Britney's Baby - Sean Preston

Britney has finally shown her baby to the world!! Britney takes her 4 month old son Sean Preston to Hindu Temple near her house in Malibu. He was blessed by the priest there. She also put a red bindi on her forehead when she left the temple.

Celebrations !!

Hi!! I am back at blogging! We celebrated Rajeev's birthday with his cousin brother Gagan who had come from Delhi to stay with us for a week. We took Gagan to Marine Drive and then went to Copper Chimney to have dinner at Worli Seaface! So it wasn't a very eventful birthday celebration ( I had to drop my plans of a surprize party at the last minute )however it was a good one. I also visited this new joint which has opened up near Marine drive - Salt Water Grill!! Amazing place! You juz have to vist it. Its got a section where you can enjoy watre sports like - para surfing , riding on a motor boat , rafting etc. Its amazing!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RAJEEV!

A VERY VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU RAJEEV!!! MAY YOU LIVE A LONG , HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS LIFE!!

Rajeev's Birthday tomorrow!

Tomorrow is Rajeev's birthday! I am very excited , although I don't know how we would be celebrating it. The good thing is tomorrow is Saturday so we can enjoy till late night! I shall keep you posted!

Happy Republic Day

26th January is the Indian Republic Day. A very important day for Indians. Thought I should share a detailed article on the same :

Also go through the following photos for more infomation : India Calling

Introduction

August 15, 1947 saw the birth of Independent India marking the beginning of the end of Colonial rule. It was on 26th of November, 1949 that the Constituent Assembly adopted, enacted and gave to the nation the Indian Constitution with the following preamble:
We, the people of India, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic and to secure to all its citizens:
JUSTICE, social, economic and political; LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship; EQUALITY of status and of opportunity; and to promote among them allFRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation.
In our Constituent Assembly this twenty-sixth day of November, 1949, do hereby adopt, enact and give to ourselves this Constitution.
To a people beset by caste, class and gender oppression, the Constitution of India held out the hope of equality; to a country plagued by violence and the political exploitation of religious difference, it promised secularism and the rule of law.
Today, the Republic Day is celebrated with much enthusiasm all over the country and especially in the capital, New Delhi where the celebrations start with the Presidential address to the nation. The beginning of the occasion is always a solemn reminder of the sacrifice of the martyrs who died for the country in the freedom movement and the succeeding wars for the defense of sovereignty of the country. Then, the President comes forward to award the medals of bravery to the people from the armed forces for their exceptional courage in the field and also to the civilians, who have distinguished themselves by their different acts of valour in different situations.
To mark the importance of this occasion, every year a grand parade is held in the capital, from the Rajghat, along the Vijaypath. The different regiments of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force march past in all their finery and official decorations. Even the horses of the cavalry are attractively caparisoned to suit the occasion. The crème of N.C.C cadets, selected from all over the country consider it an honour to participate in this event, as do the school children from various schools in the capital. They spend many days preparing for the event and no expense is spared to see that every detail is taken care of, from their practice for the drills, to the essential props and their uniforms.
The parade is followed by a pageant of spectacular displays from the different states of the country. These moving exhibits depict scenes of activities of people in those states and the music and songs of that particular state accompany each display. Each display brings out the diversity and richness of the culture of India and the whole show lends a festive air to the occasion. The parade and the ensuing pageantry is telecast by the National Television and is watched by millions of viewers in every corner of the country.
As Indians, let us pledge to uphold the promise of the Constitution and conduct ourselves in such a manner that we can be proud of our country, our heritage and proud to be known as Indians all over the world. We must be proud of our culture, traditions, customs, religions, languages, social norms and the individual distinctiveness that makes India a wonderful multi-cultural country.



Jana-Gana-Mana(Thou Art the Ruler of All Minds) The Indian National anthem, composed originally in Bengali by Rabindranath Tagore, was adopted in its Hindi version by the Constituent Assembly as the National Anthem of India on 24th January 1950. It was first sung on 27th December 1911 at the Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress. The complete song consists of five stanzas. Tagore himself rendered the lyrics into English.
NATIONAL ANTHEM OF INDIA :
Jana-gana-mana-adhinayaka, jaya he Bharata-bhagya-vidhata.
Punjab-Sindh-Gujarat-Maratha Dravida-Utkala-Banga
Vindhya-Himachala-Yamuna-Ganga Uchchala-Jaladhi-taranga.
Tava shubha name jage, Tava shubha asisa mage,
Gahe tava jaya gatha,
Jana-gana-mangala-dayaka jaya he Bharata-bhagya-vidhata.
Jaya he, jaya he, jaya he, Jaya jaya jaya, jaya he!

English Translation of The National Anthem
Thou are the ruler of the minds of all people, dispenser of India's destiny.The name rouses the hearts of Punjab, Sind, Gujarat and Maratha. Of the Dravid and Orissa and Bengal.It echoes in the hills of Vindhyas and Himalayas, mingles in the music of Yamuna and Ganga and is chanted by the waves of the Indian Sea.They pray for your blessing and sing thy praise. The salvation of all people is thy hand, thou dispenser of India's destiny. Victory, Victory, Victory to thee.

The song Vande Mataram, composed in Sanskrit by Bankimchandra Chatterji, was a source of inspiration to the people in their struggle for freedom. It has an equal status with Jana-gana-mana. The first political occasion when it was sung was the 1896 session of the Indian National Congress.
The following is the text of its first stanza.....
Vande Mataram! Sujalam, suphalam, malayaja shitalam,
Shasyashyamalam, Mataram! Shubhrajyothsna pulakitayaminim, Phullakusumita drumadala shobhinim, Suhasinim sumadhura bhashinim, Sukhadam varadam, Mataram!

English translation of our National Song
The English translation of the stanza rendered by Sri Aurobindo in prose 1 is: I bow to thee, Mother, richly-watered, richly-fruited, cool with the winds of the south, dark with the crops of the harvests, The Mother! Her nights rejoicing in the glory of the moonlight, her lands clothed beautifully with her trees in flowering bloom, sweet of laughter, sweet of speech, The Mother, giver of boons, giver of bliss.

There are around 22 languages recognized by the Indian Constitution. These languages are :· Assamese · Bengali · Bodo · Dogri · Gujarati · Hindi · Kannada · Kashmiri · Konkani · Maithili · Malayalam · Manipuri · Marathi · Nepali · Oriya · Punjabi · Sanskrit · Santhali · Sindhi · Tamil · Telugu · Urdu
Hindi is the official and main link language of India. Its homeland is mainly in the north of India, but it is spoken and widely understood in all urban centers of India. It is written in the Devanagri script, which is phonetic and, unlike English, is pronounced as it is written. Hindi is a direct descendant of Sanskrit through Prakrit and Apabhramsha. It has been influenced and enriched by Dravidian, Turkish, Farsi, Arabic, Portugese and English. It is a very expressive language. In poetry and songs, it can convey emotions using simple and gentle words. It can also be used for exact and rational reasoning.

1858 India comes under direct rule of the British crown after failed Indian mutiny.
1885 Indian National Congress founded as forum for emerging nationalist feeling.
1920-22 Nationalist figurehead Mahatma Gandhi launches anti-British civil disobedience campaign.
1942-43 Congress launches "Quit India" movement.
1947 End of British rule and partition of sub-continent into mainly Hindu India and Muslim-majority state of Pakistan.
Newly independent
1947-48 hundreds of thousands die in widespread communal bloodshed after partition.
1948 Mahatma Gandhi assassinated by Hindu extremist.
1948 War with Pakistan over disputed territory of Kashmir.
1951-52 Congress Party wins first general elections under leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru.
Regional tensions
1962 India loses brief border war with China.
1964 Death of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
1965 Second war with Pakistan over Kashmir.
1966 Nehru's daughter Indira Gandhi becomes prime minister.
1971 Third war with Pakistan over creation of Bangladesh, formerly East Pakistan.
1971 Twenty-year treaty of friendship signed with Soviet Union.
1974 India explodes first nuclear device in underground test.
Democratic strains
1975 Indira Gandhi declares state of emergency after being found guilty of electoral malpractice.
1975-1977 Nearly 1,000 political opponents imprisoned and programme of compulsory birth control introduced.
1977 Indira Gandhi's Congress Party loses general elections.
1980 Indira Gandhi returns to power heading Congress party splinter group, Congress (Indira).
1984 Troops storm Golden Temple - Sikh's most holy shrine - to flush out Sikh militants pressing for self-rule.
1984 Gas leak at Union Carbide pesticides plant in Bhopal. Thousands are killed immediately; many more subsequently die or are left disabled.
1987 India deploys troops for peacekeeping operation in Sri Lanka's ethnic conflict.
1989 Falling public support leads to Congress defeat in general election.
1990 Indian troops withdrawn from Sri Lanka.
1990 Muslim separatist groups begin campaign of violence in Kashmir.
1991 Shri Rajiv Gandhi assassinated by suicide bomber sympathetic to Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers.
1991 Economic reform programme begun by Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao.
1992 Hindu extremists demolish mosque in Ayodhya, triggering widespread Hindu-Muslim violence.
BJP to the fore
1996 Congress suffers worst ever electoral defeat as Hindu nationalist BJP emerges as largest single party.
1998 BJP forms coalition government under Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.
1998 Hindu extremists demolish mosque in Ayodhya, triggering widespread Hindu-Muslim violence.
1998 India carries out nuclear tests, leading to widespread international condemnation.
1999 FebruaryVajpayee makes historic bus trip to Pakistan to meet Premier Nawaaz Sharif and to sign bilateral Lahore peace declaration.
MayTension in Kashmir leads to brief war with Pakistan-backed forces in the icy heights around Kargil in Indian-held Kashmir.
OctoberCyclone devastates eastern state of Orissa, leaving at least 10,000 dead.
Population: 1 billion
2003 Aug 25Bombay rocked by twin car bombs
2000 May India marks birth of its billionth citizen.
2001 JanuaryMassive earthquakes hit western state of Gujarat, leaving at least 30,000 dead.
AprilSixteen Indian and three Bangladeshi soldiers killed in their worst border clashes. High-powered rocket launched, propelling India into ranks of select club of countries able to fire big satellites deep into space.
JulyVajpayee meets Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf in the first summit between the two neighbours in more than two years. The meeting ends without a breakthrough or even a joint statement because of differences over Kashmir.
JulyVajpayee's BJP party declines his offer to resign over a number of political scandals and the apparent failure of his talks with Pakistani President Musharraf.
SeptemberUS lifts sanctions which it imposed against India and Pakistan after they staged nuclear tests in 1998. The move is seen as a reward for their support for the US anti-terror campaign.
Kashmir tensions rise
OctoberIndia fires on Pakistani military posts in the heaviest firing along the dividing line of control in Kashmir for almost a year.
DecemberSuicide squad attacks parliament in New Dehli, killing several police. The five gunmen die in the assault.
DecemberIndia imposes sanctions against Pakistan, to force it to take action against two Kashmir militant groups blamed for the suicide attack on parliament. Pakistan retaliates with similar sanctions, and bans the groups in January.
DecemberIndia, Pakistan mass troops on common border amid mounting fears of a looming war.
2002 JanuaryIndia successfully test-fires a nuclear-capable ballistic missile - the Agni - off its eastern coast.
FebruaryWorst inter-religious bloodshed in a decade breaks out after Muslims set fire to a train carrying Hindus returning from pilgrimage to Ayodhya. More than 800, mainly Muslims, die in subsequent revenge killings by Hindu mobs.
MayMore than 30 people killed in raid on Indian army camp in Kashmir, which India blames on Pakistani-based rebels. Moderate Kashmiri separatist leader Abdul Gani Lone shot dead in Srinagar by suspected Islamist militants.
Pakistan test-fires three medium-range surface-to-surface Ghauri missiles, which are capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
War of words between Indian and Pakistani leaders intensifies. Actual war seems imminent.
JuneUK, US urge their citizens to leave India and Pakistan, while maintaining diplomatic offensive to avert war.
JulyRetired scientist and architect of India's missile programme APJ Abdul Kalam elected president.
2003 AugustAt least 50 people are killed in two simultaneous bomb blasts in Bombay.
Kashmir ceasefire
NovemberIndia matches Pakistan's declaration of a Kashmir ceasefire.
DecemberIndia, Pakistan agree to resume direct air links and to allow overflights.
2004 JanuaryGroundbreaking meeting held between government and moderate Kashmir separatists.
MaySurprise victory for Congress Party in general elections. Manmohan Singh is sworn in as Prime Minister
SeptemberIndia, along with Brazil, Germany and Japan, launches an application for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.
NovemberIndia begins to withdraw some of its troops from Kashmir.
DecemberFormer Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao dies, aged 83.
Asian tsunami
Thousands are killed when tidal waves, caused by a powerful undersea earthquake off the Indonesian coast, devastate coastal communities in the south and in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
2005 7 AprilBus services, the first in 60 years, operate between Srinagar in Indian-controlled Kashmir and Muzaffarabad in Pakistani-administered Kashmir.
JulyIndia signs a nuclear co-operation deal with the US, heralding a possible lifting of sanctions on Indian access to civilian nuclear technology.
8 OctoberAn earthquake, with its epicentre in Pakistani-administered Kashmir, kills more than 1,000 people in Indian-administered Kashmir.
29 OctoberBombs kill 62 people in Delhi. A little-known Kashmiri group says it is behind the attacks.
NovemberFormer president KR Narayanan dies at the age of 85.

I believe in Meditation!

I must share something with you all. Lately office has been very very stressful. I am handling 3 projects and it gets very taxing at the end of the day. I was always into doing Yoga however post marriage ( got married 2 years ago) I have completely given up on yoga , exercise !! But recently my husband's senior suggested that that we practice mediation. Although a lot of my friends do it , I never really felt the need to do so. However I have been meditating now for quite sometime , twice in a day , 10 mins in the morning and 10 mins in the night. Believe me it works! Suddenly I am experiencing a new energy , new light in my life which I never felt before. My concentration levels have increased manifold and I have started thinking positively in life!! WOW!! Feels good. Thought I should share a good article on Medidation :

Meditation
There are many forms of meditation. Most trace their ancestry from ancient yoga and Zen Buddhism. TM, or transcendental Meditation, based upon Hindu teaching, is practiced by some. A secret mantra (sound) is given to the meditator by a teacher of the technique. This sound is then repeated over and over with eyes closed. Some types of Hindu and Buddhist practices focus upon a mandala- a visualization of some object such as a thousand-petal lotus. Regardless of their origin, all the meditative techniques have at least two phases. The first is to quiet the body, and the second is to quiet the mind.
This relaxation is often done in the following sequence:
1. Relaxing the motor muscles i.e. arms, legs
2. Decreasing the breathing rate.
3. Decreasing the rate of other body functions.
4. Slowing brain activities.
Meditation is often considered the process of trying to eliminate the chatter of the mind-the constant thinking, planning, and fantasizing-which occupies the conscious state of the mind every waking moment. As arousal is reduced, so is anxiety. Self transcendence, or an altered state, is then achieved. Most meditators find they feel creative, positive, calm, and energetic after meditation.
A simple easy to learn meditative exercise, which combines both a mantra and a mandala, is described as follows:
1. Find a quiet place where you can be alone if possible. (This technique may be done in crowded places as long as it is appropriate for you to close your eyes. If you cannot escape to your bedroom or other isolated spot, you can always close the stall door in a public facility to achieve some degree of aloneness and privacy.)
2. Sit in a comfortable position.
3. Close your eyes and take three deep breaths. Let your thoughts come and go.
4. Start to visualize a particular object-for example, a rose.
5. In your thoughts, start to repeat the word for the object-"rose"-over and over, at any speed or rhythm it wants to go.
6. As you continue to repeat the word, start to imagine the rose opening and closing in the same rhythm.
7. If distracting thoughts come into your mind, let them pass through. Continue to repeat your word and see its image. (Often, worries of the day, like "what shall I have for dinner" or "I have three exams to study for," will flow through your mind to distract you.?
8. Keep this process going from two to twenty minutes.
9. When it is time to stop, open your eyes slowly
You should feel relaxed, refreshed, and less anxious after trying this technique.

Happy Makar Sankranti!

Hi! Happy Makar Sankranti to all of you. This festival is also called as ' Lori ' in Punjab which was celebrated there yesterday and Pongal in Kerala which is celebrated today! Makar Sankranti is celebrated in Mharashtra .
Introduction of Makar Sankranti:
Makar Sankranti is one of the most auspicious day for the Hindus, and is celebrated in almost all parts of the country in myriad cultural forms, with great devotion, fervor & gaiety. Lakhs of people take a dip in places like Ganga Sagar & Prayag and pray to Lord Sun. It is celebrated with pomp in southern parts of the country as Pongal, and in Punjab is celebrated as Lohri & Maghi. Gujarati's not only look reverentially up to the sun, but also offer thousands of their colorful oblations in the form of beautiful kites all over the skyline. They may be trying to reach upto their glorious God or bring about greater proximity with the one who represents the best. It is a day for which Bhishma Pitamah kept waiting to leave his mortal coil.
Makar Sankranti is the day when the glorious Sun-God of Hindus begins its ascendancy and entry into the Northern Hemisphere. Sun for the Hindus stands for Pratyaksha-Brahman - the manifest God, who symbolizes, the one, non-dual, self-effulgent, glorious divinity blessing one & all tirelessly. Sun is the one who transcends time and also the one who rotates the proverbial Wheel of Time. The famous Gayatri Mantra, which is chanted everyday by every faithful Hindu, is directed to Sun God to bless them with intelligence & wisdom. Sun not only represents God but also stands for an embodiment of knowledge & wisdom. Lord Krishna reveals in Gita that this manifested divinity was his first disciple, and we all know it to be indeed a worthy one too. No Sundays for the Sun, may be because one who revels in its very 'being', the very essence of his own Self, is always in the Sunday mood.
The co-relation of cosmic events with individual life and values is one of the most astounding traits of Hindu Masters. Once this co-relation is brought about thereafter these cosmic events become instrumental to remind us the best which we cherish & value. Of all the cosmic bodies Sun is the most glorious & important, thus every sun-centric cosmic event became very important spiritual, religious & cultural events. On Makar Sankranti day the Sun begins its ascendancy and journey into the Northern Hemisphere, and thus it signifies an event wherein the Gods seem to remind their children that 'Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya'. May you go higher & higher - to more & more Light and never to darkness.

Astrological Significance:
Makar means Capricorn and Sankranti is transition. There is a sankranti every month when the sun passes from one sign of the zodiac to the next. There are twelve signs of the zodiac, and thus there are twelve sankranti's as well. Each of these sankranti's has its own relative importance but two of these are more important - the Mesh (Aries) Sankranti and the most important, the Makar (Capricorn) Sankranti. Transition of the Sun from Sagittarius to Capricorn, during the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere is known as Makar Sankranti. From this day begins the six-month long Uttarayana, considered very auspicious for attaining higher worlds hereafter. While the traditional Indian Calendar is basically based on lunar positions, but sankranti is a solar event, so while dates of all festivals keep changing, the english calendar date of Makar Sankranti is always same, 14th January. Makar Sankranti is celebrated in the Hindu Calendar month of Magha. There is another significance of this day, after this day the days start becoming longer & warmer, and thus the chill of winter in on decline.

Religious Significance:
1. The Puranas say that on this day Sun visits the house of his son Shani, who is the swami of Makar Rashi. These father & son do not ordinarily get along nicely, but inspite of any difference between each other Lord Sun makes it a point to meet each other on this day. Father in fact himself comes to his son’s house, for a month. This day symbolized the importance of special relationship of father & son. It is the son who has the responsibility to carry forward his fathers dream and the continuity of the family.
2. From Uttarayana starts the ‘day’ of Devatas, while dakshinayana is said to be the ‘night’ of devatas, so most of the auspicious things are done during this time. Uttarayana is also called as Devayana, and the next half is called Pitrayana.
3. It was on this day when Lord Vishnu ended the ever increasing terrorism of the Asuras by finishing them off and burying their heads under the Mandar Parvat. So this occasion also represents the end of negativities and beginning of an era of righteous living.
4. The great savior of his ancestors, Maharaj Bhagirath, did great Tapasya to bring Gangaji down on the earth for the redemption of 60,000 sons of Maharaj Sagar, who were burnt to ashes at the Kapil Muni Ashram, near the present day Ganga Sagar. It was on this day that Bhagirath finally did tarpan with the Ganges water for his unfortunate ancestors and thereby liberated them from the curse. After visiting the Patala for the redemption of the curse of Bhagirath’s ancestors Gangaji finally merged in the Sagar. Even today a very big Ganga Sagar Mela is organized every year on this day at the confluence of River Ganges and the Bay of Bengal. Lakhs take dip in the water and do tarpan for their ancestors.
We salute such a great devotee & benefactor of his ancestors. One who can express such gratitude to his ancestors, work with tireless resolve to redeem the pride, pledges & resolves of his forefathers, alone possess a personality, which the history reveals to be a true benefactor of the world too. A person who has severed his own roots gets soon rooted out in the flow of time. Moral of the story is to see to it that the roots of the tree of ‘our’ life are not only intact but nourished well, thereafter alone the tree blooms & flourishes.
There is another spiritually symbolic aspect of this story. The 60,000 cursed son of Maharaj Sagar represent our thoughts, who become dull & dead-like because of uncultured & blind ambition. Redemption of such people is only by the waters of Gangaji, brought down ‘to’ & later ‘from’ the Himalayas with great tapasya. This represents dedicated hard work to get the redeeming Brahma-Vidya, which alone enlightens, enthuses & enlivens the life of anyone.
5. Another well-known reference of this day came when the great grandsire of Mahabharata fame, Bhishma, declared his intent to leave his mortal coil on this day. He had the boon of Ichha-Mrityu from his father, so he kept lying on the bed of arrows till this day and then left his mortal coil on Makar Sankranti day. It is believed that the person, who dies during the period of Uttarayana, becomes free from transmigration. So this day was seen as a sure-shot Good Luck day to start your journey or endeavors to the higher realms beyond.

Culture & Festivities:
This festival is celebrated differently in different parts of the country.
Uttar Pradesh:
In Uttar Pradesh, Sankrant is called ‘Khichiri’. Taking a dip in the holy rivers on this day is regarded as most auspicious. A big one-month long ‘Magha-Mela’ fair begins at Prayag (Allahabad) on this occasion. Apart from Triveni, ritual bathing also takes place at many places like Haridvar and Garh Mukteshwar in Uttar Pradesh, and Patna in Bihar.
Bengal:
In Bengal every year a very big Mela is held at Ganga Sagar where the river Ganga is believed to have dived into the nether region and vivified the ashes of the sixty thousand ancestors of King Bhagirath. This mela is attended by a large number of pilgrims from all over the country.
Tamil Nadu:
In Tamil Nadu Sankrant is known by the name of ‘Pongal’, which takes its name from the surging of rice boiled in a pot of milk, and this festival has more significance than even Diwali. It is very popular particularly amongst farmers. Rice and pulses cooked together in ghee and milk is offered to the family deity after the ritual worship. In essence in the South this Sankrant is a ‘Puja’ (worship) for the Sun God.
Andhra Pradesh:
In Andhra Pradesh, it is celebrated as a three-day harvest festival Pongal. It is a big event for the people of Andhra Pradesh. The Telugus like to call it 'Pedda Panduga' meaning big festival. The whole event lasts for four days, the first day Bhogi, the second day Sankranti, the third day Kanuma and the fourth day, Mukkanuma.
Maharashtra:
In Maharashtra on the Sankranti day people exchange multi-colored tilguds made from til (sesame seeds) and sugar and til-laddus made from til and jaggery. Til-polis are offered for lunch. While exchanging tilguls as tokens of goodwill people greet each other saying – ‘til-gul ghya, god god bola’ meaning ‘accept these tilguls and speak sweet words’. The under-lying thought in the exchange of tilguls is to forget the past ill-feelings and hostilities and resolve to speak sweetly and remain friends.
This is a special day for the women in Maharashtra when married women are invited for a get-together called ‘Haldi-Kumkum’ and given gifts of any utensil, which the woman of the house purchases on that day.
Gujarat:
In Gujarat Sankrant is observed more or less in the same manner as in Maharashtra but with a difference that in Gujarat there is a custom of giving gifts to relatives. The elders in the family give gifts to the younger members of the family. The Gujarati Pundits on this auspicious day grant scholarships to students for higher studies in astrology and philosophy. This festival thus helps the maintenance of social relationships within the family, caste and community.
Kite flying has been associated with this festival in a big way. It has become an internationally well-known event.
Punjab:
In Punjab where December and January are the coldest months of the year, huge bonfires are lit on the eve of Sankrant and which is celebrated as "LOHARI". Sweets, sugarcane and rice are thrown in the bonfires, around which friends and relatives gather together. The following day, which is Sankrant, is celebrated as MAGHI. The Punjabi's dance their famous Bhangra dance till they get exhausted. Then they sit down and eat the sumptuous food that is specially prepared for the occasion.
Kerala:
The 40 days anushthana by the devotees of Ayyappa ends on this day in Sabarimala with a big festival.
Bundelkhand:
In Bundelkhand and Madhya Pradesh this festival of Sankrant is known by the name ‘Sakarat’ and is celebrated with great pomp & merriment accompanied by lot of sweets.
Tribals of Orissa:
Many tribals in our country start their New Year from the day of Sankrant by lighting bonfires, dancing and eating their particular dishes sitting together. The Bhuya tribals of Orissa have their Maghyatra in which small home-made articles are put for sale.
Assam:
In Assam, the festival is celebrated as Bhogali Bihu.
Coastal Region:
In the coastal regions, it is a harvest festival dedicated to Indra.

How to Celebrate:
1. Get up early in the morning, before sunrise, have bath and be ready with water & flowers for the sunrise. Worship the rising Sun, by offering water, flowers with both the hands & then pray with folded hands by chanting the Gayatri Mantra and pray for knowledge, wisdom and enlightenment to rise in the similar way to greater & greater heights. Pray for blessings to live a dynamic, inspired & righteous life.
2. Do tarpan for your ancestors. Offer water to the ancestors while praying for their blessings. Resolve to redeem the pledges & pride of your forefathers. Live life in such a way that wherever your forefathers may be their head is held high by the life & deeds of their children.
3. Have a special session of Meditation, wherein you bring about the awareness of the self-effulgent subjective divinity. Affirm the greatest importance of your spiritual goal very clearly, and pray to God to bless you with the capacity to constantly revel in your true self. May the graph of your rise like the Uttarayana Sun. May there be greater 'Love & Light' in your life & the world.
4. Prepare laddus or other sweets of Til & Gur and offer them to your friends & relatives. See to it that your ‘Well-being Prayer for all’ gets manifested in action & deeds.
5. Have the lunch of Khichiri. This stands for inculcating simplicity in your life & habits.
6. Give some Daan on this day to someone who truly deserves.
7. Visit your son at his place and give presents to the son and the daughter-in-law. If it is not possible to visit, then organize to send presents to them to express your love & affection to them. Work to properly cultivate the generation, which has to carry forward all the best you cherish & value.
THE PHOTOGRAPH I HAVE POSTED IS THAT OF THE SWEETS WHICH ARE PREPARED OUT OF SESAME SEEDS AND JAGGERY.
THIS IS THE VAST , COMPLEX AND RICH CULTURE OF INDIA!!

Hi I'm back!!

Hi friends!! I am back to blogging and it feels so good. I felt as though I was not connected to the world for the past 6 days when I did not get time to post. However I was still regularly checking all your blogs and being updated with what's happening in your lives! My Pune Trip is always special to me because Pune is my birth place and I have spent a good 26 years there before getting married 2 years back. Although now I have started liking Mumbai as well , however Pune will always have a special place in my heart. It is known as the Oxford of the East. It is considered the best city for education in India. So it has a lot of young people coming from all over India and also abroad to study there. So its actual a youth city which has a lot of happening places to visit. This time although I had gone for 3 reasons - For celebrating my newphew Raunak's birthday. HE'S A YEAR OLD AND VERY VERY NAUGHTY NOW! You can watch the photos here ' Raunak's 1st Birthday 'I had nice fun where I met a lot of my friends and relatives whom I don't get to meet often ( although Pune , Mumbai is just a distance of 2 hours !) The second reason was that my brother Rahul and sister in law Chinar shifted into a new locality and a new house. Its very spacious and airy! You can watch the photos here ' Rahul's New House ' And then the 3rd reason was to buy some property which is right now booming in Pune. We travelled in the vicinity and I actually realized how green Pune still is , inspite of the concrete jungle of buildings everywhere1 Check my city here ' Green Pune ' Hope you enjoy the snaps while I get on with my assigments!

Raunak's First Birthday!

Time flies so fast ! I feel as if it was yesterday that I visited Nagpur for Raunak's naming ceremony and tomorrow is his First Birthday!! I'm really looking foward for this trip! Firstly I get to meet my sweetipie Raunak ,my parents , Rahul and Chinar! And also get to meet my friends in Pune whom I miss so much!!! And yes 2 whole days in Pune!! Yipppeeee!!! I'm leaving after office today and would return only on Monday morning. Again Monday would be a busy day in office!! But I will definately post on Tuesday and yes!!! With whole lot of pictures!!!!!!

Happy New Year!!

Hi Friends! Wish you all a very Happy New Year!! This year has been amazing and as everyone does , I have had my share of ups and downs!! And of the best things I have done is creating a blog to be intouch with all of you! Thank you for reading my blog and keeping in touch with me through mail ( hey why not leave a comment !)My new year party was amazing! I have posted some recent snaps of the party . Click here ' Party Snaps 'to see the snaps. I have also added in the album some Christmas snaps of the Christmas Celebration we had in the office! My Collections and CSAT Processes won in Antakshari , Best Christmas Theme Corner!