50th mile stone of 'Abbey Road'

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the release of  the album 'Abbey Road' by the legendary pop music group 'The Beatles'. Numerous fans of the Fab Four will remember the group for years to come.

Divine Wedding

Yesterday was an important day in the Hindu Calender. Every year on this day, devotees perform the wedding of Damodaraa  (one of the forms of Shree Mahaa Vishnu) and Tulasi Devi  (Holi Basil plant form of Shree Mahaa Lakshmi) and perform Poojaa (worship) to the Divine Couple.

Festival of Lamps

Today is a very auspicious day in the Hindu Calendar.  It was on this day during Dhwaapara Yuga  (nearly 5000 years back) when Shree Krishna killed the demon Narakaasuraa and established the victory of  the Good over the Evil, with the assistance of Sathyabhaamaa.  Festival of lamps known as Deepaavali or Diwali is celeberated as humble thanks giving to His Almighty. Shree Mahaa Vishnu's Consort Shree Mahaa Lakshmi and Yama, the Deity of our ancestors, are also offered special worship on this day.

Nobel Prize for Peace and Economics

Nobel Economics Award to Abhijit Banerjee and his wife brings pride to Indians as well as Americans. Hope our Modi led Government applies the concepts in reducing poverty in our country as Mr P V Narasimha Rao led Congress Government did to some extent when Mr Amartya Sen was awarded the prize for his work many years back. I think that Mr P V Narasimha Rao and Mr Manmohan Singh (who was the Finance Minister at that time) paved the way for an economically stronger India.

A few days back, Ethiopian Prime Minister was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Any one who lived in the Ethiopia Eritrea border region in the '80s would know the effects of civil unrest on the common people. As one of several Indian teachers posted in schools in the region at that time, I remember persistent gunshots all around the small town where I was teaching. I remember how we sought the intervention of our Indian Embassy and Foreign Ministry in Delhi, to get transferred near Addis Ababa, where it was safe. Ethiopian Prime Minister does deserve the Prize.

Today is a very auspicious day in the Hindu Calendar. It marks the end of Dusserah, the 'Ten Days Fest'. This day is believed to be the day when Lord Raamaa killed Raavanaa, the demon king, signifying the Good destroying the Evil, at the end of ten days of fierce battle. This had taken place during Tretaa Yugam, billions of years back.

Today is also the day on which His Almighty Shree Mahaa Vishnu incarnated as Buddha.

Today is also the birth anniversary of Madhwaachaarya, the first saint of the Madhwa sect. This day is celebrated as Madhwa Jayanti. I have explained about this saint in my previous posts.

Gandhiji and Shastriji

Today marks the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhiji known as 'Father of the Nation'. It is also the birth anniversary of Mr Lal Bahadur Shastri,  second Prime Minister of India and a Gandhian. He was born in 1904.

I remember the role that I played as 'school boy Gandhi' in a school drama during my high school days in the mid '60s.

I also remember my visit to the Phoenix Ashram which he founded and the Pietermaritzburgh railway station where he was pushed out from the 1st class compartment of a train by a white South African in Apartheid struck South Africa of those years. (Although I had taken many photograps, my camera fell down and the film got spoiled. This was in early '90s when digital cameras were not popular).

Bill Clinton

As I was viewing a news programme this evening on the former French Prime Minister Jaque Chirac's passing away and former US President Bill Clinton's tribute, I was a bit sad to see a lot of wrinkles on Bill Clinton's face. He and his wife Nancy Clinton were liked by people all over the world.

I clearly remember the happiness exhibited by people of different nationalities when he won his second term as President in the late '80s or early '90s when I was working in Southern Africa.

Statesmen such as Bill Clinton, Barrack Obama, Robert Mugabe, Nelson Mandela and his predecessor Mr F W De Klerk
will always be remembered.

Nine Nights' Fest

Yesterday marked the beginning of the 'Nine Night Festival' considered very auspicious by Hindu people all over the world.

Goddesses Shree Durgaa, Shree Mahaa Lakshmi and Shree Saraswathi are worshipped on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd three days respectively. These Goddesses are consorts of the Divine Trinity Shree Shivaa, Shree Mahaa Vishnu and Shree Brahma respectively.

In many houses, dolls (particularly those depicting events from Hindu scriptures) are kept on display and worshipped with sanctity and appropriate rituals.

 

Memory of my beloved parents

13th and 17th of this month were the birth anniversaries of my father and mother respectively. I fondly remember them and all the sacrifices that they did for us.

Anantha Vratham

Today is a very auspicious day for Hindus. Anantha Padmanaabha Swamy form of His Almighty Shree Mahaa Vishnu along with His wife Shree Mahaa Lakshmi is worshipped by devotees on this day.