Jharkhand

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Jharkhand's beauty.

Great man

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                "Mr Kalayanasundaram worked as a Librarian for 30 years. Every month in his 30 year experience(service), he donated his entire salary to help the needy. 

                "He worked as a server in a hotel to meet his needs, and even donated even his pension amount of about ten lakh rupees to the needy.

 

               "He is the first person in the world to spend the entire earnings for a social cause. 

                "In recognition to his service, the American government honoured him with the ‘Man of the Millennium’ award. 

                 "He received a sum of Rs 30 crore as part of this award which he distributed entirely for the needy as usual.

                     "Moved by his passion to help others, Super Star Rajinikanth adopted him as his father. He still stays as a bachelor and dedicated his entire life for serving the society." 

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Kathakali dance

Kathakali-Flamenco fusion of Mahabharata theme entices Delhi crowd

·      Performers from Kerala and Spain dance in harmony to depict scenes of vengeance

 Camaraderie between two classical performing arts from different continents contrasted tastefully with the rancour displayed by the mythological characters, as Kathakali and Flamenco gracefully joined hands on the stage in New Delhi to perform a violent episode from the Mahabharata.

Even as the plot essayed the depth of vengeance between the Pandavas and Kauravas in the ancient Indian epic, the performers of the Kerala ballet and Spanish dance-and-song form entertained the gathering on Sunday evening by presenting ‘The Killing of Dussasana’ as part of the Delhi International Arts Festival.

“This collaborative endeavour is the first of its kind,” said César Lorente Ratón, the Spanish director of the 75-minute production that was shown at the ongoing fete by UCO Productions and La Holandesa Errante Films in collaboration with Kerala Tourism, the Cervantes Institute and the Embassy of Spain.

Ratón’s compatatriot Tamar Gonzalez, a Madrid-based ballerina with immense international experience, donned the role of Draupadi, while young Kathakali artiste Kalamandalam Bijukumar performed as her husband, the mighty Bhima. N Bijulal (Dussasana) and A N Gireesan were the other artistes on the stage, which had background music from a guitar besides the chenda and maddalam drums to lend a different audio-visual experience to an otherwise familiar scene in Kathakali.

At 38, Ratón shares nearly a decade-long relation with India, more specifically with Kerala. His cooperation with the southern state’s tourism department started way back in 2004. “It has been my source of inspiration for this work,” notes Ratón, who was producer on the location in his country for the 2012 Malayalam movie Spanish Masala.

Bijukumar, a senior Kathakali student at Kalamandalam in central Kerala, has shown his craft at seminars at the ESAD (Superior School of Dramatic Arts), Murcia, where the The Killing of Dussasana was first staged in 2009. He and Bijulal had also spoken at symposia at the Carlos III University in 2008.

As for the guitarist in the production unit, Julián Vaquero graduated in 1994 from the Madrid Royal Conservatory in harmony and classical guitar. He travels to Mexico to do some courses on Latin harmony and to study about South American music. It was in 1983 that he started his career as a flamenco guitarist in "tablaos" of Madrid, and has since been performing internationally with top Spanish artistes.

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Corruption

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             "Everyone's demanded a pay raise after seeing the notice except those two. We must question them!" R K Laxman

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              Lahiri Mahasaya was born on September 30, 1828, in the village of Ghurni in Bengal, India. At the age of thirty-three, while walking one day in the Himalayan foothills near Ranikhet, he met his guru, Mahavatar Babaji. It was a divine reunion of two who had been together in many lives past; at an awakening touch of blessing, Lahiri Mahasaya became engulfed in a spiritual aura of divine realization that was never to leave him.

              Mahavatar Babaji initiated him in the science of Kriya Yoga and instructed him to bestow the sacred technique on all sincere seekers. Lahiri Mahasaya returned to his home in Banaras to fulfil this mission. As the first to teach the lost ancient Kriya science in contemporary times, he is renowned as a seminal figure in the renaissance of yoga that began in modern India in the latter part of the nineteenth century and continues to this day.

A significant feature of Lahiri Mahasaya's life was his gift of Kriya initiation to those of every faith. Not Hindus only, but Moslems and Christians were among his foremost disciples. Monists and dualists, those of various faiths or of no established faith, were impartially received and instructed by the universal guru. One of his highly advanced chelas was Abdul Gufoor Khan, a Moslem. Lahiri Mahasaya, belonging himself to the highest or Brahmin caste, made courageous efforts to dissolve the rigid caste bigotry of his time.

Those from every walk of life found shelter under the master's omnipresent wings. Like all other God-inspired prophets, Lahiri Mahasaya gave new hope to the outcasts and the downtrodden of society.

        "Remember that you belong to no one and that no one belongs to you. Reflect that some day you will suddenly have to leave everything in this world -- so make the acquaintance of God now," the great guru told his disciples. "Prepare yourself for the coming astral journey of death by riding daily in a balloon of divine perception.

Through delusion you are perceiving yourself as a bundle of flesh and bones, which at best is a nest of troubles.* Meditate unceasingly, that you quickly behold yourself as the Infinite Essence, free from every form of misery. Cease being a prisoner of the body; using the secret key of Kriya, learn to escape into Spirit."

Happiness

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        To live a simple life cut down your expenses, thin down your wardrobe, go back to local tailors and cobblers instead of wasting money on branded clothes and shoes.
        
       Use public transport to avoid traffic snarls and get more time to read and get in touch with friends and family over phone during commuting.
        
        Take all your meals at home and carry lunch packs to your destinations.
        
          Spend time silently for half-an-hour in the evenings.
         
         Follow these regimen for a month, and see how soothing it would be to your psyche amid debates on FDI and price rise.
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Birthday posting

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John Lennon said in his song, “All we are saying is give peace a chance.”

…..and if you sincerely want to give peace a chance, you should be a peaceful soul. For a peaceful soul one should be happy at whatever situation one endures.

To be happy one should be stoic during pleasure and pain, cold and warm, happiness and sorrow, beauty and ugly, war and peace---as the Gita preaches.

And this can happen to those who remain unattached and mute to the happenings around them, staying peaceful itself a lot of contribution in dousing flames of hatred and violence.

We are going through a phase, in which self-respect, mutual respect, common beliefs and progressive thoughts have taken a beating from selfishness, hatred, one-upmanship, power-hunger, materialism and violence.

Unless we give peace a chance we can’t prevent negative situations from turning chaotic.

With information technology on the finger tips, the more the youth see violence and negative happenings world over the more negative they become, leading to a hopeless situation emerging.

Such is the innocent mind of a child that it demands praise and love. But the world never misses an opportunity to abuse and demean the child.

You should rise above all such things to give peace a chance by not forgetting gratitude, which is one of the edifice for trust and respect for humanity.

Be slow to anger, fast to love, faster to help and fastest to non-violence.

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Have a great day.

Don’t take people for granted: Dr A P J Kalam advices Parliamentarians

 

At a time when Parliament is going through a difficult phase over ‘coalgate’, former President A P J Abdul Kalam’s thought provoking book---“Turning Points, A Journey Through Challenges”----seeks to advice legislators not to take the people for granted and address the issue of corruption decisively.

“Recently, we saw two fasting movements (Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev’s) against corruption and many more may get inspired. I was asking myself, why are such movements taking place in our democratic country?

“This is basically due to the dilution of standards by Parliament itself. Hence, I would suggest that Parliament has to discuss for a minimum of two weeks the issue of corruption without walk-outs, and evolve a time-bound agenda for eradicating this evil in public life,” he writes in his book.

He cautions; “If people’s representatives fail in their mission, then the people who elected them may express their frustration and dissent in many forms. Each political party has to take stock of what they have done in their own way to prevent or eradicate corruption through Parliament.”

He says that time has come for both Houses of Parliament to deliberate on this issue of corruption and find a time-bound constitutional solution to eliminate this menaces, which includes the recovery of money parked in accounts abroad.

He goes on to write that such timely actions by Parliament will bring confidence among the citizens and promote peace and harmony in the society, which is vital for accelerated development of the nation.  

Seeking to awake the Parliamentarians, Dr Kalam quotes Gandhiji: “The real India lies in its villages. It is this vast mass of humanity that can help India make its full contribution to the world.”

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Peace

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Dalai Lama: "There is no need to move to a new home. Your neighbour may be very noisy, or very difficult, but so long as your own mind is calm and peaceful, neighbour will not bother you much. If you are calm, even your enemy cannot disturb you.

“In terms of training in altruism, an enemy is really your guru, your teacher. Since enemies are the greatest teachers of altruism, instead of generating hatred for them, we must view them with gratitude.”

Have a great day.

Who is powerful on the 64 square-board, King or Queen?

In a male dominated society, isn’t it curious enough to see Her Majesty standing all powerful on the chessboard, protecting the King.

Legend has it that the Queen underwent a ‘sex change’ in England several years after she started a life on the chess board as Firzan or wise man----the male  confidant  of  the king---with a mobility of one square in a diagonal  direction.

As it was seen standing next to the king it was assumed it represented a queen.

Before that in certain parts of the world, including India and Cambodia, the chess piece was known as Minister with its movement limited and similar in scope to that of the King.

The purpose of Firzan or Minister was to remain near the king and to protect him. The design of this chess piece was the same as that of the king, but smaller in size.

However, during the 15^th century certain changes to the rules of chess were implemented, and Her Majesty obtained extra powers that revolutionized battles on the chessboard.

And the queen’s power compared to those chessmen – Bishops, Knights and Rooks---on the 64 square-board remained awesome till date.

The third piece of chess, which the English call Bishop, the French Fool, the Spanish Alfarez, the Italians Alfiere Segeand or standard bearer, the Germans Messenger and Elephant in India and Burma, now Myanmar, was another major beneficiary of the New Chess,  greatly extending the range of its influence.

Bishop, previously a weak piece only able to jump over one square diagonally, was earlier based on the units of the Indian army in the ancient game of Chaturanga, represented by a battle elephant, dressed in armour and ridden by a mahout armed with  spears.

In Arabia the elephant, as a chess piece, was produced in an abstract form, carved like a dome with two small tusk-like protrusions near the top, and called by the Arabic term for an elephant, “Al-Fil”.

 When the “Al-Fil” of the chess board came to Europe, where there was no knowledge of elephants, in the Middle Ages, gradually the name was replaced by appropriate alternatives, dependent on the interpretation of differing countries.

The Knight is the one piece that has undergone no radical change since the game began.

The earliest known knight is a Chaturanga piece from a group of seventh/eighth century A.D. Aphrosiab chessmen. An ivory carving of a rider on a horse, he carries a shield in his left hand and a sword in his right, together with a scabbard and arrows.

By the 9^th century the Arabic knight, called “Faras”, had obtained a simplified symbolic form of a dome with a triangular protrusion to represent a horse’s head. This was the shape that became familiar to feudal Christendom.

In England the “Faras” was eventually renamed “Knight”, in France “Cavalier”, in Germany “Springer” and in Spain “Cabaloo”.        

          By the 14^th century the Islamic form of chess knight had been replaced by a carved horse’s head.

The name “Rukh”, meaning chariot, is mentioned in “Chatrang Namak”, the earliest Persian manuscript to allude to Chaturanga, in around the 7^th century A.D. It mentions that Chaturanga is a war game based on the four divisions of the Indian army, one division being made up of Rukhs.   

Historically, war chariots, as used for ancient battles, had been discarded as a part of the Asian army by the 5^thcentury. This has led to speculation that as a Rukh is included as a piece in Chaturanga, that the game itself may have evolved during this period.

          In Arabian chess the piece retained the name Rukh while the shape of the chess piece took on a symbolic, simplified shape of a rider in a chariot.

          Surprisingly in Europe only England maintained the name Rook, and even here it is also known as a Castle. In France it became a “Tour”, and in Germany a “Turm”, both words meaning castle or tower.

         The origin of this term is interesting. In 1527, Vida, Bishop of Alba, published his “Scacchia Ludus”, a marathon poem on a game of chess played between Apollo and Mercury in the presence of the other gods. Here he describes the rooks as warring towers borne on the backs of elephants.

         These descriptions of the pieces were taken up by the chess players of Western Europe. The elephant and castle thus became the standard chess piece to represent the rook in decorative chess sets.

          In playing sets, it was reduced to a more practical size, and so became just a castle tower. And that is how the rook turned in to the castle.

          The weakest units on the board are pawns, which has represented foot soldiers throughout the history of the game. But their ability to achieve promotion when reaching the last rank of the board endows them with a potential that demands respect.

          The earliest pawns discovered were seen kneeling on their right knees, holding shields in their left hands and short swords in their right.

          In the Middle Ages, Christian monks tried to identify the pawns as tradesmen, suggesting a different trade for each one.

         The first pawn was known as a farm hand, the second, a smithy, the third, a draper, the fourth, a merchant, the fifth, a physician, the sixth, a taverner, the seventh, a constable, the eighth, a gambler.

             However, these identities did not generally catch on, and pawns are still associated with the infantry.

         The King, the tallest piece on the board, is paradoxically both the strongest and the weakest of the pieces.

          He is no feudal king, leading his army in to battle, trained as well as any of his knights to gain honour or death in the midst of combat. This is rather an ancient Indian emperor, a “Shahanshah” or king of kings, worthy of the utmost respect, to be worshipped and protected.

         It is his generals who see to war, and fight the battles for the greater glory of the Empire. For, if the Shahanshah is captured, all is lost.

         Hardly able to defend himself, only being able to move on square at a time, the king nevertheless has immense status, as the game can only be won if the king is captured.

         It is this concept that makes chess such a unique game. It is amazing that this idea, derived from the culture of an ancient civilization some two thousand years ago, has survived unchanged. Since that time, no other intellectual game has been as successful or popular.

         When chess became popular in the Islam civilization a design involving geometric carved chess pieces was used.

          In Europe, from the 14^thcentury, chess sets for play began to be turned in bone, wood and ivory. The pieces obtained an upright appearance, similar to present day conventional sets in which the king is always the tallest piece.

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Loose talk

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What is loose talk?

          Loose talk means if you don't watch what you are saying or be aware that the enemy could be listening, you could be in danger.

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V V S Laxman

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Very Very Special Wishes to V V S Laxman. 

May the divine blessings continue to bestow on this legend, whose timing  (shots or decisions) is laced with divinity.

Dhoni

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              Local journalists in Ranchi thought Team India Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has slammed the doors in their face. But the perception changed after the retirement of V V Laxman.
              Laxman's parting remarks: "The past 4-5 hours were emotional, talking to my colleagues with whom I've shared the dressing room. I have not been able to get in touch with 'MS' (Dhoni) as he is very hard to reach."              
                         
            Veteran cricket writer Pradeep Magazine: "...he (Laxman)  would not tolerate any perceived or real injustice done to him...."

             Sourav Ganguly; "It's fantastic decision...By this, he has sent a loud and clear message to the selectors. (Captains have a role in selections)."

               

Courtsey Elaine Aron

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Courtesy Google Photo

  

  "So I stand among you as one who offers a small message of hope,  that  first, there are always people who dare to seek on the margin of  society, who are not dependent on social acceptance, not depending on  social routine, and prefer a kind of free-floating existence under a state of risk. 

            “And among these people, if they are faithful to their own calling, to their own vocation, and to their own message from God, communication on the deepest level is possible. And the deepest level of communication is not communication, but communion. It is beyond words, and it is beyond speech, and it is beyond concept. Not that we discover a new unity. 

"We discover an older unity...we are already one. But we imagine that we are not. And what we have to recover is our original unity. What we have to be is what we are."

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Anne

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Should we need a survey to find out how many more persons across the globe living a life of Anne Frank amid mindless violence?

Gandhi

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         You may be a Gandhian, but Gandhi was also shot dead by destructive-minded people. 
          Therefore, beware of anti-Gandhian people, who can be seen in the categories of fundamentalists (in all religions), casteists  and parochial people.

Peace

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Don’t talk much, for people would say you are a talkative person.

Don’t be silent, for people would say you are dumb.

Don’t sulk before anyone, for people would say your approach is not good.

Don’t argue even if you are right, for people would say—follow the guidelines even if they don’t do so.

Don’t open up, for people would use the information you shared with them to ruin your career first and then driving you nuts.

Don’t show up enthusiasm, for people would mock you.

Don’t backbite nor listen to backbiting, for negative people would surround you.

Don’t show anybody their faults, for people would shout at you.

Don’t sympathize with non-workers, for you would also become one among them.

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Peace

Have a great day.

Focus on your goal: Where you are going? If 

the dream is big enough, the problems will also 

be big, but they don’t matter after your dream           

gets fulfilled.

Do not panic: There is no power in a panic!  

Decide to stay calm, stay collected, and stay    

positive.

Stop and think: Step back, look in, check out,  

and think up! Look at your opinions.

Take action: You can have lights, you can have 

cameras, but nothing happens until you take  

action.

Take responsibility: Face it, trace it, erase it and 

replace it!

Harness your anger: use it, don’t lose it.

Have faith: You are blessed and highly favoured”!

Say, yes to your dreams; say yes to your goals. 

Make a commitment to your commitment! Affirm to win and refuse to lose, and never give up!

Make it okay to say, It’s all good. Be thankful! 

Have an attitude of gratitude!

Happiness

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"There is nothing good or bad, but thinking makes it so."