The Maya civilization was one of the richest civilizations of the ancient world. It originated 6000 years before Christ and lasted till 1524 AD, when the Spaniards of Europe destroyed it. The Mayan culture is rich in its mythological lore. They were great astronomers and built temples atop the Pyramids. The sun was their chief deity, while Chac, the rain God was another important God appeased by all.
The Mayan Gods like Gods of other myths wanted to cerate human beings. This is how they created them. In the beginning, there was no earth, no heaven, no air or fire. There was a vast area covered by water below and the skies above. The whole place had a strange calm. The Gods lived under the sheets of water covered by green and blue feathers. For a long time they discussed ways of raising the earth from the water and getting rid of the all pervading darkness.
The Gods finally decided to withdraw the sea to a reasonable limit to make place for their new creation. This would fill the void. Soon, the earth rose, the sea receded and beautiful forests grew on the rich soil of the hills that emerged out of the sea. All seemed well till they realized that they could not allow the unbearable silence to continue. They created birds and animals, the sun and the moon and the stars to fill this silent world. The birds and animals were assigned grounds and trees as their living places. They endowed their creations with the power of speech and made them cry, chirp and hiss. But the birds and animals did not seem happy, for their sounds were not clear. Even the Gods felt unhappy.
In answer to this question of clarity, the gods created a superior race of living beings. This new species was created out of mud. Unfortunately, the material was too soft and the language they spoke unintelligible. Therefore, the Gods destroyed them and created a new model out of wood. Wood was firm and strong. So the creations looked nice. But alas! They had a wooden expression on their faces. Ultimately even these creatures were destroyed. The creatures did not give easily; they were tough and so fought bravely. They lived on with destroyed faces, and became the forefathers of the monkeys.
The Gods were now in a difficult situation, unable to do anything. Just then they saw some animals in a corn field. The field was covered with yellow and white ears of corn. Then an idea flashed. Why not use the corn? Thus the corn ground and fashioned into four new model beings. These beings fed on the corn and soon grew strong and wise. They were the first human beings.
The first human beings had the power to visualize all existed in the universe, beyond the shies and beneath the mountains, the valleys and the sea. They were amazed at they saw and their hearts were full of praise and love for the great Gods who had created them. This is what the God wanted, their earlier creatures never praised them nor were they happy. In a short while the Gods felt that their models were better than what they had planned. The happiness and sense of achievement disappeared. They feared what would happen next. One of the Gods got a brilliant idea and they blew a fog into the eyes of the four models. This limited their vision and far sightedness.
The beings were now to the complete satisfaction of the Gods. They were perfect. After sometime the four beings begged the Gods to give them children and the Gods readily agreed. That is what the Mayans believe about the origin of mankind.
The entire creation was overjoyed when the sun rose and children prayed about. A lovely sight engulfed the earth. Birds chirped, animal sounds filled the air and the priests burned incense to offer as sacrifice to their Gods.
Dr.A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Indian Former President, well known rocket scientist give boost to our youngsters and people. He is the role model for our youth. He is free from boundaries such as religion, politics. He is the icon of good hope.
He spread his thoughts to children's mind. He give trust to people that is india will become super power in 2020. It is not a fancy number. It become powerful number by Kalam.Today(20.05.2010), in madurai Ramakrishna Matt celebrated it’s devotional function. It has started by the presence of one Chief Guest The Former President Dr.A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. He gave good speech and good hope.
The Ramakrishna Matt gave warm welcome to all devotees and people. They arranged for good drinking water and good lunch. The fuction was celebrated in the good ventilation place.
Police department gave the good protection to that function. Some police men stood upstairs in near buildings for good protection.
He also share some memories to people and answer to some questions by students.
He went to the State Arunachal Pradesh and meet some Buddisht monks in hills. It is very cool place. He asked them “ how you tolerate this poisonous cool?". They replied “Sacrifice the self is the starting point for achievement".
Then he shared his memory about Balgariya trip. In this trip he met Christian peoples. They give important to forgiveness. Forgiveness is the best solution for all problems.
Good thoughts is the base for good activities. Good activities is the key for success. We should try to become our country will prosperous, calm and educational country. If you thoughts are clear, your activites are also become clear. Clear activities give with clear goal give good success.
These are the some concepts of kalam's speech. His speech has some magical power. It frame the young mind and give fresh and good hope to people.
He acts like a friend to every one. Yes! he is a friend to the whole world.
“Me And My Grand Pa”
I hail from a very large family also called a joint family in India. My paternal grand parents had two sons and five daughters. All of them were married by the time I was born. Traditionally in India, all daughters relocate to their in-laws house or move along with their husbands after their marriages. Both my father and my uncle (father’s brother) continued to stay together along with my grand parents even after their respective marriages. It made logical sense for them to stay together as they were both continuing the business that my grandfather started. I am the daughter of the elder son of my grandparents. My father’s family consisted of me, my parents, and my two younger brothers. My uncle’s family consisted of my uncle, my aunty and their two daughters. We were in total eleven members living as one family.
Everyday was enjoyable with so many members in the house. We were three families, and we used to have many occasions to celebrate; birthday and marriage day celebrations were common along with the many Indian festivals that are celebrated during the year.
The head of our family was my “Grand Pa”. He was very caring and a happy man. He ensured that all of us followed ethical values and corrected us when ever required. His judgment of various problems was always very precise and correct due to his vast experience. He was a great believer in Almighty God and always encourages us to spend time at the alter in the house. After his retirement from active business life, he spend a lot of time with all his the grand children. I am definitely his favorite grand child and lucky to be a recipient to his love and affection. I have inculcated most of my values from him.
I can recollect some very special moments with my grand father. When I was about 8 years old, he used to make me sit in his lap and say very interesting and funny stories. After completing the story, he would ask me if I understood the moral of the story. He would be ready to repeat the story if I had any concern and ensured I understood the story and it’s moral.
Almost everyday during my childhood, he used to spend a lot of the time at the Alter praying to God. He used to give me a chance to decorate the alter with beautiful flowers before his prayers. He never missed out an opportunity to teach me slokas and hymns when I was at the alter room. We both used to utter most of the hymns together which helped me learn faster. I still remember that the first hymn that he taught me was “Gayatri Manta”.
Om Burbuvatsuvaha
Tatsaviturvarenyam
Bhargo Cevasya Dhemahe
Dhiyoyonah Prachodayat.
At night, I used to sleep along with my grand parents and listen to their interesting stories from the Puranas as Mahabharatha, Ramayana, and Bhagavatha. After falling asleep by their side I used to be transported back to my bed. These are the instances I can recollect as some good moments prior to when I was ten years of age.
My Grand Pa had a look alike twin brother. They looked so much alike that most of the members in the family used to get confused in recognizing them. I can boast of not having had the confusion even once. We used to celebrate our Grand Pa’s birthday along with his twin brother every year. They celebrated their birthday on “Collanga Amavasya”, according to the Hindu astrological positioning of the stars during their birth time. This day/date would change every year and would fall in the months of January or February. All of us, including my Grand pa’s brother’s families, used to gather at our home to have fun for some time and enjoy the occasion.
When I was in my tenth and intermediate, my grand pa started to spend more time at the house leaving the business matters to his sons. This is the time I got very attached to my grand father. He used to call me with a special nickname “Deepu”. He happens to be the only person to call me with that nickname.
He expected me to show myself to him every morning to wish him “Good Morning”. Before leaving to my college I used to inform him. On some occasions when I needed to rush to the college, I used to miss informing him before leaving to college. My grand pa used to enquire within the house about where I am, and why I could not see him before leaving to college. In the evenings, he used to sit on the house portico and wait for my arrival from college. If I got delayed he would get restless and would expect a proper reasoning or a sorry for being late on my return.
My grandpa used to like my handwriting and always complimented me for my good writing. He wanted his dairies which contained hymns and prayers written in my hand writing. When he got older, I used to also write down all his mail letters while he used to dictate.
While I was doing my B.Tech, he became very weak and had cataract problems in his eyes. He was also highly diabetic and his feet were needed regular massage for better blood circulation. I used to take care of him by applying moisturizer to his feet. I used to cut his nails once a week. I used to apply oil to his legs to avoid them from getting dry. I used to go along with him to our family doctor for his regular check-up. I used to take responsibility to bring all his monthly medicines for BP and diabetes and explain him how to use them.
We used to sing bhajans in the praise of God at our house regularly. He used to like my voice and the manner in which I sang bhajans. I used to sing bhajans for him and he used to relax and listen to my singing. Sometimes, he used to ask me for a particular bhajan of his choice. One such bhajan which he liked a lot was:
Sankata Harana Sri Sai Ramana
Pankaja Charana Namo Namo
Vedo Dharana Venkata Ramana
Lakshmi (Sai) Narayana Namo Namo
Namo Namo Namo Namo
Pankaja Charana Namo Namo !
It is a bhajan in praise of Lord Venkateswara of Tirupathi.
When doing my B.Tech, I used to travel around 75 Kms daily to reach my college. In the first three semesters, the college administration did not have college bus facility. I needed to catch a Govt RTC bus to reach my college. Since, I was traveling long distances on a public transport, my grandpa used to be a bit worried till I returned home. He was always at the portico of the house waiting to see me return. Later, in my fourth semester the college administration had provided us a college bus to our area. I still observed that my grand pa used to wait for me at the portico, swaying on his rocking chair. It perhaps turned a habit for him by then.
In my final semester, I got engaged and was to get married after completion of my B.Tech. On just listening to the good news about the proposal for the engagement, my grandpa was the happiest man. He called me to his room, held me in his hands for some time with joyful eyes. I remember that happy gesture till today as I never saw such happiness in him, all my life. He was happy for me and the proposal. Later, we had the engagement function at our house in his presence. It was perhaps the last function he attended since he suddenly collapsed with a heart failure just around two months before the marriage date. Something that I could not digest and none of us in our family could either. Things had to move on and till today every one feels his presence guiding us and reminding us of the way of life which he led to perfection.
I never missed seeking his blessings every time, especially during my birthdays. Here is a very cute photo taken on my "First Birthday". Its me along with my Grand Pa.
He was a great man for me. He was respected by all who came to see him which made me feel proud as his grand daughter. I even till today take his name in my native place and tell proudly that I am his grand daughter. The best part of his life was his living by example. He practiced the principles he expected us to have. I believe a lot of him reflects in my current behavior. He would be seen always in my acts and deeds. He is always present in my mind and thoughts. I understand life has to move on and each day of my life.
I Miss You Grand Pa. Thank You For All That You Gave Me.
Kasab couldn’t have deserved a better punishment. But with the government saying that he might be hanged by the end of this year if there are no legal hassles just seems to give the whole affair a slight amount of leniency. I know there are legal issues to sort out, documentations to be filed…but hey! It’s been over a year to the day when Kasab raged mayhem in Mumbai and was arrested for his doings. Doesn’t an extension of more than a year plus a couple more months till the end of this year equals two whole years, amount to too much life for someone who dealt death to innocents so bluntly?
I’m not too aggressive nor would I ever support capital punishment by getting swayed away in emotions. But when someone commits a reckless act, then he deserves an equal punishment for it. But what is the point of a severe punishment if it comes in too late? Does it serve justice in full measure? Perhaps I speak out of strong sentiments I feel for Mumbai, it being my place, or for all those hundreds of people whom I didn’t know but died at the hands of merciless terrorists. But in my opinion, a just case doesn’t imply giving an appropriate sentence alone. It also means executing it in a timely manner.
Take out any daily newspaper and scan local tabloid, where you find number of classfieds, on earning money with an easy way. If you subscribe to them, you will find ultimately, it is a network business scheme or any other marketing theme, for which you have to work-out very hard! Normally, everyone of us is easily attracted to such type of advertisements, but never think of saving money through a lot of ways, which is also a method of earning money. Let us know about some of these tips, which are very much useful in our day-today-life and also shows us the cutting down of our expenditure!
Shopping:
Nowadays, through internet and in the sites like froogle.com, you can compare the prices of any article at different shops, where you can do 50% of homework. After taking a final decision, leisurely you can visit the shop, which is offering the best price.
Go for seasonal shopping. Suppose if you are planning for an air-conditioner, next year, do not wait upto summer! Lot of off-season discounts are offered during winter and grab those opportunities.
Many credit cards offer, discount on your usage. Through some points or straight discount, you can make use of those and save money. And remember, never give chance to the credit card issuer to charge you with interest. Pay the bills well in time, so that you get credit for several days with free of interest.
Some shops offer coupons for your future usage, through which you get discount. Do not throw them away, preserve carefully and get ready for your next shopping.
At any place, there will be retailers as well as wholesalers. Some wholesalers do offer the retail price at their shops. Enquire thoroughly and make this a value buy. You can find a wide gap between the retail and wholesale prices.
Be aware of consumer seminars and try to attend. Read the articles about the consumer forum cases, where the consumers are successful. Your awareness will be increased and you will also find what is good and what is bad.
Personal Finance:
Check up yourself, your family and your home articles, whether all are properly insured or not? Giving your family after you is very important. Saving your articles, your beloved ones through insurance is also a wise thing, it is not only life insurance but also health insurance. Go though various plans offered by various companies but also be watchful at their past track record, where the claims are easily refunded or not. Some times with a very little extra-cost, you can find good additional riders for your insurance policy. Also check up whether all of them you need.
Whenever you go to your bank for the updation of your pass book or ministatement through ATM, make sure that you are not unnecessarily penalised with any fees. Some times the entries related to some other account-holders may be passed on to you, or else, in some private banks, negligently penalise the customers, where you must be alert and demand for the refund. Confirm whether those charges or mandatory and also ask the banker to give aunthenticity for that.
Also check up your mortgage loan regularly. In the name of service charges, inspection charges, the bank may unnecessarily penalise you with differend names of the fees. Know about them and ask the bank to refund, if you need not pay.
If you have a land-line or post-paid mobile phone, check up all the calls which you made throroughly, where you can find some unnecessary calls or prolonged calls too. Try to cut down them in the next bill, where your precaution makes your bill thin.
Also think about power bills. Do not plug sockets without use. Do not hang the mobile chargers, even they are switched off, power will be consumed. Inculcate the habit of switching of lights, fans and other electrical items to your children. Try to use sunlight during the day, by not using the electricity. Depend mostly on nature. Try to buy the articles which work with naturaly energy like solar light, calculator etc.,
Water is a very rich resource, every one of us needs. Use it carefully and try to save. Check up all your pipes and taps for leakages and get them right with your plumber. Wherever possible try to recycle the rain water by harvesting through recharge pits, which makes your borewell or well, not easily dried during the summer.
Vehicles:
You may generally have a bike or two and also a car. It is your regular habit to go to the nearby market, to get vegetables. On a very cool morning, why don't you walk along and get them. For walkable distances, you need not take out your vehicle, thereby causing expenditure to yourself and pollution to the world.
Also try to keep a bicycle for you at home. If the distance is too far, you can ride on the bicycle, where you also can have some exercise and also help the earth by being eco-friendly. This saves you a lot of fuel and also makes you healthy too. So the doctor's bill also can be reduced.
Make sure, on renewal of your vehicle insurance, every year the non-claim discounts of insurance are reflected in the premium.
Keep your tires properly inflated, thereby you can save gas or fuel and also prolong their life.
Little things do big wonders. Allocate a few rupees for the maintenance of your vehilce, which prevents you to expend a big amount all of a sudden, towards the cost of the spares. Do regularly check up the fluid-levels and pressure of the tires and try to follow the directives as per the manual given by the maker of your vehicle.
This car is boring for you, but the new car costs you more! You can afford the cost of a new car but for some time-being your beloved old car is also good one. As long as it runs well and fuel-efficient, try to get along with it, till you can not stop the urge of buying a new car!
Life-style:
Try to give up your expensive bad habits like drinks and parties. These are enjoyable but also expensive. If you slowly reduce them in number, after some time, you can stop yourself to go for them. Remember your health is also taken care of, by avoiding these.
Avoid outside food. Food at hotels, is generally very delicious but also injurious to health, as they add many artificial flavours, colours and some times chemicals. At home, we can also make ourselves a very toothsome food, with a lot of discounted cost, compared to the hotel. So why can't you try? If you are saving health as well as money, why to look at hotel? Home is the best!
Whenever there is an unexpected income for you in the form of a lottery, lucky-dip or dividend, do not mix up with your regular income. Keep it separately and try to save it in a fixed deposit, where your family enjoy the benefits of it, whenever exigencies occur.
Be simple. Do not be lavish. Simplicity gives you a lot of image in the society but lavish makes you an oddman. Also simplicity always makes your budget simple and provides you good health! So happy savings!
More Articles …
Page 79 of 202