What is so charming about Andhra Pradesh? Is it famous due to the mouth watering taste of Hyderabadi Biriyani? What is there so appealing that we feel glued to the place and share a journey at least once in a year? We heard from the talks of our guardians who used to go on official trips to Hyderabad and stay in the official guest house. As we belonged to the eastern region, we waited with our fingers crossed for the return of our people and anticipated that they would come back fully fed up with the meals and hospitality of the local Telugu people. Our logic was our people who spoke Hindi and were mostly unfamiliar with the complex dialect of Andhra, would feel bored in the absence of a proper language for communication. As one fails to understand the mode of communication, what would he appreciate from courtesy and hospitality of the natives of the place?

But it was a total bolt from the blue! Our people returned only to lavish praise on the things they saw and the foods they ate. One woman in the group remained mesmerized for days in the spectacular sights and buildings of Ramaji Rao film city. The other buxom claimed the credit that she was completely at home with the modes of preparation of Sambar, Rasam, Idli and Dosha. We were swept off our feet to know that one young girl from our place without any prior experience of knowledge of Telugu homeland had learned so much about their language.

We looked at her with our eyes spread wide open in amusement when she uttered one after another words of Telugu.

“Telugu is a very sweet language”-She said to a few of us who listened to just the contradiction of our previous knowledge in baffling silence.

“Just see, how they said “rendi kurchendi’ with so good polite gesture”-She added.

“What is that”-One from our group asked without being able to understand slightest purport of the words?

“It means please come in and sit down”- She added to the discussion with pride and enthusiasm.

Destiny played amazing tricks on us. We saw the photo of our Guru from very early childhood. Clad in white robe, with both hands up and smiling beatific smile, his mien and curly hair were always inspiring for us. As and when our life tumbled into serious crisis, we sought to his feet, seeking relief. He is very liberal and never returned us empty handed.

Oh! It was very pleasing to know that he was from Andhra Pradesh. When our own land had plenty of spiritual heads, it can not be explained that how he incarnated in our lives taking lead in every twist and turn of fate.

He is our adorable Bhagwan Sri Satya Sai Baba.

In Hyderabad, we always find modernity and antiquity sharing a ride. If from the top of Birla mandir, you can see the sprawling beauty of the supine city, the grace of Charminar and the adjoining lanes and by lanes will whisper greatness of past in your ears.

Once we were accompanied by our friend Ganesh-a native from Guntur in a business journey inside Andhra Pradesh. We traveled up to Poddutur-an interior township. We had to change trains and buses to reach the town basking in great prosperity due to trading in gold. While in the train we were fortunate to see a group of women from tribal Andhra and smitten completely by the ethereal beauty of one. We were speechless to see her in familiar attire of tribal clothing.

How could one of us send his compliments towards her looks?

We feared that they would flare up taking this as a clear affront. Our Telugu buddy Ganesh took the challenge and went slow paced to that particular dusky, mind-bewitching beauty and blurted out on our behalf by pointing to one of us and then keeping his hand on his heart-“Look that gentleman says you are truly beautiful. You are truly a chiseled creation of God. The gentleman wants to compliment you”.

We were anticipating a quick reprisal-moreover an outburst in rage but the whole group laughed in return. The dusky beauty smiled in bashful reciprocation and kept on stealing glances in our direction.

Courtship is not an invention of modernity and acceptance is only matter of hearts. Women living in mountains and jungles are equally sensitive while sharing thoughts of heart. She left with morsels of sadness on her face, smiling at us while the group alighted on reaching their venue. We still have regrets for not carrying our camera for getting her imprisoned forever in our heart.

Once while sharing an auto ride to the temple of Kanaka Durga, we saw the sparkling in the wide bosom of river Krishna and on reaching the top, where the temple was situated, the panorama of sprawling magnificence of Vijay Wada simply charmed us. That idyllic scenery of one of the Telugu spiritual landscape inspired poetic imagination.

Ganesh our trader buddy taught us one precious principle of Business management. He quipped-“Always take number one price in exchange of number one quality. We thought it as a valuable guidance in business deals.

But yes, the axiomatic philosophic truth of his words is still a guiding precept in life and living!

Srikant Mohanty

HIG-1/60,BDA Colony,

Old town, Bhubaneswar-751002

Email;This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Religion in school has been the topic of the century.The society as a whole thinks it is wrong, but there is some people who is of the thinking that it would be good addition to our school. Maybe it will lower down school violence. Our country experienced violence prior to prayer development in school. Religion may make it worse.

Sociologist has given a look at this issue. Sociologist believe that if we had prayer in school, it may force us to read a bible and say amen each time teacher finishes a sentence. Sociologist disapproves school prayer for a number of reasons. First of all it is unconstitutional and violation of our First Amendment.

We need to know that amendment contains the Establishment clauses which restricts the government from establishing religion. Simply, developing secular institutions like the public schools must not be a forum for religious ritual .And does majority of people support school prayer? Often, those result depend on exactly how question happens to be asked.

Surveys reveals that many people disregard the notion of mandatory prayer. But although the majority thought that prayer was a good option, that does not make the practice ethically just or constitutional.

Sociologist opposing school prayer, believes that prayer is not efficacious. School prayer teaches children that there are invisible, supernatural entities which can be implored and appeased through mumbling prayer or reading from holy books. Many people are of opinion that just because there is a bible, mean we have to take it seriously. If we wrote a book and keep it in time capsule and send it back 4000 years ago it will become a religion.

Before getting anxious for student initiated prayer, question yourself; which students are doing the initiating? Student populations often reveal the diversity of the culture. Some student may desire to pray in class or at official school ceremonies like graduation exercises,but are they fair to other student which may not wish to pray?

Also, there are court cases taking into account this very question. It is clear that in many areas where a school may have a high percentage of student with same religious background, not all students feel comfortable with this student led religious ritual. If you come across a huge group of people praying will you join them? The surveys claim that 1 out of 4 students say yes.
The reason mentioned was, they don’t want to lose their friends. Sociologists is of the opinion that teen peer pressure could be reason for this. Why do we require a moment of silence? School prayer boosters have precedent which, they believe, will eventually lead towards explicit and vocal school prayer.

Many years before, the Supreme court struck down this type of proposal, legislation of this type often call for the moment of silence to be used for meditation or prayer. Besides, consider the decreasing number of hours that student are in school each year. Every moment must be utilised for useful and educational instruction, not meditating.

SACRIFICE IN VIEW OF SWAMI VIVEKANANDA

Swami Vivekananda merged into Maha Samadhi before his 40^th birthday. His age cannot be counted in number of years. The message that he has given to the world in just years, need more than 1500 years to be fully realized.

Presented here is the importance in meaning of word ‘Sacrifice’, in eyes of Vivekananda. The age in which he gave such thoughts to the world, is not just valid in that age itself, but it is valid for ever and for everybody.

• Everything can be sacrificed for Truth, but Truth cannot be sacrificed for anything.
• Great work can be finished by virtue of great sacrifice itself.
• For liberation of others, even if you have to go to hell, then sacrifice your liberation for this. There is no liberation on this earth that I can say mine.
• Liberation is only for those who sacrifice everything for others. And those who lament “My Liberation” day and night, they are rejecting all the good they migh have at present and in the future.
• Don’t ask anything, don’t expect anything from anybody. Whatever you want to give, give that and that will come back to you thousand times, but don’t think for it now. Your power is only to give. Just sacrifice and the leave everything else to God.
• There is no religion bigger than Sacrifice. The cheapest person is one whose hands are open to receive and the greatest person is one whose hands move to give. Hands were made just for giving. Even if you are dying hungry, give your last piece of bread to one who asks you for it or one who is in need. If you die doing this, you will be liberated. You will receive Godliness.
• Don’t think for your prestige. Sacrifice it. If for feeding hungry you have to sacrifice you name, property and everything you have, sacrifice it and you will be doing something greater than even knowledge, Yoga and Meditation. These things are incomparable to Sacrifice.
• India needs sacrifice of at least thousands of her humans. But understand that she needs sacrifice of humans and not of animals.
• Any religious body starts to decay on the day it starts worshipping rich.
• Summary of all this is Sacrifice. Without sacrifice, nobody can whole-heartedly work for others. A sacrificing person looks everybody with equal eyes, then how do you think that your wife and your sons are closer to you than others. God is dying hungry on your door and you are engaged filling stomach of your family only. Isn’t it animal nature?
• We should always remember that we are under debt of the society and even then society doesn’t ask us for anything. We are lucky to have received opportunity for giving something to the society. By doing good to the society, we actually do good for ourselves.
• Standing at height and keeping some money in your hands, never say “Beggar, take this.” But be generous to the poor for his presence there so that you received an opportunity to help him. Good luck is not of one who receives, but of the giver.
• Sacrifice is most beneficial, but people don’t have courage and patience for it.
• Be great. Any great work cannot be completed without Sacrifice. For the creation of this world, the creator himself had to sacrifice. Come, leave back your belongings and prestige and sacrifice even your life for building a human chain so that millions can cross this sea of Maya. Bring all the positive energy at the center. Don’t look for the flag you are taking, don’t look for the colors you are bringing. Instead mix all those colors and form the pure White light of love. Our duty is just to do whatever our duty is, result does not come under our authority. Result will decide for itself.
• Always take the seat of giver in this world. Give everything of yours and don’t expect anything at all. Give love, give help, do service and give whatever small you can and save yourself from the thought of a seller. Don’t keep any condition and you won’t be asked for any condition. Give to everybody in the same way as God gives us.

These great thoughts of this great person, if practiced even in small extent, can change our lives and seek us purity of mind and heart. Even though Swamiji had taken Sanyasa, he worked for the world as a Karmayogi. He can be said the perfect person of the Kalyuga. I always try to follow his beliefs but I fail every time. Then I seek His grace to give me strength to follow his path. Come with me and help me Realise Truth while you too get nearer to God.

Almost everybody in India is eagerly looking forward to Deepavali which falls this week.  While most Hindu festivals are celebrated only or mainly by Hindus Deepavali is one festival which is celebrated even by other religions as well, because Deepavali is not just a festival it goes beyond it as things like bursting crackers gives lot of enjoyment and that is why even other religions take part in celebrations. I recall that of having stayed in a house in my which our co tenant was a Christian and landlord a Muslim and the fact that is that the number of crackers burst by us were nothing compared to the numbers burst by them. While all of us eagerly looking forward to Pavel we do not realize that we are also being eagerly watched to by a few big people and those are shopkeepers who leave no stone unturned in trying to pull us towards them. Some Shopkeeperswho are eagerly waiting to make business on our account are:-

Wholesale Cracker shop outlet owners:- Gone are the days when the head of the family or earning member is required to go to a shop to buy crackers himself or give money to his wife or children to get the same.  These days the crackers come to the workplaces.  There are many whole sale merchants and come to office with the sample of a cracker box and a price list with a very attractive discount structure.  The wholesale merchant also gives you option of a box which contains all items or can be ordered item wise as per our choice.  What is more important is that the items are door delivered at your workplace. It is a ideal win win situation for both the shop keeper and the customer as he takes care of yourself by having the crackers delivered to your place and that too at a far cheaper price than what you had to pay had you gone to a retail shop outside.  The shop keeper also  takes care of himself by getting bulk money for himself by making everybody from your office and nearby offices buy from him.

It is not only the cracker shops which make merry but even shops dealing in household items and other electronic items makes as they come with offers of heavy discounts and free gifts.  It is also the appropriate time for shop keepers to move slow moving electronic items like outdated models of mobile handsets and dvd players.  The huge discounts offered by them help them to lure customers to liquidate items which other wise would have been impossible. Almost every household item like television, refrigerator, water filter, washing machine is bought by people after having seen advertisements in newspapers of heavy discounts and free discounts.  Many people may think that the shop owners are crazy to sell those items at such low prices but one must also imagine how much of investment he would have recovered during that period for him to re invest.

Sweets:- Sweet shop owners have the luxury of not having to run behind customers as they know that their shops will be jam packed by customers by Deepavali time as Sweets are almost mandatory at every home in Deepavali. However sweet shops give customer the luxury of sugar free sweets for some customers who cannot consume sugar items.

Chocolate Shops:- It is chocolateshops which have been the biggest beneficiary of this festival for they know corporates would prefer them over regular sweets as their items are almost non perishable. Chocolates though far less tastier than regular sweets are better packed and that gives the chocolate shop owners a huge advantage. Some chocolate shop owners also give customer the option of a free delivery to make them a preferred outlet.

Greeting Cards:- Even in the age of e-greeting there are many who feel the warmth of a greeting card can be felt only through a greeting with handwritten words like "Dear" and "Yours Lovingly".  Greeting card companies make the most out of three festivals and while Deepavali is one of them, the other two are Christmas and New Year. I for one would prefer a Greeting Card over a e greeting as even today I have all the Deepavali Greeting cards sent by my friends.

Saree's and Dress Materials:- A festival without wearing a new dress and incomplete.  Shop keepers know for a fact that it is impossible for women to curb temptation of a good offer especially in a discount sale and that is why shops selling saris and dress materials come up with tempting offers. 

While India is considered a land of festivals and rightly so it is hard to imagine any other festival which keeps shop keepers in all categories as busy as is the case with Deepavali.