The Saraswath Vani Editorial Committee and GS Sabha (UK) do

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SECRETARY’S REPORT
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EDITORIAL
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MEMBERS NEWS
Sabha Address
G.S. Sabha (UK) Secretary
36 Woodstock Road
East Begbroke
Oxford OX5 1RG
Vani Address
Saraswath Vani Editor
Flat 2,Gable Lodge
Torrington Park Road
London N12 9Tb
[email protected]
PERGRINES—THE BIRTH OF A NEW ROCK BAND
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CONGRATULATIONS AMCHI EMIRATES
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SABHA EVENTS
LONDON WALK
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GSS WOMEN’S DAY
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AMCHI MEMBERS
MOTHER’S DAY
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HOME AWAY FROM HOME
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WRITING AND ME
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PEARLS OF WISDOM
MANAGEMENT MYTHOS
SARASWATH
VANI
Front Cover Design Competition
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AMCHI GELE
VARDIKA
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DO WE KNOW
My dearest GSS Stars ,
This summer can be more exciting as we have a fun
project for all of you .
Yes ! An opportunity for our youngsters to design a
front cover for the forthcoming issue of Saraswath
Vani .Amongst all the applications the most suitable design cover will be chosen for the front cover
and the rest will also be presented in the inside
pages of the same issue . There will be prize for the
winners ! Yes , Winners , because every applicant
will be a winner as he or she who would have put
in so much time ,effort and creativity in making the
design.
Age limit : 8 years to 14 years
Deadline : 1st September 2012
Theme : Nature …...our best friend !
Details : Size A4 .
Use paints ,crafts ,photographs, computer graphics
etc. Let loose your creative instinct and simply
enjoy doing it .
Great thanks to our dear friend Mrs Sangeeta
Anand Shenoy who came up with this brilliant
idea .So if you need any help please contact her and
send your final designs to
[email protected].
Editor
THE WORDS ENGLISH OWE TO INDIA
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BHAKTI
SAMSKARA AN INVALUABLE GIFT
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SHRAVAN MAAS
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WORD PUZZLE AND HOW TO MAKE RAKHI
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YOUR QUESTIONS AND MY ANSWERS
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RANDAP –SHRAVAN SPECIAL
MADHGANE
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PATHOLI
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HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE
MIGRANE
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BICEPS
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QUIZZ TIME
LOGOS
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Disclaimer
The Saraswath Vani Editorial Committee and G.S. Sabha (UK) do not accept any responsibility for any views expressed by individuals and/or parties in the Saraswath Vani. The
Editorial Committee reserves the right to exclude, edit and correct all material received
for publication. The Editorial Committee reserves the right to acknowledge or not, all correspondence received. Unless specifically requested, articles will not be returned.
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Secretary’s Report
t is with great pleasure that I write my first ‘secretary’s report’. I am a little new to this job, so
please bear with me if the report does not appear to be perfect. The new executive committee
was elected at AGM meeting on 12th May 2012 in London.
Chairperson
Mr Sadananda Nayak
Vice Chairperson
Dr Geeta Pai
Secretary
Treasurer
Dr Jayavanth Kini
Joint Secretary
Dr Vinod Gadiyar
Mr Dipak Rao
Joint Treasurer
Mrs Seema Kamath
Vani Editor
Mrs Gauri Shanbhag
Joint Vani Editor
Mrs Sangeeta Shenoy
Auditor
Mr Subhash Kamath
Youth Co-ordinator
Miss Anjali Rao
Web Co-Master
Mr Sudeep Shenoy, Mrs Shwetha Nayak
Committee Members Dr Vasudeva Kamath, Mr Ananth Pai, Mr Kiran Pai
The new executive committee met on 10th June
2012 and various responsibilities were allocated.
It was a good opportunity to meet up with all the
continuing and new members of the executive
committee. I am delighted to be a part of the
committee as every member wanted to contribute by innovative ideas for the betterment of
our Sabha’s activities and wanted to move on
with the time.The committee met at our Chairperson, Mr Sadananda Nayak’s residence in
North London. A very good amchigale lunch,
desserts and snacks were organised by
Mrs Chitra Nayak and the committee is extremely thankful for all her efforts.
The executive committee approved various
events for the coming year 2012/13.
The Annual Fruit picking day which was very
popular last year, was held on 7thJuly 2012 at
Garsons Farm, Esher, Surrey led by EC member, Mr Ananth Pai.
The Vishwa Konkani Cricket match was held on
21st July 2012 and was a fun filled day outing
for GSS families .
The invite for Bank Holiday weekend outing on
25/ 26th August at Conwy in North Wales has
been sent already to our GSS members. The organisation of this event will be led by Dr VinodGadiyar. Please book your places early to avoid
disappointment. It is a week-end filled with fun
activities for children and adults and a fantastic
opportunity to meet and mingle with your
amchigale friends.
A new sub-committee has been formed for the
Diwali function on 10th November and we are
hoping to have a fabulous entertainment programme and an enjoyable evening in partnership with Sararwath Samaj, UK .
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Please pen down these dates and try to keep
yourselves free to participate and support the
events by attending with your families.
This year, the Committee has resolved to give
more emphasis to improving contacts with the
Konkani’s living in UK and increasing the membership drive. Taking part in the Sabha’s activities would provide you an ideal opportunity to
meet new members, make new friendships, consolidate old ones, show off your talents on stage
and have lots of fun. In true Konkani style, there
will be an educational/cultural element to our
activities as well. To my mind, it is a win-win situation! Also, if you would like to publish some
interesting articles in the Sabha’s journal, please
contact Mrs Gauri Shanbhag, Editor of Vani. She
has, in particular, requested parents to provide
information about their children’s achievements
either within or outside the school or University.
The Sabha takes great pride in showcasing the
talent within our community. Please do visit our
website http://www.konkanieu.com/ and give us
your feedback (positive or otherwise). Our helpful webmasters will take these on board. Last,
but not the least, it is Olympic year in the United Kingdom and for those lucky ones who have
managed to get tickets, the Sabha wishes you a
safe and enjoyable outing and for those of us
who get to enjoy the events on TV in the luxury
of our own homes, ‘happy watching’!
With very best wishes,
Dr Jayavanth Kini
Secretary, G.S. Sabha(UK)
Editorial
reading on unknown territories can be very daunting . What is ours is known to us , but that which is
not in our possession is beyond our comprehension . But still we flip through every page of the book of
life with a never ending zeal and passion , always eagerly looking forward to uncover the secret of the time
ahead . When there is a willingness to learn , the force of the divine energy emanates such profound power
that it guides us through every twist and bend and makes the learning process an extraordinary experience . My tryst with the editorial of the Saraswath Vani has been a similar experience .
Our GSSabha UK has been constantly endeavouring to bring together amchigale families and connect the lives of
all the amchigale individuals in UK with the vision of creating oneness and giving us a sense of communal identity . It has not been an easy path but as the saying goes “where there is a will there is a way” .
This Shravan edition of Sararwath Vani is my humble offering towards that Vision of oneness. For me the Saraswath Vani is not just a community magazine but is one of the vital fragments of that thread of oneness that
unifies the amchi diaspora .
It gives me immense pleasure to dedicate this issue to WOMANHOOD …...the universal embodiment of love
and strength , with a special tribute to one of the greatest role played by a woman ….a MOTHER . The article
on GSS Women’s International day outing and the articles in the amchi members section is a collection of inspirational words poured out from the hearts of our very own GSS women who have shared their experiences of playing different roles of a woman.
This issue also has a special coverage on the significance of Shravan maas , with some recipes, stories and games
based on Shravan maas.
When it comes to spirituality and our Hindu philosophy of Vedanta , we are very often plagued with innumerable
questions . Hoping to help us in our efforts to bridge the gap between the unknown and the known , I have introduced a unique question and answer column where our queries would be answered by Brahmachari Paritosh
Chaitanya ,resident acharya of Chinmaya Mission ( UK). I am grateful for his invaluable time in answering our
questions and his willingness to continuously support our actions to quench the spiritual thirst .
I have tried to present a collection of different articles ranging from sabha activities to Hinduism , health to language , cookery to brain teaser games , so that I could cater to the varying interests of the readers . However I
could’nt have done this without your help and support .So please continue emailing me articles on any topics that
may have come into your attention and which you would like to share with the GSS community .
Please also email me with your answers for the bhakti puzzle and the logo quiz .
Also a special request to all the parents to encourage and support their children in participating in the Sarwaswath
Vani front cover design competition .
Only an artist can breath in life into the inert tools of colour and paper . The front cover of our Saraswath Vani
is a beautiful piece of art and is designed by Sangeeta and Anand , courtesy Anand Designers
(www.anandshenoydesigners.co.uk). Anand’s and Sangeeta’s enthusiasm in making a contribution to our community is applaud able and it is a privilege to have them on board. Also I am grateful to all our members for their
articles and feedback , their hard work and support in making it possible to bring out this Issue. A special
thanks to Bob , who helped me with the research and encouraged me to pen down few words on the English
words of Indian origin . I hope to extend this topic in the forthcoming issues and welcome any suggestions
and ideas.
Studying an unfamiliar subject can be very daunting , but yet be very revelatory . Especially when that
subject is no other than one’s own individual life . A subject that is most intriguing and challenging but
yet very interesting . The Saraswath Vani has been one significant topic of my life that has inspired
me to grow and evolve and I pray for all to succeed in unfolding every new page of their lives. May every
day bring in a flavour of happiness and peace to all our fellow members.
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Best Wishes
Mrs Gauri Shanbhag
Saraswath Vani Editor G.S.Sabha(UK)
CONGRATULATIONS ,AMCHI YOUTH MEASTRO
I have known Amol Prabhu since
those days when he was half as tall as me .
As a child he was always bubbling with enthusiasm to
discover the world of music . I have watched many
different performances of Amol right from yoga to
rock music to mythological skits. And now this same
boy has crossed over my height and at such a young
age has with a group of artists launched his own rock
band called THE PEREGRINES
We are all very proud of you Amol and our best wishes are always with you .
The Peregrines are playing on the 21st of August at Nambucca, 596 Holloway Road, London,
Greater London N7 6LB.Tickets can be bought on the day or online at
http://nambuccalondon.com/events-2?eme_offset=1
It was my good fortune to be in Dubai while on a business trip when my brother in law, Sri Gopalakrishnan Pai suggested that I went along to the Amchi Emirates Tenth Anniversary celebration
in Sharjah, UAE on Friday 13th of January 2012. I tagged along with him and my sister, Smt Nalini
Pai and we three attended their Maha – Special function. The hall (with the specially decorated
stage at one end and the aromatic hot Konkani food table at the other end) was packed with Samaj Bandhus, all beautifully dressed in many bright colours to mark the occasion and attentively
followed by all the performances on the stage with a few boys silently engrossed with their PSP
game consoles.
They had a variety of performances from adults to children and even in groups, where their talent
was all too evident. There was a very popular performance in Malayalam (native language of Kerala) which made the audience burst into many laughter and tears but I enjoyed the “Kolaveri”
Konkani performance best. And to make the day particularly special, they presented all members
and guests present with either a specially made T shirt and/or a mug to go home with and cherish
the day.
The Amchi Emirates group is mainly of some 100 family members coming from Kerala, South India and spread across the whole of the United Arab Emirates and Oman. They join together for
various occasions including Bhajans in different towns of the UAE. Last year for example they met
in Abu Dhabi for their 100th Bhajan Sandhya. I admired the effort put in
to publish their magazine to mark their special
occasion on achieving their two digit anniversary.
They had published a beautiful 60 page colourful
magazine in high quality gloss paper and distributed
to all their members. The articles were on a
wide selection of subjects, from children’s
drawings, food recipes, individual life experiences,
travel log, explanation of the Kochi TD temple and so on.
I particularly liked the idea of seeing the picture of the
person who wrote the article and perhaps our Sabha Vani
could move in that direction.
Here are some links you may wish to watch the videos taken by
Pai mama(SmartPai)
http://tubethe.com/watch/vj3SK7HsNNE/amchi-emirates-2012suvenir-released– on-13-january-2012-by-gsb-sabha-uae-10thanniversary.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
JSXHpGUGL68 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8IeAuK3C1o&feature=related
Written by Mr Bob Prabhu
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The Great
Written By
Master Tejas Kamath
Walk
ondon is a great place to visit, especially by walk. The ancient historical London
Bridge and the museums are great places to see. Its like a warm welcome by the
tall buildings greeting us with pleasure.
One a sunny day in mid-may, the G S Sabha members met near Monument to do
the ‘London City Walk’ . I was a part of this group. Going to London was very
exciting to me, either by car or train. However, seeing London by walk... this was going to
be a very special day!
Choo !Choooo.... the train rushed out of the Feltham station towards London. It took us
nearly 45 minutes to reach Monument station. When we reached there we met our friends
from the Sabha. It was nice to meet my friends too!.
The London walk started from Monument. Jaymam and Jayant mam were our tour guides.
They gave a glimpse of London history , story about the great fire of London and Monument itself. From there , we started the awesome London walk tour by being welcomed
first to Pudding lane, where the great fire of London began. The fire that burnt most of the
buildings in London. Next we walked through narrow roads towards London bridge. We
climbed up the stairs of a building to enter an open balcony that gave us one of the best
views of the River Thames and London Bridge. London Bridge stood pompous among all
buildings around. I also heard stories about Robert McCulloh the American man who
bought London bridge by mistake. He mistook the London bridge to Tower bridge. We
also saw the old Billingsgate market. Did you know how some of the buildings got the
name ' Wharf'? Well, now I know ! Wharf actually is an abbreviation of " Warehouse
at riverfront."
We then continued our walk from there by the bank of the river and then through very
narrow roads. We saw many old churches. One that I specifically remember is St
Olave's church. Very close to it was a building that looked like Batman's house. We also
saw churches which had a big clock outside. Some churches were remains from the Great
fire of London.
Next, we walked towards the heart of the financial world. We saw the streets where the
world's biggest banks stood. It was overwhelming to see some of the very old streets and
buildings of London, now becoming the epicentre of the world's finance industry. One
peculiar building that I found amusing was the "inside out building " , which is home to an
insurance company.
Apart from the wonderful buildings and history of London we saw a Jamaican pub. I was
surprised when we were told a story about how the word 'Tips' began in that pub.
Walking through the lovely streets, the amazing architecture of buildings in the company
of GSS friends on such a lovely day ... I wished that the day would never come to an
end. However ,the walk finally ended at Guild hall.
All children who completed the walk received a certificate, which I am proud of. My sister
received her first certificate too!
I had a great time seeing London by walk. London is at its best when seen on foot and I
am delighted to have had the opportunity to do so. London seemed even more beautiful
after exploring the City by walk and understanding the history. I love London even more
now and am proud to be a part of it.
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GSS Women’s Day
GOD made a wonderful mother, A mother who never grows old;
He made her smile of the sunshine, and He molded her heart of pure gold;
In her eyes He placed bright shining stars, In her cheeks, fair roses you see;
God made a wonderful mother, and He gave that dear mother to me.
-- Unknown author
A woman takes up various roles in her life. A woman’s natural instinct is to give and serve in the
various role she plays , may it be a daughter ,mother , sister, wife , mother-in-law,
aunt ,grandmother , niece , etc . She remains so engrossed performing the different roles that
she forgets about her own individual identity . Of all the rights of a woman , the greatest is to
be a mother. The mother has the strongest yet subtlest influence on the family . When you are
a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once
for herself and once for her child. In today's busy lives, between career, grocery lists, chores,
bills and schedules, mothers especially working moms struggle to find the right balance between
advancing in their career and spending quality time nurturing their relationship with their child.
In the hustle and bustle of busy lives, she tries really hard not to let cute little moments of her
growing child slip through her fingers.
Today she plays a more dominant role in the upbringing of children. The working moms have
sought their own ways to strike a balance to make up for the time lost with their children. And
while times have changed, the family has
gone nuclear. But has mom changed?
The 'motherhood' epitomizing love,
affection and care has always remained the same.
Mother’s day is a special Sunday and
is celebrated all over the world
when families across the globe
gear up to salute all moms .It’s a
day that is based on the emotions shared between mother and
a child. Markets are flooded with
cards and gift items for Mother's
Day. From specially designed
mama's cups to flower baskets for mummy, from attractive apparels to fancy footwear, from
musical cards to colorful jewelry, the shops are selling different items to express a child’s love
and emotion to one’s mother. The pressure is high on the father to help the children orchestrate a blissfully wonderful day for their mother.
I am a mother of two lovely children. Although I have no ‘big’ expectations for Mother's Day. I
do have one special wish: a simple card that my kids make on their own. Though my kids are
really generous with their hugs, kisses and words of thanks every
day. On Mother's Day, I really feel that I should be celebrating my
kids because even in their messiest, tantrum-y, emotional moments, they are awesome and make me smile every single day. I
am sure most mothers would be feeling the same.
This year, some of us GSS ladies had a very special Mother’s
day gift. Its not just the children who made it special, but the
whole family. They wanted to make their mom feel that
they acknowledge the importance of all she does to run the house
so smoothly. How did they do this?
Well, this is how the story goes...The countdown had begun ! One
of the most valuable member of the G S Sabha and a very special
friend , Gauri Shanbhag came up with an idea to celebrate the
first ever GSS International day to glorify the spirit of woman
hood .
The icing of the cake was, that it was on Mother’s day ! The date
was Sunday the 18th March 2012 and it was going to be unique, fun filled and unforgettable
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‘Strictly’ experience to mark special GSS Women's International Day Celebration .
Salsa…. a fantastic ice-breaker and an ideal way to not only bring people together ,
but also a stimulating dance form to awaken the passion of life . We were going
to have an exclusive one and a half hour workshop where the participant would learn
basic Salsa steps and also learn how to dance with a partner, giving them confidence to
step out on the dance floor and flaunt their gracious dance moves . The teacher was Leila
Stewart, who is under 21 British Latin Dance champion.
Dilchad , a local restaurant was chosen to be an ideal spot to celebrate our first GSS Women's event (post the salsa workshop ) . It was a few minutes walk from the dance studio. A
section of the restaurant was reserved exclusively for us .
We had a wonderful and very memorable day . Ladies from a range of age groups danced
to the music with all their heart. We giggled and laughed and had lots of fun. I am a left
foot dancer and thought I would make a fool of myself dancing. However, I was wrong.
Many of us were thinking just like me. Leila was an absolutely lovely dance instructor, who
made the session exciting and fun .She made us feel special and encouraged us in every
dance step .
Some of us were thinking that it’s easier to do a lot
of other things but dance… “Left foot front, right foot
back , then to the side, and turn around…” Dancing
to the beats was difficult initially , but once we got
the basic steps all inhibitions were gone. We danced
from our heart ! The steps may not have
been perfect, we may have also missed some moves,
but we all tried and most importantly we had a wonderful time .
All of us danced and moved to the music so much that at the end of the session we were all
tired and hungry. Dilchad….. we are ready for lunch! The walk to the restaurant gave us ladies time to start the gossip and catching up. On the way to the restaurant, some of
us sneaked to the famous petticoat market ……..as you already know, its difficult for girls
to stay away from clothes and bargains.
The hot moves of the salsa was followed by some very yummy food at Dilchad. The whole
restaurant came alive with gossip , giggles, laughter . Some of us were meeting each other
for the first time, some of us were meeting after a very long time. Gauri aptly came up with
a wonderful idea to make the afternoon more interesting and to get to know each other better. We had to introduce ourselves not simply as a wife , a mother , a sister , but as an individual , as a women who is always eager to learn and grow with every inspirational moment of life .Eventually, not only had we known each other, but also got to know ourselves
better. Each one of us was thinking about the special people in our life , trying to rummage
through our memories for an inspirational incident, thinking about the person who motivates us or a nostalgic event which influenced us. We all had so many things to talk
about . We all were on the same page i.e we all were grateful for what we had. We were
thankful to our parents…especially Mom’s cooking was missed by most of us. This was a
very good exercise as it gave us an opportunity to reflect and be grateful to those inspirational pillars of our lives.
Our happiness lies in our children’s wellbeing and happiness. Most of us would agree that
our kids have inspired us in many little ways of life.
While returning back home, a dear friend told me that I would be giggling at work every
now and then with flashbacks from the afternoon. And truly, I was. My colleagues saw me
giggling which then became a discussion and before you know, happiness was spreading.
Mother’s day this year was a very special day for all of us. It was a day we paused our
busy lives to remember the most special person in our life.... the person who gave us life,
to become what we are today. The G S Sabha provided us with a perfect stage for this celebration. We hope that , this event will roll on year to year getting better and bigger. Last
but most importantly, the dad’s, the husbands and the children played the most important
role on this day. They made time for us, to give us a break to remember ourselves; to laugh
and relax, to break free. We all went home with big smiles. Truly happiness IS contagious!!!!!!! It spread to many families on this day.
Written by Mrs Seema Kamath
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“How do you like your eggs in the morning?”
“I like mine with a kiss.”
hat is how my Mother’s Day celebration began .My
favourite songs being sung by two superb vocalists
accompanied by the Bethnal Green Big Band, lovely
food and nice surroundings. Whilst some of you ladies were enjoying airing your dancing shoes, I was listening to
my younger son and the rest of the band taking us from Dean Martin to Ava Gardener, “Come fly with me” to “New
York, New York”. Two and a half hours of glorious music! Now add to that a text from up the Austrian Alps from my older
son and a husband who did not mind me half swaying (and making a fool of myself). It was perfect!
We did not celebrate Mother’s Day when I was growing up in India, though at our school, which was a convent, we did have a
special celebratory day in honour of the Mother Superior. These days I know that in a lot of cities in India people celebrate
Mother’s Day, albeit on the second Sunday in May like the Americans. So my mum and my sister get a day of pampering
from my nieces.
Mother’s day, in the UK, is celebrated on the fourth Sunday in Lent. This has been so since at least the 16 th century. About
400 years ago people used to make a point of going to the church in which they were baptized, the ‘mother church’. This was
also the one day when young girls and boys who used to work as maids and servants were allowed to go home. They were
sometimes allowed to take small gifts of eggs or flowers from the garden or greenhouse. This is what has, perhaps, been translated to the gift and card giving of today. Leaving the commercialism aside, I think that it is lovely to have an excuse to have a
special day for our mums.
Samudra Vasine Devi ,Parvatha Sthana Mandithe
Vishnu Patni Namahsthubham ,Paadshparsham Kshamasmave
O! Mother Earth, who has the ocean as clothes and mountains and forests on her body, who is the wife of Lord Vishnu, I
bow to you. Please forgive me for touching you with my feet
Written by Mrs Hema Kamath
HOME AWAY FROM HOME
t a temple close to our house a few months back, amidst the throng of worshippers, I happened to
spot the iconic symbol of the amchigele sumangali – the dhaaremani. I gravitated towards this very
pleasant looking lady (soon to be introduced to me as Lata Prabhu who affectionately turned into
Lata akka to us) and from there, we were introduced to and drawn into a network of amchigele connections. And sooner than I can say it, I was one of the amchigele wives tracing with accuracy and
vigour, our family tree - much like my mother and grandmother, who I had poked fun at a few years back for
doing the very same thing (and also much to the amazement of my mind-boggled husband!) But it brought on
an inexplicable gratification that made UK closer to home than little else could.
Which brings me to the point I am trying to make – we amchigele are a small tightly-knit community, all intertwined somewhere at the roots. And the role of the Sabha in reinforcing this sense of oneness and sense of belonging is unparalleled. Years of social, religious and cultural interactions in India
have cemented in us, the need to be a part of
this intertwined community. The sight
of our ladies doing the Tulsi puja, the sound of
bhat mams chanting with the sound of
conches in the background, the smell of fresh
biscoot ambado, the taste of doodpak on
the banana leaf, the feel of joy mixed with sadness at the visarjan of our Ganapati
Bappa after chavati have put in place a value
system for life that we young people
would strive to live by and bring up our children in future.
Far away from home and family, each one of
us is acutely aware of the things we
used to take for granted in a simpler time and
age– growing up under the shade of
grandparents, uncles and aunts, running
around the streets with cousins, listening to folklore and stories, soaking in summer
vacations with not a care in the world.
We are also conscious that we are the sole torch bearers of our traditions to our future generations here, unlike
in India where these customs naturally seep in by virtue of routine social interactions. We harbour a deep sense
of pride at being a GSB that has been inculcated in us by societal living and we hope to keep it alive over the
years. Anand and I are still in our toddler steps at the Sabha and our association with it is a very small fragment of its commendable twenty five years. Nevertheless, we see in the Sabha a window into our communal
life back home in India and I am sure almost everyone would echo these sentiments. We all feel an instant connection and a sense of familiarity because at the end of the day, we all share a common endeavour: to create a
home away from home.We tip our hats to a warm and welcoming institution. And hope that we may radiate
the spirit of community that we have been welcomed with, thousands of miles away from home.
Written by Mrs Sangeeta Shenoy
9
Writing and me
used to write articles and short stories for my
school magazine. But this writing passion faded
away during my college days. Writing had always
been a passion of mine. During a school reunion I
met an old friend who works with rediff . This
friend requested me to write an article for their site. I
grabbed that opportunity as a stepping stone to unleash my hobby for writing . Initially I was quite
nervous and apprehensive about the feedback .However to my surprise my article was liked by
online readers and I was paid
RS.250. It was my first writing
amount. My friend discussed
with me the various online opportunities which existed for
writers. I had not, up until this
time, considered writing as a
means to make money, since I
had always just written for leisure. However, the idea
of earning something from your spare time and from
the comfort of your own home really excited me.
Then I thought ,I should take writing as my part-time
profession. So, I gave it a go and I started looking for
online writing jobs.
During my online hunt for jobs I came across various
article directories, and I found that before bidding for
online writing projects I can first submit my articles
here. As these articles would help my future buyers to
review my work before they would hire me. I decided
to begin advertising my services through these freelance article directories and writer-for-hire sites. This
worked out very well for me and I soon had a flow of
steady income doing something which I enjoyed immensely.
Written by Mrs Yuvika Pai
ANAGEMENT MYTHOS
hen Rishi Gotama returned to his house, he
found his wife Ahalya, in the arms of Indra,
king of the Devas. Furious, he cursed his
wife Ahalya to turn into stone and Indra to
be covered with sores. This story is found in
the first chapter of the Ramayana, the Balkanda, which
deals with the childhood and education of Ram, prince of
Ayodhya.
The sage Vishwamitra takes Ram to the hermitage of
Gotama and shows him the stone that was once Ahalya.
She has been condemned to be trodden upon by bird,
beast and stranger. Vishwamitra asks Ram to touch the
stone with his feet and liberate Ahalya so that she can re
join her husband. In the different versions of the Ramayana, the story of Ahalya is told differently. In some versions, she is the guilty adulteress, who gets caught in the
act.
In another, she is innocent and duped by the wily Indra
who takes the form of her husband. Yet another version
depicts her as a bored and tortured wife who finds solace
in the arms of Indra. The narrators struggle to explain
why Ram forgives Ahalya. It makes sense for Ram to
forgive someone wrongfully accused, rather than someone who is truly guilty.
Often in business, we have to deal with people who have
not kept their commitment; who have broken their word
or have demonstrated questionable integrity.
There are attempts to justify their actions and plead
their case. There are attempts to show that the
conclusions drawn are based on false data or spread by
10
mischievous forces.
We have to decide if we have to let Ahalya stay a stone
or liberate her from misery. We have to decide when the
punishment - justified or not - is enough. It was clear to
Paritosh that the caretaker of the company guesthouse
was siphoning funds. But there was no proof. It was a
combination of hearsay and gut feeling. Murlidhar, the
caretaker, was told to go on long leave. In his absence,
Jotiraj took over as caretaker and the services in the
guest house showed a marked improvement at a much
lower cost. The old-timers said maybe Murlidhar was
simply inefficient. The auditors said Murlidhar was a
cheat. Murlidhar insisted he was innocent. After six
months of deliberation, Paritosh reinstated Murlidhar.
Everyone wondered if Murlidhar was innocent or if had
been forgiven. When asked, Paritosh said, "I really do
not know. But the six months have been harrowing
enough for Murlidhar. If he was guilty, he has been punished. If he was innocent, he will learn to be more efficient. No one is perfect and people do make mistakes in
life. If we do not forgive and move on, we will end up
creating a smug self-righteous organisation where there
is no compassion. That is not the kind of company I
wish to create." Perhaps compassion is also the lesson
Vishwamitra was also trying to teach Ram.
(The author is the Chief Belief Officer of the Future
Group .He can be reached at [email protected])
Contributed by Mr Jayanarayan Bhat
Vardika
uring Konkani marriages following are
some of the important rituals followed.
On wedding day Pandit will come to the
houses of Bride and Bridegroom respectively and conduct prayer. Generally the
bride and bride grooms get blessings from the elders.
In the house of Bridegroom brother of the bride
will visit and invite the groom and his family to the
marriage venue. He will carry with him sweets,
flowers ,some cash for any small children of the
groom's family.
EdurKansani (Receiving the Groom’s party)
At the venue, bride's party prepares to receive the
groom. The Bride’s party will wait outside the hall
with the flowers and other paraphernalia as described. The Bride’s sister or paternal cousin sister
will hold a circular steel plate (poleru in konkani) it
will generally have the following
Plate 1 Mirror supported by a Kalash (tambioin
konkani) filled with water and a coconut on it, decorated with flower garland and golden chain,
Kumkum and Haldi in separate bowls and bowl of
Raw Rice
Plate 2 carried by another sister, will have flowers
and a rose water dispenser (Gulab-dani, usually
made of Silver)
Plate 3 with yet another sister (if no sister left, it
can be someone else’s sister) will have 4 coconuts
on it.
Plate 4 with folded Paan and supari (Veedo).
When the Groom's party arrives, the women of the
family will precede the men to the entrance. The
Groom's sisters will hold Plate 1 (just as in the
brides side) and Plate 3. Plate 2 and Plate 4 can be
shared.The women will now walk towards each
other and apply kumkum and haldi to each other’s
foreheads and wear a flower from Plate 2. They will
sprinkle rose water on each other.
Entering the Hall
Before entering the hall, an aarti of kumkum water
is given to the Groom. After this is done the father
11
of the bride will give the Groom a coconut in his
hand and put a garland around his neck in greeting
and lead him by the hand (lest he runaway) into
the hall and seat him in a chair in the hall. Rest of
the party will follow.
PhoolMuddi (The Flower and the Ring )
Along with the Groom sits an un-married brother of
the Groom who is called "Dheddo" (previously the
dheddo would be a young kid, nowadays young
eligible bachelors are seated instead as a way to
get noticed).
Once the Groom is captive in the chair, his feet are
washed by the father of the bride. A Gold Ring is
placed on his finger. A new sacred thread is put on
him (over this clothing), he will already have one
of his own under it. Aarti is done to him by the
Bride's mother (with cloth wicks not cotton) and
rice is sprinkled on him. He is fed 5 different types
of sweets and a sip of sweetened milk. The Dheddo
gets a gift of clothing.
Now, it’s the Bride’s turn. Bride makes her first entrance to the gathering (still in Sari 1) and is seated in the chair. Along with her sits the
Dheddi" (female version of the dheddo)
She is gifted a Sari and any other gifts (usually ornaments) from the Groom's mother. Flowers (white
managloremogra) are pinned to her hair. Aarti is
done to her by the Groom's mother (with cloth
wicks not cotton) and rice is sprinkled on her. She
is fed 5 different types of sweets and a sip of
sweetened milk. Like the Dheddo, the Dheddi gets
a gift of clothing also.
Breakfast I
The first breakfast is served and the whole party
tucks in. Bride changes clothes. Bride’s mother can
also change her attire. (So can anyone else, there
is no hard and fast rule)
GhadeUdhak ( Water clock)
Originally intended to help the gathering keep
track of the time, now it is done only for symbolic
purposes. 5 thambios (copper pots) are held, one
each by five women namely bride, bride's mom,
groom's mom and 2 others.They are filled with water and Ganga Pooja is performed as instructed by
Pandit. These pots are then kept aside to be revisited later.
UdidaMoorth (Grinding of Gram)
A mix of Green Gram, Black Gram (Udid in konkani), tumeric, oil is prepared and the bride (now
in Sari 2) and her mother
jointly
grind it in a manual stone
grinder. Once the bride is
done grinding, her party proceeds to Breakfast II, thus vacating the seats to allow the
groom and his sister(s) to do
the grinding. The sisters also
get to apply kajal to the
groom. Grinding can also be
done simultaneously if there
is an availability of spare
equipment and space.
KaashiYatra
Tired of all the rituals, the
groom decides to renounce
worldly life and meditate in
Kaashi. He sets out with an
umbrella, and a Potli( cloth
tied into a bag on a stick
containing his worldly belongings ). He is stopped by the Father of the
bride, who tells him of the virtues of married life.
(Mostly he tells him, there is no escape now, you're
doomed)
Once again captive, the groom is pacified with a
gift either of money or a gift of clothing and an
aarti and proceeds to Breakfast II. He can change
his clothing also. The Water clocks/ GhadeUdhak
are revisited by the 5 ladies to check if the water
pots are hale and hearty.
Breakfast II
The second breakfast is served and all tuck in
(again!)
Entering the Mantap
The bride now well fed and covered in mounds of
silk, flowers (mogginaja-day - jasmine flower
headress) and a ton of gold is led into the Mantap
by her mother. Meanwhile, the Pandit does a pooja
of the Mantap. She enters the mantap with her
right foot first.
The Dhaare Mani ( black bead and gold chain with
2 large coral beads ) is Mangalsutra 1. It is given
by the bride's family. The chain is taken around the
hall to be blessed and inspected by the elders.
After remembering the family diety, it is put
around the brides neck by her Mother. An aarti is
12
done to her and rice is liberally sprinkled over her.
This done, the bride is dispatched away again, possibly to be decked with more gold.
VarPooja
The Bride's married sisters and their husbands are
called into the mantap in sequence and given a gift
of clothing, aarti and rice sprinkling.
Groom Bashing ( tying the "bashing" on the tur-
ban )
"Bashing" is an ornament made of thermocol and
glitter held together by glue. It has lot of dangling
beads and shiny papers stuck to it. Hideous though
it is, it is tied to the Turban of the Groom. Traditionally it was tied over the Gandhi cap which was
worn by the groom. It is a good idea to tie it out of
sight behind the fan of the peta so that it is not
seen.
Preparing the "Talee" ( Thali or Plate )
1 Plate (VothuGhadi - means "at the time of pouring" ) is prepared and held by the mother of the
bride. It contains the following:
1. 2 simple non zari saris (meant for daily wear by
the bride in her new house)
2. PaanVeedo
3. Flowers and Raw Rice
4. 1 Coconut, sari blouse piece, kunkum( collectively called Vonti )
Plate 2 ( LagnaTalee - wedding plate ) is prepared
and held by Groom's mother. It contains the following:
1. Post Wedding Sari ( a grand sari nowadays worn
at the reception)
with Pallu visible (pallu has to be visible for aunties
present to estimate the cost of the sari :D )
2. Mangalsutra 2 - Chunky Gold and coral bead
chain.
3. PaanVeedo
4. Mogra Flowers and Raw rice
5. Silver Kunkum Box
6. A small box of Kajal
7. Ivory comb ( now replaced by a plastic imitation)
8. "Bashing" ( for the bride this time )
The Pandit now does a pooja of the Plates as
above. The father of the bride brings the groom
into the Mantap along with the Dhedo.
The Plates mentioned above are carefully placed
under his chair.
Once he is seated, the parents of the bride will perform an aarti, arghyapadya (feet washing) and
then put a sacred thread for him. He is given a gift.
The gift is usually a Sandook( if not available, cash
is used). A Silver Sandook set ( consists of a plate,
a small glass, spoon, box to hold religious stamps,
the stamps and a thambio (silver pot)
these items are to be used for daily
pooja )
AntharPaat (Curtain)
A cloth is now held by two pandits to obscure
the view of the Groom , because the bride will
be brought into the hall now and he should not
be able to see her.
Here comes the Bride
The maternal uncle of the Bride will bring in
the decorated Bride leading her by the thumb
and will walk her down the aisle from the front
entrance of the hall. If there are two they can
bring her together (she has only 2 thumbs) . If
there are several uncles, a sort of relay is
done. Traditional music is played by the musicians and the pandits will commence chanting
the mantras. If the weight of the Bride allows
she may be carried in by the maternal uncle.
Kankana (Tumeric pieces) are tied to the wrists of
the Bride and Groom. The coals are fetched by the
Bride's mother to start the fire in the Homa( sacred
fire ). She is gifted by the Groom’s family for her
efforts.
Lye Virkachain (Pouring puffed rice )
While the fire is being started, the uncles and
brothers of the Bride will pour puffed rice through
their hands until it falls onto a plate held below. The
youngest among them will receive a gift called a
Lye Shawl ( now a shirt piece). The Maternal Uncle
will place 2 pairs of toe rings to the Bride's toes.
7 Pheras
The Bride and Groom take 7 circles around the fire
as per instructions by the pandit.
VarUbharchain (Lifting)
The uncle and aunt will then attempt to physically
lift the Bride and Groom. (a daunting task!)
In case this is not feasible, Bride and groom are
walked 4 steps forward and 4 steps backwards by
the maternal uncle and aunt or just gently nudged.
The 2 pairs are now given an aarti by the other elders present.
SharageGhalchain ( Putting the Pallu )
The mother of the Bride will now place the pallu for
the Bride as a symbol of marriage and replace her
half moonbindi with a full moon. The Groom will
tie a five rupee coin (symbolizing this savings)
to the pallu of the Bride.
Going Bananas
She enters the mantap again with her right
foot and her uncle will sprinkle rice on her
head and leave her inside. Now as per instructions by the pandit the garland exchange between Bride and Groom takes place.
DhaarVotuchai (Pouring the stream of milk)
also called KanyaDaan ( Giving away the
Bride )
A silver pot with a gold pendant of Laxmi with
a coconut placed over it and milk is poured
from it on the hands on the Bride and the
Groom as per the instructions of the pandit.
The laxmi pendant signifies that they are giving away the girl only and not the goddess of
wealth.
Tying the knot
The Mangalsutra from Plate 2 is retrieved and
tied around the brides neck. The "bashing" for
the Bride is now tied on her head. Plate 2
(LagnaTalee) is given to her. Aarti is done and
rice is sprinkled over her as a blessing.
13
Bananas are cut up into small pieces and
the Bride serves them to the Groom's family
and her own (symbolizing that she has cooked for
them). She is given a gift of cash for her troubles.
Keeping the Name
Traditionally the Bride would have a new first name
after marriage. The name is still kept, but not used.
The mother of the Groom will whisper a name 5
times into the Bride's ear.
Vontiborchain
The mother of the Bride will give her a blouse
piece, coconut, kumkum and sprinkle rice for the
first time as a married lady.
BaagilDhorchain
The sisters of the groom, unhappy that their brother will forget them once he is married; will stop him
from leaving the mantap. They are pacified with a
gift of cash from the Groom. The wedding party
proceeds for Lunch.
Contributed by Mr.Sadananda Nayak
THE WORDS ENGLISH OWE TO INDIA
Once a foreigner visited India . While roaming through one of
the busy streets of a city , he came upon a vegetable and
fruit market . As he stood in the market watching , he noticed
that many people were buying chilies .In India people are very
fond of chilies , but they use them in small quantities . The foreigner thought they must be a delicacy , so he bought two
kilos of them and sat down under a tree to eat them .As he
munched the first chili his mouth began to water .He moaned
and fanned his mouth and then began munching another
chili ,thinking that this one would taste better .He went on his
way eating chili after chili ,suffering and hoping that each one
would taste better .When a local who was watching him , asked
him why is he munching chilies , the foreigner replied , that he
was a visitor from Chile and as he was pointing out to the chilies he told the vegetable vendor that he had travelled from
Chile and that he wanted to buy two kilo’s of the most exotic
Indian vegetable .
The local immediately understood the cause of misunderstanding created by the play of a word “Chili “. It is strange how
communication is established with the use of Language . A
language is made of different words. But how often do we wonder where those words originate from ? Some of these world
travel for centuries until it makes a permanent place in a language .Chili is a popular Anglo Indian name given to the pod of
red pepper because when this exotic plant was carried from
Chile in South America the traders decided to call it Chile .
English language has many such interesting words which have
witnessed its birth in the Indian soil . The Oxford English Dictionary currently has about 700 words of Indian origin.
Words like yoga, swastika, khaki, sari, and sati denote those
actions or objects that never existed in the English culture and
hence they were imported into English . On the other hand
there are some words that were taken and given a different
meaning ,for instance nirvana, kedgeree and Jodhpur.
The pronunciation too, took a different tone, in these Indian
borrowings. The important modifications were mainly seen in
the sounds of 't' and 'd'. In the North Indian languages 't' is
mostly pronounced as 'the', as in thing; while the 'd' is pronounced as 'the' in this. When a word from this region came to
English, the sound came with a hard 't' and 'd' as in dungaree
(Hindi) and swastika (Sanskrit). To the contrary words from
south India , were pronounced softly or not at all as in cheroot
(Tamil churuttu /shuruttu ) The word Cheroot (sheroot) - A cigar with square cut ends came from the French word
cheroute. The Tamil word churuttu/shuruttu - roll of tobacco
was absorbed into the French language during the early 16th
century, when French were trying to get a foot hold in South
India (Hyderabad), and from French this word finally came
into English as the word Cheroot .
Of the words that came into English, there are certain traits that
can help one connect the link between two different countries .
The word bandhunu in Hindi (tie dyeing) and bandhana (to tie):
from Sanskrit was probably absorbed to Portuguese, when
the Portuguese ruled over Goa during the early part of the 17th
century, and from Portuguese was absorbed to English language as Bandana a head scarf .
14
There are many such words in English language where you
can trace its origin to our ancient Indian languages .
Bangle - A rigid bracelet or anklet, especially one with no
clasp. An ornament that hangs from a bracelet or necklace
came from the Hindi word bungri –glass.
Cashmere - Fine downy wool growing in the outer hair of the
cashmere goat. A soft fabric made out of this wool or similar
fibers. Named after the state of Kashmir in India, where these
goats were found in abundance, and famous for woolen clothing during the British rule.
Dungaree - A sturdy, often blue, denim fabric. Trousers or
overalls made of sturdy denim fabric. In Hindi the word dumgri
meant hard/coarse.
Gunny - A coarse, heavy fabric made of jute or hemp, used
especially for bags or sacks . This word has its roots in Hindi
ghoni - sack and in Sanskrit gharati-sack
Jute - Either of two plants yielding a fiber used for sacking and
cordage. In Bengali jhuto and Sanskrit jutah meant twisted
hair .
Jodhpurs - Long riding breeches, tight from the knee to ankle,
named after the ancient city, Jodhpur in the state of Rajasthan
in North India. Men in this state wear trousers akin to riding
breeches, hence the name 'jodhpurs'.
Khaki - This word is a marriage of different meanings .In hindi
it is a light olive brown to moderate or light yellowish brown.
Khakis which in English means trousers made of a cloth with
this colour. Urdu khaki - dusty or dust colored, from Persian
khak - dust
Musk- A strong smelling reddish brown substance which is
secreted by the male musk-deer for scent making, which is
also an important ingredient in perfumery. This word is born
from Persian musk, from Sanskrit muska (scrotum)
Pajamas/pyjama - A lose fitting garment consisting of trousers
and a jacket, worn for sleeping or lounging, often used in plural.
Hindi paijama - loose fitting trousers, from Persian pai- leg and
jamah - garment
Shampoo - A liquid preparation containing soap for washing
hair. In Hindi campoo - press.
Curry - A heavily spiced sauce or relish made with curry powder and eaten with rice, meat, fish or other food. A dish seasoned with curry powder - a mixture of various spices came
from the Tamil –word kari which meant sauce .
Mongoose - Any of various old world carnivorous mammals
having agile body and a long tail and noted for the ability to
seize has its link to the Marathi word mangus which means of
Dravidian origin.
Bungalow - A small house or cottage usually having a single
story. In Hindi bangala ,in Bengali bungalow and in Gujarati
bungalow meant a house .
Coir - Fiber from the outer husk of the coconut, used in potting
compost and for making ropes and matting came from the
Malayalam word kayaru - cord.
Wiritten by Mrs Gauri Shanbhag
Samskara an invaluable gift
s a child I never wondered or questioned my mom
about why we celebrated a particular festival ? Why
we performed various pooja’s or special rituals ?Why
we cooked special dishes on religious occasions ?
Maybe I was not curious enough to bombard my
parents and elders with innumerable questions or
probably I simply accepted every act of worship and celebrations as a
norm of living as it seemed to happen everywhere around us.
In contrast my children are distant from the land of festivals where
rituals are as normal as the untimely rainfall in this country . For my
kids it is out of the ordinary to see me drawing a
rangoli on my front porch , where as when I saw my mother
do it I also saw a dozen or more ladies doing the
same in our neighbourhood. That might be the
reason why my children find it amusing when
they see me perform different rituals . Perhaps they are so intrigued by the ensemble
of vibrant colours and festive activities ,that their curiosity explodes with
vigour and I have no choice but to be
ready with an answer to every possible question my children ask .I am
grateful to my children ,because had it
not been for their curious questions I
wouldn't have revisited the memory
lanes of my childhood when I enjoyed
being engulfed in our rich traditions and
cultural activities .
We lived in Mumbai and my mum always
cooked all the exotic and traditional dishes . She
made sure we ate the special foods that were made for
special occasions in our grandparents home in the town of Ankola .
For instance during Ganesh Chaturthi we ate Hiitto with chutney and
roass (Idli in Jackfruit leaves with chutney and Sweet Jaggery and
coconut milk syrup ).
For Nag Panchami we ate Pattoli (Sweet Rice Cakes filled with Jaggery & coconut mixture wrapped in Haldi Leaves and steamed ).
Although we lived in a cosmopolitan city our parents used to celebrate
every ritual and festival the same way as it was celebrated in my native town.
My memories of Diwali celebrations are as fresh as if it happened just
day before yesterday . Rituals like applying oil ,having a abhyanga
snan early in morning for Diwali , then lining up for aarti and then
breaking bitter kariit with the right toe . My mother would first make us
put a drop of the sour fruit on our tongue and then give us a prasad of
dahi phoa and goda phoa . We would then take the blessings of all
the elders and wish everyone a Happy Diwali .
My parents in spite of their hectic schedule and work commitments
endeavoured to not only introduce us to our age old traditions and rich
cultural values but also participated and made every festive occasion
a fun filled experience . Being caught up in the hustle and bustle of
city life it was not possible for them to take us to Ankola where rituals
and festivals were celebrated in much grander scale . But still they
made every possible attempt to celebrate every festival the same way
as it was celebrated by their parents . Growing up with the abundant
wealth of heritage and value has been such an integral part of me that
may be that is the reason today even though I am hundreds of miles
away from my native land , I have been trying to create an experience
for my children, the same experience which my parents gave to me as
a child . I still remember our annual visit to Wadala Math to attend the
ananth chathurdashi function or our visits to Ankola during Ganesh
15
chathruthuhti when we had Ganpati at our ancestral home .
Another implicit memory I have is that of Chudi Pooja . During
Shravan maas my mother always did the Chudi Pooja , inviting few
ladies and distributing them prasad after a small pooja at home.
Since my wedding I have been wanting to do the Chudi pooja . But I
kept on dilly dallying because of not finding the right materials or not
having enough ladies to participate in this ritual . However there
came a point where I felt that I could no longer keep myself distant
from my traditions for which I have such deep love and reverance .
Last year on the first Shravan Aiitaar , I made the preparation of
chudi pooja . I invited few of my friends to my house and performed
the Chudi pooja . I had cooked our typical amchi gali dishes ,which all my friends relished . Most of my friends
although not from our community enjoyed every
part of the ritual . But the two people who
found this ritual most amazing were my
two children . They watched their mother
prepare the chudi , offer it to the alter,
then do the aarti and then distribute
the chudi with a flower ………….and
in their eyes I saw my self sitting as a
small child by my mothers side
watching her do the pooja .
I could have done a chudi pooja long
time ago but before I had my kids it
never occurred to me to do so. I could
have easily done something for the GSS
bank holidays that I have attended or I
could have invited some friends to come over
and given them the chudi , but it never happened .
Last year when I decided to start doing the chudi pooja I asked
my mom about the materials and the procedure of the chudi pooja
ritual . After getting the list of material , I realised that it would be
hard for me to find dhruva or bilva patra except maybe in Asian
areas . That’s when my mother said something that I will always
remember . She said ‘that anything offered or done for GOD or to
help your children learn requires only the Will and devotion and it will
work ‘. These few words that my mother said , reignited my enthusiasm and my passion towards our tradition and rituals . Armoured
with Bhakti I bought a bunch of roses from my local Sainsbury ,
collected 4 different kinds of leaves from my own garden and put
together 11 chudis and did the chudi pooja .
My children participated fully by helping me collect the leaves and
put together the chudis . For them doing that small piece of action
was very fulfilling .Now I know that it will be part of their childhood
memory just as many of such humble actions of helping my mom in
my childhood has been woven into my memory .
Serendipitously I also found the English version of bel parti . The
plant next to my front porch happens to have 3 leaves which I started using as bel patri for Shiv Ratri .
I might have substituted the materials of a ritual , or the ingredients
of a dish , but one thing I can affirm is that nothing can substitute
our traditions, our religious practices , our festive celebrations .
Just as our parents introduced us and imbibed in us our deeply rooted Samskaras , similarly these Samskaras can be our invaluable
gifts to our dearest children ……..the harbingers of progress and
development .
Written by Mrs Sonia Kamat
SHRAVAN MAAS
16
The month of Shravan is the fifth month of the Hindu
calender and is the holiest month of the year. On Purnima the full moon day, or during the course of the month
the star 'Shravan' rules the sky, hence the month is called
Shravan. This month is spread out with innumerable religious festivals and ceremonies and almost all the days of
this month are auspicious. The legend says that when the
churning of oceans - Samudra Manthan - took place in the
month of Shravan, fourteen different types of rubies came
out. Thirteen of these were distributed amongst the demons, except Halahal (poison). Lord Shiva drank the
Halahal and stored it in his throat. To reduce the strong
effect of poison, Lord Shiva wore the crescent moon on
his head. All the Gods, thereafter started offering the Ganges water to Lord Shiva to make lessen the effect of poison.
Since, this happened in the month of Shravan, devotees
observe Monday fasts and practice various rituals to offer
prayers to lord Shiva . Every day in this month is considered special and auspicious. Shravan is the month when
GSB families celebrate many festivals and offer various
poojas .
One such ritual perfomed by GSB married women is
called Chudi pooja .Tulsi plant and lord Surya are worshipped during Chudi Pooja, which is observed on Sundays in Shravan Maasa (month). The main ritual involves
exchange of a small bouquet of flowers by married women.
Chudi is derived from the Kannada word ‘Soodi,’ which
means a tied bundle. The main ritual involves arrangements of flowers and herbs in a small bundle. Usually a
bundle will contain four to five flowers, Darba grass and
two or three herbs.
Legend has it, that demon Jalandhara's wife Vrinda was
very beautiful and chaste. She was also an ardent devotee
of lord Vishnu. To save the world from the grip of the
demons, lord Vishnu was awaiting an opportunity to demolish the wicked Jalandhara that would be possible only
if Vrinda loses her chastity. When Jalandhara is away one
day at the war front, Lord Vishnu is believed to appear
before Vrinda in the form of her husband and has connection with her. Vrinda loses her chastity and as a result,
Jalandhara loses his life in the battle field.
Later, Vrinda realises that it was not her husband Jalandhara but lord Vishnu who had connection with her,
thereby snatching away her chastity along with her husband's life. Being devotee of lord Vishnu, she has faith
that Vishnu's act was aimed at the welfare of the world.
Lord Vishnu suggests her to offer Chudi Pooja to the
Tulsi plant during Shraavan month, which ascertains chastity and fortune for women. She offers the pooja before
noon and thus, Chudi Pooja came into existence!
Another popular festival is Nag (snake)Panchami ,which
is celebrated on the 5th day of the bright fortnight in the
month of Shravan. Milk is offered to naga idols with aarti
and prayers to nagas. People visit Naga temples to worship them. Shiva temples are also favored places for veneration as snakes are considered dear to him. In some villag-
es , people craft images of snakes using cow dung on either
side of the entrance to the house to welcome the snake
god. The practice of worshipping the snake on this day is
related to many legends. Nag Panchami is believed as the
victory day of Krishna over the Kaliya snake. As most rivers in India are in spate during the month of Shravan,
snakes come out of their subterranean abodes and creep
about in plenty all over the place. Because of this fear, Nagas might have been elevated to a divine status by the Hindus. This day is also considered as the thanks giving occasion. Since in early days in the agrarian life, snakes used to
help the crops by killing rats etc. the people wanted to
protect and thank them. A very delicious sweet dish called
Patholi is prepared during Nag Panchami as an offering
to God .
Another very popular family pooja is Janamashtami , a
festival dedicated to Lord Krishna. This festival is also
known as Gokula ashtami or Krishnashtami. This day
marks the birth of the eighth incarnation of lord Vishnu,
the eternal and lovable lord Krishna. Janamashtami falls on
the twenty third day of Shravan month or the 8th day of
the second fortnight of Shravan maas . It is celebrated
almost in every part of India with devoution and excitement. The festival is celebrated over two days . Many people observe a fast on the ashtami . The alter is decorated
and a Krishna idol is placed in the centre of the alter .Krishna birth is celebrated at midnight , hence the
pooja is done towards the final hours of the day . The
pooja begins with an offering of tulasi dal(buds) by a
male member as the ‘Ashtottarans and Vishnu Saharanaman’is chanted .
Another very significant ritual which is observed by most
of the amchigale families is Upakarma or Sutta Punnav
as is more polularly known. This day falls on the Poornima or fifteenth day of the Shravan month . Upa means
before and Karma means action . Upakarma means an
action performed before beginning of Vedic studies . It
also refers to as being drawn closer to the Vedas . On this
day men replace the worn out sacred thread, janawa or
yagnopavitha with a fresh and newer janawa . This custom of replacing the janawa indicates that things that is
already learnt and yet to learn to be taken to heart consciously. Some families organise a Gayatri homa ,some
organise the chanting of Gayatri Mantra 1008 times .
Special dishes such as khotto ,pathrado, chane ghashi,
anvas-ambe saasama are prepared and is a special occasion
for family get together . This day is also celebrated as
Raksha Bandhan ,when a sister ties a sacred thread of protection around the wrist of her brother .This delicate
thread of Rakhi is considered stronger than an iron chain
as it binds the most beautiful relationship in an inseparable bond of love and trust.
The beauty of the Shravan month is that every household
in some way or another is buzzing with festive activities
that brings all the family together as they collectively celebrate every occasion with love and harmony .
Written by Mrs Gauri Shanbhag
HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN RAKHIS
Materials Required
1. Satin ribbon
2. Character Gel stickers
3.Glue
4. Coloured pens
5.Gold Sequence
Method for making Rakhi: Method for making Rakhi: Method for making Rakhi:
Put between 5 to 8 beads
Cut each thread 20 cm
Cut 20 cm satin ribbon .
(depending on size of bead
long . Make 3 pairs each of
With the felt pens draw
and length of the name )in
a colour strand and then
border on the sides of the
the nylon string .Then arweave all the six strings to
ribbon. In the middle of
range the alphabets to make
make a woollen plate .
the ribbon stick the gel
the brothers name . Now put With the needle sew a pearl
sticker of your brother’s
the same number of beads
bead in the shape of a
favourite character. Now
as earlier . Tie a knot on eiflower ,throughout the
stick a sequence in the
ther edge of the thread .
string.
distance of every cm .
BHAKTI PUZZLE
Materials Required
1. Nylon string
2. Coloured beads
3. Alphabet beads
Materials Required
1. Three different coloured
wool
2. Small pearls
3.Needle and thread
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1.This is the first month of chaturmasa .
2.This month is full of different festive celebrations
3.On Sundays people gather to do this pooja ?
4. This symbolises the bond between brother and sister ?
5.This is the night of full moon ?
6.All the Fridays of this month is dedicated to this Goddess ?
7.This is a special fast dedicated to Lord Ganesha ?
8.On this day prayers are offered to an animal ?
9.This three faced leaf is Shiva’s favourite ?
10.On this night we celebrate the birth of a baby born in a prison ?
11. By making a offering of this leaf ?
12.The name of the night of full moon and the night of waxing moon is ?
17
C
F
Contributed by Mrs Gauri Shanbhag
YOUR QUESTIONS MY ANSWERS
Ishwararpitam Necchaya kritam ,Chiita Shodhakam , Mukti sadhakam
Kaya vaan manah , Karyam Uttamam,Pujanam japas chintanam kramat
Jagat Ishadhi yukta sevanam,Ashta murthi bhrud deva poojanam
Verses from Upadesha Sara by Bhagavan Ramana Maharishi
Actions done with an attitude of dedication to the Lord without attachment to the result
purify the mind and are means to attain Liberation . The actions done by the body –puja
(ritualistic worship of the Lord ) ,the speech –japa (chanting the name of the Lord ) and the
mind –chintanam (contemplation ) are serially superior to each other .Serving the world
with the attitude of serving the Lord is the true worship of the Lord who is the wielder of
eight fold forms .
Translation by Swami Tejomayananda
Q1. Scriptures say we should have no desires. Isin’t this impractical ? How can I
live without desire ? How can I act without desire ?
A1. Desire, contrary to general sentiment, is not a problem! It is selfish desire that is the
binding problem !
In fact, no action is possible without a desire - even for the enlightened. However, the
quality of desire is very different between the ignorant and wise. The desires of an ignorant person is selfish and with great dependence on a specific outcome. He entertains the
notion that “when I get that result, then I will be happy”, gets very attached to the result of
action and hence gets stressed out completely because the result of actions are uncertain.
The wise person also acts with a desire to achieve, but without the obsessive dependence on any result. He has discovered that his own nature is happiness, and his desires
are only to share his fulfilment with the world. In short, the ignorant has desires and
acts for happiness, while the enlightened has desires and acts from happiness. The message is, find fulfilment in the Self and then share that happiness with the world. Desires
cannot bind such a person, and in fact such desires a pure hearted person entertains is
for the blessing of the world.
Q2. If GOD is everywhere and every time then why is a month like SHRAVAN more
holier than the other .
A2. All moments are holy, precious and divine. Every moment is a gift of the Lord and
hence we call it the Present. So there is no time which is “more holy” than any other from
the highest standpoint. However, time has its significance in every aspect of our life and
certain actions conduce to certain times when our mind is in a certain mood and the outer
environment suits.
Sleep for example is best done at night! Meditation and spiritual practice is best done
18
in early morning or sunset time. Work is best done when the sun is out. So time has a
role to play in actions that we do. Seasons also have an effect. In India Shravana Maas
marks the end of the hot summer and the first month of the monsoon season, which lasts
for four months (Chaatur Maasya). In the ancient days, saints would stop their wanderings during this time and remain in one place since the rains were so heavy. They would
spend their time in spiritual practices, study and teaching. People from the cities and
towns would come and also take benefit from these Masters and take the opportunity to
listen (Shravan means to listen!) to their discourses as well as apply themselves to spiritual vows under their guidance.
Hence due to the season, a conducive atmosphere of saints and their devotees led to a
wonderful tradition of having Shravan maas as the month for dedicated spiritual activity.
The month is dedicated to Lord Shiva because He is the Adi Guru of all and this was a
month that he swallowed the poison during the churning of the milk. To mark this occasion too was Shravan Maasa. This is why it is said that Shravan maas is marked as holy.
However, any moment we turn to God, the Self within - that is the most holy moment in
life - even if that be at a so-called inauspicious time from the astrological perspective.
Q3. If God is the self within ,then why should we do the rituals for different forms of God ?
A3. Just as from one gold bullion we can produce innumerable gold necklaces, ring, earrings, bangles and anklets, from the One Brahman, all things and beings have appeared.
Gold when made into a small loop is called a ring, in a bigger loop is called a bangle, and
in a series of small links and a bigger loop is called a necklace. Necklace, bangle and ring
are different names we give to the same essential substance, gold, only they have a different name and form.
In the same way, the world of multiplicity that we see is nothing but names and forms,
whose essential substance is Brahman. Just as gold appears as all the ornaments, Brahman appears as the multifaceted universe of plurality.
At the moment, we see the plurality but we do not see the unity and divinity that underlies
everything. It is like we see the necklace and ring but don’t appreciate their essential nature as gold. So to bring us to this Higher Awareness of the One Reality, the Scriptures
prescribe methods of worship so that our vision is clear and our mind is purified to appreciate the Oneness everywhere.
Why different forms? Each person has a different temperament and is attracted to different forms. In order to cater for all beings, the Infinite manifested in several special forms
(though He in essence appears as all forms) to attract and inspire various seekers. Some prefer a gold ring over a bangle, while others want a golden anklet instead of
earrings. The substance being the same, the choice is merely in name and form. In essence, by the worship even one form of the Lord, the seeker worships all just as by appreciating the gold in the chain we appreciate the gold in all ornaments. The different
forms are thus an act of compassion on the part of the Infinite to reach out to us, the
seekers.
Brahmachari Paritosh Chaitanya is a dynamic
up in Australia before travelling to India to study
of the science of self-knowledge which
UK at our Hendon centre,
Paritoshji holds
youth to adults.
Many of us have read the spiritual scriptures
many more Vedantic texts .Sometimes we stumunderstand , but seldom get a chance to clarify
section of Q& A with Paritoshji .
young Acharya of the Chinmaya Mission, who grew
Vedanta and developing a profound understanding
he shares with clarity and simplicity. Now based in the
weekly classes for all sections of the community from
especially the Upanishads, the Bhagwat Gita and
ble upon an area , or a topic which we struggle to
our doubts. I hope we will be able to benefit from this
Please give your feedback and send in your questions to [email protected] by 1st September so that I can get Paritoshji to answer the questions and share those answers in the forth coming issue.
For any information relating Chinmaya Mission Uk please visit Chinmayauk.org .
19
Madgane
Patholi
Ingredients
½ pav channa dal
2 tbsps raw rice
1 ball jaggery (cut into pieces)
2 cups coconut gratings (soyi)
4 cardamom pods- peeled and powdered
25 tender cashews (bibbo)
Ingredients
For the paste
1 pav raw rice
1 pav popped rice (powa or medium rice flakes)
2 tbsps coconut gratings (soyi)
1 pinch salt
A small piece of jaggery
Method
For the filling (choornu)
1 big ball jaggery
2 cups coconut gratings
5 cardamom pods – peeled and powdered
Soak tender cashews in water for an hour. Peel and separate the halves.
•
Roast channa dal for a while in a frying pan. Heat two
and a half cups of water in a vessel and cook the channa
dal in it. Bring to boil and lower the flame.
•
Grind coconut gratings and collect its thick juice in one
vessel and the thin juice in another.
•
When dal is almost cooked, add cashew nut halves.
Mix crushed jaggery.
•
When both are well cooked, grind rice and pour it into
the vessel. Keep stirring to ensure that it does not stick
to the bottom.
Then after 5 minutes, add thick coconut juice and a little
thin juice too if desired.
•
Bring to a boil and remove from flame.
•
Add powdered cardamom, stir and serve hot or cold.
Turmeric leaves – as many as desired number of patholis
Method
Soak raw rice in water for an hour. Wash and grind with
2 tbsp of coconut gratings till fairly smooth. Add popped
rice and grind to a fine paste.
•
Add a pinch of salt and a small piece of jaggery to this
paste and grind for 2 minutes.
•
Prepare a blend of crushed jaggery, coconut gratings
and cardamom powder for the filling.
•
Wash the turmeric leaves and pat dry.
•
Spread about 2 tsps of the rice paste on each of the
leaves.
•
Place a desired quantity of the filling on the paste.
•
Fold the leaves lengthwise and repeat till the desired
numbers of leaves are filled.
•
Place the patholis side by side on the perforated sheet of
an idli vessel (pedaavan).
•
Cover and steam till cooked; it generally takes about 45
minutes.
•
Remove from flame and allow to cool.
•
Take the patholis out of the leaves and serve with ghee
or honey.
Tips & Trivia
Pav measure: is an old tool of measurement which equals to approximately 250 grams. Pavs are still in
use and are a common measuring device in most amchigele recipes. For modern conveniences, a cup is
approximately equal to ¾ of a pav and can be used as a conversion factor. Another traditional Konkani
measure is the ‘kudthe’, a utensil for measuring liquids equal to 150ml. Traditionally ghee for making
sweets would be measured using a ‘kudthe’.
A variation of madgane can be made by substituting chana dal with green gram dal (mooga daali) as
well.
Turmeric leaves are quite rare to come across in London, you could try the same recipe of patholi with
banana leaves instead. This tastes almost as good as the real thing!
A twist to the traditional patholi is the ‘ponsa patholi’ – ripe jackfruit or ponosu can be added to the rice
paste while grinding for an aromatic variant.
Contributed by Mrs Sangeeta Shenoy
20
MIGRAINE
lmost everyone experiences headache at
some time. While for most it is infrequent and
not troublesome, a few suffer more serious
attacks that cause a significant impact on
their daily life.
A headache is a pain anywhere in the region of the
head and neck. The brain tissue itself has no pain receptors and headache is usually felt by pain-sensitive
structures in the head which includes lining of the skull,
muscles, nerves, blood vessels, eyes, ears, sinuses and
mucous membranes.
This article will aim to give an overview about the different types of headaches and describe features and
management of the common types of headache.
Headache can be classified as either primary or secondary headaches. The primary headaches are not related
to any underlying condition and include migraine, tension-type headache (TTH) and cluster headache. The
secondary headaches are caused by underlying conditions like infection, cancer, vascular (related to blood
vessels) conditions or drug-induced.
The most common types of headaches are the primary
headaches such as tension-type headache and migraine.
ble but sometimes there can be a
pattern where it happens more at
weekends (possibly related to
sleeping for a longer period, missing breakfast etc) or related to periods in women. Migraine is commonly present on waking from sleep but
can occur at any time of day.
Migraine headaches typically increase in intensity slowly. Severe
headache developing suddenly like
a hammer blow is a feature of bleeding around the
brain (subarachnoid haemorrhage) and needs urgent
review. Some symptoms such as a feeling of tiredness,
yawning or craving for foods can happen before the
headache starts and around 15% of migraine sufferers
have an `aura’ lasting several minutes (up to an hour)
before headache starts.
Aura symptoms:
visual aura (most common)-bright zig-zag lines/
coloured haloes that may gradually spread to
leave an area of relative or absolute darkness
(blind spot)
sensory disturbances (less common) –pins and
needles on one side of face or body that spread
from a point and/or numbness.
Tension-type headache (TTH)
This is the most common type of headache. Not many
people consult their doctor for this headache as it is not
disabling and is mostly helped by simple pain-killers.
TTH does not have feelings of sickness/vomiting or
light/noise sensitivity and has at least two of the following characteristics:
Felt on both sides of the head
Pressing/tightening quality (not throbbing)
Mild-moderate intensity
Not made worse by routine activity such as walking, climbing stairs etc.
TTH is also not usually present on waking but develops
as the day goes on. There may be infrequent episodes
of TTH and can last from half an hour up to several
days. If TTH occurs on average for >15 days/month, it
is called chronic TTH.
speech disturbances (least common)-difficulty
finding the right words or getting words mixedup.
To diagnose migraine in adults, there should be at least
5 attacks fulfilling the following features.
1.
Headache lasting 4-72 hrs (untreated or unsuccessfully treated). Even after the headache subsides, there may be a feeling of fatigue.
2.
The headache has at least 2 of the following features as well as nausea/vomiting and light/noise
sensitivity.
One-sided in location
Pulsating/throbbing quality
Moderate or severe pain intensity
Migraine
Migraine affects 6-8% of men and 15-18% of women.
It is the commonest severe primary headache and affects approximately 6 million people in UK. It is estimated that 190,000 migraine attacks occur daily causing significant disability with loss of work and school. It
can start at any age. Frequency of attacks can be varia-
21
Worsened by movement or patient avoids routine
activity like walking or climbing stairs
Migraine in children can be felt on both sides of the
head in young children.
Management:
1.
Non-drug management:
Migraine sufferers should be encouraged to not
miss meals and ensure enough sleep, drink more
fluids, reduce caffeine intake etc.
Stress management
Acupuncture can be considered as a preventative
measure
2.
Acute treatment
Standard first line treatment for migraine is aspirin
900mg or ibuprofen 400mg. If simple painkillers do not
help, there is a class of medication called triptans which
can help in 80-90% of attacks (egSumatriptan-sold as
Imigran and available to buy over the counter from
pharmacies. Others include rizatriptan, fravotriptan etc.
which GP’s can prescribe). Triptans are available as
tablets, nasal sprays and also in injection form. They
should be taken at, or soon after, the onset of migraine
headache. Adding ibuprofen 600mg to triptan can increase the response of triptan.
Codeine containing painkillers (eg co-codamol, codydramoletc) should not be routinely used for treating
migraine because of the risk of medication overuse
headache (MOH). Some commonly used migraine treatments containing codeine are available to buy directly
by the patient from pharmacies and patients are not
aware that overuse of these medications can make
headache worse.
When treating migraine, the risks of medication overuse headache should be discussed with the patient.
3.
Preventative treatment
People who have more than 2 migraine headaches per
week which interfere with their daily routine can try
preventative treatment. It is a medium-to-long term
strategy and the effects can take up to 2 months before
benefit is seen and the total treatment is for around 6
months or longer. Trials show that they reduce the severity and frequency of migraine by 50%.
Commonly used treatments include:
Propranolol 80-240mg daily
Topiramate 50-200mg daily
Sodium valproate 800-1500mg daily
Amitriptyline 25-150mg daily
Venlafaxine 75-150mg daily
Pizotifen 500-1500mg at night-has limited vale
and not recommended for routine use, but works
well for children and adolescents.
Medication Overuse Headache (MOH)
MOH is the headache that is present for more than 15
days in a month and develops or worsens when the
patient is taking regular headache medication. It is
caused by overuse of any combination of regular headache medication without needing to be of a single class
of medication alone for more than 3 months. Eg. Overuse of triptans->10 doses per month, overuse of codeine containing medication- > 10 doses per month or
overuse of simple analgesics- >15 doses per month.
Treatment of MOH is by stopping taking the painkillers
for 2 months which is likely to worsen the headache.
The situation will however improve on persevering.
Withdrawal headaches are shorter for triptan overuse
than for codeine containing medication which should be
gradually withdrawn. Simple painkillers can be stopped
abruptly. Preventative medication should be considered
when the situation improves.
Cluster Headache
It is not very common and men are mostly affected.
Features:
Most severe pain lasting 30-120 minute
Felt on one side of head
Agitation, pacing with headache whereas migraine sufferers prefer to keep still
Occassionally there may be eye symptoms like
watering, redness etc and blocked nose
See your doctor if the headache has the following
features:
Sudden severe headache (worst ever headache,
like being hit over the head with a bat-sign of
subarachnoid haemorrhage)
Headache brought on by coughing, sneezing or
straining (due to changes in pressure inside
brain)
Headache episodes for the first time after 50 yrs
(temporal arteritis-inflammation of the artery in
the temple region of head which can affect the
vision)
Headache that gets worse and worse (brain tumors)
Headache with symptoms like confusion, drowsiness, reduced consciousness.
Headache that wakes you up from sleep
Headache with sudden red eye (glaucoma)
Written by Mrs Shalini Gadiyar
22
BICEPS
here are number of mass and power
building biceps exercises which are effective and help you to build muscles. Here
are few exercises on the planet to be included in your workout regime to build
muscles and power and watch your
biceps soar.
Standing straight-bar curls
This is the best biceps exercise you can do to
build muscles. Standing straight-bar curls exercise comprise of muscle building program, which
are low reps of heavy, intense, basic compound
movements. This program allows you to directly
hit the biceps with great degree. Stand on your
feet while shoulders width apart. Keep your hands
width and grip the bar with an underhand grip.
Then start, with your arms straight, biceps fully
extended and keep your upper body leaned slightly forward.
This workout program is designed to give you
maximum biceps muscle growth in a minimum of
time. While performing this incredible biceps exercise - Use some cheating. This states that with
explosive body motion you can curl your weights
forward as you contract your biceps. To get most
out of this program you should lower the weight
as slower than the speed you used to raise it. The
reason is most muscles fiber stimulation occurs
during the negative, or lowering, portion of the
exercise. So, do not drop your weights just like
that.
Controlling the weights on downward motion so
that the bar is touching your legs, this process is
must to get maximum benefits. And this downward motion actually works best for the biceps
more than the lifting.
Standing alternating dumbbell curls
This exercise also helps you to build muscles in
the biceps. This is a simple standing exercise;
here you can hold the dumbbells at your side
with your palms facing each other. Rotate your
palm forward as you lift the weight and remember curl one dumbbell at a time. Contract your
biceps fully and go slower with a dumbbell while
rotating your hand back to its original position.
You can repeat the same steps with opposite
arm.
For an effective workout back and forth until you
have completed your reps.You can reserve
cheating during last few reps. Cheating in biceps
exercise allows you to overload your biceps and
help to grow your arms.
Combination of these biceps exercise aids to increase your strength and build more muscle in
your arms than any other type of bicep exercises. Comprise your workout regime with these
biceps exercises and in no time you will be able
to add inches to your arms.
Written by Mrs Yuvika Pai
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23
Logo Quiz
24
Contributed by
Miss Kiran Gadiyar
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