Confessions of a Festive Indian Shopper

                    From time immemorial, the land of India symbolizes diversity in different forms. People follow diverse cultures, speak diverse languages, follow diverse religions and have diverse customs and rituals. Yet, from Kashmir in the North to Kanyakumari in the South and.from Gujarat in the West to West Bengal in the East, every body identifies himself/her self as an Indian. What I am implying is that, there is Unity in Diversity. With this diversity, it is only natural that India is truly the land of festivals.  Indians celebrate festivals with due ardor and reverence.

                      Indians celebrate regional festivals like Pongal, Makar Sankranthi, Lohri, Onam,  Holi, Karva Chauth, the Savitri Vrat etc.,. They also celebrate religious festivals like Mahashivaratri, Krishna Janmaashtami, Ganesh Chathurthi,  Navaratri, Dusshera, Diwali, Muharram,  Bakrid, Christmas etc.,.  The patriotic fervor of Indians is seen in national festivals like Republic Day, Independence Day and Gandhi Jayanthi. India is a true panorama of diverse cultures and festivals.

                     Every month in the calendar comes with some festival(s) and each festival has some kind of celebration associated with it. Every celebration comes with its own share of shopping (as per the budget) in the spirit of the festival.  Vibrancy and celebration are the characteristics of Indian festivals.  With the Indian festive season currently going on, many of the popular brands (especially in garments) are offering discounts, thus luring the festive Indian shopper to their stores.  

                  Many popular car manufacturers have also announced festive offers on the sale of their brands of cars The average middle-class Indian works hard and saves money so that he/she can spend some money, shop and celebrate the festivals through out the year.

                 A Festive Indian Shopper begins with an initial round of window-shopping where in he/she visits all his/her favorite stores and looks through the goods/items available. Then he/she goes home and has a discussion with his/her family and then budget constraints are applied and relevant goods are decided upon for purchase. 

               

                 Then the Festive Indian Shopper goes back to the stores and makes the required purchases. Alternatively, in today’s world of Internet and Technology, with the widespread buzz of online stores, the Festive Indian Shopper logs into his account online on websites like Flipkart, Amazon, Snapdeal, Jabong and browses through the products of his/her choice, adds them to his shopping cart and checks out with due payment options selected and awaits the delivery of his items right at his home. Shopping is made easier, right at his/her fingertips.

                 

                 With the advent of Apps, shopping is literally now possible at the fingertips on the mobile phones of the Indian user. What with Apps like Myntra, Flipkart and Amazon available, shopping for the festive Indian Shopper is truly a click away. Thanks to the advancement in Personal Computers and Technology! I choose to dwell on the positive side of Online Shopping in this article which has been derived from my own personal insights and experiences!  All views and opinions expressed are completely mine!

Thanks for reading!

References:

1. .       http://www.kvkoraput.org/creative.php
2. .     http://travel.siliconindia.com/travel-article/Top-5-Free-Things-to-do-in-India-aid-986.html
3. .     http://www.newindianexpress.com/photos/nation/Karwa-Chauth-celebrations/2013/10/22/article1849307.ece?pageNo=7&widgetContentId=275975
4. .     http://www.bloggersideas.com/top-10-online-shopping-sites-in-india-best-shopping-sites-india/

  

Dusshera

                     
                   

                    As my homeland India celebrates Dusshera or Vijayadashami on 22-October-2015, I have decided to dedicate my current blog post to this great festival. Dusshera is one of the most significant Hindu Festivals celebrated in India.
                  Dusshera signifies the victory of good over evil.  Derived from Sanskrit, Dusshera refers to the defeat (hara) of the ten-headed demon king, Dashanan Ravan (shortly referred to as Dasha) at the hands of the great and mighty king Shri Rama.

   

                  This day also marks the victory of Goddess Durga over the demon Mahishasur. The name 'Vijayadashami' also is derived from Sanskrit literally meaning victory on the tenth day (Dashami being the tenth lunar day of the Hindu Calendar month). The nine days preceding Dusshera or Vijayadashami are celebrated as Maha Navratri. 

                  Dusshera is celebrated on the tenth day of the  month of Ashwin according to the Hindu lunisolar Calendar which corresponds to September or October of the Gregorian Calendar. This year (2015), Dusshera is being celebrated on 22-October-2015 and 23-October-2015.

                  In India and Nepal, the harvest season begins at this time and so the Mother Goddess is invoked to begin the new harvest season and reactivate the vitality and fruitfulness of the soil. This is done through religious performances and rituals that are believed to invoke cosmic forces that revitalize the soil. Many Hindus observe this festival through social gatherings and food offerings to the Gods at home and in temples throughout India and Nepal.

                  It is believed that Shri Rama performed "Chandi Homa" and invoked the blessings of the Mother Goddess Durga, who blessed Shri Rama with the secret knowledge to kill Ravana. On the day of Ashvin Shukla Dashami, Shri Rama defeated Ravana and rescued Sita. Thus it is termed as Vijaya Dashami. 

                  In Northern India, there are outdoor fairs and large parades with effigies of the demons Ravana, Kumbhakarna and Meghnad  which are subsequently burnt in bonfires in the evening. 

  

                  In Eastern India, there are pandals of the Mother Goddess Durga to celebrate the victory of the Mother Goddess Durga over the demon king Mahishasura. 

                                     

                  In Southern India, the festival takes various forms ranging from the worship of the Goddess Chamundeshwari to exhibiting dolls from Navratri onwards known as 'Golu' which ends on Dusshera. 

                                     

                  In Western India, particularly in Maharashtra, the festival is celebrated on the tenth day of the month of Ashwin according to the Shaka Hindu Calendar.On the day of Dasara, the deities installed on the first day of Navratri are immersed in water. People visit each other and exchange sweets. People worship the 'Apta' tree and exchange its leaves (known as golden leaves) as a symbol of gold wishing each other a bright and prosperous future.

                                 

                    

                  On this auspicious occasion of Dusshera, I too would like to wish all my blog readers a bright and prosperous future and conclude this article.

                                                                         

                

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vijayadashami
http://www.happydussehra-2015.com/dussehra-wishes-quotes.html
http://www.123wishes-quotes.com/dussehra-wallpaper/happy-dussehra-image-download/
http://happydussehraimagessms.in/happy-dussehra-2015-quotes-2.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navratri
http://happydussehraimagessms.in/dasara-wallpapers.html
http://www.happydussehra-2015.com/dussehra-2015-wallpaper.html
http://www.navratriwishesz.in/dussehra-quotes.html
http://www.happydussehra-2015.com/dussehra-image-download.html

                                      

The Humble Sinner

This post contains a poem titled 'The Humble Sinner'  that I penned depicting the seven sins that could trap one and the subsequent feelings of dismay and mortification could force him/her to turn to prayer.

Pride goes before a fall, indeed I have fallen,

I made money, money made me greedy,

When I saw my neighbor surpass my wealth, I became green with envy,

In the prime of my youth, when diligent work was my duty, I was consumed by sloth,

A thing of beauty drove me to lust, a plate of food made me a glutton,

When my Mother showed me the error of my ways, I was filled with anger,

O Lord, Pardon me, for I have sinned! Cleanse me and show me the right way as I kneel down,

Before You, a humble sinner! 

An Introduction to Philanthropy

Hello and welcome to my blog. I have chosen to share some views and musings on philanthropy in the very first post of my blog. This is an introductory post on Philanthropy.

Let me begin with a very befitting quote,

                                        “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

As per the Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia on the Internet, ‘Philanthropy’ etymologically means “love of humanity” in the sense of caring, nourishing and enhancing “what it is to be human” on both the benefactors’ (by identifying and exercising their values in giving and volunteering) and beneficiaries’ (by benefitting) parts.

This may include private initiatives targeting public good with focus on the quality of life.The Vedas refer to the practice of ‘Dāna’ or ‘Charity’.

It is believed that gifts made to one’s Parents, Guru, Friend, to a Well-Conducted Man, to One who has laid the donor under obligation, to the Poor, to the Helpless or to those endowed with special excellence, leads to reward. I think that this would roughly translate to making gifts to those who truly deserve them. 

Dāna is a Sanskrit and Pali word that signifies the virtue of generosity, charity or giving of alms in Indian Philosophy. In Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, dāna is the practice of developing generosity. It can take the form of giving to an individual in distress or need. It can also take the form of philanthropic public projects that empower and help many. According to historical records, dāna is an ancient practice in Indian traditions, tracing back to Vedic traditions.

Let me now quote the words of Albert Pike,

“What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.” 

How true and wise, these words are! Let us say that one day, we feel too dejected. If we decide to make someone happy that day, by helping him/her in some way, by

being generous etc.,. , we can observe the change in our attitude/mood after such a generous act. We can observe the magnanimity and generosity in our self, that such a simple act can bring forth, thereby uplifting our personality and making us feel better about ourselves.       

                        

Quoting the great Indian Spiritual Leader and my Guru, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar now,

                                    “With charity money is purified.”

Another relevant quote from Sri Sri is as follows:

“Charity should be self-sustainable. That is, it should create more wealth rather than perpetuating the cycle of poverty and dependence. In this sense, the best form of charity would be providing quality education for children and more importantly, building a good character in them.”

Imparting good quality education coupled with good moral values and focus on character building in children of today can result in mature and responsible citizens tomorrow. This can result in a better world tomorrow. This way, we can leave a better world for our children, than the one we inherited from our ancestors.

We often  look at the  United States of America as the Land of Affluence.This land also boasts of many philanthropists who are giving away their wealth towards charitable causes. To name a few, they are Warren Buffet, Bill Gates and Melinda Gates. Back at home, in India, we have Azim Premji.

To conclude, let me quote Winston Churchill

                                 “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give”

And always remember the following words of Aesop

                                 “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”