Uniting India
Archive for July, 2012
Adurthi Subba Rao: Director par excellence
Jul 30th
There are directors who are much respected for their craft. There are directors who are admired for their success stories. And there are directors who are known for their disciplinarian methods. But there was one director of yore who was Loved by all for the craft he brought in, for his success and also for the discipline which he brought through jovial manners. He was Adurthi Subba Rao, the man who gave Telugu cinema the lessons in commercial film making.
Adurthi Subba Rao was born to Adurthi Satthenna and Rajya Lakshmi. He showed much interest in literature and photography from his college days in Kakinada. He was prolific in writing telugu poetry and was more involved with literature than the syllabus books. He had a personal camera in those days which he used for capturing nature. May be his penchant for natural photography laid seeds for the director in him to shoot at real natural locations which he used in films like, “Mooga Manasulu”.
He was a vivid cine buff and he took a decision to become a cinematographer and pursued cinematography course in Bombay in St. Xavier’s College against the wishes of his parents.
Adurthi had to struggle a lot during More >
Save the Holy Cows, Stop Killing them!!
Jul 28th
“Gaavo Vishwasya Maatarah”. Cow is the mother of the world not of any one person or country. After Mother Earth, Mother Cow is the greatest giver on planet earth. In Sanskrit the word ‘Goushala’ literally means cow protection or the place where cows are sheltered. Other Sanskrit names for the cow are Gou-mata (mother cow), Kamadhenu (wish fulfilling cow), and Aghnya (never to be killed). This cow-killing is the most sinful activity and who does that will suffer in many ways.
The Vedic literatures (Hindu scriptures) state that protection must be given to weak and helpless living entities by the stronger members of society. It is the duty of a householder to protect and provide not only for one’s family but even for the ants that live within one’s house; what to speak of higher living entities like the cow, who are at the mercy of their owners. The scriptures state that the cow is our mother. We drink the milk from the cow, therefore we must accept her as our mother and protect her. As such how can a civilized society allow violence to come to such helpless living entities, who sustain us all with their milk.”
In Hinduism the cow is held More >
Lalita Sahasranama -1000 Names of Divine Mother
Jul 28th
Shri Lalita sahasranama is a sacred Hindu text for the worshippers of the Goddess Lalita Devi, i.e. the Divine Mother, Shakti, the consort of Lord Shiva. Lalita is the Goddess of bliss, an epithet for Parvati. Etymologically “Lalita” means “She Who Plays”. All the thousand names are organised as in a hymn, i.e. in the way of stotras. This hymn occurs in the Brahmanda Purana. It is a dialogue between Hayagriva, a minor incarnation (avatara) of Vishnu and the great sage Agastya. The Lalita Sahasranama is held as a sacred text for the worship of the Divine Mother, Lalita and is also used in the worship of Durga, Kali, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Bhagavathi, etc.. It is a principal text of Shakti worshippers. Lalita Sahasranama names the various attributes of the Divine Mother, and all these names are organised in the form of a hymn. This Sahasranama is used in various modes for the worship of the Divine Mother. Some of the modes of worship are parayana (Recitations), archana, homa etc. usually, in a sahasranama, if the same name repeats, the commentators use their scholarship and inspiration to give different meanings to different occurrences of the same name. Lalita sahasranma has the More >
Vegetarianism and Islam
Jul 25th
The option to be vegetarian has always existed in Islam, whether or not it was actualized at any time or place. The great Sufi Râbi‘ah al-‘Adawîyah of Basrah was an early Muslim vegetarian. In recent times, the renowned Sufi shaykh Bawa Muhaiyaddeen was a notable vegetarian Muslim. Nowadays there are more and more Muslims in different countries choosing to be vegetarian, although they have mostly kept quiet about it.
Haram Vs Halal:Sometimes we get negative, hostile, indignant, or incredulous reactions from other Muslims who have never considered the possibility. One common line of attack goes, “You can’t make harâm what Allah has made halâl! That is a sin!” Excuse me, but who ever said anything about making anything harâm? Why even bring that issue into it? Why do they have to think of everything in life in terms of force and compulsion and forbidding? In Islamic law there are more categories than just obligatory and harâm. There are various shadings of desirable and undesirable, and in the middle there is the neutral (al-mubâh). The choice of what halâl food to eat is a neutral one—it doesn’t have any direct bearing on what is forbidden or obligatory. I’m not making meat “harâm.” More >
Western Psychology vs. Eastern Spirituality by Osho
Jul 23rd
Osho – who was a widely followed Indian guru from the 60s-80s – brings up some very interesting and insightful points about the differences between Western psychology and Eastern spirituality’s approach to changing man. Osho correctly states that Western psychology’s aim is to fortify the individual’s ego so that he may become less neurotic, slightly happier and ultimately function ‘better’ in society. He says that in the East, the goal is instead to dissolve the ego rather than strengthen it.
It could be said that the neurosis of Western man stems from a life-long repression of almost every natural desire and instinct that we have as a human animal. This is a result of our society’s many taboos and laws which punish us for thinking or acting outside a certain archetype of a normal, healthy person that has been created for us. The result is that we are at war with ourselves, as we constantly have to police our thoughts and behaviour and those of others around us. This is where psychology comes in, to iron out any tensions that we may have so that we can come out the other side with a stronger ego – to transform from a More >
What is India ?- by Osho
Jul 23rd
India My Love ( Fragments of a Golden Past)”, written by Osho, a very popular mystic spiritual teacher who had and still has an international following. This book is so touching that it brings tears to the eyes of every single person who understands the real meaning of India.
India is not just geography or history. It is not only a nation, a country, a mere piece of land. It is something more: it is a metaphor, poetry, something invisible but very tangible. It is vibrating with certain energy fields which no other country can claim.
It is strange because it has renounced everything for a single search, the search for the truth. It has not produced great philosophers – you will be surprised to know it – no Plato, no Aristotle, no Thomas Aquinas, no Kant, no Hegel, no Bradley, no Bertrand Russell. The whole history of India has not produced a single philosopher – and they have been searching for truth! Certainly their search was very different from the search that has been done in other countries. In other countries people were thinking about truth; in India, people were not thinking about truth – because how can you think about truth? More >
Mahalakshmi Ashtakam from the Padma Purana
Jul 20th
Worship of a mother Goddess has been part of the Indian tradition since its earliest times. Lakshmi is one of the mother goddesses and is addressed as “mata” (mother) instead of just “devi” (goddess). Goddess Lakshmi means Good Luck and wealth to Hindus. The word ‘Lakshmi’ is derived from the Sanskrit word “Lakshya”, meaning ‘aim’ or ‘goal’, and she is the goddess of wealth and prosperity, both material and spiritual.
Lakshmi is the household Goddess of many Hindu families and a favorite among women. Although she is worshipped daily, the festive month of Shravana Masam is considered as special month for worshiping Lakshmi. Lakshmi is depicted as a beautiful woman of golden complexion, with four hands, sitting or standing on a full-bloomed lotus and holding a lotus bud, which stands for beauty, purity and fertility. Her four hands represent the four ends of human life: Dharma or righteousness, “Kama” or desires, “Artha” or wealth, and “Moksha” or liberation from the cycle of birth and death. Cascades of gold coins are shown flowing from her hands, suggesting that those who worship her gain wealth. She is always shown wearing gold embroidered red clothes. Red symbolizes activity and the golden lining indicates prosperity. Lakshmi is More >
The Significance of Sravana Masam(The Nabho Masam)
Jul 19th
The month in which full moon day coincides with Sravana star, that month is denoted as Sraavana Masam. Sravana star is considered as Sri Hari (Vishnu) Nakshathra. While Moon is the star lord, Sri Maha Vishnu is the Star Deity of Sravana nakshathra. It is said that Lord Brahma had darshan of Sri Maha Vishnu for the first time at the beginning of the creation in Sravana constellation. Sri Maha Vishnu’s Vaamana avathara had taken place in the constellation of Sravana. It is also believed that Lord Sri Maha Vishnu (Lord Srinivasa) stepped His foot on the Tirumala hills in search of his consort Goddess Sri Maha Lakshmi in Sravana constellation. At Tirumala temple, the nine day festival Brahmotsavam concludes every year on the day coinciding with Sravana Star.
Astrologically Sravana star is regarded as an auspicious star which falls in the zodiac sign of Makara Raasi (Capricorn) ruled by Saturn. It is said that when Sun during his transit in Makara Raasi comes opposite to Sravana star the doors of Vaikuntam (Moksha Dwara) gets opened. When Sun enters into Makara Raasi, Uttarayana begins. Sravana is considered as a star of learning and Sraavana masam is the auspicious month to begin More >
Rajesh Khanna(1942-2012): A Tribute
Jul 18th
“Zindagi aur maut upar waalon ke haathon mein hain jahaapanah. Use naa aap badal sakte hain aur na hum. Hum sab toh is rang manch ke katputliyah hain jiske dor upar walon ke hath mein bandhe hain. Kab kaun kaise uthegaa kisiko bi pata nahin”
It was just a week ago that the fears about the health of Bollywood icon were dispelled as he was discharged from hospital. Countless fans of his heaved a sigh of relief when it was announced that Rajesh Khanna is doing well. But all of a sudden the news came in this afternoon that, he is no more. It is not just the mourning of his wife, Dimple Kapadia and daughter, Twinkle and Rinkie and son-in-law, Akshay Kumar, but also the mourning of a nation. The Indian nation is collectively saying, Our Anand is no more, our Amar Prem is no more, our Bawarchi is no more, our Kaka is no more.
What a gush of emotions and what a whiff of his memories. He was 69 when he left this world, but what he left behind is a sea of memories and fondness.
When he first emerged on to the Bollywood screen in Aakhri Khat, little More >
The great Indian History and Culture
Jul 14th
The very word India conjures up exotic images in one’s mind. Yet this name for the south Asian subcontinent is of Western making, mediated by the Persians and the Arabs. The name used in ancient Sanskrit texts is Bharat (for the land of Bharatha, a legendary king), which is also the official name of the modern republic. Other familiar Western words such as Hindu, caste, and curry are also totally foreign to India. The general knowledge that exists in the West about India, its early history, philosophy, and culture is, at best, superficial. Nevertheless, since it would be impossible in a brief article to do justice to even one of these topics, I shall provide a brief, accurate glimpse into each.
India covers about 1.2 million square miles and is home to a population of 895 million; in comparison, the United States covers 3.6 million square miles and has 258 million residents. Thus, the population density of India is nearly 10 times that of the United States. (The size of classical India—which includes modern-day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and parts of Afghani-stan—is about two-thirds that of the continental United States. But statistics about India can be misleading. For example, while only about one-quarter of More >
