8 significance's of Sankranti to feel proud to celebrate this festival

Hinduism is not just a religion but it’s a way of life. Many might question how the religion that teaches worsh

ipping an infinite number of gods in the form of lifeless idols can be a way of life.

Worshipping many gods is a metaphor for worshipping different forms of nature. Hinduism believes in absolute equality and respect every other form of life. Hinduism tells the way of leading life according to time, climate and emotions.

One such way of expressing bliss and expressing the victory of nature are the festivals Hindus celebrate. Hindus celebrate festivals more than any other believers in the world do. Hinduism is the celebration of nature.

One such beautiful celebration that comes in the month of January is Sankranti. Below are the reasons to justify “Why Sankranti is one of the most important festivals of the year”.

1      1. Worshipping significance of change in nature

Festival is all about worshipping Sun and celebrating the beginning of long days. Festival signifies the end of winter season and dawn of the summer season, which is important with respect to agriculture- the main occupation in India. On the day of Sankranti Sun leave Dakshinayana and enter Uttarayana that lasts for 6 months. Uttarayana means celestial revolving of earth towards north direction. This is a very important phenomenon with respect to year’s harvest cycle.

2     2.Harvesting period for Rabi crops

Sankranti is very important, as it is also the festival of celebrating the growth of Rabi crops. Usually, farmers rotate the kind of crops grown Kharififf and Rabi harvest season. In one season, they grow monocots and dicot in the other. This is a period where the farmers grow vegetables in abundant.

3. End of Winter cold

India is a land of temperate climate. We love coziness more than the wind and cold. Sankranti brings a lot of Happiness, as it brings the end to the winter (except for newly married couples). People start planning pilgrimages, which are majorly  located in the cold areas.

4. Food and digestion

Winter is a trouble period in India, as cold slow down the metabolism process. Indians cannot afford heavy food during winter. Cases of flu, pneumonia and respiratory diseases are quite common. Skin loses Moisture, in-digestion iwill be a spot of bother for many Indians. Sankranti puts a full stop for all these imbalances. It is the best period in the year , in India for humans to break their diet and have as many as they can. As a start, Sankranti festival begins with high lipid cereals like sesame, dry coconut, and groundnut and so on. These foods gives balance to the body and increases activeness and bring back the moisture in the skin to increase your charm.

5.One festival many names

India is the most tolerant country. Tolerance is in every heartbeat of the Indians.  It is even portrayed in Indian constitution as a fundamental prospective of Indians. Sankranti is a perfect example of this perspective. It is celebrated throughout the country but with their own provisional nomenclature.

In Andhra Pradesh  and Telangana ,it is called as Bhogi and Makara Sankranti. In Karnataka, it is celebrated as Sankranti or Sankramana. In Tamilnadu and Kerala it is celebrated as Pongal.

In Assam, It is celebrated as Magha Bihu. In Bihar It is Sankranti or Sakraat. In Gujrat it is Uttarayan, Sankrati In Rajasthan, Lohrii in Punjab, Pahari in Himachal Pradesh and many names exists in every province for the same province.

6.Culture and games

Kite festival is celebrated in many states of India and most prominently in  Gujrat. Bull fighting, goat fighting, rooster fights are commonly seen in many villages.  Few States arrange crackers shows and special kite lights in the night, which is treat to watch. Bhangra dance in Punjab, Pot breaking in Assam are mesmerizing show of class and quality of celebration of the festival.

People worship land, Animals, field crops, trees, rivers, mountains and entire environment for its glory and request every aspect of nature to bestow peace in life.

7.Harmony

Harmony and peace lies in every family on this occasion. People exchange sweets along with sour pulses to signify their co-operation in happiness as well as bad times. In many states people invite their friends and relatives for home. Few of them arrange mass food fares to elevate the harmony between communities. In Haryana, they observe a special tradition Called “Sidha”. Sidha is observed by few communities in Haryana, Punjab and Delhi. Brothers visit their sister’s place and give the gifts to their in-laws and perform celebration as a metaphor of giving happiness to their sisters and in-laws.  

8. Food

Food is the most special during this occasion. People prepare most delicious, healthy and varieties of food that is prepared only in this occasion. Different provinces, different varieties of foods  are prepare according their own food styles.  Kichdi, Sweets, Bajra roti’s, raw vegetables, Milk products varieties, Flattened rice are commonly found in food varieties.

Conclusion

India is a land of festivals, pomp and celebration. Sankranti is one of the many beautiful celebration. With its high significance, Indians should be proud of themselves to celebrate highly scientific festivals like Sankranti.

Memory Card

                                                                                                 

Your mom, dad and the world  

provided and filled your memory card   

it is a card of no restriction          

because it is not a pad of silicon

Its memory is infinite    

with full of feelings that ignite   

It has interconnection

for your entire collection

It has neurons and synapses      

you will not live if it collapses 

yes; it is the master organ           

our memory card is the brain.

                                                                                                                           

Waste is not a Waste

Eat, Sleep, Shit                                                                                                                                      and my dialogue was a hit                                                                                                                         But burning was my butt                                                                                                                            Because it was just a taunt

Then; I realized it was excreta                                                                                                                  Creator and communicator of miasma                                                                                                    My Town pig’s favorite and perpetuate                                                                                                  but for us it was a proclaimer of enigma

As we grow; perceived the process                                                                                                          Of Ingestion, Digestion, Absorption and excretion                                                                                  Still it remains a stink and stress                                                                                                                Ah!  Ha, Pain inside consolation.

We grew further and started                                                                                                                       Reprimands of dignity and wasting food                                                                                                   this rots in the road to turn road dirty                                                                                                         everywhere shit and stink in the city

It’s all the action of invisible demons                                                                                                        that turns food to poison                                                                                                                            Poison is to us we are mere humans                                                                                                          not for them who turn this earth heaven

They say

Don’t mistake we are friendly demons                                                                                                      We turn your waste to compost                                                                                                                  Give it to trees they will flourish the green                                                                                                We compose and compost

Eat, Sleep, Shit                                                                                                                                          and my dialogue was a hit                                                                                                                          Be responsible and never regret                                                                                                                After all waste is not a waste

Read This never heard Story of Akbar's Treachery

We all have studied Akbar the great, Who is called Shenshah. We have even saw the film showing his greatness of the Akbar. His rule, his glory, greatness of Mughal empire.

But I’m going to lesser known wicked face of Akbar.  Though  This is documented clearly, but for hidden reasons or say it a hidden propaganda, whatever is the reason was hidden away from textbooks.

This came to my perception in a poetry meet. The challenge was to pick the topics and write a poem on the same topic.  I was one among those who recited the poems.  But the most impressed one was written by a Hindi poet, who hails out from Kashmir. He described entire history of Kashmir in his poem which was amazing.

In his Poem he describe pre-vedic times and written Kashmir name came from Kashyap rishi who was one among the seven great saint created by Lord Brahma( According to Hindu mythology) and the beautiful lakes present in the valley.

Kashmir was the center province for Hindus, then for Buddhist’s and later transformed by Islamist's during 13^th to 15th century. It was conversion of Gurez to Shia Muslim’s by Persian immigrants was the foremost reason for the Islam conversion of Kashmir valley which is now provinces of three countries- India, Pakistan and China.

He took name of Shah Mir who was the first Muslim ruler of Kashmir and then told about Habba Khatoon her beauty, her poems and her talented. He beautifully depicted the Love of Emperor Yousuf Shah Chak. He described his bravery for defeating the army of Akbar for two times. Though his army is very small compared to Akbar’s army, but it was not possible for Akbar to match his bravery.

This is where Akbar showed his black face which is lesser known to the world.  Cunning Akbar invited Yousuf Shah Chak for peace talks , but his nature of annexure turned him an emperor which we never read in our books.  He arrested Yousuf Shah Chak by treachery for the rest of his life.  He was jailed in Bengal and died in Bihar.

Habba khatoon opposed Yousuf’s travel to Delhi as she doubted Akbar’s bait.  She writes this in her poem and also tells that Yousuf was from a group of Indo-Aryan civilization which was predominantly believed in Hinduism.

When I Checked this in Wikipedia I felt this was true. Once I use to think Why revolutionaries are still terrorists in our textbook’s description of freedom struggle and this knowledge increased my doubt Whether the History we read and reading are twisted History which is far away from truth.

Review of an Ekphrastic beauty - Savour Art and Poetry meet

We all knew he illustrations of R K Laxman and their importance to R K Narayan and his stories. Always writing and images go in hand. Writer writes his imaginations which is used by painter to give it a virtual life. This is very common but creating a literary piece by taking inspiration from images is  difficult and this art is known as Ekphrastic art.

In India literary world it’s rare and such ekphrastic poems came from pen of Vijaya Gowrisankar.

 “Savour” is  Ekphrastic collection of poems. This collection consists of The book contains 58 paintings from 19 artists, including 5 Mouth and Foot Painting artists (artists who paint with their mouth and foot, due to some disability). 73 poems in 20 poetic forms have been written against 58 paintings.

Daigram 1-Shade of camels in light

Collection start with description of shades of sun in the desert describing beauty of nature and life.

Diagram -2- Mumbai Skyline

Suddenly the hue of beauty turn to civilization and describes beauty in civilized city. Description of envisions linked to nature is exclusive as the poetess call it a taste of success.

3) Flying bird

Poetess describes the bird at the top of the world with big dreams of great heights. The description of way a bird learns to fly and it’s comparison to make and break is exclusive.

4)Fearless

Description of a brave and blessed girl who compares herself to free bird is a literary beauty.

5)Camping site

When life seems distress poets searches for a calm place and it’s description is where image meets words.

6) Kathakali

Poem beautifully exaggerates the beauty of facial makeup and head dress of kathakali dancer and describes the wonder facial expressions.

7)Lavender fields

Poem describes the beauty of lavender field and it’s fragrance. This gives you a golden touch of nature’s essence.

8) Lakeside Acrylic painting

Description of lakeside view‘s healing power is depicted in poem.

9)Shaded of horse

Poetess compares it with the journey towards the the goal.

10) Krishna

Nothing to comment, it’s just fabulous to read description of little Krishna.

11) Big hand

Poem describes door of opportunities and misses.

12) Saxophone

Chords of saxophone will chord your inner behavior just like the lines in the poem does.

13)Heart connection

This poem describes how heart connections gives happiness in our life.

13) Drift

This poem describe how change in thought and feelings causes a drift between the two.

Below are the headings I have given to the remaining paintings.

14) I seek answers

15) Beautiful Blue Mountain

16) Cute Girl

17) Beautiful artist

18) Cuteness overloaded

19) Snow at its flow

20) Traditional dance

21) Beauty of Shadow

22) Flock of Monks

23) City’s flying babies

24)`Ardhanarishwara

25) Festival

26) Patrol

27) Kali parade

28) Lighting

29) Beauty hidden

30) Light in the darkness

31) Forest girl

32) Jump high

33) Fallen

34) Lake view

35) Cycle in the shade

36) Gathering

37) flower merchant

38) Sea Shore

39) Loving animals

40) Shut your mouth

50) Forest lane

51) Darkness below moon

52) Shade of green on tar

53) Who is masking whom?

54) Reality or camouflage

55) Draupadi saree

56) Utsav

57) Dance

58) Bhakti movement

59)one over the other

60) Statue in the lake

61) Waterfalls

62) Dream city

63) Ice Candy

Like this every paintings are mesmerizing, the poems showcases a new world. I feel this is one beautiful collection every book lovers will feel happy to buy.

 You can Buy this book @ https://www.amazon.in/Savour-Poetry-meet-Vijaya-Gowrisankar/dp/9385945963/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1506186355&sr=8-1&keywords=Vijaya+Gowrisankar

Note: Headings are my my perceptions of the images.

Yes, We Changed Smart

In 10 years

Yes, We Changed Smart

Way back in 2008, I use to crank a joke on my friend who was having a touch screen mobile, and use it to find the routes while we go out during those golden years of graduation. We use to tease him as Ekalavya for using his thumb, the most to slither on his phone. 

It’s been 9 years and the time has reversed. We were the one who teased him during those years, and now we are so addicted to smart phones.

 We use GPS ; even to find the way the bus goes if we travel. We use Information Technology to check where we are in our journey. We check everything in mobile, Location and mobile are inseparable to us. 

For  few of my friends who are in Sales work, no need to mention. They may lose their jobs without location finder because without GEO locating their visits, they probably cannot work. More precisely they will lose their appraisal, because without GPS they can reach hardly few sites they are allotted to visit.

Yes, it’s mobile Application era, we can skip our breakfast to reach in time, but we cannot go to office if we forget to take our Smartphones.

They are not just assets for us; but, a part and partial of our life; say, a Second wife if you are married and Girlfriend if you are a bachelor. It has even gone to further where a firm can be opened just by keeping a App, travel agencies are sprouting like a green algae on a swamp. Everybody  use this mobility and the world is absolutely mobile (Locomotive).

Shanknaad of Ilkal guys to reduce Cracker burning

Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the finest festivals celebrated in India. It is a treat to watch the processions during the festival; especially during Ganesh Visarjan.

The procession always goes pomp. Music, dance, throwing colors, lights and burning crackers are very common during Ganesh Visrajan.

While we see the great enchantment in the processions of farewells of Street Ganesh idols. Individual house will not stay far behind. Every house bid adieu to their respective idols founded and worshiped in their house during the festival.

Individual house cannot afford orchestra, loud speakers. But most houses burn crackers to their financial capacity. They invite friends, relatives while leaving Ganesh.

Why reduce crackers

It’s  the burning of crackers, that has not just become an usual practice; but, the matter of pride for the individual families.

Burning crackers can be fun; but, if we think of the pollution, it is huge. When the number of people who burn crackers are huge, pollution will be automatically high. Though social workers and environmentalists spread a lot of lessons, but it’s of less use.

Apart from the awareness that environmentalists create, there are hardly any measures taken to reduce burning crackers.

Shanknaad

Shanknaad is not new; it is an age old tradition in India. Coonch, bells, anklets, small drums were the regular instruments in orchestra in any festival celebration in Hinduism.

The same old orchestra tradition was planned to bring to their residences by 5 environment caretakers in my town Ilkal. They collected 5 Coonch’s to initiate the process. They brought back this age old tradition to the town to reduce burning of crackers.

These guys took their Coonch’s  and address the people to stop burning cracker during Ganesh processions.  They blew these Coonch’s to produce good and loud ornamental voice in the Ganesh Visarjan procession in their house along with a few of friends and their neighbor’s houses.

Inspiration

5 friends went to trip to Ladakh few months before Ganesh festival. On their way back to home they visited Haridwar. In Haridwar, one among these five saw a big size Coonch in one of the shops and he got astonished to see its size.

He then inquired the shop owner about conch and got interested in buying it. The shop owner told him a rate of 5000 rupees; which, he thought, was too much for the Coonch. He blamed the shop owner for telling high rate, but the shop owner justified it’s rate and explained the guy about its quality, and offered him a pamphlet printed the announcement of rupees 1 lakh on proving his  Coonch’s duplicate.  

After giving pamphlet, shop owner blew the Coonch. It’s mesmerizing sound and loudness impressed the guy and he bought it. By watching this Shanknaad; the concept was incepted in another guy; and he explained the concept to his other friends. They were impressed and each of them bought a Coonch and stayed one day in Haridwar to learn blowing it from that shop owner.

Effect

Though the effect of this concept could not achieve huge success, but till now they have stopped cracker burning in 11 houses, which avoided burning at-least 15000 rupees of crackers accumulating those 11 houses.