1. FESTIVALS: Elephant Festivals: in the 10- 3
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: P.O.BOX 5728 SRT NAGAR, NEW DELHI 110055 (BHARAT); Email: [email protected] No. Sm1223/2069 (For Private Circulation Only) Falgun Krishna 4 Vik Samvat 2069. Yugabda 5114 Tel: 91-11- 23684445; Fax: 91-11-23517722 1 March 2013. 1. FESTIVALS: Elephant Festivals: In the 10- 3. EMPOWERING WOMEN CAN TACKLE day Thirunakkara Arattu festival from 15th to 24th GENDER DISPARITY: PRANAB – Rashtrapati March each year in Thirunakkara Mahadeva Pranab Mukherkjee said in New Delhi on 18 Temple, Kottayam, Kerala, the highlight is a February that gender disparity can be tackled only procession of decorated elephants, accompanied through economic empowerment of women and by drummers and other performers, carrying the improving their role in governance. Speaking at temple god to be bathed. In Arattupuzha Pooram the presentation of the Indira Gandhi Prize for festival in Arattupuzha temple in the Thrissur Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2011 to district of Kerala, one of the oldest temple Ela Ramesh Bhatt of Self Employed Women's festivals in Kerala, on March 25, 2013 a Association (SEWA), Mukherjee emphasised that particularly large elephant pageant features around empowerment of women is the key for gender 60 elephants bearing brightly colored silk parasols. equality. "If women are under-represented in our Legend has it that on the day of the festival, 101 economy, it is not only injudicious but also gods and goddesses from the neighboring villages detrimental to social progress," he said. visit Sree Ayyappan, the presiding deity of the 4. FIVE LAKH PEOPLE VISITED THE 5TH Arattupuzha Temple. In Jaipur, on the eve of Holi HINDU SPIRITUAL AND SERVICE FAIR: each year, March 26 this year, plenty of prized Fifth Hindu fair of the Hindu spiritual and Service elephants are groomed and decorated to Foundation (February 19-24) was inaugurated by perfection, and paraded around the city. former Dy. Prime Minister L K Advani at Chennai 2. THREE CRORE SET WORLD RECORD in august presence of Swami Ashutoshananda of IN MASS SURYA NAMASKAR Bharat set a Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, Swami world record in itself when more than three crore Omkarananda of Chidbhavananda Ashram, Theni, Bharatiyas performed ‘Surya Namaskar – Sun N Gopalswami - Former Chief Election salutations at a time throughout the country on Commissioner and S. Gurumurthy, Chartered February 18, 2013. The event was organized by Accountant and Columnist and other organizing ‘Vivekananda 150 Birth Anniversary Celebration members. Advani in his speech revealed that a Committee’ throughout the length & breadth of suggestion had been made to the Rashtrapati the country. The participants included about two Pranab Mukherjee that he should approach the crore high school students. The ‘Surya Namaskar United States Government to hold a special Yagya’ was organized at over 80 thousand places function in Chicago to commemorate 150th birth across the country. year of Swami Vivekananda. At 10am Bharatiya time, the Samuhik Surya Around 200 Hindu and Spiritual Organizations Namaskar Yagya began at various places. In about including Ramakrishna Mission, Sri Sathya Sai half an hour, the participants completed 13 Surya Baba Ashram, Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Sringeri Namsakars each as per instructions. Each and Math, Art of Living Movement, Swaminarayan every town & city, many taluka (tehsil) places & Movement, All World Gayathri Parivar, even small villages across Bharat witnessed the Arutperunjothi Vallalar Charitable Trust, and mass Surya Namaskar performed on the occasion service organizations like Seva Bharathi, of ‘World Surya Namskar day’ – Ratha Saptami. Samskrita Bharati, Rashtra Sevika Samithi, etc (Ratha Saptami this year was February 17.) participated in the fair. Hindu Religious Boards of 1 the States of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala 7. SANSKRIT SAHITYOTSAVA UJJAIN: A namely Travancore Devasthanam Board, Andhra 3-day Sanskrit Sahityotsava was organised in Pradesh Hindu Religious Endowments Board, Ujjain from 22nd to 24th February in which more Karnataka Hindu Religious Endowment Board, than 3,000 scholars – Sanskrit readers, teachers Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanam Board of and disciples participated. “Sanskrit is not only Tamilnadu, Singhvi Jain, Sourashtra Gujarati Dev Bhasha (language of deities) but also the Mandal, etc. also participated in the Hindu Fair. language of Vedas. During ancient and Vedic Sri Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Swamy Ratham of period, foreigners used to survive in forests and Kurnool, Sri Kalahastiswamy Ratham of Bharatiya science was at par with the best in the Kalahasti, Sri Kanipakka Varasiddha Vinayaka world. Efforts are being made to revive the status Swamy Ratham of Chittoor, Sri Kanakadurga of Sanskrit and it was one of the initiatives, which Temple Ratham, Vijayawada, Sri Varaha Lakshmi was taken by the government,” said Laxmi Kant Narasimha Swamy koil Ratham, Vizag and Sharma, Culture Minister, Madhya Pradesh in the Viveka Ratham of Vijayabharatham attracted large concluding ceremony of the event. Minister for visitors at the fair. Food and Civil Supply Paras Jain said there were Competitions were held on various subjects nine gems in the court of Vikramaditya while including Rangoli wherein 1000 students from 66 there were thousands of gems in the court of schools participated enthusiastically. There were Sahityotsava. The city of Ujjain was privileged to about 5 lakh visitors to the Spiritual Fair. They have august presence of such scholars. Chief guest appreciated the efforts taken in organizing the fair. Supreme Court Judge BN Shri Krishna delivered a 5. NAIROBI YOGATHON 2013: This grand speech in Sanskrit and said, “ Just like a woman event attracted over 1,150 people from all walks of usually looks for her necklace around her, though life in its first year and is aimed to grow larger she has been wearing it on her neck, the same every year. The atmosphere at the Jamhuri High things happen with us and we are looking towards School Grounds on the morning of 17th February the western culture forgetting our own.” Rajya was highly charged as yoga enthusiasts, young and Sabha Member and former governor Dr Rama old, geared up to perform 108 Surya Namaskaras. Jois, V- C of Somnath University Venketakumbh It was an inspiring moment to witness at the crack Shastri, M Raj Kaushi and chairman of Maharishi of dawn when children smaller than their yoga Patanjali Sanskrit Sansthan Manmohan Upadhyay mats, walked in with excitement shining on their also spoke on this occasion. faces to learn something new. 8. JALIANWALA BAGH CARNAGE The event was organized under the banner of SHAMEFUL INCIDENT: UK PM - Regretting Hindu Religious and Service Centre, in the spirit the Jalllianwala Bagh carnage, British Prime of promoting fitness and health and to celebrate Minister David Cameron termed the 1919 Swami Vivekananda’s 150th birth anniversary. massacre a shameful incident in British history. 6. SANSKRIT IN KERALA SCHOOLS: With Cameron visited Golden temple and Jalllianwala an aim to revive Sanskrit language, once Bagh on February 20. He paid homage to unarmed considered the mother of all languages in Bharat , civilians who lost their lives in rampage firing. the government has decided to introduce Sanskrit Cameron is the first British Prime Minister to visit as a second language from class I from the next Jallianwala Bagh after 94 years of the incident. academic year, in all state syllabus schools, said Hundreds of innocent and unarmed men, women director of public instruction (DPI) A Shahjahan. and children were massacred at the Jallianwala At present, Sanskrit is taught in 2,975 government, Bagh on April 13, 1919 by British forces led by aided and private state syllabus schools in the state Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer when they from class V. There are only around 2, 47,764 opened fire on them. Approximately 1,650 rounds students studying Sanskrit, as compared to the 9, were fired that resulted in the death of more than 82,103 students studying Arabic which is taught to 1,000 Bharatiyas besides leaving more than 1,100 students from class I. injured. 2 9. DAUGHTER OF SANGH WORKER 11. MY VISIT TO NORWAY AND THRASHED WOMEN-ABUSERS ON MID- NETHERLANDS: SHYAM PARANDE - The NIGHT IN THE STREET: “I was breaking the visit to Oslo was memorable: The snow-covered silence. If I had stood mum listening to their city, the mesmerizing Vigeland Sculpture verbal abuse, the scene would have worsened Arrangements are memories to be cherished. The further,” this was how Amrutha Mohan described Nobel Peace Centre is holding an exhibition on the incident that made her beat up two men who Mahatma Gandhi’s life called “Eye on Gandhi”. It showered verbal abuse on her on February 14 is a wonderful work by two Bharatiyas that would night during her return from the event ‘One Billion make every Bharatiya proud. Legendary Rising’ on Shangumugham Beach, documentary photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson, Thiruvananthpuram aimed at bringing an end to a Norwegian, who had been in Bharat during the the violence against women. Amrutha, who had penultimate days of Gandhiji and his photographs, led the bike rally at the event, was returning on her probably the last on Gandhi’s life, are on display bike and was accompanied by her friend and her at the centre now. family in a car. As the restaurants were closed, Another experience worth mentioning was the they stopped near a wayside eatery to have food. visit to the Parliament of Norway sans security At that time, three men in a car stopped near them that we are all used to in Bharat. The Parliament is and showered verbal abuse. right in the midst of the old city of Norway and Other than Amrutha, two more women were close to the Royal Palace of Norway’s King. Made present there at that time. “On seeing the two men me think of the Raisina Hills in New Delhi getting beaten up, the other one escaped from the without the stringent elaborate obscure security.