संकटकाळीतल एकमेव ढाल:

आई आणि वडील यांच्यासारखे दुसरे दैवत अथवा पर्याय असूच शकत नाही. अशोक , वय वर्ष 32 उंच पुरे शरीर, मजबूत शरीर बांधा, स्वतःवर भक्कम आत्मविश्वास, बायको,मुले सर्व काही सुरळीत. भल्या मोठ्या मेट्रोपॉलिटन शहरामध्ये कायम मोठ्या पगाराची सरकारी नोकरी , सर्व नियमित आणि चौकटीत सुरू असताना अचानक त्याच्या डोक्यात उजव्या बाजूला किंचितसे ... टिक टिक असे जाणवु लागले होते. कदाचित ते रक्तचापाशी संबंधित असू शकेल. मार्च व एप्रिल महिन्यात कामाचा व्याप जास्तीच असतो. कमी वेळात बरेच काही कार्यालयाचे काम पूर्ण करून द्यावे लागते. त्या अतिरिक्त ताणतणावाची कदाचित ती परिणिती ती असू शकेल. पण त्याच्या उच्चशिक्षित दिमाखात नको ते वाईट विचार येत होते. पुढच्या क्षणी त्याच्याबरोबर काय विपरीत होऊ शकेल या संदर्भात क्षणोक्षणी त्याच्या मनात विचारांचे काहूर माजले होते. पेन किलर्स औषधी, गोळ्या घेऊन बघितल्या, पण त्यांचा फारसा काही उपयोग झाला नाही. दोन लहान मुले. पत्नी मुलांच्या निस्सिम प्रेमापोटी, पत्नी घाबरून जाऊ नये म्हणून तिला या संदर्भात थोडेसे काही डोके दुखते असे भासविले. त्यादरम्यान काय त्याचे भाग्य, चारशे किलोमीटर अंतरावरून योगायोगाने आई-वडील गावावरून मुलीला भेटण्यासाठी बालसाड ला आलेत. चार दिवसांनी तिच्याकडून मुंबईला मुलाला भेटण्यासाठी अशोककडे देखील आलेत. हेच ते आईवडील ज्यांनी अशोकला आजपर्यंत गरिबी व दुःखाचा स्पर्शदेखील होऊ दिला नव्हता. अशोक त्यांचा एकुलता एक मुलगा. अशोक आता जास्तच विचार करू लागला. त्यांना आपल्या मुलाला अशा केविलवाण्या अवस्थेत बघावे लागेल की काय हाच त्याचा मनात सातत्याने विचारचक्र सुरू होते. अशोक वरवर सामान्य असण्याचा आव आणत होता खरे, पण दुसऱ्या दिवशी सकाळी त्यांच्याशी गप्पा करत असताना त्याला मात्र राहवले गेले नाही. त्याला होणारा त्रास त्यांना क्षणार्धात सांगून टाकला. दुसऱ्या दिवशी सकाळी मोठ्या इस्पितळात तपासून घेण्याबाबत चे नियोजन करण्याचा त्याच्या वडिलांनी गंभीर सल्ला दिला व त्याला ते स्वतःच इस्पितळात तपासण्यासाठी घेऊन जातील असे ठरले. त्यांनी अगदी छोट्या बाळासारखे त्यास दुसऱ्या दिवशी सकाळी मोठ्या दवाखान्यात नेले व सर्व चाचण्या करवून घेतल्या. चाचण्याअंती गंभीर काळजी करण्यासारखे काही खास निदर्शनास आले नाही. दोन पाच औषधी दिल्या गेल्या. पण त्यादरम्यान आई-वडिलांच्या सहवासाची ऊब अशोक साठी खूपच जगावेगळी होती. लहानपणापासून तर आतापर्यंत त्यांनी त्याची अनेकविध प्रकारे कशी काळजी घेतली त्या संदर्भात त्याच्या मनामध्ये विचारांचे चक्र फिरत होते. सामान्य शेतकरी कुटुंब, आईवडिलना चार अपत्य, त्यात अशोक सर्वात मोठा, आईवडिलांनी दिवसभर शेतात राबराब राबून कुटुंबाची सातत्यानी घेतलेली काळजी, ते सर्व त्याच्या नजरेसमोर येत होते. निसर्ग संकट,शेतमालाला व्यापार वर्गांकडून मिळणारा अन्यायी भाव या सर्व गोष्टी तर विपरीत होत्या. तरी देखील आपल्या मुलाबाळांवर त्या संदर्भात कोणत्याही प्रकारची नकारात्मक छाया पडू देता मुलांना व्यवस्थित मार्गस्थ केले होते. त्यांच्या पारंपारिक विचारसरणीनुसार जीवनाची व्याख्या म्हणजे कष्ट करणे व मुला बाळांचे संगोपन करणे हीच होय, त्या पलीकडे अजून वेगळे विश्व असते असे त्यांना दूरपर्यंत माहीतच नव्हते. त्यांनी सोसलेल्या कष्टाचा एक एक क्षण दररोज अशोक च्या मनामध्ये यायचा. मुलांवरचे मातृ पितृ मूल्य मात्र कधीही कमी झालेले त्याला आठवत नव्हते. निसर्गाची ती एक आगळीवेगळी अशी किमया आहे. आणि आता तर त्याच्या या जीवघेण्या दुखण्याने त्याला दूरवर आई-वडिलांशिवाय कोणीही दिसत नव्हते. त्याच्यासाठी फक्त त्याच सदृश्य प्रतिमा होत्या. थोडक्यात तो कोण आहे याचा त्याला विसरायला झाले होते आणि फक्त घरातील त्या चार चौकटीत आई वडील आणि स्वतः त्याला दिसत होता .पत्नी व मुलांविषयी विचार करणे देखील त्याच्या पचनी पडत नव्हते. थोडक्यात म्हणजे त्याने स्वीकारून घेतले होते की त्याचे थोडेच दिवस शिल्लक असावेत. पण काय ती ईश्वर किमया, आईवडिलांच्या पवित्र सानिध्यामुळे त्याचे ते दुखणे हळूहळू बरे व नंतर नाहीसे झाले. अशोकला बरे वाटायला लागले. आणि तो पूर्ववत बारा झाला. हीच ती मातापित्याची ईश्वरी कृपा. जोपर्यंत आईवडील आहेत तोपर्यंत आपल्याभोवती एक निसर्गशक्ती चे संरक्षक कवच असते, त्यांची काळजी घेणे म्हणजे स्वतःला सुरक्षित करणे हा अशोक चा वास्तविक अनुभव. सरासरी वरील प्रसंग हेच सांगतो की आई-वडील हे ईश्वराचे रूप असून त्यांच्या कष्टांची आणि प्रेमाची जाणीव ठेवणे हे प्रत्येक मुलाचे कर्तव्य आहे. त्यांच्या छत्रछायेखाली आयुष्य सुरक्षित राहते. "पैशाने सर्व काही मिळेलपण आईसारखा स्वर्ग आणि बापासारखी सावली कुठेच मिळणार नाही" असे मानले जाते. 'मातृदेवो भवपितृदेवो भव' ही आपल्या संस्कृतीची शिकवण आहे. वडील म्हणजे एक अशी व्यक्तीजी स्वतःच्या स्वप्नांचा त्याग करून मुलांची स्वप्ने पूर्ण करणारी,कुटुंबाचा कणाकष्टाची सावली आणि निःस्वार्थ प्रेमाचे निस्सीम प्रतीक असणारे, मुलांच्या यशाचा आनंद साजरा करणारे आणि अपयशात पाठीशी उभे राहणारे ढाल असतात. आईबाबा हे जगातील इतके मोठे व्यक्ती आहेत, की ज्यांच्या कष्टाच्या घामाच्या थेंबाची परतफेड कोणत्याच मुलांना कोणत्याच जन्मी करणे शक्य नहीं. आणि त्याची परतफेड केली पाहिजे अशी अपेक्षा ते पण करत नाहीत. त्याचा गौरव म्हणजे तुमचे माझे समाजमान्य वर्तन ज्यामुळे त्यांचा आनंद गगनात मावत नाही. आपल्या आयुष्यात दोनच लोक असे असतात ज्यांच्यावर, ज्यांच्या निर्णयावर आपण डोळे बंद करून विश्वास ठेवू शकतो. नंतर बोलू किंवा बघू या भ्रमात राहू नका. आजच त्यांच्याशी वेळ काढून गप्पा करा, त्यांची विचारपूस करा. त्यांनी केलेल्या संघर्षमय मेहनत प्रसंगावर चर्चा करा. खूप बरे वाटते त्यांना त्याचा यशस्वी भूतकाळ ऐकायला. काळावर नियंत्रण ठेवण्याएवढे तुम्ही, मी शक्तिवान नाहीत. आपल्या भारतीय संस्कृतीत आई वडिलांना देवाचा दर्जा देण्यात आलेला आहे. त्यांचा आदर करून त्यांच्या आज्ञाचे पालन करणे इतकेच नव्हे तर त्यांच्या उतारवयात संपूर्ण काळजी घेणे हे आपले आद्य कर्तव्य आहे. अनुतात्या ना समर्पित. लेखक: स्नेहयश.

SAINT DNYANESHWAR MAHIMA GATHA

इंद्रायणी नदीच्या पावन तिरावर आज माऊलींनी संजीवन समाधी घेऊन ७१८ वर्षे पुर्ण झाली. आपले परमभाग्य की आज तोच वार आणि तीच तिथी आहे .(कार्तिक वद्य त्रयोदशी, शके १२१८, दूर्मुखनाम संवत्सर, इ.स.१२९६, गुरुवार). निवृत्ती, ज्ञानेश्वर, सोपान व मुक्ताबाई ही पैठण जवळच्या आपेगावच्या कुलकर्णी यांची मुले. ही चारही भावंड भगवदभक्त होती. 'संन्याशाची पोर' म्हणून गावातील मुले त्या मुलांची हेटाळणी करीत होती. गावकरी मंडळींनी त्यांच्यावर बहिष्कार टाकला होता. त्यांच्याशी कोणताही संबंध ठेवलाw नव्हता. एके दिवशी ज्ञानेश्वर रस्त्याने जात होते. काही विरोधक समोरून येत होते. त्यापैकी एकजण म्हणाला, ''असे कोणते ज्ञान आहे तुमच्या जवळ म्हणून तुला ज्ञानदेव म्हणतात ? ज्ञानदेव हे नाव ठेवल्याने काही ज्ञान मिळत नाही.'' इतक्यात समोरून एक पखालवाला रेडा घेऊन येत होता. त्याकडे बोट दाखवून तो म्हणाला, ''हा जो रेडा चालला आहे, त्याचे नाव ज्ञाना ठेवले तर त्याला काही ज्ञान येणार आहे का ?'' यावर ज्ञानेश्वर म्हणाले, ''माझ्यात आणि रेड्यात काही फरक नाही. ईश्वर सर्व ठिकाणी सारखाच आहे.'' तेव्हा तो विरोधक म्हणाला, ''तुमच्यात आणि त्या रेड्यात काहीच फरक नाही तर त्याच्या मुखातून वेद बोलून दाखव बर !'' ज्ञानेश्वरांनी त्या रेड्याच्या मस्तकावर हात ठेवताच तो वेद बोलू लागला. त्या विरोधकाची खात्री झाली की, ज्ञानेश्वर हे अवतारी पुरुष आहेत. पैठण मधील विद्वान पंडिताकडून शुद्धीपत्र मिळविण्यासाठी ते पैठणास एका ब्राह्मणाच्या घरी राहिले होते. त्या ब्राvvqqह्मणाकडे एकदा त्याच्या वडिलांचे श्राद्ध आले. परंतु श्राद्धास कोणी ब्राह्मण मिळेना. त्याने हे ज्ञानेश्वरांना सांगितले. ते ऐकून ज्ञानेश्वर म्हणाले, ''मी तुमचे पितरच इथे भोजनासाठी आणवितो. तुम्ही स्वयंपाक तयार करावा.'' ब्राह्मणाने सर्व सिद्धता केली. ज्ञानेश्वरांनी त्या ब्राह्मणाचे प्रत्यक्ष पितर बोलावून आणले. पंचपक्वानांचे भोजन, वस्त्रालंकार, दक्षिणा देऊन सर्व कार्य संपल्यानंतर 'स्वस्थाने वासः' असे ज्ञानेश्वरांनी म्हणताच ते पितर अदृश्य झाले. हे वर्तमान पैठणात सर्वत्र पसरले, तेव्हा सर्व विरोधकांना पश्चाताप झाला. त्यांनी ज्ञानेश्वरांचा सत्कार केला. 'तुम्ही साक्षात ईश्वराचे अवतार आहात. तुम्हाला प्रायश्चितची जरुरी नाही.' अशा तऱ्हेचे पत्र त्यांनी लिहून दिले. ज्ञानेश्वरांनी पैठण येथे केलेले चमत्कार आळंदीच्या लोकांना समजले. साक्षात ईश्वरच अवतरले आहेत असे ते समजू लागले. मराठी भाषेतील सर्वांत मोठा प्राचीन असा ‘ज्ञानेश्वरी’ हा ग्रंथ ज्ञानदेवांनी नेवासे येथे लिहिला. त्यांनी वयाच्या १५ व्या वर्षी लिहिलेली ‘ज्ञानेश्वरी’ म्हणजे मराठी भाषेतील धर्मग्रंथरूपी अजरामर लेणेच होय ! आळंदीस विसोबा नावाचा एक कुटील विरोधक होता. तो या चार भावंडांचा खूप द्वेष करीत असे. एकदा निवृत्तीनाथांनी मुक्ताबाईस मांडे करण्यास सांगितले. तिने सर्व सामान आणले व मांडे भाजण्याकरिता खापर आणण्यास ती कुंभाराकडे गेली. तिथे विसोबा होता. त्याने कुंभारास तिला खापर देऊ नकोस म्हणून बजावले. तो कुंभार विसोबांचा देणेकरी असल्यामुळे त्याला ते कबूल करणे भाग पडले. मुक्ताबाई खिन्न होऊन घरी आली. ज्ञानेश्वरांना म्हणाली, ''मांडे करणार कसे ? कुंभाराने खापर दिले नाही. !'' यावर ज्ञानेश्वर लगेच आपला जठराग्नि प्रदीप्त करून म्हणाले, ''माझ्या पाठीवर मांडे भाज.'' मुक्ताबाईने ज्ञानेश्वरांच्या पाठीवर मांडे केले. नंतर सर्वजण भोजनास बसले. विसोबा ते दुरून पाहत होता. तो धावत जाऊन त्यांना शरण गेला. चांगदेव नावाचा एक महान योगी होते. आत्मा ब्रह्मांडी नेण्याची विद्या त्यांना पूर्ण येत असल्यामुळे त्यांनी जगात चौदाशे वर्षे काढली. ते स्वतःला सामर्थ्यवान समजत. आपणासारखा दुसरा कोणी सद्गुरू नाही, असे ते आपल्या शिष्यांना सांगत. ज्ञानेश्वरांविषयी त्यांना कळल्यानंतर त्यांना पत्र लिहावे, असा विचार चांगदेवांनी केला. ते पत्र लिहू लागले. पत्रारंभी 'तीर्थरूप' लिहावे तर ज्ञानेश्वर वयाने लहान आहेत. 'चिरंजीव' लिहावे तर त्यांच्यापासून आपणाला आत्म-ज्ञान घेणे आहे. अखेर त्यांनी कोरा कागदच ज्ञानेश्वरांना पाठवून दिला. तो कोरा कागद पाहून ज्ञानेश्वर म्हणाले की, ''गुरु न केल्यामुळे चांगदेव चौदाशे वर्षे कोराच राहिला.'' त्यांनी त्याच शिष्याजवळ उत्तर लिहून दिले की, ''संपूर्ण विश्वाचा चालक तुमच्यापाशी आहे. त्याच्याजवळ लहान-थोर असा भेद नाही.'' ज्ञानेश्वरांचे उत्तर त्या शिष्याने चांगदेवास नेऊन दिले. चांगदेवांनी शिष्य-समुदाय बरोबर घेतला व स्वतः एका वाघावर बसून सर्पाचा चाबूक हातात धरला. त्या वेळी ज्ञानेश्वर, निवृत्तीनाथ, सोपान, मुक्ताबाई एका भिंतीवर बसले होते. त्यांना ही गोष्ट समजली तेव्हा ज्ञानेश्वरांनी भिंतीला आज्ञा केली, संत भेटण्यास येत आहेत. आपण त्यांना सामोरे गेले पाहिजे. ती निर्जीव भिंत त्यांना घेऊन चालू लागली. ते दृश्य पाहून चांगदेवांचा अभिमान नाहीसा झाला. त्यांनी ज्ञानेश्वरांचे चरण धरले. नंतर उपदेश घेतला. भागवतधर्म मंदिराचा पाया रचुन ज्ञानेश्वरांनी वयाच्या २१ व्या वर्षी आळंदी येथे इंद्रायणी नदीच्या पावन तिरावर संजीवन समाधी घेतली (कार्तिक वद्य त्रयोदशी, शके १२१८, दूर्मुखनाम संवत्सर, इ.स.१२९६, गुरुवार). यानंतर अवघ्या वर्षभरात निवृत्ती, सोपान व मुक्ताबाई या त्यांच्या भावंडांनी आपली इहलोकीची यात्रा संपवली.  माऊली ज्ञानेश्वर माऊली 

Lord Ganesha.....A Saviour To Mankind.......

Ganesha Chaturthi:- Ganesha Chaturthi also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi, is the Hindu festival celebrated on the birthday (re-birth) of Lord Ganesha the son of Shiva and Parvati. It is believed that Lord Ganesh bestows his presence on earth for all his devotees during this festival. It is the day Shiva declared his son Ganesha as superior to all the Gods, barring Vishnu, Lakshmi, Shiva and Parvati. Ganesha is widely worshipped as the God of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune and traditionally invoked at the beginning of any new venture or at the start of travel. The festival, also known as Ganeshotsav ("festival of Ganesha") is observed in the Hindu calendar month of Bhaadrapada, starting on the shukla chaturthi (fourth day of the waxing moon period). The date usually falls between 19 August and 20 September. The festival lasts for 10 days, ending on Anant Chaturdashi (fourteenth day of the waxing moon period). While celebrated all over India, it is most elaborate in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Goa, Orissa, Tamil Nadu and Chhattisgarh. Outside India, it is celebrated widely in Nepal and by Hindus in the United States, Canada, Mauritius, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Burma , Fiji and Trinidad & Tobago. Legend:- Traditional stories tell that Lord Ganesha was created by goddess Parvati, consort of Lord Shiva. Parvati created Ganesha out of sandalwood paste that she used for her bath and breathed life into the figure. She then set him to stand guard at her door while she bathed. Lord Shiva returned and, as Ganesha didn't know him, he didn't allow him to enter. Lord Shiva became enraged and asked his follower ghosts to teach the child some manners. Ganesha, being born of Parvati, the embodiment of shakti or power was very powerful himself. He defeated the ghost-followers (called as the "gana"s)and declared nobody was allowed to enter while his mother was bathing. Sensing a growing turmoil, the sage of heavens, Narada, along with the Saptarshi (the seven wise rishis) went to appease the boy with no results. Angered, the king of Gods, Indra attacked the boy with his entire heavenly army but even they didn't stand a chance. By then, this issue had become a matter of pride for Parvathi and Shiva. After the devas were defeated, the trinity, the controller, preserver and destroyer of the universe launched an attack against Ganesha. Amidst the fight, Shiva severed the head of the child. And brought on Parvathi's rage. Seeing her son dead, Parvathi revealed her true self, as the Adi-shakti, the prime energy that fuels the universe and sustains matter. Taking on a terrible form, she vowed to destroy the universe where her son was killed and re-create a better one. The Gods prostrated before her and Shiva promised that her son will live again. The trinity hunted the world for a head and came across a mother elephant crying for her dead baby. They consoled the mother and fixed the head of the baby elephant in place of Ganesha's head. Lord Shiva also declared that from this day, the boy would be called as "Ganesha" (Gana-Isha=lord of the Ganas). In this way, Lord Ganesha came to be depicted as the elephant-headed God. Date:- This festival is observed in the lunar month of bhadrapada shukla paksha chat The festival is observed in the Hindu calendar month of Bhaadrapada, starting on the shukla chaturthi (fourth day of the waxing moon). The date usually falls between 19 August and 20 September. The festival lasts for 10 or 12 days, ending on Anant Chaturdashi . If Chaturthi prevails on both days, the first day should be observed. Even if chaturthi prevails for the complete duration of madhyahana on the second day, if it prevails on the previous day's madhyahana period even for one ghatika (24 minutes), the previous day should be observed. In Hinduism:- Two to three months before Ganesha Chaturthi, artistic clay models of Lord Ganesha are made for sale by specially skilled artisans. They are beautifully decorated and depict Lord Ganesha in poses. The size of these statues may vary from 3/4 of an inch to over 70 feet. Ganesha Chaturthi starts with the installation of these Ganesha statues in colorfully decorated homes and specially erected temporary structures mandapas (pandals) in every locality. The pandals are erected by the people or a specific society or locality or group by collecting monetary contributions. The pandals are decorated specially for the festival, either by using decorative items like flower garlands, lights, etc. or are theme based decorations, which depict religious themes or current events. The priest, usually clad in red or white dhoti and uttariyam (Shawl), then with the chanting of mantras invokes the presence of Ganesha using the statue as a channel, or body for his energy. This ritual is the Pranapratishhtha. After this the ritual called as Shhodashopachara (16 ways of paying tribute) follows. Coconut, jaggery, 21 modakas, 21 durva (trefoil) blades of grass and red flowers are offered. The statue is anointed with red unguent, typically made of kumkum and sandalwood paste. Throughout the ceremony, Vedic hymns from the Rig Veda, the Ganapati Atharva Shirsha Upanishad, and the Ganesha stotra from the Narada Purana are chanted. Ganesha is worshipped for 10 days from Bhadrapada Shudha Chaturthi to the Ananta Chaturdashi, On the 11th day, the statue is taken through the streets in a procession accompanied with dancing, singing, and fanfare to be immersed in a river or the sea symbolizing a ritual see-off of the Lord in his journey towards his abode in Kailash while taking away with him the misfortunes of his devotees. This is the ritual known as Ganesha Visarjan in Marathi, Ganesha Visarjane in Kannada and Vinayaka Nimarjana or Vinayaka Nimajjanam in Telugu. At individual homes the Visarjan/Nimajjanam is also done on 3rd, 5th or 7th day as per the family tradition. All join in this final procession shouting "Ganapati Bappa Morya, Pudhachya Varshi Laukar ya" (O lord Ganesha, come again early next year) in Maharashtra and "Ganesha Maha Raj ki, Jai" (lord Ganesha, victory is yours) in Andhra Pradesh. After the final offering of coconuts, flowers and camphor is made, people carry the idols to the river to immerse it. Some buy their own small clay statue, and after 1,3 or 11 days immerse it in a bucket or tub at home, so as not to pollute public lakes or rivers. After a few days the clay is used in the home garden. The main sweet dish during the festival is the modak (modak in Marathi, modakam/kudumu in Telugu, modaka in Kannada and modagam in Tamil). A modak is a dumpling made from rice flour/wheat flour with a stuffing of fresh or dry-grated coconut, jaggery, dry fruits and some other condiments. It is either steam-cooked or fried. Another popular sweet dish is the karanji (karjikai in Kannada) which is similar to the modak in composition and taste but has a semicircular shape In Andhra, kudumu (rice flour dumplings stuffed with coconut and jaggery mixture), Vundrallu (steamed coarsely grounded rice flour balls), Panakam (jaggery, black pepper and cardamom flavored drink), Vadapappu (soaked and moong lentils), Chalividi (cooked rice flour and jaggery mixture), etc., are offered to Ganesha along with Modakams. These offerings to god are called Naivedyam in Telugu. In Andhra, Clay Ganesh (Matti Vinayakudu in Telugu) and Turmeric Ganesha (Siddhi Vinayakudu in Telugu) is usually worshipped at homes along with plaster of paris Ganesha. Public celebrations of the festival are hugely popular, with local communities (mandalas) vying with each other to put up the biggest statue and the best pandal. The festival is also the time for cultural activities like singing and theater performances, orchestra and community activities like free medical checkup, blood donation camps, charity for the poor, etc. Today, the Ganesha Festival is not only a popular festival, it has become a very critical and important economic activity for Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai. Many artists, industries, and businesses survive on this mega-event. Ganesha Festival also provides a stage for budding artists to present their art to the public. In Maharashtra, not only Hindus but many other religions also participate in the celebration like Muslims, Jains, Christian and others. In mangalore, there is a belief that the eldest son of the home should be present during pooja. This festival managed to re-establish the unity among the Indians during British Era. Outside India:- Ganesha Chaturthi is celebrated in the UK by the migrant Hindu population as well as the large number of Indians residing there. The Hindu culture and Heritage Society, UK - a Southall based organisation celebrated Ganesha Chaturthi for the first time in London in 2005 at The Vishwa Hindu Temple. The Idol was immersed in the river Thames at Putney Pier. Another celebration organised by an Gujarati group has been celebrated in the Southend-on-Sea which attracts over 18000 devotees. Annual celebrations also take place on the River Mersey at Liverpool. The festival is similarly celebrated in many locations across the world. The Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh USA, an organisation of Hindus based in the US organises many such events to mark the Hindu festivals. In USA, Ganesha Chaturthi is celebrated by various associations of Telugu speaking people. (Telugu Association of North America, Bay Area Telugu Association and Balaji Temples across USA.) The Philadelphia Ganesha popularly known as PGF is the largest Sarvajanik (fully contributed by public funds) Hindu festival in North America. Since 2005 the festival is conducted every year in Bharatiya Temple, Chalfont, Pennsylvania. The 10 days are marked by processions, devotional programs, cultural events, India filmi-orchestra and a weekend carnival. While the Marathi community plays a big role in organising the festival, participation from all communities such as Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, North Indian, Bengali etc. is seen as the reason for its success and uniqueness. In Canada, Ganesha Chaturthi is celebrated by associations of Marathi-speaking people. (MBM in Toronto, MSBC in Vancouver, etc.) Celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi in Mauritius dates back to 1896. The first Ganesha Chaturthi Puja was held in the 7 Cascades Valley next to Henrietta village by the Bhiwajee family who is still celebrating this pious festival for more than a century. Over the years the festival gained such popularity on the island that Mauritian government has attributed a public holiday for that day. History:- It is not known when and how Ganesha Chaturthi was first celebrated. Ganesha Chaturthi was being celebrated as a public event in Pune since the times of Shivaji (1630-1680), the founder of the Maratha Empire. The Peshwas, the de facto hereditary administrators of the Empire from 1749 till its end in 1818, encouraged the celebrations in their administrative seat Pune as Ganesha was their family deity (Kuladevata). With the fall of the Peshwas, Ganesha Chaturthi lost state patronage and became a private family celebration again till its revivial by Indian freedom fighter and social reformer Lokmanya Tilak. In 1893, Lokmanya Tilak transformed the annual domestic festival into a large, well-organized public event.Tilak recognized the wide appeal of the deity Ganesha as "the god for everybody", and popularized Ganesha Chaturthi as a national festival in order "to bridge the gap between Brahmins and 'non-Brahmins' and find a context in which to build a new grassroots unity between them", and generate nationalistic fervour among people in Maharashtra against the British colonial rule.Tilak was the first to install large public images of Ganesha in pavilions, and also established the practice of submerging in rivers, sea, or other pools of water all public images of the deity on the tenth day after Ganesha Chaturthi. Under Tilak's encouragement, the festival facilitated community participation and involvement in the form of intellectual discourses, poetry recitals, performances of plays, musical concerts, and folk dances. It served as a meeting ground for people of all castes and communities in times when, in order to exercise control over the population, the British discouraged social and political gatherings. Environmental impact The most serious impact of the festival on the environment is due to the immersion of idols made of Plaster of Paris into lakes, rivers and the sea. Traditionally, the idol was sculpted out of mud taken from nearby one’s home. After the festival, it was returned back to the Earth by immersing it in a nearby water body. This cycle was meant to represent the cycle of creation and dissolution in Nature. However, as the production of Ganesha idols on a commercial basis grew, the earthen or natural clay (shaadu maati in Marathi and banka matti in Telugu) was replaced by Plaster of Paris. Plaster is a man-made material, easier to mould, lighter and less expensive than clay. However, plaster is non-biodegradable, and insoluble in water. Moreover, the chemical paints used to adorn these plaster idols themselves contain heavy metals like mercury and cadmium, causing water pollution. Also, on immersion, non-biodegradable accessories that originally adorned the idol accumulate in the layers of sand on the beach. Recently there have been new initiatives sponsored by some state governments to produce clay Ganesha idols. On the final day of the Ganesha festival thousands of plaster idols are immersed into water bodies by devotees. These increase the level of acidity in the water and the content of heavy metals. Several non-governmental and governmental bodies have been addressing this issue. Amongst the solutions proposed are as follows: Return to the traditional use of natural clay idols and immerse the icon in a bucket of water at home. Use of a permanent icon made of stone and brass, used every year and a symbolic immersion only. Recycling of plaster idols to repaint them and use them again the following year. Ban on the immersion of plaster idols into lakes, rivers and the sea. Creative use of other biodegradable materials such as paper-mâché to create Ganesha idols. Encouraging people to immerse the idols in tanks of water rather than in natural water bodies. To handle religious sentiments sensitively, some temples and spiritual groups have taken up the cause. Noise pollution is also an unfortunate outcome of this joyous festival. Eco friendly Ganesh Idols:- Ganesha idols are made out of paper mache,instead of POP, it does not create pollution. Very important thing is that these idols are cheaper than other idols. Similarly, these idols dissolve quickly in water and paper mache is not harmful to water hence there is no water pollution, as well as there are no remains of idols left on the seashore.

POLA...A FESTIVAL......DEBT TOWARDS BULLS......

Pola Festival is celebrated throughout the state of Maharashtra, in the Hindu month of Shravan (that usually coincides August). It falls on day of Pithori Amavasya (new moon day) in Shravan. The festival marks the day when farmers worship their bulls and they are not given any routine work during the two days.. On the day before Pola Festival, fa rmers remove 'vesan' (the rope) from the nostrils of their bull. Thereafter, they apply a paste of turmeric powder and ground nut oil, on its shoulders. Finally, the bull is given a hot water bath and served with khichadi, made of bajari. On the day of the festival, the bull is taken to the nearest river or pond and given a thorough bath. The farmers then paint the bull's horns and put colorful ornaments over them. Lastly, an ornamented shawl is put over the body of the bullocks and their neck is adorned with flower garlands. After decorating the bulls, the farmers worship them. Evening time is reserved for taking enthusiastic processions of all the bulls in the area, beautifully adorned, through the streets. Side by side, instruments like drums, bugles, lezims are played loudly (a typical Indian musical instrument), etc. At some of the villages in India, even fairs are organized as a part of the celebrations. The major attractions of these fairs comprise of competitions and outdoor games like volleyball, wrestling, kabaddi,etc. In towns and cities, instead of worshipping bulls, people worship their statues, either wooden or earthen. Last but not the least, Puran Poli (a sweet dish) adds the perfect flavor to the festivities.

The Man Of Confidence And Iron Will...Lokmanya Tilak

Lokmanya Tilak Lokmanya Tilak born as Keshav Bal Gangadhar Tilak((1856-07-23)23 July 1856 – 1 August 1920(1920-08-01), age 64), was an Indian nationalist, teacher, social reformer, lawyer and independence fighter who was the first popular leader of the Indian Independence Movement. The British colonial authorities derogatorily called him "Father of the Indian unrest". He was also conferred with the honorary title of "Lokmanya", which literally means "Accepted by the people(as their leader)". Tilak was one of the first and strongest advocates of "Swaraj"(self-rule) and a strong radical in Indian consciousness. His famous quote, "Swaraj is my birthright, and I shall have it!" is well-remembered in India even today. Early life Lokmanya Tilak was born at Chummakachu Lane (Ranjani Aaleea) in Chikhalgaon, Ratnagiri, Maharashtra to a Chitpavan Brahmin family. His father, Shri Gangadhar Tilak was a famous school teacher and a Sanskrit scholar who died when Tilak was sixteen. His brilliance rubbed off on young Tilak, who graduated from Deccan College, Pune in 1877. Tilak was among one of the first generation of Indians to receive a college education . Tilak was expected, as was the tradition then, to actively participate in public affairs. He stated: "Religion and practical life are not different. To take Sanyasa(renunciation) is not to abandon life. The real spirit is to make the country your family work together instead of working only for your own. The step beyond is to serve humanity and the next step is to serve God." This dedication to humanity would be a fundamental element in the Indian Nationalist Movement. After graduating, Tilak began teaching mathematics in a private school in Pune. Later due to some ideological differences with the colleagues in the New School, he decided to withdraw from that activity. About that time, he became a journalist. He was a strong critic of the Western education system, feeling it demeaned the Indian students and disrespected India's heritage. He organized the Deccan Education Society with a few of his college friends, including Gopal Ganesh Agarkar, Mahadev Ballal Namjoshi and Vishnushastri Krushnashastri Chiplunkar whose goal was to improve the quality of education for India's youth. The Deccan Education Society was set up to create a new system that taught young Indians nationalist ideas through an emphasis on Indian culture.[1] Tilak began a mass movement towards independence that was camouflaged by an emphasis on a religious and cultural revival.[2] He taught mathematics at Fergusson College. Political career Indian National Congress Tilak joined the Indian National Congress in 1890. He opposed its moderate attitude, especially towards the fight for self-government. He was one of the most-eminent radicals at the time. Despite being personally opposed to early marriage, Tilak opposed the 1891 Age of Consent bill, seeing it as interference with Hinduism and a dangerous precedent. The act raised the age at which a girl could get married from 10 to 12 years. A plague epidemic spread from Mumbai to Pune in late 1896, and by January 1897, it reached epidemic proportions. In order to suppress the epidemic and prevent its spread, it was decided to take drastic action, accordingly a Special Plague Committee, with jurisdiction over Pune city, its suburbs and Pune cantonment was appointed under the Chairmanship of W. C. Rand, I.C.S., Assistant Collector of Pune by way of a government order dated 8 March 1897. Tilak took up the people's cause by publishing inflammatory articles in his paper Kesari (Kesari was written in Marathi, and Maratha was written in English), quoting the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad Gita, to say that no blame could be attached to anyone who killed an oppressor without any thought of reward. Following this, on 22 June 1897, Rand and another British officer, Lt. Ayerst were shot and killed by the Chapekar brothers and their other associates. Tilak was charged with incitement to murder and sentenced to 18 months imprisonment. When he emerged from prison, he was revered as a martyr and a national hero. He adopted a new slogan, "Swaraj (self-rule) is my birthright and I shall have it." Following the partition of Bengal in 1905, which was a strategy set out by Lord Curzon to weaken the nationalist movement, Tilak encouraged the Swadeshi movement and the Boycott movement.The Boycott movement consisted of the boycott of foreign goods and also the social boycott of any Indian who used foreign goods. The Swadeshi movement consisted of the usage of goods produced by oneself or in India. Once foreign goods were boycotted, there was a gap which had to be filled by the production of those goods in India itself. Tilak, therefore, rightly said that the Swadeshi and Boycott movements are two sides of the same coin. Tilak opposed the moderate views of Gopal Krishna Gokhale, and was supported by fellow Indian nationalists Bipin Chandra Pal in Bengal and Lala Lajpat Rai in Punjab. They were referred to as the Lal-Bal-Pal triumvirate. In 1907, the annual session of the Congress Party was held at Surat, Gujarat. Trouble broke out between the moderate and the radical factions of the party over the selection of the new president of the Congress. The party split into the "Jahal matavadi" ("Hot Faction" or radicals), led by Tilak, Pal and Lajpat Rai, and the "Maval matavadi" ("Soft Faction" or moderates). Nationalists like Aurobindo Ghose were Tilak supporters. Arrest On 30 April 1908, two Bengali youths, Prafulla Chaki and Khudiram Bose, threw a bomb on a carriage at Muzzafarpur, in order to kill the Chief Presidency Magistrate Douglas Kingsford of Calcutta fame, but erroneously killed some women travelling in it. While Chaki committed suicide when caught, Bose was hanged. Tilak, in his paper Kesari, defended the revolutionaries and called for immediate Swaraj or self-rule. The Government swiftly arrested him for sedition. He asked a young Muhammad Ali Jinnah to represent him. But a special jury convicted him, and the Parsi judge D. D. Davar gave him the controversial sentence of six years' transportation and a Rs 1,000 fine.As a result, Tilak was sent to Mandalay, Burma from 1908 to 1914. While imprisoned, he continued to read and write, further developing his ideas on the Indian Nationalist movement. While in the prison he wrote the most-famous Gita Rahasya. Lots of copies of which were sold, and the money was donated for the freedom fighting. Life after prison Tilak had mellowed after his release in June 1914, more because of the diabetes and hardship in Mandalay prison. When World War I started in August, Tilak cabled the King-Emperor in Britain of his support and turned his oratory to find new recruits for war efforts. He welcomed The Indian Councils Act, popularly known as Minto-Morley Reforms, which had been passed by British Parliament in May 1909, terming it as "a marked increase of confidence between the Rulers and the Ruled". Acts of violence actually retarded, than hastened, the pace of political reforms, he felt. He was eager for reconciliation with Congress and had abandoned his demand for direct action and settled for agitations "strictly by constitutional means" - a line advocated by his rival Gopal Krishna Gokhale. Tilak saw the spark in Mohandas Gandhi and tried his best to convince Gandhi to leave the idea of "Total Ahinsa" and try to get "Swarajya" by all means. Gandhi, though looked upon him as his guru, did not change his mind. All India Home Rule League Later, Tilak re-united with his fellow nationalists and re-joined the Indian National Congress in 1916. He also helped found the All India Home Rule League in 1916–18, with G. S. Khaparde and Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Annie Besant. After years of trying to reunite the moderate and radical factions, he gave up and focused on the Home Rule League, which sought self-rule. Tilak traveled from village to village trying to conjure up support from farmers and locals to join the movement towards self-rule.[5] Tilak was impressed by the Russian Revolution, and expressed his admiration for Vladimir Lenin.[6] Tilak, who started his political life as a Maratha propagandist, progressed into a prominent nationalist after his close association with Indian nationalists following the partition of Bengal. When asked in Calcutta whether he envisioned a Maratha-type of government for Free India, Tilak replied that the Maratha-dominated governments of 17th and 18th centuries were outmoded in the 20th century, and he wanted a genuine federal system for Free India where every religion and race was an equal partner. He added that only such a form of government would be able to safeguard India's freedom. He was the first Congress leader to suggest that Hindi written in the Devanagari script be accepted as the sole national language of India. Social contribution In 1894, Tilak transformed household worshipping of Ganesha into Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav. Gopal Ganesh Agarkar was the first editor of Kesari, a prominent Marathi weekly in his days, which was started by Lokmanya Tilak in 1880-81. G Lokmanya Tilak, established the Shri Shivaji Raigad Smarak Mandal along with Senapati Khanderao Dabhade IInd of Talegaon Dabhade, who became the Founder President of the Mandal. In 1895, Tilak founded the Shri Shivaji Fund Committee for celebration of 'Shiv Punya Tithi' and for the reconstruction of the Samadhi of Shivaji Maharaj at Fort Raigad. Tilak said, "I regard India as my Motherland and my Goddess, the people in India my kith and kin, and loyal and steadfast work for their political and social emancipation my highest religion and duty"

POLITICIANS ARE IN NUMBERS...BUT WHERE IS STATMENSHIP........?

The nee of the hour is not the just talk of peace, progress and prosperity But honest efforts and step in that direction and one importantly in the field of politics of India. As we Indian have opted for democracy so we need leadership. And politicians play the role to exercise it from villages to capital city of India. Initially leaders were come front to reach the basic requirements of the needed people of our country. So at the certain extent our nation attained development and still it is going on. But we don't find as it should be as our fundamental needs to be met. We speak about to step on the moon and it is must if we want to be in the technological flow and the race of the rest countries. But when we peep onto the ground level with encountering problems, we feel great fear of all that. Politicians are lot. They come front for the welfare of people with the various criticisms of the rests. They elect after much expenditure as we see when the elections are held. How do we expect from them the real welfare and progress of the certain area? The politicians and other responsible for the today’s cause. We know the hardships and attainment of Gandhi, Sardar Patel and Lalbahadur Shastri and many more. They were gone through continuous hard work and upliftment of subjects and that is pure patriotism. The real social service never asks for the investment of personal property or money. And if it is seen then something is going wrong. Patriotism is far away from the hearts of the most of the present day politicians as can be judged from their cumulative actions of thoughts and deed which have brought the country in the danger and its democracy. They are very close to change the meaning of democracy as we see how they behave. Population, Poverty, corruption and terrorism are the basic causes to hold back us from the progress of masses. We are independence but made busy in unfolding tasks. Having put the country in its correct perspectives in the hearts of masses and on the globe we must eradicate the problems of Population, Poverty, corruption and terrorism. And so for we must keep off the selfish and discriminative thinking aside and understand the right of every life here on. If the present trends continue, posterity will only blame the present generation for forcing the country in the burning problems ever. And why don’t we see by our open eyes that the developed India cannot be built by the recurring problems such as Population, Poverty, corruption and terrorism, if some of third rated leaders (selfish) hold the decisive posts in the country.

VISHWAJIVANREKHA- Peace OF Mind..............Article-IIPart-II

PEACE OF MIND.The article is a second part of and continued here.......................................................................................................................................................... VISWAJIVANREKHA- Peace Of Mind-Article-II/Part:-II...Continued.......... Here we will go through six basic routine behaviors with we come across directly or indirectly, And how can we overcome from, let’s see............ (E). Change yourself according to the environment:- If you try to change the environment single evenhandedly, the chances are you may fail. Instead, change yourself to suit the environment. As you do this, even the environment, which has remained unfriendly for you, will mysteriously appear to be congenial and harmonious. (F). Endure what cannot be cured:- This is the best way to turn a disadvantage into an advantage. Every day we face numerous inconveniences, ailments, irritations and accidents that are beyond our control. We must learn to endure them cheerfully thinking, "God will it so, so be it". God's logic is beyond our comprehension. Believe it and you will gain in patience, in inner strength, in will power. (G). Do not bite more than you can chew:- This maxim should be always remembered. We often tend to take more responsibilities than we are capable to carry out. This is done to satisfy our ego. Know your limitations. Spend your free time on prayers, introspection and meditation. This will reduce those thoughts in your mind, which make you restless. Fewer the thoughts, greater is the peace of mind. (H). Meditate regularly:- Meditation makes the mind thoughtless. This is the highest state of peace of mind. Try and experience it. If you meditate earnestly for half an hour every day, you will tend to become calm during the remaining twenty-three and a half hours. Your mind will not be disturbed as much as before. This will increase your efficiency and you will turn out more work in less time. (I). Never leave the mind vacant:- An empty mind is devil's workshop. All evil deeds start in the mind. Keep your mind occupied in something positive, something worthwhile. Actively follow a hobby. You must decide what you value more - money or peace of mind. Your hobby, like social work may not always earn you more money, but you will have a sense of fulfillment and achievement. (J). Do not postpone and never be disappointed:- Do not waste time in wondering "should I or shouldn't I?" Days, weeks, months and years may be wasted in that futile mental debating. You can never plan enough because you can never anticipate all future happenings. Always remember God has His own plan too. Value your time and do things. It does not matter if you fail the first time. You can rectify your mistakes and succeed the next time. Sitting back and worrying will lead to nothing. Learn from your mistakes but do not brood over the past. I confidently say it will decrease much of the stress of our routine .. ..........Thank You.....