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FOREWORD

The strength of Mahila Shibirs has been growing year on year. Evolving from Annual National Shibirs, to Vibhag Levels in 2019 and this year, 2020, in the format of the Vibhag E-Mahila Shibirs. Covid-19 has not at all hindered the planning, progress, and execution of the truly engaging E-Shibirs year.

The focus areas on skill development has allowed all mahila to grow in confidence, further develop their skills and re-enforce their understanding of what is Sevika . National and local teams have worked tirelessly in organising these Shibirs and through this, they themselves have instilled and nurtured many qualities; being steadfast, working as a team and of course endurance, all which are some key sevika samskars. Participants have set themselves on task and produced articles on the topics given to them, and for some, they have really pushed themselves and have come out of their comfort zones.

In total 342 sevikas from 7 vibhags wrote and submitted 411 articles. The articles were proofread, edited, and formatted, ready for the launch of the e-book. The articles where based on wide ranging topics including the Uniqueness of Bharat, , Home Medicines, The Science of Hindu Rituals, and the Contribution of Hindu Women.

With over 500 mahilas attending nationally, we have surpassed anticipated numbers, engaged and inspired a wide range of mahila base and identified future mahila karyakartas (leaders) in vibhag (local) areas that will allow mahilas work to grow, work selflessly and contribute to our society.

Fantastic work! I am inspired by your dedication.

Pranam, Madhviji Haria, UK Kendriya Karyawahika, Hindu Sevika Samiti (UK)

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FOREWORD

I am delighted to know about the endeavours of the Sevikas in the field of literature. I am very much impressed by the number of articles and the number of participants. The subjects are from different categories encompassing the Hindu epics, to Hindu way of life, to contemporary subject like COVID-19. This project has given an opportunity for Sevikas to use the period of lock down in developing their writing skills. I congratulate all the participants and the coordinators as well. I hope UK Samiti will continue coming up with new ideas, new projects for the Karyakarta Vikas and enhance their level of commitment towards our ultimate goal of Vishwa Shanti.

Ma Alka Tai, Rashtra Sevika Samiti Saha Karyawahika

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DISCLAIMER

The views and opinions expressed in the articles are the respective author’s own and do not represent that of HSS (UK) or the author’s places of work. While each author and HSS (UK) has made every effort to ensure that the information we are sharing is accurate, we welcome any comments, suggestions, or correction of errors. HSS (UK) is not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for the results obtained from the use of any information in the article

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BOOK REVIEW

I received a request from Kalyaniji, asking me if I could review an E-book produced by the mahilas. I agreed and requested they give me the smallest one. She gave me a 101 paged book - Oops! I was not sure I would be able to finish reading all those pages so quickly, but I thought let us try, and since I have committed to the task, I have to finish it. So, without delay, I started reading.

The different articles were organised into different topics and that helped make the read easy and very enjoyable. All the four parts, lifestyle, food and sewa, festivals, and rituals and are extremely relevant in this time of COVID. The section of poem was fun to read and gave a different flavour to the E-book.

It is really exciting to see so many sevikas write and express their thoughts and knowledge. I congratulate the UK Samiti team for coming up with such an innovative idea and bringing it to reality. Let me tell you, when I agreed to review the E-book, I was nervous, but I am glad I said yes! Thank you very much for giving me this opportunity. I am really impressed, and inspired by the work of writers, and coordinators.

I wish you all the best for new projects, and new ideas. Keep safe and healthy.

Anjali Patel USA Sevika Pramukh

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THE HINDU WAY OF LIFE IN A PANDEMIC

What is Hindu Dharma? We all say it is a way of life. This could be interpreted in various ways, namely, how we live, what we eat, our daily routine, live within our means and treat everyone the way we would like to be treated. believe that God resides in clean houses and hence we always try and keep our homes clean. We always wash our hands before we eat, take our shoes out by the door when we enter our homes, have a shower every morning before we start our day. We advocate a vegetarian diet, and so consume the food that our bodies are able to digest. We usually cook meals at home and are aware of the ingredients used in making them.

From a young age it has been instilled within us to live within our means and save for a rainy day. By implementing this in our lives our family’s basic everyday needs are satisfied. My parents always used to say, “treat everyone the way you would like to be treated”. If you want to be respected, learn to respect others. If you are kind to others, they will also be kind to you.

Further to this we have been brought up to help others who are in need. During the pandemic there were a lot of Sewa activities carried out from providing food to the NHS staff and vulnerable people to replenishing food supplies at various Food Banks throughout the country. Young children were also engaged in creating drawings to thank the NHS staff for working tirelessly. Families were also assisting their vulnerable neighbours by doing their grocery shopping. We were all given the opportunity to do Sewa and everyone was working tirelessly to help wherever they could. All the above qualities that we as Hindus have embraced in our daily lives has helped us overcome the difficulties that arose during the pandemic and to serve the wider Samaj.

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This book is written by the Mahila of all the shakhas in West Midlands. Many of the habits which are followed by millions of Hindu families across Bharat have been followed from many generations. The main aim of the book is so to highlight how the way of life led by Hindus which could prevent the occurrences of such pandemics.

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CONTENTS PAGE

08 Part 1: Lifestyle 32 Part 2: Food and Sewa 62 Part 3: Festivals 88 Part 4: Rituals and Yoga 101 References

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HINDU DHARMA: HOW IT HELPS HINDUS DURING THE PANDEMIC

When I was a child, I always looked forward to my bedtime stories by my parents, the same way my children absolutely love their bedtime stories now! Hindus, whether they are ‘religious’ or ‘non-religious’ have a huge variety of stories, people who believe in Ishwara go for most loved stories like Ramayana or or and those who do not, go for the most popular stories or katha sarith sagaram or travelogues. This brings us to a question: can a Hindu be still Hindu without believing in Ishwara? The answer is yes, unlike a Christian who is not considered a true Christian if not following Christ or his gospel, and a Muslim who is not considered a Muslim if they do not give precedence to prophet, a Hindu whether he believes in Ishwara or not is still a Hindu, unreservedly! Hindu can be an Asthika, who believes in Ishwara or Nastika, who does not believe in Ishwara. Individuals are given full freedom to choose whom they want to believe. One can worship or Gouri or or or Laxmi or or or worship none at all! Every individual is given spiritual space to practice or not practice anything.

Those who practise often call it the Sanatana Dharma or the eternal laws of Nature. Hinduism is complex; some people describe it as being like the roots of the Banyan tree - perhaps it is better seen as multiple religious practices/traditions having a common thread of philosophical principles like worship of one divinity in its many forms (absolute truth) to navigate the material and spiritual journey of jiva/atma/consciousness to achieve the four goals of dharma (right conduct), (right resources), (right desires) and (salvation). Hinduism is extremely diverse, depending on things such as culture, family background and geographical location, endlessly varied in forms of expression, and in belief.

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One might wonder what exactly binds Hindus together when there are so many ways to reach Ishwara and so many Gods and Goddesses to worship? Hinduism is not based on a God or a Divinity, it is a principle based. is the name given to the absolute truth/principle. The concept of is a continuum that does not fit into the term’s monotheism, pantheism etc. From The unqualified truth called Brahman ( ie., principle) qualified truth (God) arises in the personification of deities like Shiva, Vishnu, , and the Goddess.

Thus, the Hindu refers to the deity’s unqualified nature (Brahman) as paramatma, and the qualified nature through name and form. The deity is not seen separate from Brahman but a personification of it, like the wave is of the ocean.

It is important to note that Brahman is a non-dual state and thus there is neither a God nor a devotee present. Thus communication, relation and worship do not apply to the Brahman as it is a state of liberation from duality. The term God indicates a personality thus implying a state of duality where the devotee perceives God (deity) and is able to have a relationship with the deity. The most important deities are the which represents the three functional aspects of One Reality (Brahman/Ishwara). These are Brahma - the creator, Vishnu - the preserver and (Shiva) - the dissolver. These abstract concepts are hard for children and for some individuals to understand so there are a variety of Puranic stories which explain these hard to understand concepts in the form of stories, so it is easy to understand.

Irrespective of whether a parent believes in God or not the children do come across these stories from many other sources like friends, other family members etc. Ideally the non-religious parent gives enough space to his or her child to make up their own mind about a God or Goddess and give them that spiritual space that they themselves have been given. Parents who are non-religious go for Panchatantra stories, katha sarith sagar, and several travelogues which are non-religious in nature. Hindu children whether 10

brought up by non-religious or religious parents do hear popular stories like Panchatantra, Ramayana, Mahabharata, and stories relating to festivals.

What exactly binds Hindus together as they are considered Hindus irrespective of their beliefs? The stories that are told to children by both religious and non-religious parents have one strong thread that connects them that is the principle of Dharma. Doing appropriate action during appropriate time to restore order in the situation. Most Indian stories have placed a strong moral very subtly through easy to understand formats. Whether a Hindu is a non- believer or a believer would invariably agree the importance of values and principles like being truthful, being honest and more importantly, believe that one should do action that is appropriate to the situation to restore the order for the common good of all, which is nothing but Dharma.

Another thing that compliments these Dharmic concepts apart from stories are the Hindu festivals. Hindu festivals have an astronomical and astrological basis and at the same time are also associated with significant Historical events. For those non-believers there is something scientific that is actually happening physically that they cannot deny. Festivals combine both religious concepts and scientific happenings together.

The astronomical basis indicates the position of earth in space and time that repeats, the astrological basis reveals the spiritual significance of that position i.e., the deity associated with the constellation in that position. Thus, when the astronomical position occurs the festival of the deity takes place. Over time significant events that have taken place on these occasions have also come to be celebrated as part of the festival. For example, is worship of Goddess Laxmi according to the astronomical and astrological basis but over the time few significant events took place in history on that very day like the return of Rama to Ayodhya after his victory over Ravan; and Krishna’s wife’s victory over Narakasura. So, on the day of Diwali people not only worship Goddess Laxmi but also remember and celebrate the return of Rama to Ayodhya etc. These special times draw together family and community in common celebrations. This combines both religious and non-religious people and is enjoyed equally by both. 11

There are some large community celebrations such as those for Diwali and Janmashtami (for example, in Watford, annually, about 60,000 Hindus join the Janmashtami celebrations). Some other important festivals are - nine nights of celebrating worship of nine goddesses who killed Demons who had caused havoc amongst peaceful Hindus; - celebration of the arrival of spring after winter; Shivratri - is considered as most auspicious night and is celebrated in the honour of Lord Shiva; - celebration of the bond and affection between brother and sister.

Whether it is Hindu stories or festivals they all bring together both religious (who believe in different gods and goddesses and follow different paths to reach that parabrahma) and non-religious people together. And we have established earlier these two forms, stories, and festivals, have a very strong underlying concept of Dharma. This Dharma binds Hindus together, both religious and non-religious.

When the pandemic occurred irrespective of whether a Hindu is a person who believes in a certain God or follows a certain path to reach that parabrahma or one who believed in none, reacted exactly the same. Although they were sad to see what was happening around them, they all pulled their sleeves up and got into action/ and did Sewa! They might have done so in their own capacity in their own way depending on their circumstances and capabilities. But they have all come together to help others during this pandemic.

Hindu Dharma gave them even more need for sewa bhava (service) in these hard times. In my case I have been doing more Sewa than in normal times. Apart from juggling with 3 kids at home (helping with their schoolwork, feeding them and last but not least doing story times that they love!) I have been cooking and delivering hot meals to disabled and elderly people locally as part of Sewa day. As part of INSA (Indian students organisation) have been helping hundreds of stranded people in the UK. As part of the UK Telugu Hindu organisation (UTHO) we raised approx. £1800s for less fortunate 12

people. Our Hindu dharma taught us to focus on what is the need of the hour when one is going through hard times like these.

Dharma is a universal law that upholds the natural order of the universe. Our duty or dharma during this pandemic is not to get perturbed but to do action (karma) that would help restore the natural order in the society or world. Many like me have sprung into action to help less fortunate people and also support those who are helping restore the situation like NHS health care professionals, carers, and essential workers etc.

The beauty of our Dharma is that it has not only taught us to do appropriate action at appropriate times to restore the natural order for the benefit of all, but it also taught us to detach ourselves from the result or fruit of our action. This has provided a buffer to an individual and resulted in them not feeling demotivated or dejected if they do not see the results they desired to see. An individual will keep doing what is needed in a situation irrespective of whether he/she sees any positive changes or not. Our Dharma makes us stronger and brings out the best part of us even in the darkest of times like this pandemic.

Hindu Dharma is not only inclusive of every individual (and is secular) irrespective of their beliefs and paths but it ensures its continuity through Hindu way of life or lifestyle. Hindu lifestyle includes two main features for the continuity of its culture and civilisation. Firstly, traditions or sampradayas (during festivals or in day to day life) and secondly, guru parampara (most of Hindu families follow a guru and his parampara). These two are strong pillars of our Sanatana Dharma that ensures its continuity from the times immemorial to the present.

Hema Yellapragada, Leamington Spa

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NAMASTE

One of the worst pandemics in history, COVID-19 has penetrated almost every country leading to numerous deaths. It causes respiratory problems, tiredness, and fever. Although the spread of this disease is not known to be airborne, it can spread to another person through small droplets expelled from the nose or mouth of a person with COVID-19, especially when they cough or exhale. Basic precautionary advice by all governments include wearing a mask, avoiding shaking hands or touching a person, keeping hands away from your face, etc.

The nature of avoiding handshakes has led people to the simple and most famous Indian tradition of a ‘Namaste’. This has already been a part of Indian culture and tradition for thousands of years. One can say that ‘Namaste’ is the Indian way of greeting each other. ‘Namaste’ comes from the Sanskrit words ‘Namah’ and ‘te’, meaning ‘I bow to you’ or ‘my greetings to you’. It is known to negate any negative energy flowing around the person to whom it is addressed.

In the present context, it holds an immense significance due to its early roots in Hinduism. Though the Western culture has influenced the culture of handshakes in the United Kingdom, a steep rise in coronavirus cases has caused people to resort to greeting through ‘Namaste’ rather than touching each other’s hands. ‘Namaste’ has done a magnificent effort in reviving the traditions of bowing and joining palms while greeting. During this crisis, several leaders have already adopted the practice of ‘Namaste’.

Nisha Shah, Draupadi Shakha, Birmingham

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LIFESTYLE AND ITS GUIDELINES FROM ANCIENT INDIAN SCRIPTURES

Lifestyle! One simple word but has a great impact on our wellbeing. Guess what it means? Yes, you got it right. It is nothing but the way we live our day, every day. This seemingly simple word has a far-reaching effect on life of a person and entire society. It is the way people live i.e. think, behave and act; a sophisticated way of living to have a fulfilling life. The western scientists have, only in the last few decades, begun to understand the role of nature in daily routine. However, our ancient Indian scholars knew about it since ages. They knew how important it is for our body to stay connected with the rhythm of nature. This article is an attempt to explain lifestyle and its guidelines from ancient Indian scriptures.

Ayurveda, the Indian medical science existed from the beginning of CE (Common Era). These Ayurvedic texts have many chapters dedicated to ‘DINCHARYA’ which simply means lifestyle. DIN means ‘daily’, and ACHARYA means ‘rituals’ or routine. Dincharya is a daily routine designed to maintain our physical and mental health. It includes dietary practices, physical and mental activities, cognitive exposure, as well as cultural and environmental revelation. It is a time-tested routine and has been around from ages. Though it is ancient, it is said to be relevant to all eras and applicable to everybody, living anywhere.

Factors considered while planning this Dincharya

§ Connect with Nature – Dincharya should go hand in hand with the nature and laws of nature. The health of an individual depends upon his diet, exercise, and actions. If your dincharya is in harmony with nature, then only, one will be benefitted and not get distressed by it.

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§ Strict adherence to daily routine – An individual strictly adhering to daily routine/rituals is less prone to illness and poverty. Indian scriptures give great significance to Dharma (the righteous way to think and perform) and Karma (action). This extends into the creation of the laws of daily rituals/routines. Due consideration was given to the science of nurture of the physical body and human psychology for the same. This combination helps us to maintain a healthy body as well as, helps in development and evolution of mind and thoughts. This helps one to stay away from illness and stress. Hence goes the saying - A healthy mind resides in a healthy body. A person with good health and right thinking, fit in all ways, can give 100% to his work. It effectively helps to earn enough wealth and stay away from poverty.

§ Food Digestion – A consistent pattern of meal timings and specific food (by quantity and food type based on seasonality) helps in proper and smooth food digestion. The healthiness of the digestive system is a very important aspect of individual’s health.

§ Body Clock — Dincharya helps wellbeing of body and connects us to our body clock. You may have experienced that if we wake up at a specific time for a few days continuously, the body clock will wake us up exactly at the same time, without any alarm. Further, based on the body clock, we can know about the existence of the sun cycle (daytime) and moon cycle (night-time). tells us how these two cycles are connected to our body type or dosha (vaat, pitta, kapha).

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The daily routines mentioned in the ancient Indian scriptures include waking up early (at Brahma-muhurta), cleaning face, evaluation (malavisarga), teeth cleaning, eye drops (anjana), nasal drops (nasya), exercise (vyayam), massage (mardan), bodypack (anulepana), bath (snan), meditation (dhyan), meal (bhojan), eating beetal leaves (tambul sevan) etc. and then going early to bed.

Some of ancient Ayurvedic scriptures mentioning about dincharcya are:

Charak : Written by physician Charak, considered as founder of Ayurveda. References of this are found at the beginning of Common Era, time of its actual composition is not known.

Sushrut Samhita: Sushrut is considered as the father of surgery. Ashtang Sangraha, Ashtang Hridaya Sutrastan, Bhav Prakash Samhita, Bhel Samhita

Following are some shlokas from different scriptures which will give us a brief idea about dincharya.

1. About Purpose and Importance of Healthy Lifestyle:

Prayojanam chasya swastha swasthrakshanam, Aaturasya vikar prashamanamch/ C. S. 30/26

In the above sloka Charak says, the purpose of a healthy lifestyle is to maintain health of a healthy person and to cure (as medicine) diseased one.

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2. Which actions should be included in Dincharya:

Nagari nagaresaiv, rathsaiv rathi yatha / Swasharirasya medhavi krutesva vahito bhavet / C. S. 5/103

In the above sloka Charak says, as a mayor takes care and protects his city and a charioteer takes care of his chariot and horse, one should take care of his health and perform actions which are good for his mind as well as body.

3. About time one should wake up:

Brahme muhurte ucchishtet swastho rakshartham ayushah / B. P. 1/24

Above sloka is from Bhavprakash Samhita. It means, one who wakes up at Brahma muhurt (time between 4 AM to 6AM) enjoys a long and healthy life. Like the above, there are multiple shlokas available in Indian scriptures which explain time, importance, procedure (vidhi) and necessary material for every routine or aspect of lifestyle.

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4. Regarding root cause of all diseases:

Kaal arth karmanam yogo heen mithya atimatrakaha / A.H.S 1/19

Above sloka is from Ashtang hriday sutrastan, it means diseases are caused by less, improper and excessive involvement of kaal (time/session), arth (subjects of sense organ like sound, touch, smell, vision, taste), karma (physical, verbal and psychological action or activities - kaya, vacha, manasa).

Faulty lifestyles like smoking, intake of alcohol, improper diet, and lack of exercise results in deterioration in health, and in the long term, affects mental health too. Any wrong activity or incorrect measure (less, more, or improper) leads us to unhealthy life. Following a proper lifestyle will help us to prevent diseases, ultimately leading us to longevity and good health in old age.

I would like to end by mentioning that – following some routine is not a burden, it is an experience of pleasure of life with lasting peace and happiness. It also serves as a self- help life coach, which helps in achieving the objectives of human life.

Vaishali Amane, Sanskar Balagokulam, Leamington Spa

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FOCUS ON CLEANLINESS

The recent pandemic that has gripped the world is no exception in my home and family. I am one of the 1.5 million people who have been expected to ’shield’. Stay at home at all times. Being immunosuppressed has resulted in our family having to be even more careful and given great insight into how our Hindu way of life has helped in this dreadful time.

All you hear when you speak to anyone or turn on any channel is about Covid-19. An enemy that has attacked every part of the world. No country is safe. No person is safe. An unseen enemy that has brought the world to its knees. Death rate increases each day. It has called for absolute sacrifice and new ways of doing things. A new way to live life. A new normal.

BUT…is it a new way for Hindus? Have Hindus not always lived life following many of the practises asked of us today? Aren’t these practises age old and already embedded in our scriptures?

The World Health Organisation (hereafter WHO), during the recent pandemic has laid out several measures for each individual to combat the dreadful virus, stop the spread, keep ourselves and our families safe. Measures that are rooted in Hindu way of life. One of the main proponents of Hindu way of life is cleanliness. Cleanliness or “” relates not only to cleanliness of our surroundings but also of body and mind. The concept of Shaucha is described in many Hindu literatures. The Srimad Bhagavatam in Chapter 11.17.34-35 indicates.

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"My dear Uddhava, general cleanliness, washing the hands, bathing, performing religious services at sunrise, noon and sunset, worshiping Me, visiting holy places, chanting , avoiding that which is untouchable, uneatable or not to be discussed, and remembering My existence within all living entities as the — these principles should be followed by all members of society through regulation of the mind, words and body."

The Manu also dictates in several verses what cleanliness means stressing that it includes cleanliness of body and mind as well as surroundings. The Daksha Smriti gives a clear description of Shaucha. In verse (5.2), it says that people must strive hard to maintain cleanliness in all their actions. It further adds that all those actions which have been performed without adhering to the tenets of cleanliness become fruitless. In verse (5.3), it describes in depth about how to practice Shaucha in daily life. It says:

shauchancha dvividham proktam bahyamabhyantarantatha | mrujjalabhyam smrutam bahyam bhavashuddhistathantaram ||

The cleanliness is said to be of two types - external and internal. The external is the use of clay and water and the internal is the purification of mind.

Therefore, as far as practice is concerned, Shaucha is of two kinds - external cleanliness that includes the cleanliness of the body, objects and the surroundings and the internal cleanliness that involves the purification of the mind.

I shall not look deeply into this as it will be touched in another article. However, I will delve into the general concepts of cleanliness and Hindu way of life.

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External Cleanliness:

As Hindus one of the main practises that we follow is ensuring that our bodies and surroundings are clean. Washing hands properly is something that is instilled from an extremely young age. Washing hands at several points of the day and especially after going to the bathroom and before eating. The WHO all though this pandemic has explained time and again that washing hands properly is one of the main methods to prevent not only the spread of the virus but also the chance of contracting it. Living as a Hindu, this is not a new concept and one that was done in any event.

One of the basic and simplest practises of not shaking hands but saying Namaste, is fundamental to cleanliness and avoiding the spread of the virus. A practise that is now being noticed by the world and being followed. Followed by all including those at the highest level of power including French President Emmanuel Macron, Prince Charles, and Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu.

The same goes for other practises that were done as a norm. Measures such as removing shoes before entering the house, changing clothes when returning from outside and taking a bath. All these measures are part and parcel of Hindu way of life.

During the pandemic, these measures have been stressed upon by Governments and the WHO as a way to prevent the spread of COVID 19.

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Food preparation and hygiene is paramount to Hindu way of life. We ensure that all food is thoroughly cleaned and prepared. Considering that the virus is thought to have affected mankind from contaminated food, this way of life again is vital in stopping the spread of the virus.

As Hindus we also ensure that the house and surroundings are clean as it is believed that Mata Laxmi only comes into and blesses those in clean houses. This is especially important during festivals and religious days. This has meant that having a continuously clean environment stops the spread of the virus. The Hindu way of life had helped during the pandemic as many of the practises were being followed as norm.

During the pandemic, where lockdown has been instilled many Hindus have found it an opportunity to clean their environment.

Internal Cleanliness:

Shaucha which in Hindu concept of cleanliness also considers the cleanliness of the internal body and mind. As Hindu, it is part of life to eat food that is beneficial to the body and is healthy. Food is considered the fuel of the body and apart from ensuring it is physically clean and cooked properly, it must assist the body in functioning properly. Having a healthy body is one of the main ways to have maximum chance to avoid contracting the virus and in the worst case to fight it.

Keeping the mind clean is a main tenant of Hindu way of life. Keeping away from “moha” (attachments) or “kama” (lust). During the pandemic and resulting lockdown, the Hindu way of life of having self-control and not lusting after material things has resulted in people coping with conditions better. Hindus have accepted that going out and shopping is not important and have utilised the time to purify their minds. A clean mind has led to contentment. This leads to happiness in oneself and the family. 23

Following a Hindu way of life, a way of life that dates back to thousands of years and has emerged from a powerhouse of rich culture and traditions has helped in the fight against one of the worst pandemics in history. Practises done as a norm and ideals kept have resulted in the effective way to live life in new normal.

Preeti Gupta, Sanskar Balagokulam, Leamington Spa

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SEASONAL LIFESTYLE IN HINDU CULTURE

In Hindu culture especially in India we live our lives as per the seasons. The kind of food we consume also varies per season. According to Ayurveda there are 6 seasons. But I am describing the 3 main seasons: Winter, Summer and Rainy season.

Winter Season - During this season, the environment remains cold and windy. An individual has less strength and he/she need more energy. Hence items made from cereals, pulses, wheat, and gram flour are recommended to consume in winter. Garlic and Ginger are used profusely because of its warm effect. I remember my mum used to make Bajra in this season. Massaging with oil and exposure to sunlight is also advisable in the winter season.

Summer Season – During this season, the weather is extremely hot, and the strength of an individual reduces. In this season we should eat food items that are easy to digest. Drinking a lot of water and different fluids, like cold water, buttermilk, fruit juices, mango shake, stirred curd with pepper is highly recommended. Mangoes is my favourite fruit in the summer. In the past we used to eat more vegetables like bottle gourd, ridge gourd, bitter gourd (I used to eat it even though I did not like it). In the summer eating green leafy vegetables is highly advisable as they are easy to digest. During the summer, our digestive system performs slower because of the extreme hot weather conditions.

Rainy Season/Monsoon – When the monsoon arrives in India, it is a time to celebrate as it gives relief from the scorching heat. Hot tea, & samosas are the food to cherish on a rainy day. Drinking boiled water and cold water mixed with little honey is recommended. It is better to eat warm food and avoid uncooked food. Consumption of leafy vegetables needs to be avoided during this season.

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These practices are relevant and useful in today’s time. Also, research has confirmed that eating according to seasons is good for our body as it is like living with nature.

Reenu Aggarwal, Sanskar Balagokulam, Leamington Spa

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JOURNEY BEHIND THE CLOSED DOORS

“Mommy Daddy wake up wake up!! Surya Mami (Surya Dev) is out and the cuckoos are hungry. It is mumum (food) time for them. Let us go to the garden”!!! This is how our alarm goes off every day. Be it weekend, lockdown, or bank holiday, it never stops until we wake up. Yes!! This 3-year-old alarm is called Dhanush. Great start for both the brothers who feed the birds and spend a good amount of time outside absorbing Surya (Vitamin-D).

Negative is the New Positive - (lockdown led to family time)

We start the day by doing several rounds of Surya Namaskaras, followed by breathing exercises. Laugh a lot, as the kids do super brain yoga, enjoying every bit of it...The irony is, this yoga was regarded as punishment for us as kids. Even the punishments are thoughtful in our culture!

After yoga, they freshen up and chant “Aum” and a few shlokas. Then we all have a family breakfast. Idly, , akki-rotti, ragi-rotti are on our menu, which is loaded with nutrition and good bacteria. We always eat food with our hands. My granny always believed eating is A Vratha. Consuming food using all our five senses is very essential to absorb all the nutrients. So, the texture, the feel, the smell, the taste, the sight - all of these send signals to the brain and activate digestion. one may ask how about the sound?? yes!! Many foods are defined by the sound they make.

Once I called my maternal aunt when she was munching on something. As she took a bite, I started drooling!! I instantly knew it was made of butter. Such is the power of sound while eating. Sound of mustard and cumin seeds crackling, boiling , spreading dosa on the tava and crunchy snacks send signals to

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the brain to activate digestion. It also helps in better absorption of nutrients. So, having food while watching TV is not at all a good idea. After breakfast it is school time... virtual indeed.

Only after studies, it is TV time. They concentrate too hard in this particular activity and do not know what is going around them after a while, they relax by watering the plants and digging in the garden and some days spend time by making a swimming pool for beetles digging up burrows for earthworms burying the dead bees and praying for them.

All these are done in bare feet. It is a connection with mother earth and nature. It boosts up our immune system. As Sadguru says "It strengthens the integrity of elements in our system". Mud bath is also a wellness trend. There are many pressure points on soles and palms which get activated when in contact with Earth.

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Nostalgia

Watching Mahabharat every day has been our favourite activity during lockdown. As an effect: • Nerf guns are replaced by bows and arrows. • Pillow fights are Gadha Yuddha. • A CD is now Krishna's chakra • Bheema and Arjuna are new superheroes

Now if they get wounded, they apply turmeric powder themselves and scream “Powder turmeric has the power of magic”.

They start to play musical chairs whenever I practice , thus getting introduced to Indian classical music. • We play tig with eyes closed. • Hide and seek, carom, chess, and many more • Apply an herbal hair mask and give oil massage to each other. • Talk about any secrets in Hindi (being a Kannadiga) to build the curiosity in kids to learn the language. • Tried phone pranks on relatives to check on them. • We dream to visit a place we touch on the globe, with eyes closed • Surprise each other on special days and explore new ways to celebrate differently.

We also watch helplessly when they: • Fuss over tv time • Contest seriously for daddy's lap • Crave for salt/sugary treats • Have lots of pillow fights • Complain about each other on video calls with their grandparents, making them referees. • Roll in every possible shape on this planet. 29

Reliving our childhood and utilizing every bit of precious time.!! Who ever thought lockdown could lead us to a happier journey??!!!

Paving the way for Spirituality

A WhatsApp forward suddenly caught my attention which goes like this:

Looking at Krishna, Coronavirus said “Look Krishna, I am a little virus. I shut The door to the temple…!!!

Krishna smiled and said, “Can you see now; I have turned every house into a temple!!! “

This is definitely true in many homes.

Once during a general discussion, I asked “Is mother Earth taking a toll on us for taking her for granted”?? My ten-year-old son Sudhanva immediately replied “Amma!! mother earth is known for forgiveness; she can never harm us isn't it? Although he could not recall she is called Kshamaya Dharitri. The seed of spirituality being sown in youngsters even without our knowledge. Thanks to Every Thursday night clapping in support of NHS staff, the kids now know the meaning of Vaidyo Narayano Hari.

Opened doors during the Lockdown

Many talented people have started online courses. Some sessions we do during the week: • Sundays: Yoga in the morning and Balagokulam in the evening • Tuesdays: Yoga, Devanagiri, and learning. • Wednesdays: Carnatic music. • Saturday: Vishnu sahasranama session with 11 families.

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All these classes are on zoom. Connecting the people spiritually.

Sudhanva was part of Utkarsh yoga course.

Meditation, pranayama and kriya are in his daily routine now. Children are getting a glimpse of our ancient practices and lifestyle during lockdown.

This Pandemic has led to a new perception towards life. What was important then, has no significance now. Having seen so much misery, sorrow, and hardships, we have realised how blessed we are and thank god for being with us always.

Just like the sun sets, this phase will end and there will be light again with beautiful sunrise.

With a small shloka we sign off for the day.

Divya Bhargava, Sanskar Balagokulam, Leamington Spa

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FOOD IN LOCKDOWN

Food is Brahma. Food nourishes the body needed for the growth, repair, and healing. We become what we eat. According to the Ayurveda, food is divided in three areas. They are Sattvic, Rajasic and Tamasic. Sattvic is ideal food for the person. However, we still need some proportion of Rajasic and Tamasic depending on the person's work and routine. (The more physical work a person does he/she will need more Rajasic food). Tamasic food should only be eaten as required.

Sattvic foods are mostly fruit, vegetables, and whole grains. Most of the food grown underground are Rajasic and Tamasic. Non vegetarian and processed foods are mostly Tamasic and Rajasic. They are largely unhealthy. Sattvic food brings about calmness and saintly qualities. Rajasic food brings about assertive, aggressive, and also violent qualities. Tamasic food brings about lethargic and lifeless qualities. However, some foods are medicinal and should be taken in the right proportion.

In this difficult lockdown situation, most people have gone into panic buying. Our Indian families are at strong advantages because we have in store a lot of grains and other non- perishable food stuff that includes all kinds of spices which are very essential for medicinal purposes. We can survive for a long period. The only stuff that we need to buy on a regular/weekly basis is fresh fruit, vegetables and milk which is easily available. Therefore, we do not need to do panic buying.

With the deadly coronavirus, we should be eating the right type of food which brings about stronger immunity in the body. Besides the foods, which should contain lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, our homes have lots and lots of spices and ingredients that mixed and cooked with foods that we eat can bring and develop strong body resilience, immunity, vibrancy and overall strength. 33

Some of these are: turmeric, dry ginger, cloves, cinnamon, tulsi, mint, arabic gum, black salt, , onion, garlic, fresh ginger, honey methi, coriander, green chillies, honey, and much more. This should be in the right proportion.

This is the drink which I have used for my children for many years when they get cold and fever and are poorly. This will also help in resisting the current deadly virus. In Gujarati it is called “ukado” I use these ingredients for the drink - mint, tulsi, cinnamon, cloves, ginger powder, black pepper, ajwain, turmeric, jaggery and lemon. Put all these ingredients in a pan, with one litre of water, and boil for a few minutes. Drink half a glass every two hours throughout the day.

Nita Shah, Vidula Shakha, Birmingham

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FOOD

Food. It is the reason for us studying hard at school. It is the reason for us going to work. We need to earn money so that we can feed ourselves and our family. When Covid 19 came upon us the numerous WhatsApp messages I received was incredible! Advice was shared on how to eat and drink well to avoid catching this virus. How did this virus come about? It all comes down to food! Food hygiene, food preparation and some Hindus call it karma!

I think that is the beauty of Hinduism. It is more a way of life than a religion. With the Covid 19 pandemic we have seen people around the world increasing their hygiene levels. From washing hands thoroughly to removing shoes when entering their homes. Well, this is what we have been doing for centuries! Whilst some Hindus eat non- vegetarian food, they still have various periods throughout the year when the non- vegetarian food is given up; to reflect and meditate but also to cleanse and detoxify their bodies.

So, Covid 19 is upon us. The advice that was commonly shared was to consume ‘warm’ foods such as ginger. Personally, I like ginger tea and do not mind chewing ginger but as every parent with young children understands, what we can tolerate and do for the goodness of our health, our children will not!

Speaking to my Chacha from Mauritius, he advised me to add extra ginger to everything. ‘Good idea,’ I thought. As usual my second thought was ‘Let us see how it goes down with the children!’ My fussy eaters are not always easy to please. However, I still attempted to add extra ginger which went unnoticed, so I have continued to up the dose ever since!

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The lead up to lockdown was not a pretty sight. I have never in my life seen so many empty shelves at the shops. From supermarkets to pharmacies and even stationary shops! At first, I refused to stock up but once I saw the lack of rice, lentils, pasta, flour and oil in the shops I must admit a little wave of panic struck me. How will I feed my children? It is the first question every mother asks herself before she sets off on a journey. A mother always prepares in advance. An Asian mother always has extra and more! We Asians always buy in bulk anyway! What made me very sad was watching mothers of young baby’s search for milk formula. Was it really necessary for someone to bulk buy that too?

Whilst being in lockdown has turned people towards comfort eating and experimenting with different recipes, I have not had that ‘luxury,’ if I can call it that! Working for the NHS meant physically going to work. With my husband being a nurse and my mother in law being our neighbour, I had no issues with childcare. The only issue I had was having the energy to prepare food for my family at the end of a busy day.

Travelling to and from work, through the quiet, isolated, and somewhat eerie streets, did give me time to reflect. A journey down the M6 to the office was no longer taking 1 hour but 15 minutes! This was definitely a shocking experience! The time wasted in traffic was no more which resulted in a calm Mama ready to cook at the end of the day.

As we led up to Mr Johnson declaring a lockdown and watching society panic buy, I certainly thought about my role as a Hindu mother and how I needed to react and handle the whole situation. I did wonder whether we would end up having ration cards just like they did in the war. It made me also realise how much we take for granted. Whatever we want is always ‘there’. We can go to the shop or buy it online. Have I ever appreciated what I have? Do my children appreciate what they have? Do I, as a Hindu mother, set a good example to my children?

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I decided to get my children working and thinking! I dug out all my seeds that I had stored and decided to plant them! I still remember it was a windy weekend in March, where three of us stood outside with our plant pots and compost ready to plant tomato seeds, lettuce, strawberries, cress, and rocket salad. My daughter did the planting and my son watered them. It was such a simple act and they thoroughly enjoyed themselves! However, it was so windy that a packet of lettuce seeds blew off into the air! I told the children that we may see lettuce growing randomly in our neighbours’ gardens! As we brought the pots inside and positioned them on the windowsill, I said a little prayer in my heart for the project to be fruitful. Smiles all round, the children went to bed happy that night!

I still did not feel satisfied and wondered what else I could do with my children for them to continue to reflect on their privileges of having that constant supply of food. After the first batch of cress and rocket salad had grown and these were shared with my parents and friends, I realised what else I needed to teach the children. It was so simple! The Bhojan mantra:

“Anna grahana karane se pehele Vichaara mana me karna hai Kisa hetu se is shareera ka Rakshana poshana karanaa hai Hey parameshvara ek prarthana Nitya tumhare charano me Lag jaaye tan mana dhana meraa Vishwa dharma ki sewa me.”

Before eating food, the thought should be in our minds as to why we should take care of our bodies. Dear God, I pray to thee daily at your lotus feet, that I may dedicate my body, mind, and money in the service of this world.

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It is important to eat healthy and it is so easy to grow fresh produce at home. It certainly was exciting to watch the various salads grow. It was even more of a pleasure to share this out with everyone. The children have not only grown their own food, but they have also done ‘sewa’ by sharing. This is a wonderful achievement. We are still waiting for the tomato plant to bear fruit and the strawberries are coming along well.

Although the Covid 19 pandemic has been a shock to the world, I have personally appreciated the stillness everywhere. Communities have come together; ideas have been shared and celebrations have occurred from our driveways. Nature has been looked upon with fresh eyes and people have discovered beauty spots in their own hometowns! I read a wonderful quote on Instagram that was shared by Bhaktivedanta Manor in Watford which I believe gives us food for thought.

“In these times when humanity faces the possibility of massive worldwide destruction, a nonviolent approach to nutrition and food production can contribute to world peace and produce beneficial karmic circumstances for everyone” HH Tritha Swami #manorgoshala

Melisa Dunputh, Radhe Krishna Balagokulam, Birmingham

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EMBRACING COOKING DURING A PANDEMIC

During this stressful time, (coronavirus lockdown) a few things were apparent in our family. I own and run a vegan food business on a part time basis, but during lockdown I decided to temporarily stop trading so that availability of yeast, flour and dairy free milk was available to somebody else who needed it more, rather than me making money out of it. I also felt it was best for everyone's safety.

I made dishes for my family where a small quantity of vegetables and fruits had to be used up and not thrown away. I made nutritious steamed muthia, pudla, , mixed vegetable curries, bread samosa sandwiches and pasta for lunch. Lunches were also eaten to accommodate my son's school lunch breaks, so he could join the school virtual seminars and clinics on time.

I found different ways of using spinach, not only for a curry, but also used it in the dough, hara bhara kebab, etc. I baked and donated a farari cake to offer to Lord Ram on Ram Navami at Ram Mandir for their live streamed celebration. At the time of delivery, social distancing measures were observed, along with strict food and safety guidelines.

The food and grocery shopping were done once a week and was a challenge. Firstly, there were long queues and then there was a problem of finding out different items we required that were not on the shelves. I did not find breadcrumbs on the supermarket shelves, so I decided to make them at home with leftover bread. With home-made breadcrumbs I made vegetable burgers, hara bhara kebabs and tikkis.

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Two Hindu Sanskars were followed in our household rigorously during coronavirus lockdown, eating meals together as a family and no food wastage.

My son made a vegan carrot cake for the 75th VE celebration for a school project, using ingredients available at home. See picture below of the cake:

Tina Mulji, Radhe Krishna Balagokulam, Birmingham

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WHAT IS SEWA?

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When we think about what sewa is, straight away we can say sewa is a kind of selfless service and involves our Tan, Mann and Dhan. According to me I am doing sewa every day for my family when I look after them and feed them. When we do the cooking, cleaning, and gardening we are not thinking about ourselves, but we are thinking about our family and trying to keep them happy.

Sarvesharmeva Dananam Brahrnadanam Vishishyate

“Imparting of divine knowledge is the best of all charities. “

Quote by Manu

TYPES OF SEWA:

They are three types of SEWA as we mentioned above like Tan physical service, Man mental service and Dhan material service.

1. Tan: The Physical Aspect of Sewa

It could be cooking or serving in the temple, cleaning the house or temple, or helping with gardening.

2. Mann: The Mental Aspect of Sewa

This could be teaching our children how to read and understand our language or helping in the temple .I am already giving my sewa to the temple as a Gujarati teacher to teach other children how to read and write in Gujarati. I also teach them our Hindu

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culture and stories of our festivals.

3. Dhan: The Material Aspect of Sewa

This could be donating one tenth of your income to the charities, also helping others in times of financial difficulty or giving money to the poor people.

All three aspects of Sewa are equally important in our life. In our shakha people are also doing sewa by giving their valuable time to teach us as a sevak/Sevika. They are giving their time without expecting anything for themselves.

In covid-19 pandemic lock down lots of people are doing sewa to help each other like our Doctors, nurses, postman, garbage man, delivery man, hospital cleaner, and teachers. They are also doing sewa in our tough time without any expectations.

Shatahasta Samahara, Sahasrahasta Sankira

“Earn with hundreds of hands and distribute with thousands” ( 3-24-5)

“To live is to give. Give as long as you live”

Paresha Chohan, Vidula Shakha, Birmingham

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‘SEWA’- THE UNIQUE CHARACTERISTIC OF A ‘SANATAN HINDU’

The word ‘Sewa’ is of immense importance in our Bharatiya Sanskriti (Indian culture). If one has to understand why it is so, then (s)he has to start with the definition of it. Sewa

(सेवा) is a Sanskrit word which includes a seed-verb (i.e.मलधात) ‘सव’ ् literally means ‘to serve as a dharma’. So, on the same lines, sewa means ‘selfless service’. There are many references to the word sewa in our ancient texts. According to , ‘Sewa” is described as a concept of the deep meaning which is very difficult to understand even to the so called the (the practitioner of Yoga). We can limit ourselves here to the meaning of ‘the selfless and the loving service to others. Thus, it is better to understand it with further commentary.

Now there are other crucial aspects regarding sewa. The are sure about ‘How to do the sewa’, ‘Why to do the sewa and very important one ‘to whom one should do the sewa’. We will come to the answers of these questions one by one in reverse order.

Let us consider, ‘the sewa’ is the purest (SATTVIK) kind of donation/charity (दानम), ् which Bhagawan Shri Krishna makes it clear by the following sloka:

दात핍यमिमत यद्दानं दीयतेऽनुपकारिणे |

देश े काले च पात्रे च तद्दानं सामविकं िृति् ||” (श्रीिद्भगिद्गीता 17.20)

That means, ‘the sattvik donation’ is one that is given without any consideration of (any kind of) returns, at a sacred and holy place, at auspicious time and given to the qualified soul (पात्र जीव). In the same analogy we can do sewa from our home itself! Also, we have 44

our ‘dharma (duties)’ towards our close family members. Starting from our parents- family, our gurus, our society, the needy but the qualified souls, our rashtra, our culture and the universe (at last), are eligible to do the sewa! Now, we will address ‘why to do the sewa section of this commentary... In the Bharatiya philosophy/spirituality, the sewa has its own place. While doing sewa one will conquer her/his unnecessary ego, unwanted prides (collectively called Aham) within her/himself. This makes the spiritual journey of that soul with fewer hurdles. Eeswar Sewa (service to the supreme) can start from SAGUNA and ends in nirguna type of Bhakti. The Eeshwar Sewa can also be done with the help of 14 Vidyas and 64 Kalas.

Traditionally, the Indian music and dance art forms (since from Sama-Veda) are considered a type of sewa to the Almighty and was only performed when there was Adhisthan. If the soul is considered as ‘a seeker’ (of true knowledge - Gyana), the

Gyana can only be realized by 3 ways.

According to Geeta:

तमिमि प्रमणपातेन परिप्रश्नेन सेिया | उपदेक्ष्यमतत ते ज्ञानं ज्ञामननतविदमशिन: || ( श्रीिद्भगिद्गीता 4.34)

It is clear from the above shloka that ‘the simplest way’ to get Gyana is Sewa along with the two other ways i.e. complete surrender to the master and counter-questioning to master with pure heart.

As a social animal, any human being is bound with the ऋण (the various kinds of loans/ borrowings) towards his society and the Mother Nature as well! How can one return those borrowings (at least partially)? The only way is to do SEWA towards them. You can

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do the SEWA by three ways - with physical efforts/hard-work (तन), with mindfulness

(मन) and by wealth/money (धन) contribution, towards our society and towards Mother

Nature.

Now we are at the juncture where we will think about the crucial part of this commentary “How to do the sewa...”

There are a number of NGOs worldwide, serving for the betterment of the mankind, betterment of nature and for keeping our planet as ‘it is given to us’. We must appreciate their contribution here but are they really selfless? For example, some NGOs who talk about the issues of ‘global warming’ prefer to conduct their conferences in ‘air conditioned’ hotels by heavily contributing ‘the greenhouse effect’, the cars with which they travel is adding to the pollution if it is not electrical. The activists of various kinds, rather than doing activism, are more inclined to convert the serving moment into ‘the selfie moment’. Can we really call it a sewa?

My answer will be a BIG NO to it. On the other hand, away from the limelight, without any gains, inherently selfless by nature, so many individuals and NGOs are working continuously towards the betterment of life. We can find such NGOs in Bharat where still Sewa Bhav is alive. We can shortlist some of them • On the banks of river Narmada, there is a school called ‘Narmadalaya’ dedicated to the local Bhil community. • The ambitious ‘Chitrakoot project’ by Shri Nanaji Deshmukh • Smt. S. Thimmakka, 106-year-old Indian, who planted thousands of trees in the last 65 years and continues to take care of them as her own kids. • Smt. Draupadi Ghimiray, who is working for the cause of women empowerment and for the challenged kids, at remote places of North-East of Bharat, for several years. • Smt. Sindhutai Sapkal, globally known as “Mother of Orphans” for a few decades.

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The world’s largest NGO, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, is internationally appreciated for its ‘selfless service – sewa’ for more than 90 years now. The parallel NGO is Rashtra Sevika Samiti, which is an independent women organization in Bharat, shows its influence in all the parts of social life. Sangh and Samiti together contribute to around 1,30,069 sewa projects as per the Annual report-2019, dedicated to the nation of 1.4 billion irrespective of caste, class, creed etc. but serving only human beings...!!! It reminds me of the famous quote from various Indian scriptures “नर सेवा नारायण सेवा.

The Samiti Sevikas and Sangh Swayamsevaks serve the humanity by various organizations like ‘VANAWASI KALYAN ASHRAM’, “SEWA BHARATI’, ‘JANAKALAN SAMITI’, VIDYA BHARATI etc.

The Sevikas and Swayamsevaks who spread globally are inspired to initiate the SEWA activities by forming the selfless charity organization called Hindu Swayamsewak Sangh (HSS). HSS, every year, is contributing to the social life of various countries in terms of SEWA DAYs. Here, the volunteers try to waive the loan of society, of their culture and of humanity. The volunteers carry all the respected values from our SANATANA culture and set an example of selfless service in the world. They really follow the famous say “वसुधैव

कु टु 륍बकम। from the “Maha Upanishada”. There are a number of full-time and part-time karyakartas of HSS who are a real inspiration and real day-to-day examples of “Sewa”. They always remind me of a famous song (Geet) from Sangh:

“सेिा ह ै यज्ञकु तड समिधा सि हि जलᴂ...”

Meera Kale, Vidula Shakha, Birmingham

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INSPIRED BY MOTHER NATURE, MAY SEWA BECOME MY TRUE NATURE

The word sewa or service commonly means - to perform a simple selfless act. However big or small the act may be, what matters is a pure simple thought. So, we draw inspiration from various sources starting from great philosophers, to social reformers, to our gurus, our social network or even a next-door neighbour. It is not very often that we sit back and draw inspiration from Mother Nature to develop the attitude of sewa. I am sure most of us would have come across this sanskrit verse from Neeti Shatakam by Bhartrihari - paropakārāya phalanti vṛkṣāḥ paropakārāya vahanti nadyaḥ| paropakārāya duhanti gāvaḥ paropakārārtham idam śarīram||

Trees bear fruit for others to enjoy. Rivers flow for others to use. Cows give milk for all. The purpose of the human body is meant for service alone. In all of the above examples, we find that the trees, the rivers, and the cows do not take anything for themselves. It is a life of giving and no taking at all. This is the highest level of sewa one can attain. As human beings, although it is not practically possible to live a life of giving without taking, we can definitely make a shift - trying to give more than we take in.

The current COVID situation has brought the whole world to a lockdown. It has provided an opportunity for people to think and to care for one another. It is so humbling to see so many sewa activities taking place. People are doing more than they can in order to help others. I wish and pray that this enthusiasm and attitude of caring and service will continue even when we return to normal. Just as Mother Nature does not stop providing for humanity no matter how much we exploit it. Let us all work towards developing an attitude of service and make this our mantra – sevā bhāv bane svabhāv - Jai Hind!

Madhurima Venkat, Vidula Shakha, Birmingham 48

SEWA - ‘THROUGH LITTLE ACTS OF KINDNESS’

The word ‘SEWA’ means performing service without any expectation or reward. These are some strange times we are living now. There are many around us like key workers, volunteers and others who are going out of their comfort zones and serving the society. Some of us like myself are spending time at home with family, working and abiding with the lockdown rules. However, I realised there are a lot of little things that one can still do and spread kindness which the world needs now more than ever.

In this unforeseen time, it can be sad if a friend or a colleague is going through a personal crisis and you cannot physically meet them. However, thanks to technology we can call them often, listen to them and comfort them on the phone. Just talking to your neighbours can make a huge difference, offering to share the resources with those who need to show that care can happen at a micro level.

Perhaps leaving a thank you note or a small gift to the key worker like bin collectors who play an important role in our daily life could cheer them a little in these hard times. It is also the occasion where you are gifted with a lot of time in otherwise busy life. As a parent we can take this opportunity to educate our kids and make them aware of the situation around us, teaching them to be grateful, instilling other moral values like kindness, , and resilience. As the saying in Sanskrit phrase goes “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” meaning “the world is one family”- by including everyone in our everyday prayers we can help heal the world.

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What I did to help?

During these pandemic times, I have tried my best to try to go to the mandir and help make food for the tiffin service. I have also tried getting PPE for the temple and for the people who need it. Following this, I ask the vulnerable in my street if they need any help with groceries, etc. Regularly I keep in touch with my family and friends to see how they are.

Care for others during this difficult time

Only go out if you really need to

Visitors are NOT allowed

It is ok to feel worried but keep smiling

Don’t forget coughs and sneezes spread diseases.

Rashila Patel & Sushma Nadahalli, Vidula Shakha, Birmingham

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REFLECTIONS ON SEWA IN THE MIDST OF COVID AND BEYOND – THE ART OF SMILING THROUGH YOUR EYES

Let us start like all formal conversations.

Sewa, I understand, it comes from the Sanskrit words “Saha” & “Eva” so together it means “together with”. It is a selfless service which leads to collective benefit and gain. Actions are performed for the greater good without regards for the outcome of the individual alone.

If I quote from verse 2.47

“कममण्येवाधधकारते मा फलेष ु कदाचन |

मा कममफलहेतुर्भम ाम ते स敍गोऽ्वकममणण || 47 ||

You have a right to perform your prescribed duties, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions. Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, nor be attached to inaction.

The verse says it all and there is nothing more needed to elaborate on sewa.

As I think back to the last three months or so, we were all happily leading our regular lives. Then came this entity invisible to the naked eye, who has taken the whole of mankind firmly in its strong grip and seems to have changed the way we live and think forever.

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At the beginning, being a healthcare professional thing did not seem very much different as work continued and we went about doing our doctor duties. Slowly things felt a bit different when we started having daily briefings about what needs doing on that day and throughout the day new instructions would come in. We carried on.

Then it started getting uncomfortable as many lives succumbed to the situation. It became disheartening when we lost many of our medical fraternity, the frontline workers, doctors, nurses, ambulance crew, supporting staff... and many more.

There have been instances all over where the leads of health care teams have briefed their teammates on these lines “ Some of us will not make it through this (i.e .we might catch the infection and never make a recovery, will perish), but we have to give it our best “. I would be right to say that it is the very same Bhagavad Gita quote as above worded differently.

As days passed by there have been many days while as I walked back to the car park from the hospital after work, however much I tried to stop myself I have cried every time an ambulance drove to the hospital. I knew it carried an affected person; my heart went out for them. I set forth silent prayers for the ambulance crew who are with the infected person, so putting themselves at risk, diligently doing sewa. Of course, they have a family too to go back to. So, when a health care professional returns home they are putting their family at risk too.

The family are doing their sewa supporting them and the children come out as the greatest superstars of all. The wonderful little innocent ways in which these lovely little hearts have livened up the spirits of everyone with their “rainbow stay safe” artwork, videos, clapping is amazing sewa in itself.

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The love and support that poured in from all walks of the society has been so heart- warming and pushed us all in tremendous positive spirits to move on. The collective bonding of sewa spirit that shines through in the society is splendid. As time passed, I have come back from work thinking what a wonderful world, everyone mostly is trying to be nice, good to each other. All the amazing sewa activities that sangh parivar has been involved with, friends ringing up regularly to check how the other is, helping out in whichever way they can, dear friends offering to look after our children when we had to go to work, the nonstop supply of food, fruits, hydrating drinks to keep all the staff going sent out of pure goodwill, the innumerable number of hospital scrubs, bags, masks, headbands to hold mask so that they don’t hurt our ears ( just imagine the smaller details people have thought into) lovingly handmade, personal protective equipment donated, the Thursday clapping to cheer the list is endless. All this and much more is all sewa in many different forms and feels ....

It has been a spectacular journey of tears, smiles, joys, strength so far and the collective spirit of sewa wins.

Finally, I would end with this quote:

“A student once asked anthropologist Margaret Mead, “What is the earliest sign of civilization?” The student expected her to say a clay pot, a grinding stone, or maybe a weapon.

Margaret Mead thought for a moment, then she said, “A healed femur.”

A femur is the longest bone in the body, linking hip to knee. In societies without the benefits of modern medicine, it takes about six weeks of rest for a fractured femur to heal. A healed femur shows that someone cared for the injured person, did their hunting and gathering, stayed with them, and offered physical protection and human 53

companionship until the injury could mend.

Mead explained that where the law of the jungle—the survival of the fittest— rules, no healed femurs are found. The first sign of civilization is compassion, seen in a healed femur.”

- IRA BYOCK in his book “The Best Care Possible: A Physician’s Quest to Transform Care Through the End of Life (Publisher: Avery, 2012).

So as humans the least expected or the least we should do is to be thoughtful of everyone around us and work to make the world a better place than we found it. Simply that is what we are here for.

Through all this behind our masks I feel we have perfected the “art of smiling with our eyes”.

Madhu Gowda, Draupadi Shakha, Birmingham

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SEWA - ‘SPREAD SOME JOY’ CAMPAIGN

What does Sewa mean to me? Sewa is selfless service, helping others in a variety of different ways, without any reward or personal gain.

I am, Sewa Day National - ‘Spread some Joy’ leader. Thousands of good- hearted people across the world come together to perform Sewa and experience the joy of giving in its truest sense. By participating in this collective endeavour, we hope that the seeds of Sewa are watered so that acts of kindness and public service are performed more often. Sewa Day has over 1400 volunteers over 24 Regional teams. We have replenished 17 food banks and services in 26 hospitals.

Sewa Day have 4 campaigns running during Covid-19:

• Care for the Carers – NHS Hospitals, Paramedic stations and Care Organisations to provide support to those caring. This is through the provision of hot meals, snacks, PPE, and personal items which help our carers.

• Replenish the food banks – restock food banks who are in desperate need. • Help a neighbour Campaign – supporting those who are in isolation by collecting medicine, providing hot meals, carrying out their shopping and providing other support as required.

• Spread some Joy Campaign – Children to create some Drawings, letters, and poems, which we can then send on to our isolated elderly in care homes to show we are thinking of them.

As part of our Spread some Joy campaign, families have been also making appreciation boxes which are then gifted to Care Homes.

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Being a volunteer of the ‘Spread some Joy’ campaign has really opened my eyes to how important it is to help, support and work together as a community, especially throughout this pandemic.

I will always be grateful for working with the Sewa team in order to help the key workers, and elderly over the past 10 weeks. This has helped me realise the importance of Sewa and I am going to continue giving back to the ones in need in the near future.

Bhavna Dhorajia, Laxmi Shakha, Birmingham

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VEGAN

My family and I are vegan and my absolute favourite recipe is for Vegan Dhokla.

The Ingredients you need are: • cup semolina (soji) • teaspoon lemon juice • teaspoon ENO (fruit salt) • teaspoon crushed green chilli 1 teaspoon ginger • ¾ cup water • ¼ cup soya plain yogurt (any non-dairy yogurt) 1 teaspoon oil for greasing • ½ teaspoon salt to taste

For Tempering: • tablespoons oil • 10-15 curry leaves • ½ teaspoon mustard seeds • ½ teaspoon sesame seeds (till) • 2 green chillies sliced lengthwise and cut into halves 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves • pinch of asafoetida (hing)

Method • Pour 3 cup water in a steamer at the bottom and heat it over medium flame. Make sure your steamer is already heated 5 minutes before placing the plates (filled with batter) in it. • Take semolina, lemon juice, green chillies, and ginger paste, soya plain yogurt, water and salt into a bowl and mix it all together until combined and making sure it is a smooth batter. No lumps. 57

• Add ENO in the batter and stir in one direction for approx. 1 minute. You will notice the size double.

• Now pour the batter into your plates only filling the batter up to halfway as it will rise. • Place the plates into a steamer for 12-15 minutes over a medium flame. After 12-15 minutes, insert a knife into the dhokla and check it comes out clean. This means the dhokla are cooked.

Method: Tempering • Heat 2 tablespoons of oil into a small pan. Add mustard seed and hing. When seeds begin to crackle add sesame seeds, curry leaves and green chillies, sauté them for a few seconds.

• 2.Garnish it on top of dhokla and add chopped coriander over the dhokla.

Nita Chandegra, Vidula Shakha, Birmingham

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RECIPES - HERBAL TEA AND TOMATO

Since my childhood, I always found it fascinating to cook and try out new recipes. I enjoyed reading various articles on food and watching different cooking videos, and finally came up with a whole new recipe of my own. My family and friends have always given me positive feedback which encouraged me to be more innovative and creative.

Since the Covid-19 lockdown, there has been a great need to keep our immunity system strong. It has been a challenge to not only prepare a flavourful meal but with a healthy twist to it. In this article I will be sharing a couple of recipes which I think have been the need of the hour – (1) Herbal Tea and (2) Tomato Rasam.

Please note, the recipes are tailor made as per my time and need.

Herbal Tea: It is a tea brewed with whole spices to promote general well-being.

Ingredients • ½ tsp turmeric • tsp fresh ginger or dry ginger Small piece of cinnamon • 3-4 cloves • ½ tsp ajwain • ¼ tsp saunf • 1 tsp black pepper 4-5 mint leaves • 4-5 basil leaves 59

Add all the ingredients to water and let the entire mixture boil for 10-15 minutes.

Now, strain the mixture and add lemon juice as per taste. One can add jaggery or honey to add sweetness to the drink.

Tomato Rasam: This is a popular South Indian dish. A soupy like dish, good for digestion, especially during winters.

Ingredients • 2 tbsp or oil • 1 tsp mustard seeds 1 tsp cumin seeds • 4-5 curry leaves Asafoetida a pinch 2-3 red chillies • 1 tsp turmeric • Garlic cloves • ½ tsp ajwain • 1 tbsp black pepper 2 tomatoes • A little tamarind Salt to taste • A little jaggery • Any rasam powder Coriander leaves

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In a pan, heat 2 tbsp of oil and add mustard seeds. Once it splutters add cumin seeds, ajwain, curry leaves, red chillies, garlic, crushed pepper, turmeric, and asafoetida. Now add tomatoes and let it cook for couple of minutes. Later, add tamarind water (tamarind- soaked water) along with rasam powder, jaggery, and salt and let it boil for about 10-15 minutes. Later garnish it with coriander leaves and have it with hot rice.

While spices and aromatics form the basis for Indian cooking, its health benefits are innumerable.

Sowmya Talari, Draupadi/Vidula Shakha, Birmingham

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ANCIENT CUSTOMS DURING FESTIVALS

Ancient Indians always follow a particular way of celebrating festivals. Before any festival was approaching, they used to spring clean the house. They used the following ways as part of the decoration and utilised natural elements of the earth for decoration, which had a scientific reason for the use around the house.

Mud and cow dung paste is often applied to the floors and walls of rural homes in India. The mixture reportedly forms a waterproof layer that helps to insulate the house from heat entry or loss and does not smell unpleasant. It is also thought to act as a disinfectant and has some antibacterial properties.

Ancient Indians also used to paint their house with calcium carbonate. It was both used on internal and external walls because of its mildly antibacterial properties.

Applying turmeric on the front door is an ancient Hindu custom. Ayurveda firmly establishes that turmeric is an extraordinary spice that has more than 20 benefits. One of the most important benefit is that it contains antiseptic properties and it is also antibacterial. As many of us know, it is important to hang a green pumpkin on the main door to prevent small and visible insects from getting into the house. Turmeric is so powerful that it repels every such organism if applied on the front door and all other possible entrance routes into the home (large windows, French windows, etc.).

Anonymous

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NAVRATRI FESTIVALS

Navratri Significance of Pooja Vidhi

Festival of Navratri is celebrated by all devotees in different states of India in different ways.

• We sow soaked seeds or grains during the in front of the picture of a goddess with a kalash. In , we call it “Ghatasthapana”. The soaked seeds sprout easily during the nine days. They are very good elements of absorbing Mantras that are chanted during nine days of pooja. • We offer fruits and flowers to Ghata. It represents the positive aspect of giving birth to a positive energy. • Shakti is worshipped as Mahakali, Mahalakshmi and Maha . On all the nine days, Devi Mahatyam and Shrimad Devi Bhagavatam are recited. This is a unique festival, where on one hand celebration happens and on the other, one can delve deeper to gain knowledge of the self. Moreover, there are six distortions, or vices of the mind: ▪ Kama (desire), ▪ Krodha (anger), ▪ Lobha (greed), ▪ Moha (infatuation), ▪ Mada (arrogance), ▪ Matsar (jealousy).

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These distortions can go out of control in any human being and become an obstacle on the spiritual path. They can be dissolved during these nine days of Navratri with the grace of Shakti.

Tapasya or upasana are, therefore performed during these nine days, along with meditation.

On the day of Ashtami, devotees invite nine girls aged 9 to 10 years, feed and offer them with gifts and money.

The 10th day, Vijayadashmi, marks the victory of Lord Rama over Ravana. At the same time, it also marks the victory of Goddess Durga over evil demon Mahishasura.

This festival teaches us to follow the path of Dharma. “When we walk on the path of truth, we will always achieve success in life.”

Supriya, Coventry

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HOLI

Holi is one of the important festivals in India. It is celebrated on the night of the full moon, called Purnima, in the month of Falguna, according to . Holi is the festival of love, relations, and colour. It is also known as the harvest festival. Holi is celebrated for 3 days. The first day is called as Holika Dhahan, second day is called Dhulivandan and the fifth day after the full moon or Purnima is called Rangpanchmi.

As we all know the story of Bhakt Prahlad and Holika, we can relate the Holika Dahan to this pandemic Covid 19. At its core, the story of Prahlad & Holika establishes the killing of the root of negativity, bad things, anger, jealousy, greed, and desire to become more powerful than God, other humans, nations, and nature. This festival spreads positivity, confidence to fight against evils like air pollution, viruses, bacteria, negativity among the people and nature.

Hiranyakashyapu was greedy and powerful and did not show any mercy on his own son. In the same way, human beings are becoming greedy and powerful, thereby causing harm to other human beings, animals, and their own countries. Holika Dahan represents that if you use your power to try and destroy and defeat the genuine people, at the end their goodness will destroy you.

This festival can be related to the current pandemic, in that only because of greed of mankind to become superpower, they have become enemies of other human beings, animals, birds, nature and natural resources. Humans want to be superior to nature and that's why nature has shown the effects. The effects of new diseases discovered.

Holi is a kind of campfire, which spreads warmth in the community where people come together. This festival gives us the message to Forget and Forgive, spread love, and repair broken relationships.

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Substances used in Holika Dahan like coconut, ghee, rice, cotton, moong , turmeric, cow dung beads and harvest crops like wheat grass, gram stalks, sugar cane, castor, etc., are environment friendly and do not cause pollution the smoke helps in killing the germs and purifies the air. The burning of Holika symbolizes the triumph of good over evil.

Fasting on this day improves your metabolism and immunity. Food eaten on these festival days, like sweets, dates, ghee, makhana, etc. are healthy and build immunity.

Second day of Holi is called Dhulivandan. On this day people apply the ashes from the holika dahan on their body. As this ash is pure and has medicinal properties, it helps in curing skin diseases.

Fifth day is Rang Panchmi. On this day people play with colours, which resembles spreading colours of love, joy, happiness, kindness, positive energy in the community

Holi gives us a message to spread love and respect humans, nature, birds, animals, and environment.

Kanchan Kale, Coventry

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MAHASHIVARATRI

“The deeper the roots, the greater the fruits!”

We all know that a well-built foundation will always make the building strong! Already our ancestors have given us a great foundation on how to work towards our full potential through , Puranas, and .

If we understand the above quote and realize it is meaning in our daily life activities, it will help us to discover our inner potential. During this unanticipated pandemic, I hope this small article will help us to see life in a different aspect and find the strength to lead a meaningful and serene life.

Often, many practices in Indian culture are just labelled as blind superstitions, but if we go to profundity, they have very logical explanations behind them.

The festivals in Indian culture are very significant and celebrating these festivals can be seen as a passageway to the greater aspects of life.

One such festival is Mahashivaratri.

Before I begin, let me explain the topics I am going to cover: • How I used to celebrate Mahashivaratri when I was a child. • Why do we celebrate Mahashivaratri? • How celebrating Mahashivaratri is still relevant for present and the future generation?

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How I used to celebrate Mahashivaratri when I was a child:

During my childhood, I would eagerly wait for the Mahashivaratri festival. I have very fond memories of Mahashivaratri. On that day, it was a holiday from school. We used to get up early in the morning and for the whole day we used to listen to the music and songs related to Shiva. During the day we were supposed to fast, but children and our grandparents were allowed to eat varieties of fruits like apples, grapes, bananas, oranges, dates, and a special mention about watermelon, which was my favourite!

In the evening with our whole family, we used to do pooja by chanting ‘ Namah Shivaya’ (which is a mantra) and doing Dhyana which means Meditation. My parents used to say, 'if you cannot meditate every day, do it at least on Mahashivaratri festival’! After our pooja, we used to visit our nearby Shiva temple and offer bilva/bel leaves of the bilva tree and pray. While returning, the priest used to give some of the bilva leaves back to us as blessings of Lord Shiva. At night it was Jagaran (being awake) Time! Entire family used to sit together and watch some of the old Dr. Rajkumar’s (famous Kannada movie actor) mythological movies!

As a child I used to love and enjoy doing these activities but never wondered or tried to understand the importance of fasting, meditation, jagaran and the importance of bilva leaves.

As I grew up, I slowly understood the significance and science behind the celebration of Mahashivaratri! Let me try to go in-depth to explain the significance of Mahashivaratri.

According to an article from “The Art of Living Foundation”, it has been mentioned that there is unknown and mysterious energy that is driving all of us. Scientists have not been able to give it a name, yet. However, our ancestors have called this unknown energy Shiva. Shivaratri falls in the month of Magha in the Indian calendar (February/March) which is referred to as Mahashivaratri.

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Why do we celebrate Mahashivaratri?

In the daily busy schedule of life, we forget our source of energy - that which is running us. Mahashivaratri is a festival to remember and to take our awareness to the basis of our existence Shiva.

How celebrating Mahashivaratri is relevant for today and the future generation?

Mahashivaratri is the day to honour and celebrate Lord Shiva. As I mentioned earlier, most of the people spend their whole day of Mahashivaratri in prayer, meditation, and celebration. It also includes the following activities:

1. Fasting

Today’s generation just loves eating junk foods. In the cities, eating out is very common. Eating a poor-quality diet, high amount of junk food consumption, has links to a lot of health issues like low immunity, high risk of obesity, depression, digestion issues, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and early death. Fasting on Mahashivaratri leads to detoxifying the body and aids meditation. A calm mind slips into meditation easily. If one cannot fast, then fruits or food that is easily digestible is recommended.

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By doing fasting people can focus much better and work more efficiently. Fasting also boosts our body immunity to fight against the virus. A healthy diet can work effectively during this COVID-19 pandemic.

2. Meditation

As individuals, we all have the potential to go to a higher level, but with changing times, we have become very busy and have lots of distractions, which makes us unable to focus on exploring our core strength!

According to Shri Shri Ravishankar Guruji, on Mahashivaratri day - being awake and doing meditation will not only help us to get peace but also “Wakes the Divinity that is deep within us”.

Explaining the significance of this sacred night, Sadhguru from Isha Foundation has said, “Mahashivaratri is not a celebration of just cultural significance. It is of a certain scientific and spiritual significance to us. During this night, because of the planetary positions, there is a powerful upsurge of energies within every human being. If one keeps the spine erect through the night and creates the right kind of meditativeness, the right mantra and the right attitude – both external and internal, Mahashivaratri can be a

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tremendous possibility to heighten one’s perception and get closer to the creator. During this lockdown time, if we just sit straight and meditate every day, it gives positive energy and keeps negative energy away

3. Significance of chanting ‘Om Namah Shivaya’ Mantra

‘Om Namah Shivaya’ is the perfect mantra to chant on Mahashivaratri, as it immediately increases our energy, gives peace to our mind, and helps in meditation. In this Pandemic, we all may feel restless and low in energy. If we chant this simple mantra it will give great positive energy to the whole family.

4. Offering Bilva leaves:

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It is considered that bilva leaves are very dear to Shiva. The bilva tree has lots of medicinal properties in its roots, leaves and fruits. Bilva leaves are important as their trifoliate shape signifies Shiva's three eyes as well as the three spokes of the Lord’s Trishul. Since they have a cooling effect, they are offered to the Shivalinga to soothe this hot-tempered deity.

If you do pooja by offering bilva leaves to Shiva and receive it back as his blessings, as they have the highest capability to absorb that reverberance. When you keep it in your chest pocket or in your hand and walk around, it will make a difference in you, in terms of your health, wellbeing, and mental state.

By following these simple activities, generation after generation can be benefitted. But if we do not explain the significance of these festivals to today’s generation, they will not show any interest and will not even invest their time in celebrating them. So, we should see this Pandemic COVID-19 situation as an opportunity to rediscover ourselves and our roots and also help in explaining the significance of our culture to the younger generation. Please remember to “Wake the Divinity that is deep within each one of us” during the next Mahashivaratri.

Pratibha M, Coventry Balagokulam

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DIWALI - THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS

The Importance of Diyas/Deepas during the Festival of Diwali/Deepavali.

Deepavali is nothing but Deep + Aavali. Deep means light and Aavali means row. So Deepavali is the Festival of Lights. As such Diya is light on this occasion. Diyas signifies purity, goodness, good luck, and power. The presence of light means the non-existence of darkness and evil forces. During this colourful celebration you will always see diyas light at the entrance of homes and fireworks brightening the sky.

But what is the reason behind this tradition? There are many reasons why we light diyas during Diwali. One of which is in the actual diya itself. The cotton wick in the diya represents the human soul while the ghee or oil represents the 5 evils of human life- desire, anger, greed, attachment, and ego. The burning of all these materialistic and evil characteristics, allows one to feel like the slate has been wiped for a new start. A house decorated with Diyas invites wealth and prosperity. It also signifies brightness, as the festival was celebrated for the victory of good over evil, so the light of Deepak symbolizes brightness of knowledge and wisdom. Another reason originates from the time Rama walked the earth and is derived from the famous story about Rama and . However, to understand the importance of light and diyas during Diwali you must know the story.

This is a story about Prince Rama, the great warrior, who was married to the beautiful Sita.

Prince Rama meant to take over the throne from his father the king, but his wicked stepmother had tricked his father into sending him away into the forest. With him went his wife, Sita. Rama had begged Sita to stay safely in the palace while he stayed in the forest, but she declared it was a thousand times better to be in the forest with Rama than in the richest palace without him. 74

So, Rama and Sita went to live in the forest together. They lived a simple, peaceful life in a small cottage.

But, before long, their peace was disturbed. One day, Sita was spotted by the demon king, Ravana. He was an evil and terrible demon. He had twenty arms and ten heads, with eyes as red as coal fires and a mouthful of yellow fangs. When Ravana saw the beautiful Sita, he immediately came up with a plan to kidnap her and make her his wife.

One day, when Rama and Sita were walking in the forest, they saw the most beautiful deer you can imagine. Its golden hide was as bright as the sun, its silver antlers as bright as the moon, its hooves shone as black as night, and its eyes were as blue as sapphires.

So delighted was Sita when she saw the deer that she begged Rama to catch it for her. Rama was worried that this was some demon trick to try and split them up, but Sita pleaded to Rama, until he agreed to try and catch the deer for her.

Rama did not return for a long while, so Lakshmana decided to seek his brother. Fortunately, Lakshmana knew that the land around them was filled with demons, so he drew a circle on the ground around Sita saying, 'Do not step out of the circle, Sita, and you will be safe from all harm.' However, Ravana (The king of the demons who bore ten heads,20 arms wanted Sita for himself). He disguised himself as a poor old man and found Sita safe inside the magic circle. But Ravana knew that Sita was a kind woman, and so he tricked her. 'Please, will you help a starving, old man,' he said to her. Sita unable to leave this “hungry, old man” thought ‘he’s only an old beggar, he can’t harm me’, so she ventured out of her protected circle. As soon as Sita stepped out of the circle, the demon Ravana swooped down and swept Sita up into his chariot pulled by winged monsters to Lanka. Despite her terror Sita thought quickly and scattered her jewellery piece by piece - first her golden anklets, then her earrings, then her glittering scarf - as a trail for Rama to follow. Far below a white monkey looked up and, seeing the glittering

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jewellery, thought the stars were falling.

In the midst of the forest, Rama tracked down the beautiful deer. But when he caught hold of it, the deer changed into a terrible demon that broke away from Rama’s grasp and flew into the sky. Realising that he had been tricked, Prince Rama ran back to the cottage as fast as he could, his heart filled with dread. Finding Sita gone, he searched frantically until he came upon the trail of jewellery that Sita had left.

Rama followed this golden trail until he met , the monkey, who had seen Sita's jewellery fall from the sky. Hanuman was a very special monkey because he was the monkey king. Hanuman took Rama to the monkey city, that lay under the hills in a giant cave. All the monkeys of the city were called to the marble square in the centre of the city, and messages were sent out to monkeys all over the world. They came in their millions from the woods and caves, and with them came their friends the bears. Twenty- three million animals filled the city and covered the hills like a great shaggy sea. After they had heard what had happened, they spread out to search the world for Sita.

It was Hanuman, who came to the island where Sita was being held prisoner. The monkeys and bears with him, stared in despair at the giant crashing waves that surrounded the island, but Hanuman, the son of the wind god, climbed to the highest hill, took a mighty breath, and leapt into the clouds, and over the crashing waves. He landed on the island and quickly found Sita in a grove of trees near the palace. There she sat refusing to marry the evil Ravana.

Sita was overjoyed when she found out who Hanuman was, and she gave him a pearl from her hair to take to Rama. Then, Hanuman bounded away to fetch Rama and Lakshmana, and the great army of monkeys and bears.

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But still the giant ocean waves kept Rama and his army away from the island. And so, the army began to build a bridge of rocks and grass and sand.

The squirrels came running out of the woods to help, every animal - large and small contributed to the building, and soon the bridge stretched a hundred miles to the island, and the animals poured across their bridge.

Long and terrible was the battle, as the animals fought the evil demons. Many great deeds were done, until at last, Rama faced the demon Ravana on the battlefield. With his arrows Rama struck again and again at the heads of Ravana but, each time he chopped one off, a new one grew.

Then Rama took up his special bow and arrow that had been made by the sky god. He chanted a special prayer and shot. The gods of wind and fire guided the arrow and it pierced Ravana's chest in a blinding flash. Ravana fell dead in an instant.

All the world rejoiced. The reign of the demons was over and Rama and Sita returned to their own country to rule. In celebration, the gods showered flowers from the sky, and the people lined the streets with flags and garlands. In every home, an oil lamp was put in the window to welcome back the Rama and Sita and their great army. The royal ruled happily for many years until it was time for them to leave their life on earth and return to heaven.

Lord Rama, Sita and Lakshman then returned home after 14 years of exile. Hearing of their return, the people of Ayodhya lit earthen diyas in rows outside their homes to pave way for the Lord as it was a no-moon night. Because of the villagers brightly lit homes at night Rama, Sita and Lakshman were granted safe passage to their homeland, so even to this day we light diyas in hope that Rama, Sita and Lakshmana can return home safely. During this current pandemic let us remember this story and how it shows how good will 77

always triumph over evil in the same way as a little oil lamp will destroy total darkness. Let us look for joy in this unexpected time and remember how good will always win over evil. Happy Deepavali!

Naraka Chaturdasi:

Though Diwali is celebrated throughout India, however there are differences in the ways in which it is celebrated in different regions of the country. Often there is one day difference in the North and South Indian celebrations. Lighting of Diya’s and bursting crackers is all the same, the only difference is South Indians celebrate a day earlier than North Indians and celebrate it early in the morning whereas North Indians celebrate Diwali on No moon day (Amavasya) and in the evening with Pooja.

According to Hindu legend, this day commemorates the victory of , Satyabhama, and Krishna over Narakasura the demon-king. Naraka Chaturdashi is also celebrated as ‘Chhoti Diwali’ or ‘Kali Puja’ in some places. It is believed that the day is auspicious to get rid of a hex, curse, black magic, or bad luck. According to Hindu literature, Narakasura was a demon-king who had imprisoned 16,000 women which included the daughters of the Gods. He had also defeated the king of the Gods, Lord and stolen the earrings from Aditi, the mother of the Gods. Goddess Kali, Goddess Satyabhama and Lord Krishna thus fought the battle with the demon and defeated him with Krishna’s Sudarshana Chakra and Lord Krishna smeared his forehead with Naraka’s blood.

Nethravathi Kodapi, Coventry

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DEEPAVALI

Deepavali means row of lights, where mostly Hindus, Sikhs and Jains celebrate this magnificent festival during the Hindu Lunisolar month of Kartika (typically between October and November). So why not read on to find out interesting facts about this fascinating, fun festival Deepavali or short form is simply “Diwali”.

Preparing for Diwali would include deep cleaning, renovating, and decorating houses and workplaces. During early days before Deepawali festival, stalls are set up for people to gather socially and purchase various diyas and fireworks for families and friends, generating positive emotions across communities.

During this festival of lights, clay pot lamps also known as diyas are lit. In preparation, these are usually made of varieties of eco-friendly clay. Firstly, these clay lamps are fired in kilns and soaked thoroughly in water for hours. Soaking in water will aid removing the air, fixing the pores in the lamp, removing the brittleness thus making the lamp stronger. When they get dried, lamps filled with oil will absorb less oil and stay illuminated for a longer duration.

These oil lamps are lit a few days before the actual Deepawali festival day, every day in the evening and kept lit throughout the night. These are filled with cow ghee or sesame seed oil which have excellent medicinal values. When these ghee/oil lamps are lit at different places they help in dissipating the pollution, eradicate harmful effects and cleanse the atmosphere, thus building immunity in the people, against potential pandemics typically during winter. When the lamps are lit, it will create such a marvellous scene which is enjoyed by more than a billion people!

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During these festival days, special sweet delicacies like Ariselu/ Kajjaya/ Athirasa are made with rice flour, jaggery, sesame seeds and ghee etc. Sesame seeds are winter superfoods, enriched with calcium, which will help improve bone health, skin texture, heart health and reduce the stress levels. Jaggery has rich iron content. Ghee aids digestion and removes toxins. Together, all these ingredients will benefit people with increasing heat, metabolism & energy in the body, improved blood flow and immunity in winter.

Furthermore, oil baths are taken to remove bad toxins from the body and rejuvenate. Brand new clothes are worn which imbibe positivity, and we pray to God. Friends and family get together and exchange gifts. And of course, have a lot of fun too! The fireworks when lit in the evenings and nights in large scale across the country, generates loads of clouds of fumes which will scare away disease spreading mosquitoes, and kill insects, thus preventing bacterial or viral diseases typically in winter. This helps both the physical and mental health (also known as Shareerik and Bauddhik swaasthya).

In UK, some primary schools celebrate Diwali with various children activities like:

• Colouring rangoli patterns. (like lotus, conch symbols increase positivity)

• Sculpting Diyas (lamp pots) made of clay, painting them, and placing LED tea lights in them.

• Holding assemblies where children enact the story of the return of Lord Rama, Sita and Lakshmana to their kingdom after being in exile for 14years. 80

Screams of joy and happiness surround the area, smiles surround the faces. Such a joyful sight!

On 5th April 2020 at 9pm, millions of people gathered at the same time across India and lit lamps (made of diyas, fireworks, wax candles, shining torches, mobile torches etc) for 9 minutes, showing a bright light illuminating the country. It was done to help build unity, positivity & mental strength in people, fighting against Coronavirus pandemic. Mr. Modi, the honourable Prime Minister of India said that this gesture will dispel the darkness generated by the Corona virus and show that people are together fighting against the present pandemic.

Diwali creates magnificent scenes of light against the darkest of times and peace across the local communities, which is highly beneficial for a better, happier world with a growing economy.

References and acknowledgements: My special thanks for all the help by Ravi Vetsa, Navtej Vetsa and my Mother for helping me to research and write up.

Sindhu Vetsa, Balagokulam, Coventry

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MAKAR

Makar Sankranti is not only a Hindu festival but actually a universal phenomenon because it is purely based on the science of astronomy & crop cycle which is not limited to any particular religion. Basically, it is a celebration of the “revival” of sunlight (solar energy & positivity) into our lives and it coincides with the harvest season as well.

Much before contemporary scientists came up with their observations of solar system a few hundred years ago, scholars of ancient India (5000 years ago) already knew that sun is the centre of our celestial system and is the source of energy for all planets including our planet earth, which takes 365 days to revolve around the Sun. This complete cycle of 360 degree which is also called the solar calendar is divided into 12 phases or domains or zodiacs of 30 degree each (360/12=30) and each zodiac is associated with certain characteristic depending on the positions of earth & sun in relation to each other, which in turn also determines the season & radiation patterns.

Since the radiations are proportional to the amount of sunlight, an easier way to analyse the radiation pattern would be by tracing the amount of sunlight received each day, which again is proportional to the length of the day. The zodiac phases of the Sun from July to December witness decreasing sunlight, and after that, the subsequent zodiac phases witness increase in sunlight. For an “observer”, it looks like the Sun is on a downward journey between July to December and this downward journey suddenly changes to upward journey or northward movement in late December & early January. Since uttara means northward & aayana means movement in Sanskrit, this phenomenon of phase reversal from southward movement to northward movement of the sun is called “Uttara Ayana” or “Uttarayan” in short. If the chart is divided into zodiacs, then we can notice that it is Makara which is the first among the series of phases witnessing an upward journey, and this trend continues with subsequent phases till peak summer.

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Hence the Makara phase holds such great significance in astronomy because it represents revival of sunlight & energy.

Apart from the astronomical & solar significance, coincides with the harvest season as well, and is hence celebrated with a lot of pomp and show by almost all communities throughout India and is also referred to as the harvest festival. This is the month of the time when harvesting is complete. Once the farmers finish harvesting the crop, they store them in their own house. There are big celebrations and Sankranti is the day we acknowledge all those who assisted in performing the harvest.

It has different names and slightly varied traditions, but the core logic is the same. It is celebrated as Lohri in Punjab, Uttarayan in Gujarat, Makar Sankranti or Makar Sankramana in and Maharashtra, in , Khichdi in

Bihar, in Assam. Almost all regions in India celebrate this festival, cutting across all castes and creeds because it is nothing but a tradition to observe and celebrate the revival of solar energy in our lives. i.e. Irrespective of our religion, we all benefit from solar energy. Also, this coincides with the celebration of crop harvesting resulting in continuity of food supply which irrespective of our religion, is one of the most basic necessities of our lives.

Sankranti is a solar event. So, while dates of all Hindu festivals keep changing as per the Gregorian calendar, the date of Makar Sankranti remains constant over a long term, 14 January. It is one of the few Hindu Indian festivals which are celebrated on a fixed date i.e. 14 January every year or sometimes on 15 January to adjust to leap years. During this whole month of January people in each and every house, in villages, clean their premises and spread the cow dung water all around the premises of the house and once it is dry they make a big rangoli in front of the house.

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Gangireddu and Basavanna:

Gangireddu / Basavanna is the most common sight in any village or town of telugu states during the festival period. Basavanna are the men who beg alms carrying a gangireddu (bull). Basavanna plays folk tunes on a sannai (clarinet) while the bull dances to his tunes with a nodding head. Usually Basavanna accepts old clothes which are placed on the bull and few coins by praising and blessing the members of the household. This is a kind of charitable activity and at the same time one can get rid of the old and unused clothes.

Haridasu: This is another important aspect of the festive celebrations in Telugu states. Haridaasulu also beg alms mostly rice grains and these men are very much different in their costume which resembles the costume of Narada Maha Muni. These men hold a small Veena - the stringed musical instrument on one hand and chidatalu - a pair of wooden blocks used as cymbals in the other hand. The hard-yellow shell (out covering) of yellow pumpkin (tiya gummadi) is placed on his head. He uses this as a container and accepts grains in it. When the lady of the house comes out with a handful of grains, Haridasu bends down on his knees and the lady pours the grains in this pumpkin-shell container. Then, he blesses her by saying the words 'Krishnarpan' which means 'offered to Lord Krishna'.

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Makar Sankranti is usually celebrated as a 4-day festival. The first day is for the earth. This is the first day of the festival and is celebrated on the day before Makar Sankranti. This day is known as ‘Bhogi’. At dawn, on this day people light a bonfire with logs of wood, other solid-fuels and wooden furniture at home that are no longer useful. This bonfire is called as bhogi mantlu. People also sell or throw away old household items and get new replacements, marking the course of change. This usually marks removal of unwanted things from your life and embracing change, bringing new habits and changes for betterment of family. This ritual teaches us to accept transformation of self, keeping in pace with time and evolution and bettering ourselves. It is a day where all old habits, the vices, attachment to relations and materialistic things are sacrificed in the sacrificial fire. It represents realization, transformation, and purification of the soul by imbibing and inculcating divine virtues. Pots of water are boiled on the bonfire and the water is used for washing away all negative energy around you. In many families, infants, and children usually less than 5 years old are showered with fruit called ber or Indian jujube (known as Regi Pandlu in Telugu) along with coins and sacred rice to protect kids from evil eyes/threats.

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Bhogi Mantalu:

The second day is for us. This day of the festival forms the main day of celebration, called Makar Sankranti, which is celebrated with family. It is also called “Pedda Panduga'' which means “the big festival”. People wear new clothes and eat homemade sweet delicacies. On this day, after cleaning the entire house, every household makes big rangoli and decorate it with Gobillu (Fresh cow dung). Young girls make gobbillu decorating them with turmeric and kumkum,and place the balls in the rangoli. The young girls used to sing songs and dance around the gobbemmas. This reason for using cow dung is that it is believed to kill bacteria and keeps family members healthy. Everyone wears new clothes, prays to God, and makes offerings of traditional food to ancestors who have died. All the households cook chakkara pongali as a desert on this day. This is usually cooked with the harvested rice to mark the celebration of Harvesting.

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Gobbillu / Gobbemmalu

The third is for the animals and livestock. The farm animals play a huge role in harvesting which is the reason marked as a significance. This day is known as Kanuma panduga and is celebrated by feeding cattle. On this day farmers give their cattle a body wash and decorate them with nice colours and also put colourful clothes on them. This was done to celebrate their role as part of the harvesting festival. Along with the cattle, their agricultural equipment was also offered prayers for getting better crops and harvest. This shows us the important place animals were offered and the respect animals were given as part of our celebrations.

Day four is known as Mukkanuma. This is the 4th day of the festival and is popular among the non-vegetarians of the society. This day is celebrated by spending time with family members and participating in notable fun activities, such as Kodi pandalu (cock fighting), Bullock races or Ox races or Bull fighting, Kite flying and Hari dasulu. The reason behind these fun activities was to encourage people to stay out during the days to get the sunshine which is the main source of Vitamin D.

Jyothi, Nirmala and Pallavi B, Balagokulam, Coventry

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MEDITATION

Lots of people seem to be talking about it during this pandemic, especially last month when it was the mental health month. There are so many apps dedicated to it, online sessions that you can connect to, but what is meditation and why do people either love it or hate it?

Meditation is actually very simple. It is just about focusing on your normal natural breath and being aware of it. And when you concentrate on your breath, the thoughts in the mind slows down and one receives abundance of cosmic energy. It is this energy that makes one relaxed, stress free and ushers in the mental peace and clarity. Again, it does not happen in 1 day or 1 week, it is a constant practise and has to be done with dedication.

So why can’t some people stick to it? Like a lot of other things in life, you cannot master it overnight. It needs continuous practise for a long time, and it is recommended that one needs to meditate for minutes equivalent to their age as a minimum on a daily basis. The benefits of meditation are abundant, on the physical level it helps to relax you, energise you, relieves stress, increases immunity etc. But on the mental level, it gives you a mental clarity on things that are important in your life, reduces the constant chattering going on in your mind, increases mental agility and thinking power to name a few. On the spiritual level, it helps you understand your purpose of life, see the bigger picture behind situations and challenges and makes you more compassionate towards fellow beings, animals, and mother earth.

So, happy meditating everyone!!

Sreelakshmi Marni, Adarsh Balgokulam, Telford

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MORNING SHLOKA

Namaste everyone, hope you and your families are in best spirits during these unprecedented times. During this lockdown period I kept myself busy with the different Netflix and Prime videos until I got completely bored of it. That is when my parents introduced me to the different Hindu shloka that they learnt growing up. Living in the UK (the second generation), it is a bit challenging to be in touch with my Hindu culture.

Today’s generation in the UK have to be able to balance their life between the Indian/Hindu and the British Culture. So, we decided to start reciting our different Hindu shloka on a daily basis and once we became articulate with it; we chose to start with a new one. The most recent one is as follows-

Karagraha vasate Lakshmi, Karamadhe Saraswati, Karamule stitha Gauri, Prabhate kar darsanam II

The meaning of this shloka is “on the tip of our hand (fingers) resides Goddess Lakshmi (wealth), at the centre of hand (palm) resides Goddess Saraswati (knowledge), at the base (wrist) of the hand sits Goddess Gowri (power), this prayer one should recite regularly early in the morning.

I like this shloka as it empowers me to stay focused during this crucial time of Coronavirus to ensure that I continue gaining appropriate, correct knowledge and strength/power to keep working hard in positively overcoming the crisis. I practice it every morning with my little brother looking into our palms when we wake up so that we begin our day with positive thoughts.

Sanisa Golar, Adarsh Balagokulam, Telford

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YAGYA

Yagya is a mode of worship described in Vedic scriptures. Yagya can produce deep hidden energies,described by the deep research of rishis. Yagya is not a mere routine ritual. When Yagya is performed, humans can realise the divine consciousness inside them. Yagya should be performed for the purest means, and not for just cheap worldly gains and quick fixes in life.

Here is how our family perform Yagya:

1. We all take a bath, and everyone is clean. 2. The environment around us is also clean. 3. In appropriate conditions, a fire is lit. 4. With appropriate chanting of the mantras, ahuti is given.

Adarsh Balagokulam, Telford

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YOGA (PANDEMIC AND HINDU WAY OF LIVING)

I am fortunate to have been born as an Indian and spent most of my childhood and youth in India. Residing in India, I have always been exposed to our rich Hindu heritage and have always followed it blindly without understanding the actual importance of it. As I grew older and moved to the UK; I became a part of Balagokulam, Telford. I started getting interested in knowing the ‘what’ and ‘why’ of all these rich values that I have been constantly exposed to but never took the opportunity to explore them properly. One of them is the Yoga which is one of the six Astika (orthodox) schools of Hindu philosophical traditions and is also mentioned in our Vedas.

Currently, as we all know globally, we are facing the horrid pandemic (Corona virus/ Covid 19) where the uncertainty of its symptoms and its varied impact on humans has terrified everyone. Normally there are two automatic physiological responses that we face with any critical events in our lifetime- ‘fight or flight’.

Growing up in my Hindu culture, I never realized due to the great values inculcated into me by my parents; I automatically chose to ‘fight’ the situation rather than flee away. I know what you might be thinking how am I planning to fight the situation when all the brilliant brains thorough out the world are still struggling to find an answer to eradicate this virus? As I started my literature review around the subject, I realized trying to strengthen my immunity and general health during this period is possibly the only and best way to go forwards! And guess what, Yoga was something that stuck my attention once again.

I had always known that Yoga helps us to strengthen physically, mentally, and spiritually. I decided to finally test it myself!!! This was also an opportunity for me and my family to do something together spending healthy and happy times whilst also building up our health. As we started doing yoga together, it has now become a daily ritual in our 92

household. We all have our favourites as you can see.

We ensure that our yoga sessions always end with the much-tested breathing exercises such as Pranayam/ Anulom-vilom, that are useful to improve our lung capacity and heighten calmness and relaxation in us. I am very thrilled with my stamina and energy that is increasing heaps and bounds as I maintain my practice. Functional activities such as leaning down to reach floor without actually needing to bend my knees (Uttanasana/ Padahastasana), sitting in the Indian toilet posture (Malasana) again are few postures that though are taken for granted in today’s day and age and I have been struggling for some months now.

It was surprising to see how Yoga alone was beneficial in improving my flexibility and strength in a matter of only few weeks!!! Hope our experience and the few benefits of yoga out of the enormous list that I have numerated in my piece would encourage everyone to embrace Yoga in their daily lifestyle as a medication free treatment for not just Covid 19 but also all the different pathologies known to mankind.

Priya Golar, Adarsh Balagokulam, Telford

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OUR LIFE DURING PANDEMIC

Namaste to all my fellow Hindu folks. I hope you are all keeping well and safe during these weird times. This topic has particularly caught my attention as it is very interesting to understand how we all have reacted as a community and especially as Hindus. This pandemic has definitely taught us all that life is very precious and how we need to look after ourselves?

Let me start from my own family circle. The day we heard about this virus spreading like wildfire, we have made it a point to make hygiene a topmost priority, especially for the little children who do not really understand what to make of it.

Hygiene is an important aspect of Hindu culture. We have become much more mindful of what used to be ‘routine’ in the past like ‘snaana’ (taking shower) and ‘shuchitva’ (cleanliness). In our culture it is mandatory to wash hands and feet when entering home from outside. This has become a norm again, not only for us but also for the whole world. Even our toddler knows it is important to wash hands.

Prayer has a special place in Hindu culture. A simple prayer can give you great strength. We start and end the day with prayers. Mihir, our 7-year-old son believes that Shiva will destroy the coronavirus and he chants ‘Om Namah Shivaya’ at bedtime. It is really touching to see the earnestness in his prayers now. He really misses going to India and meeting his grandparents and cousins.

Hindu food is rich in antioxidants and great for boosting immunity. We are using ingredients like turmeric, ginger, garlic, and basil, more in everyday cooking. Fresh fruits and vegetables are also an important part of diet.

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This pandemic has definitely improved family time and reduced screen time. Park times and play times in the garden has become a regular affair now. It makes us feel more at one with the elements of nature.

Hindu way of life helps not only physical, but also mental wellbeing. We have realised this through the effects of playing Dhanvantri mantra and Om mantra regularly. Yoga has become a routine and helps us to keep physically and mentally fit.

This situation has made us realise that our traditional way of life, which has been practiced for generations, is indeed the way forward. We will adhere to this way of life even when things return to ‘normal’.

Namratha Shenoy, Adarsh Balagokulam, Telford

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POEMS

GLORIOUS FOOD

Food and glorious food Carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins & minerals Balanced diet you really need for survival Eat seasonal veggies and fruits Milk, yogurt, butter, and cheese Handful of nuts and lots of water All this routine take it at ease! Salt & Sugar, keep it low Enjoy your food eat it slow Flavoursome lentil curry blended with spices Mustard, cumin, turmeric, and chillies. Add some ginger, garlic, coconut, and coriander All your hunger I bet already surrendered! Shahi pulao or plain rice Roti, pickle, , and poppadum Whole plate is decked up looking nice! , lassi or ice cream Choice is all yours All mouth-watering yummy deserts! Do not forget to end your meal A spoonful of fennel seeds is real deal! Let all this food be your medicine Building you robust, strong & immune Praise the lord, appreciate nature Thankful forever bountiful food nurturing all the earths creatures! Vasanti Patil, Draupadi Shakha, Birmingham

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PANDEMIC POEM

Radio frequencies vibrate Pregnant with messages The tuner slides In search of the precise point

Citizens, men, women, children! Dark times are coming Be safe in your houses Be suspicious of your neighbour Contain your desire to hug It happens ... that life plays tricks on us Death is hunting Disguised as the plague A plague that does not distinguish Between rich and poor Black and white Northern and southern Religious and atheist

Imagine you! A daring plague That does not respect Those much-needed distinctions So carefully machined For modern democracies

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Beware in your lairs AND DON'T GO OUT UNTIL A NEW ORDER!

We listen carefully And we listen to them They are rulers after all And the rulers They know how to take care of their people

So… The soft hum of millions of computers First one, then another Until the parallel life On the world wide web Take ownership of everyday acts Simpler of all humanity

The sighs of those who care for health When getting out of bed Because they know how difficult it is Being on the front line of a battle Where they have everything to lose Lose by exposing your life And that of your loved ones Lose by being witnesses On the vulnerability of mortality Losing by deciding Between who lives and who does not Losing for seeing like day to day Minute by minute 98

A microscopic life Shreds his vocation

Panting from a respirator That suddenly became In the greed object From weakened health systems An object whose work The fine threads of life hang The walk of hundreds of feet Who dare to break their bubble of protection?

The light footsteps of non-human life What an adventure on strictly human terrain Stunned by the sudden silence On embers ... Tentatively exploring new spaces

The prayers raised to heaven in whispers In a thousand and one languages Some beg for mercy Others claim divine explanations Some accuse divinities Others ask for celestine asylum Some requesting the restoration of the existing balance Others dreaming of making a different balance All doing a little all of the above Apart from those latent whispers A voice remains habitual The voice baptized with the name of Information 99

It is the one that arrives by radio waves The one that explodes through the screen And kidnaps billions of ears and eyes Informing us of the last extraordinary events Tempting the morbid that we all carry inside Juggling the emotions of the sensitive Convincing us of true truths

So…

I listen and I take shelter I listen and slow down my life I listen and live the parallel life What cybernetics offers me I hear and hear the voice of The Information I hear and perceive a change In non-human life Voices that are supported by values such as justice, compassion, and tolerance Male voices and female voices Voices of all colours and of all timbres

And I ask myself…

What will come of all this? What will become of the human condition after this?

The Pandemic will change the world forever!

Nisha Shah, Draupadi Shakha, Birmingham

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REFERENCES

TOPIC LINK

Lifestyle https://www.newsgram.com/shaucham-the-cleanliness-of-the-body- and-the- mind/ Festivals https://www.artofliving.

https://www.ishafoundation.org/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diya_(lamp)

https://cist.org.uk/pv/sm/sr3421.htm https://www.religionworld.in/naraka-chaturdashi-diwali-south-india/ https://www.diwalifestival.org/diwali-in-south-india.html https://owlcation.com/agriculture/The-Many-Uses-of-Cow-Dung https://isha.sadhguru.org/au/en/wisdom/sadhguru-spot/significance-of- makar-sankranti- festival?gclid=CjwKCAjwq832BRA5EiwACvCWsbw9t5z08BBx4kopUpd1kVP esAePVUw iyrDzwE https://www.chivukulas.com/2012/01/bhogi-important-festival-of-andhra- pradesh.html http://guruprasad.net/posts/the-science-behind-makara- sankranti-pongal-lohri-uttarayan- maghi-bihu-khichdi/

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