INDIANNESS & Patriotic Songs - Part - II - VANDE MATRAM:

Vande Mataram

Vande Mataram

I know lot of you just read it like any other words. Hold on!! Say it out loud and bravely if you are alone or just inside you only your mind can hear it. Just try it

Vande Mataram !

Vande Mataram !!

Did you feel the impulse and vibe it brings inside you? You will feel if put your heart into while saying it.

Vande Mataram means Hail to the Mother(land). It is this very own phrase derived from Vande Mataram song, our forefathers shouted so loud enough to drive the British crazy. Its the motto of national cry for the freedom struggle.

Vande Mataram is the national song of India, distinct from the national anthem of India "Jana Gana Mana". The song was composed by Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay in a mixture of Bengali and Sanskrit published in his Bengali novel Anand Math. The English translation of Vande Mataram rendered by Shree Aurobindo, is considered to be the "official" and best.

Do you know only first two stanza of this song are considered to be national song. Did you also know that even Jana Gana Mana...is much longer, and that only first two stanzas are recognized as National Anthem.

"Vande maataraM sujalaaM suphalaaM malayaja shiitalaaM SasyashyaamalaaM maataram Shubhrajyotsnaa pulakitayaaminiiM pullakusumita drumadala shobhiniiM suhaasiniiM sumadhura bhaashhiNiiM sukhadaaM varadaaM maataraM Koti koti kantha kalakalaninaada karaale koti koti bhujai.rdhR^itakharakaravaale abalaa keno maa eto bale bahubaladhaariNiiM namaami taariNiiM ripudalavaariNiiM maataraM Tumi vidyaa tumi dharma tumi hR^idi tumi marma tvaM hi praaNaaH shariire Baahute tumi maa shakti hR^idaye tumi maa bhakti tomaara i pratimaa gaDi mandire mandire TvaM hi durgaa dashapraharaNadhaariNii kamalaa kamaladala vihaariNii vaaNii vidyaadaayinii namaami tvaaM Namaami kamalaaM amalaaM atulaaM SujalaaM suphalaaM maataraM ShyaamalaaM saralaaM susmitaaM bhuushhitaaM DharaNiiM bharaNiiM maataraM "

Mother, I salute thee! Rich with thy hurrying streams, bright with orchard gleams, Cool with thy winds of delight, Green fields waving Mother of might, Mother free. Glory of moonlight dreams, Over thy branches and lordly streams, Clad in thy blossoming trees, Mother, giver of ease Laughing low and sweet! Mother I kiss thy feet, Speaker sweet and low! Mother, to thee I bow. Who hath said thou art weak in thy lands When swords flash out in seventy million hands And seventy million voices roar Thy dreadful name from shore to shore? With many strengths who art mighty and stored, To thee I call Mother and Lord! Thou who saves, arise and save! To her I cry who ever her foe drove Back from plain and sea And shook herself free. Thou art wisdom, thou art law, Thou art heart, our soul, our breath Though art love divine, the awe In our hearts that conquers death. Thine the strength that nerves the arm, Thine the beauty, thine the charm. Every image made divine In our temples is but thine. Thou art Durga, Lady and Queen, With her hands that strike and her swords of sheen, Thou art Lakshmi lotus-throned, And the Muse a hundred-toned, Pure and perfect without peer, Mother lend thine ear, Rich with thy hurrying streams, Bright with thy orchard gleems, Dark of hue O candid-fair In thy soul, with jewelled hair And thy glorious smile divine, Loveliest of all earthly lands, Showering wealth from well-stored hands! Mother, mother mine! Mother sweet, I bow to thee, Mother great and free!

It is generally believed that the concept of Vande Mataram came to Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay when he was still a government official under the British Raj. Around 1870, the British rulers of India had declared that singing of God Save the Queen would be mandatory. He wrote it in a spontaneous session using words from two languages he was expert in, Sanskrit and Bengali.

Regarding the song, Bankimchandra noted almost prophetically,"I may not live to see its popularity, but this song will be sung by every Indian..." A number of lyrical and musical experiments have been done and many versions of the song have been created and released throughout the 20th century. Many of these versions have employed traditional South Asian classical ragas.

Controversy's

While Vande Mataram was treated as the National Anthem of India for long, ultimately Jana Gana Mana was chosen as the National Anthem of independent India. Vande Mataram was rejected on the grounds that Muslims felt offended by its depiction of the nation as "Mother Durga"—a Hindu goddess— thus equating the nation with the Hindu conception of shakti, divine feminine dynamic force; and by its origin as part of Anandamatha, a novel they felt had an anti-Muslim message (see External links below).

In 1937 the Indian National Congress discussed at length the status of the song. It was pointed out then that though the first two stanzas began with an unexceptionable evocation of the beauty of the motherland, in later stanzas there are references where the motherland is likened to the Hindu goddess Durga. Therefore, the Congress decided to adopt only the first two stanzas as the national song


On August 22, 2006, there was a row in the Lok Sabha of the Indian Parliament over whether singing of Vande Mataram in schools should be made mandatory. The ruling coalition (UPA) and Opposition members debated over the Government's stance that singing the National Song Vande Mataram on September 7, 2006 to mark the 125th year celebration of its creation should be voluntary.

On September 7, 2006, the nation celebrated the National Song. Television channels showed school children singing the song at the notified time. Some Muslim groups had discouraged parents from sending their wards to school on the grounds, after the BJP had repeatedly insisted that the National Song must be sung. However, many Muslims did participate in the celebrations.

Here is some versions of the National Songs collected from net.

Original Version (Sang by 4 prominent singers)



Lata Mangeshkar Version



Maa Tujhe Salaam (ARRahman version)

Lata Mangeshkar Version with different collection of photography


Tamil version (written by Tamil Poet Mahakavi Bharathiar)

I remember commenting badly about this song during my school days without feeling the importance of it. I regret it almost all the time when I felt the real meaning and essence of it.

To this day, Vande Mataram is seen as a national mantra describing the love of patriots for India. I hope you share same feeling with me and join me to pronounce the very phrase one more time.

Vande Mataram! Vande Mataram !!

Thanks

Indianness & Patriotic Songs - Part I

Being Indian is not just a namesake act. It's the feel. It's the pride we carry forward in lot of ways that makes us more and more Indianness.

What makes us proud thinking about our great country?!

It's not just the rich heritage and tradition we all immersed when we grew up. It's our Anthem and patriotic songs that pulls the chord deep down inside anytime you sing pumping fresh flow of blood to our heart creating goose bumps giving us the essence of Indian Pride.

We have few number of songs, we all love to be remembered at the time of celebrating 60th year of Independence. I am planning to share my feel and interesting information about them. First and foremost, No Indian can never say No and will ever say I forgot it to this one song. Its our one and only National Anthem Song, "JANA GANA MANA".

Sometimes we feel that it faded away from busy memory store. Don't you worry, when joined chorus with others it just pops right back up rhyming from the heart. Because its stored deep inside you, inside your heart knowingly or unknowingly as we sang every day in our schools. You might have hated at that time but it automatically takes its reserved spot as soon as you became a true Indian.

I never researched deep enough until few days back to learn more about the very words written by our great Tagorji. Like every kid, I just sang it as a burden to finish my morning prayer. After my research, it was really enlightening to sing with the

Here is the very National Anthem song for you to sing,

JANA-GANA-MANA-ADHINAYAKA, JAYA HE

BHARATA-BHAGYA-VIDHATA

PUNJABA-SINDHU-GUJARATA-MARATHA-

DRAVIDA-UTKALA-BANGA

VINDHYA-HIMACHALA-YAMUNA-GANGA

UCCHHALA-JALADHI TARANGA

TAVA SUBHA NAME JAGE

TAVA SUBHA ASHISHA MAGE

GAHE TAVA JAYA GATHA.

JANA-GANA-MANGALA DAYAKA,

JAYA HEBHARATA-BHAGYA-VIDHATA,

JAYA HE, JAYA HE, JAYA HE,

JAYA JAYA JAYA, JAYA HE

The following is a translation of Rabindranath Tagore's rendering of the stanza:

Thou art the ruler of the minds of all people, dispenser of India's destiny. The name rouses the hearts of Punjab, Sind, Gujarat and Maratha, of the Dravid and Orissa and Bengal; it echoes in the hills of the Vindhyas and Himalayas, mingles in the music of the Yamuna and Ganga and is chanted by the waves of the Indian Sea. They pray for thy blessings and sing thy praise. The salvation of all people is in thy hand, thou dispenser of India's destiny.

Victory, victory, victory to thee.

English translation of the stanza rendered by Sri Aurobindo in prose is:

I bow to thee, mother, richly-watered, richly-fruited, cool with the winds of the south, dark with the crops of the harvests, the Mother! Her nights rejoicing in the glory of the moonlight, her lands clothed beautifully with her trees in flowering bloom, sweet of laughter, sweet of speech, the Mother, giver of boons, giver of bliss.

I also found a lovely video of great musician orchestrating our Anthem song. I am not sure how many got to see it already. So I am just adding it case you want to check it out.

Anthem Controversy

Controversy exists regarding the appropriateness of Jana Gana Mana as the national anthem of an independent India. The poem was composed in December 1911, precisely at the time of the Coronation Durbar of George V, and is a paean in praise of "the overlord of India's destiny". The composition was first sung during a convention of the then loyalist Indian National Congress in Calcutta on Dec. 27, 1911.[6] It was sung on the second day of the convention, and the agenda of that day devoted itself to a loyal welcome of George V on his visit to India.

In 2005, there were calls to delete the word "Sindh" and substitute it with the word Kashmir. The argument was that Sindh was no longer a part of India, having become part of Pakistan as a result of the Partition of 1947. Opponents of this proposal hold that the word "Sindh" refers to the Indus and to Sindhi culture and people which are an integral part of India's cultural fabric. The Supreme Court of India refused to tamper with the national anthem and the wording remains unchanged.

All these controversies popup in all aspects. Except Tagore nobody can tell the truth. Whatever it may be, its one of important songs in our Indian history to make deserved to be National Anthem. We Indians has to take pride in singing it loud and clear whenever we get a chance.

मेरा भारत महान!

Mera Bharat Mahaan!

My India is Great!

Sources - Wikipedia and other websites.

My friend, I have to let you go... (Sulekha Challenge)

I didn't dare to look over my shoulder..

If I did, I will fall folded to my knees end up crying so hard nobody could ever stop me. That would be embarrasing wouldn't it? But I wouldn't care. It might have alteast given me an opportunity to vent out my sorrow hidden deep down inside.

Its tough to let go of anything thats been part of life for such a long time. It's really hard. Being together for years and years as close since I am 9 years old.

At first, I had hard time getting to know him but slowly everything fell into places. We ended up sticking together from that day on except sleeping apart.

He was always with me all the time. We hang around together. He accompanied me everywhere I go. I felt so much joy when I was around him. We share lot of memories together.

I don't know, what I am going to tell my parents when I go home without him? They did expect this day would come but its not today.

How am I going to convince my friends? Its a loss for all us. We all had great fun time together. We used to go for long rides on the mountain roads and enjoy ourselves. I never would forget those golden moments.

Sorry my friend, I have to let you go. May be it was my fault to leave you alone for these many years. It's better for both of us, if you leave without with any more trouble. You are already in a very terrible and rusted condition. It's time for you to go now.

With tears flooding his e yes, Aakash thought to himself after letting go off of his friend cyko, droping his old bicycle friend at the trash collector store.

Dream lofty dreams...

Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so shall you become...

That's a powerful quote from literary mystery man and An unrewarded genius James Allen.

I think about dreams a lot and ponder on them. You are who you are and who you will become as you dreams are. Dreams make such an great impact in our lives. You think about the think you dreamed off, thought changes to words, words transform as actions and action make things to happen. It a good deal of connection from dreams to actions. To all that too materialize, you gotta believe in yourself and dream big.

Paul Potts was a cell-phone salesman who dreamed of spending his life "doing what I feel I was born to do." Watch him as he takes a huge step toward that dream. He particpates in the Britain's famous "Britian Got Talent" judged by 3 real tough folks who are mean at time to the participants.

Just watch their expression changes and see what they gotta to say about him.

WARNING: This video may cause goose bumps and even tears. Watch at your own risk and then get your dream out. polish it off and put it back on the mantle so you see it every day.

*** - Courtesy of the video from the Mailing list of Vic Johnson. Thanks Vic.

FRIENDS ARE FLOWERS...

A Friend in need is a friend in deed. Friends are flowers in the gardern of life. Friendship is a treasure. Sulekha been a great hub to dig and find your own treasure of friendship. Thank you sulekha for providing this wonderful media to meet different people from different parts of the world. I have found lot of friends thru this media via their encouraging comments and views.

My thoughts about friendship,

Who is a Friend?
What is Friendship?
Choose your friend wisely
Appreciate your friend
Don't Smother
Lose the Flight Don't Lose Friend
Keep in Touch

Who is a Friend?

The best kind of friend is the one you could sit on a porch with, swing with, never say a word, and then walk away feeling like that was the best conversation you've had.

A Friend is

Faithful
Reliable
In touch
Enduring
Needed
Devoted

A friend is always faithful to you, even during the bad times.

A friend is reliable..you can count on one to always be there.

A friend stays in touch, even though it may not be as often as you'd like!

A true friendship is enduring, lasting even when friends lose touch for a while.

A friend is always there for you when you need someone.

A friend is devoted to your friendship and will never do anything to destroy it.

Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.

What is Friendship?

Friendship consists in forgetting what one gives
and remembering what one recieves
- Alexandre Dumas The Younger

Friendship is always a Sweet Responsibility
never an opportunity
- Kahlil Gibran

Choose Friends Wisely

Often, people gain popularity not for who they are but for what they have: money, beauty, a new car, a boyfriend. When forming a friendship, it’s crucial to figure out why you want to be around a person. Ultimately, if there’s no trust and genuine affection between you and your friend, you’re
short-changing yourself. Friendships last longer when interests are shared and friends are there for each other during the ups and downs. Choose friends for their inner qualities and common interests instead of for their status.

Appreciate Your Friends

You and your mother just had a blow-out.You storm up to your room, grab the phone and speed-dial your friend.She’ll listen, be supportive, understand. When you hang up, you feel miraculously better. And when things are going great in your life-that friend is the first person you tell. So how do you hold on?

By expressing how much she means to you. Show up occasionally with a bag of chocolates, invite her along when your parents have an extra ticket. And beyond the material gestures, be there for her. Congratulate when she’s feeling pumped. Never take her for granted.

Don’t Smother

Good friends don’t need to be together all the time. A true friend knows when to give some space, allow her other relationships as well as some alone time. If you’re too needy of your friend’s attention, she may begin to resent it and the relationship may come to feel like an obligation. Besides if you cling to just one friend, you too miss out on making new ones.

Lose the Fight, Not the Friend

Even the closest friends don’t agree on everything. There will be misunderstandings and arguments-that’s OK. But remember that you’re friends, not clones.

Keep in Touch

Life changes. People move away, but call, write, e-mail; make the effort to keep in contact. Distance won’t keep real friends apart.

HAPPY FRIENDSHIP DAY!!

THE ABC OF FRIENDSHIP

Really nice and meaningful thoughts about friendship, worth thinking about on the eve of friendship day. I had posted in my personal site long back. Just posting it for all my far away friends in sulekha.

Click to enlarge

HAPPY FRIENDSHIP DAY !!

**** - Picture taken from Internet.

AN EYE OPENER ABT DISPOSABLE DIAPERS FROM IXEDOC

Yesterday, I posted a blog bragging so much about disposable diapers/nappies. How its saves parents agony being disposable comparing with cloth diaper until I recieved an eye opening comment no other than our Respected IXEDOC. I didn't realize this blog could get me first comment ever from the most respected man in this blogdom at time I posted it.

I feel like its an honor in need. I was surprised to get showred by his comment finally and its about the researches he and others been doing related to the usage of disposable diapers/nappies.

Here is the snap shot of the discussion via comments,

dear Vijaianand,

nice 'ode' to the ubiquitous diaper - a novel topic, I must add. It may interst you though to learn that, of recent mdical research shows rgar diaper use i not necessarily the panacea it is ascribed to be. Constant increase in perineal temperature due to the thick padding disprupts the thermoreguatory mecanisms that operate physiologically to keep the male testes and scrotal sac cooler than core body temeprature. Prolonged exposure to diapers has been claimed to produce oligozoospermia or even azoospemia, much later in males. the gonadal dysfunction could lead to sterility.

A new paper of mine on testes temperature control is due for publication.

Reference: Kumar Arunachalam & Kumar JC, 2007, Swinging hgh & low: thermoregulation in the testes, Medical Hypotheses, (in press)

He replied back to my comment with more details on the topic,

1. Scrotal temperature is increased in disposable plastic lined nappies Partsch et al. Arch Dis Child.2000; 83: 364-368 http://adc.bmj.com/cgi/content/extract/85/3/268d?ck=nck

2.Baby boys have a great risk of sterily in throwaway diapers than cloth because of the chemicals that "pull wetness away." This is a health hazard that Pampers spends millions in marketing to keep you from hearing.

http://72.14.235.104/search?q=cache:ATBNpDL1z4cJ:www.earthsmartdiaperservice.com/benefits.nxg+%27diaper+sterility%27&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=in

3.There are concerns about male sterility due to prolonged use of disposable diapers (they hold in heat) http://72.14.235.104/search?q=cache:hHM2lGh0NrwJ:www.earthbabydiaperservice.com/index.php%3Faction%3Dwhy_us+%27diaper+sterility%27&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=8&gl=in

4.The one other thing I can think about is a recent question of pediatricians about the impact disposable diapers could have on masculine sterilty . Men's "privates" temperature has to be maintained at a lower temperature than the body to avoid problems. The disposable diapers are covered with plastic, and there's a lot of filling, and the temperature inside can rise rapidly.

http://72.14.235.104/search?q=cache:GkSN4kCT1cAJ:www.tinybirdsorganics.com/organiccotton/clothdiapering101.html+%27diaper+sterility%27&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=13&gl=in

I think I learnt a great deal about disposable diaper now and scared the hell out of me. My wife even was shocked to hear that after effects of using disposable diapers. This discussion left me thinking, using disposable diapers may be one of the reasons so many american men lose their fertility and having difficulties getting pregnant.

I am not sure what will be my action after knowing some factiods about disposable diapers from Pampers & Huggies. We are so dependent on it, its going to be tough to break down the habit and start moving towards cloth diapers.

Just think about it !!! Suggest me any options..

DISPOSABLE DIAPERS -Savior of Today's Parents

"OMG, he just peeped on me. Its all over.~Sigh~ I have to change my shirt before I leave to work."

"He is making a big mess of his poo poo, come quick to clean it him up.Otherwise he will start playing with it"

I am sure you heard this dialogs or screams so many time at your house or friends house who has small kids or babies. Cloth Diapers so called "langotee" torched (I should say) the babies giving them uneasy, fuzzy and yakee feeling all the time.

I have grown up with cloth diapers and if my guess is right, whoever is blogging at sulekha as of today also might have had similar experience with uncomfie cloth diapers. I know you don't want to go back, thinking about it. But that's the truth right?!

Those are the days, the soft reusable cloth diapers are the only option. No other choices available. Now, the new comers of this wonderful techie world has so many options. They are so lucky getting comfie with new Pamper or Huggies Diapers.

In the cloth diapers, Babies/small kids never get to sleep well because its get wet and don't dry off. It has to be changed otherwise they can't sleep or get cold. Also they make a big mess every time they poo poo or pee pee since its not water or foolproof. Cloth diapers need to be changed every time its gets wet. No security for the person who holds the babies or toddlers.

It is also great deal of work for the mummies. Washing and drying every cloth diapers often beats the heck out of Gym workout. Just imagine cleaning those diapers with poo poo's, isn't it disgusting. but our moms just did that. I can see weird expression from all your faces.

An important thing rather irritable point about Cloth diapers, they are not use and throw. You have to secure them like a gold to take back home to clean and make use of them again.

Now babies are so comfortable playing, sleeping. Best of all, no mess to cleanup or don't have to wake up at night to change diapers. Thanks to the one of kind inventions of these days, disposable Diapers. These diapers really gave salvation to agony of the parenthood.

How it works

Disposable diapers contain the same chemical as astronaut 'maximum absorbency garments", fire-control gels.. This super-absorbent chemical will continue to absorb water until there is an equal concentration of water inside and outside the polymer. By absorbing the liquid, it expands and keeps the top layer dry and free of moisture.

What makes it special?

It comes in all sizes and shapes. They absorb and keep it dry helping kids to feel so much comfortable. So they get to sleep better which reflects in their health. Well rested baby/kids will be active and at their best. I know there are few drawback in using these poly disposable diapers. They do leak at times if its overloaded and heats up during summer giving rashes. But all them are avoidable and far better than always wet cloth diapers. Best thing of all, its use and throw.

It took away the burden and releaved mummies from lot of work. I can 't imagine Kids growing up without them these days atleast in america. Its slowly catching up in Asian countries. It is expensive but its worth paying the price than suffering the agony.

If I would have to vote one of the best invention of this century for important purposeo. I will surely vote for Diapers. Can I count your vote too ?!

**** - Photos collected from net.

Do young kids DREAM? What do you they DREAM?!

Dream is a common phenomena, every human being hit upon it very often in their sleep mode. I don't know whether its just human being, because I never remember or don't recollect from any of my previous avatars in different life. So I can't comment on it

We dream about anything and everything while we are in deep snoozer. It even takes version like Day Dreaming, deep sleep dreaming, early morning dreams, midnight dreams and so on.

In the era of science marvels happening every day, scientists are still having hard time figuring out, why are we dreaming? Whats the actually chemical reaction which takes place while we dream?! There are whole lot of folks involved in researching for a laconic answer for these billion dollar questions.

Whatever they find, it would be interesting to know. But for now, I like to regard dreaming as another type of feeling which we experience in our motionless sleep state. Its the journey of mind to an unknown place portrayed as our current world which is hard to spell out. Most of all, it just vanishes from our memory when we wake up. Atleast for me, I have difficulty recollecting what exactly I dreamt off.

Everybody reacts to dreams in lot of different ways. Lots of factors plays important role for dreams. Mostly depends on the mindset we were when we go to sleep or something we happen to be thinking a lot about lately. Dream does takes different shapes and scenes as per the storyline which we build on the fly in the mind. It shows us the eupheumism to Heaven or Hell. It take us to fantasy world, traverse to past and back to the future. It us the ability to take us to a wild ride in just fraction of second as we stay asleep.

Dream is wierd thing. Its reasonable assumption to say we all Dream. But does babies or young Kids also dream while they sleep is yet another which I like to get answer?!

Obviously, they do which I think can be provef from my sons various reactions while he sleeps. But I couldn't imagine what in the world they dream about? They don't watch creepy stuff or they don't process difficult things in their mind. So what exactly they dream on?! I couldn't figure it out.

Dreams can be related easily to the action or process that happens in our mind. We react to the dream by showing sign like fall down or yelling at people appropriate to the scene when we having the dream. Similarly, taking my son as an example, he smiles a lot so cutely and at times wakes up in the middle crying out loud and sleep back again. What in the world he might be dreaming? What makes him to cry all of a sudden if he is not dreaming?

I don't see a definite answer for these questions like sublime one about Dreams. Do you guys think of any?

America's Coolest Top 30 Young Entrepreneurs (under 30)

Inc.com posted its celebrity list of TOP 30 Young Entrepreneurs who made impression before their 30's. I envy these guys. They made to the limelight and found place in the headlines when they are just budding in their career. Its big accomplishment for them in my view point.

Interesting aspect of all, they didn't even invent anything new or discover any new magic to change to the world which amazed me and at sametime made my eye sore. They just made big venture by analyzing their surroundings and found whats missing in it, to make a business out of it.

If you check out the list below,

http://www.inc.com/slideshow_INC/slideviewer.cgi?list=30under2007&refresh=15

You see one guy(BENJAMIN SANN) started a website to post parking lots information and rates in certain metro cities like Newyork. He slowly moved to provide options to even reserve the parking lots partnering with the parking companies. He is the 27th ranked on the list. Wow, a parking lot information can make a guy enterpreneur, thats pretty interesting is in it?!

I always wanted to make my mark as an entrepreneur but just couldn't get hold of the idea's and strategies to put together in place to make it happen. I am still working on it to do my best with my current small business, hoping to make to headlines atleast in the local newspaper.

Noticeably, 2 folks in the list are of Indian American origin. Raj Lahoti & Mangesh Hattikudur. Check out their profile which I got from Inc.com

Rank #9 - Raj Lahoti

Age: 25 Location: San Diego

2006 Revenue: $11.5 million

Employees: 15 Year

founded: 2003

After a few years dabbling in Internet domain acquisition and traffic brokering, Raj Lahoti set out to build up one of his brother's domains in order to provide meaningful content in an area that, well, generally lacks it. DMV.ORG, the "Online Unofficial Guide to the DMV," aggregates information from the (often dreaded) Department of Motor Vehicles in each state -- all in one place. Users can access information on everything from applying for a license to ordering a driving record, without the aggravation of standing in the DMV's endless lines.

Rank # 23 - Mangesh Hattikudur

Ages: both 28

Location: Birmingham, Ala.

Employees: 12

2006 Revenue: $1.7 million

Year founded: 2001

Mental Floss magazine offers a fun, irreverent look at knowledge and facts. As Pearson put it, "Our mission is to find anyway we can to blur the lines between education and entertainment." The founders started the venture at Duke University as a campus publication and quickly turned it into a national magazine. But they have pushed the brand further than the magazine -- producing books, board games, and soon a series of children's books.

Executive editor Mangesh Hattikudur, a cultural anthropology major, has roots reaching back to India, and in his first column he reminisces about the work of Indian writer Salman Rushdie.

I feel its nothing wrong in being jealous about these guys. They took risks and made their idea work to show the world anything can make you millions. I am going tune my brain to watch my surroundings closer to see whether I can get a hint for a great business idea.

**** - Some contents taken from Inc.com and other sites in net.

Tagore on Life's Essence - A Poem

I got this nice little forwarded poem from one of my friends mail list. I thought its worth thinking about some important aspects of our life like love, humility, helping others & forgiveness thru the wonderful poem from our Patriotic Poet Rabindranath Tagore.

Tagore on Life Essence

Go not to the temple to put flowers upon the feet of God,

First fill your own house with the Fragrance of love...

Go not to the temple to light candles before the altar of God,

First remove the darkness of sin from your heart...

Go not to the temple to bow down your head in prayer,

First learn to bow in humility before your fellowmen...

Go not to the temple to pray on bended knees,

First bend down to lift someone who is down-trodden. ..

Go not to the temple to ask for forgiveness for your sins,

First forgive from your heart those who have sinned against you ...

Don't you think we sometimes forget about this ingredients of life and seek them in a place instead of just inside us.

Your Firsts and Best's

We all have big store of our happy and unforgettable memories in tact within each of us. We cherish them going back in time taking a nostalgia trip whenever something reminds me of that precious moment. In that memory store, everyone obviously have sacred place for their firsts and best's in their life.

I was about to post this blog and Sulekha team announced a hot news to celebrate the Friendship Day. So I just made it up the game. Lets have fun again Tagging to share your firsts and Best's. Its will be fun to hear from all your guys and also a chance to travel back in time to bring memories live to share with your sulekha friends.

Here is my Firsts

Crush - My next door neighbor's grand daughter visits her grandma house every every holiday season. She is like around my age as of I know. I never talked to her but always had Crush on her.

Business - Earned my first penny buying & selling detergent soap when I was doing my 9th grade.

Bicycle - Got as a Gift from my Grandpa when I was like 14 or 15years old.

Motor Bike - Bought my first TVS Champ -out of my second salary which gave 35 km/litre in 1996.

Car - Purchased a used 1992 model Honda Accord within a month of landing in US for just $7500 in 1999.

House - Landed with my own dream own which is 2 Story in Houston, TX in 2004.

Kiss - Only after marriage :-)

My Best's

Best year so far - I have quite few good years in my list. I like to say its 2006 when I was blessed with a beautiful son.

Best Person I met - My Head of Dept, perfect gentleman. Been role model for me all along.

Best Days - My College days when I stayed in the hostel and enjoyed

Best Friend - A friend in need is a friend in deed. I know everyone will have endless list but lets shorten it to one. For me, its my friend from college who now lives in Florida, USA is a person who is been riding along with me in my roller coaster life ride.

Best Place visited - Niagara falls - I been there atleast 4-5 times in just 4 years of my stay in Boston. I love that place. Its one of the favorite honey moon spots.

Best Food - Sambhar & Vegetable Kurma

Best Movie - Nayakan

What's on your list? Take a trip to your memory lane and find out to share to us. This time for a change, a scrabbled names to tag 5 persons.

Lets play the tag game to share atleast 7 of your Firsts and Best's. Same rules apply.

1. DTYAI (ADITYA)

2. SHAU (USHA)

3.ITECH (CHETI)

4. LAKYANEE ( KALYANEE)

5. ANDYDAMA(MADYSANDY)

6. RIYAPSU (SUPRIYA)

7. TEHER (ETHER)

WOMEN & ADOLESCENCE - A TOUGH ACT TO PLAY

WOMEN & ADOLESCENCE, A TOUGH ACT TO PLAY

I been lingering on this topic since my recent visit to India and trying to decide on whether it's a right thing to talk about it or not. Today I felt a strong urge inside me that pushed to write this blog anyways. I know this topic fits under the gray zone not even ladies wanna to talk about it. Then, Why me you might ask?!

It a delicate headliner and I am going to try my best to touch this very carefully without hurting anybody and transform my message I want to relay.

During my visit, one of the home functions my wife and I happen to pay attendance was my wife's niece Puberty Celebration. I was little uncomfortable and even felt embarrassed to be in the crowd. On the other occasion, I also happen witness a big banner at an hotel entrance "PUBERTY FUNCTION FOR CHITRA" when we went to have our dinner one day.

Both might have been a coincidence but these situations really pushed me to an edge to think more broadly on this topic. I was so disappointed to see all these functions still happening wide open inspite of generation changes and more educated people. People still continue to follow old customs to announce the adolescences of women.

Mahakavi Bharathiar - Freedom fighter and great Tamil poet once said,

Maadavarai Perandedave madavam seithedal vendumadi thozhi

translation

"You should be blessed or received a boon to be born as a Women"

He says to be born as women is a Great thing and not everybody gets that boon. Its not same way many women think these days. They think its their ill-fate and previous Janma karma to be born as women and suffer in life by going through all kinds of pain.

When I was at the function, I saw the childish face with a cute smile on that young girl without proper understanding of situation and not really grasping the things happenings around her. She just like to be center of attraction. I was like, "Why in the world are we still doing these things?"

It was once a custom and tradition in old days to call relatives to announce one's daughter puberty and let them know about her readiness for marriage. Those days child marriages were common and I can imagine the need for these function when it was tough to find a groom or not easy to spread the word around.

But today at the Internet age, we still continue to witness these celebration for Puberty happening without even knowing the actual reasons. Isn't that true, we are the hinderance to the privacy of a women? Why can't we just leave them alone during this tough times? We talk about women freedom and their privacy from having separate seats in buses or 33% reservations but this trifle act isn't that exactly proves the opposite of it.

Don't you think we are inculcated by our older generation on this type of customs? Its some of the left overs from previous generations which I strong believe to be vacuumed at no time.

I can easily sense their trouble and pain because I was born with 2 younger sisters. I witnessed them go thru their tough times every month. Inspite of their pain, they were also considered untouchable for 3 days. There are lots of silly explanations for 3 day untouchability factor which totally doesn't make sense these days.But I was never affected personally or mentally until I got married.

Witnessing my wife's pain now and the before-after hormone changes, I am slowly starting to realize that it's actually tough to be a Women. It's inscrutable being a men and tough to imagine being in their shoes. That doesn't mean that we don't have anything to do about it. Their problems actually affects us through their signs of being nebulous(confused), disconsolate or petulant and totally freaking out certain times. They try to cover-up their inconceivable pain and unspeakable sorrow with thin layer of makeup and their sweet smiles.

For sure, nobody can never take away their pain. But we can always help by staying next them and sharing their work by lending a hand. As the below quotes says,

Be to her virtues very kind, Be to her faults a little blind - by Matthew Prior

I think we(men) can be sensible enough to treat them kind, act blind when needed and adore their presence around us. They are very special and nothing wrong in giving them a VIP treatment when time calls.

I totally salute their brevity to face the trouble and transcend themselves to be a strong person and transform into different roles like wife, mom, sisters to make a happy family. That certainly makes them a distinct being in this planet earth.

We are in the juncture that we just selected our first women president. Its also about time to throw away all old customs that threatens women privacy. Be prudent to treat them kind with dignity, they deserve.

Lets celebrate the women hood but not at the stake of their privacy.

Why do you say "CHEERS"?

Reader Digest(RD), some say old man's magazine finds its way to my door step every month. I got a cheap deal to deliver at home. I like this magazine compared to others. I always make an attempt to get thru every page of it. As you know, its packed with lot of information especially word power, cozy articles from tabloids and good real stories. I happen to read an interesting article which I am sharing to you folks.

Hope you folks find it useful and knowledgeable. If you came across something similar, share it with us.

Quantum Physics & Lifes endless Questions

Who are we?

Why are we here?

Where we came from?

Where are we heading?

What is the reason for us to be here?

Did you ever asked these questions to yourself anytime in your life? I did wonder about them on & off and dwelled deep on few of them atleast once. But I couldn't able to find some realistic reasonable answers. Spiritually and Religiously, there are lot of explanations to these questions with evidences coming from our old vedas and epics. But I like to believe the truth went its proven scientifically with satisfying logic.

"What the bleep do we know?" -A part documentary, part story with interviews of top Scientist in the different areas share they own ideas and concepts which are oven together with each part of the main character in the movie explaining the role of Quantum Physics to shed some light to give us answers for these questions.

The movie took me on to a roller coaster ride along with the main role Amanda, who is a divorced photographer tumbles in to the rabbit hole to discover some mind-bending revelation and find the truth about reality. She conquers her fear by changing her thoughts by making fresh ones to create a new life from inside-out.

Let me share some interesting aspects which I discovered to answer some of those questions using the Quantum physics from the movie.

What is Reality?

Do you think we are pre-wired and programmed to see the reality as what it exists outside. I believe so too. But according to Quantum theory from the movie, reality is not what we see out there. Reality is created by us every moment. Its created by the models which is stored in our brain. Its combination of possibilities. We choose our own possibilities to make our own relative world. That's an amazing new concept. I never got grip of this theory. Its can be easily explained but hard to believe to think in terms of practical sense.

If we create our own reality, then why I am seeing what I am seeing is the question which comes out of it.

Why we see what we see?

I know everybody will say, we see thru our eyes and eyes show us what we need to see it. Think it more deeply! Are eyes the only body part involved in that process of realization?! You will sure to figure out more interesting facts. Eyes are just like Camera lens, we have big processor which resides in our head that is our BRAIN.

The most complicated tissues of all kind which acts like Camera chip to process the image send to it. Brain takes around 4 millions bit of information every second but can only process 2000 of it. If it can only process a fraction of the amount it absorbs, it will only show and translates those fraction for us to see and not everything. So we are not seeing a big picture, we are just seeing what we want to see.

Also Brain only process information by matching patterns. If you have the image set in your brain already, it matches the pattern to the one you are currently seeing and translates to you by spreading the knowledge to you. Scientist proved this theory by going back in the history. Native (Red)Indians couldn't see the Columbus Ship out in ocean when he sailed to discover America. They could only visualize after few days. Why?! Because they never seen a ship. They don't know how it looks like and their brain don't have the image to process it. After watching the ripple effects and keep looking for changes in the sea, they were able to slowly create the patterns and match them little by little to see the ship when it came close.

That in turn proves one of my own doubts about baby blindness. By birth all babies are blind and can't see a thing. They won't be able to see for atleast 3weeks. got to know when my boy was born last year. Then they slowly get their vision and color patterns to visualize it. I believe its because the brain is empty and it doesn't have the image patterns to match it. Once they start seeing things, it takes different patterns and tries to process is slowly and translates them one by one. Isn't that a practical proof for a question.

Thoughts can do Magic

Many of us know that there are tons of studies done to prove that meditation can change your life in all different ways. Meditation is basically about streamlining your thought process. Quantum Physics supports that process of aligning your thoughts and proves that it can produce immense results in your life and others life.

A Monk who is been meditating and practicing Tia- Chi for years changed a raw water to a distilled purified water with love. If a clear and streamlined thought can change water to a pure distilled one, just imagine what effect it can in our life.

Another study was done in Washington D.C. It was once the murder capital. Federal dept couldn't able to control the crime factor. Meanwhile some spiritual leaders join hands and did a group meditation for 1 week comprising of 4000 people. After that, the murder figures dropped down to 25%. What did it show?! It shows the thoughts affects the surroundings in large spectrum.

Thoughts are so interconnected within ourselves and around us. If we can change the thoughts and delink ourself from our old thoughts, we immediately disappear from being that old person. If we can create new thoughts, we automatically change our atmosphere and creating a new person or new life. We also send that vibe around us and that positive thought surrounding us has a great impact on the environment around us.

If you believe that you can walk on the water with positive thoughts, you could be able to do it and thats what we see in many of old Kung-fu movies. Positive thinkings is basically disguising the negative thinkings inside us.

Connecting back, don't you think if our thoughts manages the brain which in turn gets us to see and experience our own big world.

Emotions & Love

Emotions are just chemical reaction happening in our body sourced from the Brain. Every emotion has its own distinct outcome or signals which gets passed to every cell in our body to behave violently or softly as per the character. Emotions are us and there is no distinction between emotions and us. Emotions makes us.

Love is just a connection of emotions between two person. We shouldn't say that its love between two physical body. If the emotions changes in one person leading to break of love and dissatisfaction in love relationship. Emotions plays a major role in ones self reaction to the outside world.

Answers

According to Quantum Physics, we are here to create the reality. We are here to influence others world and we impact the environment by our thoughts. We are here to infliterate the space with our thoughts and create our own space in this universe.

"The outer conditions of a person's life will always be found to be harmoniously related to her inner state." – James Allen

That's absolute truth. Whats happening outside around you has total relationship with whats inside you. We are not limited by the environment. We creates our own environment by the beliefs and feelings. To suppose otherwise is like thinking that the tail can wag the dog.

For common man like me, it is really hard to digest all the scientific explanation about the life, thought process and reality. But it does give a new perspective on how one can change their life by modifying their thoughts and feelings associated with them.

You create your own reality and see more broader by just thinking positively and changing your thoughts. You can easily flip your life inside-out by just modifying your thoughts. Its within you and don't search outside.

Quantum Physics is like a ocean. You can dig more deep in this topic but its upto you to decide how far you want to go in this rabbit hole.

But don't you think its worth thinking these questions for a moment...

MY DEAR MOM'OHOLIC MOM!!

The only person on earth always thinks about their kids all the time are MOM's. This poem is specially dedicated to my precious MOM.

Moms are always special for their Kid's

For me, My Mom is just Xtra Super Special!!

She sworn in as MOM taking her throne that day

The day, she crowned me has her Prince Vijai(VJ)

She never closed her eyes deep enough,

And always waiting to feed my empty stomach

She told bed time stories and sang bed time songs,

Stories & Songs I will never ever forget till I die

She adored me as her Priceless Pearl,

As I am her only Son, the keeper of her lovable Soul

She acted real tough all my teen age,

To mold me as a better person for my own sake

She always taught me great values,

Values of commitment & confidence which are hard to evolve

She wanted to go to college, but time was never in her favor,

Fortuitously, she satisfied her dreams for my studies sending far away

She neither took a break nor opted for vacations,

She stayed busy, only showing up at family occasions

She flew on top of the sky when I gave my first Salary,

Its the first reward for her win against all rivalry(odds)

She stoned her heart and sent me apart to the alien land,

Hoping only the best to land for my future

She still tries to be a tough MOM at times,

Its her character, I would say to myself those times

I can go on and on, forever and ever,

But I can only find words fewer and few'er

Everybody says, She is just another MOM,

For me, She is always My dear Mom'oholic Mom!!!

GREAT SULEKHA BALL WITH JOCKY & DANCE COACH!!!

Everybody is excited about thsi Great Sulekha Ball. Interesting Pair up by Das and I guess a red carpet welcome to all the participates. But there are couple of things missing here.

I don't see a Jocky in place for this great event. So I am going to take the honor of hosting as the Jocky of tonight. I plan to play some excellent numbers and like to music of choice from the floor. Also I see lot of novice dancers on the floor who never even imagined dancing with well dressed men and wonderful beautiful ladies. I am also taking the pleasure of teachings ome dance steps. Tag along with me for fun night.

Its going to be tough for left footed(thats means they can't dance) individuals. Try you best. Lets start with WALTZ which DOC's favorite and its slow and sweet.

WALTZ

Waltz is a smooth progressive dance characterized by long, flowing movements, continuous turns, and rise & fall. Graceful and elegant, Waltz dancers glide around the floor almost effortlessly

Slow Waltz music is sweet, melodic and fluid. It is often orchestral music, mostly lacking in heavy percussion or drums, relying more on the melodic instruments to carry the rhythmic progression.

Men's Part
Left foot forward.
Right foot side & slightly forward.
Left foot closes to left foot.

Lady's Part

Right foot back.
Left foot side & slightly back.
Right foot closes to right foot.

Play the music: Fly me to the Moon

http://www.ballroomdancers.com/Music/info_song.asp?song=108321

Check out the link: http://www.ballroomdancers.com/Media2/Default.asp?ID=560

Hope you all got that steps. Try it out again, again. You don't need a partner to start with, just with hands wide and try the foot steps.

Here is some more music coming on your way,

http://www.ballroomdancers.com/Music/info_song.asp?song=108027

http://www.ballroomdancers.com/Music/info_song.asp?song=109602

Whats do you guys prefer the next dance, Salsa or Rhumba ?!

INDIA TOUR IN ENGLAND - What can we expect?!

Lords, St John's Wood - London - Temperature around 60oC with slight chance of rain tomorrow.

Its a real nice spring like weather in London. Only between July and August, London really warms up to make it very much suitable to play a good and hard cricket. Its also the time of the year, weather get so unpredictable as per weather channel. We have seen it proved many times in Wimbledon opens.

At this great season and cool atmosphere, Team India is touring England after visiting Ireland and pocketing a good series wins over South Africa. They played good team cricket to take away the series 2-1 from Africans. It's India's first outing since 2002 to England. We won the NatWest tri-series by winning the final match 2 wkts under Ganguly's leadership. We were able to squel the 4 match test series 1-1. Its been 40 years since we won the test series in England soil.

Now its time for Dravid's to head the team and own the soul authority of the youngers to take on the Englishmen first time in his captaincy. The first match started off today in the prestigious and historic cricket ground in the world, THE LORD's. India is set to play 3 Tests and 7 ODI's during this tour.

The teams will compete to win the test series and take away the Pataudi Trophy, given by MCC to commemorate the 75th anniversary of India's Test debut.

Team India

It might probably the last English series for the famous batting quartet of captain Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman, and the four great guns will be keen to make an impression to make this contest interesting and thrilling one.

Strength

Bagging some wins on the way to London, Team India is showing good signs and has high level of confidence determined to decimate the Englishmen in full force at their own territory. They already played 2 warm-up match against the local county teams gave enough time to get acclimatised to the conditions.

Dravid better be well equipped with a good game plan and match strategy to go under critical conditions. Also our paper tigers need to show something in the pitch with some sensible and good batting. We do have strong battling lineup as usual including from Jaffer, Dinesh Karthik supported by experienced Dravid, Sachin & Ganguly. Dhoni as the 7th batsman with double duty on wicket keeping to add more depth to batting.

Weakness

Bowling department lacks experience, so it puts pressure on the bastmen to churn out big runs against the home team. Sreeshanth & RP Singh are yet to make their impression in the English Soil. Chawla will be the only spinner this time around taking the lead from Kumble to make english spin around the pitch.

Team England

Its the reciprocal tour of England tour to India in last 2006. England draw the series 1-1 but lost the ODI series to India. They sure do have plans to slump us to take away the test series.

Strength

It's their home ground and they are very well equipped with the same power to take the Indians under Vaughan leadership. The batting order is strong with Strauss and Cook opening the match. Pietersen and Collingwood will be supporting them coming next with Vaughan(captain) showing up in the middle.

Weakness

All-rounder Andrew Flintoff and paceman Steve Harmison are out of this match due to injuries. So England are banking more on their spin sensation Monty Panesar to show the magic. It will be a real test of character for the amiable spinner, the first Sikh to play Test cricket for England.

Also Broad, who has been selected in the England side for the first Test at Lord's.

To conclude, its going to be a good outing to watch and follow. With the weather really unpredictable, we have to wait and see how much cricket they can get to play.

With the strong batting order, we should be able to put chucks of runs on the board and try to bowl line and length to push them to win a match to start with and take on from there. I am hoping see a good show from the new guys Sreeshant and RP Singh. Also waiting to watch tons from Dravid and Laxman's in this series.