Monday, September 28, 2009
Wish you a very Happy Dasara Day wishes....
I wish you and your family, friends, near and dear........
A very happy, serene and joyful Dasara (Durga Ashtami/Maha Navami/Vijaya Dasami) wishes (28/09/09).
Dasara, also called "Dussehra", is among the most important festivals celebrated in India. It is also called as Navaratri (Nava ratri means Nine nights) and is a 10-day festival with the last day being Vijayadashami, the most auspicious day of Dasara. The Festival of Dasara concludes the festival of Navaratri, and the holy day also commemorates the triumph of good over evil. Forms of celebrations can take on a wide variety of manifestations, ranging from worshipping the Goddess Chamundeshwari (Durga) to exhibiting colorful toys on the festival days. There is a legend related to the exhibition of toys that is known as Golu (spelled Kolu in some regions). Since the goddess Durga needed tremendous power to kill the demon Mahishasura, all other gods and goddesses transferred their power to Goddess Durga and they all stood still as toys. To respect the self-sacrifice of these deities during the festival days, Hindus revere toys that are in shape of particular gods and goddesses.
Dasara usually falls in the month of September or October. According to a legend, Vijayadashami denotes the victory of truth over evil and was the day when the Hindu Goddess Chamundeshwari killed the demon Mahishasura. Mahishasura is the demon from whose name; the name Mysore has been derived. The city of Mysore, in Karnataka, has a long tradition of celebrating the Dasara festival and the festivities here are an elaborate affair and attract a large audience including foreigners. In Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, the festival is celebrated on the tenth day of the Ashwin (Ashwayuja) month (around October) according to the Shaka Hindu Calendar.
On the last day (Dasara day), the idols installed on the first day of the Navaratri are immersed in water. This day also marks the victory of Lord Rama over Ravana. When Rama had returned to Ayodhya after a very long period (14 years), there was a celebration for his return and the victory over Ravana. Also on this day, the Pandavas returned to their home after the one year incognito (living in disguise) exile period (Agnatavasa) they underwent following a preceding 12 year vanvas (Aranyavasa), or forest exile that was imposed on them. People visit each other and exchange sweets on this day and worship Aapta tree and exchange its leaves (known as golden leaves) as symbol of gold and wish each other a bright prosperous future.
There is a legend involving Raghuraja, an ancestor of Rama, Aapta tree and Kuber. There is also another legend about Aapta/Shami tree where the Pandavas hid their weapons during their exile. This tree then got famous as the golden tree and on this festival people exchange leaves of this tree as a celebration of happiness and victory over evil. People do pooja of books, gadgets, vehicles and weapons on this day (Ayudhapooja/Mahanavami). In Bengal, the festival is celebrated as Kali Puja or Durga Puja, while in Tamil Nadu, the festival incorporates worship of the Goddesses Lakshmi, Saraswati, and Shakti. The underlying tradition and mode of celebrating this festival is to celebrate the victory of the forces of Good over Evil. It is considered an auspicious day to begin new ventures in life.
Many many happy returns of the day.
All the best and take care….
With thanks, regards and best wishes,
G.Srikanth.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Wish you a very Happy Ramzan Day wishes....
I wish you and your family, friends, near and dear........
A very happy, serene and holy Ramzan Day wishes (21/09/09).
Ramzan or Ramadan, is a period of fasting for Muslims. The name is derived from the name of the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. The word Ramadan literally means burnt ground or intense heat. This month is considered to be the most holy month of the year in Islam. All followers of Islam are urged to follow the basic rules of fasting, prayer, and charity during this month.
The month of Ramzan is further divided into three parts, consisting of ten days each. Each ten day period is referred to as 'Ashra', which is the Arabic word for ten. These three parts are the Rahmah (God's mercy), Maghfirah (God's forgiveness), and Najah (Salvation). The period of Ramzan ends with the celebrations on the feast day of Eid-ul-Fitr. It is believed that God's teachings to the Prophet Muhammad took place during the month of Ramzan in the year 610 A.D. These teachings were eventually compiled together and became the Quran, which is the holy book of Islam.
The holy month of Ramzan is said to offer all Muslims the opportunity to reform themselves and achieve spiritual communion with God. Human beings tend to lose touch with their spiritual selves as they go about their lives. To bring them back to God, Islam prescribes an annual 'roza' or 'siyam' (means to refrain from), which must be undertaken during the month of Ramzan. Prophet Muhammad declared that "fasting is not only abstinence from food and drink, fasting is to refrain from obscene acts". As per this statement, it implies that one should have complete control over one's physical and mental facilities.
The period of Ramzan also encourages the promotion of harmony among members of different religions of the society. Residing in tranquility with the neighbouring inhabitants is considered to be one of the best forms of charity that a person can do. Ramzan is the time for fostering the spirit of unity among all members of a community.
Eid Mubarak…….
Many many happy returns of the day.
All the best and take care….
With thanks, regards and best wishes,
G.Srikanth.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Wish you a very Happy Engineers' Day wishes....
Hello All,
I wish you and your family, friends, near and dear........
A very happy, honoring and graceful Engineers’ Day wishes (15/09/09).
Engineers’ Day in India is celebrated on September 15th of every year to commemorate the birthday of Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvariah (1860-1965). He was called a wizard in engineering. He was an eminent Indian engineer and statesman. He was a recipient of the Indian republic's highest honour, the Bharat Ratna, in 1955. He was also knighted by the British for his myriad/large contributions to the public good. Visvesvariah was born to Srinivasa Sastry and Venkachamma at Muddenahalli village, Chikkaballapur district of present-day Karnataka state in India, which was then the princely state of Mysore. He studied civil engineering at the College of Science, Pune and upon graduating as an engineer, took up a job with the Public Works Department (PWD) of Bombay, now known as Mumbai, and was later invited to join the Indian Irrigation Commission.
He implemented an extremely intricate system of irrigation in the Deccan area and also designed and patented a system of automatic weir water floodgates which were employed to raise the flood supply level of storage in the reservoir to the highest level likely to be attained by its flood without causing any damage to the dam. Visvesvariah achieved celebrity status when he designed a superior flood protection system to have protection from floods and was also instrumental in developing a system to protect sea ports from sea erosion. He supervised the construction of the KRS (Krishna Raja Sagar) dam across the Cauvery River from concept to inauguration. This dam created the biggest reservoir in Asia at the time it was built.
He was also called the precursor of economic planning in India. He took an interest not in engineering alone, but was capable of applying his talent to many allied matters connected with the development of the nation. His learned discourse on economic planning in India entitled 'Planned Economy for India and Reconstructing India' was the first available document on the planning effort of the country and it is still held as the parent source matter for economic planners. He was known for sincerity, time management and dedication to a cause.
To commemorate the birthday of Bharat Ratna Sir M Visvesvariah, the Council of the Institution of Engineers in India, decided to observe September 15th as the Engineers' Day every year. This is celebrated throughout the country through all the Centres of the Institution with learned discourses on a theme specified by the Council every year.
Many many happy returns of the day.
All the best and take care….
With thanks, regards and best wishes,
G.Srikanth.
Saturday, September 05, 2009
Wish you a very Happy Teachers' Day wishes....
I wish you and your family, friends, near and dear........
A very happy, honoring and grateful Teachers’ Day wishes (05/09/09).
Teachers’ Day in India is celebrated on September 5th of every year to commemorate the birthday of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. He was the first Vice President of India (1952-1962), and the second President of India (1962-1967). Radhakrishnan was one of India's most acclaimed scholars of comparative religion and philosophy. He is considered through his efforts to have built a bridge between East and West by having shown the philosophical systems of each tradition to be comprehensible within the terms of the other. He wrote authoritative exegesis/journal of India's religious and philosophical literature for the English speaking world.
When he became President, some of his students and friends requested him to allow them to celebrate his birthday, September 5th. He replied, "Instead of celebrating my birthday, it would be my proud privilege if 5th September is observed as Teachers' Day". His birthday has since been celebrated as Teachers' Day in India. Teachers’ Day is also celebrated in various other countries across the world on various dates, a day which is intended to be a special day for the appreciation of teachers. Also, World Teachers' Day is held annually on 5th October since 1994 to commemorate teachers’ organizations worldwide.
Its aim is to mobilize support for teachers and to ensure that the needs of future generations will continue to be met by teachers. According to UNESCO, World Teachers' Day represents a significant token of the awareness, understanding and appreciation displayed for the vital contribution that teachers make to education and development. Education International (EI), the global union federation that represents education professionals worldwide, strongly believes that World Teachers' Day should be internationally recognized and celebrated around the world. Every year, EI launches a public awareness campaign to highlight the contributions of the teaching profession.
On this day, students show their appreciation to the teachers by wishing them and presenting the gifts including cards and flowers. Also, at some schools/institutions on this day, the responsibility of teaching is taken up by the senior students as an appreciation for their teachers.
Many many happy returns of the day.
All the best and take care….
With thanks, regards and best wishes,
G.Srikanth.
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
Wish you a very Happy Onam Day wishes....
Hello All,
I wish you and your family, friends, near and dear........
A very happy, serene and joyful Onam wishes (02/09/09).
Onam is the National festival of Kerala in India. It is one of the festivals celebrated across the Globe by Malayalees (referring to the people who speak Malayalam, the language of Kerala). It marks the homecoming of mythological King Mahabali/Balichakravarthi and is an annual harvest festival. Keralites celebrate Onam festival to commemorate the memory of a Great King Mahabali who would keep his promise. Mahabali fulfilled his name as the great martyr for the sake of Truth (Satya). The name "Mahabali" itself means Great Sacrifice. It is a popular festival among the cultural repertoire of Malayalees, and falls in the Malayalam month of Chingam (August/September as per the Gregorian calendar), the first month of the Malayalam calendar, and lasts for ten days. Traditionally celebrated as a harvest festival, mythologically it is linked to Malayalee – Hindu folktales; but Onam is celebrated by people of all religions.
The celebrations begin within a fortnight of the Malayalam New Year and go on for ten days. The last day called the Thiruvonam is the most important. All over the state, rituals along with new clothes, traditional cuisine, dance, and music mark this harvest festival. The ten-day celebrations of Onam start on Atham day. Earthen mounds, which look somewhat like square pyramids, representing Mahabali and Lord Vishnu are placed in the dung-plastered courtyards in front of the house and beautifully decorated with flowers, known as ‘Onapookkalam’ (Rangoli). The important part of the festival opens in some localities on Thiruvonam day and in others on the previous/penultimate day known as Uthradam. On Thiruvonam day, King Mahabali is believed to visit every Malayalee home and meet his people. Houses are cleaned and decorated with flowers and traditional lamps/lights.
The most important things about Onam are the Onakkodi, the new clothes worn on this day and Onam Sadya, a feast which is quite elaborate. The most important thing is the grand lunch on the Thiruvonam day, which is also called the Second Onam. Whatever may happen people will not miss the Grand lunch (Sadya). There is a saying in Malayalam that "Kanam Vittum Onam Unnanam" which means "We should have the Thiruvonam lunch even if we have to sell all our properties" which shows the importance of the grand lunch on the Thiruvonam day. The Vallamkali (the snake boat race) is another event that is synonymous with Onam. Well-known races include the Aranmula Boat Race and the Nehru Trophy Boat Race.
Onam is celebrated with a focus on different cultural aspects at different places depicting different cultural and social aspects of Kerala life. This festival is also important because of its popularity with all communities within Kerala. Although the festival of Onam originated with, and is connected to the Hindu religion, it is celebrated today with equal fervour by the Hindus, Muslims and Christians of Kerala, symbolising unity in diversity.
Many many happy returns of the day.
All the best and take care….
With thanks, regards and best wishes,
G.Srikanth.
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