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"Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality." - Dalai Lama



Oct 21, '08




In 1893, Swami Vivekananda went to America to attend the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago. His powerful speech at the Parliament brought him fame and acclaimed him as a great orator and the most ideal interpreter of India's wisdom. He instantly became very popular in America and worldwide.

Prior to his departure for America Swamiji went on a pilgrimage all over the country, studying the conditions of the people in India. Wherever he went, his magnetic personality attracted people. In October 1892, he visited Belgaum and had stayed in Haripada Mitra’s bungalow in Belgaum. Haripada Mitra, then the Sub Divisional Forest Officer hosted him at his residence for 9 days from 19th October to 27th October 1892. The bunglow is situated in side the Belagaum Fort. During his 9 days stay, every morning he used to visit Sri Kapileshwar temple near Shahpur, Belgaum.

The Karnataka State Government handed over the bungalow in which Swami Vivekananda stayed, to Ramkrishna Mission in the year 2000. The bungalow was renovated and the Ramkrishna Mission building was constructed at the adjacent land.











The Belgaum Fort.                                                                             The bungalow before renovation.
                                    
               







 

The Bungalow after renovation.                                            
                                                                                                           The Ramakrishna Mission building.




























Jul 24, '08



This evening when I was checking my messages on Fropper, I saw Manisha and Girishji have shared an ezBlog post with me. Through his write up, the writer has drawn our attention towards the need of spreading awareness on Global warming. As CO2 emission is the main contributor for Global warming, he has emphasized on the need, to reduce CO2 emission by following few simple driving rules and road habits and being a Green driver.

In order to prevent Global warming, not only we need to create awareness on the subject, but also, we need to make our own strategy to save our planet.

My action plan, which I am following, is hereunder.

I ensure servicing of my car and motorbike as per schedule.

I ride my motorbike, if need to travel alone and a short distance.

I use public transportation wherever feasible.

I ride bicycle or walk if I have to go to local market.

Latest addition to my action plan - " I am a Green Driver".

I request everyone
to share their own action plan. Its not a tagging game.








Jun 24, '08



The Concise Contest

Slipping away  to an exotic beach with my solitude is my desire. Blue sky , breeze, waves, my solitude and I.








Apr 27, '08



On 26 Apr 2008 I went to Sogal. It is a popular tourist spot for devotees, nature lovers and trekkers. It is around 75 kms from Belgaum and it has massive hill on which Lord Somnath blesses devotees. The hill is of solid and straight rock, there is waterfall from a height of 30 feet . This temple was built in the Rashtrakuta era. Sogal is a centre for religious teachings. According to an inscription on the temple, even tigers used to stop by and lend its ears to the religious teachings. There is a deer park maintained by forest department. Besides this  if you offer  coconut cute monkeys with their baby will come closer to you. Baby monkeys are so cute.

From Sogal I went to SAVADATTI YELLAMMA TEMPLE . The Yellamma temple is the shrine of Yellamma Devi or Renuka, wife of Sage Jamadagni. The temple is located atop a hill known as Yellammagudda.

Even though the Yellamma Devi fair is held on many occasions between October and February, the biggest celebration takes place on the full moon day of Margasira. On this auspicious day known as the Bharat Hunnime, the famous Neeramanavi Yellamma jatra is taken out. On this occasion, the goddess Yellamma is worshipped in the manner of Shakti Puja, complete with all its attendant rituals.

During the Yellamma Devi fair, women become Devadasis or slaves of God. This age-old practice has been dubbed as religious prostitution by NGOs and other social organizations. More than 30 thousand devotees from Raichur, Bellary, Bagalkot, Bijapur, Gulbarga, Bidar, Belgaum and various districts of Maharashtra, Andhra, Madhya Pradesh and Goa participate in the Yelamma fair and the car festival.   This place is surrounded by several shops with colourful vermilion on display have also  added beauty to this place.

From Yelamma temple we went to Naviliteerth Dam on Malaprabha river. Malaprabha originates at 16 km to the west of Jamboti village in Khanapur taluka of the Belgaum District in Karnataka, at an altitude of 792.4 meters in the Sahyadri hillrange. It flows for a distance of 304 km and joins the Krishna river at an altitude of 488 meters near Kudal Sangam in Bagalkot district in Karnataka It also flows through Dharwar District. Hubli city gets the drinking water from this reservoir. This dam is constructed near Munavalli in Belgaum District with a storage capacity of 1.07 km³. It irrigates more than 2,000 square kilometres of land. This reservoir is called Renukasagar.









Feb 16, '08




GOD : Hello. Did you call me?


Me : Called you? No. Who is this?

GOD : This is GOD. I heard your prayers. So I thought I will Chat .

Me : I do pray. Just makes me feel good. I am actually busy now. I am in the midst of something.

GOD : What are you busy at? Ants are busy too.

Me : Don't know. But I can't find free time. Life has become hectic. It's rush hour all the time.

GOD : Sure. Activity gets you busy. Bu Productivity gets you results. Activity consumes time. Productivity frees it.

Me : I understand. But I still can't figure out. By the way, I was not expecting YOU to buzz me on instant messaging chat.

GOD : Well, I wanted to resolve your fight for time, by giving you some clarity. In this internet era, I wanted to reach you through the medium you are comfortable with.

Me : Okay, tell me Dear GOD, why has life become complicated now?


GOD : Stop analyzing life. Just live it. Analysis is what makes it complicated.

Me : Why are we then constantly unhappy?

GOD : Your Today is the Tomorrow that you were worried about Yesterday You are worrying because you are analyzing. Worrying has become your habit. That's why you are not happy.

Me : But how can we not worry when there is so much uncertainty?

GOD : Uncertainty is inevitable, but worrying is optional.

Me : But then, there is so much pain due to uncertainty...

GOD : Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.


Me : If suffering is optional, why do good people always suffer?

GOD : Diamond cannot be polished without friction. Gold cannot be purified without fire. Good people go through trials, but don't suffer. With that experience, their life becomes better, not bitter

Me : You mean to say such experience is useful?

GOD : Yes. In every term, Experience is a hard teacher. She gives the test first and the lessons afterwards.

Me : But still, why should we go through such tests? Why can't we be free from problems?

GOD : Do you know what "PROBLEMS" stands for? Problems are :
Purposeful Roadblocks Offering Beneficial Lessons to Enhance Mental Strength.
The Inner strength comes from struggle and endurance, and not when you are free from problems.

Me : Frankly in the midst of so many problems, we don't know where we are heading....

GOD : If you look outside, you will not know where you are heading. Look inside.
Looking outside - you dream. Whereas, Looking inside - you awaken.
Eyes provide 'sight'. Whereas, Heart provides ' insight '.

Me : Sometimes not succeeding fast seems to hurt more tha moving in the right direction. What should I do ?

GOD : Success is a measure as decided by 'others'. But, Satisfaction is a measure as decided by 'yourself'. Knowing the road ahead, is more satisfying than knowing you rode ahead. You work with the compass. Let others work with the clock.

Me : In tough times, how do you stay motivated?

GOD : Always look at how far you have come, rather than how far you have to go. Always count your blessing, and not what you are missing.

Me : What surprises you about people?

GOD : When they suffer, they ask, "Why me?" When they prosper, they never ask "Why me?"
Everyone wishes to have Truth on their side, but few want to be on the side of the Truth.

Me : Sometimes I ask, "who am I, why am I here". But, I can't get the answer.

GOD : Seek not to find who you are, but seek to determine who you want to be. Stop looking for a purpose as to why you are here, but create the purpose. Life is not a process of discovery, but a process of creation.

Me : How can I get the best out of life?

GOD : Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear.

Me : One last question. Sometimes I feel my prayers are not answered.

GOD : There are no unanswered prayers at all. Understand that, at times, the answer to your prayer is "NO".

Me : Thank you for this wonderful chat. I am so happy to start the New Day with a new sense of inspiration.

GOD : Well. Keep the faith, and drop the fear. Don't "believe your doubts", and never "doubt your beliefs". Life is a mystery to solve, and not a problem to resolve. Trust ME. Life is wonderful - if you know how to live.





Tags: god, internet, chat





Nov 23, '07



Today I visited Gokak. It is about 65 km from Belgaum. It is famous for The Gokak Falls are created by the Ghataprabha river which takes a 170-ft leap over a sandstone cliff in a picturesque gorge with a horse-shoe shape.    On the sides of the river are several temples dating from the period of the Later Chalukyas of Kalyana who ruled portions of the Deccan from the 10th to the 12th centuries. The Tateshwara temple is a Shiva temple on the south side of the falls. It faces north, an unusual orientation for Shiva temples. It has a sanctuary with a mandapa or hall. The outside walls of the closed hall are from recent times. 





















One of the ruined temples of Gokak, look for the scuplture of Lord Vishnu in the following pic.














Photograph of the Tateshwara Temple near the Gokak Falls in Karnataka, taken by Thomas Biggs around 1855, from 'Architecture in Dharwar and Mysore'.








A view of Tateshwar Temple thesedays.


For other pics of Gokak view my photos in fropper.



WATERFALL DURING MONSOON, THIS PIC HAS BEEN CAPTURED BY SOMEONE ELSE. I WISH TO GO THERE AGAIN DURING NEXT MONSOON.








Oct 21, '07



According to Hindu Mythology king Surath worshiped Devi Durga during Basanta (Spring) and till date some places it is being worshiped in spring, which is known as Basanti Puja.

According to Ramayana, when Lord Rama went to 'Lanka' to rescue his abducted wife, Sita, from the grip of Ravana, the king of the Demons in Lanka. Before starting his battle with Ravana, Rama wanted the blessings of Devi Durga . He came to know that the Goddess would be pleased only if she is worshipped with one hundred and eight 'NeelKamal' or blue lotuses. While offering lotuses he found one lotus is short (thats another story, why there was one lotus short, will tell u later). He finally decided to offer one of his eyes, which resembled blue lotuses. Durga, being pleased with the devotion of Rama, appeared before him and blessed him. The battle started on the 'Saptami' and Ravana was finally killed on the 'Sandhikshan' i.e. the crossover period between Ashtami (the next day) and Navami (the day after). Ravana was cremated on Dashami. Since the period of this worship was different from the conventional period (during the spring - 'Basanta'), this puja is also known as 'Akal-Bodhan' or a worship (Bodhan) in an unconventional time (A-Kaal).








Oct 18, '07



Mahalaya/Agomoni, an integral part of Durga Puja celebration, heralds the advent of the Goddess Durga amongst us. It is presented in the form of unique devotional songs and dance, along with the chanting of the Chandi Path.











Mahalaya, which is also known as Mahisashura Mardini, signifies the destruction of the demon called Mahisashur by our beloved Goddess Durga. It is a mythological story and depicts the demon as evil. It tells us how the Gods empowered Durga with their own special powers and weapons to fight the evil form of the demon. With the demise of the demon came peace and hope. Soon happiness prevailed all over the Universe.







Oct 11, '07



YA CHANDI, MADHU KAITHABHAARHI DAITHYA DALANI,
YA MAHISHISHONMOOLINI,
YA DHUMEKSHNA CHANDA MUNDA MADHANI,
YA RAKTHABEEJAASHANI,
SAKTHI SUMBHA NISUMBHA DAITHYA DALANI,
YA SIDDHI DAATHRI PARAA
SA DEVI NAVOKOTI MURTHI SAHITHA
MAA PATHU VISWASWARI!

ASHWIN  KE SHARAD AMABASYA TITHI KE PURBAPRABHAT MEIN DEVI DURGA KO DHARANI MEIN PRAKAT HONE KE LIYE ABAHAN KIYA JATA HAI.

DHARANI KE BAHIRAKASH MEIN ANTARIT MEGHMAALA LE AATE HAI PRAKRITI KE ANTARAKAASH MEIN JYOTIRMAYEE JAGATMATA KE AGAMANBARTA. ANANDAMAYEE MAHAMAYA KE PADADHWANI ASEEM CHHAND SE  BAAJ UTHTA ROOPLOK AUR RASLOK PAR.

HEY BHAGVATI MAHAAMAAYA TUM TRIGUNARTIKA
TUM RAJOGUNA BRAMHAARGINIDIPAAR DEVI
JAGDAGUNA VISHNU PATNI LAXMI, TUM SHIVANI PARVATI
TUM TRIGUNATITOTURYAAVASTHAAYA TUMHIYA DIGVACANIYA,
MAHIMAAYI PARA BRHAMAHKESHI, DEVI KATAYANI,
KANYA KATAYANI, SHRII KANYA KUMHARI, DURGA
SHRII AADHISHAKTI KAMABRASIDDH DHEMURTIDER DURGA
SHRII DAKAAYANI SHATI DEVI DURGA
NIRADEVO SHUMBHATOTE, BARABHAVE, SHATRUDAHANUKALE,
AGNI BARNAA, AAGNI LOCHANAA,
HE USHAA LAGNE, HE MAHAA DEVI,
TUMHARI BHUSHAN BANIRBHAKTIRASABURNA VARNA,
KAMALA ALOGASHATAKALAMILA VIKASHITA HO,
DIIGEDI GANDHE HE AMRITA JYOTI, HE MAA DURGAA
TUMHARI AABIRBHAV SE DHARANI HOGI BRANA MAYI


CHINMAYI MAA KO MRINMAYI MEIN ABAHAN KE LIYE GAA UTHTA SANGSAAR.


























JAGO JAGO JAGO JAGO MA
JAGO TUM JAGO
JAGO TUM JAGO
JAGO TUM JAGO JAGO DURGA JAGO DASHAPRAHARANADHARINI
ABHAYA SHAKTI BALPRADAYINI TUM JAGO
JAGO TUM JAGO JAGO DURGA JAGO DASHAPRAHARANADHARINI
ABHAYA SHAKTI BALPRADAYINI TUM JAGO
JAGO TUM JAGO
PRANAMI BARADA AJARA ATULA
PRANAMI BARADA AJARA ATULA BAHUBALADHARINI RIPUDALABARINI
PRANAMI BARADA AJARA ATULA BAHUBALADHARINI RIPUDALABARINI
JAGO MA JAGO MA
SMARANMAYI CHANDRIKA SHANKARI JAGO
JAGO ASURABINSHINI TUM JAGO








Sep 18, '07



A man walks into a restaurant with a full-grown ostrich behind him.The waitress asks for their orders. The man says, "A hamburger,fries and a coke," and turns to the ostrich, "What's yours?"

"I'll have the same," says the ostrich.

A short time later the waitress returns with the order. "That will be $9.40 please," and the man reaches into his pocket and pulls out the exact change for payment.

The next day, the man and the ostrich come again and the man says, "A hamburger, fries, and a coke."

The ostrich says, "I'll have the same."

Again the man reaches into his pocket and pays with exact change. This becomes routine until, the two enter again. "The usual?" asks the waitress.

"No, this is Friday night, so I will have a steak, baked potato, and salad," says the man.

"Same," says the ostrich.

The waitress brings the order and says, "That will be $32.62." Once again the man pulls the exact change out of his pocket and places it on the table.

The waitress can't hold back her curiosity any longer. "Excuse me, sir.

How do you manage to always come up with the exact change out of your pocket every time?"

"Well," says the man, "several years ago I was cleaning the attic and found an old lamp. When I rubbed it a Genie appeared and offered me two wishes. My first wish was that if I ever had to pay for anything, I would just put my hand in my pocket and the right amount of money would always be there."

"That's brilliant!" says the waitress. "Most people would wish for a million dollars or something, but you'll always be as rich as you want for as long as you live!"

That's right. Whether it's a gallon of milk or a Rolls Royce, the exact money is always there," says the man.

The waitress asks, "But, sir, what's with the ostrich?"

The man sighs, pauses, and answers, "My second wish was for a tall chick with long legs who agrees with everything I say.



Tags: joke, story












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