AWAKENINGS

 Soulful 'Aye Mere Watan Ke Logo‘ instead of Mourful ‘Abide With Me’ PLUS  1000-drone spectacle brings R-Day celebrations to a close. Manorama &  Mathrubhumi  today have prominently in the front page given a news that Mahatma Gandhi’s favourite hymn Abide with Me has been dropped from the Beating the Retreat ceremony on Jan 29 to mark the end of the Republic Day celebrations. Other paid Medias also might have followed suit . These paid Medias conveniently omit the reason for such a decision as they are basically anti- BJP . Abide with Me is in fact a Christian hymn written by Scottish Anglican Priest Henry Francis Lyte . It was written in 1847  while visiting a  dying friend . A prayer to God to stay with him through out life and death . It’s lyrics include “ Hold Thou Thy Cross before my closing eyes , shine through the gloom and point me to the skies . Heaven’s morning breaks , and Earth’ vain shadows flee , in life and death , O Lord , abide wi...

Anti-Conversion Laws restricting religious conversions were introduced in Colonial Times itself by princely states headed by Hindu royal families during the British colonial period — particularly during the latter half of the 1930s and 1940s. These states enacted the laws “in an attempt to preserve Hindu religious identity in the face of British missionaries”. There were “over a dozen princely states, including Kota, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Raigarh, Patna, Surguja, Udaipur, and Kalahandi” that had such laws. After Independence, many attempts to enact “A National Law of Anti-Conversion” met with failures due to inadequate supports in both the houses of Parliament. First attempt was in 1954 by the introduction of the Indian Conversion (Regulation and Registration) Bill which sought to enforce “licensing of missionaries and the registration of conversion with government officials”. This bill failed to gather majority support in the Lok Sabha. This was followed by the introduction of the Backwar...

Indian National Army was the offshoot of Azad Hind Fauj meaning Free Indian Army. Its flag is similar to our tricolor except having Spinning Wheel instead of Ashoka Chakra in the white strip in the middle of our present National Flag. INA had 62,000+ Regiments: Gandhi Brigade, Nehru Brigade, Azad Brigade, Subhas Brigade, Rani of Jhansi regiment. INA’s Motto was Ittefaq, Etmad aur   Kurbani ( words of Persio-Urdu origin)– meaning Unity, Faith and Sacrifice. Indian National Army was the offshoot of Azad Hind Fauj meaning Free Indian Army. Its flag is similar to our tricolor except having Spinning Wheel instead of Ashoka Chakra in the white strip in the middle of our present National Flag. INA had 62,000+ Regiments: Gandhi Brigade, Nehru Brigade, Azad Brigade, Subhas Brigade, Rani of Jhansi regiment. INA’s Motto was Ittefaq, Etmad aur  Kurbani ( words of Persio-Urdu origin)– meaning Unity, Faith and Sacrifice. INA’s Military March Song    ...

 

The word ‘Vasant’ means spring and ‘Panchami’ implies the fifth day. That is why the fifth day of Spring Season is celebrated as Sarasvati Devi’s Jayanti called Vasant Panchami.   As per Hindu calendar, Vasant Panchami date falls in the month of Magha on the fifth day of Shukla Paksha or the bright half of every year which comes around late January or Early February.   Vasant Panchami also marks the beginning of the preparations of Holi and Holika Bonfire which occurs 40 days after this festival. Sarasvati Devi is the deity of wisdom, art, science, knowledge and music. Yellow is Sarasvati’s favored color.   Vasant Panchami is a colorful and joyous festival celebrated by Hindus and Sikhs across India. Wearing Yellow Clothes, the devotees adorn Sarasvati Idol also with Yellow Cloth, Yellow Sandal Wood Paste and Yellow Flowers to perform Pooja.  Books and Musical Instruments are also placed in the Pooja room and worshipped. The Devotees offer sweet Yellow ...

  Ratha means chariot and Saptami means seven. Thus Ratha Saptami means Sun God in his chariot moves on the 7th Day of Saptami tithi in the month of Magha during the Shukla Paksha towards the northern hemisphere.   Sun God is also worshiped as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.   This day signifies the arrival of summer season and is also indicative of the beginning of the harvesting season. Thus for farmers, the day symbolizes the dawn of Prosperity, Happiness and Health.   Ratha Saptami is also called by various names such as Magha Saptami, Magha Jayanti, Aroghya Saptami etc.   On the day of Ratha Saptami, devotees get up before sunrise called Arunodaya (Dawn) to take a holy bath. The Ratha Saptami bath is an important ritual of the day and should be performed at the time of ‘Arunodaya’ (Dawn) only. It is believed that by taking a sacred bath during this time, will free a person from all illnesses and ailments and bestow good health. For this reason Ratha Saptami ...