People resort to gurus to receive mantras (mystically powerful formulae to be recited by them for their spiritual uplift); others seek medicine men and holy monks to get yantras (esoteric talismans to ward off evil forces); some others learn thanthras (secret rites for attaining superhuman powers) from scholars (pandits). But all of this is wasteful effort. One should accept the body as the thanthra, one’s own breath as the mantra and the heart as the yantra. There is no need to seek them outside oneself. When all words emanating from you are sweet, your breath becomes Rig Veda. When you restrict what you listen to and prefer only sweet speech, all that you hear becomes Sama gana(rendition of Sama Veda). When you do only sweet deeds, all that you do is Yajur homa (ritualistic sacrifice). Then you will be performing every day the Veda Purusha Yajna, the yajna which propitiates the noblest and highest Vedic Spirit!
Strange, puffy, dense clouds are descending on the streets of Bangalore, India’s technology capital. While whimsical-looking, they are actually puffs of a toxic foam inundating the city.
Documentary photographer Debasish Ghosh has captured images of the clouds floating around the city and overrunning the roads. The foam comes from Bellandur, a 1.4-square-mile lake that for years has been polluted by chemical and sewage waste. Every time it rains, the lake rises and wind lifts the froth up and carries it into the city.
A pedestrian walks among clouds of toxic foam in Bangalore, India.
The toxic foam gets in the way of pedestrians and cars, creating awful traffic jams. It carries a stench so strong that it burns the nose. And if it comes into contact with your skin, you’ll get an itchy rash.
“It causes a nuisance,” Ghosh says.
Making matters worse, the froth is flammable. In May and June, the entire lake caught fire, leaving a 56-year-old man who was standing on a bridge above the lake with a ruptured cornea.
The froth has come every summer for more more than a decade now, but Ghosh says that this year is particularly bad. He’s been documenting the pollution since May, making sure to immediately clean his arms, hands, and face any time he gets too close.
Debasish Ghosh When it rains, the froth rises up and gets carried into the city by winds.
Officials try to “hose” down the lake, using water to keep the foam from rising.
Residents in the area have filed numerous complaints to the city, according to Ghosh, but the government has done little to remedy the situation. Ghosh says since his photos were firstpublished by the BBC, the government has paid a bit more attention, but still not enough. For now, city officials try to keep the foam down whenever it rains by pumping water into the lake. “What happens is the water [mixes with] the foam at a high speed, and it disintegrates and doesn’t rise up,” says Ghosh. “That’s how they are controlling it at this point in time, so it doesn’t fall on people.”
Actually cleaning up Bellandur and other polluted lakes won’t be easy. Once known for being the home of nearly a thousand lakes, Bangalore has become known as the “land of a thousand sewage tanks,” instead. Today, after years of urbanization, only about 150 lakes still exist, according to the Deccan Herald.The rest are either used as garbage dumps or, when they dry up, filled in and put up for grabs.
“There’s so much pollution that it will take lots of time and lots of investment to bring this lake back to normal,” he says. “To what it was maybe two decades ago, when people say there would still be migratory birds in there.”
Siddharth GJ is a motivational speaker, a father, a Certified Documentary Credit Specialist, and a friend of the late President APJ Abdul Kalam. He also has cerebral palsy. Siddharth’s journey has been, expectedly, full of challenges, but is nothing short of inspirational given all that he has achieved because of his determination and strong will.
How often does it happen that the President of India calls you his friend? That he can spot you in a crowd of thousands of people and talks about you in his many motivational speeches. This may be a dream for most of us but for Siddharth GJ it was a proud moment when the late President referred to him as a friend.
Siddharth has cerebral palsy. But he never let this come in the way of his succeeding at whatever he set his mind to. He excelled academically, found an intellectually challenging job, and also became a motivational speaker delivering over a hundred talks.
Kalam and Siddharth shared a great bond after their first meeting at Chennai airport. –
President Kalam read an article on Siddharth on an online portal that talked about Siddharth’s medical condition and how he overcame all the challenges to succeed in his life. Impressed by Siddharth’s resolve and perseverance, the President wrote to him and expressed a desire to meet him. They finally met at Chennai airport in December 2005.
“I still remember the day. It was December 2, 2005. My life changed after that. I made him a small presentation on issues faced by people with disabilities. He even talked about that at a conference, which gave me huge recognition. I will never forget my meeting with him. I was mesmerized by his presence,” Siddharth recalls.
President Kalam was so bowled over by Siddharth’s work that he talked about him at the inaugural speech of the First International and the Ninth Annual Conference of the Indian Academy of Cerebral Palsy.
Their bond grew stronger and they kept in touch and met a few more times. Siddharth recalls another incident when he had gone to attend a talk by President Kalam in Chennai. The President recognised his ‘friend’ from the stage and broke protocol to come and meet Siddharth in the crowd.
“I loved meeting him because he did not make me feel that I was different. He treated me like a regular person. Often, people confuse cerebral palsy with mental illness. Which is so untrue because it is just a condition where the body and mind do not coordinate with each other. This affects the body posture and the way I behave. It has nothing to do with my intelligence,” says Siddharth.
Siddharth had jaundice when he was just three months old. His parents, who were simple villagers, did not realize the seriousness of the disease. The delay in treatment left Siddharth with the condition which makes him ‘different’ from others.
Siddharth (R) has always found a happier way to fight challenges
“The news shattered everyone in the family but they were so supportive. They never let me feel that I was any less. They would treat me exactly the way they would treat my sister. If she got a scolding, so would I,” he recalls.
The couple knew that Siddharth might not be as well co-ordinated as other kids of his age but he was as intelligent as any ‘normal’ child.
“It was not until I turned eight that I stepped into a school. Then, gradually, teachers saw my capabilities and gave me double promotions. I excelled in my studies and cleared my 12th exam with 90 percent marks in spite of having a scribe who barely knew English. I had to work very hard to explain to him what I wanted to convey. I could not score more because my scribe was not allowed to do the practical exam and draw diagrams,” says Siddharth.
He then finished his Master’s in Economics and excelled in that as well. He was now eager to enter a new world where he could work and become financially independent.
But this was just the start of the struggle Siddharth had to face because he encountered challenges and rejections at every step.
Many companies dismissed his job applications in spite of his incredible academic background. “They thought I would not be able to perform well under pressure. They just judged my abilities without even testing me. I was hurt and disappointed,” says Siddharth.
The rejections continued for several years and then a positive change came into his life when he got his first job in 2005 with ABN AMRO Central Enterprises Services Pvt. Ltd., as an officer trainee in the bank’s document checking section.
“That moment I felt that all my tears and hard work have paid off. All the pain and struggle were a thing of the past and I was full of new energy, hope and passion. I was proud because I got a job due to my capabilities and on my terms,” he recalls.
But this wasn’t the end of his journey. It was, rather, a new beginning. His life took a complete turn when he became a Tedx speaker in Chennai and, since then, he has never looked back.
“I spoke in front of an audience of over 250 people and they gave me a standing ovation. It felt so great to share my experiences and, since then, I have been giving many motivational talks at various platforms and inspiring people to live a more positive life,” he says.
He currently works with IndusInd Bank Ltd., as manager. In fact, he is the first person in the country with cerebral palsy to be a Certified Documentary Credit Specialist. –
A Certified Documentary Credit Specialist is a professional who demonstrates a high level of practical knowledge and understanding of the complex issues associated with documentary credit practice, which is a set of rules on the issuance and use of letters of credit (a document from a bank guaranteeing that a seller will receive payment in full as long as certain delivery conditions have been met).
He met a beautiful girl and says he experienced “love at first sight.” He is happily married to her and has a toddler boy. “I see myself in my son. He runs around the house and I live my childhood through him as I could not do so,” he says.
“I can’t thank my mother and my sister enough for their support. Sometimes, after continuous rejection, I would be very rude to them but they always supported me and showed me the right path. They would go out of their way to make me feel loved and accepted. The day when I came out of denial, I became a calmer person and pursued my life in a better way,” he says.
Siddharth’s story is one of struggle but also of love and support from the family helping him defeat hardships. He has not just overcome hurdles in his own life but is also, with his inspirational talks, helping others with disabilities live a more positive life today.
12-10-2015 மதியம் 12 முதல் 2 மணிக்குள் கொலு வைக்கலாம் அல்லது மாலை 6 முதல் 9க்குள்ளாக.
13-10-2015 நவராத்திரி ஆரம்பம்.
முதல் நாள்:
மஹா கணபதி பூஜையுடன் தொடங்கி கலச பூஜை செய்து, துர்கையை தியானம் செய்து கலசத்தில் ஆவாஹனம் செய்து துர்கா அஷ்டோத்திரம் படித்து பூஜை செய்யலாம். மஹிஷாஸுரமர்த்தினி மந்திரம் பாராயணம் செய்யலாம்.
இரண்டாம் நாள்:
இக்சா சக்தியான துர்கையை துர்கா அஷ்டோத்திரம் படித்து பூஜை செய்து ஸ்ரீ லலிதா திரிசதி, ஸ்ரீ காமாட்சி மந்திரம் பாராயணம் செய்யலாம்.
மூன்றாம் நாள்:
துர்கா அஷ்டோத்திர பூஜை. ஸ்ரீ லலிதா சஹஸ்ரநாமம் மற்றும் ஸ்ரீ லலிதா நவரத்ன மாலா பாராயணம்.
நான்காம் நாள்:
ஸ்ரீமகாலக்ஷ்மியை தியானம் செய்து லக்ஷ்மி அஷ்டோத்திர பூஜை செய்தல் நல்லது. ஸ்ரீ கனக தாரா மந்திரம், ஸ்ரீ அன்ன பூர்ணாஷ்டகம், அஷ்டலக்ஷ்மி மந்திரம் பாராயணம் செய்யலாம்.
எல்லா நாட்களிலுமே பூஜையின் முடிவில் ஸ்ரீ துர்கா லக்ஷ்மி ஸரஸ்வதீப்யோ நம: என்று கூறி மலர்களுடன், குங்குமம், அட்சதை ஆகியவற்றை அம்மாளிடம் சமர்ப்பிக்கவும்.
ஐந்தாம் நாள்:
லக்ஷ்மி அஷ்டோத்திர பூஜை செய்து ஸ்ரீ கனகதாரா மந்திரம், ஸ்ரீ லலிதா சஹஸ்ரநாமம் பாராயணம் செய்யலாம். ஸ்ரீ மகாலக்ஷ்மி அஷ்டகமும் பாராயணம் செய்வது நன்மை தரும்.
ஆறாம் நாள்:
லக்ஷ்மி அஷ்டோத்திரம் அல்லது மகாலக்ஷ்மி ஸஹஸ்ரநாம பூஜை செய்தல் சிறப்பானது.
ஏழாம் நாள்:
ஸ்ரீ சரஸ்வதி அஷ்டோத்திர பூஜை செய்து, ஸ்ரீ சாரதா புஜங்க மந்திரம் மற்றும் ஸ்ரீ தேவி கட்கமாலா முதலியவை பாராயணம் செய்யலாம்.
எட்டாம் நாள்:
சரஸ்வதி அஷ்டோத்திர பூஜை செய்து, ஸ்ரீ தேவி நவரத்னமாலா மற்றும் ஸ்ரீ பவானி புஜங்கம் பாராயணம் செய்யலாம்.
ஓன்பதாம் நாள்:
சரஸ்வதி அஷ்டோத்திரம், லக்ஷ்மி அஷ்டோத்திரம் மற்றும் ஸ்ரீ லலிதா சஹஸ்ரநாமம் பாராயணம் சிறந்த பலன் தரும்.
கன்னிகா பூஜை
நவராத்திரியின் ஒவ்வொரு நாளிலும் அன்னை பராசக்தியை ஒவ்வொரு ரூபத்தில் ஆராதனை செய்கிறோம். ஏழு அல்லது பத்து வயதுக்குட்பட்ட சிறு பெண் குழந்தைகளை நம் இல்லத்திற்கு அழைத்து அவர்களை அன்னை பாலா திரிபுரசுந்திரியாக பாவித்து நல்விருந்தளித்து, புத்தாடை, அணிகலன்களான வளையல், சீப்பு, கண்ணாடி முதலியவற்றை தேங்காய், பழம், வெற்றிலை பாக்குடன் அளிப்பது அம்பிகை பக்தர்களின் வழக்கம்.
முதல் நாளில் ஒரு குழந்தையில் தொடங்கி விஜயதசமி அன்று நவகன்னிகைகளுக்கு மேற்கூறியவாறு உபசாரங்கள் செய்யலாம். அல்லது இப்படி செய்ய இயலாதவர்கள் கடைசி நாளில் ஒன்பது கன்னிகைகளுக்கும் ஒரு சேர விருந்தளித்து ஆடை, அணிகலன்கள் அளிக்கலாம். இந்த உபசாரங்களை தேவி பராசக்தி அன்புடன் ஏற்றுக் கொண்டு நமக்கு நல்வாழ்வு தருவாள்.
It turns out it’s even harder to get into a spacesuit than getting into a pair of skinny jeans after a few drinks.
NASA has released a video of astronaut Peggy Whitson putting on her spacesuit before an underwater training session. The video was filmed earlier this summer at the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. It’s fairly understandable that it’s a bit of a pain to put on when you appreciate the amount of equipment it has to hold. Essentially acting as a one-man spaceship, it has multiple layers of insulation, oxygen supplies, a power supply, communication equipment, and even an emergency propulsion system.
A family went to have the darshan of Maha Periyavaal. Along with them, they took one of their family friends who lived in the USA for some decades. The friend did not have any great faith in our religion, system and especially the monks wearing the saffron; he went along with him with utterly non-interested to meet Him. He was under the impression that Maha Periyavaal was a fundamentalist, an uneducated monk. This NRI had no great respect at all for Him. Not only that, he uttered such inauspicious things about Him, ‘what does He know? Does He know English?’.
There was a big throng of devotees at the Mutt and the family was standing in a decent distance from Him. As usual, Maha Periyavaal saw this family with His graceful eyes, and called all of them near to Him.
They all went near Him, the friend too.
After all the usual courteous enquiry towards the family, the Master looked at the NRI friend and asked about his details, including his name, whereabouts, his predecessors, where he is working etc etc.
Then He asked, ‘you are born in India, and you know Tamil; your wife was also born in India and should know the mother tongue. When you two converse will it be in Tamil or English?’
The friend replied ‘We never use Tamil at home, we use only English. The same goes for the kids also.’
Then Maha Periyavaal asked, ‘before speaking, you may have to think and conceive the sentence. Is the thought process in Tamil or English?’
The friend replied, ‘That too in English only’.
Some minutes later, an old lady came to have Maha Periyavaal Darshan.
Maha Periyavaal looked at the NRI person and said, ‘This old lady is now very poor, but once upon a time she was very rich. But even after she lost all the materialistic wealth her devotion towards the Mutt, Acharya and me has never changed even a bit. Could you please tell me what is the English word which will describe this unflinching devotion, which can’t be changed by external situations? I would like to know.’
The man was flummoxed. He thought and thought for a while but did not know that word.
Maha Periyaval smiled and told him, ‘please take your time and let me know’.
Even after some time, he could not come up with the required word.
Then Swamiji said, ‘Can I suggest one word? Could you please confirm whether the same can convey this meaning? EQUIPOISED’.
The man was spellbound and fell on Maha Periyavaal’s Feet to Pardon him for his ego..
அம்பாளுக்கு உரிய ஒன்பது சிறப்பு நாட்கள், நவராத்திரி. இந்நாட்களில், அம்பாளை பிரார்த்தனை செய்தால் கிடைக்கும் பலன் போன்று, வேறு எப்போது பிரார்த்தனை செய்தாலும் கிட்டாது. கலை, பொருள் மற்றும் சக்தியின் அம்சமான அம்பாளை, இந்த ஒன்பது நாட்களும் பிரார்த்தனை, பாராயணம் செய்தால், மேற்கூறிய பலன்களையும் நமக்கு நல்குவாள். உலகில் உயிர் வாழ, இந்த சக்திகளும் இன்றியமையாதவை. வரும் நவராத்திரி கொலுவை வித்தியாசமாக கொண்டாட சில, ‘டிப்ஸ்’ இதோ…
* கொலு ஷாப்பிங் செல்பவர்கள், புத்தக கடைகளுக்கு சென்று, ‘ராமகிருஷ்ண பரமஹம்சரின் பொன்மொழிகள், விவேகானந்தர், ரமண மகரிஷி மற்றும் காஞ்சி பெரியவரின் உபதேசங்கள், ‘வாழ்வில் சிறக்க’ மற்றும் ‘மனஅமைதி பெற என்ன செய்யலாம்’ இப்படி பல குட்டி புத்தகங்கள் பத்து ரூபாய்க்கு கிடைக்கின்றன. இவற்றை கொலுவிற்கு வருவோருக்கு தரலாம். 50 ரூபாய் பிளவுஸ் பிட்டில் கிடைக்கும் திருப்தி, இப்புத்தகத்திலும் கிடைக்கும்.
* குழந்தைகளுக்கு நம் நாட்டு கலாசாரம், பண்பாடு மற்றும் இதிகாச புராணங்களை தெரிய வைக்க, நவராத்திரி பண்டிகை நல்ல சந்தர்ப்பம். கொலுவில், ராமாயணம் மற்றும் மகாபாரத கதைகளின் முக்கிய நிகழ்வுகளை, ‘தீமாக’ அமைக்கலாம். அத்துடன், ஹாரிபார்ட்டர் கதைகள் மற்றும் டோரா புஜ்ஜி போன்றவற்றை கூட அமைக்கலாம். இது, பழமைக்கும், புதுமைக்கும் பாலம் அமைத்து, இந்த நவராத்திரியை களை கட்ட வைக்கும்.
* உங்கள் பிள்ளைகளை, கரும் பலகையில், நவராத்திரி பற்றிய விஷயங்களை தினம் ஒன்று எழுதச் சொல்லி, கொலுவில் வைக்கலாம். நவராத்திரி கலச தத்துவம், நவராத்திரி நாயகியரின் நாமங்கள், ஸ்ரீசக்ரம் பற்றிய விளக்கம், அபிராமி அந்தாதி என, அம்பிகையை பற்றிய விஷயங்கள் அனைவரையும் கவரும்.
* நவராத்திரியின்,ஒன்பது நாட்களிலும், ஏழைகளுக்கு அன்னதானம் செய்து, பெண்களுக்கும், குழந்தைகளுக்கும் தாம்பூலம் மற்றும் இனிப்புகள் வழங்கி உற்றார், உறவினர்களுடன் உணவருந்தி மகிழலாம்; உறவுகளுக்குள் நல்ல இணக்கம் ஏற்படும்.
* குழந்தைகளுக்கு, ‘க்விஸ்’ போட்டிகள் வைத்து, அவர்களுக்கு பயன்படும் கலர் பென்சில், ஸ்கேல், பென்சில் பாக்ஸ் போன்றவற்றை பரிசளிக்கலாம். குழந்தைகள் குதூகலமாகக் கலந்து கொள்வர்; அவர்களது தயக்கமும் மறையும்.
* நவராத்திரியில் பிளவுஸ் பிட் கொடுப்பது விசேஷம் தான். ஆனால், அது, அதிகம் பயன்படாமல் கை மாறிக் கொண்டே இருக்கும். அதனால், சுமங்கலிகளுக்கு நவதான்ய பிள்ளையார், குபேர விளக்கு, மூங்கில் பூக்கூடை போன்றவற்றை கொடுக்கலாம்.
* கொலு பார்க்க வருவோருக்கு தாம்பூலத்துடன் ஒரு பூந்தொட்டியை தந்து, ‘பூமி வெப்பமடைவதை தடுக்க, வீட்டுக்கு ஒரு மரம் வளர்ப்போம்; முடியாதவர்கள் இந்த பூச்செடியையாவது வளர்ப்போம்…’ என்று சொல்லி, இயற்கையை வாழ்விப்போம்.
* ஒரு நாளும் எந்த கொலுவையும், மற்றவர் வீட்டு கொலுவோடு ஒப்பிட்டு பேசாதீர்கள். சின்ன கொலுவாக இருந்தாலும், அதில், ஏதாவது ஒரு சிறப்பம்சம் இருக்கும். அதை சிலாகித்து பேசுங்களேன். ஆக்கபூர்வமாக உங்களுக்கு ஏதாவது யோசனை தோன்றினால், புதிதாக கொலு வைக்கும் இளசுகளுக்கு இதமாக சொல்லுங்கள்.
கொலு வைக்கும் பழக்கமில்லாதவர்கள் இந்நாளில் தோழிகள் மற்றும் உறவினர்களை அழைத்து, வெற்றிலை, பாக்கு கொடுக்கலாம்.
This video, from David Attenborough’s Life Story series, follows the heart-stopping moment a new born barnacle goose has to leap 400 feet off a cliffside to greet his parents at the bottom. This dangerous practice is performed by all new borns within hours of birth because eggs are incubated high up to avoid predators. It’s an incredible example of nature’s will to survive. You are bound to find yourself rooting for the little chick!
One important verse in the Gita (Ch 12 Verse 20) states: Those who revere the dharmic way to immortality, and completely engage themselves making Me as their ultimate goal with all faith, are exceedingly dear to Me. What a grand idea this verse conveys! The Lord has clearly declared therein that those who have these qualities, that is, those who trust Him as the only ultimate goal and are attached to Him single-mindedly — they are dearest and nearest to Him. Note the expression, ‘righteous way to immortality’ (dharmya-amritham)used here. Ponder over it and draw inspiration from it. The nectar of the Lord’s grace is deserved only by those who adhere to the Lord’sdharma. Simple folks believe they have devotion toward the Lord, but they do not pause to inquire whether the Lord has love towards them. People who pine to discover the Lord’s love are rather rare. That is really the true measure of spiritual success.
Take off with Natarajan 