Recipe for Litti

Ingredients -

1. Atta(Wheat Flour) - 4 cups
2. Sattu - 3 cups
3. Onion - 1 big
4. Green chillies - 8
5. Ginger root - 1 inch
6. Garlic cloves - 10
7. Lemon juice - 2tsp
8. Salt - to taste
9. Ajwain - 1tsp
10. Mangrela - 1tsp
11. Mustard oil - 2tsp
12. Pickle masala (optional) - 1tsp
13. water
14. Milk
15. Ghee

Procedure -

Dough-

1. Knead atta with milk and 2 tbsp ghee.
2. The consistency should be medium to soft.
3. Keep aside.

Filling-

1. Blend onion, green chillies, garlic, grated ginger in a food processor.
2. Mix it with sattu.
3. Add mangrela, ajwain, lemon juice, mustard oil, pickle masala and salt.
4. Knead the above mixture with a little bit of water.

1. Make small balls out of dough.
2. Form a depression at centre of each ball and fill in the stuffing.
3. Close each ball as if tying a purse ring by collecting the ends of the ball with stuffing together in the middle and sealing them onto each other.
4. Trim off the extra dough once the ends are sealed.
5. Bake the liittis so made in the oven at 400 deg for 20-25 mins.
6. Keep checking in between and turn them around once at 10 min.
7. Take out the baked littis after 25 min and enjoy with Aloo chokha (Indian mashed potato) and Baingan Bharta (Mashed Eggplant).

Garfield

Hey all you Garfield fans out there...just got hold of this book in the library "Garfield's guide to everything"...would like to share with you some of its interesting quotes...

"Coffee" - Mother Nature's jumper cables.
"Dogs" - They contain 90% of the world's drool supply.
"Exercise" - My favourite spectator sport.
"Love" - ..is splitting the last piece of pizza.
"Mondays" - The armpit of days.
"Sleep" - The best 18 hrs of my day.
"Wrestling" - I slam therefore I am.
"Cats think; Dogs stink".
"I only diet between meals".
Diet is "die" with a "t".
"Working out just isn't working out".
"Life is short; eat now".
"Too much food is never enough".
Things Garfield would do if he won a lottery-
1. A refrigerator in every room.
2. Build a stall around his litter box.
3. Hire some goon to rough up neighbourhood dogs.
4. Get petted by a different babe every night.
5. Have his stomach enlarged.
6. Get a job just so he could quit it.
7. Eat, sleep and look rich doing it!

and many more...

Isn't he simply adorable?! :-)

Tape emits X-Rays

http://www.nature.com/news/2008/081022/full/news.2008.1185.html

USMLE

Hey guys...just wanted to share with you all I'm so bugged studying for these never ending USMLE exams...am so far from completing the whole lot...just on second step and my steam is already fizzing out...wonder why don't they just take one mammoth exam and let go of us....it's simply awful!!..The other day one of my college friends rightly commented on this lament of mine..."so soon"...She is quite right...all the USMLE forums are abuzz with people like me, toiling to get that ultimate prize "residency"...although I know once you get into it, it doesn't seem like a prize at all..having been a "resident" in India myself....but gotta admit $$$ is a huge attraction, making us keep on persevering...wish this could get over sooner :-( !!

Recipe for Coriander Chutney

Ingredients -

1. Coriander leaves - 1 bunch
2. Green chillies - 3-4
3. Garlic cloves - 2-3
4. Lemon juice - 2tsp
5. Salt - to taste

Procedure -

1. Wash and drain coriander leaves.
2. Blend coriander leaves, green chillies, garlic cloves in a food processor.
3. Add water to adjust the consistency of chutney.
4. Mix lemon juice and salt.
5. Serve.

Financial Crisis-The Aftermath

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7681978.stm

10 Best Food for our Heart

http://slideshows.health.com/slide_shows/10281/slides/10695

Recipe for Pittha

Ingredients-

1. Rice flour- 2 cups
2. Chana daal - 1cup
3. Green Chillies - 4-5
4. Garlic cloves - 4
5. Ginger root - 1 inch
6. Hing - 1 pinch
7. Haldi - 1 tsp
8. Salt - to taste
9. water

Procedure-
1. Soak chana dal for 5-6 hrs.
2. Blend chana dal, green chillies, garlic, ginger, hing, haldi and salt in a food precessor without using water.
3. Make sure the consistency of the filling is coarse.
4. Knead rice flour with warm water.
5. Make small balls from the dough.
6. Shape the balls so that they have a hollow in the middle for the filling to be stuffed in.
7. Stuff the chana dal filling.
8. Seal the edges of the ball.
9. Apply a bit of water on your hand and smoothen the outer surface of the pittha.
10. Boil water in a 6 quart pot.
11. Drop in the pitthas into boiling water and cook uncovered.
12. One the pittha gets cooked, it will come up on the surface.
13. Remove with the help of a slotted spoon and drain off the extra water.
14. Cut into bite size pieces.
15. Serve with coriander chutney.

My Mausi

"Mausi" or "Masi" is a hindi word which literally means "like a mother". In India, it is a word used to address mother's sister. Since childhood, this term was almost synonymous with "Danapur wali Mausi" for me. Danapur is a small town in the state of Bihar in India. She was named Urvashi by my grandparents. However, my father didn't like us to address our elders by first names and so the above name came into use by us (me and my sisters).

What should I write about her? She had such a huge influence on me right since my childhood. Such an intelligent lady!! I am overawed by her simplicity and the kindness she had for all and sundry. I never noticed it while I was a kid. One so takes things for granted in life; but when it is taken away, the emptiness one feels is beyond any comparison! I believe she had a soft corner for me as the youngest kid in my maternal family tree. I have beautiful memories of her often coming down to our home in Bokaro. I would wait for her autorickshaw to arrive from the Railway station, standing by my front gate. Oh what joy!! She would scoop me in her arms as soon as she arrived. I would start looking for my gifts in the one bag she carried from her home. She wasn't financially very well off, so to say, but that never deterred her from bringing me my choicest sweets and gifts. She would fish out "glass bangles" and "Milk Cake" for me as soon as she came in. I would sit in her lap and soak up all the love and affection she was so full of.

I miss you Mausi!!

I fail to accept till date that she is no more with us. God can never make another of your kind. As Diwali comes up in a week, people are so full of joy, and excitement. All I feel is an emptiness. You left us. You left me.

Black and White

This poem was nominated for the best poem for 2005.

Written by an African kid –


“When I born, I black.

When I grow up, I black.

When I go in sun, I black.

When I scared, I black.

When I sick, I black.

And when I die, I still black.


And you white fella …

When you born, you pink.

When you grow up, you white.

When you go in sun, you red.

When you cold, you blue.

When you scared, you yellow.

When you sick, you green.

And when you die, you grey …

And you calling me colored ??”

I've borrowed it from Amitabh Bachchan's blog.

Recipe for Khichdi and Aloo Bharta/chokha

Recipe for Khichdi-

Ingredients-

1. Basmati rice- 1 cup
2. Moong dal - 1/4 cup
3. Masoor dal- 1/4 cup (or u can just use moong dal - 1/2 cup)
4.green chillies- 2-3
5. ghee- 1-2 tbsp
6.heeng - 1 pinch
7. zeera- 1 tsp
8.laung- 3-4
9. black peppercorn- 3-4
10.ginger garlic paste- 1-2 tbsp
11. haldi- 1tsp
12. salt- to taste
13. green veg(optional)- peas, cauliflower, potato- chopped
14. bay leaves- 2
15. chhoti ilaichi and badi ilaichi- if u like ur khichdi spicy- 2-3 chhoti ilaichi and 1-2 badi ilaichi
16. red chillies- 2-3

procedure-

1. soak rice and daal for an hr.
2. heat ghee in pressure cooker.
3. put in hing
4. put in zeera, bay leaves, red chillies, laung, pepper, chhoti n badi ilaichi
5. after a min add ginger garlic paste and haldi. fry
6. add green chillies n green veg if u opt for it. fry
7. then add rice n daal. fry for a min.
8. add salt
9. add water- 3 cups
10. close cooker and cook till one whistle on medium flame. After that lower the flame and cook for 4-5 mins.
11. put off the gas and serve.

Bharta Recipe-

Ingredients-

1. Boiled Potato- 4-5
2. Green chillies - 6
3. Onion- 1 small
4. mustard oil- 2-3 tsp
5. salt - to taste


Procedure-

1. Mash the boiled potatoes.
2. mix in chopped onions, chopped chillies, and mustard oil.
3. Add salt to taste.
4. Mix and serve.

Tandoori Chicken Recipe

Serves  4

Preparation Time  30 minutes

Ingredients
1 (~2 lbs) of chicken
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt to taste

Marinade
200-250 gms of yogurt
1 tsp red chilli powder
Salt to taste
1 tbsp ginger paste
2 tbsp garlic paste
2 tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp garam masala powder
2 tbsp Ghee/butter/Olive oil

A pinch of edible orange color
½ tsp of chaat masala

Garnish
Onion rings and lemon wedges

Procedure
Skin, wash and clean the chicken. Make incisions with a sharp knife on breast and leg pieces.

Apply a mixture of red chilli powder, lemon juice and salt to the chicken and keep it aside for half an hour.

Mix Red chilli powder, salt, ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, orange color, garam masala powder and oil to the yogurt.

Apply this marinade onto the chicken pieces and refrigerate for 6-24 hours.

Put the chicken onto the skewers and cook in a hot tandoor or a pre-heated oven (400 degrees Celsius) for 20 to 25 minutes. Baste it with butter and cook for a further 5 minutes turning the chicken pieces over.

  
Sprinkle chaat masala powder and serve with onion rings and lemon wedges.

RULES FOR A HAPPY MARRIAGE

1.        Instead of trying to change something, he or she does - change you! Far too often, people get married with the belief they can simply change the person they married, molding him or her into the "perfect" mate. Instead, you need to accept your mate for the person he/she is. If a behavior needs to be changed, then provide support and encouragement. For example, if your husband complains about not having clean clothes, rather than nag at him, show him how to launder his shirts, jeans, or whatever it is he needs.

2.        Communication is a key ingredient to any successful marriage. That means talking through situations rather than bottling up or yelling. By showing respect, you can work together as a couple should. With this, the two of you can talk to understand the other person's side better.

3.        Keep intimacy as a part of the marriage. Remember, this person is the one you love, the one you want to share your life with, which means letting go of inhibitions. Intimacy is an excellent way to stay close, doing wonders for any marriage. 

4.        Accept the flaws in your spouse. Since no one is perfect, you want to learn to appreciate the differences between the two of you. If your husband wakes up with bad hair or your wife is grumpy, love him/her, in spite of the flaws.

5.        Learn to ignore the small stuff. Every marriage faces challenges, some big and some small. Remind yourself that life is precious and short. Therefore, focus on the larger battles, working through them as a team while letting go of the incidentals that in the big scheme of things does not matter.

6.        Make sure you choose your battles wisely. If you are going to pick something apart, make sure it really matters. Unfortunately, unresolved arguments are a big issue in marriages, often leading to divorce. Therefore, unless the issue is something significant, learn to let some things roll off your back.

7.        Time for friends is also crucial. Once every other week, you should both take one day or evening to spend time apart and with same-sex friends. This will help you maintain your own identity and appreciate the time you have with your spouse.

8.        Never take your spouse for granted. Again, life is too precious. Instead, find things that your partner does well or things that please you and let him/her know. If your husband is outside working on the car, take time to bring him a cold glass of tea or lemonade...If your wife has been home all day with the children, hire a babysitter and surprise her with a dinner out.

9.        Date...just because you are now legally married, you should not stop dating. Every Friday or Saturday night, even if you have children, make a date. This could be something as simple as bowling and beer or a romantic dinner and concert. The activity is not important, just that you get time for just the two of you.

compiled from http://marriage.families.com/blog/tentipsforahappymarriage

India's Moon Launch

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/22/world/asia/22indiamoon.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

karzzzz effect

hey guys.... the muvy is crispy n masaledaar lik a tandoor.... must watch... 4 great music n photography n nt so bad acting skills...... god atleast this monty' is much bettr then ritesh, tushar or imran... i thnk ppl gonna luv it... fr its moments of goosebumbs n thrilling twists once again... wtch out its much bettr than expected n i nvr knw the nasal phenomena cud act so well......

Recipe for "Bhaat"

On request from one of the avid fans of my cooking ;-) I'm jotting down the recipe for"Bhaat". For the uninitiated, Bhaat is another name for "Steamed rice".

Ingredients-

Rice - 1 cup
Water - 2 cups

Procedure-

1. Boil rice with water in an uncovered saucepan.
2. Keep checking for doneness.
3. Once cooked, drain out the water.
4. Serve Bhaat. Njoy!

Would be back soon with more of my fav recipes!!

My recipe for Poha

Ingredients-

1. Chura/Chivda - 2 cups
2. Chana dal - 2 tsp
3. Curry leaves - 4-5
4. Onion(small) - 1
5. Tomato- 1
6. Peanuts - 8-10
7. Green peas - 1/4cup
8. Coriander leaves - a handful
9. Ghee - 2tbsp
10. Rai - 1tbsp
11. Salt - to taste
12. Haldi - 1 tsp
13. Green chillies - 5-6
14. Gingerroot - 1 inch
15. Garlic cloves - 2
16. Boiled and chopped potato - 1

Procedure-

1. Soak chura/chivda in water for 2-3 mins.
2. Pour ghee in a frypan.
3. Put rai in it.
4. Once rai starts spluttering, put chana dal and curry leaves. Fry for a min.
5. Then put onions and saute until they change colour to light pink. Add grated ginger and garlic.
6. Fry tomato and green chillies with the onions.
7. Mix haldi in the pan.
8. Once the masala starts leaving the edge of the pan, mix peanuts,green peas and potato.
9. Then put chura and mix everything. Fry till chura gets cooked.
10. Add salt and mix.
11. Garnish with washed and chopped coriander leaves.

Evolution Vs Creationism

Where did human beings come from? How did the universe come into existence? Why were we chosen to have superior intelligence and by whom? Did life, as we know it, really evolve from primordial soup?  Is there a supreme being responsible for all of it? Why do we feel the need for the existence of God? Is it because of our insecurities or is it a result of hope that everything will be alright? 

As we travel back through time de-constructing the history of formation and evolution of life on Earth and Earth itself, we are often punctuated with lack of evidences. At the same time, the idea of cosmos being created in a blink of an eye defies all logic. The creation hymn in Rig Veda (arguably, the oldest of Indian scriptures) states:  

There was neither non-existence nor existence then. 
There was neither the realm of space nor the sky which is beyond. 
What stirred? 
Where? 
In whose protection? 
Was there water, bottomlessly deep?

There was neither death nor immortality then. 
There was no distinguishing sign of night nor of day. 
That One breathed, windless, by its own impulse. 
Other than that there was nothing beyond.

Darkness was hidden by darkness in the beginning, 
with no distinguishing sign, all this was water. 
The life force that was covered with emptiness, 
that One arose through the power of heat.

Desire came upon that One in the beginning, 
that was the first seed of mind. 
Poets seeking in their heart with wisdom 
found the bond of existence and non-existence.

Their cord was extended across. 
Was there below? 
Was there above? 
There were seed-placers, there were powers. 
There was impulse beneath, there was giving forth above.

Who really knows? 
Who will here proclaim it? 
Whence was it produced? 
Whence is this creation? 
The gods came afterwards, with the creation of this universe. 
Who then knows whence it has arisen?

Whence this creation has arisen
– perhaps it formed itself, or perhaps it did not –
the One who looks down on it, 
in the highest heaven, only He knows 
or perhaps He does not know.

The word "science" means knowledge and has its origins in Latin. Religion, on the other hand, is a set of beliefs that connect to the supreme. If there is a supreme entity, our knowledge (science) is limited to know the exact nature of the divine. What is infinity? Isn’t it something similar to the supreme entity whose exactness transcends our knowledge (science)?

Any amount of debate over the issue is futile in the present state of science. However, our knowledge is continually increasing, and so is our understanding of the universe. Religion and science will converge when our knowledge will reach its apex. Is this consummation often known as nirvana or salvation or enlightenment?

For those who are interested in further reading:

http://www.phy.syr.edu/courses/modules/ORIGINS/origins.html

http://mcb.harvard.edu/BioLinks/Evolution.html

the magic..... of brida he he

paulo coelho ... u knw him rite ? the author of 'the alchemist' ... one of my fav books till date...... jus wanna say read 'brida' the latest n trust me u'll hate the writer much mr than u ve lauded him for his previous works..... for now m busy wid the 'sea of poppies'...... very interesting.... a lot mr left to read ..... lets c ...

My recipe for Maggi Noodles

Ingredients -

1. One packet of Maggi Noodles(Masala flavour)
2. small onion - 1
3. tomato - 1
4. green chillies - 5-6 (can reduce/add according to taste)
5. small carrot - 1
6. bell pepper - 1
7. green beans - 10
8. coriander leaves - a handful
9. salt - to taste
10. water - 1 cup

Procedure -

1. Boil water in a saucepan.
2. While it starts to heat up, chop up ingredients 2-7.
3. Drop the chopped veggies in pan of water.
4. Sprinkle some salt over it.
5. Put in half of the masala mix (comes with maggi noodles pack).
6. When water starts to boil, put maggi noodles.
7. put in rest of the masala mix over noodles and veggies in pan.
8. Mix with a ladle.
9. Sprinkle some more salt for seasoning.
10. Put off the gas once noodles get al dente.
11. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Food for thought - end of human males?

Some of the recent advancements in stem cell research have led me to dig deeper into the possibilities. The beginning of this year saw the creation of sperm cells from the bone marrow of a female. What are the implications? Does this mean we’ll no longer need males? Is that the end of road for human males?

The human males have dominated the planet for more than 10,000 years by the virtue of their superior physical strength over females. He has, from time to time, taken advantage of this fact and exploited the women. The women, in turn, have evolved gradually to compete with men in virtually every field. The disparities still exists, but the differences have narrowed. As woman begins to step on man’s inflated ego and false sense of pride, he is left with two choices – change or stay single. No wonder there’s been very high divorce rate in countries like USA where women have a greater say in society. 

Ethical issues aside, this development does provide us with choices. Women no longer would need to be dependent on men to create a life. Also, this would benefit the gay/lesbian couples. However, as we cut the human male from the process of reproduction, several other issues come to the forefront. What about the upbringing of the child? How would the child grow up without a father? What would be the social and psychological implications on that child? What would then be the role of males in the society?

The answers will come only in time. For now, we can only speculate.

For further reading:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6547675.stm

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/01/31/scisperm131.xml

http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/stories/s73605.htm  

Indian Chilli Chicken - Recipe

Hey guys, I would like to share my recipe of Chilli Chicken:

Ingredients:

1. Boneless chicken breasts (1.5-2 lbs)

2. Soya sauce - 1 tbsp + 1 tsp

3. Tomato ketchup - 1 tbsp

4. Jalapeno peppers - 6/7

5. Red Chilli powder - 1 tsp

6. White pepper powder - 1 tsp

7. Corn flour (fine) - 1 tbsp

8. Garlic - 4/5 cloves

9. Onion - 1 Medium

10. Bell peppers - 1

11. Salt - To taste

12. Oil to deep fry.

13. Green chilli sauce - 1 tbsp

14. Chicken broth - 1 small can

Procedure: 

1. Cut chicken breasts into 1" cubes.

2. Cut Onion and bell peppers in large triangular shape.

3. Cut Jalapeno peppers in long thin slices. Do not throw away the seeds. 

4. Cut garlic cloves into small pieces.

5. Add chicken cubes, 1 tbsp soya sauce, red chilli powder, and corn flour in a bowl. Marinate and set aside for 10 mins.

6. Deep fry chicken cubes until golden brown and then set aside on a paper towel for excess oil to drain.

7. Use the same oil to saute onions, garlic, and peppers.

8. Add chicken, salt, red chilli powder, ketchup, green chilli sauce, white pepper powder, and 1 tsp soya sauce. Fry for another 5 mins on low heat.

9. Add chicken broth, stir for 10 mins, and then enjoy it with fried rice.

Guys 'n' gals, this is an interesting advertisement floating on the emails. God save India...

Check out this article about how Math skills are suffering in the US...

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/10/education/10math.html

Also, let me know if you are interested to know about contribution of ancient India to Mathematics. It'll make you proud if you belong to India and for those who don't, it'll increase your awareness. 

Patriarchal Society

Hey everybody!...of late I have given much thought over this word "Patriarchal Society". Dictionary.com explains the word "patriarchal" as the male head of a family or tribal line.

I belong to such a society. I have been raised as a part of it. I respect my father over anybody else. Now there...what does this statement of mine mean?...Does that mean I respect my mother lesser than my father...of course not!! Since my childhood, I never gave it an iota of my attention. Then why mull over it now? Didn't I just accept all the decisions made by my father right since the very beginning...yes I did...Does that mean I conform to the norms of a "patriarchal set up"? umm..well..yes..I did...initially...when I couldn't understand or rather didn't have an idea about either patriarchal or matriarchal as ideologies. Now, when I'm educated enough to understand these words and their implications, what change has it brought to my life as a whole? Nothing! Does that mean I have conformed to the age old setup? I would like to word the answer differently. I've been fortunate enough to be educated to voice my opinion and be in an environment where I can voice my opinion! Does this hold true for everybody? I'm afraid not!!
People of such societies have often misused their positions in the garb of belonging to a patriarchal set up. I still very vividly remember a few incidents which happened in succession while I was training to be a gynecologist in India. I saw a few cases where the woman of the house was almost reduced to a mangled mass post delivery or during an unsterile attempt to abort a pregnancy at home. We as a team saved many but there were quite a few complicated cases where nothing could be done and the patient died a painful death! I as a junior in the department was appalled to see this status of theirs. I talked to many a male member of the patient's family to know why this happened? They were surprisingly quite proud to announce that they as males take the decision of what to do about the health status of the females in the family. They decide when they are to be taken to a hospital, whether they are to be taken even or not!! Does this justify a so called "patriarchal set up"? I'm afraid, it doesn't!

Does the above account mean by setting up a matriarchal society all problems will come to an end? No, they won't. I saw that education was an important issue to tackle while solving this dilemma. However, I know of many situations when even educated people don't realise that everybody has a right to speak up for themselves. All it calls from us, the young generation, if I may say so, is to make sure that every individual, male or female is able to express and exercise his/her rights. He/ she doesn't hesitate in speaking up when they are being wronged. Once this happens, it would be immaterial whether the society is "patriarchal" or "matriarchal".

Is that too much to ask for? Is it so unaccessible a dream?

happy dussehera....

hey guys.... hru duin?? hope u all had a rokin' dusseherra ........ god me got hyper bored.... nthng to do.... jus watchng muvies on my lappy.... non stop ha ha ah.... relaxingggg before my second draft order cms in my hand he hehe........ watched sm very thought provoking muvies lik blood diamond' n maine gandhi ko nhi mara'.....liked them... nthng else ...... lif's jus gng on... last tim i njoyed the ravana burning ceremony..... where good wins over evil......but this time was nt interested to c the amount of pollution the whole process causes to the environment.......y dont ppl giv it a th8?? n plz fr me 'ram' the great was actually not one ..... who questioned sita's character.... the feminist perspective regards the incident exemplary of anthr disgraceful patriarchal practices of the past...... n trust me nthng mr than that..... is he really worthy of our reverence ??? u knw d ans rite.... ?? unless u not a ' saffron millitant'.........hop u got the catch in the statement..........?? neways njoyyyyyy !!! hav a nic day....

Positive Attitude - Difficult to Achieve?

The world has changed significantly in the past 100 years. The nature of change is a matter of a different debate altogether. However, I am sure you'll all agree with me on the fact that the world has shrunk. Our lives have become more stressful and our existence - mechanical. All of us are in a race, a race to survive, a race to make a mark. 

Money can't buy happiness, but hey, who cares? We have Mastercard. We amass a lot of debt, lose/gain money in stock markets, lose our jobs and get new ones, lose friends and make new ones, lose/gain relatives and family members in the process of life. The vicissitudes of life are copious. Some of us lose the race, others keep going. What is the difference between the two?

The difference lie in the way we pursue our ambitions in life, in the way we look at life itself. Let me tell you a small but true story. There was a boy. He failed in Mathematics when he was in 7th grade. It was an ignominious event in his life. He was ashamed of himself but he knew it was imperative to do something and not get bogged down with the turn of events. He knew his problem wasn't hard work, he simply needed somebody who could explain the basic concepts clearly to him. Four years later, he secured the highest marks in Mathematics. 

This teaches us an important lesson. It tells us to keep our spirits up even in the worst of times. Why? Because, it'll eventually pass. Yes, the boy in the story couldn't change the history, but he did change the future, his future. While he was sad that he had failed, he was happy that he still had another chance to prove himself. One success kills many failures.

We have all heard people whining about their life and there have been times when we have ourselves indulged in the same. Does that help? Maybe. Sometimes, we can share our negative feelings toward our lives with our loved ones but sooner or later we'll need to stop and do something about it rather than complain. Why? Because, before the dawn of realization permeates through our minds, these negative attitudes will corrode our confidence, eat-up our self image, and strangulate our conscience.   

A positive attitude is what we need in the world of today to keep us going. It is not easy to keep a constructive outlook if everything around us is negative. That is when we need to have faith. Faith in ourselves and faith in our lives. We need to be steady and focused and meditate, if necessary, to give us that inner strength we need. Always remember, when the goings get tough, the tough gets going! 

break.....plzzz

hey guys...... finally m dun n over wid my first draft of synopsis....... it was one terrible job......... but very scholarly...........m felling quite relaxed n peaceful after the headache is off me.....lets c how many drafts get restructured till the final one is passed........its a tedious job to do research......now its festival time..... the celebrations of navratri is at its heights.... markets, restaurants,shops etc. everything is graced with gleaming lights n delicacies...... yummmmy...... and hey the veggie hotspots like haldirams, bengal sweet house, evergreen and many more are just making great business.....god m really ebullient about the way its celebrated in jnu as well.....a nice beautiful idol, sumptuous meal on the 9th day and ofcourse daily offerings in the form of prasad..... though i m away from the hustle bustle of the city in this pacific land of jnu....i still feel i can njoy wid my friends big time......hope all of u are also having loads of fun...... njoyyyy!!! will write again.......

Day 7

I am posting one of my older articles. This deals with something that interests me a lot. Hope it does the same to you guys.

In the beginning there was darkness hidden by darkness, all this universe was an unillumined sea (Rig Veda X.129.3)

 

Who were the Aryans? Did they really invade and annihilate the Indus Valley Civilization? How advanced were they? Did civilization really start in the Indian Subcontinent as opposed to the prevailing belief of a Middle Eastern origin? Was Krishna for real or is he just a figment of poetic imagination? Prehistoric India has always intrigued me more than any other partly because I am an Indian and partly because none of the other civilizations offer such diversity, mysticism, and spiritual sublimity. The next few paragraphs won’t answer any of the above posed questions, but will definitely raise a few more…

 

Numerous theories have been proposed with regard to the origin of the Vedic people. Some suggests Aryans entered India last through Greece and Mesopotamia at about 1500 BC (Renfrew, 1989). Another theory is that they came from Arctic regions through Central Asia (Tilak, 1983). According to a more dominant theory among scholars, Aryans were fair skinned nomadic barbarians from north who invaded and eventually brought an end to the dark skinned natives of Indus Valley Civilization. The racial conclusion was derived from the reference in Rig Veda about a war between the light and the darkness. Their language was Sanskrit, a language so sophisticated and refined that they themselves called it Devavani, the language of Gods. It is indeed abstruse how a group of nomadic barbarians could invent a language so spiritually complete and modern in its tongue.

 

According to Rao (1973):

 

…Anthropologists have observed that the present population of Gujarat is composed of more or less the same ethnic groups as are noticed at Lothal in 2000 BC. Similarly, the present population of Punjab is said to be ethnically the same as the population of Harappa and Rupar four thousand years ago. Linguistically, the present day population of Gujarat and Punjab belongs to the Indo-Aryan speaking group. The only inference that can be drawn from the anthropological and linguistic evidences adduced above is that the Harappan population in the Indus Valley and Gujarat in 2000 BC was composed of two or more groups, the more dominant among them having very close ethnic affinities with the present day Indo-Aryan speaking population of India…

  

Frawley (1991) further comments; if the Aryans were a racial type, they were already predominant in India by 2000 BC or they had no real impact upon the physical types of the people living in India during ancient times. Who were these invading Aryans who left no mark on the racial types of India while they changed the language and religion of the subcontinent?

 

The discovery of Dwaraka has only reinforced our belief of the existence of Krishna. The Dwaraka site also relates to the same time that Puranic records appear to date Krishna, about a thousand years before Nanda (~ 400 BC), which is about 1400 BC (Vishnu Purana IV.24.32), the end of Vedic Age.

 

The Western scholars have mostly rejected Vedic Astronomy not only because it comes from Hindus, supposedly unscientific people, but also because it gives dates much earlier than those conventionally ascribed to Vedic Culture. Indians have always followed a ‘Sidereal’ astrology (based on stellar positions). Precision is paramount in this form of astrology which was calculated by the Greeks to be 36”, the Hindus evaluated it (Surya Siddhanta) around 54”, much closer to what is observed today as 50.3” per year. A lot of modern astronomers refute this as a lucky guess on the part of the ancients. If this was a lucky guess, how did the ancient people managed to perform Vedic rituals which used to be primarily based on their calendar?

 

In the words of Frawley (1991):

…The beginning had only one culture- that of the Spirit, and only one language- that of the Truth. This culture was outwardly one of worship and inwardly one of meditation. In time, the apparent advance in civilization led to a spiritual decline, with outer complexity and display substituting for inner feeling and understanding… 

 

Rig Veda not only describes a spiritually advanced civilization but it is written by them too, and therefore, it is imperative to interpret it in the same way. A literal translation fails to capture the information in its entirety which only results in confusion. We have only downgraded Hinduism by classifying it as a religion. Hinduism was always the lifestyle of the ancients; we simply polluted it with our own material pursuits. The Vedic Age arguably spans from the end of Ice Age (Rig Veda X.67.12, III.32.5) to 1400 BC, a long period of time by human standards and it is sad that most of us have rejected it as mere poetic creation of primitive people.

 

We may be an advanced civilization technologically, but we are still far behind in terms of self realization, internal understanding, and spiritual conquests. In the end, I would just like to quote the Rig Veda (VII.52.1):

 

Sons of the infinite, may we be infinite, perfect, oh beings of light, in the Godhead and in humanity. Winning, Divine Lord and Friend, may we win you, becoming, oh Heaven and Earth, may we become you.

 

References:

 

1. Frawley, David. Gods, Sages and Kings. Salt Lake City, Utah: Passage Press, 1991.
2. Rao, S. R.. Lothal and the Indus Civilization. Bombay, India: Asia Publishing House, 1973.
3. The Rig Veda (R. Griffith Trans.). Delhi, India: Motilal Banarsidas, 1976.
4. Renfrew, Colin, “The Origins of Indo-European Languages” Scientific American, October 1989.
5. Tilak, B. G. The Arctic Home in Veda. Poona, India: Tilak Bros.,1983.
6. Surya Siddhanta (Burgess and Whitney trans.). San Diego, Ca: Wizard’s Bookshelf, 1978.
7. The Vishnu Purana (2 volumes, H. H Wilson trans.). Delhi, India: Nag Publishers, 1980.

a matter of thought................

hi nd ! hey congratulation for initiating such a utile endeavor ! its a great platform for exchange of ideas n opinion and i am really loving it .... for now as m bsy wid my synopsis, its tuf to devote a thoughful moment to pen dwn smthng worthwhile coz rite now my mind is replete wid approximations regarding my research proposal...... neways its a learning experience to understand the world of terrorism and how the interplay of several external and internal factors are responsible for its maturation .... the present scenario seems like humanity has lost its charm and people have become habituated to a world of unremitting internecine struggle against each other....... i thnk 'a wednesday'(muvy) is an impressive attempt to make the masses recognise their potential to thwart the malign ingredients present in the society........lets c if people of this nation at this hour of anxiety and insecurity rise up to do something unusual in their cognition to make the world a better place.........where religious fundamentalism and incessant detonations dont question the very existence of god...........

Day 4 - Gandhi Jayanti

Today is Mahatma Gandhi's birthday. Unfortunately, he is more respected outside India. 

I don't feel like writing today, so I'll leave at that but others are most welcome to contribute.

Day 3 - Economix

I am no economics major and my current article is a layman's point of view.

The current financial crisis at the Wall St. underscores all the other problems of the world. Why? Simply because it may be the harbinger of a global economic recession. It is still the financial world where other countries catch cold when the US sneezes. US economy is already reeling, marred by the spending in the war in Iraq and an external debt of 13.8 trillion dollars. The US Congress recently stopped a bailout plan. The voting is to take place again on a revised plan.  

What led to the current scenario? Is this the end of Capitalism? Will it ever be the same again? How does it affect us? Numerous questions come to our mind.

Let's start with the basics. The current financial problems rose from heavy subprime lending between 2003-2006, bad sales decisions, declining lending practices, and increasing housing prices. Subprime can be defined as the category of people who have high perceived risk of default, people with not-so-good credit history. Soon the banks started feeling the heat as the interest rates began to rise. The prices of the houses went down, foreclosures increased and the banks started to go bankrupt. New Century Financial was the first major institution to go down in April 2007. This started the "domino effect" and led to the current scenario.

Now the banks don't trust themselves. It has become difficult to secure a loan. The rates have gone up. If the bailout plan doesn't go through, it could lead to recession and unprecedented job losses. How? Soon, the problem would progress beyond the realm of financial institutions and start affecting other businesses. As that happens, a lot of companies could shut down all over the world.

Is this the end of Capitalism? In my opinion, no. The current problem is not due to a fundamental lacuna in Capitalism, its due to bad corporate practices/decisions. I am sure people concerned would have learned with this experience and it would serve as a lesson for future decision makers in the financial industry. 

Speculating the future, I feel that the situation will only get better in case the bailout plan is passed by the US Congress. If not, it may get worse before it gets better. There is always a silver lining in dark cloud. I may come across as an optimist to some and why not? As Sir Winston Churchill said, "For myself I am an optimist-it does not seem to be much use being anything else."

I invite all of you for your comments/arguments/insights/questions over this issue.