A Family Joined by God Background Drawing of Branch From

Our Forever Family

From India to Oregon: A family joined by God Background drawing of branch from http://www.tattva.com/vladi/india.html

¥Ë £ÆêýÃ¢Áô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨ÏÂ›Â Telugu lettering for “My beautiful daughter Kinnera from the Telangana” Dedicated to Kinnera, the best daughter a daddy coould every have. Thank you for being my little girl.

by John Inman [email protected] September, 2003 ¥Ë £ÆêýÃ¢Áô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨ÏÂ›ÂÁ ¥Ë £ÆêýÃ¢Áô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨ÏÂ›ÂÁ Our forever family

A loving family in India was blessed with two beautiful little girls. The mommy and daddy worked hard to take care of their little family. Mr. Koliah was 25 and his wife Mrs. Soni was 23 when a new little girl was born into their family. Both the mommy and daddy were daily laborers in their village. They loved each other and their girls very much.

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Their new little girl came to the family on January 17, 2000. The mommy and the daddy and the sister’s said, “She is so beautiful it is as though she is a spiritual being sent by God.” They named her Kinnera, a very special spiritual being in their country.

The mommy and daddy were very worried though. “What are we to do? Kinnera has eye infections and we can not afford to give her the medical care she needs.” The family was very poor. They consulted wise elders in their tribal village for advice.

They asked, “How can we give our little Kinnera a beautiful life?” The wise elders told them of Sister Theresa, a woman far away in a big city that cared for babies and helped them find new homes.

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The mommy and daddy prayed for guidance and soon decided to take little Kinnera to Sister Theresa. It was a difficult trip for the mommy and daddy. They loved little Kinnera so much that it broke their hearts to take her to Sister Theresa. But since they loved Kinnera so much, they wanted her to have a new loving family that could take care of her.

At the same time that little Kinnera was born to the loving family in India, another loving family half way around the world was looking for a little girl of their own. This was our family. We had been trying to have a little girl for seven years but were unable to have a baby, so we started looking for our own little girl. We looked and looked until finially our friends Barbara and Jeff Leisman introduced us to Plan Adoption.

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We talked to Ann Scott and Judy Elkins of Plan Adoption who had a team of people close to our home in Oregon that helped loving families like ours find little children who needed a family of their own. They helped us with the decision to adopt a little girl.

There was so much work. Papers to fill out, letters to be written. Both Sister Theresa and Ann Scott, one in India and one in Oregon, wanted to make sure our family would love and cherish a little girl forever.

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So it was that Kinnera started her long journey. At one month old, she was welcomed by Sister Theresa in India. Kinnera was now on the way to a new life, one that her birth parents had dreamed of for her.

One day when Kinnera was just four months old, Sister Theresa in India and Ann Scott in Oregon talked and a picture of Kinnera was sent to Oregon to see if a loving family was available for her.

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Right after Ann Scott at Plan received the picture of Kinnera, our family came to talk to her about our new little girl. When we walked in the door at Plan, Ann Scott said “I have a picture of your little girl. Would you like her?”

When we saw the picture, we fell in love with Kinnera. We knew at once that God had brought us together.

“Kinnera, you needed a mommy and daddy of your own. We needed a little girl of our own. God brought us together.”

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Eight very long months later, Barbara Waletzko, a lady who worked for the airlines and loved children, picked up Kinnera in India and traveled with her one whole night and one whole day until they arrived in Oregon.

Barbara stopped in her hometown in Minnesota on the way to Oregon and bought Kinnera new clothes and gave her a bath. She and her husband then came with Kinnera to Oregon.

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Many friends and family joined our family at the airport to greet Kinnera and Barbara who had traveled so far to help Kinnera find her new family. When Barbara and Kinnera came off of the plane in Portland, our hearts melted. We had waited so long for Kinnera. Our family was finally going to be whole.

David, Kinnera’s new brother had been asking for a little sister for over seven years. When he held her for the first time he wept saying, “I love you so much.”

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Mommy held Kinnera close and almost would not let anyone else hold her. This was their first hug, the first of many in a lifetime of love.

Daddy held Kinnera and had a hard time letting mommy have her back. He had been waiting for this moment for years.

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So many of our friends came to the airport with us to greet Kinnera. It was such an exciting day and one that we will all remember for the rest of our lives. It was the day our forever family came together.

When we got home with Kinnera, friends had left a beautiful banner welcoming our new family home. Kinnera had new clothes and a new bed next to mommy and daddy’s bed. She had dogs to love and a forever family that she had been joined with by God.

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Everything was new to Kinnera. The sights, the sounds, the smells, the touches, but she was home and felt love.

Our new family would not be whole without Kinnera. We are all blessed to have such a loving family and we are so lucky that a loving mommy and daddy half a world away in India brought Kinnera into the world so that God could bring us together as a forever family.

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Note from Madhu K. Reddy on April 29, 2003

Dear Mr. & Mrs. Inman,

God bless you and your wife for adopting Kinnera, this beautiful Telangana girl. Telangana has become a part of Andhra Pradesh State after India’s independence. The Telugu language is one of the four Dravidian languages spoken in south India. Five thousand years ago, the Indus valley people spoke a proto-Dravidian language similar to Telugu. The modern word ‘Telugu’ was coined around 600 B.C to a region occupied between three (Siva) lingas in Southern India. 80 million people today speak Telugu in India and 30 Millions of them live in Telangana.

Originally, Dravidians worshiped Siva and Kali. After the Aryan invasion (around 1000 BC), Aryans incorporated their gods and imposed the Aryan caste system and the Sanskrit language. Gautama Buddha was born in India around 640BC, and rejected Sanskrit and the caste system. Buddhist monks nurtured the Telugu language to preach their philosophy as compared to Brahmins who used Sanskrit to keep people ignorant. Buddhism flourished for 1000 years in Telangana. Hindu revivalists who reintroduced Brahminical Aryan Vedism destroyed Buddhism around the 7th century AD. For next 6 centuries, Shiva kings of the Kakathiya dynasty and others ruled the Telangana region. One of the Kakathiya rulers was a female named Rani (queen) Rudrama who ruled for 30 years. If you visit India, you must visit Warangal, 100 miles from Hyderabad, and see 1000-pillar temple and Ramappa temple. The Telangana region is prone to drought, our ancestors pioneered in building large irrigation tanks, and some tanks like the Pakala and Ramappa reservoirs built in 12th century AD are still functioning. After the Kakathiya rule, the Telangana has become a victim of Muslim invaders who ruled the Telangana for the next 600 years. During the Muslim rule, our girls were forced to marry young, under age 10, to prevent kidnapping and were discouraged from education. In the 1940’s, the Telangana ruler, the Nizam of Hyderabad, was considered the second richest man in the world. Today our fellow Telugu’s from the Andhra region exploit the Telangana. The Telangana people are fighting for a separate statehood and this week, 1.5 million people gathered in Warangal and demanded a separate state.

Please tell Kinnera she is a descendant of the Indus-Dravidian people. Siva, Kali, Buddha and Gandhi are her heritage. An Englishman called the Telugu language the Italian of the East for its sweetness. Telugu classes are offered in a couple of US cities. As for the mark on her body, I suggest you show it to an Indian doctor coming from the Andhra Pradesh State. Some rural people due to economic backwardness use burning as a treatment to cure some ailments. If you tell me where you live, I will find a Telugu doctor who can examine her. I will locate some web sites to get additional information on Telangana and let you know. I wish you, your wife and Kinnera a happy, healthy and prosperous life, filled with love and joy. God bless you all!

Madhu K. Reddy

Note from Venkata Rao on August 31, 2001

Dear John

This note is in regard to your query about Kinnera. First of all Kinnera is a beautiful name in our language. According to our mythology, there are various groups of divine origin living in different worlds of their own. Kinneras are one such group, beautiful and endowed with divine powers.

The Kinnerasani is tributary of the Godavari River, which passes through the region.

In these parts such markings [the cuts on Kinneras stomach] are made to cure/ prevent health problems. Some times markings are made immediately after the cutting of umbilical chord.

I am not giving authentic references for the above due to lack of time.

I had a quick reading of you web page. As an anthropologist I appreciate the effort made by you in constructing the genealogy of your family

Regards

Venkata Rao 28 29 ¥Ë £ÆêýÃ¢Áô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨ÏÂ›Â ¥Ë £ÆêýÃ¢Áô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨ÏÂ›Â ¥Ë £ÆêýÃ¢Áô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨ÏÂ›ÂÁ ¥Ë £ÆêýÃ¢Áô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨ÏÂ›ÂÁ

Note from Kalyanaraman on April 21, 2001

Dear John Inman,

So nice to hear from you and about your child, Kinnera. Congratulations and wishing you all the very best.

Let me give you some cognate terms in Tamil: kinnaram = a bird, an aquatic bird, kinnarappat.ci; this is said to be a bird which can appreciate musical notes.

kinnarar = are one of the 18 gan.a-s (or groups) who are musicians who play on a musical instrument called kinnaram.

This word is also attested in Sanskrit with the same meanings. She comes from an area where there is a temple for Goddess Sarasvati on the banks of Godavari river at a place called Basara (Vya_sapura), where the local tradition holds that the image of Sarasvati was made by taking two fistfuls of sand from the river bed -- a remarkable legacy of Sarasvati Civilization.

You have a musical genius little girl with you!

Hope this helps.

Regards, Kalyanaraman

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Some Cultural gems from the Telangana offered by Divijender Nimma and Srini Palthepu of the TDF Telangana rural games and how to play them. For example in my childhood I used to play 4 types of ‘chirra gone’, at least 5 ways of marbles, onaguntalu etc.

1. Sindhula kathalu: Generally these are the people who play in the SC colonies (I used to see in my childhood). Now I don’t see anybody playing Sindhula Kathalu 2. Birolla Kathalu: These are the stories played by Golla/Kuruma castes especially in the Jataras of Ailoni and Komrelli. 3. Stories of Ailoni and Komrelli Mallana: In my childhood I heard these stories for months. The singers used to sing these for hours together (for few months) 4. Pambala Patalu: These people of the priests of the people where Brahmins don’t go. These songs are considered the evil throwers and bring good to people 5. Bagotham Kathalu: These are the famous plays, which keep villagers at one place all day. 6. B(P?)ikshagunta Kathalu: These people go to villages and play the stories in the name of FC caste people. These stories typically start in the night and go till morning. 7. Beeranna/Mallanna Patnam Patalu: This is an old Dravidian method of doing worship of God Mallanna. ‘Shiva Shaktulu’ is part of this pooja. I can still see this type of Pooja in Ailoni (Warangal Jilla) on the day of Sankranthi (Pedda Patnam Panduga) 8. Brathukamma Patalu: These songs can be listened to in the village at the time of Saddula panduga (Durgaashtami). Somebody estimated there might be more than 1000 songs in Telangana. 9. Boddemma Patalu: Boddemma Panduga is celebrated by children in the villages (9 days) before the Brathukamma panduga. Generally children have their own songs for this festival.

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10. Kamuni Panduga Patalu (Ladies): I remember at least 100 songs for Kamuni Panduga, which generally ladies sing in the name of Kamuni Panduga (Known as Holi outside the Telangana) 11. Kamuni Panduga Patalu( Gents) These are also known as Kolla (Kolatam) Patalu. These are very famous and almost everybody in my village used to know these songs (including me) 12. Bonaala Patalu: You may be surprised to listen that there are around 100 bonala patalu (Ladies) and only ONE male song for the bonalu. 13. Haridasu Patalu: These are not the typical Andhra Haridasus but completely different. These songs are very melodies and pious 14. Kati Kapari Patalu/magic shows: I am not much aware of these, but my grandmother used to tell so many things about these people and their magic shows. Once I saw a magic show (Garady vidya), where the magician puts a termic piece in the mouth gets 15 scorpion out of his mouth. 15. Natu/kalupu Patalau: Most of these are romantic folk songs sung generally in the fields 16. Dasara Patalu: These songs are generally sung at the time of Bali at the ‘Doravari Gadi’ 17. Peerila Panduga Patalu: Generally Peerila Panduga (Moharram) is celebrated in rural areas of Telangana as a grand festival. On this day people make up as ‘purana gods/goddess’ and dance in the streets with a number of songs. Some of the songs are very pious and others contain a little vulgarity but nobody considers it as vulgar. They are more amusing than expose vulgar. Recently, most of these songs are hijacked to send the messages of ‘marxism’. 18. Voggu Katha: Though they look similar to the Voggu Katha, they are different from Andhra’s Burra Katha. 19. Hari katha: Though ‘Adibatla’ is famous for this, I remember a great man called ‘Ugradandi Venkata Kishtaiah’, who used to tell different Hari Kathas in my village non-stop for months (Everyday a different one). The whole village used to listen to the stories without a break. 20. Zajiri Patalu: This is a game played by gents during Dasara festival where a group of men with one stick each paired with second person and forms two concentric circles. They keep going in rounds and hitting each other’s stick and singing a song in chorus. 30 31 ¥Ë £ÆêýÃ¢Áô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨ÏÂ›Â ¥Ë £ÆêýÃ¢Áô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨ÏÂ›Â ¥Ë £ÆêýÃ¢Áô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨ÏÂ›ÂÁ ¥Ë £ÆêýÃ¢Áô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨ÏÂ›ÂÁ

21. Cindolla Natkam: These are a nomadic group of people who play street theatre and create with great ease any complicated puranic epic events without much technology. I remember in my childhood days we used to climb on top of a nearby tree and spend all night to watch these shows. 22. Ettalu: This is a game played with a tower of circular slabs with decreasing diameter and a sricker slab to strike the tower from a few feet distance. 23. Debbala chendi: This is a game played with a rubber ball the size of a baseball and basically who ever gets the ball hits other players. If your hit falls on the ground you will be out. 24. Pattalu: This is game played with a bunch of cards. Mostly these cards are covers of discarded cigarette packs. We used to have denominations of this “cards” based on the brand name Chanrminar Pattalu: 1 Rs. Barekely pattalu: 5 Rs. The game is played by keeping a deck of cards on the ground on their edge with some sand on both sides of the deck to hold it. Then we need to hit the deck with a small striking slab and whatever was thrown beyond a demarcated line is yours! 25. Kalukindi Katte: This game is played by a group of people on a high raised platform where people on the ground can not reach the people on the platform by simply extending their arm. Initially one person is selected as a “donga” by random tossing. Then another person (a non-donga) throws a stick by swinging the stick under one of his leg by lifting his leg. The donga has to run to get the stick and by that time the person throwing the stick will cling the platform hence out of reach from donga. From that point onwards all other players including the one who threw the stick tries to get down and steal the stick that was brought by donga and kept at the base of the platform. The donga will try to touch the person who is trying to touch one of the non-donga. If a non-donga player can reach the stick without being touched then the same donga will be donga again for the next throwing. On the other hand if donga can touch a non- donga before he reaches the stick then the non-donga will become donga. Then the game repeats. 26.Kappathalli patalu: Sung by kinds during drought season to invite rains.

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The Telangana, a Region in Turmoil

About the Telangana Statehood movement

By Madhu K. Reddy on August 4, 2003

Dear Telanganites,

Lately, few people raised issues about TDF role, TDF membership and TDF support for Telangana Statehood. I would like to clarify some of these issues:

TDF Role:

The primary role of TDF is to educate the Telangana NRIs the issues, and encourage individuals to take up developmental activities.

TDF Membership:

TDF is an open Internet based organization and currently there is no dues paying membership. TDF goal is to build TDF City Chapters to strengthen the organization and take up additional cultural and development activities. At present TDF raises funds only for a specific issue like we did in the last election - Appeal to Voters, and invite Intellectuals to go around the country to educate the Telangana NRIs. We may change this if a need arise.

Why TDF Support Telangana Statehood:

Forty-six years ago Andhra Pradesh was formed against the wishes of Telangana region. Telangana people were fearful of Andhra’s domination in every field and afraid they will divert the Telangana resources to Andhra region. Forty-six years later, every one of their fears has become a reality and their lives have reduced to poverty, hunger and disease. Today, Telangana families are destitute and committing suicide out of hopelessness.

Two great rivers, Krishna and Godavari flows through Telangana. Yet this summer, entire villages in some parts of Telangana were forced to abandon in search of drinking water. This week Godavari is overflowing and people are asked 32 33 ¥Ë £ÆêýÃ¢Áô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨ÏÂ›Â ¥Ë £ÆêýÃ¢Áô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨ÏÂ›Â ¥Ë £ÆêýÃ¢Áô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨ÏÂ›ÂÁ ¥Ë £ÆêýÃ¢Áô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨ÏÂ›ÂÁ

to evacuate along the riverbed. The same thing happened a year ago. What are we gaining by letting this overflow fall into the sea? We have a short monsoon season and our ancestors knew the life and death situation, and build tanks in every village and the famous reservoirs like Ramappa, Pakala etc. Late Prof. B. Janardhan Rao listed 27 pending projects on Godavari to store the Godavari overflow and improve the ground water table to the sustain life and the development. The Chief Minister Mr. Naidu borrowed Rs. 55,000 Crores from World Bank and did not build a single project.

After formation of the A.P. State, the Andhras moved the location of the N.J. Sugar project 30 miles downstream and deprived Mahboobnagar and Nalgonda of their fair share. Today, Andhras shamefully wanted to build Pultchinthala to give water for a third crop while millions of Nalgonda people are suffering with Fluoride contamination in their drinking water.

On the Job front, the A.P. Government acknowledged that 250,000 Telangana jobs are stolen and passed a bill GO-610 to rectify the problem. The GO-610 remained just a paper and no action is taken. On education, Telangana has one Kakathiya University, fewer Junior collages and fewer Primary and Secondary schools. A.P Government disproportionately allocated government funds to Andhra region at the expense of Telangana region.

Many people ask why elected Telangana leaders did not challenge? It is a good question. First Telangana represents 108 MLA’s out of 296 in A.P Assembly. Andhras used their majority and systematically destroyed the 1958 Telangana Regional Committee, 1969 8-point program, and 1973 six-point formula. In 1950’s, the State Reorganization Commission (SRC) was formed at national level to study the effects of Telangana and Andhra merger and concluded the following:

“One of the principal causes of opposition to Visalandhra also seems to be the apprehensions felt by the educationally backward people of Telangana that they may be swamped and exploited by the more advanced people of the coastal areas.. The real fear of the people of Telangana is that if they join Andhra they will be unequally placed in relation to the people of Andhra and in this partnership the major partner will derive all the advantages immediately while Telangana itself may be converted to a colony by the enterprising Andhras.” (SRC Report Para 378).

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What SRC predicted fifty years ago is exactly what happened to Telangana, a colony. Telangana has no future under Andhra domination. TDF clearly think Telangana must become a separate state. If we fail, millions of Telangana people will die with poverty and disease. Both national parties BJP and Congress are in agreement to promote the small states. BJP won the last election in Telangana with a promise one vote, two states. It is a shame they could not keep up their word. Let us unite and fight for our own destiny. Jai Telangana! Madhu K. Reddy TDF Coordinator

Cultural Overview of India For 5,000 years successive waves of migration into India have brought extraordinary cultural diversity to the world’s second most populous nation. Through processes of struggle and growth these differences have been absorbed into a resilient Indian civilization with many social and cultural continuities. The society of all Indians has been shaped by a caste system, which organizes people into clear hierarchies. Although it is no longer sanctioned by law, caste continues to play a role especially in the rural villages where 75% of Indians live. Such social similarities allow millions of people with distinct origins to tolerate and interact with each other. In addition, all Indians share the legacies of British colonial rule.

India is sometimes called the “living Tower of Babel” because of the number of languages spoken there (14 are recognized by the Indian Constitution). Yet most people in the south can also speak Hindi just as most in the north can speak Hindustani, a combination of Hindi and Urdu. Religion pervades Indian life and the incredible richness of Indian culture is due to the blending of several different religious traditions. Such blending is possible in part because of the unique nature of Hinduism, practiced by over 80% of the population. Hinduism has no founding figure and relies on several (rather than one) sacred texts. It has no spiritual leader, no organized church, but many gods, some of which are believed to reside in temples or in natural settings. Other offshoots of Brahminism, such as Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, continue to have followers today, as do many denominations of Christianity. Islam, originally introduced by Arab invaders, also has a great impact on Indian culture. Indian Islam and Hinduism have a history of accommodation and of mutual enrichment. Though nationalist questions have inspired political and military strife between followers of these two traditions, both have shaped not only the religious beliefs of most Indians, but every aspect of their daily lives as well.

Music and dance are arts that continue to be elaborated in India untouched by colonialism. Hindu dancers use their bodies to express and celebrate the great universal truths. A seven-tone scale is the basis for music played on wind, percussion, and stringed instruments, along with cymbals and bells. Ravi Shankar’s mastery of the sitar has done much to popularize this classical music in the West. Other contemporary artists and writers have struggled more with the 36 37 ¥Ë £ÆêýÃ¢Áô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨ÏÂ›Â ¥Ë £ÆêýÃ¢Áô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨ÏÂ›Â ¥Ë £ÆêýÃ¢Áô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨ÏÂ›ÂÁ ¥Ë £ÆêýÃ¢Áô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨ÏÂ›ÂÁ

contradictions of Western ideas. The philosopher and poet Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) won a Nobel Prize in 1913 for his works, which forged links between the traditional and the modern. Since World War II and national Independence in 1947, artists have sought to revive traditional Indian themes as a means of fostering national pride, but have tried to do so in a way that transcends the limitations of the past.

Monuments in India attest to the importance of religious tradition. The most ancient existing Buddhist sanctuary was built during the first and second centuries B.C. at Sanchi and remained an important center for centuries. Construction of another set of monuments took place at Ellora between A.D. 600 and 1000. Amazing technology was required to carve this complex of 34 monasteries from the wall of a high basaltic cliff. This site includes sanctuaries to Buddhism, Brahmanism and Jainism side by side, testifying to the religious tolerance of ancient India. The Temple of Kandariya, part of the Khajuraho group from the 11th century, is decorated with many sculptures, which are among the greatest examples of Indian art. The variety of Indian monuments is suggested by Charminar in the city of Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh, a massive arch built in 1591 to commemorate the end of the plague in the city. Another example is the great, red sandstone Agra Fort, which covers 2.5 kilometers and was built by a succession of emperors. Nearby is the most famous landmark of India, the Taj Mahal. This universally admired example of Indian Muslim art is a funerary mosque that a Mogul emperor had built between 1631 and 1648 in memory of his favorite wife.

Ethnic Composition: Indo-Aryan - 72%; Dravidian - 25%; Mongoloid and other - 3%.

Language: Hindi is the official national language and is spoken by about 30% of the people.

Religion: Hindu - 80.0%; Muslim - 14.0%; Christian - 2.4%; Sikh - 2.0%; Buddhist - 0.7%; Jains - 0.5%; other - 0.4%.

Major Holidays and Celebrations: • Republic Day: The anniversary of the Jan 26, 1950 proclamation of the republic is the most important national holiday in India. The holiday commemorates 36 37 ¥Ë £ÆêýÃ¢Áô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨ÏÂ›Â ¥Ë £ÆêýÃ¢Áô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨ÏÂ›Â ¥Ë £ÆêýÃ¢Áô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨ÏÂ›ÂÁ ¥Ë £ÆêýÃ¢Áô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨ÏÂ›ÂÁ

the severing of ties with Britain and the establishment of the fully independent Republic of India. It is celebrated with a mammoth parade in New Dehli, featuring dancing, music, military units displaying their newest hardware, and aircraft fly-overs. • Diwali (Festival of Lights): Diwali, the most festive celebration of the Hindu calendar, is celebrated on the 15th day of the Hindu month of Kartika (October/ November). On the day of the new moon, homes are cleaned, desserts are made, and elaborate sand decorations are placed on thresholds. After dark, countless oil lamps are lit to illuminate the houses, streets, and businesses of Hindu India to welcome Lakshmi, the goddess of well-being and prosperity, and to guide Rama on his return from exile. Fireworks are ubiquitous during this festival, as it is believed that the goddess is pleased by loud noise and flashes of light. Traditionally, Diwali marks the beginning of the new financial year for companies. Since Diwali is considered an auspicious occasion to test luck, there is rampant gambling on the streets and in homes during this festival. • Public Holidays 2001: Jan 1 (New Year’s Day), Jan 26 (Republic Day), Mar 6* (Id uz-Zuha--Feast of the Sacrifice), Mar 26* (Muharram--Islamic New Year), April (Mahabir Jayanti), Apr 13 (Good Friday), Apr 16 (Easter Monday), April/May* (Buddha Purnima), Jun 4* (Birth of the Prophet), Aug 15 (Independence Day), August/September (Janmashtami), Oct 2 (Mahatma Gandhi’s Birthday), October/November (Dussehra, Diwali, and Guru Nanak Jayanti), Dec 17* (Id al-Fitr--end of Ramadan), Dec 25-26 (Christmas). *Note: Religious holidays are based on lunar calendars (Buddhist and Islamic) and may vary by several days from the dates above.

Cuisine: Hinduism and Islam both influence the Indian diet, though all Indian cooking is based on the appropriate use of aromatic spices. A variety of regional ingredients make a difference, especially between the north and south, and it was the British who introduced the commercial cultivation of tea. Vegetarian cuisine has been developed by Hindus, whose beliefs about caste ascribe the highest value to vegetables, the next highest to the “clean” meats such as sheep and goat, and the lowest to the “unclean” fowl and pork. Beefeaters are scorned because Hindus believe that cows are sacred creatures. Islam has contributed much culinary expertise with meats, including kabobs, kormas (curries), biryani (layered meat and rice), and meats roasted in the tandoor oven. In the northern parts of the country, most meals feature chapati (a grilled, unleavened bread) and rice with a variety of 38 39 ¥Ë £ÆêýÃ¢Áô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨ÏÂ›Â ¥Ë £ÆêýÃ¢Áô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨ÏÂ›Â ¥Ë £ÆêýÃ¢Áô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨ÏÂ›ÂÁ ¥Ë £ÆêýÃ¢Áô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨ÏÂ›ÂÁ

accompaniments, including the ubiquitous dals (lentils), vegetables, curries, bean curd, chutney, and pickles. In the more tropical south, rice is the basis of every meal and is often accompanied by thin soups, curried vegetables, pachadi (a bean curd preparation), and coconut. Many Indians finish their meals with a small tray of such digestive spices as aniseed, cloves, arecanut, and cardamom.

Museums and Galleries: Founded in 1949, the National Museum of India features significant collections of sculptures, bronzes, and other objects dating back to the 2nd century B.C.; coins, textiles, antiquities, prehistoric tools, and other items. The National Museum of Natural History in Delhi was established in 1978 and contains environmental, ecological, and natural history collections. The museum also provides educational programs and has a library with 25,000 volumes. Founded in 1954, the National Gallery of Modern Art in Delhi houses contemporary art exhibits, including collections of paintings, photography, drawings, and sculptures. Also located in Delhi, the Gandhi National Museum and Library, established in 1953, features exhibits of Gandhi’s records and personal items.

Libraries and Archives: The National Library in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), which was founded in 1903 as a result of the merging of the Imperial Library and Calcutta Public Library, contains more than 2 million volumes and collections of microforms, maps, and periodicals. Established in 1951, the Delhi Public Library has almost 970,400 volumes in a variety of languages, including Bengali, Hindi, English, and Urdu. The Central Secretariat Library in Delhi was founded in 1890 and contains 750,000 volumes, with special collections of important national and foreign documents. Established in 1891, the National Archives of India in Delhi houses public records and other documents, microforms, and maps, and has a library with 200,000 volumes.

UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Sites: Ajanta Caves; Ellora Caves; Agra Fort; Taj Mahal; Sun Temple, Konarak; Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram; Keoladeo National Park, Churches and Convents of Goa; Khajuraho Group of Monuments; Group of Monuments at Hampi; Fatehpur Sikri; Group of Monuments at Pattadakal; Elephanta Caves; Brihadisvara Temple, Thanjavur; Sundarbans National Park; Humayun’s Tomb, Delhi; Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi

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Flag Origin: Designed to resemble the flag of the Indian National Congress party, the national flag was adopted in July 1947. A horizontal tricolor, India’s flag has equal proportions of saffron, representing courage and sacrifice, on the top; white, representing truth and peace, in the middle; and dark green, representing faith and fertility, at the bottom. In the center of the white band lies a navy blue spinning wheel, indicating the Dharma Chakra, the Buddhist wheel of life. The wheel has 24 spokes corresponding to the 24 hours of the day, symbolizing death in stagnation and life in motion.

National Anthem (English translation): Thou art the rulers of the minds of all people, dispenser of India’s destiny. Thy name rouses the hearts of Punjab, Sind, Gujarat and Maratha, Of the Dravida and Orissa and Bengal; It echoes in the hills of the Vindhyas and Himalayas, mingles in the music of Yamuna and Ganga and is chanted by the waves of the Indian Sea. They pray for thy blessings and sing thy praise. The saving of all people waits in thy hand, thou dispenser of India’s destiny, Victory, victory, victory to thee.

Source: Indian Ministry of External Affairs Website (www.indiagov.org) October 22, 2001

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Maps

Kinnera was Born in Andhra Pradesh

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Kinnera’s birth parents are from Nizamabad in the Telangana. The Tender Loving Care Orphanage is in Hyderabad.

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