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F E E L A T H O M E April 2019 Vol.20 No.10 COMPLIMENTARY

WHAT’S INSIDE A Journey to the Other Dimension ...... 1, 9 Why Californians are Moving to the Valley ...... 1, 19 Satyajit Ray - The Visionary of Indian Cinema.1, 22 Geet Gaata Chal ...... 3 Through The Eyes Of A Poet ...... 4 G'bye Gaming Console. Hello Cloud Gaming! .....5 Shakespeare's Secrets ...... 8 An Interview with Swami Sarvadevananda ...... 10 Hypothyroidism ...... …..…..…....12 Embracing a School of Thought ...... 13 Celebrate Bicycle Month Safely ...... 17 Cutting Cakes and Blowing out Candles ...... 18 How to value a business?...... 21 Future Cities by Middle School Students ...... 21 How to Shop for a Mortgage ...... 23 The Sound of Music: Classical Revival ...... 24 11MWoHET - Just Push Pause ...... 25 TheVedicVillage —A Luxurious Experience ...... 26 Go to Pg 13, Embracing a School of Thought

Psychic Ability - A Journey to The Visionary of Indian Why So Many Californians are Moving the Other Dimension Cinema By Anindita Roy Biswas to the Valley? By Aryan Naik By Gayathri Pattabhiraman “The raw material of cinema is life itself”- said Satya- Many Californians have been choosing the valley jit Ray, the forefather of Indian cinema; the profound over other places when deciding their move out of Last month we looked at psychic ability through the storyteller - who left a cinematic heritage that is syn- The Golden State. Why? Well, fi rst we have to ana- eyes of a skeptic and with good reason too. There are onymous with and far wide. He fi lmed master- lyze the reasoning behind the “California Exodus”. A way too many fraudulent people making a fast buck pieces of lyrical realism and brought magical warmth lot of people from the LA-San Bernardino area relo- out of gullible people. But, what about the others in- to mundane drama. This versatile and prolifi c mov- cate because of high rent, terrible traffi c, and crime. cluding many eminent scientists and researchers who iemaker, made his fi lms in Bengali, still they are of According to the Sacramento Bee’s analysis, “In 2017 have studied extra sensory perception? Can we refute universal pursuit - emotions of conscience, pain in 130,000 residents left California than arrived from science? Is there really more to this than meets the struggle, joys and sorrows of confl icts. Eminent for its other states.” CNBC reported that “Californians are eye? Is there a whole new dimension we know very compassionate abundance, Ray's stories are steered fed up with housing costs and taxes”. Since Arizona little about? consistently by a diacritic variety of progressiveness. has much cheaper houses for bigger space, we can Eminent psychologists like Freud, William James His mature work combined pioneering viewpoints infer that Californians enjoy these prices and move (known as the founder of American psychology), Har- with a drifting attitude in handling quintessential In- here. Crime rates in the Los Angeles area are rela- vard psychologist Hugo Münsterberg have called dian aspects and an unequivocal pledge to cultural tively higher. According to NeighborhoodScout “in extra sensory perception “psi”. Though many worked cosmopolitanism. Ray articulated his ideological po- San Bernardino 1 in every 25 people have a chance to expose fraudsters, they continued their research to sition through this stereotypical liberal devices that of being a victim of property crime and in Gilbert 1 understand the way the brain works and were baffl ed were not biased in fact, closed by the director’s spe- in every 1,171 people have a chance of being a victim by why certain people exhibited characteristics that cifi c notes. to a property.” We compared these 2 cities because

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www.azindiatimes.com 1-844-AZINDIA FEEL AT HOME PAGE - 3 Apr 2019 also a well-known mimicry artist. He has also done voice overs for Holly- Geet Gaata Chal By Jane Doe wood animated films Aladdin and Rio. Showing his good sense of humor the 45 yo had once donned the hairstyle of the then President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam when The time has come to burn some calories, raise your spirits, get involved into he went to receive the National award from him for the Song Kal Ho Na Ho something out of the world, discover new sounds and enjoy a memorable outing forcing the President to call him ‘My Copyright!’ The next time he disguised as a with your loved ones. We are talking about the Live in Concert by Sonu Nigam beggar on the streets of Juhu and performed an act called ‘The Roadside Ustaad.’ and at the Comerica Theater on April 21 this month. Known for breaking boundaries, this time again Desi Jhatka has been successful in By 2017 she had topped all her charts with her hit numbers, Neha Kakkar, the bringing in two top notch singers to the audience of Phoenix. Manish Gupta 30 yo singing sensation, had be- left no stones unturned to accomplish the huge task of inviting them gun as a singer contestant in the to Phoenix. An exciting at the same time exhilarating experience is awaiting for popular music show, Indian Idol the music lovers in the Valley. The musical event titled Klose To My Life is go- in 2006 winning hearts of many ing to showcase live Symphony Orchestra for the first time in Phoenix. tele watchers. What made her a household name was her Kala Been into the film industry for Chashma song for the movie more than two decades, the ‘Baar Baar Dekho.’ Her first mu- Elvis Presley of India, Sonu sic album, Neha - The Rock Star Nigam began his filmy career came out in 2008. She has a long with briefly acting as child ar- list of chartbusters including tiste in and going Dhating Naach, London Thu- on to do a number of movies makda, Second Hand Jawani, later in his life learning and Ek Do Teen Chaar, Dekhega Raja Trailer, Karr Gayi Chull, Badri Ki Dulhania, evolving a lot from it. But Main Tera Boyfriend, Aankh Maare, Coca Cola Tuu, and many more. This self movie was not his forte. Born proclaimed Selfie Queen is today the most followed Indian Celebrity on Social into a musical family his sing- Media with 11 million likes on Facebook, 11.1 million followers on Instagram, and ing began at the age of four. From accompanying his father to concerts, weddings more than 239K followers on Twitter. The Indian Shakira today has made her and parties, he went on to become a Bollywood singer at the age of 18. Trained father proud who used to sell Samosas in front of the same college where one of in Hindustani Classical he can sing Hindi, and has also tried his hand his daughter studied. As a die-hard fan of actor , she dedicated in singing English, Bengali, Manipuri, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Tulu, him her self-written song ‘SRK Anthem’ on YouTube. Just like Sonu Nigam she Assamese, Odia, Nepali, Maithili, and various Indian language songs. began singing from age 4. She used to sing in Mata Ki Chowkis. Although she Known as the Modern Rafi, Sonu Nigam’s first released music album was Rafi has never been formally trained in music, she is one of the most wanted singers Ki Yaadein. He sang his first song ‘O Aasman Wale" in the movie Aaja Meri in music concerts and one of the highest paid singers in Bollywood. She has till Jaan. He went on to sing superhits like Accha Sila Diya, Sandese Aate Hain, now performed in more than 1000 public concerts creating an everlasting magic Yeh Dil Deewana, Bole Chudiyan, Has Mat Pagli and many more like Mujhse spell over her audience. Shaadi Karogi, Zoobi Zoobi, Kal Ho Na Ho, Ankhiyon Se Goli Maare, Suraj Huua Maddham, etc. singing for almost all leading actors of Bollywood and from After performing in Bay Area, Oakland, St. Louis in March, the singing duo will be all genres from romantic to qawwali. About singing, the Lord of the Chords aka performing in Los Angeles, , Boston, Minneapolis, Houston, New Jersey, Sonu Nigam, considers that ‘the instrument called vocal chords is fitted inside Chicago till June 16. And in the evening of April 21, Phoenix will witness these our body… and is fragile… and irreplaceable…’ He also strongly believes that two sensational singers performing with LIVE orchestra for its concertgoers. For ‘one doesn’t merely sing, but emote in such way that even if the listener doesn’t tickets one can go for any of the $59, $79, $100, VIP or VVIP or buy online from understand the language, he knows what you are trying to say through merely ticketmaster.com. One can also reach Manish Gupta at 602-688-7011 for your expressions.’ The singer who’s allergic to seafood considers Paneer as one of tickets For sponsorship and business promotions check out https://www.azin- his favorites. He loves both Indian and Chinese cuisine. And dislikes appetizers dia.com/tickets.aspx?id=24298. and starters. Trained in Taekwondo he is a fitness fan. Apart from singing he is Details: Page 28

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Love like there is no tomorrow, IN BRIEF By.Murali vote like there is. MEET THE TEAM EDITORIAL sudden a lot of fuss and fl urry is going again giving Special Status to all the Satish Kosuri An outbreak of measles has suffi ciently on in the whole country. The General seven North Eastern States. The ruling Publisher scared the NY and adjacent states with Elections being only weeks away this party which lost elections last Decem- one County even went on to bar unvac- is the time one can witness hatful of ber in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and cinated children under 18 in public accusations and counter-accusations Chhattisgarh suff ered a severe blow. Murali Samanthapudi places. An extremely unusual step tak- the rival parties hurling at each oth- With Media analyses it seems there is Editor en to contain the outbreak which has er. To win the favor of their electorate a 50-50 chance of returning to power. so far aff ected 345. It all began when and to uproot the ruling party, its big- The promise of good governance and an Israel returned unvaccinated and gest opposition has made a bucket list a dynamic economy did not turn out Contributors infected patient spread it to the neigh- of promises from providing Rs 72,000 as expected. Also losing two allies in Aanchal Sethi borhoods. It’s been six months, the (of taxpayers money) per annum to the Andhra and thus making poorest families to 33% seats reserved a bigger anti-ruling party front. If they Anindita Roy Biswas longest outbreak of Measles which was for women in the national and state ’t lose more than 30 seats, the rul- Aripa Paul declared eliminated nineteen years ago. Unvaccinated children as well as assemblies compared to the present ing party will be in power again. More Aryan Naik adults are being encouraged to get vac- 12% to reforming and simplifying the than 60-70 seats loss will mean a hung Asha Jain cinated. Non-abiding the emergency ‘Gabbar Singh Tax’ aka GST making it parliament. However may his party Ashwani Kumar Gulati will mean six months jail or a $500 fi ne a next gen GST to criticising Ayushman performs in the 17th LS elections, the Bhagubhai Patel such that the public becomes aware of Bharat healthcare and tweaking it to a PM’s popularity as a person will re- new Act - Right To Healthcare Act to main constant. Gayathri Pattabhiraman the seriousness of the situation. Some- Hari Gottipati times ruling with an iron hand becomes essential to make certain things right. Dr. Jaswant Singh Sachdev Dr. Kohinoor Kar With new promises every day from ev- Through The Eyes Of A Poet Kiran Vedantam ery political party it seems that all of a Kristen Moon Mallik Reddy Dr. Meghna Thacker By Dr. Rebecca Danos Mike Cynecki [email protected] Dr. Prakash V Kotecha Dr. Rebecca Danos and we crack open our Rishab Anumula Rite of Spring hearts Sat Parashar, PhD a whorl of liquid rouge for light and love Sundaranand Mahadevan twirls in dancing curves Willy Justin AZGoshala Festival of Colors - Holi to dress smiles emerge our secret selves on powdered faces Disclaimer: as spring dawns AZindia Times cannot be held liable, or in any way embers – responsible for the content of any advertisements leaving dark yesterdays (display or classifi ed) appearing within these pag- magenta and maroon – es. All claims, off ers, guarantees, statements etc. behind made by AZindia Times are solely the responsi- kindle our cores bility of the advertiser. Deceptive or misleading advertising is never knowingly accepted. Com- to receive plaints should be made directly to the advertiser fl ames devour or to the Better Business Bureau. 4428 N. 12th the honeyed sweetness Street, Phoenix, AZ-85014. AZGoshala Festival of Colors - Holi memories of malevo- Note: AZindia Times, has no affi liations with of spring any newspaper or magazine entities. lence Event Gallery Dr. Rebecca Danos is a PhD physicist and emerging writer and musician. She’s honoured that AZ India Times asked her to write a poem in celebration of Holi. She writes a blog, rebeccadanos.wordpress. com, and tweets @RebeccaDanos.

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Silence is golden, but duct tape is silver.

Goodbye Gaming Console. Hello Cloud Gaming! Hari Gottipati [email protected]

Undoubtedly cloud is rising at a faster rate and everyone is looking at the cloud to leverage it for their computing and storage needs. Serverless is a concept popu- larizing cloud where you will not worry about the infrastructure, upfront provi- sioning, and pay what you use. It's no brainer that applications with unpredicta- ble scale and time-to-market requirements benefit most from serverless compute and storage. Be it a CPU based or GPU based complex application, the cloud has a solution. However, one area where the cloud is not ready for migration is gam- ing as it requires not only massive computing, but it also requires faster render- ing, typically at the rate of 60 frames per second. The biggest hurdle with game streaming is minimizing lag. If we move the computing from gaming console to the cloud, then it requires ultra-fast streaming to provide the same experience of a gaming console. Combined with Gigabit broadband and 5G wireless networks, Other efforts the cloud is getting ready to host the games and it could make gaming consoles Around the same time announced Project Stream with Ubisoft's Assas- obsolete. sin’s Creed Odyssey game, Microsoft announced Project xCloud, which it refers to as “global game-streaming technology” that will allow users to play their con- Hello Stadia sole and Windows PC games on mobile devices and tablets paired with an Xbox At Game Developers Conference 2019, Google announced a gaming platform Wireless Controller through Bluetooth, and it is also playable using touch input. called Stadia, the plural form of a stadium, which will eliminate the gaming con- Project xCloud supports 4G and 5G cellular networks and uses Microsoft Azure, soles by letting you play games in 4K and 60 frames-per-second on almost any the company’s cloud compu-ting service. device - browsers, computers, TVs, and mobile devices. As long as you have a decent internet connec-tion, the platform will stream games to players by han- Right after Google announced Stadia, Microsoft’s head of the Xbox gaming team dling image processing and con-nections through the Google cloud. The game is Phil Spencer sent an internal memo calling Google's announcement is a valida- hosted on the cloud and you just play the game on whatever display you’d like tion of the path he embarked on two years ago. As per the memo, which was pub- without lengthy downloads or installations. Also, you don’t have to worry about lished by thur-rott.com, indicates that Phil didn't see any big surprises in their your gaming console being fast enough because Google will provide all the power announcement alt-hough he was impressed by their leveraging of YouTube, the your game needs and all you need is moderate internet connectivity. In 2019, use of Google Assistant and the new Wi-Fi controller. He also mentioned in the Google will be spending $13 billion to beef up its infrastruc-ture. memo: “Google went big today and we have a couple of months until E3 when we will go big”. With GPU power of 10.7 teraflops, Stadia could make PS4 Pro (4.2 teraflops) and the Xbox One X (6 teraflops) obsolete. Other players are also trying to enter into Cloud gaming market. While Amazon is reportedly developing a similar service that could launch in 2020, Apple is plan- As it is not a dedicated set-top box or console, you can access the game from any- ning a subscription service for games, which is yet to be confirmed. The service is where you want and switch between the devices as needed. During the keynote, dubbed as Netflix for games, allowing users to play a list of titles with a subscrip- Google demonstrated someone playing a game on a Chromebook, then switching tion fee. What's surprising is, Walmart is also trying to enter the fray according to a phone and PC, picking up from the point where the game left off in real time. to the US Gamer "the re-tail giant is exploring its own platform to enter in the now-competitive video game streaming race”. Also, you can live-stream games on YouTube and play with your viewers. Crowd Acknowledgement: Thank you Kiran Mudiam, Ph.D. for the article sugges- Play, a built-in feature for Stadia that allows players to jump into a multiplayer tion. game on YouTube with their favorite streamers and YouTubers.

Is connectivity an issue? Playing games online or remotely with others is not a new thing. The same con- nectivity issues that prevent streaming video, watching YouTube/Netflix, getting music, and playing an online game would continue to be the issues with Stadia as well. If you are able to watch Netflix in HD/4K without buffering, you will get a great Stadia experience. In 2018, Google offered a glimpse of project Stream, a technology that made it possible to stream the games through the Chrome web browser. With that technology, Google recommended and set a threshold of about 25 megabits per second in order to enjoy 1080p at 60 frames per second. Since then, Google made significant improvements to their encoder, streamer, and compression algorithms, to get 4K at 60 frames per second in about 30 megabits per second. Right now, Stadia can stream games with HDR and 4K resolution at 60 frames per second and in future, they are planning to achieve resolutions up to 8K at 120 frames per second. The lowest resolution is 720p - technically Stadia can go lower than that but Google decided not to go lower than 720p for an optimal experience. Even if the internet drops when you are in the middle of a game, Google has a technology that will maintain the frame rate before it drops the resolution. Stadia will always try and maintain the frame rate as best as it can.

Controller Google also revealed a specialized controller for Stadia that will help players. It is tel : 480-577-2171 not necessary to enjoy Google’s gaming experience and players can also hook up an existing controller that uses the USB with HID standard or Bluetooth which includes the Microsoft's accessibility controller for Xbox. www.azindiatimes.com 1-844-AZINDIA FEEL AT HOME PAGE - 6 Apr 2019

Romeo Akbar Walter releasing on April 05 is a PM Narendra Modi is an upcoming Indian Bio- Bollywood action-drama, directed by Robbie Gre- graphical film directed by Omung Kumar and wal. The movie star John Abraham and Mouni jointly produced by Suresh Oberoi, Sandip Roy in the lead roles along with Jackie Shroff, Ssingh, and Anand Pandit. The film is based Sikander Kher, Suchitra Krishnamoorthi, on the life of Narendra Modi, the 14th Prime Min- Bikramjeet Kanwarpal, and ister of India; starring Vivek Oberoi in the lead Govind . In Romeo Akbar Walter, John role who is also credited as co-writer of the film. plays the role of a RAW agent who is sent to Pa- The film will release on April 05 in 23 different kistan for a mission 'that could change the course languages. Boman Irani as Ratan Tata, Manoj of history for India'. Inspired by true events, RAW Joshi as Amit Shah, Kishori Shahane as Indira revolves around a man who sets out to protect his Gandhi, Darshan , Prashant Narayanan, nation against all evils and enemies at the cost of Zarina Wahab as Baa (Modi's Mother), Barkha his identity. Bisht Sengupta as Jashodaben (Modi's wife) and Yatin Karyekar will play their respective roles.

The Tashkent Files is an upcoming Biographi- cal Bollywood thriller film about the death of for- mer Indian prime minister Lal Bahadur Shas- tri. The film to be released on April 12 has been written and directed by Vivek Agnihotri and it stars Naseeruddin Shah as PKR Natrajan, as Shyam Sunder Tripathi, Shweta Basu Prasad as Raagini Phule, Mandira Bedi as Indira Joseph Roy, as Aiysha Ali Shah, Rajesh Sharma as Omkar Kashyap, Vinay Pathak as Mukhtar, Pankaj Tripathi as Gangaram Jha, Vishwa Mohan Badola as Jus- tice Kurian Abraham, Prakash Belawadi as GK Anantha Suresh and Achint Kaur.

Kalank is an upcoming Indian Hindi-language period drama film directed by Abhishek Varman and produced by , Sajid Nadiadwala and . It stars Madhuri Dixit, Sonakshi Sinha, Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan, Aditya Roy Kapur and Sanjay Dutt. The film is scheduled for release on April 17.

Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare is a Bollywood comedy-drama, which has been direct- ed by Alankrita Shrivastava. The movie stars Konkona Sen Sharma and Pednekar in lead roles. Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare is produced by Shobha Kapoor and under the banner Balaji Telefilms Pvt. Ltd. The movie will be releasing on April 05. www.azindiatimes.com 1-844-AZINDIA FEEL AT HOME PAGE - 7 Apr 2019

www.azindiatimes.com 1-844-AZINDIA FEEL AT HOME PAGE - 8 Apr 2019 Shakespeare's Secrets Shakespeare disappears between 1585, when his twins’ baptism was recorded, and 1592, when the playwright Robert Greene denounced him in a pamphlet as By Aanchal Sethi an “upstart crow.” The insult suggests he’d already made a name for himself on [email protected] the London stage by then. What did the newly married father and future literary icon do during those seven “lost” years? 3. Shakespeare did not know how to spell his name: Neither do WE To be, or not to be, that is the question: Sources from William Shakespeare’s lifetime spell his last name in more than 80 Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer different ways, ranging from “Shappere” to “Shaxberd.” In the handful of signa- The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, tures that have survived, the Bard never spelled his own name “William Shake- Or to take arms against a sea of troubles speare,” using variations or abbreviations such as “Willm Shakp,” “Willm Shaks- And by opposing end them. To die—to sleep, pere” and “William Shakspeare” instead. The above paragraph is the very essence of life, every action in my life is based on analyzing the situation and deciphering "To Be or Not Be". These days I have decided Not To Be FAT!!! So I have taken arms against a sea of troubles and ex- ercising but I'd really rather sleep. This article is Not To Be a feeble at- tempt at amateur psychology but 4. Shakespeare’s epitaph wards off would-be grave robbers with a rather an exploration of some less- curse. er known facts about Shakespeare, William Shakespeare died on April 23, 1616, at the age of 52—the cause of his the Bard who lived at Stratford- death is not entirely known but it is believed that the Bard fell ill after a night upon-Avon and is the highest read of heavy drinking with fellow playwright Ben Jonson. Despite his swift demise, author in English literature only Shakespeare supposedly had the wherewithal to pen the epitaph over his tomb to second to the Bible. This month on discourage the numerous grave robbers who plundered England’s cemeteries at April 23 we will be celebrating both the time, the verse reads: “Good friend, for Jesus’ sake forbeare, / To dig his 455th birth anniversary and his the dust enclosed here. Blessed be the man that spares these stones, / 403rd death anniversary. And cursed be he that moves my bones.” It must have done the trick, since 1. Shakespeare married an older woman who was three months preg- Shakespeare’s remains have yet to be disturbed. nant at the time. In November 1582, 18-year-old William wed 5. Some people actually think Shakespeare was a fraud. Anne Hathaway, a farmer’s daughter eight How did a common man who had never gone to college become one of the most years his senior. The church wedding was a worldly and eloquent writers in history? Even early in his career, Shakespeare hasty affair because of the sensitive and scan- was spinning tales that displayed in-depth knowledge of international affairs, Eu- dalous situation of Anne. Six months after ropean capitals and history, as well as familiarity with the royal court and high so- the wedding, the Shakespeares welcomed a ciety. For this reason, some theorists have suggested that one or several authors daughter, Susanna, and twins Hamnet and wishing to conceal their true identity used the person of William Shakespeare as Judith followed in February 1585. Very lit- a front. Most historians remain skeptical about this hypothesis, although many tle is known about their relationship besides suspect Shakespeare sometimes collaborated with other playwrights. that they often lived apart and he only be- Shakespeare has been a part of my growing up, my favorite being The Tempest, queathed her his “second-best bed” in his do share with us your favorite Shakespeare work and your interpretation of his will. writings. 2. Nobody knows what Shakespeare did between 1585 and 1592. Hope you enjoyed the lesser known facts of Shakespeare. Much To the amazement of his biographers,

www.azindiatimes.com 1-844-AZINDIA FEEL AT HOME PAGE - 9 Apr 2019 Psychic Ability - A Journey to the Now that we can see that modern science has at- Other Dimension tempted to prove an abil- ..from page 1 By Gayathri Pattabhiraman ity that can only be de- [email protected] scribed as esoteric, let’s go back in time to our own itihasa for a classic defied science and rational thought. Foremost among them is a researcher from example of what’s known Duke, Daryl Bem whose groundbreaking research that spanned almost a dec- in “psi” circles as remote ade turned heads as he was able to prove something that was considered fake and viewing but this example outlandish using accepted social-science methodology. is far more than that. The battle between the Pan- It is a little known fact that davas and Kauravas took the CIA has researched this place in Kurukshetra but field for over 23 years at the the blind father of the Kauravas, King Dhritarashtra lived in Hastinapur. His ad- Stanford Research Institute in visor and charioteer Sanjaya, a devoted disciple of Maharishi Veda Vyasa was Menlo Park under the leader- given the gift of Divya Drishti (divine sight). This enabled Sanjaya who already ship of Russel Targ, an emi- possessed the ability to see things far away in his mind be able to not just see but nent laser physicist. Through also hear and feel the happenings at Kurukshetra while in Hastinapur. Sanjaya’s this program, psychics were account gives the most comprehensive account of the war among all the other documented locating a versions. downed bomber in Africa, de- scribe the health of American There are many more examples of psychic ability spanning eons and transcend- hostages abroad, a Chinese ing cultures. The were gleaned through inner vision, the ancients com- atom bomb test three days be- muned with spirits to give us great works of and , holy men fore it happened and much more. You may wonder then why is this not public and women communed with angels to help mankind through turbulent times. knowledge and why is it all hidden from the public? Sadly, the evidence is there to anyone who sees but the area is filled with so many imposters that academia is Maybe it is now time for us to more likely to dismiss this than take genuine psychics seriously. agree that there is a whole di- Compounding the confu- mension of existence that we sion in the landscape is know very little about and focus the presence of sci-fi mov- on our inner selves. After all, ies and TV that muddle we have heard time and again the waters between real- that the answers are within and ity and the imaginary. But our search will be futile if we everyone has experienced look outward. As Daryl Targ something that has be- says, “I am convinced from the lied rational thought, be ever-growing data that most it a sense of déjà vu or a people can learn to quiet their telepathic connection to minds and move their aware- someone, or a premoni- ness from their ordinary ego- tion of something that’s based mindset to a much more spacious and interesting perspective - nor that is going to happen. These not obstructed by conventional barriers of space and time.” are feelings that science cannot explain fully as modern science is only focused on methodology that is not thorough and does not allow for individuality.

Law Offices of Monika Sud-Devaraj, PLLC 141 E. Palm Lane, Suite 100 Phoenix, AZ 85004 602.234.0782 MSDLAWAZ.COM www.azindiatimes.com 1-844-AZINDIA FEEL AT HOME PAGE - 10 Apr 2019 meaning we try to go back to our home, An Interview with Swami Sarvadevananda which is eternal joy, eternal peace, and By A Phoenix Devotee eternal happiness. According to Vedan- Q & A during Swami Sarvadevanandaji’s recent visit to Ramakrishna-Sarada Ve- ta, it is the Atman, our true Self. To go danta Center of Phoenix—a center associated with the Ramakrishna Mission, In- back to the Atman is the purpose of our dia life. scriptures say, we are born Part II here for jivan-mukti sukha-prapti—to Swami Sarvadevananda of the Ramakrishna Order of India (hereinafter called enjoy the bliss of freedom while living Swamiji) with its Headquarters at Belur Math, India (http://www.belurmath. in this body. In the absolute sense, we org/) was interviewed during his recent visit to the Ramakrishna-Sarada Vedanta are all Atman (the eternal Self). When Center of Phoenix in the valley. Swamiji is the minister-in-charge of the Vedanta we are entangled in body-mind, we feel Society of Southern California, Hollywood (http://vedanta.org/). He conducts happiness and also suffering. Vedanta classes, discourses, retreats, etc. on the principles of Sanatana Dharma (Vedanta) teaches that we are not the body-mind. and participates in inter-religious dialogues throughout . He visits So, Atman, the absolute sat-chid-anan- the Phoenix Center every other month to give classes, provide guidance to spirit- da or Existence-Consciousness-Bliss- ual aspirants, and spread the universal message of peace and harmony enshrined Absolute, is nitya-mukta—always free. in the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada and . Here is We are not born here to experience the the concluding part of the interview: ever-changing samsara but to experi- ence infinite joy and bliss. Rabindranath Tagore expressed this idea in his own poetic way: seemar majhe aseem tumi bajao apon sur—Oh Lord, infinite God, you are playing your flute through all limited things. So the Infinite is trying to express itself through small little things in this world. Life’s purpose is not to cry and weep, but to see infinite joy and bliss within oneself and everywhere. To understand life after death, we need to know three key elements: body, karma, and samskara. We can live in three bodies, according to our state of conscious- ness: 1. The physical body (consisting of five organs of perception, five organs of ac- tion, the five material elements (earth, water, fire, air, space), five subtle ele- ments (which correlate to scent, taste, form, touch, sound), and mind, intel- lect, ego, and memory—24 elements); 2. The subtle or dream body (five organs of perception, five organs of action, five subtle elements, and mind, intellect—17 elements); 3. Causal body, consisting only of Ego, where the awareness of both physical and subtle bodies subsides. It is the subtle body, along with the causal body, which enters a body sometime before birth, and leaves it at the time of the death of the body, according to its karma. The physical body is derived from parents’ DNA, but the personality of an individual is derived from past actions and thoughts, which leave samskāras or deep-seated impressions and tendencies. These samskāras drive people to dif- ferent paths, like worldliness, music, games and sports, science, and spirituality. Swamiji giving a spiritual class at RKM Say, four or five children are born in the same family from the same parents, but Question: Does a God really exist? Is this universe His/Her creation? If so, what they are all different in nature. What is the explanation? Karma theory says that is the purpose of life, death, and everything that living beings experience in be- we did some karma. Karma creates an impression in our mind—good or bad. That tween? Is there an afterlife? creates different types of bodies so they can enjoy (or suffer) the fruits of karma. Answer: Does a God exist? The word “God” needs to be understood properly. This is what Hindus believe based on the theory of rebirth. This question has been asked innumerable times to Sri Ramakrishna and many In the Katha Upanishad, Nachiketa asked Yama, the lord of death, this same other spiritual leaders of the world. Ramakrishna said, yes, God does exist. I see question: Is there any life after death? Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs—all In- God just like I see you. For Ramakrishna, God was tangible. Let us try to un- dian (except the or materialists) affirm that there is life derstand it logically: Say, when we look at a house, we think there must be an after death, and that the individual soul, or jīva, continues to be reborn in this or architect or an engineer behind it. Now if we look at the vast universe, we should another world, until it tires of the endless round of experience, and goes back to start thinking that there must be an architect behind it. There must be an agent its own true Self. to oversee this diverse manifestation. So, it is logical to think that there must be a creator of the visible universe. We need to accept that there is an entity behind the Question: Holy Mother Sarada Devi advised us not to find fault with others; creation of this universe. The Kena Upanishad says the same thing. According to rather to find our own faults. How can we follow this in real life when it is much Vedanta, to eastern philosophy, as also to the saints and sages of all the easier to put the blame on others? and even of no religion, God exists. We can approach this idea with a scientific Answer: Holy Mother’s advice is very important, and can help everyone. She perspective, and understand that God exists, the Divine Reality exists, beyond said, if you want peace, don’t find fault with others. That does not mean that time and space; it is the ultimate unchanging Reality without beginning or end. people don’t have faults. I can focus on the faults, or I can focus on the good Concepts of God can be classified into three groups: qualities of a person. If I see the positive qualities, my mind becomes saturated 1. God without form and without qualities (beyond time-space-causation)— with positive ideas and gets the benefit of being peaceful and joyful. On the other Called Brahman in Vedanta, the Ground of existence, the impersonal Abso- hand, if I focus on the negative qualities, I will only stimulate negative emotions, lute. like anger, frustration and hatred, in my mind. It does not benefit either me or 2. God without form but with qualities—as, for instance, Ishwara of , the other person. or God the Father of the Abrahamic faiths. 3. God with form and with qualities—as, for instance, the deities of Hinduism. It is essential for a spiritually oriented person, who wants peace, to practice Holy God may be manifested in human form as an avatara (incarnation) like Bud- Mother’s advice. This life is very momentary. If someone is bad, what can I do dha, , or Christ. about it? Holy Mother served even highway robbers. Who got the benefit? Mother The Upanishad says, “sa yatha ardraidha-agneh abhyahitasya prthag-dhuma did. So, I should try to see my own faults, find out how to correct them, and see viniscaranti evam va are asya mahato bhutasya nihsvasitam etad yad rgvedo how I can improve my life so I can be established in eternal peace and joy. Peace yajur-vedah sama-vedo atharva-angirasa itihasah puranam … asya eva etani is most important. We often forget what is more important and what is less im- sarvani nihsvasitani—As from a fire, kindled with wet wood, diverse kinds of portant in life. We pay more attention to momentary things and forget that peace smoke issue, even so, my dear, the Rig-veda, Yajur-veda, Sama-veda, and Athar- is what we are looking for. Peace is Brahman, peace is God, peace is the goal of va-angirasa … this world, the next world, and all beings are like the breath of this life. In every religion, peace is important. There will be faults; there will be blem- Supreme Self.” (Brihadaranyaka, 4.5.11) This is the ultimate Vedantic conception, ishes; better to focus on the positive side that gives us peace, joy, and happiness. where everything issues from the Divine, and is not separate from the Divine; Some people may take advantage of you because of your simplicity or attitude, indeed it is the Divine—sarvam khalu-idam brahma. but should you therefore lower your ideal? If someone is dangerous, try to avoid that person, but don’t criticize. Holy Mother says, when you see a fault in some- In life, we go through many ex- one, you first pollute your mind with negative thoughts and then you see the fault. periences. When we are born, Our mind is such that whatever thoughts we have, it gets deeply colored by those we think that we are limited, thoughts. Holy Mother advises us therefore, not to find fault with others, but to and we feel that we suffer so see their good qualities. much. We try to get a little touch of joy, but are forced to undergo so much suffering. The purpose The Ramakrishna-Sarada Vedanta Center of Phoenix is located near ASU- of life is to realize that I am free Tempe. Prayer, , reading of Hindu scriptures, singing devotion- and boundless. There are rules, al songs, and annual events are coordinated by Pravrajika Akhandaprana. regulations, and bondage. We For additional information, please visit the Center’s website (http://vedan- want to get out of bondage, taphx.org/) or contact Mataji at 480-656-7230. www.azindiatimes.com 1-844-AZINDIA FEEL AT HOME PAGE - 11 Apr 2019 Spiritual Discourses in English Swami Anubhavananda Apr. 23, 2019 To Apr. 28, 2019 - 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM

Swamiji is popular all over the world for his humorous and thought provoking discourses on , , and Vedanta.

Swamiji has been visiting Phoenix for the last four years and many of you have enjoyed his humorous discourses. Please come and experience Swamiji’s life changing teachings.

Swamiji is an embodiment of ever-flowing Happiness, Love and Wisdom. Swamiji’s discourses help us gain valuable insight into the Vedic scriptural knowledge.

Swamiji is a visiting faculty member for teaching Management, Yoga and Vedanta at BITS, Pilani, India and Kaivalyadham, Lonavale, India.

The talks will guide us towards living an inspired life by “Being Happy.” For further information on Swamiji’s teachings, please visit https://smilingswami.com Date, Place and Topic

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 7 Tuesday Apr. 23 to SVK Temple (Udupi Temple) (Jnana-Vijnana Yoga) Friday Apr. 26 615, S. Beck Ave, Tempe, AZ Daily Sessions – 4 Days 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM

Saturday Apr. 27 and Bharatiya Ekta Mandir of Arizona Living in God Sunday Apr. 28 2804 W. Maryland Ave. Phoenix, AZ Daily Sessions – 2 Days

5:30 PM to 7:00 PM

For more information, Please contact: Ajit Oke (480-705-7816), N.P. Gopal (480-634-0546), Murali Krishnamachari (602-430-3113), Yogesh Mantri (480-283-7229) Contact Email: [email protected]

SWAMI ANUBHAVANADA IS VISITING PHOENIX AGAIN FROM APRIL 23 – APRIL 28 Are work pressures keeping you awake at night? Are you struggling to remain happy with the ups and downs of daily life? If so, you have a chance to experience a transformation from Swami Anubhavananda who is visiting Phoenix again; a man who walks the world with no boundaries or attachments. Swamiji is well known for his warm and ever fl owing love and great humor. He puts the essence in the Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads, Patanjali Yoga and other scriptures in a simple manner which helps us transform our lives. His message of “Mauj Me Raho” (Just Be Happy) resonates through His talks and personal interactions. Swamiji travels all over the world, engaging with masses, spreading divine message of Vedanta. More than 2000 of his talks, delivered all the world, are avail- able on YouTube. Swamiji has authored more than 100 books on spiritual and motivational topics. You may visit his website https://smilingswami.com to know more. Happiness is not merely laughing, he says. Whatever we do normally is for getting happiness. Never do that - Whatever you do, do it to express happiness, he explains. Swamiji will be delivering talks at the SVK Temple (Udupi Temple) in Tempe, Arizona from Tuesday April 23 through Friday April 26, 2019 on “Bhagavad Gita Chapter 7 – Gnyaana Vignyaanayoga” and at the Bharatiya Ekta Mandir in Phoenix, Arizona on Saturday April 27 and Sunday April 28, 2019 on “Living in God”. Admission is free. For details write to: [email protected].

Wondrous World

Some of the best places on the surface of our earth which needs to be seen at The Hardanger Bridge is part of the Norway’s awesomeness landmark least once in one's life time. Here are the four real treasures for a wanderlust that stand between two mountainous areas that connecting two diff erent cit- to visit and get enthralled by their unique beauty: ies. The rank of this suspension bridge in the world is in the ninth position The Rainbow Mountains of China within the Zhangye Danxia Landform and as for Norway itself – it placed on the fi rst and foremost best suspension Geological Park are a geological wonder of the world. These famous Chinese bridge. The bridge however is a toll bridge road where everyone who intends mountains are known for their otherworldly colors that mimic a rainbow to pass this way will require paying some amount of money. painted over the tops of rolling mountains. www.azindiatimes.com 1-844-AZINDIA FEEL AT HOME PAGE - 12 Apr 2019 HOLISTIC HEALTH English is a very funny language. FROM INSIDE OUT Jail and Prison are Synonyms. But... Jailer and Prisoner are Antonyms!

Suff ering from Hypothyroidism? These are very helpful. For example, do 50 jump- Lifetstyle and Diet changes May help You. ing jacks thrice a day. Drink water: You should consume By Dr. Meghna Thacker enough—we suggest half your body weight [email protected] in ounces. So if you weigh 150lbs, drink at least 75 ounces of water per day. Meditate: These days, we are always on Having battled with hypothyroidism for the last 8 years since giving birth to my the go. Multitasking and constant stimu- son, I have deep empathy for anyone suff ering from this hormone-related dis- lation brings stress to our bodies. Take a order. Like diabetes, this one too is a silent killer that can hamper your lifestyle moment to just breathe. Practice 20 min- even in its mildest form, causing fatigue, weight gain, hair loss, mood swings, utes of meditation. I recently attended the irregular periods and dry skin, among other issues. In its severest form, if left Inner Engineering program by Sadhguru untreated, it can lead to myxedema, a life-threatening condition that can lead to (Isha Foundation) and learned the Shamb- a loss of consciousness, or even coma. havi Kriya he teaches. It is wonderful fl ow “The thyroid gland is our master gland of yoga asanas, breathing and meditation. for metabolism. When it is not produc- Change your diet: I recommend a most- ing enough thyroid hormones like in ly plant-based diet with a balance of carbohydrates, proteins and healthy fats. Do the case of hypothyroidism, everything not skip carbs completely as good carbs are essential for conversion of T4 to T3, slows down, leading to these symptoms,” which is the active thyroid hormone. Avoiding carbs is a common mistake people from my bestselling book Seven Steps with hypothyroidism make when they are trying to lose weight—it only works To Heal Your Thyroid which focuses against them. on helping hypothyroid patients increase Eat smaller meals: Five to six meals is ideal. If you go long hours between eat- energy levels, improve moods and rev up ing, it slows down your metabolism, which is the problem in hypothyroidism to weight loss. begin with. A good sample diet to follow: Among the many causes that lead to • 8am: Protein smoothie (with vegan protein powder) + spinach+ strawberries these imbalances, our environment expo- • 11am: A handful of nuts (Brazil nuts, almonds, walnuts) sure also plays a huge role on our thyroid • 1pm: Boiled eggs and salad health. Heavy metals get attached to the • 4pm: Apple with cashew butter thyroid tissue and impact the conversion • 7pm: Quinoa with cooked veggies of T4 to T3 (T3 is the active hormone that our cells utilize to produce energy). We In addition to Diet & Lifestyle changes, add Thyroid Balance to your daily pro- are exposed to lead through house paint and old water pipes, cadmium from sec- tocol. One capsule 2 times a day. It provides all the nutrients needed for your thy- ondary cigarette smoking, mercury toxicity from dental amalgams and also fi sh. roid to work better, naturally. If you are already on Synthroid or Levothyroxine As such, heavy metal exposure hugely impacts your thyroid function. I believe in and dealing with symptoms of hypothyroidism, use Thyroid Balance with a meal/ the trinity of health—body, mind and spirit—and that one needs to be balanced snack two times a day (away from your thyroid medication which is taken on an at all these levels for optimal health. Here, I share fi ve tips that can help hypothy- empty stomach). I proudly announce that my supplements are manufactured in roidism symptoms. Florida by Xymogen. They use the highest quality ingredients and third party The top fi ve lifestyle changes you can make to control hypothyroidism testing and have the strictest quality control. Go to www.meghnathacker.com to Exercise: You need to do this to stimulate your metabolism, but you shouldn’t purchase your bottle of Thyroid Balance. I am seeing wonderful results in my push yourself too hard either. Intermittent exercises that increase the heart rate patients and want to help you too. ȁ ǿ Ȁ ȅ ȁ ǿ Ȁ Ȇ ȁ ǿ Ȁ ȇ

www.azindiatimes.com 1-844-AZINDIA FEEL AT HOME PAGE - 13 Apr 2019 thing is we all look at the same things - the Universe of Objects and Things (we Embracing a School of Thought have the same data) and yet we arrive at different conclusions. By Sundaranand Mahadevan [email protected] In the Indian school of thought, we have our own own Technical Term for “Point of View,” and it is called Vasana. Vasana is a collection of impressions in our mind, accumulated over many births (do you see we have The Indian system has three main schools of thoughts - Dvaita, Advaita, Vish- brought some of our assumptions with it). ishtAdvaita.

A philosophical school of thought must define the terms:

Individual (Jiva), God (Brahman/Ishvara), Universe (Jagat), Bondage (Sam- sara), Liberation (Moksha), Means to Liberation (Sadhana). Refer the tabular chart below for your reference. Advaita Dvaita

Jiva Limitless, All Pervading Limited, Atomic Limited, Atomic

Brahman Limitless, no attributes Limitless, with Attributes Limitless, with Attributes in superlatives in superlatives

Jagat Mithya (Appears but does Real and Part of Real and Separate from not exist) Brahman Brahman

Samsara The Misconception that I The Misconception that I The Misconception that I am dependent am Independent am Independent

Moksha Discover Liberation by Merge with Brahman in Eternally Serve Ishvara removing misconception, Heaven in Heaven purely a cognitive understanding, no need to go anywhere Let us perform a small experiment. Let us nail a pin on a wooden plank when we commit to an action and remove it when we do a compensatory action. While we have action and its equal reaction, is the net effect nullified? No, we do see an Sadhana Jnana Yoga Bhakthi Yoga Bhakthi Yoga impression (a hole) in the board. As we keep acting/reaction with a motive, im-

pressions (holes) keep on piling up, and the total of all impressions is called our “point of view” or character.

All these three school of thought have the same data - Veda as scripture. How- So, if the “Point of View” guides our entire journey of thoughts, how can we ever, the definitions of individual, God, Universe and the inferences/implications embrace “Absolute Truth”? What is Absolute Truth? Once you adopt a point of (Samsara/Moksha) are different. Which school of thought must I em- view, it is a version of Truth, shaped by our own beliefs, values, and prejudices. brace? It is challenging to bring an army of Theologist and influence them to accept a Unified Theory. Let me narrate a small parable. In the Indian Kingdom, there was a wise man, who happened to be a Judge in the King’s court. Representatives from each Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking school of thought laid down their arguments supporting the superiority of their we used when we created them”. As long as we hold on to labels, we cannot Siddhanta (tenet). The Judge was beaming with joy and said all of them are grasp Absolute Truth. If we have to understand the absolute, we have to drop all right. The Final Judge decision: “From each one point of view, your argu- ideas and concepts we hold on in our bosom. We have to lose our point of view, ments seem logical, so all of you are right”. not just for a finite moment, but once and for all.To know The Absolute, you have to be The Absolute. How can many schools of thoughts be right, all at the same time? When one is right, the other must be wrong, or one must be more right than others? To evolve and grow, I suggest the following guidelines: Use the “Element of Thought” model and “Intellectual Standards” (www. criticalthinking.org) to understand the basic framework of thought, use them to discover inconsistencies in our thinking.

Pick a school of thought that resonate within us, that which comes naturally. Un- derstand that “mental conditioning” - our Vasanas - has influenced us to pick a school of thought.

Once we know the definitions, assumptions, concepts, inferences/implications in the school of thought, ask fellow seekers of another school of thoughts to ex- plain their definitions, assumptions, concepts, etc. Enjoy this dialogue and learn together. See the entire Uni- verse as a Sangha, a place to learn, grow and nurture, as brothers and sisters. While a majority of Americans eat meat, when you request them to Kabab their dog, they will vehemently oppose and claim that dog is family while enjoying a Understand that ideas/con- medium rare steak or ham. How can eating a cow be cultured and eating dog less cepts are just ways to under- educated/polished? Another common argument “Do you want to be buried or stand things better. They are burnt after death”? The Hindus claim that anything subject to fire becomes supe- just pointers, do not get fix- rior, while in many parts of the world, people claim that just as humans enjoyed ated on these ideas/concepts flora and fauna, when it comes to their own death and decay, they want flora as absolute Truths. and fauna to enjoy their decomposed body. Both seem logical and right in their measure. We think for a purpose. If I have been fascinated by “Elements of Thought” - a model developed by Dr. there is no purpose, there is Richard Paul and his colleagues at the Center and Foundation for Critical no need to force thinking. If Thinking. This model breaks down a thought into various elements. Please go to we understand this principle, www.criticalthinking.org and become familiar with the model. 80% of our stress is gone. We cannot grasp Absolute Truth In the “Element of Thought” model, Dr. Paul and his team, talk about a founda- through the lens of “Point of tional element called “Point of View”. Point of View is a person’s fundamental View.” In the Vedic system, beliefs, values, and biases. It is a person’s frame of reference, perspectives, the focus is on cleansing impurities in our mind. It says “Use the assistance of and orientation. Veda and Teacher” and drop both of them as you elevate your Consciousness. They are like boats, helping you to cross the river, and once you have passed, you Many external factors shape the fundamental beliefs, values, and biases - the leave the ship and move on. You don’t carry the boat on your head. country and culture one is born into, the family upbringing, the concepts one is exposed in the formative years of their life, etc. What effort is required to see the sun (Brahman) that is seemingly covered by the cloud (impurities in our mind)? The breeze of ’s Elements of thoughts - the ideas we use, the assumptions we make, the infer- knowledge & scriptures removes the darkness of ignorance in our mind, and ences we see and the implications/consequences we are willing to accept - all are the sun shines effortlessly, there is no effort required to see the sun. In Vedic guided and nurtured by a foundational element called “Point of View.” The funny language “It (Truth) reveals Itself to Itself.” www.azindiatimes.com 1-844-AZINDIA FEEL AT HOME PAGE - 14 Apr 2019

www.azindiatimes.com 1-844-AZINDIA FEEL AT HOME PAGE - 15 Apr 2019

Navratri Maata Jagran Friday April 12th, 2019 7Pm - 9Pm Contact: Shashi (480) 614-1322

Satyanarayan Puja Thursday April 18th, 2019 HTA April Events 7:00Pm – 8:30Pm Contact: Nirmal (480) 926-8835 Navratri & Janamotsav

Hanumanji Puja Every Tuesday 7Pm - 9Pm Contact: Sushma (480) 970-4439

Venkateswara Swami Puja Every Saturday 10Am - Noon Contact: Srini (602) 535-6989

Sunday Puja Navratri:– Hanuman Janamotsav – 11Am -1Pm Friday April 5th – April 12th Thursday April 18th 1st Sunday - Ram Parivar 11:30Am – 7:00Pm (other programs follow) nd 108 Hanuman Chalisa Recitation 2 Sunday - Shri Jagannathji Ram Navami- Donation of $51 for each Chalisa rd 3 Sunday - Balaji & Krishnaji Saturday April 13th Contact :- Ashwani Bakshi @ 480-250-0903 & 4th Sunday - Shivji Puja Surendra Singh @ 203-3002302 5th Sunday- Ganeshji Puja

For all others contact Pundit Ji @ (480) 874-3200 Contact Temple Priest at Prasad is sponsored by Udupi Restaurant (480) 874-3200 for any Information Please donate generously for improvements in temple related to Temple Puja events or if @ http://www.hindutempleaz.org/ you need to schedule any Special Hindu Temple of Arizona Puja at The Temple site or at Home. 3033 N Hayden Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85251

Swami Mukundananda is a world-renowned teacher of spirituality, Yoga and Meditation. He is the founder of the unique Yogic system JKYog, also known as Yoga for the Body, Mind and Soul. He received His degrees in Engineering and Management from IIT () and IIM (). Swamiji is the senior disciple of Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj. He has inspired people all over the world, on the path of Spirituality, holistic health, yoga, meditation, service to society and God-realization. He has been invited to speak at various Fortune 500 companies like Google, Oracle etc. For the youth, Swamiji has conducted programs at prestigious universities such as Stanford, Princeton, MIT, Kellogg and Duke University. Please register for the event at jkyog.org/events www.azindiatimes.com 1-844-AZINDIA FEEL AT HOME PAGE - 16 Apr 2019

IACRF SENIORS CELEBRATE HOLI, INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY AND WORLD KIDNEY DAY

India’s brave IAF Pilot Abhinandan Varthman was released by on Fri- By Dr. Prakash V Kotecha and Sr. Bhagubhai Patel day the 1st of March. Members gave a huge applause at the good news. [email protected] On the occasion of International Women’s Day, all women were greeted and ap- preciated for their wonderful contribution. Usha Gatuma saluted women in all Mental Health & Elderly: the categories- a daughter, a wife, a mother, mother-in-law who deserve great Guest Speaker: Dr. Superna Kundra respect, love and recognition for their contributions in raising the family with Talking on Mental Health in Elderly, Dr. Kundra mentioned that mental health the nurturing love and selfless service. The saying Yatra‘ Naryastu Pujyante problems are constantly on the increase. Approximately 15% of adults aged 60 Ramante Tatra Devta’ is very befitting for the women. and over suffer from mental disorder as reported by World Health Organization. Globally, population is ageing rapidly. Between 2015 and 2050, the proportion of Birthday Celebration: the world’s population over 60 years will nearly double from 12% to 22%. Older We celebrated the 80th people face more physical and mental challenges. Stressors like loss in capacity, birthday of our stalwart decline in functional ability, drop in socioeconomic status result in isolation or and dedicated founder psychological distress. The most common mental and neurological disorders are member Bhagubhai Pa- dementia, depression, anxiety disorder and substance use problems. Older peo- tel. There was lot of ex- ple have hard time coping up with all these problems. citement as his daughter Mental health has an impact on physical health. If depression continues untreat- Sutapa and his son Minesh ed, it becomes chronic and problematic. Dementia affects our cognitive function. congratulating him on his People’s behavior is affected. There is no medication available to cure demen- birthday spoke very kind tia. Mental health in older adults can be improved by early diagnosis, active and words for him. Lalitbhai healthy lifestyle, eating nutritious diets including walnuts and with strong sup- Patel briefed how he met port system of family, friends and community. Regular medical checkup with him in 1983 and spoke about the similarities between him and Bhagubhai as both the doctor, playing games like sudoku for active brain are helpful. For acute de- contributed a great deal in the field of education, running schools in India, at- pression, antidepressants and magnetic stimulation machine that stimulates the tended Rameshbhai Oza’s Pooja and traveled together to countries like New Zea- brain cells can be very helpful. It is important to provide education, support and land, and Kenya’s famous Kilimanjaro mountain. Both are great hikers. training to all health care providers to ensure the highest quality of service to He mentioned that Bhagubhai is not only a dedicated worker but also a very good people with mental illness. fundraiser for the community service. Dr Prakash Kotecha mentioned him as a Holi Celebrations: great friend, philosopher and guide. Rising from a humble start, Bhagubhai at- On March 21st we cel- tained great success in career and family and friend circle. Men of less words and ebrated Holi more action, he is a person who would not hesitate in offering help to those who All the members need it even when not asked. Meenaben Bhavsar and Vallabhbhai also wished wished each other him. Bhagubhai himself then talked how he seems family and his association with Happy Holi. To cel- IACRF for years. He founded IACRF Seniors group with the help of Indubhai, ebrate the Holi, Gulal Mannubhai and Kishorbhai Vyas, where seniors can utilize their time in a was available and post positive and productive manner. His granddaughter, Kira also spoke about him lunch those interested as a caring and loving grandpa. Two beautiful birthday cakes were cut after wish- were played Tilak Holi ing Bhagubhai happy birthday, singing the famous birthday song. Lovely pictures with Gulal to celebrate set of his family and friends and his affiliation to IACRF center were also dis- and still prevent en- played on large TV. vironment and health Technical Presentations: complications. World Kidney Day: Obituary Speaker: Dr. Prakash V Kotecha. Sheela Trivedi our member and the wife of our member Jagdishbhai Trivedi Dr Prakash Kotecha made simple and interesting presentation about the World passed away on 12th March. Everyone observed a minute’s silence for the peace Kidney Day on 14th March. It was a very educative and informative presentation. of the departed soul. Mani Paramanand offered a Bhajan on the occasion. He explained that the aim of his presentation is to bring awareness about the im- Lunch Sponsors portance of kidneys to our overall health and prevent the kidney disease and the Lunch sponsors for the month included Babulal & Nayna Mehta, Maganbhai associated health problems. Kawa, Bhagubhai & Jayaben Patel, Prabha & Venkat Mukku, Parvati & Madhav Rao Tummala, Pushpa & Prakash Deshmukh and Lata Puliken.

Swami Mukundananda Talk, Yoga & Meditation on ‘7 Di- For children, he has established a special personality development program, vine Laws for Happiness and Fulfillment’ called “Bal-Mukund”. It includes character building, yog, meditation and de- votional singing. The quest for Happiness and Fulfillment is a practical necessity, not a lofty ideal, Swami Mukundananda will have a 5 day program in Scottsdale, AZ. The first says a Swami Mukundananda who is on a 30 City Tour this summer in the part of the session focuses on Yoga & Meditation. The second session focuses on USA. He will be addressing the audience from all walks of life in this enthralling devotional chanting and spiritual discourses. In his programs, Swamiji chants Five day series from April 13th – April 17th, at Hindu Temple of Arizona, the sweetest bhajans that inspire devotional love and transport the consciousness 3019 N. Hayden Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85251, on 7 Divine Laws for Happiness & to subliminal heights. Swamiji’s enlightening discourses clarify the deepest con- Fulfillment. cepts of the Vedic scriptures, with wit, and perfect logic. He has inspired people Swami Mukundananda, re- all over the world on the path of spirituality, holistic health, yoga, meditation, ceived his degrees in Engineer- service to society and God realization. ing and Management from two Swami Ji will be teaching techniques to discover the limitless potential of your world famous institutes in India mind, live a life of inspiration and purpose, Forge your destiny with every thought, - Indian Institute of Technology Let go of the past and live in the present, learn the secret to stress-free living, Ac- (IIT) and Indian Institute of quire knowledge to leap forward in life, Utilize the power of habits to transform Management (IIM) respective- yourself. Admission is Free & Prasadam will be served after program. ly. However, the call of God was Program Details - Venue: Hindu Temple of Arizona, 3019 N. Hayden so strong that a short while af- Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85251. Dates: Saturday, April 13th – Wednesday, April ter landing a top corporate job, 17th, Timings: 6 PM - 8:30 PM. (Yoga: 6 PM - 7 PM, Discourse: 7 PM - 8:30 he renounced his professional PM). Contact: Shrinivas Sadachar, phone - 310-420-3794; Free Admission career to take Sanyas, at age and Prasadam will be served after discourses. 23 in quest for God-realization. For Free Registeration: Visit www.jkyog.org/events/ Since the last two decades, Swa- miji has been travelling to vari- ous states of USA, India, Nepal Wah Ustad Wah! and Singapore awakening thou- Amir Khusrow who first invented the tabla as a musical instrument toac- sands of seekers company the singing of khayal didn’t realise that two centuries later a legend He is the senior disciple of Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj and founder will be born who will become the king of Tabla. Yes, we are talking about of JKYog. JKYog is a non-profit organization dedicated to the spiritual, mental Ustad Zakir Hussain who carried on the legacy of tabla players like Pandit and physical wellness of Humankind, through true Yoga and Spirituality. Anokhelal Mishra, his own father Ustad Alla Rakha and many other famous Swamiji has been invited to speak at various Fortune 500 companies like Google, tabla artists and went on to become one of world’s best. April 6 is the day Oracle, and Yahoo etc., at the world famous M.D. Anderson Cancer Hospital. For when Phoenix will hear the most melodious beats and rhythms coming from the youth, Swamiji has conducted programs at prestigious universities such as his sheesham wood tabla played by the Ustad at the Mesa Arts Center. Princeton, Stanford, Kellogg, MIT, and Duke University. www.azindiatimes.com 1-844-AZINDIA FEEL AT HOME PAGE - 17 Apr 2019

Celebrate Bicycle Month Safely

Many of you may be aware that April is bicycle month in Arizona. Bicyclists at all levels participate in spe- cial events throughout the valley as well as in Tuc- son and Flagstaff. Commuter as well as recreational By Dr. Kohinoor Kar and Mike Cynecki bicyclists enjoy fun rides, safety events, bike expos • Many bike crashes involve right-turning vehi- and other activities. Many of them are university cles. Be vigilant. Watch for turn signal indica- students and staff on ASU, UA and NAU campuses. tors if you are passing a motorist on the right at an intersection or a driveway. • Carry necessary repair tools with you and stay well hydrated while riding.

Whether you are an experienced bicyclist or a novice, always keep safety as your topmost priority. If you celebrate bicycling month, please do it safely. The authors would appreciate your questions, com- ments or suggestions on future topics via email ([email protected]).

You may have enjoyed bicycling back in your home country or state, but may be wondering whether you should continue doing it here in Arizona. In reality, with a relatively flat topography in the Phoenix metro area as well as many other parts of the state and a good year-round weather conditions, Arizona is ideal for bicycling. In fact, Arizona attracts many world class bicyclists, especially during the winter months. Safety being the topmost priority, many communities throughout Arizona have been working to become bi- cycle-friendly. Arizona has its first recognized cross- state US Bike Route (USBR 90) that connects New Mexico with California, and travels through both the Tucson and Phoenix metropolitan areas. More and Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in this article are more cities are adopting Complete Streets policies those of the authors and may not necessarily rep- that provide room for safe bicycling. Most transit resent the views of the agencies they are affiliated services (buses, light rail and streetcar) are bicycle- with. Information is for general awareness and not friendly and can allow individuals to take cross-town intended to substitute for professional advice, and trips using a combination of bicycling and transit. thus the authors cannot be held accountable for any-

thing contained in this article. Whether you bike for fun or make it a habit to ride to work or school, bicyclists must be responsible and do the following: Kohinoor Kar, Ph.D., P.E., PTOE, a profes- • Know the rules of the road — you must follow all sional engineer vastly experienced in roadway, the rules applicable to motorists wherever prac- traffic and safety field, has been with the State tical when riding in the street. of Arizona for over 14 years. He has published • Choose the right bicycle based on your height, a number of research papers and presented at purpose and terrain. Parents should not pur- several prestigious conferences. Dr. Kar serves chase a bicycle that is “too big” for their child for on several safety-related advisory committees/ the child to “grow into”. panels at the State, national and international • A bicycle helmet is a must before you ride — find levels. He is currently a Faculty Associate at Ari- the right one that fits your head, and make sure zona State University. it is worn with the chin strap securely fastened.

• A bicyclist must yield to a pedestrian in a cross- Michael J. Cynecki, P.E., PTOE retired from walk or on a sidewalk. the City of Phoenix after a career of 26 years in • When riding on a sidewalk, be extra-cautious at the Transportation Department, and is current- driveways and side streets where drivers may not ly with the consulting firm of Lee Engineering, see or expect you if you are approaching the driv- LLC. Mr. Cynecki is an Emeritus member of the er in the “unexpected” direction. Know the laws Transportation Research Board Committee on in your community. Some cities prohibit riding Pedestrians. on the sidewalk, and some prohibit “wrong way” riding on sidewalks.

Wondrous World The words Provence & lavender have become so synonymous with each other over the decades that you can hardly mention one without the other: The dusky purple shades and delicate fragrances that decorate its fields every summer are now so emblematic of the region, and even of France itself, that the Provence lavender fields have very much become a tourist attraction in their own right. Lav- ender is not exclusive to Provence or even to France; there are lavender farms to be found in many parts of the world, as far afield as New South Wales & Western Australia, Tuscany & Sicily, Italy, and even in fact in some southerly regions of the UK., but none of these regions can compete with Provence in terms of tradition, and of sheer scale. www.azindiatimes.com 1-844-AZINDIA FEEL AT HOME PAGE - 18 Apr 2019 began to sing in their own language. Writing ‘Happy Birthdays on the cakes’ was Birthday Celebrations: Cutting Cakes later entered into the tradition. Special holdings such as icing on the cake, flow- and Blowing out Candles? ers and ribbons added charm to the cake before sharing it. The birthday person makes a wish before blowing out candles in one single breath for the wish to be Dr. Jaswant Singh Sachdev, M.D., F.A.A.N* successful”. [email protected] On Feb 22, 2018, under the heading in Quora “How birthdays used to be cel- After all, we live in a world, where whatever we think, or do, is based upon what ebrated in India prior to British Raj before we adopted the European traditions”? we see around us. We may do so, even without realizing as to how our given ac- Opendro Thoudam responded, “Celebrating birthdays was not a norm for com- tion has originated and whether it aligns with our values, philosophy or not. mon folks as many did not know the actual birthdays unless the documents were opened during marriage time. We only used to celebrate birthdays of gods or Cutting cakes and blowing royal people. Schools used to fill in birthdays randomly to match the class we out candles on birthdays is were in and parents used to increment our age for every New Year (which is one such custom that many around April). Birthday celebrations for common people started about 50 years of us keep on practicing, no ago through cinema and that too only in cities. Remote places still don’t make a matter where we live. The fuss about birthdays.” mind-set for this tradition among us, might have taken On March 25, 2018 another responder, Randhir Traveler, a, Questioner, Astrolo- place under the influence of ger Historian stated, “we people of India didn’t believe in blowing out candles, slavery during British Raj. instead, lighting is the way of showing happiness like we do on Diwali. Celebrat- Even after becoming a free ing God for his blessing was the most important part of Birthday Celebration”. nation, this sugar-coated tradition given to us by our I believe, if we consider the birthday masters still remains strong. Rather, it has deeply burrowed in our psyche much to be a most important day of our like the root of a Banyan tree. We have not only maintained this tradition, rather lives, then why not do something nurtured it further, thanks to the influence of the Western culture surrounding befitting that leaves mark, and helps us. We practice it more than what we did back at home and with more gusto than the humanity at large? Many of my the indigenous people. The world at-large seems to enjoy in becoming a copycat countrymen often express that had of what Westerners do. it been back home, I could have helped needy people, the residents When a 45 years old son of a friend detailed plans for his upcoming birthday to of orphanage, patients in the hospi- include waking up late, cutting cake, blowing out candles and then eating in plen- tals and poor residents in the Ghet- tiful of his favorite food, it made me think of better ways of such celebrations? tos, etc. It is a beautiful thought. The Certainly, these are the happiest occasions and one would wish to do things that people of our birth country deserve make one feel good. Of course, one should! Yet to learn more about this tradition all the help and we owe everything and better way of celebrating it, a review the background of this prevalent custom in our life. Our country cradled us, of birthday’s celebration becomes essential. provided the highest of education at the fraction of expense what our An Internet article posted in ‘Bigsmall’ on Feb 20, 2018 under the heading “The parents otherwise would have spent History Behind Cutting a Birthday Cake” mentions that in Roman culture, cakes here in achieving same level of edu- made in flat circles with use of nuts and flour sweetened with honey and leavened cation. Yet the people here, some in with yeast were often served and eaten. The German bakeries created a new tra- dire need, are also the creation of dition in 15th century AD, by introducing one layered cakes for birthdays. This same Creator who created us. All tradition with certain changes continued thereafter, becoming a common phe- one needs to do is to look around and find ways to serve. nomenon. What an enjoyable experience of a birthday would be, if one were to pack one’s Same article discusses multiple theories about the origin and significance of light- family in the car along with some nutritious eatables like bananas or apples etc., ing and blowing out candles. Greek tradition credits placing candles on birthday instead of cash, and distribute to the unfortunate ones, standing at intersections. cakes to ancient Greeks who honored the birth of goddess Artemis on sixth day Spending the birthday in a nursing home and talking to lonely elderly patients of every lunar month. In German tradition, the birthday celebrations of German and helping them out in whatever way is possible is another option. Going to children, known as kinderfest started in 18th century. Candles were placed on the homeless shelters and preparing or serving meals will be worth the efforts to cake to fight off the evil spirits while guest offered good wishes. spend such an auspicious day.

Further on the article explains “Blowing out same number of candles on the cake Of course, there are several other innovative ways and means to serve the peo- as the life of the person after making a wish, based on a superstitious belief, was ple in need on that particular day. Make birthday celebrations a unique one that initially documented in Switzerland in 1881. English speaking countries added might enlighten your life. Any amount of lighting and blowing out candles or eat- singing of “Happy Birthday” by the gathering, while people with others languages ing cakes will never do that.

Junior Year Checklist SAT Subject Tests. If it is financially feasible for you to take the SAT Subject Tests, and schools on your list either require or recommend it, you can sign up and prepare for them in the spring and summer. By Kristen Moon [email protected] FAFSA. Go to the university's website to find out how much it costs per year to attend. Even though you can’t fill out Junior year is a turning point for many families because it marks the year when the Free Application for Federal Student college planning activities begin to consume your free time. It helps to go into Aid (FAFSA) until October 1 of your sen- your senior year with a plan, so start now to ensure that you are not falling be- ior year, you can start to gather the nec- hind. essary materials. Spring Of Your Junior Year Meet With Your Counselor. Make sure you will complete all the requisites for The Summer After Your Junior your diploma. Take full advantage of the classes offered by your high school and Year schedule a rigorous course load. Essays. Check out the Common Ap- plication to see their selection of essays Standardized Tests. Look up testing dates and locations for the SAT and/or and begin working on them as soon as ACT. Signing up for both can give you an advantage because you can decide which possible. one highlights your strengths. Resume and LinkedIn. Utilize a re- College Visits. Begin to narrow down your college selection and schedule visits sume to expand on your accomplish- to your top choices for the summer. Make sure those colleges fit the most impor- ments. Your LinkedIn profile should be tant qualifications to you - size, location, cost, majors, or any special programs your online portfolio that adds another dimension to your application. You want that are of interest. to include videos, pictures, research papers, and anything else that can help to humanize you to the admissions staff. Letter of Recommendations. Most schools require you to submit at least one or two Letters of Recommendations (LOR) from a teacher or guidance counselor. The second semester of your junior year is an essential time for preparing for col- Begin to gather the material you will give each person to help them write the best lege. By starting early, you can put together a stronger application that might help LOR possible. you get into your dream college. www.azindiatimes.com 1-844-AZINDIA FEEL AT HOME PAGE - 19 Apr 2019 Why So Many Californians are

Moving to the Valley? By Aryan Naik [email protected] ..from page 1 7th grade, BASIS Phoenix of similar populations. Another big reason is traffic.The Los Angeles metropolitan population is about 13,131,431 and Phoenix metropolitan population is 4,737,270 residents. While Phoenix traffic isn’t the best it’s definitely not nearly as horrific as Los Angeles. Last year CNN reported that in Los Angeles “drivers spend an extra 44 minutes driving.” This data shows us that Los Angeles traffic is some of the worst in the nation. there are over 2,100 promising startups in the state that have set up shop and made over 168,000 jobs in the tech field alone” (Chamber business news). Californians are also filling up the open jobs resulting in a decrease in unemploy- ment. They are also helping out the Arizona economy by buying or renting places to stay, buying food, and other commodities. Another reason Californians choose Arizona over other places is because of Arizona being next door to California so they can drive 6 hours to San Diego or LA from Phoenix or take a short 1-hour flight. Phoenix is also 4 and a half hours from Vegas, 3 hours from The Grand

“In 2017, Phoenix was the 15th most congested metropolitan in the country while Los Angeles placed 1st, San Francisco placed 3rd, and San Diego ranked 13th” (Business Insider). With these statistics, we can say that many Californians want to leave the hectic driving conditions and come to a more spread out relaxed state. Politics is another major cause of this influx of Californian transplants. Many Californians claim that California has gone too far left and the ‘liberal lu- nacy’ has taken over. “The last time California elected any statewide Republican was in 2006. At that time Democrats outnumbered Republicans 43% to 34%” (The Hill). This shows us that many people living in the Golden State are fed up with all these political ‘problems’ and moving next door to the Grand Can- yon State. Some Arizona natives have problems with Californians coming and directly contributing to Arizona’s tendency to becoming a swing state because Canyon, and 3 and a half hours to Rocky Point, (Puerto Penasco, Mexico) which many Californians are democrats too. A good thing about Arizona’s growth spurt is the closest ocean from the Valley. In the coming years, the Californians will is that Californians bring along their businesses and create more jobs in the val- continue to relocate to Phoenix. They may as well be your neighbors, let us all get ley. The technology industry is seeing huge growth because of this. “Currently used to this trend.

www.azindiatimes.com 1-844-AZINDIA FEEL AT HOME PAGE - 20 Apr 2019 ASHWANI KUMAR GULATI Astrologer , Numerologist and Vastu [email protected]

“It is better to live your own destiny imperfectly than to live an imitation of APRIL 2019 HOROSCOPE somebody else's life with perfection.”

Aries Taurus Gemini Cancer Mar 21 – Apr 19 Apr 20 – May 20 May 21 – June 20 Jun 21 – Jul 22

Those in love can face loss of health, wealth Your family expenditure may be on the Some of you will get recognition. You might You’ll get relief from tension and uneasi- and might face mental agony. Those in rise. There can be controversies over foul make your hobby as your part time profes- ness during this month. You will get fi nan- corporates might have to work overtime to language. You may change residence. You sion thereby working from home. Your cial gain. Freelancers will get a well-paying complete the project. Those in business can might leave old friends and join new group child may excel in their profession. High assignment. High chances of getting hap- get new projects from abroad. Those in ho- of friends. You might have long travels chances of completing your project. Con- piness from spouse and children. Those in tel and fashion industry will get good busi- which would prove benefi cial in the coming sult your spouse before taking any major higher education will complete their stud- ness. Spare some time on your fi tness. month. You can also join new corporates. decision. Businessmen will lose their client. ies. Researchers will fi nish their thesis. Lucky No 1 Lucky No 5 Lucky No 6 Lucky No 9 Lucky Color Off White Lucky Color Green Lucky Color Blue Black Lucky Color Indigo Lucky Direction North West Lucky Direction South East Lucky Direction South West Lucky Direction East Lucky Dates 9, 21, 29 Lucky Dates 6, 24, 25 Lucky Dates 5, 24, 26 Lucky Dates 1, 28, 30

Leo Virgo Libra Scorpio Jul 23 – Aug 22 Aug 23 – Sep 22 Sep 23 – Oct 22 Oct 23 – Nov 21

You may get sudden fi nancial gain during You might not be satisfi ed with your life as You can get recognition during this month. Some of you will get recognition. Stress in this month from your inheritance. Your life things will not move smoothly this month. However, you might not be able to control the family can continue. You might be busy will be comfortable and enjoyable. Love life High chances of a problem of ego in rela- your expenses. There could be chances of in parties with family members. You’ll be will be dry. Do not keep any costly item at tionship with your spouse. Consult your loss of document during your travel. Do- spend maximum time with children. Some home as there will be chances of theft. You life partner before taking any major deci- mestic environment might not be favora- of you can buy real estate and change resi- might buy a car this month. Some of you sion. Those who have court cases can get ble. You might quit one habit and adopt a dence. High chances of conception by mar- will have gastric and skin problems. result in their favor. Invest in real estate. good one. You might buy a small pet. ried women. You may start new ventures. Lucky No 21 Lucky No 5 Lucky No 6 Lucky No 1 Lucky Color Yellow Lucky Color Green Lucky Color Purple Lucky Color Golden Lucky Direction East Lucky Direction North Lucky Direction North West Lucky Direction North East Lucky Dates 1, 9, 29 Lucky Dates 6, 24, 26 Lucky Dates 5, 24, 26 Lucky Dates 9, 21, 30

Sagittarius Capricorn Aquarius Pisces Nov 22 – Dec 21 Dec 22 – Jan 19 Jan 20 – Feb 18 Feb 19 – Mar 20 Most of you will get support from one of Sudden circumstances and a serious re- You can have full authority in your fam- You can have ego issues. Your determined your co-born. You might also accumulate lationship can change your life style. You ily and every decision taken by you will be nature can give you success but your impa- wealth and increase your bank balance. should regularly appreciate your spouse. honored. Right time to invest in real estate. tience will irritate others. You should avoid Some of you will spend money on renova- A major family problem can get solved this Student born this time can get scholarship. physical labor tactfully. You can spend a lot tion and beautifi cation of your house. Your month. Hardworking students will do good Your soft speech will enhance your social on perfumes and clothing. High chances of relations with your mother will be favora- in their examinations. Professionals will circle. You may gain from inherited prop- buying real estate. Some of you will be busy ble. Do not quit job. work overtime to complete their project. erty. Good start for freshers in profession. in a celebration this month. Lucky No 9 Lucky No 5 Lucky No 6 Lucky No 2 Lucky Color Silver Lucky Color Blue Lucky Color Nut Brown Lucky Color Green Lucky Direction South Lucky Direction South West Lucky Direction West Lucky Direction South East Lucky Dates 21, 28, 30 Lucky Dates 6, 24, 26 Lucky Dates 5, 25,27 Lucky Dates 9, 21, 29

www.azindiatimes.com 1-844-AZINDIA FEEL AT HOME PAGE - 21 Apr 2019 Three Approaches How to value a business? To value a business, there are three approaches, namely, cost approach, Income approach and market approach. By Sat Parashar, PhD The cost approach essentially involves determining value of a business based on replacement cost of business. This approach is fairly easy to implement and reli- [email protected] able for valuing businesses with newer assets. The Income approach essentially involves determining value of a business as the In the last three issues of AZIndia Times, we published articles con- capitalized value of the income estimated to be generated by that business. The cerning doing business in USA. January Issue discussed, why do capitalized value of a business can be readily calculated by dividing estimated business? February Issue discussed which business should you go income by a cap rate. The cap rate is nothing but the required rate of return. for? Should you buy an existing business, franchise or build from To make it easily intelligible, let’s put some numbers on it. If we estimate that scratch? In March, 2019 Issue, we discussed where to locate your a business is highly likely to continue generating, year after year, an income of business? Let’s now discuss how to value a business? $100,000 annually, and our required rate of return or say cap rate is 10%, the Business valuation concerns, both, buyer and seller of a business. Buyer would capitalized value or simply value of this business would be $1,000,000, that is like to pay the minimum price s/he can and the seller would like to receive the 100,000/ 10% or say, 100,000/ 0.1. If you believe that the estimated annual maximum price s/he can. The best meeting point for buyer and seller therefore income from this business, year after year, will not be constant $100,000 but has to be a fair price; a price that is fair to, both, buyer and seller. A price at which variable; in that case a more complicated computational method like Net Present none feels overcharged or shortchanged. Value (NPV) or Internal Rate of Return (IRR) will be more appropriate. Those Price is not Value interested in knowing more about NPV and IRR may see any standard text book of fi nance or try google or get in touch with us. It is also pertinent to note that income of an owner-operated business, for valua- tion purposes, should be computed as Seller’s Discretionary Earnings (SDE) and not conventional accrual accounting based income, as business owners sometime pass through certain discretionary expenses. In case of manager managed busi- nesses, Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (EBIT- DA) would work as a good measure of business income for business valuation purposes. The market approach essentially determines value of a business with reference to value of similar businesses actually sold and listed in the market. It is also known as Market Comparison or Market Comps approach. Market approach gen- erally uses a multiple of revenue or operating cash fl ow, as commonly observed in the market for similar businesses, in similar territories, to determine price. Rent Price is the amount of money or its equivalent sacrifi ced in exchange for a busi- multiple in multifamily, revenue multiple in hotel industry, and net cash fl ow ness. It is a function of demand and supply at the time of the transaction. The multiple in services are the common examples. In any business involving real es- price may be same or more or less than the value. The value of a business, like tate investment, fl oor plan, views, curb appeal, ingress and egress are unique and any other asset, is a function of DUST, where D stands for Demand; U stands for non-substitutable and thus put limit on application of market approach, without Utility; S stands for Scarcity; and T stands for Transferability. Businesses which making necessary adjustments. are high in demand, having higher utility, highly scarce and easily transferable Best Approach tend to be more valuable than businesses low in demand, having low utility, eas- It is often stated that all three approaches are appropriate to specifi c situations. ily available and cumbersome to transfer. Further, value of a business may be The cost approach, as earlier said, is appropriate for valuing newer businesses. estimated as strategic value or fi nancial value. The Income approach is appropriate for net income generating or say profi t mak- Strategic Vs Financial Value ing businesses. The market comps approach is good where substitutable or com- Strategic value is the value of a business bought and sold for strategic (portfolio) parable businesses are being valued. In my opinion, income approach should be gains, while fi nancial value is the value of a business (standalone) traded in an the primary approach. The other two approaches may be used as countercheck- arms-length transaction between two knowledgeable parties. We shall discuss ing approaches. Now, you may go value and buy a business for a fair price. There here approaches to fi nancial valuation of a business as strategic valuation de- are appraisers and business brokers also who may help you in this. mands fairly specifi c information.

www.azindiatimes.com 1-844-AZINDIA FEEL AT HOME PAGE - 22 Apr 2019 True Weaver of Cin- Satyajit Ray - The Visionary of ematic Art Indian Cinema Satyajit Ray (May 1921– By Anindita Roy Biswas April 1992) hailed from ..from page 1 [email protected] a family involved with art and literature. His major hobby was culti- The Master Raconteur vating about movies and His genius demonstrates an elaborate observation and subtle handling of char- he founded Calcutta's acters and situations. It is a rare blend of intellect and intensity. His controlled, fi rst fi lm society in 1947. precise, meticulous strokes evoked deep emotional response from the audience. He began his career as a Each fi lm depicts a fi ne sensitivity without using melodramatic excesses which commercial artist (1943- evolved a cinematic style that is almost invisible. He strongly believed - "The best 56). After terrible hard- technique is the one that's not noticeable". His cinema befi ts to a timeless style ship for fi nance, his fi rst of story-telling that touched the onlookers in some way which corresponds to a fi lm was completed in aid of West Bengal Govt. Nonetheless, that poignant tale genre that includes the works of Kurosawa, Hitchcock, Chaplin, Fellini, Bergman, was an instant success among sophisticated Bengalis, and Ray became a full- Renoir, Ritwik Ghatak and likewise. Utterly diff erent in style and content, and fl edged director. The "Apu" trilogy provided a cosmos of the changing society yet timeless creators of world cinema. Mr. Ray described himself as "self-taught”, of modern India by progressing from a joint family via migration to cities and who learned his craft by watching Western fi lms. For capturing atmosphere he culminating with the isolated protagonist. For decades, he was India’s peerless emphasized, "how to catch the hushed stillness of dusk in a Bengali village, when auteur in the West. A bestselling writer, noted lyricist-composer, brilliant graphic the wind drops and turns the ponds into sheets of glass dappled by the leaves of artist, and renowned magazine editor- Ray’s fl air was far-reaching. He was a true the trees, and the smoke from ovens settles in wispy trails over the landscape, polymath — designing the calligraphy, handling the cinematography, writing all and the plaintive blows on conch shells from homes far and wide are joined by the screenplays of his fi lms, many of which were based on his own stories. He the chorus of crickets, which rises as the light falls, until all one sees are the stars even designed a new typeface. In 1961, he revived and continued to publish the in the sky, and the stars blink and swirl in the thickets." Bengali children's magazine "Sandesh", which was founded by his grandfather Magnum Opus Upendrakishore Ray. Satyajit Ray's fi lms are literary; using Recognition and a simple narrative, usually in a clas- Awards sical format, but greatly detailed and In 1978, Berlin Film Fes- operating at many levels of interpre- tival ranked him as one tation. His fi rst fi lm, Pather Panchali of the three all-time best (1955) established his reputation as a directors. In 1992, Satya- major fi lm director, winning numer- jit Ray received the hon- ous awards including Best Human orary ‘Academy Award Document, Cannes (1956) and Best Lifetime Achievement’ Film, Vancouver (1958). It is the fi rst - "In recognition of his fi lm of a trilogy - The Apu Trilogy- a rare mastery of the art of three-part tale of a boy's life from birth motion pictures and for his profound humanitarian outlook, which has had an through manhood was one of the most indelible infl uence on fi lmmakers and audiences throughout the world." Other luminous series in fi lm history. The honors include "Lègion d'Honneur” (France) and "Bharat Ratna". Along with in- other two fi lms are Aparajito (1956) troducing authenticity to creative cinema, he also outlined the social fabric after and Apur Sansar (1959). His later partition, when a culture was trying hard to reascertain itself. Each frame shot fi lms include Jalsaghar (1958), Devi by him perceived as poetry on celluloid which charismatically captures the nui- Portrait sketch of the director by the Author (1960), Teen Kanya (1961), Charula- sances of nature. The philosophical and allegorical narrative structure; an extant ta (1964), Nayak (1966), Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne (1969), Shatranj Ke Khiladi veneration to rustic folklore — seizes the very unique time of a burgeoning and (1977), Ghare Baire (1984), Ganashatru (1989) and Shakha Prasakha (1991). hustling society. The gentle quality of his fi lmmaking is never forced. Akira Kuro- Agantuk (1991) was his last fi lm. Mr.Ray fashioned understated fi lms on diverse sawa depicted aptly-”The quiet but deep observation, understanding and love classes of society, the clash of transforming values and the eff ects of rapid politi- of the human race, which are characteristic of all his fi lms, have impressed me cal and economic change on individuals. His foremost fi lms won numerous ac- greatly….I feel that he is a "giant" of the movie industry... Not to have seen the colades at international festivals. cinema of Ray means existing in the world without seeing the sun or the moon.” National Engineers Week Future Cities by Middle School Students As a lead judge of the professional society, Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), I had the honor to work with three other judges and select one of about 100 competing teams for the “Best Multimodal Transportation” award on the By Dr. Kohinoor Kar, Ph.D., P.E., PTOE Arizona regional fi nal in January 2019. This year’s ITE award winner is Desert Wind Middle School, Maricopa, for their city called Freiheit. Schools around the state compete, and the regional fi nals are held in Phoenix metro area. Thousands If you are not aware of any Arizona middle school student being innovative to of attendees gather in a large competition venue, and it is worth seeing how these create a dream city of distant future somewhere in the wide open space, this ar- young students perform. ticle may surprise you a bit. To celebrate the National Engineers Week (offi cially in mid-February), the Future City Competition (FCC) at the state as well as the national levels is organized throughout the country (https://futurecity.org). The FCC program introduces young students to engineering concepts through practi- cal applications of mathematics and sciences. A group of three to fi ve students are mentored by volunteer engineers and teachers as they design and build their vision of the urban world of tomorrow.

In our state, this competition has been successfully organized by a group of highly motivated engineers and scientists for over 20 years. Parents, teachers and men- tors work closely with the participating students for at least four months before the fi nal event. The students are expected to deliver the following fi ve items: • Virtual City Design – uses SimCity software available at no cost to the students. • City Essay – describes the future city and its characteristics. • City Model – scaled and 3D using recycled materials including at least one mov- ing part. • City Presentation ¬– team delivers in front of competition judges. 2019 Future City Regional Final Competition, ITE award winners from Desert • Project Plan – shows the team organization and implementation of project Wind Middle School management. But that’s not the end. The top team from the regional fi nal competition goes to Washington, DC for the national competition. Arizona schools have been re- All the hard work and dedication put in by these teams ultimately pays off . There warded with many awards in the past. This journey is huge for the team visiting are several awards based on criteria developed at the national level. These are the national capital in the experience they gain through developing such high judged by volunteers from the engineering community. Also, professional sci- quality deliverables and competing among their peers from around the country. ence and engineering societies in the community sponsor specialty awards. Even It is a win-win eff ort for everyone if you think of the purpose of this competition if a team does not win an award, they get to experience and learn throughout the and the future of the young students who participate. process, which pushes them to brainstorm together, think critically, and make innovative decisions. Although the participants are roughly between 11- and If you have any questions on this article, please contact author (traffi csafetyex- 14-years old, their talent in planning and developing a future city and maturity [email protected]). If you are interested in FCC for 2020 or in the future, please during presentation is beyond imagination. contact the Arizona Coordinators ([email protected]). www.azindiatimes.com 1-844-AZINDIA FEEL AT HOME PAGE - 23 Apr 2019 LAND & BUILDINGS

How to Shop for a Mortgage types of lenders, so it’s important to know what they By Kiran Vedantam are. The most common types of mortgage lenders in- clude: [email protected] • Commercial banks • Mortgage companies Buying a home is one of the biggest financial transac- • Credit unions tions you will ever make in your lifetime. Which is • Thrift institutions such as savings and loans or why it is so important to be an informed consumer. mutual savings banks How do you do that? By shopping around, of course. If you were buying a car, you would no doubt shop Get quotes around for the best deal. You should also do the same Now that you’ve identified several different lenders for your mortgage. Weight Management Clinic you can approach, it’s time to get quotes from each of them. Ask each lender for their current rates, and Shopping will save you money whether or not they are the lowest for the day or the Did you know that shopping around for a mortgage week. Find out whether the rate is fixed or adjustable. could save you hundreds, if not thousands of dol- If it’s adjustable, ask how the rate and payment will lars over the life of your loan? According to a study vary. Also inquire about the annual percentage rate 2051 W Warner rd, #5 from Freddie Mac, consumers who got one addition- (APR). al quote for a home loan saved $1,500 on average. Those who got five additional quotes saved $3,000 In addition, find out the points, which are the fees on average. The numbers are clear – it pays to shop paid to the lender or broker. More points means a around. Chandler , AZ 85224 lower rate. Finally, also ask about all the fees in- volved, including broker fees, underwriting fees, and closing costs, and what each of those fees includes.

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Prescribed Stimulant appetite WHY TAX PLANNING IN 15.3% self-employment tax, on net business in- SPRING IS WISE. Strategize now suppressants come, perhaps you could collect some revenue to position yourself for savings. next year rather than this year. If you aren’t self- By Asha Jain employed, but might get a large year-end bonus, the All–natural non-stimulant [email protected] same tactic could help. appetite suppressants Spring is the ideal time for tax planning. How could you donate to charity? Consider these ideas for lowering your 2018 federal Both cash and non-cash contributions to a quali- tax bill.1 HCG weight loss fied charity are deductible under I.R.S. rules; you How much can you direct into retirement accounts? do need to itemize them.4 Contributions to various employer-sponsored re- Now is the ideal time to meet with your fi- tirement plans are deductible dollar-for-dollar. nancial team. The same applies to traditional IRA contributions; What potential savings could your business, prac- though, this tax break is reduced if your income tice, or household plan to realize? Please call or Better faster fat reduction , exceeds a certain level. Both employer-sponsored email me today, so we can chat and explore some body contouring and plans and traditional IRA’s have contribution lim- possibilities to see how they fit with your overall in- its and other provisions that may vary. Check with vestment plan. This information is not intended to improved skin texture your employer and financial professional for the be a substitute for specific individualized tax advice. specifics of your accounts. We suggest that you discuss your specific tax issues with a qualified tax advisor. Can you contribute to an FSA or HSA? 1. smartasset.com/taxes/4-ways-to-start-saving- Flexible Spending Accounts have a $2,650 limit for on-next-years-taxes-now [12/7/16] 2018. Health Savings Accounts have a $3,450 limit 2. flex-admin.com/news/irs-announces-2018-lim- for individuals this year and a $6,900 limit for fam- its [10/23/17] ilies. Your direct contributions to HSAs are tax-de- 3. irs.gov/taxtopics/tc409 [3/13/18] ductible. FSA contributions are not tax-deductible, 4. cnbc.com/2018/05/11/what-the-new-tax-law- but they do reduce your taxable wages.2 means-for-your-charitable-giving.html [5/11/18] Can you harvest investment losses? An individual can deduct up to $3,000 in portfolio Securities offered through LPL Financial, member losses per year. Investments must be sold to get this FINRA/SIPC. Investment advice offered through tax break.3 Stratos Wealth Partners, Ltd., a registered invest- Could you shift some income into 2019? ment advisor and a separate entity from LPL Finan- If you work solo and must pay income tax, plus cial. www.azindiatimes.com 1-844-AZINDIA FEEL AT HOME PAGE - 24 Apr 2019

'Articles on Indian Classical Music in AZIndiatimes were evi- The Sound of Music dent because of their glaring absence till Willy Justin decided to fill up the void by sending to this monthly journal stories and write-ups related to Indian Classical Music. So, here comes our first installment - an illuminating and educative article- toup By Willy Justin grade your knowledge in music.' [email protected]

Classical Revival: A Tale of Indian Music in the 21st Century like YouTube and Instagram, which are changing the musical landscape perma- In all cultures, classical music has a reputation for being stuffy or too constrained, nently. Online learning institutions like ipassio bring to music students unlike the constantly evolving cycle of popular music. North and South Indian all over the world, keeping the long tradition of personalized lessons in music Classical music, in particular, have a rich history spanning centuries; no superfi- alive. Video chatting, streaming, and instant-upload bring a constant evolvement cial endeavor. Its reputation for drawing aesthetes can’t be helped. Long recitals, to classical music that simply wasn’t there before. Maybe it doesn’t look the same solos that need to be witnessed to be felt, and the underlying knowledge that aids for this generation, but their passion, drive, and love of classical music are all still the understanding of a piece have spread more slowly than the Indian diaspora. there - just a click away. But does this mean younger generations have no interest? I would argue they do, it just looks a little different than we’re used to. Gateway Music Willy Justin is in charge of marketing ipassio, an online 1 on 1 live hobby learn- Maybe I mean fusion music, you’re thinking; everyone enjoys fusion music. And ing video platform, where over 120 senior teachers take Skype lessons on In- it’s true, Indian fusion artists have been blurring the lines between classical and dian classical music, Sitar, Tabla, Guitar, Piano, and many other instruments popular genres for the better part of a century, from the likes of Ali Akbar Khan in the 1950s to today’s Zakir Hussain or Unmesh Banerjee. But don't forget that fusion artists are typically classical exponents themselves, opening a path- way to the pure classical appreciation that’s been steadily building in the US for years. Zakir’s concerts are selling out and swaying audiences in the US, sitarist Anoush- ka Shankar has racked up five Grammy nominations, and in the last ten years alone, several major organizations have opened up in the USA to promote con- certs and develop interest in Indian Classical Music, like the Chhandayan Foundation in New York and the Sangeetshri School in Arizona. Shifting Priorities Fusion may have helped classi- cal tradition evade the moniker of old man’s music but it is still deeply cultural, and the tradi- tion of learning is often family- or mentor-oriented. Indian parents raising children in America may see a rebellion of cultural iden- tity. However, it’s been argued by Indiaspora.org that commitment reappears, and cultural passions are embraced among Indians growing up abroad. The resurgence of artistic endeavors isn’t a surprise. Millennials across the globe have a reputation for putting happiness and quality of life ahead of professional goals, and generation Z seems to be on track with similar priorities according to a study done by dating app Tinder. For gen Z Indians in particular, one study by DNA India found that developing a skill set matters more than earning money and they tend to value experiences over possessions. A spike in music festival at- tendance seems to back this theory up, and even the way music festivals are held is changing—turning into immersive, engaging experiences for music lovers. Ashvini Modak, a senior disciple of Padmabhushan Dr. Prabha Atre says, “The eagerness with which young students wait for a class is pure joy to wit- ness”. Digital Revolution By far the most important player in this tale is technology. Recordings brought us a long way but engaging with music through technology is going to carry us into the future. Music Professor Samidha Vedabala from Sikkim Central Uni- versity published his research on the topic, stating that virtual music lessons, the online availability of musicians, and the digitization of musical instruments have created change within Indian Classical tradition, bringing to the masses what was once accessed only by proximity. There’s never been more opportunities for hobby-hungry young adults to dis- cover a passion for a classical instrument. This discovery is made easier by giants

www.azindiatimes.com 1-844-AZINDIA FEEL AT HOME PAGE - 25 Apr 2019 humans, to decide what to do: self-awareness, conscience, imagination, and 11 Mighty Ways of Highly Effective Teens willpower. Self-awareness is the ability to stand apart from yourself and view the situa- tion from a new perspective. This unique ability of humans enables us to fi nd new Just Push Pause and creative solutions to even complex problems. Use this tool to look through the eyes of someone else to understand the situation and determine the course of action. By Rishab Anumula, Sophomore at Mountain Ridge High School Conscience is an “inner voice” that will always teach us right from wrong. Each [email protected] of us has a conscience, and it is tied to our personal values. Make sure that the important decisions you make in life are aligned with your conscience. One of my all-time favorite video games is “Fallout 4”. The reason it was so al- Imagination allows us to escape our present circumstances and create new possi- luring to me was a feature in the game that lets you choose your own fate. The de- bilities in our heads. You can imagine how a scenario will play out, visualize your cisions you make at various points aff ect the course of the game and ultimately its choices and how they will aff ect you and those around you. ending. This also used to make me very anxious because of the analogy to my own life. Life is the most challenging game of all, with a constant stream of decisions, Willpower is the power to act. It gives you the power to choose and overcome often coming at a rapid pace; the choices I make at every stage carry signifi cant the impulsiveness driven by your habits and instincts, and instead be more weight and determine consequences that will linger throughout my life. So, if you thoughtful in fi nding better quality solutions. were faced with such a situation, how would you handle it? Putting It all Together Let’s play out a scene between two teens, Rishab and his younger brother Pranav. Rishab has fi nals the coming week, and his not-so-favorite subjects are already pushing the limits of his stress levels. In this setting, Pranav accidentally breaks Rishab’s precious coff ee mug, which he has many fond memories of. Typically, this would have been the perfect trigger for Rishab to lash out at his brother and vent his frustration. However, armed with the tools above, Rishab hits pause on his life to make better choices. He uses self-awareness to assess that Pranav is remorseful about the incident and uses his conscience to fi gure out his options. Then, he runs the various scenarios through his head and uses his imagination to determine the best solution. Using his willpower, he decides not to get angry and instead laugh about the situation and clean up the mess himself.

Like Rishab, each of us will face challenging situations in our life’s journey, and we can choose whether to rise to those or be conquered by them. So, will you be in the driver’s seat of your life or just be a passenger? The choice is yours!

Mallik Reddy is the Founder and Chief Coach of Leader- Just reach up and push the pause button to your life just as you would on your ship GYM, a free leadership and personal development pro- remote control. One key diff erence between a video game and your life is that you gram for high school students. The series ’11 Mighty Ways only have 15 seconds to decide in the game while in real life you can stop yourself of Highly Eff ective Teens’, based on the book ‘7 Habits of from reacting instantly to everything out of sheer habit and take the time to delib- Highly Eff ective Teens’ by Sean Covey, explores 11 ways for erate about your options. This will help you make smarter decisions. teens to incorporate mega habits and principles into their life to become their While your life is on pause, use the following power tools, which are unique to best version.

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If you're hotter than me, then that means I'm cooler than you.

The Vedic Village — A Luxurious equally enchanting. Funnily Experience enough, we walked around more than we intended to. By Aripa Paul The weather was perfect as [email protected] cool breeze rustled through the trees. The crowd around Like every other muzzy morning, my fingers fumbled to find the frosty screen of was young and lively. Eve- my phone. Two seconds of painfully bright light in my sleep drawn eyes later, ta rything seemed impeccably daaa, the date and time flashed on my phone. 28th Feb 2019, 6.00 am. Obviously, beautiful and it felt amazing that was more than enough to turn my ordinary morning into a remarkable one to be there. as I had a flight to catch at 10.45 am. The two days spent in Ve- The joy was hard to contain dic Village were absolutely and I, hurriedly, left for the magical. The blogger soul in Guwahati airport by 7 in the me literally shrieked out to pen down this wonderful staycation as early as pos- morning. Fast forward to sible for I knew I was going back home this time with a bag full of memories. 9.15 am and I was all through with my security check. My flight was on schedule and Got Them! I had about an hour in hand An ingenious example of speech and politics occurred some years ago in before boarding. As I was sit- the United Nations Assembly that brought smile to the world community. ting at the lounge area look- ing around and soaking in the humdrum, a sudden gush of mixed feelings washed me over. 1 hour later.... I’m in Kolkata. I had to wait for an annoying 20 odd minutes to collect my luggage at the con- veyor belt and as always it was the last to arrive. Soon after collecting my luggage I began to strut my way towards the exit and the first glance of my favourite city swoll my heart with glee.

After soaking in the fervour of the city of joy for a moment, I booked an Uber for the Vedic Village Spa Resort. It took about 30 mins to reach the resort from the airport. The resort is situated in the outskirts of Rajarhat and the drive can be a tad bit exasperating because even A representative from India began: Google Maps can mess up with the di- “Before beginning my speech I want to tell you a very very old story about rections here and there. Nevertheless, Rishi Kashyap of Kashmir, after whom Kashmir is named. the ambience of modern village and Once he found a beautiful lake, and thought - ”What a good opportunity hospitality on entry certainly makes up to have a bath.” for everything else. He removed his clothes, put them aside on the rock and entered the water. Located amidst the lap of nature, this When he got out and wanted to dress, his clothes had vanished. boutique resort is a perfect getaway to spend some quality time with your A Pakistani had stolen them!” friends and family away from hustle and bustle. As I was here with a bunch The Pakistani representative in Assembly jumped up furiously and shout- of friends, we expected to have a rol- ed: "what are you talking about? The Pakistanis weren’t there then". licking time jammed with some fun ac- tivities. Indian representative smiled and said, The accommodation at Vedic Village is reasonable and offers an intimate bou- “Now that we have made that clear, I’ll begin my speech” tique experience. There are various styles of accommodation available, which can range from studio rooms to duplex cottages to boutique villas with private swim- And they say Kashmir belongs to them! ming pools. The rooms are clean and spacious and the hospitality is unmatched as the staff go out of their way to make the guests feel at home.

If you’re keen to spend a leisurely morn- Wondrous World ing, then I’d suggest you head out to the pool. You can drop by for a quiet morn- In 2011, when Photographer Nick Brandt was traveling to shoot photos for ing swim or hit the gym. Spend your days a new book on the disappearing wildlife of East Africa, Across the Ravaged cycling around the sprawling lush green Land, photographer Nick Brandt came across a truly astounding place: A property or you can spend an afternoon natural lake that seemingly turns all sorts of animals into stone. “When reading a book by the lakeside. Adven- I saw those creatures for the first time alongside the lake, I was completely turous outdoor activities such as zorbing, blown away,” says Brandt. “The idea for me, instantly, was to take portraits segways are available apart from tennis, of them as if they were alive.” cricket, and bowling. You can reserve your evenings for strolls in this modern village The ghastly Lake Natron, in north- and explore nearby lakes and gardens and ern Tanzania, is a salt lake—meaning then, perhaps, spend the rest of the even- that water flows in, but doesn’t flow ing in the bar. out, so it can only escape by evapora- Yagna and Bhoomi are the two restaurants tion. Over time, as water evaporates, here. Yagna is a multi-cuisine restaurant. it leaves behind high concentrations You can either order anything off the of salt and other minerals, like at the menu or experience their large scrump- Dead Sea and Utah’s Great Salt Lake. tious spread of buffet for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Bhumi, on the other hand, Unlike those other lakes, though, offers exotic dishes and is famous for thalis and authentic Bengali cuisine. We Lake Natron is extremely alkaline, had a 100% hit ratio with all our meals here. The spa is considered one of the best due to high amounts of the chemical and offers value for money. natron (a mix of sodium carbonate As the afternoon rolled by and the sun started its descend, we decided to take a and baking soda) in the water. The walk and explore this gorgeous property. We lost track of time walking around and water’s pH has been measured as chatting; the vibe around was wonderfully relaxing. While exploring we stumbled high as 10.5—nearly as high as ammonia. “It’s so high that it would strip across this temple, now that seemed to call out to me. It seemed a nice thing to the ink off my Kodak film boxes within a few seconds,” Brandt says. do, to stop by and pray a little and say my own thank- yous. The next day, too, was www.azindiatimes.com 1-844-AZINDIA FEEL AT HOME PAGE - 27 Apr 2019

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