Showing posts with label India. Show all posts
Showing posts with label India. Show all posts
Thursday, 4 August 2005
Speedy travel to India
Check this out -- 16 hours to Bombay from SF! Can't wait for these flights to become operational. Its looonnggg overdue!
Wednesday, 15 June 2005
Intel plant in India: fact or fiction?
The Indian Minister for Communication & Information Technology, Dayanidhi Maran might have just jumped the gun and prematurely rushed to the press on Intel's $400M plans for a plant in India. Notice in today's Mercury News how Intel has backtracked saying no decision has been made. The other competitors for the plant (Vietnam, China) are bound to intensify their campaign given this recent announcement by the minister.
Thursday, 9 June 2005
India: Rising power in the East?
Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns apparently said this last month....as mentioned in an article in the Washington Post (sent to me by a friend). This is great for India. It also explains all the recent diplomatic traffic to India.
The site needs registration so here is a clip.
Speaking to a U.S.-European group in Brussels on May 26, Burns observed:
The site needs registration so here is a clip.
Speaking to a U.S.-European group in Brussels on May 26, Burns observed:
Saturday, 4 June 2005
India-Pak Relations Improving
The India Pak friendship measures seem to be growing. Advani's visit to Pak is a great step forward as are the visit of the Kashmiri leaders to Pak. I hope this continues and something crazy does not happen to ruin these positive moves. President Musharraf (based on his visit to India in April) seems to have come to the conclusion that peace with India has its benefits. Time will tell if this wily military leader is serious or if it is just one of the many crafty plans up his sleeve.
Wednesday, 25 May 2005
Experiences of Americans living in Bangalore(India)
Interesting article talking about experiences of many Americans living and working in India.
Tuesday, 24 May 2005
Diluting the IIT brand?
On the one hand you have events such as the recent pan IIT meet to improve and enhance the IIT brand at a global level. But on the other you have a rapid increase in number of IITs, unfortunately driven by partisan government proposals. Will the next government release a new list of universities to be blessed with the IIT brand? Will fake IIT degrees soon be available? Does India have the resources to upgrade so many universities in a short period of time? The existing IITs are already struggling without quality new faculty to replace retiring faculty. How are these new IITs going to cope with these challenges?
Is the Govt. diluting one of India's best brands? The ominous signs of it are certainly there.
Is the Govt. diluting one of India's best brands? The ominous signs of it are certainly there.
Tuesday, 17 May 2005
Kerala Update
Pitched by the KTDC as "God's own country" the southern state of Kerala, tucked away in a corner of India, is a unique blend of breath taking scenic beauty, rare left leanings among its people, highest influx of foreign exchange in the country (mostly from "mallus" in the middle east), highest rate of suicide in India, very high consumption of liquor among its residents and potentially high rate of domestic violence, highest rate of literacy in India, etc.
Here is a quick dump of news from the state. None of these have been necessarily fact checked, some of it is hearsay, some of it is mere conjecture/inference, all from a very brief trip to God's own country.
Politics
1. A new Chief Minister (Ooman Chandy) replaced AK Antony, but is struggling to stay afloat. Plenty of opposition within the ruling UDF, as always. All those dropped from the new ministry are waiting by the sidelines to destroy the new govt. There is not a day when someone does not call for the CM's resignation.
2. The erstwhile Congress leader M. Karunakaran has launched a new party, National Cong (Indira) while still technically remaining in the Congress! He installed his son, Muralidharan as the party leader! Some Congressman said in jest that he should have named his party "Kundumba Congress (meaning "family Congress"). Ironically, he has spent a better part of his 86 years fighting the Communists, and yet finds himself fishing for political favors from them!
If there is one thing the veteran Congress leader can claim from his long political career ("I could have been PM"), it is about consistency. He has consistently opposed the Kerala Chief Minister (even if the CM were from his own party!) as long as he himself does not hold the post! Now this golden rule has been extended to the next generation, his kids. Now, as long as his son and daughter are not in plum political posts, his infamous "oppose everything" strategy will be in place. The Kerala electorate has been smart and tossed both the Karunakaran kids to the defeated list of political waanabees. Yet, Daddy steps in to the rescue and keeps them in the limelight. One more defeat at the polls and the damage can be irreversible.
3. The Communists meanwhile are just counting days before they return to power. Kerala electorate has a unique electoral strategy -- every election the opposition is voted to power! Going by this as well as the fact that the Congress and its UDF are falling apart, the popular opinion appears to be that the CPM will be back in power soon. With the passing away of CPM veteran E.K Nayanar and other political happenings, it appears as though Pinarayi Vijayan is the front-runner for the CM's post.
4. Hartal/Bandh ("strikes") when life comes to a standstill at the tax payers expense, are very common even to this day.
Films, Music:
1. The Movie business appears to have slumped. Its no longer a good business proposition, apparently. Several theatres have closed down. The number of film releases have dropped. Former big stars like Mohanlal and Mamooty come out with only a couple of movies each year. Dileep apparently is the box office favorite.
2. Udhayananu Tharam, a new film, is a movie worth watch (starring Mohanlal, Sreenivasan, Meena).
3. "Dapaan kuthu" was/is very popular in Tamil Nadu. Kerala has been hit by a Dapaan kuthu storm in the recent past thanks to a hit song by a certain Jessie Gift. Every movie has one now.
4. Unlike in the past, when mallu (slang for "malayalam" the language of Kerala) movies had a distinctive style of their own (realistic, easy paced, no pressure to have songs, unnecessary fights, minimal song and dance, focus on acting more than the actor), these days Mallu movies have started to ape the conventional Tamil, Hindi, Telugu movies. Song and dance sequences infested with extras, hereos and heroines gyrating to noisy music, these were alien to mallu films. Not any more. Unfortunately, they do such a poor job of it, its pretty pathetic to watch. The realistic aspect of Mallu movies appears to have been lost. Barring the occasional good film, the standard stuff is similar to other regional trash.
Living
1. As a part of an e-governance initiative the govt has setup a comptuerised center in TVM (and possibly other cities) with extended work hours where citizens can stop by and pay any bill - telephone, electricity etc. (I think the center is called "Friends").
2. The govt buses have done away with conventional tickets. The bus conductor carries a devices where he punches in the value of your ticket and out comes a print out, Viola!
3. The mall culture that has stormed the major Indian cities and the up and coming ones (like Gurgaon) has yet to hit Kerala.
4. Bookstores are so few in TVM, the capital city. One local said to me that the local public libraries are pretty good. Anyone who loves to read goes there. No one buys books!
Cricket
The popularity of cricket has grown significantly. Mostly at the expense of soccer. Fields where one could always watch soccer being played have now been replaced by cricket. Soccer meanwhile has become a part time affair. Tinu Yohanan the local cricketer who made it to the Indian team appears to have vanished from the national scene. He still appears for the state Ranji team.
Infrastructure
1. There is a proposal (championed by Dr. M.K Muneer, Minister of Works) to develop an extended freeway connecting the entire state of Kerala. Personally, I think this is a plan worth implementing and it will do wonders to the state and its economy and give it a huge advantage over its neighboring states. Unfortunately, there appears to be severe opposition ("the road will divide the state into two" and other compliants) to this plan. With the current govt floundering, this plan may fall by the wayside.
2. Power outages are very common unfortunately.
3. Broadband connections to homes has improved significantly. Wireless phone service to homes combined with wireless internet service has started to take off. Here is how it works. You get a wireless telephone device (very much like a regular phone rather than a cell phone) which you keep at home and use like you would regular phone. You can hook up your computer to it and connect wireless to the Internet. They claim speeds of up to 112 Kbps. Tata Indicomm and Reliance are the two competing services.
Here is a quick dump of news from the state. None of these have been necessarily fact checked, some of it is hearsay, some of it is mere conjecture/inference, all from a very brief trip to God's own country.
Politics
1. A new Chief Minister (Ooman Chandy) replaced AK Antony, but is struggling to stay afloat. Plenty of opposition within the ruling UDF, as always. All those dropped from the new ministry are waiting by the sidelines to destroy the new govt. There is not a day when someone does not call for the CM's resignation.
2. The erstwhile Congress leader M. Karunakaran has launched a new party, National Cong (Indira) while still technically remaining in the Congress! He installed his son, Muralidharan as the party leader! Some Congressman said in jest that he should have named his party "Kundumba Congress (meaning "family Congress"). Ironically, he has spent a better part of his 86 years fighting the Communists, and yet finds himself fishing for political favors from them!
If there is one thing the veteran Congress leader can claim from his long political career ("I could have been PM"), it is about consistency. He has consistently opposed the Kerala Chief Minister (even if the CM were from his own party!) as long as he himself does not hold the post! Now this golden rule has been extended to the next generation, his kids. Now, as long as his son and daughter are not in plum political posts, his infamous "oppose everything" strategy will be in place. The Kerala electorate has been smart and tossed both the Karunakaran kids to the defeated list of political waanabees. Yet, Daddy steps in to the rescue and keeps them in the limelight. One more defeat at the polls and the damage can be irreversible.
3. The Communists meanwhile are just counting days before they return to power. Kerala electorate has a unique electoral strategy -- every election the opposition is voted to power! Going by this as well as the fact that the Congress and its UDF are falling apart, the popular opinion appears to be that the CPM will be back in power soon. With the passing away of CPM veteran E.K Nayanar and other political happenings, it appears as though Pinarayi Vijayan is the front-runner for the CM's post.
4. Hartal/Bandh ("strikes") when life comes to a standstill at the tax payers expense, are very common even to this day.
Films, Music:
1. The Movie business appears to have slumped. Its no longer a good business proposition, apparently. Several theatres have closed down. The number of film releases have dropped. Former big stars like Mohanlal and Mamooty come out with only a couple of movies each year. Dileep apparently is the box office favorite.
2. Udhayananu Tharam, a new film, is a movie worth watch (starring Mohanlal, Sreenivasan, Meena).
3. "Dapaan kuthu" was/is very popular in Tamil Nadu. Kerala has been hit by a Dapaan kuthu storm in the recent past thanks to a hit song by a certain Jessie Gift. Every movie has one now.
4. Unlike in the past, when mallu (slang for "malayalam" the language of Kerala) movies had a distinctive style of their own (realistic, easy paced, no pressure to have songs, unnecessary fights, minimal song and dance, focus on acting more than the actor), these days Mallu movies have started to ape the conventional Tamil, Hindi, Telugu movies. Song and dance sequences infested with extras, hereos and heroines gyrating to noisy music, these were alien to mallu films. Not any more. Unfortunately, they do such a poor job of it, its pretty pathetic to watch. The realistic aspect of Mallu movies appears to have been lost. Barring the occasional good film, the standard stuff is similar to other regional trash.
Living
1. As a part of an e-governance initiative the govt has setup a comptuerised center in TVM (and possibly other cities) with extended work hours where citizens can stop by and pay any bill - telephone, electricity etc. (I think the center is called "Friends").
2. The govt buses have done away with conventional tickets. The bus conductor carries a devices where he punches in the value of your ticket and out comes a print out, Viola!
3. The mall culture that has stormed the major Indian cities and the up and coming ones (like Gurgaon) has yet to hit Kerala.
4. Bookstores are so few in TVM, the capital city. One local said to me that the local public libraries are pretty good. Anyone who loves to read goes there. No one buys books!
Cricket
The popularity of cricket has grown significantly. Mostly at the expense of soccer. Fields where one could always watch soccer being played have now been replaced by cricket. Soccer meanwhile has become a part time affair. Tinu Yohanan the local cricketer who made it to the Indian team appears to have vanished from the national scene. He still appears for the state Ranji team.
Infrastructure
1. There is a proposal (championed by Dr. M.K Muneer, Minister of Works) to develop an extended freeway connecting the entire state of Kerala. Personally, I think this is a plan worth implementing and it will do wonders to the state and its economy and give it a huge advantage over its neighboring states. Unfortunately, there appears to be severe opposition ("the road will divide the state into two" and other compliants) to this plan. With the current govt floundering, this plan may fall by the wayside.
2. Power outages are very common unfortunately.
3. Broadband connections to homes has improved significantly. Wireless phone service to homes combined with wireless internet service has started to take off. Here is how it works. You get a wireless telephone device (very much like a regular phone rather than a cell phone) which you keep at home and use like you would regular phone. You can hook up your computer to it and connect wireless to the Internet. They claim speeds of up to 112 Kbps. Tata Indicomm and Reliance are the two competing services.
Tuesday, 10 May 2005
Diplomatic traffic
In case you haven't noticed, the number of foreign dignitaries visiting India in the last few months has been truly phenomenal. In my lifetime I have not witnessed this level of diplomatic traffic. Top leaders from China, Iran, Pak, Japan, Afghanistan, Russia, USA, to name a few. Hopefully India can leverage some of these relationships to land a permanent seat on the UN security council.
Indian Idol Cassettes/CDs selling like hot cakes
Abhijeet Sawant, the Indian Idol (concept imported from the US show American Idol) seems to have become hugely popular. Cassettes/CDs with his songs appear to be permanently sold out. Even in a place like TVM where hindi is hardly spoken, these cassettes/CDs are flying off the shelf.
Saturday, 7 May 2005
Maid in India
Having maids to help at home has been the norm in India, particularly in Indian cities. On my recent visit to India, I realized how much the "maid industry" has grown, diversified and spawned specializations! A friend of mine has 5 maids! One for cooking and cleaning dishes, another for sweeping and washing clothes, another for cleaning the bathroom, fourth for cleaning the car and fifth for pick-up, drop off and babysitting! When some friends suggested that he re-locate to the US, his first reaction was, "Man, we can't survive without these maids!".
A minimum of three maids is almost a certainty in most households in major cities. These maids earn upwards of Rs. 1000 per month depending on their role. Most maids service several household everyday. Many of them are well dressed and extremely well to do. All of them are armed with cell phones! And pretty soon some of the high end ones will be driving cars. In short, maids in India is a rapidly growing industry. Its largely overlooked by the mainstream media and hence there is no real hard data to track its growth. With the rapid economic growth in India, the maid industry is bound to grow and more and more village folk are likely to migrate to cities to grab these job opportunities.
A minimum of three maids is almost a certainty in most households in major cities. These maids earn upwards of Rs. 1000 per month depending on their role. Most maids service several household everyday. Many of them are well dressed and extremely well to do. All of them are armed with cell phones! And pretty soon some of the high end ones will be driving cars. In short, maids in India is a rapidly growing industry. Its largely overlooked by the mainstream media and hence there is no real hard data to track its growth. With the rapid economic growth in India, the maid industry is bound to grow and more and more village folk are likely to migrate to cities to grab these job opportunities.
Monday, 2 May 2005
For the first time (and hopefully the last)
Saw a man hanging from a tree. Most likely committed suicide. Was driving by and saw a small crowd gathered. A few cops were taking pictures. Looked up to see what was going on, and saw a man hanging from the tree! Thankfully, I saw only below his chest because of the crowd and the traffic. It was a strange experience. Didn't know how to react. Took a while to sink in. Location: Trivandrum in Kerala, India.
Friday, 29 April 2005
Gurgaon-Delhi-Noida
Boy, this part of India has growth and development on steriods. The number of really cool office buildings and malls in Gurgaon is simply mind boggling. As always the roads are forgotten until the very end. The Govt. steps in to fix the roads after all the fancy stuff has come up. The malls are superbly designed, and the local crowds are thoroughly enjoying it. If only the overall infrastructure planning were better!
Peace process "irreversible"
On his recent visit to India, President Musharraf insisted on adding the word "irreversible" as part of the joint statement with India. Firstly, what's he trying to tell the world? Previously the peace process was reversible?
For a guy who is infamous for his political and diplomatic doosras, this one was some kind of master stroke? Didn't find much in the press either explaining what he might have meant by "irreversible". One thing is for sure, the confusion from the statement is certainly irreversible.
For a guy who is infamous for his political and diplomatic doosras, this one was some kind of master stroke? Didn't find much in the press either explaining what he might have meant by "irreversible". One thing is for sure, the confusion from the statement is certainly irreversible.
Sunday, 20 February 2005
Alumni event in the bay area
Attended a get together of IIT Kharagpur alumni in the bay area yeterday (I forgot to post this earlier). It was a fun filled evening with on stage live entertainment ranging from classical dances, live band, vocals with karoake, bollywood dancing etc. The Director in his short and sweet speech stole the show, especially with his joke on heaven and hell. There were a number of alumni heavy weights attending the event.
Friday, 4 February 2005
Foreigners in India
Check out this blog by a person from Portland living in Bangalore. Interesting! With all the outsourcing happening to India a number of foreigners do live in India for an extended period of time. Its an interesting transformation happening in India with hordes of NRIs and foreigners moving to cities like Chennai and Bangalore.
Wednesday, 5 January 2005
India flexing its muscles
Its interesting that India refused the International Aid to deal with the damages caused by the Tsunami. I always wondered if aid of this nature comes with strings attached? Maybe it does.
On the one hand, it does speak highly of India's ability to respond to calamities of this proportion without external help. On the other , one can't help wonder if India "really" has the ability to handle the situation. In any case, I think its a bold stance that makes India stand out, for good or for worse time will tell.
Its also interesting that the Saudis have just invited India to bid on some projects, and announced some partnerships. As the WSJ reported(subscription required) today "Saudi Arabia proposed a partnership with India in a series of big energy deals, underscoring how global petroleum markets' center of gravity is shifting toward the vast and fast-growing Chinese and Indian markets...."
On the one hand, it does speak highly of India's ability to respond to calamities of this proportion without external help. On the other , one can't help wonder if India "really" has the ability to handle the situation. In any case, I think its a bold stance that makes India stand out, for good or for worse time will tell.
Its also interesting that the Saudis have just invited India to bid on some projects, and announced some partnerships. As the WSJ reported(subscription required) today "Saudi Arabia proposed a partnership with India in a series of big energy deals, underscoring how global petroleum markets' center of gravity is shifting toward the vast and fast-growing Chinese and Indian markets...."
Wednesday, 29 December 2004
Donate for the Tsunami victims
If you haven't had a chance to donate as yet, here are a few sources where you could donate for the Tsunami victims.
Red Cross
India Development and Relif Fund
Worldvision
p.s: I am sure there are so many other channels to do the same. I just happen to know about the above.
Red Cross
India Development and Relif Fund
Worldvision
p.s: I am sure there are so many other channels to do the same. I just happen to know about the above.
Tuesday, 21 December 2004
Fewer desis want to go to grad school
A report in todays NYTimes states that there was a 28% drop in applicants to grad schools in the US from India. It's not surprising given the way the world has changed in the last few years. Wonder who is going to do the "heavy lifting" at the Univs.
Wednesday, 15 December 2004
Monday, 22 November 2004
Some useful junk email
Note: A friend of mine maintains his own email list of personally known spam victims. If you are part of this list, you end up receiving all kinds of jokes, pictures and other forms of email (sometime referred to as junk mail). Here is an email that I received recently on this list. I have no idea about who authored this piece. Nevertheless, I learnt a few things from it. Moral of course is, before you delete a junk email, just give it a quick read, you might find some hidden treasures. Next time someone asks you about Diwali, or you kid needs to crank out a school report on the same topic, you might find this handy :-)
DEEPAVALI is the festival of lights and is celebrated with great enthusiasm by all Indians all over the world. The uniqueness of this festival is its harmony of five varied philosophies, with each day to a special thought or ideal. If we celebrate each of its five days of festivities with true understanding, it will uplift and enrich our lives. It is a festival of joy, splendor, brightness and happiness.
Deepavali which leads us into Truth and Light is celebrated on a nation-wide scale on Amavasya - the 15th day of the dark fortnight of the Hindu month of Kartika (October / November) every year. It symbolises that age-old culture of our country, which teaches us to vanquish ignorance that subdues humanity and to drive away darkness that engulfs the light of knowledge. Deepavali projects the rich and glorious past of our country and teaches us to uphold the true values of life.
The word "Diwali" is the corruption of the Sanskrit word "Deepavali" - Deepa meaning light and Vali, meaning a row. It means a row of lights and indeed illumination forms its main attraction. Every home - lowly or mightly - the hut of the poor or the mansion of the rich - is alit with the orange glow of twinkling deeyas-small earthen lamps - to welcome Lakshmi, Goddess of wealth and prosperity.
HISTORY
Deepavali is a five day Hindu festival ..
THE FIRST DAY OF DEEPAVALI
The first day of Deepavali is called Dhanvantari Triodasi . It is in fact the 13th lunar day of Krishna Paksh (the dark forthnight) of the month of Kartika. On this day, Lord Dhanwantari came out of the ocean with Ayurvedic medicine (medicine which promotes healthy long life)
for mankind.
This day marks the beginning of Deepavali celebrations. On this day at sunset, Hindus should bathe and offer a lighted deeya with Prasad to Yama Raj (the Lord of Death) and pray for protection from untimely death. This offering should be made near a Tulsi tree (the Holy Basil) or any other sacred tree that one might have in their yard. If there is no sacred tree, a clean place in the front yard will suffice.
THE SECOND DAY OF DEEPAVALI
The second day of Deepavali is called Naraka Chaturdasi. It is the fourteenth lunar day (thithi) of the dark forthnight of the month of Kartika and the eve of Deepavali. On this day Lord Krishna destroyed the demon Narakasur and made the world free from fear. On this day, we should massage our bodies with oil to relieve it of tiredness, bathe and rest so that we can celebrate Deepavali with vigour and devotion.
On this night, Yama Deeya should not be lit. The Shastras (Laws of Dharma) declares that Yama Deeya should be offered on Triodasi night with Prasad. The misconception that Yama Deeya should be offered on the night before Deepavali came about some years ago when the fourteenth lunar day (Chaturdasi) was of a very short duration and caused Triodasi to extend into the night before Deepavali. Some people mistook it to mean that because Yama Deeya was lit on that night, that it should always be lit on the night before Deepavali. This is absolutely not true. It is advisable that one consults with a learned Pandit or Hindu Astrologer for proper guidance on this matter.
THE THIRD DAY OF DEEPAVALI.
The third day is the actual deepavali. On this day Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped. Hindus cleanse themselves and join with their families and their Pandit (priest) and they worship the divine Goddess Lakshmi to achieve the blessings of wealth and prosperity, the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness. During this time, homes are thoroughly cleaned and windows are opened to welcome Lakshmi, goddess of wealth. Candles and lamps are lit as a greeting to Lakshmi.
THE FOURTH DAY OF DEEPAVALI.
On this day, Govardhan Pooja is performed. Many thousands of years ago, Lord Krishna caused the people of Vraja to perform Govardhan Pooja. From then on, every year Hindus worship Govardhan to honour that first Pooja done by the people of Vraja.
It is written in the Ramayana that when the bridge was being built by the Vanar army, Hanuman was bringing a mountain as material to help with the construction of the bridge. The call was given that enough materials was already obtained. Hanuman placed the mountain down before he could have reached the construction site. Due to lack of time, he could not have returned the mountain to its original place.
The deity presiding over this mountain spoke to Hanuman asking of his reason for leaving the mountain there. Hanuman replied that the mountain should remain there until the age of Dwapara Yuga when Lord Rama incarnates as Lord Krishna in the form of man. Lord Krishna will shower his grace on the mountain and will instruct that the mountain be worshiped not only in that age but but in ages to come. This deity whom Hanuman spoke to was none other than Govardhan (an incarnation of Lord Krishna),who manifested Himself in the form of the mountain. To fulfill this decree, Govardhan Pooja was performed and is continued to be performed today.
THE FIFTH DAY OF DEEPAVALI.
The fifth day of the Deepavali is called Bhratri Dooj. This is the day after Govardhan Pooja is performed and normally two days after Deepavali day. It is a day dedicated to sisters. We have heard about Raksha Bandhan (brothers' day). Well this is sisters' day. Many moons ago,in the Vedic era, Yama (Yamraj, the Lord of death) visited His sister Yamuna on this day. He gave his sister a Vara dhan (a boon) that whosoever visits her on this day shall be liberated from all sins. They will achieve Moksha or final emancipation. From then on, brothers visit their sisters on this day to enquire of their welfare. This day marks the end of the five days of Deepavali celebrations.
According to Ramayana, Deepavali commemorates the return of Ram, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu and the eldest son of King Dasharath of Ayodhya, from his 14-year exile with Sita and Lakshman after killing the Ravan, a demon king. The people of Ayodhya illuminated the kingdom with earthen deeyas (oil lamps) and fireworks to celebration of the return of their king.
During the reign of Emperor Prithu, there was a worldwide famine. He ordered that all available cultivatable lands be ploughed.When the rains came, the land became very fertile and grains were planted. The harvest provided food not only to feed all of India, but for all civilisation. This harvest was close to Deepavali time and was a good reason to celebrate Deepavali with great joy and merriment by a wider community.
When Lord Krishna destroyed Narakasur on the day before Deepavali, the news of it travelled very rapidly throughout the land. It gave people who were already in a joyful mood, another reason for celebrating Deepavali with greater pride and elaboration.
CELEBRATION
Celebrations of Deepavali begin from Dusshera, which comes twenty days before Deepavali. At a metaphysical level, Deepavali is a festival signifying the victory of good over evil, the latter is
destroyed and reduced to ashes by fireworks is the belief of the people. Different people celebrate Deepavali in different ways. Each region of India celebrates Deepavali in it's own unique way.
People visit the places of their relatives and friends to wish them on the occasion and exchange gifts and for those who can not pay a personal visit there is a mind-boggling range of cards and gifts to choose from. Feasts are arranged and gaily-dressed men, women and children go to temples and fairs, visit friends and relatives. Markets are gaily decorated and lit up everybody adorned with new and bright clothes, especially ladies decorated with the best of ornaments, captures the social mood at its happiest. And all this illumination and fireworks, joy and festivity, is to signify the victory of divine forces over those of wickedness. Even countries like Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia celebrate this festival but in their own ways.
In Punjab, the day following Deepavali is known as tikka when sisters make a paste with saffron and rice and place an auspicious mark on their brother's foreheads as a symbolic gesture to ward off all harm.
In North India on the day of the Deepavali the children emerge, scrubbed clean to get into their festive attire, and light up little oil lamps, candles and agarbathis the wherewithal for setting alight crackers and sparklers.
For the Bengalis, it is the time to worship Goddess Kali , yet another form of Durga, the divine embodiment of supreme energy. KALI is the Goddess who takes away darkness. She cuts down all impurities, consumes all iniquities, purifies Her devotees with the sincerity of Her Love.
For the grown-ups, there is also a custom of indulging in gambling during Deepavali. It is all in fun, though, in a spirit of light-hearted revelry, and merrymaking. The children can be seen bursting fire crackers and lighting candles or earthen lamps. This is a time of generously exchanging sweets with neighbors and friends. Puffed rice and sugar candy are the favorite fares.
Deepavali is a time for shopping, whether for gifts or for adding durable items to one's own household. The market soars—everything from saffron to silver and spices to silks. Yet, symbolic purchases are to be made as part of tradition during Deepavali.
In South India that victory of the divine over the mundane is celebrated in a very peculiar way. People wake up before sunrise prepare blood by mixing Kumkum in oil and after breaking a bitter fruit that represents the head of the demon King that was smashed by Krishna, apply that mixture on their foreheads. Then they have an oil bath using sandalwood paste.
In Maharashtra also, traditional early baths with oil and "Uptan" (paste) of gram flour and fragrant powders are a `must'. All through the ritual of baths, deafening sounds of crackers and fireworks are there in order that the children enjoy bathing. Afterwards steamed vermiceli with milk and sugar or puffed rice with curd is served.
Whatever may be the legends behind the celebrations of Deepavali, all people in India exchange sweets, wear new clothes and buy jewellery at this festive time.
Diwali on the whole has always been the festival with more social than religious connotations. It is a personal, people-oriented festival when enmities are forgotten, families and friends meet,
enjoy and establish a word of closeness.
Deepavali which leads us into Truth and Light is celebrated on a nation-wide scale on Amavasya - the 15th day of the dark fortnight of the Hindu month of Kartika (October / November) every year. It symbolises that age-old culture of our country, which teaches us to vanquish ignorance that subdues humanity and to drive away darkness that engulfs the light of knowledge. Deepavali projects the rich and glorious past of our country and teaches us to uphold the true values of life.
The word "Diwali" is the corruption of the Sanskrit word "Deepavali" - Deepa meaning light and Vali, meaning a row. It means a row of lights and indeed illumination forms its main attraction. Every home - lowly or mightly - the hut of the poor or the mansion of the rich - is alit with the orange glow of twinkling deeyas-small earthen lamps - to welcome Lakshmi, Goddess of wealth and prosperity.
HISTORY
Deepavali is a five day Hindu festival ..
THE FIRST DAY OF DEEPAVALI
The first day of Deepavali is called Dhanvantari Triodasi . It is in fact the 13th lunar day of Krishna Paksh (the dark forthnight) of the month of Kartika. On this day, Lord Dhanwantari came out of the ocean with Ayurvedic medicine (medicine which promotes healthy long life)
for mankind.
This day marks the beginning of Deepavali celebrations. On this day at sunset, Hindus should bathe and offer a lighted deeya with Prasad to Yama Raj (the Lord of Death) and pray for protection from untimely death. This offering should be made near a Tulsi tree (the Holy Basil) or any other sacred tree that one might have in their yard. If there is no sacred tree, a clean place in the front yard will suffice.
THE SECOND DAY OF DEEPAVALI
The second day of Deepavali is called Naraka Chaturdasi. It is the fourteenth lunar day (thithi) of the dark forthnight of the month of Kartika and the eve of Deepavali. On this day Lord Krishna destroyed the demon Narakasur and made the world free from fear. On this day, we should massage our bodies with oil to relieve it of tiredness, bathe and rest so that we can celebrate Deepavali with vigour and devotion.
On this night, Yama Deeya should not be lit. The Shastras (Laws of Dharma) declares that Yama Deeya should be offered on Triodasi night with Prasad. The misconception that Yama Deeya should be offered on the night before Deepavali came about some years ago when the fourteenth lunar day (Chaturdasi) was of a very short duration and caused Triodasi to extend into the night before Deepavali. Some people mistook it to mean that because Yama Deeya was lit on that night, that it should always be lit on the night before Deepavali. This is absolutely not true. It is advisable that one consults with a learned Pandit or Hindu Astrologer for proper guidance on this matter.
THE THIRD DAY OF DEEPAVALI.
The third day is the actual deepavali. On this day Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped. Hindus cleanse themselves and join with their families and their Pandit (priest) and they worship the divine Goddess Lakshmi to achieve the blessings of wealth and prosperity, the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness. During this time, homes are thoroughly cleaned and windows are opened to welcome Lakshmi, goddess of wealth. Candles and lamps are lit as a greeting to Lakshmi.
THE FOURTH DAY OF DEEPAVALI.
On this day, Govardhan Pooja is performed. Many thousands of years ago, Lord Krishna caused the people of Vraja to perform Govardhan Pooja. From then on, every year Hindus worship Govardhan to honour that first Pooja done by the people of Vraja.
It is written in the Ramayana that when the bridge was being built by the Vanar army, Hanuman was bringing a mountain as material to help with the construction of the bridge. The call was given that enough materials was already obtained. Hanuman placed the mountain down before he could have reached the construction site. Due to lack of time, he could not have returned the mountain to its original place.
The deity presiding over this mountain spoke to Hanuman asking of his reason for leaving the mountain there. Hanuman replied that the mountain should remain there until the age of Dwapara Yuga when Lord Rama incarnates as Lord Krishna in the form of man. Lord Krishna will shower his grace on the mountain and will instruct that the mountain be worshiped not only in that age but but in ages to come. This deity whom Hanuman spoke to was none other than Govardhan (an incarnation of Lord Krishna),who manifested Himself in the form of the mountain. To fulfill this decree, Govardhan Pooja was performed and is continued to be performed today.
THE FIFTH DAY OF DEEPAVALI.
The fifth day of the Deepavali is called Bhratri Dooj. This is the day after Govardhan Pooja is performed and normally two days after Deepavali day. It is a day dedicated to sisters. We have heard about Raksha Bandhan (brothers' day). Well this is sisters' day. Many moons ago,in the Vedic era, Yama (Yamraj, the Lord of death) visited His sister Yamuna on this day. He gave his sister a Vara dhan (a boon) that whosoever visits her on this day shall be liberated from all sins. They will achieve Moksha or final emancipation. From then on, brothers visit their sisters on this day to enquire of their welfare. This day marks the end of the five days of Deepavali celebrations.
According to Ramayana, Deepavali commemorates the return of Ram, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu and the eldest son of King Dasharath of Ayodhya, from his 14-year exile with Sita and Lakshman after killing the Ravan, a demon king. The people of Ayodhya illuminated the kingdom with earthen deeyas (oil lamps) and fireworks to celebration of the return of their king.
During the reign of Emperor Prithu, there was a worldwide famine. He ordered that all available cultivatable lands be ploughed.When the rains came, the land became very fertile and grains were planted. The harvest provided food not only to feed all of India, but for all civilisation. This harvest was close to Deepavali time and was a good reason to celebrate Deepavali with great joy and merriment by a wider community.
When Lord Krishna destroyed Narakasur on the day before Deepavali, the news of it travelled very rapidly throughout the land. It gave people who were already in a joyful mood, another reason for celebrating Deepavali with greater pride and elaboration.
CELEBRATION
Celebrations of Deepavali begin from Dusshera, which comes twenty days before Deepavali. At a metaphysical level, Deepavali is a festival signifying the victory of good over evil, the latter is
destroyed and reduced to ashes by fireworks is the belief of the people. Different people celebrate Deepavali in different ways. Each region of India celebrates Deepavali in it's own unique way.
People visit the places of their relatives and friends to wish them on the occasion and exchange gifts and for those who can not pay a personal visit there is a mind-boggling range of cards and gifts to choose from. Feasts are arranged and gaily-dressed men, women and children go to temples and fairs, visit friends and relatives. Markets are gaily decorated and lit up everybody adorned with new and bright clothes, especially ladies decorated with the best of ornaments, captures the social mood at its happiest. And all this illumination and fireworks, joy and festivity, is to signify the victory of divine forces over those of wickedness. Even countries like Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia celebrate this festival but in their own ways.
In Punjab, the day following Deepavali is known as tikka when sisters make a paste with saffron and rice and place an auspicious mark on their brother's foreheads as a symbolic gesture to ward off all harm.
In North India on the day of the Deepavali the children emerge, scrubbed clean to get into their festive attire, and light up little oil lamps, candles and agarbathis the wherewithal for setting alight crackers and sparklers.
For the Bengalis, it is the time to worship Goddess Kali , yet another form of Durga, the divine embodiment of supreme energy. KALI is the Goddess who takes away darkness. She cuts down all impurities, consumes all iniquities, purifies Her devotees with the sincerity of Her Love.
For the grown-ups, there is also a custom of indulging in gambling during Deepavali. It is all in fun, though, in a spirit of light-hearted revelry, and merrymaking. The children can be seen bursting fire crackers and lighting candles or earthen lamps. This is a time of generously exchanging sweets with neighbors and friends. Puffed rice and sugar candy are the favorite fares.
Deepavali is a time for shopping, whether for gifts or for adding durable items to one's own household. The market soars—everything from saffron to silver and spices to silks. Yet, symbolic purchases are to be made as part of tradition during Deepavali.
In South India that victory of the divine over the mundane is celebrated in a very peculiar way. People wake up before sunrise prepare blood by mixing Kumkum in oil and after breaking a bitter fruit that represents the head of the demon King that was smashed by Krishna, apply that mixture on their foreheads. Then they have an oil bath using sandalwood paste.
In Maharashtra also, traditional early baths with oil and "Uptan" (paste) of gram flour and fragrant powders are a `must'. All through the ritual of baths, deafening sounds of crackers and fireworks are there in order that the children enjoy bathing. Afterwards steamed vermiceli with milk and sugar or puffed rice with curd is served.
Whatever may be the legends behind the celebrations of Deepavali, all people in India exchange sweets, wear new clothes and buy jewellery at this festive time.
Diwali on the whole has always been the festival with more social than religious connotations. It is a personal, people-oriented festival when enmities are forgotten, families and friends meet,
enjoy and establish a word of closeness.
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