my records. I definitely support people’s right to
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be free creatively and to experiment. I definitely prefer when people do it form the heart or genuinely and not because of the obsession with Fusion
Bhavan: You are very much involved in the noble mission with “United Nation’s World Food Programme” and animal rights. What was your motivation for such involvement? What are your objectives for your mission?
Anoushka: I am an Ambassador for the U.N. World Food Programme; I have done a little bit of work with them and hope to do a lot more. They are the only organisation that I have really sort of lent my name to as an ambassador but I have also done a lot of work with heaps of other people for the Ethical treatment of animals and various organisations to help charities for AIDS or AIDS awareness.
Bhavan: What was your motivation to get involved with these?
Anoushka: A motivation from the heart really to help something you feel strongly about.
Bhavan: Have you released any new Albums in past two years, which have become popular?
Anoushka: Yes Breathing underwater came out last year and Rise a couple of years before that so that was my fourth and fifth album”
Bhavan: Finally, what is your life goal as a Sitar artiste?
Anoushka: To keep learning, Keep growing and to do my best and hopefully to keep having this kind of opportunity to play for people and compose music”
-Interviewed by Gambhir Watts; Questions contributed by Mr V Ramnath of Pallavi and Mr Jagannath Rao
THE ANOUSHKA SHANKAR PROJECT A SITAR STAR FOR THE 21ST CENTURY Anoushka Shankar is a young artist with stunning musical maturity and a pedigree to die for. She is the beautiful, supremely talented daughter of legendary sitar maestro Ravi Shankar; is Norah Jones' half sister; and has already played with the likes of George Harrison, Sting, Herbie Hancock and Elton John.
Join her with Tanmoy Bose (tabla), Ravichandra Kulur (flute & kanjira) and Leo Dombecki(piano) for a concert of traditional Indian ragas and contemporary compositions from her recent albums Rise and Breathing Under Water.
Don't miss this opportunity to witness a new major force in Indian classical music.
PRESENTED BY Sydney Opera House VENUE Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House DATE 14 June PRICES $75-$110 TO BOOK www.sydneyoperahouse.com or 9250 7777
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As Economy Grows, So Does the World’s Thirst Ban Ki-Moon
E very 20 seconds, one child in some
part of the world, 'dies from diseases associated with lack of clean water. That adds up to an 1.5 million young lives cut short each year. More than two and a half billion people in the
world live in the most abysmal standards of hygiene and sanitation. Helping them would do more than reduce the death toll; it would serve to protect the environment, alleviate poverty and promote development. That's because water underpins so much of the work we do in these areas.
Water is essential for survival. Unlike oil, there are no substitutes. But today, fresh water resources are stretched thin. Population growth will make the problem worse. So will climate change. As the global economy grows, so will its thirst. Problems that grow from the scarcity of a vital resource - oil is the poignant example — tend to spill over borders. International Alert has identified 46 countries, home to 2.7 billion people, where climate change and water-related crises create a high risk of violent conflict. A further 56 countries, representing another 1.2 billion people, are at high risk of political instability. That's more than half the world.
This is not an issue of rich or poor, North or South. China is diverting hundreds of millions of cubic metres of water to drought-prone Beijing ahead of the Olympic Games later this year, but shortages are expected to persist for years to come. In North America, the mighty Colorado River seldom reaches the sea. Water stress affects one-third of the United States and one-fifth of Spain. Depleting river waters The water system of Lake Chad, in Central Africa, supports some 30 million people. Yet over the past 30 years, it has shrunk to one-tenth of its former size. Thanks to drought, climate change, mismanagement and overuse. Visiting Brazil this fall, I had to cancel a trip down a major tributary of the Amazon. It had dried up. I have spent the past year beating the drum of climate change. We've seen the results in the "Bali road map", which charts a course for negotiations on a legally binding treaty limiting greenhouse gas emissions to take over when the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012. This year, I will make a similar effort to raise public awareness of the Millennium Development Goals. Among other things, the so-called MDGs set a target of cutting by half the number
of people without safe access to water by 2015. This is critically important. When you look at the health and development challenges faced by the poorest of the world's population - diseases like malaria or TB, rising food prices, environmental degradation - the common denominator often turns out to be water.
Evolving better strategies This September, I will gather top-level officials from across the world at a summit in New York on how to reach the Goals, particularly in Africa. In the meantime, we need to begin thinking about better strategies for managing water - for using it efficiently and sharing it fairly. This means partnerships involving not just governments but civil society groups, individuals and business. We are in the early stages of this awakening. But there are some encouraging signs, especially in the private sector. Corporations have long been viewed as culprits. The smokestacks from power plants pollute our air, the effluents from industry spoil our rivers. But this is changing. More and more today, businesses are working to become part of the solution, rather than the problem. Corporate commitment Earlier this month, members of the UN Global Compact, the world's largest voluntary corporate citizenship initiative, gathered in New York for a meeting on water. The companies in that room had a total worth of about half a trillion dollars with employees in some 200 countries. The main theme: moving beyond the mere use of water to stewardship. This translates into a commitment to engage with the United Nations, governments and civil groups to protect what is becoming an increasingly scarce resource and ensure that local communities benefit.
Every journey is comprised of myriad small steps, and they spoke about those, too. A major textiles company told (us) how it was working with local governments and farmers to conserve watersheds in growing cotton. A jeans designer is planning to change its labels, calling for washing in cold and hanging dry as a step to save water. A drop in the bucket, yes. But I see it as the first wave in a tide of change.
- Bhavan’s Journal April 15 2008
A dry tributary of the Amazon
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Mahatma Gandhi on Indian Culture "Many of us are striving to produce a blend of all the cultures which seems today to be in clash with one another. No culture can live if it attempts to be exclusive. There is no such thing as pure Aryan culture in existence in India today. Whether the Aryans were indigenous to India or were unwelcome intruders, does not interest me much. What does interest me is the fact that my remote ancestors blended with one another with the utmost freedom and we of the present generation are result of that blend".
This is what Mahatma Gandhi said in a Hindi Sahitya Sammelan conference in Allahabad on April 5, 1936.
The first and most important point about the culture that Gandhi has brought out in his statement is that any culture that tries to remain exclusive cannot survive. It has to remove rigidity and avoid parochialism. The rigidity and parochialism are in fact two demerits which keep one isolated from others and ultimately prove themselves self-defeating or, in other words, result in self-destruction. As opposed to it, flexibility and liberality are two attributes that bring on synthesis and continuity in life. They function as a force of unification and not of segregation.
It is necessary here to clarify while talking about flexibility, I do not mean that we have to break loose from all constraints and to refrain from being firm. Though the Indian culture is known for its liberal and magnanimous attitude, it has never deviated from its fundamental values. This is why it is alive even after thousands of years whereas, the other cultures are non-existent. The second important point which Gandhi has raised is that there is nothing like pure Aryan culture. It is evident from history that Indian culture many a time was subjected to fundamentalism, but it could not deviate from its basic principles of patience, tolerance and above all nonviolence. Sometimes it appeared that Indian culture would lose its form because of fundamentalism and other attacking forces.
It did not happen and the culture remained firm on its course of progress. Consequently, the fundamentalism and the other weakening forces proved to be momentary and disappeared like water-bubbles. Synthesis is a significant feature of Indian culture. We can say that is the basic principle of culture, the history of which goes back to the ancient past or we can certainly line it up at least with the Dravidian era.
Later, many other cultures came in contact with Indian culture and easily merged themselves into it according to
circumstances and conditions that prevailed in India rather than those in the land of their origin. In the same context, Gandhi is very true when he says:
"It (Indian culture) nurtured the synthesis of those cultures which stayed in this country. They affected the Indian way of life and in return got influenced by it .
Gandhi regarded the homogeneity of the Indian environment the basis of this synthesis.
History is witness to the fact that all those cultures that came in contact with Indian culture were not completely or partially devoured by it. Not only did Indian culture through its great values make an impact on other cultures, it also imbibed their befitting features. This is why there was no possibility of any pretence of a harmonious blending of cultures. There was nothing forced upon, nor was their existence ever questioned. After the synthesis of Aryan and Dravidian cultures, the vast
Indian culture came to be viewed in its entirety by the world. Later many other cultural streams that flowed into the Sub-Continent from Greece, Persia, Arab countries or parts of Europe merged themselves into the vast ocean of Indian culture.
If we put aside the question of how and why these cultures arrived in this country, the picture that emerges reflects the unique characteristic of synthesis of Indian culture.
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It is a fact that Indian culture is grand and unique and has fostered other cultures. Gandhi, in his time, was a great exponent and representative of Indian culture. We can call him an embodiment of Indian cultural heritage glimpse of which we can have in his brief statement on Indian culture exposing its characteristics of magnanimity, flexibility and above all of synthesis. Whatever views Gandhi held on Indian culture and spoke about, he himself acted accordingly. He occupied himself with re-establishing the genuine cultural values throughout his life.
Gandhi was justified in his grievance that the prosperous Indian culture in which there is no alternative to the great values it represents, has not been given due recognition, made a subject of study and the specific features of which have not been properly evaluated.
It is not all; he was unhappy with the disregard for it and the indifference to its values in their day to day application. Hence, in one of the issues of Young India, he wrote:
"Our culture is a treasure-house of such great values as are hardly found in other cultures. We have not given it its due recognition; have seen it and learnt about it disregarding its proper study and undermining its
values. We have almost discarded it by not conducting ourselves according to its tenets; (but) without the conduct, more intellectual knowledge is just like a corpse that may be preserved as mummy. It seems good to look at, but fails to inspire."
Gandhi's views as a representative of Indian culture are founded on facts, for they present it in right perspective; they make him an embodiment of cultural heritage.
In brief, these views along with his conduct conforming to them will always remain capable of guiding one and all who would work with a desire to keep the true Indian culture alive. It is not all; they will also be a source of inspiration to all other cultures of the world for their longevity.
- B.M.N. Murthy, Bhavan’s Journal March 31 2008
Most Noble Man on Earth
Adored By Men of Various Faiths
His Incarnation Did You Seem
A Spiritual Halo Round You Beams
Truth Ahimsa & Immortal Love
Made Your Life and Speak Ambrosia
Apostle of the Spinning Wheel & Khaddar
Gentle Breaker of Evil Laws without Shudder
A Simple Loin Cloth You Wear
Narcotics & Drinks You Forbear
Dearest To India’s Depressed Millions
Inimitable You Are India’s Noblest Son
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Judiciary's Voice of Conscience - Justice Michael Kirby
In far away Canberra, as the leaves of autumn are changing to crimson and gold, I pick up my pen to write a few words on a man who is incontestably one of the great spirits of the common law of the last century. In any evaluation of the Honourable Justice V. R. Krishna Iyer, it is difficult to be entirely dispassionate and neutral. He is the kind of jurist, and the kind of man, who attracts strong feelings. I reveal at the outset my prejudice, I feel for him a filial admiration and affection. The reader will doubtless discount, or accept, my words with this in mind.
The extraordinary life of this most notable Indian jurist, began with his home life, where he learned a dazzling command of the English language from his grandfather, love of the law from his father and a love of life and music from his wife. We are soon propelled into his remarkable public career.
The advocate... The Minister in the short-lived communist-backed government of Kerala, The Justice of the High Court of Kerala, Member of the Law Commission of India, Justice of the Supreme Court of India, Presidential candidate-these offices alone would warrant a biography. Told that it was of a judge whose public life had taken this path, the ordinary reader would assume that this biography would be staid, serious, full of duty, service, ambition and honour.
There are, indeed, these qualities to be found in these pages. But much more beside. For this is the biography of no ordinary jurist and no conventional judge. Like him or not, Krishna Iyer is unusual, trail-blazing, restless and creative.
His early life exposed him to the poor of India. It left him with a sour taste for plutocrats and their "glamour-mongering". It took his mind on a search for a better philosophy than that of unbridled selfishness. For a time, although remaining politically independent, he was associated with the Indian Communist Party and with the Friendship Society of the Soviet Union. Many who were disillusioned with a world of searing poverty and disadvantage took a similar path, hoping for a better way.
One experience of those days, his brief imprisonment for political expression, appears to have left a searing mark on his soul. He saw the realities of prison life. He was later to say that there was "no iron curtain" between the prisoners of India and the Constitution. In famous decisions in (i) Sunil Batra v. Delhi Administration, AIR 1978 SC 1675; (ii) AIR 1980 SC 1579, he wrote with great power,
devised flexible procedural remedies and laid down principles which were taken up in other courts including the Privy Council in Riley v. Attorney-General of Jamaica, (1982) AC 719 (1934) (PC).
Not many judges have spent a night in prison, whilst many, like myself, have inspected goals and witnessed their conditions. Such experiences pale into insignificance beside incarceration under order, and particularly where the order is unjust. It says much about the Indian system of judicial appointments that the young Minister in a controversial and radical Government, at such a time, should soon thereafter, in July 1968, be appointed to the High Court of Kerala.
Revealing essay is provided by our hero's statement upon his public welcome to his first judicial office. "Life is a rugged journey" he declared. It has "sharp and strange times". It is an "odd adventure". "Exciting forenoons are followed by mellow afternoons. Sound and fury are succeeded by the still small voice".
This is the voice of conscience. We listen to the voice of a legal technician of high talent who feels called to the noble banner of justice under the law. Not many judges can speak and write with the power that V.R. Krishna Iyer commands. To a native English speaker, his command of the English language is astonishing, and a living tribute to his father and grandfather who taught him. It is this vehicle of language that allows the jurist to reach out to a wider world far from India.
As one of his colleagues said, his manner of presentation of legal ideas involves "a breath of fresh air". He gives the impression of a "crusader". This is not everyone's cup of tea. Perhaps we would not want every judge to have such burning fire. But this judge certainly did. It says something of the wisdom of India's high appointments that a man with such a passion for law reform was appointed in 1971 to membership of the Law Commission of India. This task took Krishna Iyer to the four corners of India. It exposed his mind to the many faults and weaknesses in the
Justice V.R.Krishna Iyer
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delivery of justice. It reinforced his conviction that true equality before the law is the foundation of any just legal order. It strengthened his love of the people whatever their community, caste, religion or language. Krishna Iyer showed mercy to all living things.
When he was appointed to the Supreme Court of India, one of the greatest final appellate courts in the world, presiding over the most populous democracy and common law nation on earth, Justice Krishna Iyer soon made his mark. Many of the cases he wrote judgment on are known well beyond India. They were important decisions on the rights of disadvantaged groups. These include debtors, Jolly George Varghese v. Bank of Cochin, AIR 1980 SC 470; members of the scheduled castes: ordinary citizens in battle with bureaucracy, Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India, AIR 1978 SC 597; industrial workers, trade union members and others.
For Justice Krishna Iyer the rule of law was not alone enough. For him "this ferocious rule of law, rude and nude, cannot be sustained as anything but arbitrary, unreasonable an procedurally heartless". A concomitant of the rule of law for our hero is that the law must be just, up-to-date and addressed to real social circumstances. The common law inherited from another land, different times and distinct social conditions must be adapted in the hands of judges willing, where appropriate, to perform a measure of "social engineering" as the great common law judges of the past had done.
There are not many judges, with a career such as that of Krishna Iyer who have twice been submitted to prosecution for contempt of court. On each occasion the prosecution was rejected. But it is instructive that both proceedings arose out of speeches which Justice Krishna Iyer gave to assembled lawyers and other citizens calling attention to the weaknesses and failings of the legal system.
It is not unusual for a judge who rises so high, covered in honour and surrounded by admiring acolytes, to speak in ardent praise of the system which has delivered so precious a treasure as himself. Not so for Justice Krishna Iyer. He still has the fire of justice in his belly. In his middle age and in his old age he has spoken for its causes.
The power of his oratory is likened to the hypnotic capacity of music to capture the attention of the cobra, transfixing us by the majesty of language and the manifest sincerity of his ideas. As the author admits, his style is not everyone's, but it makes its impact on those who come within the hearing of its unusual harmonies. It comes as no surprise to discover that Justice Krishna Iyer is an exponent of veena and an expert in carnatic music. He is obviously a poet writing in prose.
Small wonder too that he should be offered to the electors for the great office of President of India. Although, in the event, he was not elected, it is no shame that he agreed to submit his name. These are the ways of democracy. Although democracy is sometimes flawed, it is still the best system devised for the good governance of humanity to render power accountable to the people. It depends upon choice between worthy candidates and he, mostly surely, was one.
In answer to the second charge of contempt in 1992, Justice Krishna Iyer was unrepentant:
"I am committed to social justice .... No sense of elitism, if any, of the Bench or the Bar will inhibit me from advocating its cause".
He has spoken powerfully against corruption; against the disadvantages of the scheduled castes: against communal violence and selfishness; in favour of equality of social justice, of the removal of discrimination on all irrational grounds, whether gender, social or economic status or otherwise. Lastly he has spread his concerns to the rights of children; to the prevention of child labour; to opposition to torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment Raghubir Singh v. State of Haryana (AIR 1980 SC 1087 (1088) and to the struggle against "gargantuan corporate corruption" of Indian institutions.
One is left with the strong conviction that this is a man who, through his long life, has remained forever young. He still champions the causes of justice with the optimism and idealism of youth. I can say without hesitation that such deep wellsprings do not always endure over so long and distinguished a legal and judicial journey. But Justice Krishna Iyer remains a towering figure of the common law. One can disagree with him and debate with him. The author says that a chat with him is equivalent to a year at university. Krishna Iyer is a man utterly without rancour, passionately interested in ideas, charitable to his critics, restless for reform. It is a great privilege for me, as a judge who has learned from him, to write on his life. It is a life which gives example and inspiration to jurists everywhere.
- Justice Michael Kirby, Former Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Australia;
Bhavan’s Journal November 30 2007
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Festivals of the World III INDIA
The first installment on cultures of the world was published in issue 5.5 /5.6 November- December, 2007 in which we covered Christmas, Diwali/Deepaval, Gurupurabs (Sikh Festival) Ramadan and Melbourne Cup. The second installment was published in issue 5.8 where we covered Sydney Festival, National Multicultural Festival, Perth International Arts Festival, Brisbane Festival, Melbourne International Arts Festival, Chinese New Year, Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, WOMADelaide, Woodford Festival, Melbourne Cup and a few others. The Holi festival was covered in the special Souvenir edition issue 5.9. The fourth and final installments will be published in issue 5.11 May 2008.
In India, the celebrations of fairs and festivals form a wondrous and joyful series of events, marking the rites of passage between birth, death and renewal. There are said to be more festivals in India than there are days of the year; not unlikely in a country where small, local village
rituals of worship and propitiation are celebrated with as much as fervour as are high holy days across the nation, occasions that can draw floods of people numbering half a million or more. Fairs and festivals are moments of remembrance and commemoration of the birthdays and great deeds of gods, goddesses, hero's, heroine's, gurus, prophet's and saints. They are times when people gather together, linked by ties of shared social and religious beliefs. Each of India's many religious groups - Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and others - has its own such days.
Dussehra or Dassera
Though known by different names: victory of Rama over Ravana, or the orces "good" over the forces of "evil". Large effigies of the ten-headed Ravana, the king of Lanka who abducted Rama's wife, Sita, and was subsequently vanquished in battle, are burnt as the sun
goes down; on either side of him are the slightly smaller effigies of Meghnada, the son of Ravana, and Kumbhakarna, the full brother of Ravana whose name has become a household word in India for lethargy and laziness. (It is said that Kumbhakarna slept for six months and would then stay awake for a full day, no doubt to replenish himself.)
The festival lasts ten days, and most communities celebrate it with great fanfare. During the festival, the Ramleela, or the story of Rama, is enacted by professional dance companies and amateur troupes. On the last day of the festival, young men and small boys, dressed as Rama, his brother Lakshman, Ravana, and other players in the drama, proceed through the streets of the community as part of a float that is sometimes quite elaborate. Rama and Ravana engage in battle; Ravana is defeated.
Then Rama fires an arrow into the huge effigies of Meghnada and Kumbhakarna, stuffed -- as is the effigy of Ravana -- with crackers and explosives; finally an arrow is shot into Ravana's effigy, to the encouraging shouts of "Ramchandra ki jai", "Victory to Rama", and a large explosion ripples through the sky. In Bengal, Dusshera is celebrated as Durga Puja. Idols of the goddess Durga are worshipped for nine days, and on the tenth day immersed in a body of water, such as a river or pond. In Mysore, caparisoned elephants lead a colorful procession through the streets of the city.
Dassera day is considered a most auspicious day. It is a time-honoured belief that if any new venture is started on this day, it is bound to be successful. Hence, all the undertakings be it laying-in of foundation of a new building, opening of a new commercial establishment or even initiating a child into the world of learning- are started on this day. Also on this day implements of agriculture, manufacturer's machines, the intellectuals pens, the household articles, the children's school books
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are placed before the idol of Durga and worshipped.
Deepawali / Diwali
Covered in Bhavan Australia Issue 5.5 / 5.6 November / December 2007
Navratri
Navratri is a festival of Hindus celebrated with great devotion, enthusiasm and fervor all over India. In this festival God is adored as a Mother.
Navratri specifically means "Nine nights" (Nav = Nine, Ratri = Nights) devoted to the Goddess Maa Durga who exists in many forms and is the symbol of the absolute energy that prevails in the universe.
During this nine day celebration it is the time to put all routine chores aside and prepare for the gala nine day of festivity, popularly known as Navratri.
Navratri is celebrated twice a year. First in the month of Chaitra (March-April) and the second in the month of Ashwani (September-October). The nine days are devoted to the Mother Goddess worshipped in a female form known as Maa Durga or Mata Sherawali. During these nine days of Navratri is the time of worship, dance, singing prayers (Bhajans) and offering your sincere prayers to the Goddess Durga. The first three days of Navratri are devoted to the Goddess Durga (Goddess of Power) ; the next three days to the Goddess Lakshmi (Goddess of Prosperity) and the last three days to the Goddess Saraswati (Goddess of Knowledge) . On the first day of the Navratri, a small bed of mud is prepared in the puja room and barley seeds are sown in it.
The rituals of this festival are that the nine days and nine nights of Navratri are totally dedicated to the Mother Goddess and includes observing a fast, japa (chanting of holy mantras in the honor of the Goddess), chanting religious hymes (Bhajans), prayers, meditating and reciting the sacred texts relevant to Maa Durga. During
this period most of the Hindus visit different Mata temples and offer their sincere prayers to the Mother Goddess. The main ritual of this festival is placing images of the Goddess in homes and temples and worshipping them. There is a very grand event of offering flowers to the Goddess and singing religious hymes (bhajans) in the honor of the Goddess to please Maa Durga. For eight days the idols of Mata Sherawali are worshipped and then on the ninth day they are immersed in the sea with great fanfare.
On the eighth and ninth day, Yagna (offerings to the holy fire) is performed to honor the divine Mother Goddess Durga and bid her farewell and request her to bless us always. Navratri is thus, a festival of pure happiness and one of the most auspicious occasions for all Hindus.
Karva Chauth
Karwa Chauth is a fast undertaken by married Hindu women who offer prayers seeking the welfare, prosperity, well-being, and longevity of their husbands. It is said to have an extraordinary observance rate among married Hindu women. On the occasion of Karva Chauth which is on the day of Kartik Krishna Chaturthi, fasting (vrat) is observed. In the evening, after taking a bath, under a banyan tree (or in the absence of such tree, draw a picture of such tree) place murtis or pictures of Siva, Parvati, Ganesh and Kartikeya and do puja ceremony (shodashopachar or sixteen step puja ceremony). Then for the offerings of arghya (rice, flower etc.), while waiting for the moon to rise, japa is done with the mantra "Om namah Shivaya". Havan (sacred fire ceremony) is also done. Thereafter, having sited the moon, offer the arghya.
On the occasion of this vrat (Fast) a kalash (small container) is filled with either milk or water. In that kalash is placed Pancha Ratna (five pieces of different metals gold, silver, copper, brass and iron). The kalash is then presented to a Brahmin and also exchanged with other married women. While thus presenting the kalash, a
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wishful prayer is offered to Lord Ganesh: "Let the offerings of this Karva (Karak (gift bring long life to my husband and may my saubhagya be everlasting". And express such desire that ‘May my death precede that of my husband so that I can enter the chitaa (funeral pyre) as a bride (not as a widow).
Lord Krishna urged Draupadi to observe the vrat of Karva Chauth so that through its influence Arjuna can defeat the Kauravas on the battlefield and acquire back the kingdom.
Married women who thus offer wishful prayer for saubhagya by observing the Karva Chauth Vrat, acquire saubhagya, progeny and lasting prosperity.
Ganesh Chaturthi
During the Ganesha festival, a household worships a statue of Shri Ganesha. The worship lasts an odd number of days (from 1 to 11 days, sometimes 13).
This festival starts with the installation of beautifully engraved (sculptured) Ganesh idols in colorfully decorated homes and mantapas (pandals) in every locality. People give their contributions for installing Ganesh mantapas. The mantapas are depicted by religious themes or current events. The idols are worshipped with families and friends.
Traditional stories tell that Lord Ganesha (or Ganapati) (the names mean "Lord [isha] or [pati] of Shiva's hosts [gana]") was created by goddess Parvati, consort of Lord Shiva. Parvati created Ganesha out of sandalwood paste that she used for her bath and breathed life into the figure. She then set him to stand guard at her door while she bathed. However, while she bathed, Lord Shiva returned and as Ganesha didn't know him, he didn't allow him to enter. Lord Shiva became enraged and severed the head of the child and entered his house. After realizing that he had
beheaded his own son, Lord Shiva fixed the head of an elephant in place of Ganesha's head. In this way, Lord Ganesha came to be depicted as the elephant-headed God.
It is still forbidden to look at the moon on that day as the moon had laughed at Ganesha when he fell from his vehicle, the rat. With the immersion of the idol amidst the chanting of "Ganesh Maharaj Ki Jai (Hail Lord Ganesh), the festival ends with pleas to Ganesha to return the next year with chants of "Ganpati bappa morya, pudcha varshi laukar ya" (Hail Lord Ganesh, return again soon next year.
The main sweet dish during the festival is the modak ([modagam]or modakam in South India). A modak is a dumpling made from rice flour/wheat flour with a stuffing of fresh or dry-grated coconut, jaggery and some other condiments. It is either steam-cooked or fried. Another popular sweet dish is the karanji (karjikaiin Kannada) which is similar to the modak in composition and taste but has the shape of the 4th day moon.
Public celebrations of the festival are hugely popular, with local communities (mandalas) vying with each other to put up the biggest idol. The festival is also the time for cultural activities like songs, dramas and orchestra. The Ganesha mantra is chanted, followed by a Ganesha prayer. Ganesha is called by his 108 good names. The last puja done, the family or congregation gathers around and rice grains are placed on the head of the murti, which is moved, symbolically unseating him.
After the festival is over, just before the immersion of the Ganesha idol, the proceedings from the donations (including gold and silver) and the Laddu are often auctioned and the proceedings are donated for a noble cause such as social welfare programs or for the development of temples in their respective regions.
Today, the Ganesh Festival is not only a popular festival - it has become a very critical and important economic
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activity for Maharashtra. Many artists, industries, and businesses survive on this mega-event. Ganesh Festival also provides a stage for budding artists to present their art to the public.
The Ganapati festival, which is best observed in Pune or Bombay (now Mumbai), retains to a very large degree the characteristics with which it was endowed by Tilak.
Rakhi (Raksha Bandhan)
The myth of the festival related to a battle between gods and demons, and Indra (the king of the gods), who felt depressed. At that time Indra's wife Sachi took a thread, charged it with sacred verses or Mantras for protection and tied it on Indra's hand. Through the strength of this thread Indra conquered his enemies.
The annual "festival" of Raksha Bandhan then is meant to commemorate the abiding ties between siblings of opposite sex. It usually takes place in late August, and is marked by a very simple ceremony in which a woman ties a rakhi — which may be a colorful thread, a simple bracelet, or a decorative string — around the wrist of her brother(s). The word "raksha" signifies protection, and "bandhan" is an association signifying an enduring bond; and so, when a woman ties a rakhi around the wrist of her brother, she signifies her loving attachment to him. He, likewise, recognizes the special bonds between them, and by extending his wrist forward, he in fact extends the hand of his protection over her.
Though in principle raksha bandhan is an observance between biological siblings of the opposite sex, the practice often extends more generally to people of the opposite sex who are not biologically related, or who are not related as siblings. Imagining a person of the opposite sex as a sibling is certainly one way of obscuring the problem of sexual desire, and Indian texts are rife with the
observation that men should look upon women as their sisters and mothers.
Makar Sankranti
Makar Sankranti marks the commencement of the Sun's journey to the Northern Hemisphere (Makara raasi ), signifying the onset of Uttarayana Punyakalam, and is a day of celebration all over the country. The day begins with people taking holy dips in the waters and worshipping the Sun.
Traditionally, this period is considered an auspicious time and the veteran Bhishma of Mahabharata chose to die during this period. Bhishma fell to the arrows of Arjun. With his boon to choose the time of his death, he waited on a bed of arrows to depart from this world only during this period. It is believed that those who die in this period have no rebirth.
The Indo Gangetic plain begins this day with taking dips in the Ganga and offering water to the Sun god. The dip is said to purify the self and bestow punya. Special puja is offered as a thanksgiving for good harvest. According to folklore, girls who take the holy dip get handsome husbands and boys get beautiful brides.
Til and Rice are two important ingredients of this festival. In the rice-eating belt of Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh, people have a special rice-centric meal on this day. Also known as Gangasagar Mela, on this day, people come from all over India for a ceremonial cleansing in the river Hooghly, near Calcutta.
Maharashtra - when two persons greet each other on this festive day, they exchange a few grains of multi-coloured sugar and fried til mixed with molasses and say "til gud
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ghya, god god bola" (henceforth, let there be only friendship and good thoughts between us).
Gujarat - the pandits consider Sankranti as an auspicious day to grant scholarships and certificates of merit to students who have successfully completed their studies in philosophy. In a Hindu household, new utensils are purchased and used for the first time. Brightly coloured kites dot the skies on this day.
Karnataka - men, women and children attired in colourful tunics visit friends and relatives and exchange pieces of sugarcane, a mixture of fried til, molasses, pieces of dry coconut, peanuts and fried gram. The significance of this exchange is that sweetness should prevail in all the dealings. As part of the festival, cows and bulls are given a wash and the horns are painted with bright colours and decorated with garland, and are taken in a procession in the village to the accompaniment of pipes and drums. In the night a bonfire is lit and the animals are made to jump over the fire.
It is a big event for the Tamils and the people of Andhra Pradesh. The Telugus like to call it 'Pedda Panduga' meaning big festival. The whole event lasts for four days, the first day Bhogi, the second day Sankranti, the third day Kanuma and the fourth day, Mukkanuma.
One month preceeding Sankranti is called Dhanurmasam and is also an auspicious period. People wake up early, take bath and go around the streets singing devotional songs. Houses are whitewashed and farmers clean their warehouses. Colorful rangoli (muggulu) are drawn in the front yards of every house during this month. These
artistic floral designs are drawn on the floor with rice flour or fine powder from limestone. These patterns are decorated with marigold placed on cowdung balls. Colorfully dressed young girls go round them singing songs.
Pongal
Pongal is the first festival which comes beginning of every new year. As the dates for this festival are calculated by the solar calendar (ie. Western), the dates of January 13-16 never change. Each day of this festival has a special significance, however, it is celebrated more grandly in the villages, while the city folk mainly celebrate on the second day only.
First Day - Bhogi :
The first day of the festival is called Bhogi . On Bhogi all people clean out their homes from top to bottom, and collect all unwanted goods. In the evening, people will light bonfires and burn what can be burnt.
Second Day - Surya Pongal :
The second day of the festival, Surya Pongal , is the day on which the celebrations actually begins, is the first day of the Tamil month Thai. On this day, Surya, the sun God is worshipped and women will wake early on this day to create elaborate Kolam (Rangoli) on the grounds in front of their doorway or home. Kolams are created with colored rice flour placed on the ground carefully by using one's hand. All people will wear their new dresses and use the new utensils or household items which replace the ones discarded the previous day. On this day the new rice is collected and cooked in pots until they over flow. It is this overflowing which means Pongal. This overflowing of rice is a joyous occasion, and the children and adults as well will shout out 'Pongal o Pongal! ' Children will dance and make music to the tune of these words. The rice is cooked and prepared as a dish called Pongal. This Pongal
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variety is called venpongal, ven meaning white. Another variety is also prepared with dal and jaggery (sweet) , called Shakkrai Pongal , shakkrai meaning sweet . To accompany the venpongal, people eat brinjal (eggplant) sambar (stew), vadai, idli, and spicy accompaniments.
Third Day - Matt Pongal :
The third day is called Matt Pongal , matt meaning cattle. This day is devoted to paying homage to cattle. Cows and Bulls are decorated with paint and bells and people pray to them. In fact, in my Pongal experience, the cattle were decorated with bells on their neck, and kum kum placed on their head, people pay respect to them by bending down, like praying in temple, and touching their feet and foreheads, followed by an aarthi (showing fire to the object of praise) and offering the cattle prasadam (food offering, in this case, pongal).. In some villages in south India, there are bull fights of varying types.
Fourth Day - Kanu Pongal :
The fourth day is termed as Kanu Pongal. On this day, people travel to see other family members. On this day, the younger members of the family pay homage to the elders, and the elders thank them by giving token money. Another thing many do is leave food out on banana leaves for birds to take. Even sisters keep leftover food of Matt Pongal to sparrow and crows. They put pudi in Banana leaves . While keeping the food on the leaves they say "Kaka Kurvi k' Kalyanam" and they server this food to the birds and pray for well beings for their brother(s).
Maha Shivaratri
Maha Shivaratri is celebrated throughout the country; it is particularly popular in Uttar Pradesh. Maha Shivratri falls on the 14th day of the dark half of 'Margasirsa' (February-March). The name means "the night of Shiva". The ceremonies take place chiefly at night. This is a festival observed in honour of Lord Shiva and it is believed that on this day Lord Shiva was
married to Parvati.
On this festival people worship 'Shiva - the Destroyer'. This night marks the night when Lord Shiva danced the 'Tandav'. In Andhra Pradesh, pilgrims throng the Sri
Kalahasteshwara Temple at Kalahasti and the Bharamarambha Malikarjunaswamy Temple at Srisailam.
About The Lord
Shiva - the word meaning auspicious - is one of the Hindu Trinity, comprising of Lord Brahma, the creator, Lord Vishnu, the preserver and Lord Shiva or Mahesh, the Destroyer and Re-Producer of life. Shiva is known by many names like "Shankar", "Mahesh", "Bholenath", "Neelakanth", "Shambhu Kailasheshwar", "Umanath", "Nataraj" and others.
For few people, Shiva is "Paramatman", "Brahman", the Absolute, but many more prefer to see Shiva as a personal God given to compassion for his worshippers, and the dispenser of both spiritual and material blessings. Related to the Absolute concept is Shiva as "Yoganath" meaning the Lord of Yoga, wherein he becomes teacher, path and goal. As such he is the "Adi Guru" or the Highest Guru of 'Sannyasins' who have renounced the world to attain the Absolute.
He is the most sought-after deity amongst the Hindus and they pray to him as the god of immense large-heartedness who they believe grants all their wishes. Around him are weaved many interesting stories that reveal His magnanimous heart. Not only this, but these stories and legends also enrich the Indian culture and art.
Time is invisible and formless. Therefore Mahakal Shiva, as per the Vedas, manifested himself as "LINGUM" to make mankind aware of the presence of Eternal Time. That day when Shiva manifested himself in the form of "Lingum" was the fourth day of the dark night in the month of 'Magha' i.e. February-March. Maha Shivratri continues to be celebrated forever and ever.
The Story Of King Chitrabhanu
In the Shanti Parva of the Mahabharata, Bhishma, whilst resting on the bed of arrows and discoursing on Dharma, refers to the observance of Maha Shivaratri by King Chitrabhanu. The story goes as follows - Once upon a time King Chitrabhanu of the Ikshvaku dynasty, who ruled over the whole of Jambudvipa, was observing a fast with his wife, it being the day of Maha Shivaratri. The sage Ashtavakra came on a visit to the court of the king.
The sag asked the king the purpose of his observing the past. King Chitrabhanu explained that he had the gift of remembering the incidents of his previous birth.
The king said to the sage that in his previous he was a hunter in Varanasi and his name was Suswara. His only livelihood was to kill and sell birds and animals. One day while roaming through forests in search of animals he was overtaken by the darkness of night. Unable to return
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home, he climbed a tree for shelter. It happened to be a Bael tree. He had shot a deer that day but had no time to take it home. So he bundled it up and tied it to a branch on the tree. As hunger and thirst tormented him, he was kept awake throughout the night. He shed profuse tears when he thought of his poor wife and children who were starving and anxiously waiting for his return. To pass away the time that night he engaged himself in plucking the Bael leaves and dropping them down onto the ground.
The next day he returned home and sold the deer and then bought some food for himself and his family. The moment he was about to break his fast a stranger came to him, begging for food. He served the food first to stranger and then had his own.
At the time of his death, he saw two messengers of Lord Shiva. They were sent down to conduct his soul to the abode of Lord Shiva. He learnt then for the first time of the great merit he had earned by the unconscious worship of Lord Shiva during the night of Shivaratri. The messengers told him that there was a Lingam at the bottom of the tree. The leaves I dropped fell on the Lingam. His tears, which had shed out of pure sorrow for his family, fell onto the Lingam and washed it and he had fasted all day and all night. Thus, he unconsciously worshiped the Lord.
As the conclusion of the tale the King said that he lived in the abode of the Lord and enjoyed divine bliss for long ages and now he has reborn as Chitrabhanu.
The Festivity
People observe a strict fast on this day. Some devotees do not even take a drop of water and they keep vigil all night. The Shiva Lingam is worshipped throughout the night by washing it every three hours with milk, curd, honey, rose water, etc., whilst the chanting of the Mantra "Om Namah Shivaya" continues. Offerings of Bael leaves are made to the Lingam as Bael leaves are considered very sacred and
it is said that Goddess Lakshmi resides in them.
Hymns in praise of Lord Shiva, such as the "Shiva Mahimna Stotra" of Pushpadanta or Ravana's "Shiva Tandava Stotra" are sung with great fervour and devotion. People repeat the 'Panchakshara' Mantra, "Om Namah Shivaya". He, who utters the names of Shiva during Shivratri, with perfect devotion and concentration, is freed from all sins. He reaches the abode of Shiva and lives there happily. He is liberated from the wheel of births and deaths. Many pilgrims dock to the places where there are Shiva temples.
Holi
Covered in Bhavan Australia issue 5.9 March 2008
Baisakhi (Vaisakhi)
The Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb, installed himself as the Emperor of India in 1657. To achieve his aim he had annihilated almost all his family opposition. Immediately after consolidating his power he embarked on a policy of religious persecution and set upon the process of Islamization of India. The Brahmins were his primary target. He levied unethical religious taxes against Hindus, and shut their temples and places of learning. He had been convinced by his clerics that once the Brahmins accepted Islam the others would follow. The Brahmins, particularly the inhabitants of Kashmir, looked for some dynamic leadership to fight this subversion.
The Brahmins of Kashmir approached Guru Tegh Bahadur (1621-1675), the ninth in the line of Sikh Gurus, who was on the throne of the Sikh religion. They asked him for guidance on combatting the atrocities committed by the Mughal Emperor.
At the time of their meeting, Guru Tegh Bahadur's nine year old son, Gobind Rai, was sitting beside him. As Guru Tegh Bahadur went into a deep state of contemplation, his young son asked the reason of his repose. Guru Tegh
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Bahadur said that the matter was of vital importance; the world is aggrieved by oppression; and no brave man had yet come forward who was willing to sacrifice his life to free the earth from the burden of' Aurangzeb's persecution of Hindus. Young Gobind Rai replied: "For that purpose who is more worthy than thou who art at once generous and brave." So after entrusting the Guruship to Gobind Rai, Guru Tegh Bahadur proceeded towards Delhi, the seat of the Mughal Empire. Upon reaching Delhi, the Guru and his loyal attendants were immediately imprisoned by Aurangzeb. While in prison, Guru Tegh Bahadur foresaw the beginning of his ecclesiastic journey. To test his son's courage and capability to carry on the Guru's mission, he wrote him saying, "My strength is exhausted, I am in chains and I can make not any efforts. Says Nanak, God alone is now my refuge. He will help me as He did his Saints." In reply young Guru Gobind Rai wrote: "I have regained my Power, my bonds are broken and all options are open unto me. Nanak, everything is in Thine hands. It is only Thou who can assist Thyself."
Guru Teg Bahadur offered his life for the freedom of conscience and conviction of anyone belonging to a faith other than his own. His spirit of sacrifice and courage was kindled into the heart of Gobind Rai.
Hundreds of people gathered around the place where Guru
Tegh Bahadur was martyred in Delhi. The executioner abandoned the Guru's body in the open. No one came forward openly to claim the body to perform religious rites. Even ardent disciples withdrew unrecognized. Taking advantage of the stormy weather that followed the execution, two persons covertly took the body of Guru Tegh Bahadur for cremation. This cowardice fomented in Gobind Rai an urge to endow his Sikhs with a distinct identity.
With the criteria of courage and strength to sacrifice, Gobind Rai became the tenth Sikh Guru. He wanted to instill these principles in his downtrodden followers. He wanted to uplift their morale to combat the evil forces of injustice, tyranny, and oppression.
He was 33 years old when he had Divine inspiration to actuate his designs. Every year at the time of Baisakhi (springtime), thousands of devotees would come to Anandpur to pay their obeisance and seek the Guru's blessings. In early 1699, months before Baisakhi Day, Guru Gobind Rai sent special edicts to congregants far and wide that that year the Baisakhi was going to be a unique affair. He asked them not to cut any of their hair -- to come with unshorn hair under their turbans and chunis, and for the men to come with full beards.
On Baisakhi Day, March 30, 1699, hundreds of thousands of people gathered around his divine temporal seat at Anandpur Sahib. The Guru addressed the congregants with a most stirring oration on his divine mission of restoring their faith and preserving the Sikh religion. After his inspirational discourse, he flashed his unsheathed sword and said that every great deed was preceded by equally great sacrifice: He demanded one head for oblation. After some trepidation one person offered himself. The Guru took him inside a tent. A little later he reappeared with his sword dripping with blood, and asked for another head. One by one four more earnest devotees offered their heads. Every time the Guru took a person inside the tent, he came out with a bloodied sword in his hand.
Thinking their Guru to have gone berserk, the congregants started to disperse. Then the Guru emerged with all five men dressed piously in white. He baptized the five in a new and unique ceremony called pahul, what Sikhs today know as the baptism ceremony called Amrit. Then the Guru asked those five baptized Sikhs to baptize him as well. He then proclaimed that the Panj Pyare -- the Five Beloved Ones -- would be the embodiment of the Guru himself: "Where there are Panj Pyare, there am I. When the Five meet, they are the holiest of the holy."
He said whenever and wherever five baptized (Amritdhari) Sikhs come together, the Guru would be
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present. All those who receive Amrit from five baptized Sikhs will be infused with the spirit of courage and strength to sacrifice. Thus with these principles he established Panth Khalsa, the Order of the Pure Ones.
At the same time the Guru gave his new Khalsa a unique, indisputable, and distinct identity. The Guru gave the gift of bana, the distinctive Sikh clothing and headwear. He also offered five emblems of purity and courage. These symbols, worn by all baptized Sikhs of both sexes, are popularly known today as Five Ks: Kesh, unshorn hair; Kangha, the wooden comb; Karra, the iron (or steel) bracelet; Kirpan, the sword; and Kachera, the underwear. By being identifiable, no Sikh could never hide behind cowardice again.
Political tyranny was not the only circumstance that was lowering peoples' morale. Discriminatory class distinctions (--the Indian "caste" system--) promoted by Brahmins and Mullahs were also responsible for the peoples' sense of degradation. The Guru wanted to eliminate the anomalies caused by the caste system. The constitution of the Panj Pyare was the living example of his dream: both the high and low castes were amalgamated into one. Among the original Panj Pyare, there was one Khatri, shopkeeper; one Jat, farmer; one Chhimba, calico printer/tailor; one Ghumar, water-carrier; and one Nai, a barber. The Guru gave the surname of Singh (Lion) to every Sikh and also took the name for himself. From Guru Gobind Rai he became Guru Gobind Singh. He also pronounced that all Sikh women embody royalty, and gave them the surname Kaur (Princess). With the distinct Khalsa identity and consciousness of purity Guru Gobind Singh gave all Sikhs the opporunity to live lives of courage, sacrifice, and equality.
The birth of the Khalsa is celebrated by Sikhs every Baisakhi Day on April 13. Baisakhi 1999 marks the 300th anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh's gift of Panth Khalsa to all Sikhs everywhere.
Janmashtami
King Kansa was the most absolute and tyrannical monarch of the period; the bare mention of whose name was
sufficient to send fear through the hearts of all good and peace-loving people. His sister's name was Devaki upon whom his brother Kansa showered brotherly love. And that is the reason why, on the day of Devaki's marriage to Vasudev, when the time came for Devaki to travel to her husband's house, that king Kansa wanted to drive the carriage himself as a token of his brotherly love.
The newly married couple were simple and beautiful, yet noble and majestic to look at. They were really very happy. The royal carriage richly decorated with precious gems and ornaments, was being followed by a large retinue of people wearing colourful gala dresses. Everything was pleasant all round.
Suddenly the face of nature changed. The birds stopped singing; the sun was obscured by a cloud; the soft breeze became a howling wind creating dust storms. Ill omens were pointing to imminent danger. An unaccountable fear suddenly gripped the minds of all in the procession. At such a time, an unseen voice, an oracle, was heard from above which said:
"Oh you foolish one, whom are you driving so merrily? Would you not know that the eighth issue of her womb shall be the cause of your death?"
On hearing this, the terrible Kansa sprang up from his seat, drew his sword, and was about to kill his sister on the spot, had not Vasudev intervened. Falling upon his feet, on behalf of his newly married wife, reminding Kansa that not Devaki but her eighth child would be the cause of his death. So he requested Kansa most humbly, to spare her life, she being fully innocent, and promised, since he had fear from her children, that each and everyone of them would be given over to him. Kansa felt the force of the reason and agreed to the proposal of Vasudev.
Besides his newly married bride Devaki, Vasudev had another good wife, named Rohini and with these two loving and dutiful wives he managed to live in peace and comfort.
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In the course of time, the first male child was born to Devaki. Vasudev, true to his word, sent the news to King Kansa, who sent his servants to fetch the child whom he instantly killed with his own hands. Six children were thus killed by the cruel king, who foolishly wanted to avert the course of fate.
In the case of the seventh child,
somehow or other the womb appeared to be fruitless, although it was really transferred, through divine agency, from Devaki to Rohini, who in due course of time, brought forth a child that, on account of its transference from one womb to another came to be known by the name of Sankarshana.
Now when the time for the birth of her eighth child was approaching, Kansa ordered Vasudeva and Devaki to be cast into his prison, bound with the same chain.
Both the wife and husband did not know what to do. Every minute of their lives they called upon their only hope, their only deliverance, God. The solace of the unhappy, ardent prayers proceeding from the very bottom of their souls, incessantly flowed out of their hearts; and the almighty Lord of the universe, in His own mysterious ways, was infilling their souls with infinite power of endurance which kept the fragile vessels of their delicate frames steady and safe in that gloomy and stormy sea of life.
For us, there is a lesson to be derived from this. We can draw great comfort from the Gita where the Lord tells us: Ch.8,verse 58-"Fixing your mind on Me, you shall by my grace, overcome all obstacles..."
Devaki was about to usher into the world its saviour, and she along with her husband, bewailed her lot and beating her forehead said: "O darling, be not born of me to be smashed to death by the cruel king Kansa". And with this, both Devaki and Vasudeva fell into a swoon. In the gloom of that unconsciousness, suddenly a light flashed, and a beautiful youth of sixteen, holding mace and discus, conch shell and lotus in his four hands, rose above the horizon of
their mental firmament, healing all their mental wounds, cheering and exhilarating them with his sweet smile."Father and mother, weep no more. I have come at last to your rescue and to the rescue of all the good people. Open your eyes and see me as your child. Carry me father to the house of your friend Nanda in Gokula. His wife Yashoda has given birth to a daughter just now. Exchange me for that daughter. Bring her back to this prison leaving me on the lap of Yashoda who will be sleeping at the time. Nothing shall bar your path".
With these words, the soul-solacing charming youth vanished.
When Devaki and Vasudeva opened their eyes, they saw the most charming and beautiful baby ever a parent was blessed with. That was at midnight of Ashtami-Rohini day, the divine baby was born in Prison. The earth and the heavens were filled with joy. Flowers blossomed, rains fell from the sky, peacocks danced, the gods rained flowers, and divine music was heard. Devaki and Vasudeva forgot their miserable condition for a while, looking at the smiling baby playing with its tiny limbs. The mother kissed the sweet face and forgot her danger. Then after a while, they realised the real state of affairs and both the husband and wife shuddered. Then the sweet instructions of the fascinating youth in the vision flashed into their minds. Vasudeva clasped the child at once in his bosom to start for Gokula, but found that his legs were in chains. He did not know what to do. In his haste he gave a jerk, and his legs were released! He sprang upon his feet and ran towards the door of his dungeon. The massive iron-barred doors were locked with three fold locks; but the guards were all asleep, and therefore fearlessly he gave a push forward and the gates were unlocked and flew open of their own accord. The crossing over the river Yamuna was just as miraculous. Vasudeva reached Gokula and to his astonishment found the door of Nanda's house open. He exchanged the babies and hurried back to the prison of Kansa. Early in the morning, all the people at Gokula came to know that a beautiful male child, a prince had been born the previous night at midnight to Nanda's wife, and their simple hearts were filled with unbounded joy.
There are numerous monthly festivals in every state, unfortunately it is realistically unfeasible to cover all of them in our issues.
Source: www.festivals.tajonline.com
http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/southasia/Raksha.html
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Senior Citizens Can Be Useful to Society Senior citizens are expected to be trendsetters for the younger generation. As a senior citizen, he accepts responsibility, and believes in equality. Traditionally, India has venerated age and has looked upon the elderly for guidance as they gain wisdom and experience over the years. WHO describes elderly people as reservoir of experience and asset to the family and community.
Old age being unavoidable should be seen as a period of purposeful living rather than a wasteful period of life. Old age, considered an opportunity for bettering oneself, inspires people to live enthusiastically. Elderly person should accept that 'living in the present' is far better than talking about their past lives or worrying about their future. If one always talks about his past, it indicates that presently, he is not doing anything worthwhile. In old age one can live in his own terms within the framework of righteousness and without being tied down to professional compulsions. It is said that life is a school and anyone, who stops learning becomes old irrespective of his age. One who keeps on learning remains young whatever be his actual AGE. 'As long as I live I shall learn' should be the motto in old age.
Though the body becomes old, the mind can stay young when trained effectively and its performance does not deteriorate in old age if used properly. A person who has led a busy life when in service, feels suddenly unoccupied when he is out of job. This vacuum creates a sense of incompleteness in a man and it must be filled up with some activity, physical or mental. A number of avenues are open to a senior citizen for keeping himself occupied.
One can go to libraries as reading adds to wisdom. Taking up some social service would enable one to spend his or her time to serve the needy or one can be associated with some religious or spiritual organisation which helps one to keep oneself from being occupied would also help to live for higher values in life. The purpose of keeping oneself occupied is to ensure that he or she does not feel lonely or neglected in old age. Senior citizens' relationship with the young people would depend on their ability to get along with them. Younger generation has its own reservation on
keeping company with the old and therefore the latter should not force themselves on them. If the senior citizens want young people to be drawn towards them, they must respond to the youths' interests. Another important aspect is to maintain their relationship with their children. Interact with them, guide them when required but never interfere in their affairs as they are grown up and can take their own decisions. Do not come in the way of their professional pursuits and do not expect your children to sacrifice their pursuits for your comfort. They may do so on their own. If children are properly brought up by the parents, nine out often would look after the parents under all circumstances. Certain ailments are bound to affect people in old age and one should not be too scared of them. Some of them can be countered or their effects reduced by good habits, moderate and balanced food habits, regular exercises, avoiding smoking and drinking etc. In old age one should listen to the doctor's advice and follow it.
In old age one should develop a positive attitude towards whatever he or she does physically as well as mentally. Positive living implies that one should not indulge in loose talks, blame others for one's sufferings nor complain about them. Do not allow negativity to creep into the mind. One should have no regrets about the past. Since you cannot undo the past the best is to forget it. Express your gratitude to God for what all he has given to you. Develop a loving attitude as there is no cut off age for love. Be of some use to the society. Everyone has some talent and this could be put to use for others. Follow "simple living and high thinking" instead of purposeless living. In India, the problem of senior citizens mostly pertains to their financial insecurity as 30 to 40 per cent of them live below poverty line. Most of them are not well educated and not cared for by their children. Those belonging to rural areas are the worse affected owing to lack of income and care. It is true that the government has to make special efforts to provide them with healthcare and old age pension.
- R.K. Langar, Bhavan’s Journal March 31 2008
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Australia had organised a special Musical Evening for seniors by Avijit Sarjar and Pushpa Jagdish during the NSW Seniors Week 2007. The programme was held on 17 March 2007
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The Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA)
The Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA) was established to demonstrate the inter connectedness of nature and culture, to initiate dialogues between Indian culture and cultures in the neighbourhood and the world, between natural and social sciences, life and arts. Its five divisions are Kalakosha, dedicated to textual research on fundamental texts and concepts of Indology; Janapada sampada engaged with contextual oral histories and knowledge systems of communities; Kalanidhi, dedicated to archival storage of valuable textual, visual and artefactual collections; Kaladarshana, engaged in dissemination and popularization of the IGNCA's idea and its collections through exhibitions. These are integrated in a simultaneous and concurrent endeavour for documenting, conserving, regenerating and spreading knowledge of Indian heritage in India and the world. The Cultural Informatics Laboratory and Media Production Centre are two other segments of the IGNCA, which are engaged in constant audio visual and digital documentation and transmission of the IGNCA's treasures through internet websites and television. The IGNCA has, over the past two decades, conducted inter cultural dialogues, exchanged source material with other countries that have historical affinity with India; promoted a national and international network of institutions; conducted village studies; gathered a large collection of volumes on all aspects of Indian arts; and, published some of the most significant volumes on the shape, meaning, role and relationships in the arts.
Today, the IGNCA is poised to negotiate new frontiers of knowledge. It has, in recent years launched a multi disciplinary nation wide survey of rock paintings and rock carvings India, being one of the largest repositories of rock art in the world, has special responsibility to protect its rock art as the only surviving and the oldest clue, older than the Indus Valley Civilization, to the cognitive beginnings of humanity in India. The IGNCA has also launched an initiative for cultural root, lineage and history search for the diasporic Indian communities, be they indentured colonial labour or professional emigrants. The initiative has also encompassed the diaspora of the patterns of Indian arts and ideas across the globe, since five thousand years of documented or archaeologically traceable history. The IGNCA has already hosted and host again, in January, 2008, a meet of the cultural
impresarios and choreographers of Indian diaspora including artists, film makers, writers and bearers of institutional,
monastic knowledge systems, mercantile or navigational contacts and linguistic nexus.
The IGNCA has simultaneously started exploring community knowledge systems with regard to human and natural resource management and their deep and simmering connections with the arts and the environment among the forest and hill based rural and tribal groups of people in India, specially in the North Eastern and North Western Himalayas. It has been evolving strategies for building up a culture of peace through inter faith dialogues, and preparation of inter dialect and inter lingual glossaries of names, nomenclatures, terms of identity, equity and efficiency. It is organizing festive celebrations of community identities in different parts of the country. These celebrations are tied to the rhythm of work, seasons and festivals and are codirected by the communities. It has invited seminars and exhibitions from the republics of Central Asia and proposes to look at the collections from Dunhuang in National Museum, India in the perspective and backdrop of other Dunhuang collections ail over the world in collaboration with the British Library. It is looking at Asia-Europe cultural encounters, through a collaborative network with the South Asia Institution, Heidelberg.
A picture of a Dharamsala where Musical Instruments are prepared before the festivals
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P.A. RAMAKRISHNAN (Bhavan Australia Founding Member and Director)
(15th February 1927 – 9th March 2008)
Shri P. A. Ramakrishnan was born in a poor Brahmin priest family in Puthucode, a small village in Palghat, Kerala. Due to extreme poverty, He was forced to leave his home and village at a very early age and came to Chennai (then known as Madras) to study and seek a living. After passing out in First Class in Diploma in Mechanical Engineering in 1946 at Chennai, He joined Scindia Shipyard (presently Hindustan Shipyard Ltd, Visakhapatnam) in their drawing office.
In 1948, he passed out from City & Guilds Institute, London, in Ship Building and Naval Architecture and also A.M.I.E, Section A & B. In 1950, he joined Hooghly Docks & Port Engineers Ltd, Kolkata as Assistant Naval Architect and three years later joined the Calcutta Port Commissioners as Assistant Superintendent, Dry Docks and was involved in the famous ship surgery of the passenger vessel T.S.S. Sangola. In 1964, he read a paper on the above surgery at the Royal Institute of Naval Architects, London. In 1954, he was deputed to William Simons Ltd, Renfrew, U.K. for a two year training in all departments of the shipyard and returned to India in 1956. He was promoted as Superintendent of Dry Docks and Naval Architect to the Calcutta Port Commissioners and during this period, he designed several Port Trust vessels such as hopper barges, tugs, survey vessels, etc.
P A Ramakrishnan married to Saroja Ramanarayan ain 1956 and has three daughters and a son.
Entrepreneur
In 1969, P A Ramakrishnan joined the Shipping Corporation of India as Technical Officer at their Kolkata office and also simultaneously started Vadyar Boats at Chennai in a very modest way by manufacturing wooden fishing boats and small FRP boats. During his tenure at Shipping Corporation, his notable contribution was redesigning of Oceanographic Research Vessel ‘Gaveshani’ for National Institute of Oceanography, Goa and converting a Hopper Barge, he had earlier designed for the Calcutta Port Commissioners. He was the Vice Commodore of the Barrackpore Yacht Club, Kolkata and as an avid yachtsman, used to regularly sail in the Hoogly River. It was during this period that Indian Ships had started replacing metal lifeboats with fiberglass boats, which enabled him to consolidate his experience in Lifeboat building, which he had gained during his deputation to U.K in the 1960’s.
In 1986, The International Maritime Administration with its headquarters at London, amended SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) regulations introducing new types of rules for use of Lifeboats, which was a turning point in his career. In Apr 1989, the most severe fire test was successfully conducted in the very first attempt by burning the prototype 8 mtr 50 Persons Capacity Totally Enclosed Fire Protected Lifeboat with 4000 liters of Kerosene and Petrol for a period of 14 minutes with a couple of Mice kept inside the boat.
His firm indigenously designed and manufactured this type of Lifeboat under certification from Ministry of Shipping, Govt. of India and Lloyds Register of Shipping, U.K. and received a grant of Indian rupees .six hundred thousands. In 1992, the Coveted National Award for indigenous development from Govt. of India was awarded to P A Ramakrishnan. Only a handful of firms around the world had successfully designed and manufactured these Lifeboats and in Asia, his firm and a company in Japan were the only ones, who developed this indigenously without any foreign collaboration.
Social Worker
Throughout his long and distinguished career, He has always been committed to fulfilling his social obligations and responsibilities particularly in the field of education, propagation of Sanskrit and Vedic Studies, part of India’s priceless Culture and Heritage. In the late 60’s, He worked with Late Shri Eknath Ranade, who was instrumental in building the Vivekananda Rock Memorial at Kanyakumari. Besides providing technical advice on construction of the Memorial and collecting funds, he donated a Work Boat for ferrying men and material for construction of the Memorial.
In 1983, the plight of meritorious students and his own Daughter’s experience in obtaining college admission propelled
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him into the field of education. He along with Padma Bhusan Late Dr. B. Ramamurthy, eminent Neuro Surgeon and other philanthropists started the Adi Shankara Educational Trust in Chennai, in which He was the Managing Trustee.
For the purpose of starting a Woman’s College and other institutions, in 1988, the Trust procured around 57 acres of land at Thiruporur, opposite the 1300 year old famous Lord Murugan Temple, in Old Mahabalipuram Road now known as Chennai’s I.T. corridor. In 1997, The Trust donated the entire property, worth more than Indian rupees 1500 million in present market value to Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, the biggest cultural organisation in the world for constructing a Mega Cultural cum Educational Complex, including a woman’s college, school, Herbal, Ayurvedic Park, Floriculture and Horticulture institute etc.
Since 2000, He has been very actively involved with Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and was the Executive Vice Chairman of Bhavan’s Puthucode Kendra, in Palghat, Kerala, which incidentally is his native village. After establishing the Bhavan’s Kendra in Puthucode in 2000, He released the need for imparting valued based, most modern education and culture for the poor village students and immediately started the Bhavan’s School at the primary level. The Cultural Cum Educational Complex constructed within a period of 11 months, at a cost of Rs. 50 Lakhs was inaugurated in Mar 2002.
He was instrumental in organising two mega All India Seminars on Sanskrit and Culture, at Bhavan’s Puthucode Kendra in Dec 2002 and at Bhavan’s Thrissur Kendra in Nov 2004. In both the seminars, more than 500 delegates from all over India participated and presented papers on Indian Culture and History notable among them being the rediscovery of the Saraswathi River proving Indian civilisation and culture was the oldest in the world.
He was Managing Trustee of Vadyar Charitable Trust, Puthucode, started in 2001, imparting free Vedic studies to the poor village students in Puthucode Village. The trust financially supports Pandit, Shri Gopala Vadyar teaching Sama Veda in his native village and also assists in providing financial support to economically backward students to help pursue their higher education. In Aug 2007, the audio recording of the rare type of Sama Veda chanting by Shri Gopala Vadyar was completed to ensure its preservation for future generations. In Oct 2007, a Sail Training School was inaugurated in his village tank by National Sailing Champion and Twelve year old wonder kid Shweta Sadanand of Tamil Nadu Sailing Association, Chennai to encourage sailing and water sports in Kerala.
He was the Editor of “ Vidya Desam “ a vernacular Malayalam newspaper, printed and published by his Trust and distributed free of cost in Puthucode and nearby villages. He was also involved in renovation of various Temples in Kerala.
During his visit to Australia in Dec 2000, on a holiday with his wife, He realised the need for a Bhavan’s Center in Sydney, similar to the Bhavan Centers in London and New York, due to the substantial Indian population settled there. He immediately began the groundwork by meeting officials of the Indian Embassy and prominent members of the Indian Community.
The Bhavan’s Center at Sydney was inaugurated by Shri Yashwant Sinha, then Minister for External Affairs, Govt. of India in Aug 2003. The Center, first of its kind in the Pacific Rim is rapidly expanding its operations by conducting various cultural programs, attracting not only the local Indians settled there but also is patronised by prominent members of the State and Federal Government and the Australian Community.
In 2005, 2006 and 2007, He organised the Justice P.R. Sundara Iyer Memorial Lecture on Sanskrit and Culture under the auspices of Bhavan’s Puthucode Kendra, in which eminent personalities from all walks of life including the Minority Communities participated. The 2007 Memorial Lecture contained a special session on the Sethu Samundram project and its likely impact on the Kerala Coast incase the project is implemented as envisaged in its present form.
proposed Sethu Samudram project with the Suez Canal shipping channel.
He passed away peacefully on 9th Mar 2008 at the venerable age of 81 after a fulfilling life of achievements and accomplishments in various roles as a Naval Architect, Industrialist and Social Worker.
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Subjugating the Female Gender
Amidst allegations of India fast gaining notoriety as the crime and rape prone country of the world, we have our country's politicians crying hoarse over this 'phenomenon' having a direct impact on its tourism potential. As if the degradation of the female gender wasn't enough, irresponsible statements to the effect that molestation of women becomes easier in anonymity appear to be implausible excuses offered by a dispassionate few. The New Year eve molesting issue at Juhu, Mumbai, and the backlash over the shameful act has kicked up a storm with remonstrative anger aimed against such incidents which have time and again raised an ugly question mark over the status of women vis-a-vis their social standing in present day India. That the sexual bias is a malaise of the past appears to be a well orchestrated rhetoric when such glaring examples of violence against the weaker sex are brought to light with alarming regularity.
Setting a precedent of sorts, with reports of such incidents coming to the fore on a regular basis, the Mumbai episode has funnelled the fuming anger of the masses against these lowliest of lowest criminals. Allegations of atrocities on women are on the rise, or so it seems, and the general public is appalled at the apathy of the authorities in taking stern and stringent action agaList the perpetrators of these crimes against the weaker gender.
Absolving the perpetrators of these shameful acts with silly one-liners that 'boys will be boys', etc, we are taking ourselves back to the earlier century where emancipation of women was only a distant dream. At a time when we have a lady as the first citizen of the country, we have males today rescinding the role of their better halves in shaping the future of the world. Defining areas of limits for the opposite sex, menfolk are only exposing themselves to the hypocrites that they are with their tall claims for equal status for women, et al. All the accused in such cases where the honour of women is at stake need to be taught a lesson in affording decency to that ilk whom, down the ages, we have been revering as mothers and sisters. The conviction of those involved in the infamous Bilkis Bano rape case six years after the gory incident, somehow rekindles one's faith in the judiciary. It is not that all of a sudden there is a sudden spurt in these types of criminal trends; such happenings have been a common feature down the ages. An ironic feeling that masculinity was a superior trait and that the womenfolk should be relegated to positions of subjugation could have contributed to these schools of thought then. With the opposite gender showing animus reluctance towards taking steps to match their male counterparts in all matters of social relevance during those times may have led to demands of subservience by the men. Having contributed
their might at the domestic front as also having left indelible marks in the socio-economic structure of the country, ladies today are walking shoulder-to-shoulder with menfolk. Repeated and stressed pleas for being treated at par with men have seen the complete 'social metamorphoses' of woman today. Treating rape and molestation cases in metros as an attack on their cosmopolitan character and highlighting the occurrences of these crimes more so during the Christmas and the New Year eve gala functions as against the 'Ganesh' and 'Navaratri' celebrations, citing reasons of homogeneity of the crowds for these festivals, is akin to maligning the name of any of the metros in the country for the mere presence of foreign students and visitors who in their capacity as temporary dwellers try to bring about an amalgamation of their culture with that of the locals.
Let us accept the fact that sex has become a very cheap commodity in this era of electronic micro-gadgetry! Applauding lewd and tantalising scenes or postures and promoting these ludicrous caricatures as the very essence of the jet-age fashion has been the bane of the modern day youth. The 'channel culture' that our youngsters appear to draw inspiration from for any and everything that remotely sparks of rebellion against the elders and the 'late-night party syndrome' that has come to symbolise high society living so recklessly mimed by the youth today is a harbinger of a social evil that will soon put the country on the roadmap to devastation.
A dress code that defies all senses of decency coupled with that 'bindaas' attitude the weaker sex so readily flaunts these days become an open invitation for a rowdy few to get adventurous. The media too should take its equal share of blame for sensationalising stories of atrocities against women.
Rather than respect the privacy of the victims and be sensitive towards their plight, the disrobing of the traumatised soul shred by shred becomes the gleeful hobby of the print and the electronic media. Where then is our highly hyped dignity and compassion for the fair sex? While not demanding confinement within the four walls of one's quarters, one however feels that the petite few too are equally responsible for the predicament they find themselves in today. Why cry over spilt milk! A cautious approach and staying well within one's permissive cultural limits may appear outlandish for many with a westernised outlook. The fact, however, is that we are yet not ready for this pseudo-cultural revolution. A nation compartmentalised into an urban and rural framework for its populace, identifying itself with a uniform cultural code appears to be a highly distant probability
- Pachu Menon, Bhavan’s Journal March 31 2008
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Kulapati's Letter - Somanath
I do not know when the story of Mahmud's destruction of Somanath in 1024 A.D. inflicted a wound on my soul. It must have been very early. For I remember clearly that over fifty years ago, when I read Brigg's Cities of Gujarat, the wound bled heavily and I gave expression to my distress in an article in my college miscellany which I entitled, 'Gujarat, The Grave of Vanished Empires. 'In 1908 or so, when I came to Bombay, I studied all the material then available to me on the sack of Somanath and wrote two articles entitled, "The Conquest of Somanath,' later published in the East and West, then a leading monthly of Bombay. I do not know whether it was not a reaction to the pain inflicted by this wound that led me, between 1915 and 1922, to create my historical triology in which I reconstructed the glories of Chalukyan Gujarat. Desecrated, burnt and battered, it still stood firm - a monument to our humiliation and ingratitude. I can scarcely describe the burning shame which I felt on that early morning as I walked the broken floor of the once-hallowed sabha-mandap littered by broken pillars and scattered stones.
You Can Talk with God - Paramahamsa Yogananda
Talking with God is a definite fact. And all of you, also, may communicate with Him; not a one- sided conversation, but a real talk wherein you speak to God and He responds. A definite conception of God is necessary, otherwise one does not receive a clear response. If you make up your mind: 'He is going to talk with me;" if you refuse to believe differently, regardless of how many years He has not answered you; if you go on trusting in Him, one day He will respond.
Materialism and Spirituality - Rabindranath Tagore
Certainly the West has divided its activities. It is passing through the machine age. The desire for speed, for mass production, has almost overwhelmed man. It is true that no question of the perfect life can enter here. The spirit of sacrifice cannot exist in the midst of machinery that strives to make of man himself but a living machine.
Power From H-Bomb - Pierre de Latil
At the "Atmos-for Peace" Conference in Geneva in August 1955, the Chairman of the meeting, Professor Homi J. Bhabha, of India, prophesied: "I venture to predict that within twenty years we will have found a way of controlling the release of this (thermonuclear) energy." Today, scientists all over the world are working towards this end and important progress has been made in research. Much research, however, still remains to be done before H energy becomes a reality. We are in the position of a boy picking up a penny and dreaming he is already a millionaire. If we do become "millionaires," however, everyone will benefit, every man, woman and child. For many countries, rich and poor alike, possess the one essential raw material for thermonuclear power: water.
From Bhavan’s Journal April 8 1958. Reprinted in Bhavan’s Journal April 15 2008
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GLOBAL ORGANIZATION OF PEOPLE OF INDIAN ORIGIN
GOPIO TO INITIATE CHAPTERS IN AUSTRALIAN CITIES
The Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) was formed in 1989 at the First Global Convention of People of Indian Origin. Former Prime Minister with the the late Shri Rajiv Gandhi was the honorary patron of this convention. During the five-day convention in New York, delegates from twenty-two countries. The convention pro-vided an opportunity for sharing the experience of international Indian communities on a common platform and to help foster a feeling of "Indianness” and fellowship among the PIOs. Attended by over 3000 delegates, including such stal-warts of the overseas Indian community as Dr. Cheddy Jagan of Guyana, Basdeo Panday of Trinidad and Tobago, Jairam Reddy and Mahendra Chaudhary of Fiji, Minister Thondaman of Sri Lanka, the convention discussed and iden-tified issues facing the PIOs. It also provided necessary forum at the international level to voice their concerns. For the first time, a book on Migration of Indians Around the World was published and released at the convention. The dele-gates adopted twenty six resolutions pertaining to various issues and concerns of the global community.
GOPIO’s initial mission was established to network the global Indian community and to monitor and address the inter-ests and concerns of overseas Indians, both people of Indian Origin (PIOs) and Non-Resident Indians (NRIs). The ma-jor issue of concern at that time was human rights violations, in Fiji, Guyana, Trinidad, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and the United Kingdom and even in the U.S.A (the “Dot Buster” issue). GOPIO filed petitions at the U.N. and made con-certed efforts to fight for issues pertaining to human rights violations. Since then, PIO dominated parties were elected to power in Fiji, Guyana and Trinidad. Several NRIs/PIOs became ministers in Malaysia, South Africa, UK and Can-ada at state or federal level. USA has elected an Indian American Congressman and a Governor. However, the human rights violations still continue to be issues of concern for several PIO communities, and GOPIO continues to actively monitor them and act as the advocacy organization for the Indian Diaspora.
An estimated 25 million people of Indian origin (NRIs and PIOs) are living outside India, just about 2 percent of In-dia’s population, but its spread is extensive. GOPIO, since its inception, has been promoting awareness and under-standing of issues of concern -- social, cultural, educational, economic, or political – of the NRI/PIO communities around the globe. GOPIO also provides an active and well recognized platform for dialogue and discussion to the worldwide Indian Diaspora and to further advance that objective, GOPIO has been at the forefront to network the glob-ally spread overseas Indian community by regularly organizing conferences in various parts of the world. During the last five years alone, GOPIO has organized ten international conferences, five in India -- January 2004, 2007 and 2008 in Delhi, January 2005 in Mumbai, and January 2006 in Hyderabad, one in New York (March 2004 on Human Rights), and four in Brussels – October 2004, November 2005 and 2006 and December 2007. These GOPIO conferences and conventions help bring the Indian Diaspora closer to mother India and strengthen the inherent bonds of history, heri-tage, culture and tradition.
GOPIO is now launching new chapters in several Australian cities including Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Canberra and Perth so as to bring the Australian Indian community in the global Indian community network. GOPIO founder and current Chairman, Dr. Thomas Abraham visited several Australian cities in February and Dr Inder Singh, GOPIO foun-der and current President will officially launch the various chapters and GOPIO Business Council Australia from 9 May to 14 May 2008.
-Gambhir Watts, National Coordinator for GOPIO 02 9267 0953, E-mail: [email protected]
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Bhavan’s Children Section
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Holy & Wise
Let noble thoughts come to us from every side - Rigveda, I-89-I
The Test of Bhavan’s Right to Exist
The test of Bhavan's right to exist is whether those who work for it in different spheres and in different places and those who study in its many institutions can develop a sense of mission as would enable them to translate the fundamental values, even in a small measure, into their individual life.
Creative vitality of a culture consists in this: whether the ‘best’ among those who belong to it, however small their number, find self-fulfilment by living up to the fundamental values of our ageless culture.
It must be realised that the history of the world is a story of men who had faith in themselves and in their mission. When an age does not produce men of such faith, its culture is on its way to extinction. The real strength of the Bhavan, therefore, would lie not so much in the number of its buildings or institutions it conducts, nor in the volume of its assets and budgets, nor even in its growing publication, cultural and educational activities. It would lie in the character, humility, selflessness and dedicated work of its devoted workers, honorary and stipendiary. They alone can release the regenerative influences, bringing into play the invisible pressure which alone can transform human nature
Kulpativani - Voice of Kulpati - Bhavan’s Founder
Secular State - Not a Godless State
A secular state, let it be noted, is not a Godless state; for, if it were, it would be a state which lives in and on fear. A welfare state, while attempting to secure material comforts for all, can only subsist on the recognition of the normal basis of life, on the foundations of the Spirit. It can come only from the inner strength of those who support it.
Asoka was the first founder of a welfare state, not a Godless state, but a state permeated by a broad-minded approach to all religions, a kingdom of God. He insisted, as his inscriptions show, that all religions were to be respected; that criticism of religion was forborne; that the divinity of all religious truths was to be recognised; that the religions of all sects were to be studied.
No higher gospel of tolerance has been propounded since the dawn of the world, and no greater harm has been done than by its neglect. And in pursuance of his tolerant policy he did not try to subvert the social order or religious belief, even in the interests of the teachings of Buddha which had so
Namo Sarab Kalay, Namo Sarab Dayalay,
Namo Sarab Roopay, Namo Sarab Bhoopay.
Salutations to the Universal Annihilator, Salutations to the ever Merciful Lord
Salutations to the One, manifest in all forms, Salutations to the Lord, Sovereign of all Jaap - Prayer by Sri Guru Gobind Singh, 10th Sikh Guru
Money does not create success, but the freedom to make it will - Nelson Mandela
नमो सरब काले, नमो सरब द्याले नमो सरब रुपे, नमो सरब भुपे
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