Diwali 2015

                                                               
       

Happy Diwali

                 Namashkar and welcome back to my blog. On the auspicious occasion of Diwali 2015, first and foremost I wish all my readers worldwide a safe, happy and joyful Diwali and a happy and prosperous New Year 2016.

                 In my homeland India, Diwali is one of the largest, brightest and most-vibrant festivals. Spiritually, the festival of Diwali commemorates the victory of good over evil. The main festival of Diwali coincides with the darkest, new moon night of the Hindu Lunisolar month, Karthika. As per the Gregorian Calendar, it falls between mid-October and mid-November.

               Before Diwali, people clean, renovate and decorate their homes and offices. On Diwali night, people dress in new clothes or in their best outfits, light up diyas (lamps) inside and outside their homes (hence the name 'Deepavali' or the 'Festival of Lights') and perform family puja (prayers) customarily to Goddess Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity. .

                       

Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi are worshiped on Diwali

                                   

                    After puja, fireworks follow, then a family feast with mithai (sweets) and then there is an exchange of gifts between family members and close friends.

Fireworks in Diwali

                  Diwali is an important festival for Hindus. The names of the festive days and the rituals of Diwali differ significantly among Hindus, depending on the regions of India.

Important Dates  of Diwali 2015:

November 7,2015: Govatsa Dwadashi celebrated as Vasu Baras in Maharashtra/ Nandini Vrat in South India 

              Cows and calves are worshiped on this day. The worshiped cows and calves are fed wheat preparations.

Govatsa Dwadashi

November 9, 2015: Dhanteras, the first big day of the festival

                Freshly painted homes are ready to welcome the festive season. Rangolis are drawn,  oil lamps are lit, purchases are made and businessmen open up their new account books. Diwali celebrations are officially in progress.  

         

Dhanteras

November 10, 2015: Choti Diwali / Naraka Chaturdashi

                This day commemorates the victory of Lord Krishna against Narakasur. In his incarnation as Krishna, he attacks Narakasur while riding his mount Garuda with his wife Satyabhama and beheads him with the Sudarshan Chakra.  In another version, it is said that Narkasur is granted a boon by Lord Brahma that he will only die at the hands of a woman. So in the battle, it is Lord Krishna's wife Satyabhama who beheads him with Krishna as her saarthi.  It is celebrated as an important day in all Maharashtrian Families.In West Bengal, this day is known as Kali Chaudas. The day marks the defeat of Narakasur at the hands of Goddess Kali.

                               

Narak Chaturdashi

November 11,2015: Diwali / Lakshmi Puja

   

                Lakshmi Puja is performed at dusk when people open their houses and doors to invite Goddess Lakshmi , the Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity into their homes.  Lakshmi Puja is carried out with prayers to Lord Ganesha, the Reliever from Obstacles, Goddess Saraswathi, the Goddess of Learning and  Lord Kubera, the Keeper of Wealth, This is the day of fireworks and delicious sweets and savory snacks are exchanged.

Diwali

                                 

November 12, 2015: Padva / Balipratipada

             Goddess Lakshmi is believed to have chosen Lord Vishnu as her partner on this day. Padva celebrates the sacred bond of Husband and Wife. Couples exchange gifts and families meet for elaborate meals on this day. In some faiths, it is considered as the First Day of the New Year.
           

            Balipratipada is the tale of Lord Vishnu's devotee, Bali. In the Vamana avatar, Lord Vishnu assumed his humongous form and covered the universe in the first step, the earth in the second step and in the third step, since there was nothing else available, Bali offered his head after he discovered that it was Lord Vishnu. Though Bali was sent to Patal-Lok, Lord Vishnu gave him the opportunity to visit his kingdom once a year when his people will receive him with utmost love.

  

Balipratipada

November 13, 2015: Bhaiduj

             The last day of Diwali is Bhaiduj when sisters invite their brother(s) for a lavishly prepared meal. Gifts are exchanged and the bond shared by siblings is blessed by adults in the family.

Bhai Dooj

Significance of Diwali in Hinduism:

              The festival of Diwali is largely celebrated to commemorate the return of Rama to Ayodhya with his wife, Sita after vanquishing Ravana. It is believed that every house in the city of Ayodhya lit up earthen lamps to welcome their beloved prince thus beginning the tradition during Diwali.

                                

Diwali Legend

              According to another legend, Pandavas in Mahabharata returned to their homeland after 13 years and the day is celebrated to commemorate their return.

Significance of Diwali in Sikhism:

          Diwali marks the time of the year, when Guru Hargobind escaped Mughal custody and reached Golden Temple in Amritsar. The day is known as Bandi Chor Divas.

Bandi Chor Divas

                                    

Significance of Diwali in Jainism:

                     Jains celebrate a festival of lights to mark the attainment of Moksha by Mahavira.

   

Jain Deepavali

Significance of Diwali in Buddhism:

                   Some Buddhists also celebrate Diwali remembering Ashoka's conversion to Buddhism.

Diwali in Buddhism

                         It is time now to conclude my blog post on Diwali. I once again wish my readers worldwide a happy, colorful, safe, yummy and vibrant Diwali and a Prosperous New Year ahead. Hope you enjoyed reading my post as much as I enjoyed preparing this post.

Leaving you with yet another delightful picture of Diwali,

Happy Diwali 2015

As always, thanks for reading!

If you 'Like' this post,  'Share' it !

                  


References:

1.http://www.diwali2015india.in/diwali-why-is-it-celebrated-why-deepavali-celebrated/
2.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diwali
3.http://www.happydiwalifestivals.com/2015/10/diwali-advanced-wishes-happy-diwali-2015.html
4.http://travel.india.com/articles/diwali-2015-calendar-7-days-of-deepavali-and-how-they-are-celebrated/
5.http://www.drikpanchang.com/festivals/govatsa-dwadashi/govatsa-dwadashi-date-time.html?year=2015
6.http://www.happywalagift.com/dhanteras-puja-vidhi-shubh-muhurat-puja-timing-2015/
7.http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-all-you-need-to-know-about-narak-chaturdashi-the-second-day-of-diwali-2143321
8.http://starscafetaria.com/narak-chaturdashi-2015-wishes/.html
9.http://www.diwali2015india.in/picture-of-diwali-festival-in-india/
10.http://www.funnydam.com/picture-41554-pictures-of-bali-pratipada-.html#.VkRL1XYrLIU
11.http://upcoming-event.in/bhai-duj-2015/
12.http://indianmandirs.blogspot.in/2013/10/diwali-depavalli-colors-of-light.html
13.http://www.santabanta.com/e-cards/pictures/59608/
14.http://jainsite.com/jain-sitejainismall-jain-informationjain-stavan/diwali-history-of-jains.html
15.http://aboutfestivalsofindia.com/community-festivals/diwali-in-buddhism-sikhism-jainism/
16.http://happydiwaliquotes.co.in/2015/10/happy-diwali-quotes-in-oriya/










               

A Selection of Yummy Collages Of Sweets And Chocolates This Diwali 2015

       Hello and Namashkar! With Diwali just around the corner, I am indeed delighted to present my readers worldwide, a visual delight of what I call a selection of 'Yummy Collages of Sweets and Chocolates' for celebrating the grand Indian festival of Diwali, right at your desktop!

Have fun and indulge your sweet tooth this Diwali,

May Lord Ganesha Bless You - Have A Yummy Diwali

Happy Diwali

A Chocolaty Sweet Diwali 2015

Wishing all my readers worldwide, a happy and safe Diwali 2015 !

Enjoy the delicious sweets and chocolates this Diwali and do brush your teeth and take good care of your tummy after a yummy Diwali!

Return to my blog for more interesting and creative posts!

If you 'Like' my posts, please 'Share'  them!

As always, thanks for reading and this time, thanks for viewing my collages!

PS: All the collages have been created by me using Picasa Version 3.9.141

References:

1.http://www.yoovite.com/india/diwali-deepavali-online-

invitation/13

2.http://www.homemadechocolate.in/chocolate_diwali_collection.html#.Vj

22jrcrLIU

3.http://mastegg.com/happy-diwali-sweets-for-all/   

A World Of Gadgets

             In today's fast paced world of Computers, Technology, Internet and various other Gadgets, I sometimes wonder that, are the inventions, that Man made, to make his life easier, simpler and more comfortable, beginning to rule over him? We spend time watching television, browsing the internet, chatting over the mobile, etc.,. In other words, we spend our time in the company of one or the other kind of a Gadget. How many of us take some time out and just watch the sun rising or the sun setting? How many of us simply listen to the birds chirping? How many of us look at the beautiful roses or daffodils in the garden?   
        
          I have written a poem titled 'A World Of Gadgets' to reflect these sentiments and hope to give some food for thought for my readers.    
         
                                                           

Born in the age of gadgets,

The keyboard beckons me to type a verse,

I put on my headphones to get lyrical,

As the music flows through my ears,

With my glasses on my nose,

I close my eyes,

The techie Wordsworth,

Gone are the days of daffodils,

My mind’s eye conjures up an iphone,

Much as I would like to be the solitary reaper,

The nerd in me enjoys the virtual world of the cyberspace!

Just as I begin to wonder if this is the golden paradise,

I am interrupted by a ringtone,

Yet another gadget proclaims its existence,

It is my mobile,

As I hurriedly switch it off,

I silently wonder if I have let the gadgets rule me!

An innovative tribute to some notable October born legends – Part 3

                 BenTornato! If you are wondering if that is a misspelled word or a typo or some other error, let me make it known, that I perfectly mean what I say! Confused? Well, I will clear this confusion shortly. For now, I present to you the concluding post in the three part series of my tribute to legends born in October. But we have entered November already, have we not? Has it ever occurred to you what the words October and November could mean?

                 I would like to share with you, my readers some of my recollections from what my Guru, Shri Shri Ravi Shankarji , the great Indian Spiritual Leader and Humanitarian, once spoke on this subject. Per Guruji, ‘October’ stands for the ‘Eighth’ (month in this case) and ‘November’ stands for ‘Ninth Sky’ as derived from Sanskrit. Nav means nine and Ambar means sky in Sanskrit. So together we have ‘Ninth Sky’. Is this not an interesting bit of information? As we have just transitioned from October to November and I come from India, I feel it is appropriate to share this piece of information now with my readers worldwide. How surprising to know that the English months are actually connected with Sanskrit! There are also websites on the internet which agree with this fact.   

                 It is time now for me to clear the confusion on ‘BenToranto’. Dear readers, ‘BenToranto’ is Italian for ‘Welcome Back’. Yes and you guessed it right! The legend in this post is an Italian!   It is time for the first clue. As per the Wikipedia, believed to be born between 31 October 1450 and 30 October 1451 in Genoa, he was an Italian explorer, navigator, colonizer and citizen of the Republic of Genoa. Some websites also mention his birth date as 31 October 1451. Are there any Italians reading my blog? If yes, did you figure him out?  Not yet? Okay, coming up is the second clue. He began sailing as a teenager and believed that sailing west would be a faster way to get to India. Any guesses? The third clue is here. His first voyage in 1476 nearly killed him.  Quoting his words now,

                                “They say that there is in that land an infinite amount of gold, and that the people wear corals on their heads and very large bracelets of coral on their feet and arms; and that with coral they adorn and inlay chairs and chests and tables.”

                               Okay, if you have not figured him out, here he is! The Famous Italian Explorer, Christopher Columbus!

                               His idea of sailing west to India was rejected in Portugal. He then went to Spain where King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella were intrigued by his idea. They eventually sponsored the voyage. In August 1492, Columbus set sail with the Santa Maria, the Pinta and the Niña. After two months, Columbus and his crew arrived at the present day Bahamas convinced , this was India. They were greeted by the native population who were wearing gold. Columbus had to prove that there was wealth there and come back with gold and spices. After setting up an establishment in what is today Haiti and Dominican Republic then called Hispaniola, Columbus set sail for Spain. He was a hero at Spain. To exploit this great possibility that had come their way, the Spanish King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella sent him on a second voyage for colonization. On arriving back at the Carribean, Columbus found the settlement destroyed. He enslaved the indigenous people forcing them to mine for gold and rebuilt the settlement. But the ‘New World’ was not the golden paradise Columbus had promised. Conditions were poor and deteriorated further when Columbus left the settlement to explore the other Carribean islands. On the third voyage, Columbus would have finally reached the mainland in Venezuela  But due to the mismanagement of Hispaniola, King Ferdinand had him arrested and returned to Spain. Though he was never convicted, Columbus had lost his titles and most of his wealth.

                                    After a final unsuccessful voyage, he returned to Spain in 1504 and spent the last 2 years of his life, bitter and disillusioned. He probably went to his grave in 1506 still believing that what he had discovered was Asia.

                                  

This brings me to the end of my three part series on a tribute to legends born in October.

Hope, you found the posts informative and innovative in their approach.

Keep visiting my blog for more interesting posts on varied topics!

If you ‘Like’ my posts, ‘Share’ them with your friends.

Thank you for reading.

References:

1.       http://www.revivaloftrueindia.com/2014/03/12-months-and-sanskrit-connection.html

2.       https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Columbus

3.       http://www.biography.com/people/christopher-columbus-9254209#synopsis

4.       http://kids.britannica.com/elementary/art-88703/The-four-voyages-of-Christopher-Columbus

  

PS: Since this series has been dedicated to Legends born in October and the draft for this post was actually being worked on the date: 31-October-2015, therefore the choice of the Legendary Explorer, Christopher Columbus. This post seeks to provide a short biographical account of the life and deeds of Christopher Columbus as per the references mentioned and is not an attempt to glorify the life and deeds of Christopher Columbus.Any errors or misrepresentations in this post are sincerely regretted. 

  

            

An innovative tribute to some notable October born legends – Part 2

               Greetings! In the second post of the three part series of the tribute to legends born in October,an International Celebrity will be revealed. She is a living legend in the field of English Cinema. Have you figured out who she is? Well, it is a woman par excellence in her field! That much is certain! Okay, time for the second clue!  She is an English Film and Stage Actress, Singer, Author , Theatre Director and Dancer. Got it? Not yet? The third and final clue is coming up!  Born on 1 October 1935, she is a former child actress and singerand she  appeared on the West End in 1948 and made her Broadway Debut in a 1954 production of The Boy Friend. I think that most of  my international readers would have identified her! Presenting to you, Dame Julia “Julie” Elizabeth Andrews, DBE - The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.

                Julie Andrews rose to eminence by acting in Musicals like My Fair Lady and Camelot, both of which got her Tony Award nominations.In 1957, she appeared on television as Cinderella in the Musical with the same name, which was viewed by over 100 million viewers.

               Andrews made her feature film debut in Mary Poppins in 1964 for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. She received her second Academy Award Nomination for the Musical and one of my personal favorites, ‘The Sound Of Music’ (1965) and won the Golden Global Award for Best Actress In a Musical. She has had many other box office successes between 1964 and 1967, making her the most successful fim star in the world at that time.

             She is also an author of Children’s books ,  and in 2008 published an autobiography, Home: A Memoir of My Early Years, which includes memories of surviving the London Blitz.  She has many other awards and laurels to her credit, which you can google and find out for yourself.In 2002, she was ranked 59 in the BBC’s poll of the 100 Greatest Britons.

My Favorite Movies of Dame Julie Andrews or shall I say ‘These are a few of my favorite  

movies’??? 

THE SOUND OF MUSIC

MARY POPPINS

THE PRINCESS DIARIES

THE PRINCESS DIARIES 2 : ROYAL ENGAGEMENT

Truly, one of the most multi-talented, versatile and timeless entertainers, the world has seen !

As I conclude this post, I leave you with the following quote by Julie Andrews,

        “ Perseverance is falling 19 times and succeeding the twentieth.”

As always, thank you for reading!

P.S. Return to my blog for the concluding part of the three part series on tribute to October born legends. Feel free to leave your thoughts, comments and guesses for the personalities of the third and concluding part of the series in the Comments section below.

References:

1.       https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_Andrews

2.       http://www.aol.com/article/2015/03/19/find-out-which-sound-of-music-song-julie-andrews-hated/21155184/

3.       http://www.justsofestival.org.uk/mary-poppins/

4.       https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Princess_Diaries_2:_Royal_Engagement

5.       http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0247638/

                

An innovative tribute to some notable October born legends - Part 1

                         As the month of October draws to a festive close here in my homeland India, I choose to pay a tribute to some of my personal heroes in this post, who led legendary lives and from whose lives, I draw inspiration and try to imbibe some of their principles so that my life on this planet earth is more meaningful and I too can leave my footprints in the sands of time for posterity to remember me, long after I have gone. This is a three-part series with a single blog post dedicated to each part in the series. The first post is dedicated to some truly illustrious Indian legends.   Before I begin my tribute, I would like to convey that doing justice to the greatness of such inspirational heroes through a single blog post is truly a humongous task, but here is my humble attempt. 

                        It is now time to reveal the legends! Let me make it a little more innovative and interesting! The first heroic figure was born on October 2 in 1869 in Porbandar, Gujarat, India.  Any guesses? I think, most of my Indian readers have hit the bull’s eye. But never mind! Let me roll out the second clue in this game of ‘Who is it? ‘. He is also known  as ‘Bapu’ or ‘The Father Of The Nation’, here in india. I am sure most of you identified this legend. Not yet? Then identify the personality below.

                           The legend is revealed! It is Mohandas Karmachand Gandhi, also known as Mahatma Gandhi. The honorific Mahatma , which in Sanskrit means ‘high-souled’, was first applied to him in South Africa. Now, it is used worldwide. Gandhiji was the unsurpassable leader of the Indian Independence Movement back in the times of the British Ruled India. His method was the path of truth and non-violence. Following non-violent civil disobedience, Gandhiji directed India to Independence. He distinguishably shepherded Indians  and challenged the British through the renowned Dandi Salt March in 1930 and the Quit India Movement in 1942. He partook simple vegetarian food and commenced long fasts as means of both self purification and social protest. His birthday (October 2) is celebrated in India as Gandhi Jayanthi and worldwide as the International Day of Non-Violence! Truly befitting indeed!

My Favorite Quotes of the Mahatma:

                           It is time now for the second legend to be revealed. Identify him if you can. He was born on the 15^th of October, 1931 and raised in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu and studied physics and aerospace engineering. Any guesses? He is obviously, an Indian, but who is he?  Time for the second clue! He spent the next forty years as a scientist and science administrator principally at DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organization) and ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) and was very closely involved in India’s civilian space program and military missile development efforts. Still cannot figure? Okay, the third and final clue. He was the 11^th President of India from 2002 to 2007. Hope, my Indian readers have identified him. Presenting to you, the Missile Man Of India, Bharat Ratna, Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen  “A. P. J.” Abdul Kalam.   

                         The People’s President, Dr.Kalam was the first resident of the Rashtrapati Bhawan who connected to the masses, especially the youth who accessed him via the internet.  Dr,Kalam was one of the selected young scientists sent by Dr. Vikram Sarabhai for training of ‘sounding rockets’ at the National Aeronautics Space Agency in the US.  Sadly, we lost this diamond of India on 27^th July, 2015. A truly irreparable loss for India. We miss You, Sir and You will remain in our hearts forever. 

My Favorite Quotes of Dr.APJ Kalam:

                This brings us to the end of the first blog post in the Three Part Series of October born legends. 

Stay tuned for the second blog post in this series. The second and third blog posts will reveal some International legends born in the month of October. 

Coming Very Soon! Bookmark my blog url or add it to your favorites! 

Return to my blog as I continue to pay an innovative tribute to some other legends in some other fields and let me remind you once again - International personalities born in October will be revealed in my subsequent blog posts !

Any Guesses? Feel free to leave your comments as to who you think, I will pay my tribute to in my forthcoming posts!

Meanwhile, as always, thank you for reading!

References:

1.       http://cdn.kizaz.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Mahatma-Gandhi.jpg

2.       http://www.greatthoughtstreasury.com/author/mahatma-gandhi-fully-mohandas-karamchand-gandhi-aka-bapu

3.       https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahatma_Gandhi

4.       https://www.pinterest.com/pin/112027109451229843/

5.       http://quotesgram.com/mahatma-gandhi-quotes/

6.       http://quotesgram.com/be-the-change-mahatma-gandhi-quotes/

7.       http://www.occasionsntips.com/events/top-mahatma-gandhi-quotes-for-gandhi-jayanti/

8.       https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._P._J._Abdul_Kalam

9.       http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/former-president-abdul-kalam-passed-away-following-sudden-illness/

10.   http://www.bankexamstoday.com/2015/07/abdul-kalam-quotes.html