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vikram answered the question Your favorite old time romantic pairs in Hindi films.
My Favorite Romantic Pairs are.....
1) Rajesh khanna and Mumataz
2) Sashi Kapoor and Nanda
3) Dilip kumar and Madhubala
9 years ago
Babu saroj replied to the topic Famous writer Taarak Mehta passes away at age 87.
But still pain to hear someone death isn't it.
9 years ago
Babu saroj liked the topic Famous writer Taarak Mehta passes away at age 87.
One of the famous writer, humorist and playwriter Taarak Meta passed away at age of 87. One of the famous T.V. serial "
9 years ago
Kalyani Nandurkar liked a reply to the topic Gods own country - A killing field under CPI (M).
9 years ago
Kalyani Nandurkar liked a reply to the topic Isn't it fair that the two largest parties form an alliance?.
9 years ago
Kalyani Nandurkar liked a reply to the topic Isn't it fair that the two largest parties form an alliance?.
9 years ago
usha manohar replied to the topic Gods own country - A killing field under CPI (M).
The violence was started by the CPI since they have a history of it in all states where they have a considerable presence. There may have been retaliation now by the RSS and...
9 years ago
rambabu liked a reply to the topic Isn't it fair that the two largest parties form an alliance?.
9 years ago
usha manohar replied to the topic Isn't it fair that the two largest parties form an alliance?.
I guess Congress supporters have short memories as far as their party misdeeds are concerned. One cannot forget that Congress in its greed for power has brought down govts...
9 years ago
usha manohar replied to the topic Indian techie killed in Kansas city hate crime...
In India also we see it against lower castes, minorities, specific groups and so on....
9 years ago
simmi created new article Mosquitos Back with Brand New Disease .
Chikungunya is a Mosquito borne viral disease caused by RNA virus. The word " Chikungunya" means " That which Bends up ", of the contorted posture of the people affected with the severe joint pain and arthritic symptoms associated with this disease.
Signs and Symptoms :
The incubation period of the chikungunya virus ranges from One to Twelve days, and is most Typically Three to Seven. The disease may be asymptomatic, but generally is not, as 72% to 97% of those infected will develop symptoms. It is characterized by frequent fever accompanied by Joint Pain, and Skin Rashes. Other Symptoms may occur, including headache, fatigue, digestive complaints, and conjunctivitis. The Joint lasts for a few days or may be prolonged to weeks. Typically the disease begin with a sudden High fever that lasts from a few days to a week, and some times up to ten days. The fever is usually above 102 Degree Fahrenheit and sometimes reach 104 degree Fahrenheit and may be lasting several days , breaking and then returning back.
Most patients recover fully, but in some cases joint pain may persist for several months , or even years. Rash occurs in 40-50% of cases, the rashes occurs generally 4-5 days after onset of symptoms , including abdominal pain Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, may also occur. In more than half of cases, normal activity is limited by significant fatigue and pain. Serious complications are not common, but in older people, the disease can contribute to the cause of death. Often symptoms in infected individuals are mild and the infection may go unrecognised, or be misdiagnosed in areas where dengue occurs. Its virus is passed to humans when a bite from infected mosquito breaks the skin and introduces the virus into the body. These mosquito can be found biting throughout daylight hours, though there may be peaks of activity in the early morning and late afternoon. After the bite of an infected mosquito, onset of illness occurs usually between 4 and 8 days but can range from 2 to 12 days.
Ways to Diagnose the Disease
Chikungunya is diagnosed on the basis of clinical test, epidemilogical, and laboratory criteria.
Ways of Treatment:
There are no specific antiviral drug treatment for this painful disease. Treatment is directed primarily at relieving the symptoms, including the joint pain using anti-pyretics, optimal analgesics and fluids. There is no commercial Chikungunya Vaccine.
9 years ago
KIRAN created new article Millets - Our Future Bread.
With the changing climatic conditions and rainfall pattern we need to shift our focus towards climate resilient crops.Hence Millets are seen as an alternative to rice and wheat as they are not only climate resilient but also offers high nutritional value. Millets are grown worldwide and we can see them as 'Our Future Bread'.
Millets are small grained cereal grasses which are grown in almost every state and region.The most popular millets are Bajra(pearl millet), Sorghum, Jowar, Ragi etc.They are tiny in size and round in shape. Millets are specially known as climate change compliant crops as they can withstand extreme climatic conditions such as heat regime, erratic rainfall as contrary to wheat which is thermal sensitive and rice which needs heavy rainfall. Millets are the oldest grains known to the mankind.The evidence of their cultivation dates back to 3000 B.C.in Indus Valley Civilization. They are called as miracle grains for their high nutritional content.They are low water consuming crops,they need 25% less rainfall than wheat and banana and 30% less than that of rice.Hence with the increasing irregularities in climatic pattern and erratic rainfall leading to water crisis and drought, Millets can be seen as better alternative.
Benefits of Millets to Human Body:
It is a good source of protein , dietary fibers, vitamin B and minerals such as iron, magnesium, zinc etc.
100 gram of raw millet provides 378 calories
Consuming Millets provide protection against cardiac diseases and improve diabetic condition.
It lowers the level of bad cholesterol in your body.
It is an alkaline food grain and hence can be easily digested.
It detoxifies the body and is found to be effective in lowering blood pressure.
It is extremely beneficial in curing digestion related problems.It offers great relief in constipation,excess gas, bloating and cramping.
It helps to optimize liver, kidney and immune system.
It also helps in weight loss.
Pearl millet is especially given to lactating mother to increase the secretion of breast milk.
It prevents the onset of breast cancer.
Ragi or finger millet is called as wonder grain as it has the highest mineral and calcium content as compared to whole-grains.
Kodo millet help to regulate irregular menstrual cycle in women.
Growing millets would help countries to solve the issue of food security. If Indian Government distribute millets through Public Distribution System to Below Poverty Line Families then it will enhance their nutritional standard and prevent the malnutrition in children. Even Midday Meal Scheme can include millets in they meal.They can prove to be boon in drought prone areas as Millets require very less water.It can be grown in low quality soil such as acidic and saline soil.In Rajasthan pearl millets are grown in sandy soil.and it is pest resistant so it offers less chance of crop failure and hence poor farmers can see them as good source of income.
9 years ago
Bineesh Balakrishnan created new article Strong enough.
Mark was the second son of a Bank officer & a housewife. He was born in Perth Australia, & had his primary schooling there. He was very good at academics & was really famous in his school...He was the apple of his daddy's eye, & his mother's love for him was incomparable. His elder brother John was 6 years older than Mark, & loved him a lot.With each passing year, Mark's achievements astounded everyone. He was able to get double promotions in school, with unbelievable ease...
Mark joined for college at the age of 15, for studying Medicine, at Sydney.John left for the US, & was planning to get settled there, with his wife Amelie. The first year was a little rough for Mark, but needless to say, he passed with honors.... Just into sophomore year, Mark was dealt with a severe blow. His parents were involved in a car crash & both of them couldn't survive the accident.John came down from America, for the last rites of his parents. At the tender age of 16, Mark's life was torn apart. The people who brought him into this world, were no more. His spirit caved in. For weeks he couldn't sleep, or concentrate on anything.John advised him to see a Psychologist. He visited one who told him, that he was just going through a grief reaction.Mark kept thinking-"I couldn't tell Ma & Pa how much I loved them!!..They meant the whole world for me...I don't think I'm strong enough to carry on..I've never felt this low in all my life.."
2 months after the incident, Mark decided to work out more intensely, & also meditate longer. In a couple of weeks time, his sagging spirits lifted. He got back to living his life, studying, hanging out( as much as possible). No matter what Mark did, he could not fill the void created by the loss of his parents... Bored of his routine, Mark cycled all the way to the beach. His mind was reeling with memories of his parents. On reaching the beach, Mark lay down on the sand, looking at the setting sun. Little by little his mind started healing itself. The crimson sky, the flying birds, all helped to ease his mind.He thought-"Ma & Pa left me, but their memories will live on in me...They'll always be a part of me.." Mark thought of all the good times he had with his parents, & vowed to make the most of his life, because he knew that's what his parents would've wanted from him...
Sophomore year ended with a lack luster performance from Mark in academics. But eventually he started studying & living better... In the third year of college, Mark passed with flying colors. It was around this time that Julie, joined the college. Mark got to get to know Julie, & the two of them fell in love. Julie was Mark's soulmate( no one doubted that!!), & their relationship was perfect in every way imaginable. Late night walks in the park, watching movies, making out on the beach, all resulted in their relationship getting stronger & deeper with each passing day...
Mark graduated with honors & went onto specialize in Internal Medicine. He married Julie & settled in Perth. He set up a charity clinic where he'd treat patients for free twice a week. Mark was also working in a private hospital 5 days a week... Everything was going fine, when one day John called Mark to inform him that he was diagnosed with Basal cell carcinoma. John came down to Australia with his wife Amelie, to be with his younger brother for the treatment. Mark read more about the disease, & devised a tight schedule for his brother's recovery. John's day started off with 30 minutes of meditation, followed by a 45 minute jog with his younger brother. Besides the chemotherapy, Mark asked his brother to take nutritional supplements, so that he wouldn't become lean. John would spend an hour every evening in visualization, & read Chicken Soup for the Cancer Survivor's Soul twice everyday. Mark saw to it that his brother got atleast 8 hours of sleep every night. John was completely cured of his cancer, & both Amelie & John thanked Mark for his 'well devised regime' which helped John to become a better human being & also helped him to fight cancer...
Years rolled by, as they always do, & Mark became the father of Ann Mary, his first daughter. Julie & Mark went on to have another daughter, Elizabeth who was born 5 years later... Mark treated nearly 15,000 people for free in his charity clinic. Julie now works as General Practitioner, in the same hospital that Mark does. Mark & Julie are doing everything conceivable, to promote safe driving in the country. They are arranging week long classes, once a year, to help people to drive safely. Once a week, Mark & his family visit orphanages & old age homes with biscuits & cakes for the inmates. Mark is planning on retiring early so that he can travel a lot, & maybe take to writing. Mark realized the fact that, no matter what happens in life, the human spirit is strong enough, to face it.....He was broken to bits by the death of his parents when he was barely 16. He wallowed in pain, & grief, but kept trying to free himself from the manacles of grief. He finally succeeded, & made a vow to live life at the highest level possible. He helped his elder brother fight cancer...He has treated tens of thousands of patients for free, & is helping make many lives better in every way possible...The human spirit is strong enough, to face any number of challenges & emerge victorious...
9 years ago
Abhishek Dass created new article 10 Bizarre Saints of India.
India is a land of mysticism with a culture that dates back thousands of years. It gave yoga and the concept of Nirvana to the world. Many people visit India to find spiritual gurus, to attain enlightenment and to know the meaning and purpose of life. When picturing a saint or a guru, one might picture a man in saffron clothing, long beard and always meditating. Although this is usually the case, what many people might not know are the very weird and bizarre kinds of saints present.
Let us look at some of these bizarre and weird saints.
10 Devraha Baba- The ageless Yogi
Although there are no records of his birth year, still by looking at all the historic accounts, it can be predicted that he was at least two hundred to two hundred and fifty years old (there are some speculations of him being nine hundred years old).The first president of independent India Dr. Rajendra Prasad had mentioned in his autobiography that his father sat at the feet of Devraha Baba as a child, which was in the middle of the nineteenth century, and he was already elderly back then. An Allahabad High Court District Barrister stated that seven generations of his family had sat at the feet of Baba. Eminent people who visited him to seek his blessings included Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi among many others.
He lived on a 12-foot high wooden platform near Yamuna River in Mathura where thousands of devotees gathered daily to seek the holy man’s blessing. The appearance of Baba in Kumbha Mela, which takes place once in every twelve years, was recorded twelve times. He did not wear any clothes and he never ate anything, as he was able to draw energy from cosmic sources. He only drank water from the Yamuna River. Devraha Baba was a yogi of the highest order. The ageless yogi gained mastery over Khechari state of yoga whereby he was able to control his hunger and the time of his death. He was once observed to stay underwater for half an hour unaided.
In 1990, he took samadhi and left his body. Interestingly, he predicted his death five years prior. His shrine is located across the Yamuna River in the pilgrimage city of Vrindavan.
9 Tat Wale Baba – Anti-aging Saint
Tat Wale baba (Jute wearing Baba) looked surprisingly younger than his age. He did not wear any clothes except for an ochre loincloth held at the waist by a brass chain. He had such long black hair, if left open; it would trail on the ground. Even at the age of eighty, he looked no older than mid-thirties and had an impressive build; fathom that.
Tat Wale Baba was born to a spiritual family of middle-class farmers in Punjab, India. Although his birth records are not known, according to his elementary school classmate, who later saw Baba, he stopped aging at the age of thirty-five. Assuming baba of the same age as the classmate, he would have been born around 1890. From the age of eight or nine, he was inclined towards spirituality and used to meditate whenever he got time. As a teenager, he grew up with an impressive physique. His friends persuaded him to join the army; which he did, but he didn’t like the army lifestyle and left after two months of service and went in pursuit of a guru to guide him towards the spiritual path. After much of the search and coming across a couple of gurus, he intuitively went to Manikut Mountain where he came across an emaciated old man in a cave. Both chatted for several hours and after the conversation ended the old man left the cave to Tat wale baba saying that his time is finished and he is going to the Himalayas to take Mahasamadhi.Baba had a twelve-feet long cobra snake as a pet and he regularly fed it milk. It was rumored that he had contacted the King Cobra and asked him that no cobra to ever bite a human in that area. There was no incidence of a snake biting in that mountain area.
On 2nd December 1974, on his way to a morning bath, he was shot dead by a crazy gunman. Baba would be around eighty-five years of age at the time of his death. Incidentally, he told his closest disciple, about his death, five years prior and even reminded him of the prediction just two days before the incident.
8 Lotan Baba – Rolling Saint
Mohan Das now known as Lotan baba is a man who took even extremes to an extreme level.
Once he took a penance of standing for twelve years where he stood under a banyan tree in a village. He didn’t take any handouts from anyone, so on top of standing for seven years, he survived only by eating grass. The villagers considered him a holy man with divine powers and regularly visited him to seek his blessings.
After completing his seven years of the oath, he did not just sit around. He pledged a new penance of visiting the shrine of Vaishnav Devi (Hindu Pilgrimage) at the foothills of the Himalaya, which was approximately seventeen hundred miles from his village. Walking all the way itself would be considered a huge feat of endurance but he decided to roll all the way to his destination. When asked why he wanted to take up such an agonizing journey, he said that the goddess Durga came in his dream and summoned him there. A few local villagers came forward to accompany him in the journey. The entourage went with him facing all the extreme elements of nature. The journey took them around six months facing blistering summer, monsoon rain, desert sands and a snowy mountain. Everywhere he passed along the holy journey, he got a warm reception and people flocked to see and receive blessings from the rolling baba.
At the age of fifty-five, he took up another rolling expedition to roll all the way to Lahore, Pakistan in the name of World Peace. After rolling fifteen hundred miles across India, the Holy Roller came to a grinding halt as the border guards stopped him at the gates of Wagha Border for not having a passport.
7 Giribala – Non-eating saint.
At the age of sixty-eight, Giribala was a yogini (women yogi) who had not eaten or drunk anything from the age twelve i.e. for fifty-six years. Paramhansa Yogananda in his autobiography ‘The Autobiography of a Yogi’ has written about his meeting with Giribala.
He met her in 1936, in her small village called Biur in Bengal. As a child, she was a voracious eater and was taunted mercilessly by her mother-in-law for her gluttony, after she got married at the age of twelve. Her mother-in-law’s scoldings were a blessing in disguise. One day when her taunts became unbearable she vowed to never touch food again for the rest of her life.
In great despair, she prayed to her God to send a guru who could teach her to live by God’s light alone and not food. The guru materialized right in front of her and initiated a special kriya technique involving specific mantras and breathing exercises (way beyond the scope of an average person), which freed her body from dependence on food and she was able to harness the energy from astral light. She told Yogananda that she never had a child. She hardly slept and had no bodily excretion. When the Maharaja of her province came to know about her, he invited her to his place to conduct an investigation into her claims; which she agreed to. She lived locked up for two months in a small section of his home. Later she was again tested for twenty days and a third time for another fifteen days, upon which the Maharaja of Burdwan himself said that these three rigorous scrutinies have convinced him beyond any doubt of her non-eating state.
When asked why she does not share this knowledge with others, she said her Guru has forbidden her from this and she only wants to show that it’s possible to live by the Eternal light if a person is able to achieve higher spiritual awareness.
6 Fakir Haridas – Buried Alive for forty days
To be buried under the ground for forty days and still come out alive; seems some kind of a legend that grandpas would tell to amuse their grandchildren.
Although it may appear far-fetched, this is what Fakir (saint) Haridas did. Haridas was a 19th-century fakir who had an incredible control of his physiology. He could reduce his heartbeats to such low levels that it became undetectable and allowed himself to be buried in this state for weeks. In 1837, Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab summoned the fakir in his Lahore court and asked him to replicate this feat. He took a sitting position and dropped his vitals to an undetectable level. His ears and nostrils were shut with wax and cotton, after which he was wrapped in linen and placed in a large chest. A heavy padlock was fixed and sealed with Maharaja’s own seal. The chest was then buried in a garden and walls on all four sides were erected around the grave and sentinels were posted to monitor it day and night.
Upon completion of forty days period, the chest was dug out. The body of the fakir, which appeared lifeless, was inspected by an English physician of his court. The physician confirmed that there were no signs of life present. The servant of the fakir then proceeded to bath him in hot water and straighten his stiffed legs. He pulled out the cotton and wax stuffed in his ears and nostrils and rubbed his eyelids with Ghee (purified butter). The servant applied hot cakes on his head and repeated the process thrice; sadhu’s body convulsed violently and slowly started regaining the respiration. Seeing the Maharaja in front of him, he calmly asked: “Do you believe me now?” The Maharaja nodded his head and showered him with pearls, a pair of a gold bracelet and different kinds of royal gifts.
5 Kahreswari Babas - The standing Babas
There is a concept of Tapasya in Hinduism, where you put yourself through self-inflicted suffering for an extended duration in order to find spiritual enlightenment. The pain purifies and elevates the soul to a higher level of spiritual awareness.
Standing Babas are one of a kind. They have taken the ultimate vow of standing for twelve years straight. Some have even gone further and vowed never to sit for the rest of their lives. They never sit or lay down. They even sleep standing up. They stand before a small hammock to rest their arms and torso to sleep. A sling hangs beneath the hammock in which they may rest one leg at a time while other remains standing.
Their feet get swollen and disfigured due to years of standing without ever resting their feet. They are in a constant state of pain but still standing strong. These are individuals with the greatest level of self-discipline, motivated by the pursuit of finding God through their pain.
Many Standing Babas (aka Kahreswari Babas) currently reside in Mumbai. They were mentioned in a best-selling novel Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts.
4 Sadhu Amar Bharati – Man with a raised arm
Sadhu Amar Bharti is a man who has kept his hands raised for more than 40 years now, to show his devotion to Lord Shiva.
Initially a clerk by profession, he left everything, in 1970, to become a true devotee of Shiva. After three years of his worship to Shiva, he felt his devotion is not strong enough and was not fully able to detach himself from worldly luxuries and pleasures. In 1973, he decided to raise his hands up to the sky in order to detach himself from the worldly pleasures and show his devotion in a unique way.
More than four decades of raised arm has left his right arm in a deformed state. His hand is extremely atrophied and nails have grown out like curly twigs. Initially, he endured extreme pain for quite a while but he said eventually the pain subsided. Now the hand is stuck in the raised position. He told the reporters that he raised his hands as a protest against war and violence and to promote world peace.
His raised hand is a symbol of his true devotion. This has inspired other sadhus to follow him and raise their hands as a gesture of salute to Shiva. Some of his followers have their hands raised for more than a decade now.
3 Kapalika Sadhus - Skull bearers
According to Tantric literature, Kapalika sadhus are a sect of Shiva worshippers who only eat or drink in a human skull. Hence the name Kapalika, from the Sanskrit word kapala meaning skull. Although there is no proof, the skull bowl they use, allegedly, comes from a human sacrifice. Most of the scripture explaining the detailed practices and rituals of Kapalikas has been lost. Their origins are believed to be around the 7th-century. According to Ramanuja, an ancient scholar, they worshiped Bhairava (incarnation of Lord Shiva) and attributed great virtue and mystical powers to drinking wine and eating disgusting substances as food. Though fictional, their mentions in the 8th-century Sanskrit play Malatimadhava and Prabodhachandrodaya, in which they were depicted as violent and hostile, are considered important to the authentication of Kapalika ascetics.
2 Naga Sadhus – The naked saints
Naga sadhus are a tribe of warrior saints created to protect Sanatan Dharma (Hinduism) from invaders and anti-Vedic elements. Their main weapon is a trident.
Training to become a Naga sadhu is no ordinary task and way beyond what a normal person might be able to handle. In order to become a Naga sadhu, a person must first of all have to forgo all his worldly possessions and vow a life-long celibacy, not only physically but mentally as well, to attain purity of character. They are not allowed to wear any clothes or decorate their bodies except for smearing their bodies with ashes of dead bodies. The only clothes they are allowed is a single piece of saffron cloth and that too should not cover their entire body. They have to go through their own death rituals, after which they are pronounced dead to their families and rest of the world. They are not allowed to live near civilization. They are allowed to eat only once a day and that too must come as a handout from someone. If they did not receive any food, they have to starve for that day. They have to always sleep on the ground; no luxury of a bed, not even a mat on the floor is allowed. The place where they live and train are called Akharas. Becoming a Naga sadhu of the highest order takes twenty to thirty years.
1 Aghoris- Cannibal Saints
Generally, people are happy to see a sadhu (saint) and seek his blessings for one’s well-being, but the Aghoris are a different clan of sadhus. People are really scared of them and never dare to cross them. They are generally not seen in public. They often perform rituals, in a crematory, on freshly burned bodies and smear its ashes all over their own bodies. They are a devotee of Bhairava (incarnation of Lord Shiva). Cannibalism is a common practice among them. Their appetite consists of the filthiest of things like animal feces, animal urine, rotten food, rotting human bodies.
They practice bizarre sexual rituals with corpses (necrophilia). They are always drunk and high on cannabis, yet their eyes appear to be very calm and sober.
This clan of sadhus is said to be thousand years old. According to them, their rituals and diet may appear bizarre to the rest of the world but their philosophy is to find nirvana (freedom from the cycle of life and death) by seeking purity in filth. They are rumored to be having magical medicines which can heal any kind of illness.
Just a heads up, if anyone decides to go finding these aghoris out of curiosity, there are many fakes out there. It is said that one cannot look straight into the eyes of a true Aghori; it is like looking to Kaal Bhairava himself. Baba Kinaram is believed to be the first Aghora.
Image credit:https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Naga_Sadhus_-_Gangasagar_Fair_Transit_Camp_-_Kolkata_2013-01-12_2821.JPG
9 years ago
MG Singh created new article India Must Beware of the Security Environment; It is Red Hot.
In a seminar which I attended at the NDC in Delhi, speaker after speaker cautioned the Indian leadership about the growing danger to India from our immediate neighbors. In particular the Pakistan-China axis and the construction of the Silk Route through POK to Gwadar by the Chinese. It's a massive economic corridor in which Russia is also interested. More important it has a dual purpose and heralds the movement of Chinese armor and troops in a short time to this theater. Unfortunately, the Indian leadership has unable to recognize the military threat and we have a sad spectacle of Indian veterans still agitating for the restoration of privileges and pensions of yore. This can only adversely affect Indian armed forces morale at a time when India is facing the greatest threat from China and India's neighbors. This is sad, but a reality and no amount of blaming Nehru will serve any purpose. Nehru was wrong and he created this situation, but the men who followed him never thought of India as a global power. They are guilty of not setting up a military-industrial complex like China and the USA, with the result that India is now facing the hostile nations with one arm tied behind India's back.
The deteriorating scenario did not happen overnight. It took at least 3 decades to happen and all this while the Indian leadership and that includes the BJP prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee just sat twiddling their thumbs. This is a sad word to use but can only be explained by the title of Alistair Maclean's novel " Fear is the key". This has been the psychosis of the Indian leadership, scared of fighting a full-scale war. Look at Kargil, here was naked aggression as the Pak army occupied the heights. As a soldier, I will say that the Indian response was tinged by fear of an escalation and despite the general staff wanted to open another front Vajpayee expressly forbade it. So much so that people who were flying in ground support were forbidden to cross the LOC. Such timidity does not auger well and the result is that India suffered heavy casualties with over 3000 killed. Nothing to crow about. The Indian army retook the heights but it was a pyrrhic victory.
That was almost 2 decades back and the situation has gone from bad to worse. India has not built up its Military-Industrial base with the result the Indian are still reliant on imported weaponry as none is made in India. In contrast, China has a massive industrial base integrated with its military. It is manufacturing nuclear submarines as well as the 5th generation stealth fighter the J-20 ( Chengdu). This plane is based and tested in Tibet and Indian's must be wary of it, as we have no equivalent plane. The Indian made Tejas, the supersonic fighter is substandard and nobody wants to buy it and the IAF is not too keen to induct it. In contrast the J-15 a joint Pak-China venture has already been purchased by 3 countries.
All around the Indian borders show that India is ringed by the Pak- China axis. India's old all-weather ally Russia is no longer that cozy to India and perhaps the Indian shift by the Modi government towards the USA is not all that great. Russia is inching towards Pak and wants to be part of the massive economic corridor China is constructing up to Gwadar. Tibet is no longer a buffer state, thanks to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru who in 1947 gave up all rights in Tibet hammered to acceptance by the British by virtue of the 1913 Simla pact. The Chinese as per conservative estimates keep about 30 divisions in Tibet and have a full command there.
On the western border, there is the Pak army. This is a hardy fighting force and is made up of the same racial stock as India. They are as good or bad as their Indian counterparts and one can recollect that in 4 wars on the western front the Indian army could not break more than 8 miles into Pakistan. This after weeks of fighting and should be a sobering thought.
The Chinese have made inroads into Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. India's relations with Nepal are many centuries old and Nepali nationals serve (Gurkhas) in the Indian army. Yet the relations are frosty as Nepal discriminates against Indian migrants in South Nepal. It welcomes China and a rail line from Lhasa to Kathmandu is planned. Nepal is no longer India's friend and is closer to China. Centuries old relationships have been dumped.
The same is the case with Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Bangladesh has been sold 2 diesel attack submarines by China and they are also given the liberty to use the Chittagong port. Now attack submarines are offensive weapons of war and the Indian navy should be worried as to the purpose of these submarines when Bangladesh has a border only with India. Against who these submarines will operate as they are not show pieces.
Sri Lanka has handed the Hambla port on lease to China for 99 years China. Why could India not replace China in Bangladesh and Lanka? the fact is, India does not have the technology and the weaponry the Chinese can offer and so India became the monkey just watching and waiting.
India is thus hemmed in and I am afraid it is a self-inflicted injury. Reading some naive write-up on this problem is amusing. The strategic powerplay is something that dominates the ethos of a nation. Unfortunately, India never had leaders who thought of dominating the world. this was the bane of India for 1000 years and ended with India being ruled by the Muslims and then the English. Who will steer India out of this morass?
9 years ago
MG Singh created new article Age is Just a Number as Christie Brinkley Models a Bikini.
Age is a number, yet most don't think so and in India just a decade and a half back, a woman thought to have touched 40 was thought of as "written off". Times are changing and a great example is that of Christie Brinkley who has adorned the latest issue of "Sports Illustrated", which will hit the stands on 16 February 17.
Christie is 63 having been born in 1954. She also has been married 4 times with 3 children including 2 daughters.I wonder if this is also part of the recipe for her success-yet at this age she has posed in a bikini including a gorgeous red color two-piece and is on the front of "Sports Illustrated". Along with her, 2 daughters aged 31 and 18 are also in bikinis and it is to the credit of Christie that she holds more than her own against competition from the younger girls.
Christie last modeled for the magazine in 2004 and its a while to come back and pose for the journal. She was on the cover of the magazine for 3 consecutive editions, 35 years back in a bikini. At that time she had decided not to pose in a bikini again, but when her daughters insisted she gave in and gave the photo shoot to sports illustrated.
Christie is a super model and reportedly is worth over $ 80 million.One of her husbands was the singer Billy Joel. She has one daughter from him, who took part in the photo shoot with Christie. She dabbled in films as well as the stage but her mark has been modeling and walking the ramp. She has modeled all over the globe and advertised all sorts of dresses from gowns to skirts. She has not ever modeled any Indian dress. That is understandable as Indian dresses are not a global or universal choice.
For the last 100 years the bikini has become the epitome of the assessment of a woman's beauty and no beauty pageant or contest can be held without a swim wear event. The bikini parade is also apart of the pageant. This harks back to Greek philosophy which talked of perfection and chiseled bodies. A look at any museum containing Greek art and paintings will help confirm this. India after independence and the liberation of the woman from dogma and obscure thoughts has also marched ahead. There are many beauty contests held and many Indian girls have won world titles. Obviously they wore bikini's as well and won.
Modeling and giving a shoot displaying a flawless body at 63 is a feather in the cap of the Christie. it is also a great morale boost for a women. But now the example is before them and they should not think that they cannot emulate the super model.
Christie lives in New York. She has made big money in modeling and is ranked 3rd in the world among models in terms of financial worth by "the Daily Mail".
One wonders what is the recipe of Christie for success. She is a vegetarian and eschews all types of meats. She exercises daily and leads a healthy life. Maybe she follows the advise of the sage of the Kamasutra, Vatsyayana who advocated a sexual relationship all through life for good health, preferably with a younger partner. One of Christie's husband was 7 years younger to her. In the meantime fans can hold their breath and await the latest issue of Sports Illustrated which will hit the stands shortly.
9 years ago
Bajirao created new article How to keep your marital relationship healthy.
People say marriages are made in heaven. This is really true. Marriage is such a beautiful relationship where you express and feel all kind of emotions, one moment you are happy next moment sad; sometimes have hatred but you will shower love as well. We all have some marital issues going on after the marriage.
Someone has nicely said, 'A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person'. To make a marriage successful and happy both the spouses must work together as a couple. Without any sacrifices or much adjustments we can make marital life happy and legendary.
Honesty
Honesty is the pillar of every marriage, if this pillar is not firm married life will dangle. As we all are aware about the proverb, honesty is the best policy. This proverb can be applied here. When you get married to a person you take a oath to be with him/her for lifelong in both good and bad times. If you are honest, this tie will remain forever, no one can break this tie.
Its very difficult to be honest with your partner, as we are always worried what will he /she will think about me, I will be bad all the time in front of my partner if tell the truth, and many such thoughts wander in our brain. But remember your partner will always appreciate if are honest with him/her. Of course your partner will be upset for sometime after telling the truth but will surely forgive you. Another good point of being honest is your partner will also try to be honest with you and will share all the personal matters that he/she never shared with you before.
Communication
Communication is a master piece of a healthy marital relationship. Ability to talk and listen is very crucial in this relationship. Due to hectic job schedule, couples find hard time to efficiently communicate with each other. Since both the spouses go for job they are either tensed about their job or they are busy in routine home schedule. The lack of communication can breed the resentment and fights.
Try to communication about your personal issues other than regular household maintenance problems. This kind of personal communication sure helps to understand each other and resolve the misunderstanding if any. However remember to speak softly and communicate without fights. Couples who discuss their personal issues by communication harshly, either by yelling, or getting violent most likely leads to break ups and divorces.
Confess each other and Express your feelings
Most of the time we just don't say 'sorry' because every partner thinks he/she is not wrong. Try to confess if you are wrong, it will keep your relationship smooth. Learn to take the responsibility of your act and for your mistakes,If you have committed mistake,learn to say sorry, and confess your mistake. Your partner will surely forgive you. Remember confession can bring an intimacy that will be more than expected.
If you are angry, sad, tense or suspicious, express it to your spouse by speaking it out. Don't keep these feelings within yourself, they will keep on haunting you and create more misunderstandings. If you are suspicious on your spouse, speak it out, talk to your partner and clear your doubts. Just don't hide your feelings and then keep running around the bushes.
Spend quality time with each other
More time you spend with each other the more you grow together. Every relationship needs to go through some happy moments. It is not easy to find quality time to enjoy your life with your partner especially with kids. Plan some weekend activities or night out either with your kids or just two of you. This kind of activities may not be possible every time, but try to make an effort to plan for it. By spending time together you will better understand the differences and negotiate the problems that cause these problems.
Respect each other
Show respect towards your partner if you want the same respect back. Many times, couples fail to respect each other, and over the time slip into negative habits. Treat your partner as you want to treat yourself. Nobody likes to bear the criticisms and put down attitude all the time, then how could you criticize your partner and accept the respect back? Learn to compliment each other as it is the easy way to show respect. If you would like to complain your partner, just do it in nicer way by explaining the problem and your feeling. Sit and talk together about the issues instead of criticizing.
Explore common interests
Most of the time, couples have different interests which doesn't allow them to grow together. If they have similar interests it becomes easy to thrive and enjoy the moment. Obviously, it is not possible for each partner to enjoy every activity, however it opens a door to get involved into something that both enjoy and interested in. Small things can be done at home during your free time, like cooking together, cleaning house, gardening, playing cards, or just going for a short walk. These activities will keep the couples together.
Marital Intimacy
Marital intimacy is very important in relationship as it brings beautiful memories and happy moments in the life. However remember, marital intimacy does not only apply to physical relationship. but it applies to emotional involvement. Getting physically and emotionally involved during intimacy brings the growth in the couples life. Learn to provide both (or as per the requirement) physical and emotional intimacy.
Marriage is not only a commitment but it is lovely relationship that helps you to become more than what you are today. Marriage can make a life hell or it can make it heaven, it all depends on how you take it and deal with it. Some compromises, understandings, communication and honesty is required to make it the healthier relationship. Remember no one can teach you how to make your marriage perfect, but you can learn yourself from your owns mistakes and some guidance.
9 years ago
vikram answered the question Your favorite old time romantic pairs in Hindi films.
My Favorite Romantic Pairs are.....
1) Rajesh khanna and Mumataz
2) Sashi Kapoor and Nanda
3) Dilip kumar and Madhubala
9 years ago
Babu saroj replied to the topic Famous writer Taarak Mehta passes away at age 87.
But still pain to hear someone death isn't it.
9 years ago
Babu saroj liked the topic Famous writer Taarak Mehta passes away at age 87.
One of the famous writer, humorist and playwriter Taarak Meta passed away at age of 87. One of the famous T.V. serial "
9 years ago
Kalyani Nandurkar liked a reply to the topic Gods own country - A killing field under CPI (M).
9 years ago
Kalyani Nandurkar liked a reply to the topic Isn't it fair that the two largest parties form an alliance?.
9 years ago
Kalyani Nandurkar liked a reply to the topic Isn't it fair that the two largest parties form an alliance?.
9 years ago
usha manohar replied to the topic Gods own country - A killing field under CPI (M).
The violence was started by the CPI since they have a history of it in all states where they have a considerable presence. There may have been retaliation now by the RSS and...
9 years ago
rambabu liked a reply to the topic Isn't it fair that the two largest parties form an alliance?.
9 years ago
usha manohar replied to the topic Isn't it fair that the two largest parties form an alliance?.
I guess Congress supporters have short memories as far as their party misdeeds are concerned. One cannot forget that Congress in its greed for power has brought down govts...
9 years ago
usha manohar replied to the topic Indian techie killed in Kansas city hate crime...
In India also we see it against lower castes, minorities, specific groups and so on....
9 years ago
simmi created new article Mosquitos Back with Brand New Disease .
Chikungunya is a Mosquito borne viral disease caused by RNA virus. The word " Chikungunya" means " That which Bends up ", of the contorted posture of the people affected with the severe joint pain and arthritic symptoms associated with this disease.
Signs and Symptoms :
The incubation period of the chikungunya virus ranges from One to Twelve days, and is most Typically Three to Seven. The disease may be asymptomatic, but generally is not, as 72% to 97% of those infected will develop symptoms. It is characterized by frequent fever accompanied by Joint Pain, and Skin Rashes. Other Symptoms may occur, including headache, fatigue, digestive complaints, and conjunctivitis. The Joint lasts for a few days or may be prolonged to weeks. Typically the disease begin with a sudden High fever that lasts from a few days to a week, and some times up to ten days. The fever is usually above 102 Degree Fahrenheit and sometimes reach 104 degree Fahrenheit and may be lasting several days , breaking and then returning back.
Most patients recover fully, but in some cases joint pain may persist for several months , or even years. Rash occurs in 40-50% of cases, the rashes occurs generally 4-5 days after onset of symptoms , including abdominal pain Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, may also occur. In more than half of cases, normal activity is limited by significant fatigue and pain. Serious complications are not common, but in older people, the disease can contribute to the cause of death. Often symptoms in infected individuals are mild and the infection may go unrecognised, or be misdiagnosed in areas where dengue occurs. Its virus is passed to humans when a bite from infected mosquito breaks the skin and introduces the virus into the body. These mosquito can be found biting throughout daylight hours, though there may be peaks of activity in the early morning and late afternoon. After the bite of an infected mosquito, onset of illness occurs usually between 4 and 8 days but can range from 2 to 12 days.
Ways to Diagnose the Disease
Chikungunya is diagnosed on the basis of clinical test, epidemilogical, and laboratory criteria.
Ways of Treatment:
There are no specific antiviral drug treatment for this painful disease. Treatment is directed primarily at relieving the symptoms, including the joint pain using anti-pyretics, optimal analgesics and fluids. There is no commercial Chikungunya Vaccine.
9 years ago
KIRAN created new article Millets - Our Future Bread.
With the changing climatic conditions and rainfall pattern we need to shift our focus towards climate resilient crops.Hence Millets are seen as an alternative to rice and wheat as they are not only climate resilient but also offers high nutritional value. Millets are grown worldwide and we can see them as 'Our Future Bread'.
Millets are small grained cereal grasses which are grown in almost every state and region.The most popular millets are Bajra(pearl millet), Sorghum, Jowar, Ragi etc.They are tiny in size and round in shape. Millets are specially known as climate change compliant crops as they can withstand extreme climatic conditions such as heat regime, erratic rainfall as contrary to wheat which is thermal sensitive and rice which needs heavy rainfall. Millets are the oldest grains known to the mankind.The evidence of their cultivation dates back to 3000 B.C.in Indus Valley Civilization. They are called as miracle grains for their high nutritional content.They are low water consuming crops,they need 25% less rainfall than wheat and banana and 30% less than that of rice.Hence with the increasing irregularities in climatic pattern and erratic rainfall leading to water crisis and drought, Millets can be seen as better alternative.
Benefits of Millets to Human Body:
It is a good source of protein , dietary fibers, vitamin B and minerals such as iron, magnesium, zinc etc.
100 gram of raw millet provides 378 calories
Consuming Millets provide protection against cardiac diseases and improve diabetic condition.
It lowers the level of bad cholesterol in your body.
It is an alkaline food grain and hence can be easily digested.
It detoxifies the body and is found to be effective in lowering blood pressure.
It is extremely beneficial in curing digestion related problems.It offers great relief in constipation,excess gas, bloating and cramping.
It helps to optimize liver, kidney and immune system.
It also helps in weight loss.
Pearl millet is especially given to lactating mother to increase the secretion of breast milk.
It prevents the onset of breast cancer.
Ragi or finger millet is called as wonder grain as it has the highest mineral and calcium content as compared to whole-grains.
Kodo millet help to regulate irregular menstrual cycle in women.
Growing millets would help countries to solve the issue of food security. If Indian Government distribute millets through Public Distribution System to Below Poverty Line Families then it will enhance their nutritional standard and prevent the malnutrition in children. Even Midday Meal Scheme can include millets in they meal.They can prove to be boon in drought prone areas as Millets require very less water.It can be grown in low quality soil such as acidic and saline soil.In Rajasthan pearl millets are grown in sandy soil.and it is pest resistant so it offers less chance of crop failure and hence poor farmers can see them as good source of income.
9 years ago
Bineesh Balakrishnan created new article Strong enough.
Mark was the second son of a Bank officer & a housewife. He was born in Perth Australia, & had his primary schooling there. He was very good at academics & was really famous in his school...He was the apple of his daddy's eye, & his mother's love for him was incomparable. His elder brother John was 6 years older than Mark, & loved him a lot.With each passing year, Mark's achievements astounded everyone. He was able to get double promotions in school, with unbelievable ease...
Mark joined for college at the age of 15, for studying Medicine, at Sydney.John left for the US, & was planning to get settled there, with his wife Amelie. The first year was a little rough for Mark, but needless to say, he passed with honors.... Just into sophomore year, Mark was dealt with a severe blow. His parents were involved in a car crash & both of them couldn't survive the accident.John came down from America, for the last rites of his parents. At the tender age of 16, Mark's life was torn apart. The people who brought him into this world, were no more. His spirit caved in. For weeks he couldn't sleep, or concentrate on anything.John advised him to see a Psychologist. He visited one who told him, that he was just going through a grief reaction.Mark kept thinking-"I couldn't tell Ma & Pa how much I loved them!!..They meant the whole world for me...I don't think I'm strong enough to carry on..I've never felt this low in all my life.."
2 months after the incident, Mark decided to work out more intensely, & also meditate longer. In a couple of weeks time, his sagging spirits lifted. He got back to living his life, studying, hanging out( as much as possible). No matter what Mark did, he could not fill the void created by the loss of his parents... Bored of his routine, Mark cycled all the way to the beach. His mind was reeling with memories of his parents. On reaching the beach, Mark lay down on the sand, looking at the setting sun. Little by little his mind started healing itself. The crimson sky, the flying birds, all helped to ease his mind.He thought-"Ma & Pa left me, but their memories will live on in me...They'll always be a part of me.." Mark thought of all the good times he had with his parents, & vowed to make the most of his life, because he knew that's what his parents would've wanted from him...
Sophomore year ended with a lack luster performance from Mark in academics. But eventually he started studying & living better... In the third year of college, Mark passed with flying colors. It was around this time that Julie, joined the college. Mark got to get to know Julie, & the two of them fell in love. Julie was Mark's soulmate( no one doubted that!!), & their relationship was perfect in every way imaginable. Late night walks in the park, watching movies, making out on the beach, all resulted in their relationship getting stronger & deeper with each passing day...
Mark graduated with honors & went onto specialize in Internal Medicine. He married Julie & settled in Perth. He set up a charity clinic where he'd treat patients for free twice a week. Mark was also working in a private hospital 5 days a week... Everything was going fine, when one day John called Mark to inform him that he was diagnosed with Basal cell carcinoma. John came down to Australia with his wife Amelie, to be with his younger brother for the treatment. Mark read more about the disease, & devised a tight schedule for his brother's recovery. John's day started off with 30 minutes of meditation, followed by a 45 minute jog with his younger brother. Besides the chemotherapy, Mark asked his brother to take nutritional supplements, so that he wouldn't become lean. John would spend an hour every evening in visualization, & read Chicken Soup for the Cancer Survivor's Soul twice everyday. Mark saw to it that his brother got atleast 8 hours of sleep every night. John was completely cured of his cancer, & both Amelie & John thanked Mark for his 'well devised regime' which helped John to become a better human being & also helped him to fight cancer...
Years rolled by, as they always do, & Mark became the father of Ann Mary, his first daughter. Julie & Mark went on to have another daughter, Elizabeth who was born 5 years later... Mark treated nearly 15,000 people for free in his charity clinic. Julie now works as General Practitioner, in the same hospital that Mark does. Mark & Julie are doing everything conceivable, to promote safe driving in the country. They are arranging week long classes, once a year, to help people to drive safely. Once a week, Mark & his family visit orphanages & old age homes with biscuits & cakes for the inmates. Mark is planning on retiring early so that he can travel a lot, & maybe take to writing. Mark realized the fact that, no matter what happens in life, the human spirit is strong enough, to face it.....He was broken to bits by the death of his parents when he was barely 16. He wallowed in pain, & grief, but kept trying to free himself from the manacles of grief. He finally succeeded, & made a vow to live life at the highest level possible. He helped his elder brother fight cancer...He has treated tens of thousands of patients for free, & is helping make many lives better in every way possible...The human spirit is strong enough, to face any number of challenges & emerge victorious...
9 years ago
Abhishek Dass created new article 10 Bizarre Saints of India.
India is a land of mysticism with a culture that dates back thousands of years. It gave yoga and the concept of Nirvana to the world. Many people visit India to find spiritual gurus, to attain enlightenment and to know the meaning and purpose of life. When picturing a saint or a guru, one might picture a man in saffron clothing, long beard and always meditating. Although this is usually the case, what many people might not know are the very weird and bizarre kinds of saints present.
Let us look at some of these bizarre and weird saints.
10 Devraha Baba- The ageless Yogi
Although there are no records of his birth year, still by looking at all the historic accounts, it can be predicted that he was at least two hundred to two hundred and fifty years old (there are some speculations of him being nine hundred years old).The first president of independent India Dr. Rajendra Prasad had mentioned in his autobiography that his father sat at the feet of Devraha Baba as a child, which was in the middle of the nineteenth century, and he was already elderly back then. An Allahabad High Court District Barrister stated that seven generations of his family had sat at the feet of Baba. Eminent people who visited him to seek his blessings included Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi among many others.
He lived on a 12-foot high wooden platform near Yamuna River in Mathura where thousands of devotees gathered daily to seek the holy man’s blessing. The appearance of Baba in Kumbha Mela, which takes place once in every twelve years, was recorded twelve times. He did not wear any clothes and he never ate anything, as he was able to draw energy from cosmic sources. He only drank water from the Yamuna River. Devraha Baba was a yogi of the highest order. The ageless yogi gained mastery over Khechari state of yoga whereby he was able to control his hunger and the time of his death. He was once observed to stay underwater for half an hour unaided.
In 1990, he took samadhi and left his body. Interestingly, he predicted his death five years prior. His shrine is located across the Yamuna River in the pilgrimage city of Vrindavan.
9 Tat Wale Baba – Anti-aging Saint
Tat Wale baba (Jute wearing Baba) looked surprisingly younger than his age. He did not wear any clothes except for an ochre loincloth held at the waist by a brass chain. He had such long black hair, if left open; it would trail on the ground. Even at the age of eighty, he looked no older than mid-thirties and had an impressive build; fathom that.
Tat Wale Baba was born to a spiritual family of middle-class farmers in Punjab, India. Although his birth records are not known, according to his elementary school classmate, who later saw Baba, he stopped aging at the age of thirty-five. Assuming baba of the same age as the classmate, he would have been born around 1890. From the age of eight or nine, he was inclined towards spirituality and used to meditate whenever he got time. As a teenager, he grew up with an impressive physique. His friends persuaded him to join the army; which he did, but he didn’t like the army lifestyle and left after two months of service and went in pursuit of a guru to guide him towards the spiritual path. After much of the search and coming across a couple of gurus, he intuitively went to Manikut Mountain where he came across an emaciated old man in a cave. Both chatted for several hours and after the conversation ended the old man left the cave to Tat wale baba saying that his time is finished and he is going to the Himalayas to take Mahasamadhi.Baba had a twelve-feet long cobra snake as a pet and he regularly fed it milk. It was rumored that he had contacted the King Cobra and asked him that no cobra to ever bite a human in that area. There was no incidence of a snake biting in that mountain area.
On 2nd December 1974, on his way to a morning bath, he was shot dead by a crazy gunman. Baba would be around eighty-five years of age at the time of his death. Incidentally, he told his closest disciple, about his death, five years prior and even reminded him of the prediction just two days before the incident.
8 Lotan Baba – Rolling Saint
Mohan Das now known as Lotan baba is a man who took even extremes to an extreme level.
Once he took a penance of standing for twelve years where he stood under a banyan tree in a village. He didn’t take any handouts from anyone, so on top of standing for seven years, he survived only by eating grass. The villagers considered him a holy man with divine powers and regularly visited him to seek his blessings.
After completing his seven years of the oath, he did not just sit around. He pledged a new penance of visiting the shrine of Vaishnav Devi (Hindu Pilgrimage) at the foothills of the Himalaya, which was approximately seventeen hundred miles from his village. Walking all the way itself would be considered a huge feat of endurance but he decided to roll all the way to his destination. When asked why he wanted to take up such an agonizing journey, he said that the goddess Durga came in his dream and summoned him there. A few local villagers came forward to accompany him in the journey. The entourage went with him facing all the extreme elements of nature. The journey took them around six months facing blistering summer, monsoon rain, desert sands and a snowy mountain. Everywhere he passed along the holy journey, he got a warm reception and people flocked to see and receive blessings from the rolling baba.
At the age of fifty-five, he took up another rolling expedition to roll all the way to Lahore, Pakistan in the name of World Peace. After rolling fifteen hundred miles across India, the Holy Roller came to a grinding halt as the border guards stopped him at the gates of Wagha Border for not having a passport.
7 Giribala – Non-eating saint.
At the age of sixty-eight, Giribala was a yogini (women yogi) who had not eaten or drunk anything from the age twelve i.e. for fifty-six years. Paramhansa Yogananda in his autobiography ‘The Autobiography of a Yogi’ has written about his meeting with Giribala.
He met her in 1936, in her small village called Biur in Bengal. As a child, she was a voracious eater and was taunted mercilessly by her mother-in-law for her gluttony, after she got married at the age of twelve. Her mother-in-law’s scoldings were a blessing in disguise. One day when her taunts became unbearable she vowed to never touch food again for the rest of her life.
In great despair, she prayed to her God to send a guru who could teach her to live by God’s light alone and not food. The guru materialized right in front of her and initiated a special kriya technique involving specific mantras and breathing exercises (way beyond the scope of an average person), which freed her body from dependence on food and she was able to harness the energy from astral light. She told Yogananda that she never had a child. She hardly slept and had no bodily excretion. When the Maharaja of her province came to know about her, he invited her to his place to conduct an investigation into her claims; which she agreed to. She lived locked up for two months in a small section of his home. Later she was again tested for twenty days and a third time for another fifteen days, upon which the Maharaja of Burdwan himself said that these three rigorous scrutinies have convinced him beyond any doubt of her non-eating state.
When asked why she does not share this knowledge with others, she said her Guru has forbidden her from this and she only wants to show that it’s possible to live by the Eternal light if a person is able to achieve higher spiritual awareness.
6 Fakir Haridas – Buried Alive for forty days
To be buried under the ground for forty days and still come out alive; seems some kind of a legend that grandpas would tell to amuse their grandchildren.
Although it may appear far-fetched, this is what Fakir (saint) Haridas did. Haridas was a 19th-century fakir who had an incredible control of his physiology. He could reduce his heartbeats to such low levels that it became undetectable and allowed himself to be buried in this state for weeks. In 1837, Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab summoned the fakir in his Lahore court and asked him to replicate this feat. He took a sitting position and dropped his vitals to an undetectable level. His ears and nostrils were shut with wax and cotton, after which he was wrapped in linen and placed in a large chest. A heavy padlock was fixed and sealed with Maharaja’s own seal. The chest was then buried in a garden and walls on all four sides were erected around the grave and sentinels were posted to monitor it day and night.
Upon completion of forty days period, the chest was dug out. The body of the fakir, which appeared lifeless, was inspected by an English physician of his court. The physician confirmed that there were no signs of life present. The servant of the fakir then proceeded to bath him in hot water and straighten his stiffed legs. He pulled out the cotton and wax stuffed in his ears and nostrils and rubbed his eyelids with Ghee (purified butter). The servant applied hot cakes on his head and repeated the process thrice; sadhu’s body convulsed violently and slowly started regaining the respiration. Seeing the Maharaja in front of him, he calmly asked: “Do you believe me now?” The Maharaja nodded his head and showered him with pearls, a pair of a gold bracelet and different kinds of royal gifts.
5 Kahreswari Babas - The standing Babas
There is a concept of Tapasya in Hinduism, where you put yourself through self-inflicted suffering for an extended duration in order to find spiritual enlightenment. The pain purifies and elevates the soul to a higher level of spiritual awareness.
Standing Babas are one of a kind. They have taken the ultimate vow of standing for twelve years straight. Some have even gone further and vowed never to sit for the rest of their lives. They never sit or lay down. They even sleep standing up. They stand before a small hammock to rest their arms and torso to sleep. A sling hangs beneath the hammock in which they may rest one leg at a time while other remains standing.
Their feet get swollen and disfigured due to years of standing without ever resting their feet. They are in a constant state of pain but still standing strong. These are individuals with the greatest level of self-discipline, motivated by the pursuit of finding God through their pain.
Many Standing Babas (aka Kahreswari Babas) currently reside in Mumbai. They were mentioned in a best-selling novel Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts.
4 Sadhu Amar Bharati – Man with a raised arm
Sadhu Amar Bharti is a man who has kept his hands raised for more than 40 years now, to show his devotion to Lord Shiva.
Initially a clerk by profession, he left everything, in 1970, to become a true devotee of Shiva. After three years of his worship to Shiva, he felt his devotion is not strong enough and was not fully able to detach himself from worldly luxuries and pleasures. In 1973, he decided to raise his hands up to the sky in order to detach himself from the worldly pleasures and show his devotion in a unique way.
More than four decades of raised arm has left his right arm in a deformed state. His hand is extremely atrophied and nails have grown out like curly twigs. Initially, he endured extreme pain for quite a while but he said eventually the pain subsided. Now the hand is stuck in the raised position. He told the reporters that he raised his hands as a protest against war and violence and to promote world peace.
His raised hand is a symbol of his true devotion. This has inspired other sadhus to follow him and raise their hands as a gesture of salute to Shiva. Some of his followers have their hands raised for more than a decade now.
3 Kapalika Sadhus - Skull bearers
According to Tantric literature, Kapalika sadhus are a sect of Shiva worshippers who only eat or drink in a human skull. Hence the name Kapalika, from the Sanskrit word kapala meaning skull. Although there is no proof, the skull bowl they use, allegedly, comes from a human sacrifice. Most of the scripture explaining the detailed practices and rituals of Kapalikas has been lost. Their origins are believed to be around the 7th-century. According to Ramanuja, an ancient scholar, they worshiped Bhairava (incarnation of Lord Shiva) and attributed great virtue and mystical powers to drinking wine and eating disgusting substances as food. Though fictional, their mentions in the 8th-century Sanskrit play Malatimadhava and Prabodhachandrodaya, in which they were depicted as violent and hostile, are considered important to the authentication of Kapalika ascetics.
2 Naga Sadhus – The naked saints
Naga sadhus are a tribe of warrior saints created to protect Sanatan Dharma (Hinduism) from invaders and anti-Vedic elements. Their main weapon is a trident.
Training to become a Naga sadhu is no ordinary task and way beyond what a normal person might be able to handle. In order to become a Naga sadhu, a person must first of all have to forgo all his worldly possessions and vow a life-long celibacy, not only physically but mentally as well, to attain purity of character. They are not allowed to wear any clothes or decorate their bodies except for smearing their bodies with ashes of dead bodies. The only clothes they are allowed is a single piece of saffron cloth and that too should not cover their entire body. They have to go through their own death rituals, after which they are pronounced dead to their families and rest of the world. They are not allowed to live near civilization. They are allowed to eat only once a day and that too must come as a handout from someone. If they did not receive any food, they have to starve for that day. They have to always sleep on the ground; no luxury of a bed, not even a mat on the floor is allowed. The place where they live and train are called Akharas. Becoming a Naga sadhu of the highest order takes twenty to thirty years.
1 Aghoris- Cannibal Saints
Generally, people are happy to see a sadhu (saint) and seek his blessings for one’s well-being, but the Aghoris are a different clan of sadhus. People are really scared of them and never dare to cross them. They are generally not seen in public. They often perform rituals, in a crematory, on freshly burned bodies and smear its ashes all over their own bodies. They are a devotee of Bhairava (incarnation of Lord Shiva). Cannibalism is a common practice among them. Their appetite consists of the filthiest of things like animal feces, animal urine, rotten food, rotting human bodies.
They practice bizarre sexual rituals with corpses (necrophilia). They are always drunk and high on cannabis, yet their eyes appear to be very calm and sober.
This clan of sadhus is said to be thousand years old. According to them, their rituals and diet may appear bizarre to the rest of the world but their philosophy is to find nirvana (freedom from the cycle of life and death) by seeking purity in filth. They are rumored to be having magical medicines which can heal any kind of illness.
Just a heads up, if anyone decides to go finding these aghoris out of curiosity, there are many fakes out there. It is said that one cannot look straight into the eyes of a true Aghori; it is like looking to Kaal Bhairava himself. Baba Kinaram is believed to be the first Aghora.
Image credit:https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Naga_Sadhus_-_Gangasagar_Fair_Transit_Camp_-_Kolkata_2013-01-12_2821.JPG
9 years ago
MG Singh created new article India Must Beware of the Security Environment; It is Red Hot.
In a seminar which I attended at the NDC in Delhi, speaker after speaker cautioned the Indian leadership about the growing danger to India from our immediate neighbors. In particular the Pakistan-China axis and the construction of the Silk Route through POK to Gwadar by the Chinese. It's a massive economic corridor in which Russia is also interested. More important it has a dual purpose and heralds the movement of Chinese armor and troops in a short time to this theater. Unfortunately, the Indian leadership has unable to recognize the military threat and we have a sad spectacle of Indian veterans still agitating for the restoration of privileges and pensions of yore. This can only adversely affect Indian armed forces morale at a time when India is facing the greatest threat from China and India's neighbors. This is sad, but a reality and no amount of blaming Nehru will serve any purpose. Nehru was wrong and he created this situation, but the men who followed him never thought of India as a global power. They are guilty of not setting up a military-industrial complex like China and the USA, with the result that India is now facing the hostile nations with one arm tied behind India's back.
The deteriorating scenario did not happen overnight. It took at least 3 decades to happen and all this while the Indian leadership and that includes the BJP prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee just sat twiddling their thumbs. This is a sad word to use but can only be explained by the title of Alistair Maclean's novel " Fear is the key". This has been the psychosis of the Indian leadership, scared of fighting a full-scale war. Look at Kargil, here was naked aggression as the Pak army occupied the heights. As a soldier, I will say that the Indian response was tinged by fear of an escalation and despite the general staff wanted to open another front Vajpayee expressly forbade it. So much so that people who were flying in ground support were forbidden to cross the LOC. Such timidity does not auger well and the result is that India suffered heavy casualties with over 3000 killed. Nothing to crow about. The Indian army retook the heights but it was a pyrrhic victory.
That was almost 2 decades back and the situation has gone from bad to worse. India has not built up its Military-Industrial base with the result the Indian are still reliant on imported weaponry as none is made in India. In contrast, China has a massive industrial base integrated with its military. It is manufacturing nuclear submarines as well as the 5th generation stealth fighter the J-20 ( Chengdu). This plane is based and tested in Tibet and Indian's must be wary of it, as we have no equivalent plane. The Indian made Tejas, the supersonic fighter is substandard and nobody wants to buy it and the IAF is not too keen to induct it. In contrast the J-15 a joint Pak-China venture has already been purchased by 3 countries.
All around the Indian borders show that India is ringed by the Pak- China axis. India's old all-weather ally Russia is no longer that cozy to India and perhaps the Indian shift by the Modi government towards the USA is not all that great. Russia is inching towards Pak and wants to be part of the massive economic corridor China is constructing up to Gwadar. Tibet is no longer a buffer state, thanks to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru who in 1947 gave up all rights in Tibet hammered to acceptance by the British by virtue of the 1913 Simla pact. The Chinese as per conservative estimates keep about 30 divisions in Tibet and have a full command there.
On the western border, there is the Pak army. This is a hardy fighting force and is made up of the same racial stock as India. They are as good or bad as their Indian counterparts and one can recollect that in 4 wars on the western front the Indian army could not break more than 8 miles into Pakistan. This after weeks of fighting and should be a sobering thought.
The Chinese have made inroads into Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. India's relations with Nepal are many centuries old and Nepali nationals serve (Gurkhas) in the Indian army. Yet the relations are frosty as Nepal discriminates against Indian migrants in South Nepal. It welcomes China and a rail line from Lhasa to Kathmandu is planned. Nepal is no longer India's friend and is closer to China. Centuries old relationships have been dumped.
The same is the case with Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Bangladesh has been sold 2 diesel attack submarines by China and they are also given the liberty to use the Chittagong port. Now attack submarines are offensive weapons of war and the Indian navy should be worried as to the purpose of these submarines when Bangladesh has a border only with India. Against who these submarines will operate as they are not show pieces.
Sri Lanka has handed the Hambla port on lease to China for 99 years China. Why could India not replace China in Bangladesh and Lanka? the fact is, India does not have the technology and the weaponry the Chinese can offer and so India became the monkey just watching and waiting.
India is thus hemmed in and I am afraid it is a self-inflicted injury. Reading some naive write-up on this problem is amusing. The strategic powerplay is something that dominates the ethos of a nation. Unfortunately, India never had leaders who thought of dominating the world. this was the bane of India for 1000 years and ended with India being ruled by the Muslims and then the English. Who will steer India out of this morass?
9 years ago
MG Singh created new article Age is Just a Number as Christie Brinkley Models a Bikini.
Age is a number, yet most don't think so and in India just a decade and a half back, a woman thought to have touched 40 was thought of as "written off". Times are changing and a great example is that of Christie Brinkley who has adorned the latest issue of "Sports Illustrated", which will hit the stands on 16 February 17.
Christie is 63 having been born in 1954. She also has been married 4 times with 3 children including 2 daughters.I wonder if this is also part of the recipe for her success-yet at this age she has posed in a bikini including a gorgeous red color two-piece and is on the front of "Sports Illustrated". Along with her, 2 daughters aged 31 and 18 are also in bikinis and it is to the credit of Christie that she holds more than her own against competition from the younger girls.
Christie last modeled for the magazine in 2004 and its a while to come back and pose for the journal. She was on the cover of the magazine for 3 consecutive editions, 35 years back in a bikini. At that time she had decided not to pose in a bikini again, but when her daughters insisted she gave in and gave the photo shoot to sports illustrated.
Christie is a super model and reportedly is worth over $ 80 million.One of her husbands was the singer Billy Joel. She has one daughter from him, who took part in the photo shoot with Christie. She dabbled in films as well as the stage but her mark has been modeling and walking the ramp. She has modeled all over the globe and advertised all sorts of dresses from gowns to skirts. She has not ever modeled any Indian dress. That is understandable as Indian dresses are not a global or universal choice.
For the last 100 years the bikini has become the epitome of the assessment of a woman's beauty and no beauty pageant or contest can be held without a swim wear event. The bikini parade is also apart of the pageant. This harks back to Greek philosophy which talked of perfection and chiseled bodies. A look at any museum containing Greek art and paintings will help confirm this. India after independence and the liberation of the woman from dogma and obscure thoughts has also marched ahead. There are many beauty contests held and many Indian girls have won world titles. Obviously they wore bikini's as well and won.
Modeling and giving a shoot displaying a flawless body at 63 is a feather in the cap of the Christie. it is also a great morale boost for a women. But now the example is before them and they should not think that they cannot emulate the super model.
Christie lives in New York. She has made big money in modeling and is ranked 3rd in the world among models in terms of financial worth by "the Daily Mail".
One wonders what is the recipe of Christie for success. She is a vegetarian and eschews all types of meats. She exercises daily and leads a healthy life. Maybe she follows the advise of the sage of the Kamasutra, Vatsyayana who advocated a sexual relationship all through life for good health, preferably with a younger partner. One of Christie's husband was 7 years younger to her. In the meantime fans can hold their breath and await the latest issue of Sports Illustrated which will hit the stands shortly.
9 years ago
Bajirao created new article How to keep your marital relationship healthy.
People say marriages are made in heaven. This is really true. Marriage is such a beautiful relationship where you express and feel all kind of emotions, one moment you are happy next moment sad; sometimes have hatred but you will shower love as well. We all have some marital issues going on after the marriage.
Someone has nicely said, 'A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person'. To make a marriage successful and happy both the spouses must work together as a couple. Without any sacrifices or much adjustments we can make marital life happy and legendary.
Honesty
Honesty is the pillar of every marriage, if this pillar is not firm married life will dangle. As we all are aware about the proverb, honesty is the best policy. This proverb can be applied here. When you get married to a person you take a oath to be with him/her for lifelong in both good and bad times. If you are honest, this tie will remain forever, no one can break this tie.
Its very difficult to be honest with your partner, as we are always worried what will he /she will think about me, I will be bad all the time in front of my partner if tell the truth, and many such thoughts wander in our brain. But remember your partner will always appreciate if are honest with him/her. Of course your partner will be upset for sometime after telling the truth but will surely forgive you. Another good point of being honest is your partner will also try to be honest with you and will share all the personal matters that he/she never shared with you before.
Communication
Communication is a master piece of a healthy marital relationship. Ability to talk and listen is very crucial in this relationship. Due to hectic job schedule, couples find hard time to efficiently communicate with each other. Since both the spouses go for job they are either tensed about their job or they are busy in routine home schedule. The lack of communication can breed the resentment and fights.
Try to communication about your personal issues other than regular household maintenance problems. This kind of personal communication sure helps to understand each other and resolve the misunderstanding if any. However remember to speak softly and communicate without fights. Couples who discuss their personal issues by communication harshly, either by yelling, or getting violent most likely leads to break ups and divorces.
Confess each other and Express your feelings
Most of the time we just don't say 'sorry' because every partner thinks he/she is not wrong. Try to confess if you are wrong, it will keep your relationship smooth. Learn to take the responsibility of your act and for your mistakes,If you have committed mistake,learn to say sorry, and confess your mistake. Your partner will surely forgive you. Remember confession can bring an intimacy that will be more than expected.
If you are angry, sad, tense or suspicious, express it to your spouse by speaking it out. Don't keep these feelings within yourself, they will keep on haunting you and create more misunderstandings. If you are suspicious on your spouse, speak it out, talk to your partner and clear your doubts. Just don't hide your feelings and then keep running around the bushes.
Spend quality time with each other
More time you spend with each other the more you grow together. Every relationship needs to go through some happy moments. It is not easy to find quality time to enjoy your life with your partner especially with kids. Plan some weekend activities or night out either with your kids or just two of you. This kind of activities may not be possible every time, but try to make an effort to plan for it. By spending time together you will better understand the differences and negotiate the problems that cause these problems.
Respect each other
Show respect towards your partner if you want the same respect back. Many times, couples fail to respect each other, and over the time slip into negative habits. Treat your partner as you want to treat yourself. Nobody likes to bear the criticisms and put down attitude all the time, then how could you criticize your partner and accept the respect back? Learn to compliment each other as it is the easy way to show respect. If you would like to complain your partner, just do it in nicer way by explaining the problem and your feeling. Sit and talk together about the issues instead of criticizing.
Explore common interests
Most of the time, couples have different interests which doesn't allow them to grow together. If they have similar interests it becomes easy to thrive and enjoy the moment. Obviously, it is not possible for each partner to enjoy every activity, however it opens a door to get involved into something that both enjoy and interested in. Small things can be done at home during your free time, like cooking together, cleaning house, gardening, playing cards, or just going for a short walk. These activities will keep the couples together.
Marital Intimacy
Marital intimacy is very important in relationship as it brings beautiful memories and happy moments in the life. However remember, marital intimacy does not only apply to physical relationship. but it applies to emotional involvement. Getting physically and emotionally involved during intimacy brings the growth in the couples life. Learn to provide both (or as per the requirement) physical and emotional intimacy.
Marriage is not only a commitment but it is lovely relationship that helps you to become more than what you are today. Marriage can make a life hell or it can make it heaven, it all depends on how you take it and deal with it. Some compromises, understandings, communication and honesty is required to make it the healthier relationship. Remember no one can teach you how to make your marriage perfect, but you can learn yourself from your owns mistakes and some guidance.
9 years ago