IGNORE THE CROWS

 

IGNORE THE CROWS

 Don’t you like a happy life? Don’t you like a progressive life? 

Of course, we all do. I am sure hardly anyone will say NO to the above questions.

 We all strive hard for one or the other gain in life. Name, Fame, Money are the goals most of the times. Sometimes is also for self-satisfaction.  It’s not always to prove our capability to the world. Not always to expect appreciation from the world. Yes, what path we follow should be accepted by our own heart. What we achieve must satisfy our own soul.

     Whatever is the purpose, the path is not always easy. Each one crosses different hurdles before reaching the desired destination. One ridiculous experience we come across is pulling legs by the jealous people.

 I personally refer this as ridiculous. Let me explain why. Have you ever thought beyond the fact that the people are jealous of you and why they pull your legs?  Instead of getting disturbed, I take this as a compliment. Yes, I mean it. Think for a while. Why they do so? When anyone is jealous of you, they subconsciously accept that you are superior than them. Yes, this is the unseen truth. They accept subconsciously your superiority and their incapability but consciously it is not acceptable by them. So such people instead of working on their weaknesses and making themselves better, they start applying some silly pitiable techniques to pull you back. Yes, i call it pitiable techniques because such techniques always fail. What will you do in such case? Before you frame your answer, I would like to share one short story. It goes like this……

     …….The only bird that dares to peck at an eagle is the crow. He sits on his back and bites his neck. However, the eagle does not respond, nor fight with the crow. It doesn't waste time or energy on the crow! It simply opens its wings and begins to rise higher in the heavens. The higher the flight, the harder it is for the crow to breathe and then the crow falls due to lack of oxygen.

 

     Hope the answer is quite clear. What are we supposed to do?

    Stop wasting your time with the crows. Just take them to your heights and they'll fade.

     So, if we feel or find that people are trying to harm us to pull us back, first of all feel happy that you are in the list of their jealousy means you are on the way of progress. Don’t waste time on stupid questions like, Why? What to do? How to handle? Just forget it, ignore it and focus all your energy on your path. This is the only thing which will take you to the greater heights. The best thing to learn from eagle. Ignore the crows and enjoy your high flights.

…….Vrushali S. Narasgouda

WHY DO WE CELEBRATE GANESH FESTIVAL?

 

GANPATI BAPPA MORYA

 

“Vakratunda Mahakaya Suryakoti Samaprabha

Nirvighnam Kurume Devo Sarva Karyeshu Sarvada”

         In our Hindu culture we begin each small or big important work by the name of Lord Ganesha. As he is known as Vighnaharta, that is obstacle remover, it is believed that he makes our path free from obstacles.

         Most of us are aware of many stories of our Lord Gajanana. Can say mythological stories. But narration of any story is not the intention today.

         As per our Hindu calendar, on the fourth day of Bhadrapada, an idol of Lord Ganesha is worshipped in many houses. The worship continues for 2, 5, 7, or 11 days. And later the idol is immersed in water. We also find that this is celebrated as grand public festival in many parts of our country, Mainly in Maharashtra and north Karnataka.

         But how many of you know why we celebrate this festival? Why we worship the idol and immerse in water? Why we celebrate it the same time period every year?

         I got the answers of all these questions, in the session conducted by one knowlegeable person in our town. The session was all about our Hindu culture. It was not to highlight our culture, but to make us aware of the face that how our Hindu calendar (Panchaang) is prepared? How accurate are the calculations, How the name of each month have the reason behind it?

Apart from all this, the most important thing I came to know is about our Hindu festivals. We celebrate so many festivals in a year. Do we ever think, why? Are our festivals only to satisfy our religious and devotional beliefs? The answer is NO

This is not the only reason. Along with the religious and devotional feelings the most important but the unnoticed aspect is the Scientific reasons behind our each festival. Yes, I mean it. There is science behind each and every festival mentioned in Hindu Calendar.

         Today I would like to share with you all, Why do we celebrate this Ganesh festival in the month of Bhadrapada? What is the scientific reason behind this big festival?

         If we study the Climatic conditions of our country, this festival is celebrated during the end of rainy season. How actually this was done in ancient times. For a while, let’s keep aside the today’s picture of the modern world. Our country was the most beautiful place on this earth. People use to reside on the bank of river which gave rise to village culture system. Rain showers for 4 months is the provision of water which is stored in different natural reservoirs like lakes, wells, ponds, springs, rivers, etc.

 Before I proceed to our main story, let me tell you one thing, any scientific invention consumes time for it’s R and D. Our ancestors were not less than the scientists. But most of them conducted experiments in natural environment with available resources as per the requirement of the time and circumstances.

 The people residing on the bank of river made a provision to preserve this water. River use to be full of water during rainy season. So at the end of rainy season they experimented to make the natural bunds in rivers to slow down the flow of river. Later they checked this by kneading the soil on the river bank perfectly before adjusting it in river.

Later while kneading they made a beautiful Ganesh Idol. And as it was the idol of our Vighnaharta, started worshiping it, and then it was immersed in the river. So an auspicious day was fixed for this that is Bhadrapda Shudh Chaturthi. The advantage of fixing the day was, all the people perform the same act on the same day and the main purpose was solved. So the people from villages use to gather on the river bank, make a Ganesh idol from the well kneaded soil, worship it and immerse it in the river on the same day.

 This is how our Ganesh festival was started by our ancestors. But as the time proceeded, people thought of placing this beautiful idol made by them in their house at least for a day. So this is how our Bappa entered our sweet home. Few villages in India still follow this tradition. They bring the Ganesh idol made from natural clay, perform all rituals and do visarjan on the same day in the nearby river.

 But what we so call it as modern civilization, this tradition too changed along with the time. People were not satisfied with one day and so the durations of festival increased upto 11 days and also upto 21 days at few places. But we find the drastic change in this tradition in present days. Clay idol is replaced by artificial idol. Immersion of these idols causes water pollution along with some other harmful effects too.

         Would like to share one more fact in few words. This festival was limited to independent families till our great freedom fighter Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak stepped ahead with a new thought.

        During the days of freedom struggle it was difficult for people to gather together on a large scale. So this great leader made this Ganesh festival as a public festival as it was the practical requirement during those days. The intention was to unite people.

         But how is this celebrated now-a-days in big pendals?

        This is not the aim of my today’s article.

The aim is to make you all aware of the basic fact that our Hindu culture and our religious practices have a very strong scientific background. Our culture should not be introduced with the mythology but instead with true and strong scientific facts.

There was one reason to make all these practices religious during ancient days. Common people were not knowing words like science or so. Most of them were uneducated too. But they were strong believers of God and it’s Power. So the knowledgeable people arranged all the required aspects in festivals and religious practices which was properly followed.

So be proud of our culture and follow it without any doubts.

Let’s celebrate this festival with joy.

Ganpati Bappa Morya

 .........Vrushali S. Narasgouda

.......WHY ME?.......WHY NOT ME?

   WHY ME …….

      …….WHY NOT ME

          While I was on the morning walk, I saw a big stone on the way from a distance. Few people walking ahead saw the stone, just slowed down a bit, and continued their walk by the side of that stone. After reaching there, I picked it up, kept it aside so that it won’t hurt any passerby and continued my walk.

         On the very same day while on the way towards my class, I saw a child throwing chocolate wrapper out of the car window. As the road was stuck with traffic I heard few words from car in the continuity of my walk. Father was instructing his child that not to throw anything out of the car window. But the mother continued after his words “Nothing is going to change in this country. Only my child following the rules of cleanliness is not going to keep our street clean”.

         Would like to share one more experience. While coming back from my class, I saw a water pot overflowing as the tap was on. The two boys few steps ahead saw it, easily ignored and moved ahead. I increased the speed of my footsteps a bit, and closed the tap. The lady came out of the house and said, “Thank you, but is it going to make any difference if you save just few liters of water”.

         As these all three incidences happened on the same day, at night a series of thoughts started rolling in my mind. Why the person who saw the stone first didn’t put it aside? Why the mother didn’t stop her child from throwing the wrapper out? Why the one who saw the pot was full, didn’t close the tap? What exactly avoids the people from doing it? It’s the one fact, they think “WHY ME?”

         In our life we expect many changes in our area, our town, our country. If we come across any required change we start expecting from someone else. Let me make it clear with simple example. If we find our area is not clean. Municipal Corporation should take care of it. But can’t we think the other way? If each house decides that we will take proper care of the disposal of garbage from our house, then within few days you will find that your environment tuned into a clean and safe place.

But if each one think Why Me? Then it’s very difficult to reach what we actually expect. Let’s change the question phrase. Instead of Why Me? Ask a question to yourself WHY NOT ME?

         If we just add one word in between the same question, changes the entire meaning, reflects the complete change in the way of thinking.

         Here I would like to mention few great personalities who never thought WHY ME? Instead they step ahead with a thought WHY NOT ME?

         We all know the great lady Savitribai Phule. It’s not wrong to consider this lady as pioneer of girls’ education. It was quite tough for her to step out of the house, convince parents of girls to educate their girl child, face lot of opposition and even torture by the society. But she was firm on her decision and made the decided task possible. She started the first school for girls in Pune in the year 1848.  Her strong support was her husband, Mahatma Jyotirao Phule. And today we all are aware of the result of the step taken by this great lady.

 

The one more name I remember here is Dr. Anandibai Joshi. This lady became doctor in the year 1886. We can’t imagine the hardships and opposition she faced along with her husband, Shri Gopalrao Joshi during those days. It was not so easy for her to go abroad and complete her education in field of medicine. Unfortunately she didn’t survive for a long time after returning back to India. Her courageous step encouraged many others in furture.

 

Our list won’t end with the name of the one more great personality Ramabai Ranade. This lady was educated by her husband Shri Mahadev Ranade. Along with Marathi, she learnt English language too. She played a very important role in education of girls. First high school for girls was started in Pune in the year 1886.

                                         

Why did I mentioned these three names? Have a look at the years mentioned in which these ladies did the noticeable work for the upliftment of society. Being woman, that too in those years, surrounded by complete orthodox culture, it was not at all easy for them to do achieve their goals. But they didn’t think “WHY ME?” They stepped ahead with words at heart “WHY NOT ME?”

    These are only three examples. The list can be endless if continued.

         In our life we come across so many circumstances, where we can apply this theory. A very common example, if we see empty cold drink glasses on the table in living room, what’s harm to pick it up and keep it in kitchen. Why to waste time in thinking, Why Me?

There are few changes expected in many social practices as per the requirement of the present environment and psychology. But we pull our legs back saying, Why Me?

         I would like to assign one task to all my readers. On the very next day after you read this article, be the keen observer of yourself and the surrounding circumstances. Check where you can apply our today’s theory.

         This is just a small attempt to make a simple change in our way of thinking. Small steps covers a long way. Small changes evolves a new personality within you. And a small change within each individual can make a beautiful society.

         So let’s decide and say all at once

        WHY NOT ME?

 ……….Vrushali S. Narasgouda