More in Indian Culture
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Dont destroy my Language
I was recently watching the program on TV about the seven wonders, and what struck me was that even our own Desi Bipasha Basu had to say “Taaj Mahaaal”, and not “Taj Mahel” as it is pronounced.
I have constantly been irked by people, especially Indians, who agree with, take pride in speaking in a firangee accent, and even themselves change the pronunciation of things dear to us, even names of our Hindu Gods, to copy the way foreigners speak or write them.
The list is endless, but it has now gone beyond the point where it is no longer acceptable. I don’t know when:-
Ram became Rama?
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The Recent Indian Reincarnations
Here is the news item from IBN-CNN on the reincarnation stories. Notice how this “scientist” simply dumps the stories and calls them “dangerous” without explanation. That is the level of intellect in Indian intellectuals these days!
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Wah Taj!
Beautiful picture of the Taj – now securely amongst the 7 Wonders of the World. (courtesy: Sakshi Juneja’s blog).
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Indology Nonsense from Univ of Chicago’s Martha Nussbaum!
Martha Nussbaum is the Professor at University of Chicago for Philosophy. Here she is talking about the Gujarat riots after Godhra. It is amazing the way the Leftist view is taken and the history is made a mockery of! Let me deal with her points – in italics here.
First, Aryan Invasion is not a convincing theory (YES Theory is what it is) yet. There are many holes in it. So to say that one set of Hindus – north of a certain line are Aryans… and South of a certain line are Dravidians is mischievious and a mischief that was perpetuated by that guy called Max Muller. I have read his letters to his friends and he does come out as a guy driven to make sure that Indians get a certain hue of our history…. that makes us mental and intellectual slaves of the West always. It was important because India was SO OVERWHELMINGLY ahead of the West in economics that this would put all that behind! The truth is that India was way up in the world for 1000 years before the Mughals came in. And then the decline started! The wealth was suddenly concentrated in the ruling class and the common man was worse off. What was created in the Mughal times? Palaces and big forts! Have you seen any major palace – ostentatious at that – of any period before the Mughals? At best they created temples in South.. which benefitted the common man if at all. And THAT brings me to my point also… if Aryan Invasion theory was true.. then this will be the first time in history that two people separated by miles and ages came up with the SAME RELIGIOUS framework and GODS and GODDESSES!! There are other aspects of why the Aryan Invasion theory is a complete fabrication and was used as a tool by the Brits, which I shall deal with in a separate article later.
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Dancing in the Delhi Rain!
Remember the joy of getting wet in the rain? I still remember we used to rush to the verandah to get wet in the first few rains of Delhi.. but then pollution increased.. and it was acid rain than the water rain.. but the subsequent rains are probably better.. here is a very interesting picture of a girl enjoying the rain!! Look at the joy in her dance!
courtesy: Hindustantimes
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Teen Pregnancies In India are on the rise!
Indian kids these days are getting callous with sex. In Mumbai, the Gynaecologists are saying that teen pregnancies are on the rise. As many as 7% of the girls between 15 to 19 years had been or are pregnant!
Gayatri was only 14, but she was pregnant after she had sex with her cousin. Without a mother to talk to about the changes in her body, Gayatri was well into the fifth month of pregnancy before her father took her for a check-up because she had been vomiting. At the hospital, he was shocked to discover she was pregnant. It was too late for an abortion, so she delivered a baby which she gave up for adoption. The physical and psychological trauma still keeps Gayatri awake at night years later. Her father thinks it has scarred her for life.
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Third Culture Kids!
Here is an interesting story of Conflict of Soul and the Skin!
Source: Hindustantimes
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Another case on marriages in Indian court..
There was a case decided by Supreme Court recently on another area of marriage – how refusal of physical relationship by one spouse is tantamount to mental cruelty and so can be a just ground for divorce.
Here is another case that was decided about the relationship between one spouse and his/her extra marital affair and conduct.
A woman cannot be compelled to live with her husband against her wish if she chooses to stay with her lover, the Rajasthan High Court has implied in a verdict, which has triggered intense debate.
"We see no reasons why she should be compelled to live with her husband," a bench comprising Justices Gyan Sudha Misra and K C Sharma ruled on a habeas corpus petition filed by a husband alleging that his wife had been abducted by another man.
However, during the hearing it became evident that the wife had wilfully left the matrimonial home to live with her lover.
Taking her statement on record, the court said a case of habeas corpus of illegal detention could not be made out.
"This is certainly not a case for issuance of a writ of habeas corpus since the basic ingredient of illegal detention of the detenue (wife) is missing in the petition," the bench said.
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Richard kisses Shilpa..
Richard Gere kisses Shilpa Shetty on the neck in a AIDS meet.. and the Indian Hindu nationalists start an uproar.. saying it was against our national interests – so what are these clueless idiots going to do next? bring down Khajuraho and Konark? Or ban all the raas lila poetry? Shilpa chastised these stupid people.. and RIGHTLY so!! Bringing you the photo and the video:
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Panini’s Ashtdhyayi Rules for Sanskrit and Backus-Naur forms for Functional Programming
VishK talks about "Functional Programming" – a paradigm in programming.
Functional programming (FP) is of interest to many people because it describes ‘what a programmer is trying to accomplish’ without worrying about ‘how the computer will accomplish it’. It is a paradigm where computations are based solely on mathematical function evaluations without worrying about state and changeable data. The programming programmers like me are more used to is imperative programming which deals with computations as changes in state.
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A Deer when Hungry and Fed: from the eyes of Prehistoric Man!
Kamat’s potpurri has an interesting set of illustration based on cave paintings of a hungry deer and one who has just had its lunch: grass!
© K.L. Kamat/Kamat’s Potpourri
Animal Motif
Illustration based on cave shelter painting, perhaps the hole in the stomach indicates hunger. -
Some Good Indian Recipe blogs
Sometimes, my wife looks for unique Indian recipes.. which are hard to find.. given that everyone is doing the same stuff! Here is an exceptional blog from this lady Seema in New Jersey called Recipe Junction. I think she is doing an excellent job! She also has a great blogroll consisting of other ladies like her who are sharing their own recipes every day!
There is another one called “Pooja’s Creative Ideas” which is run by Pooja from Pune, India.
Awesome stuff!
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Hrithik-Aishwarya Kissing Scene Controversy
The Hrithik-Ash kissing scene that has become the talk of the Indian nation and now chopped off thanks to Ash’s prospective overzealous hubby – Abhishek Bachhan!
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Saree with a Pocket!
The World is achanging! Women in India have joined the workforce and they need to be carrying a lot of stuff – like a cell phone! So here comes an innovation – Saree with a Pocket by Sri Kumaran Stores! (from Chennai-ist post)
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Message for Chocolate and Tea Lovers
It is recommended practise to have more vegetables and fruits which are very colourfull. They provide lot of bioflavonoids that has plenty of health benefits including antioxidant property, which are considered to be fighting against cancerous cells in our body. Beverages like Tea, Chocolate drinks and Red wine are also good source of antioxidants. The recent findings provides insight into the interaction between the food types that we consume. The milk and its products are found to be negating the beneficial effects of antioxidents in Tea, Coffee and so on….. Take a look at the bad combinations that we usually have daily.
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Peter, a Tourist to India, starts directing Jalandhar’s Traffic!
A tourist, Major Pritam Singh alias Peter came to India from Sweden and found that notwithstanding the beauty in India, the traffic was terrible and it was very dangerous to survive in India! So, he took to managing the traffic in Jalandhar. He has no official mandate but he is there in his full attire and earnestness to manage what is by all accounts an unruly traffic!! Here is a video that amply illustrates that for the uninitiated!
Disturbed by the traffic chaos in the city, Sweden-based Mr Pritam Singh took over the duties of a traffic policeman to discipline motorists and passersby near the busy BMC Chowk on Thursday.
Dressed in a black shirt, trousers, with florescent green jacket, Mr Pritam Singh, alias Peter, stood on duty with the traffic cops on the road leading to Kamal Palace from the chowk. Annoyed at vehicles were coming from the wrong side for a short cut to reach the BMC Chowk, despite the said road being declared a one-way route, he stood guiding drivers to the earmarked traffic rules.
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Karan Thapar’s interview of the SoB Arjun Singh!
This is an old interview of Arjun Singh by Karan Thapar – an interviewer who does serious and deep research on the subject – where the Minister who masterminded the entire reservations for OBC is speechless and squirming. You can clearly see what an SoB and a bastard he is!
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Taj Mahal or Tejo Mahalaya?
I know there are many controversy theories that people come out with. But this one is kind of special – in that it challenges a world famous fable/story. Now we all have been fed the Shahjahan-Mumtaz story. It used to fascinate me no end that how was Mumtaz distorted to Taj? I mean if at all it should have been Taz! Also, I really do not have much faith the “glorious” accounts of the Mughals that we have been fed.. they were distorted by the British and India’s own communist historians!
I just got this email from my sister which describes this Taj Mahal alternative story. Its doing its rounds on the net and I just wanted to chronicle it here.. and maybe one day, be able to do enough research myself to comment on it personally. Until then..please keep it in your mind..
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Indian Men make the Best Husbands: Russian Feminist, Indian women up in Arms!
Are Indian men good husbands? Well a Russian feminist thinks so! The praise seems to be coming from unexpected quarters for the Indian male!
Indians make the best husbands for Russian women because they are ‘open’ and emotionally attached to their family, says Russia’s leading feminist Maria Arbatova.
While, the Indian women, who havent lived with any “other” type of men, are up in arms!
Diandra Soares, model: Arbatova might be living with an Indian man but has she had to deal with his mother? Most Indian men are mamma’s boys and I don’t think she has had to deal with that aspect of the relationship. I think most Indian men like their women to look hot when they’re dating but once married, they want them to look all traditional and coy.
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NASDAQ Commemorates Diwali this year
Here is an interesting picture from SAJA of the Nasdaq building commemorating the Indian festival Diwali. Its about time I guess!
Source: SAJA Forum
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What has India Given to the World and Why is it Important?
You must have gotten and read many of those emails that talk of India’s historical accomplishments. They are meant to enhance and help our ego. Why do we need such a “boost” to our “ego”?
I believe that for Indians it has been the issue of getting their place under the sun… after the damage that Brits did to the culture. Examples like messing up temples and buildings like Konark etc.. and usurping the inventions like Wireless by Marconi from Jagdish Chandra Bose are but a few examples where the Europeans simply put a name to discoveries that someone else was responsible for or messed up stuff that they just couldnt deal with!
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India: its Good and its Bad
In reply to my email on my impressions of India on my recent visit, Anurag had written his thoughts on how there is little hope. In another personal message, he also felt that people from other countries – specially the Europeans and Australians – do not feel bad going to India because of the dirt, stray animals and other loud and dusty environment that the country has to offer. Raj, another friend, argued that some of his friends would like to go to India for just those reasons and that despite the mess, India does offer a “unique” culture!
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Chandamama: the magazine that nurtured India’s Young Minds turns 60
There are a few things that we all have grown up with. Amar Chitra Katha – the comic books that illustrated the Indian History – and Chandamama – which had so many tales including Vikram aur Vetal. So many kids in India grew up on this simple but well meaning staple that the hand in nation building of the creators of these two series in very big! Not many realize it but it does have a big hand.
India was just a month away from attaining freedom from the British. It was then that two men, who had participated in the freedom struggle, decided to prepare the young generation for an India that would soon be free.
They were the legendary filmmakers B. Nagi Reddi and his friend Chakrapani. Nagi Reddi became the publisher of a magazine called Chandamama that was to be edited by his dear friend, Chakrapani.
“If you look at the first edition that came out in July 1947, you will see that their intention was to familiarise the post-Independence generation with Indian tradition, folklore, mythology and history in the form of stories,” remembers B. Viswanatha Reddi, Nagi Reddi’s son and the current editor and publisher of Chandamama. He was just three years old when the first copy came out.
Viswanatha Reddi was made the publisher of Chandamama in 1965 by his father. And, from 1975 onwards, for the last three decades, he has also been the editor.
The first Chandamama cover page, 1947 -
Bikini beauty from Pakistan: Mariyah Moten
Here is a bikini clad Miss Pakistan – finally from our western neighbor too. I remember Paki Prez Mushy had said sometime back about the lack of conservative values – which he suggested that Pakistanis revel in… well… this is fairly conservative. hmm.. and I have not even brought up the various MMS’ that line the internet these days from Pakistan.. I wonder how with the ISLAMIC republic deal with this beauty?
Btw, she is a Houstonian.. and like they say.. “Everything is BIG in Texas”.. from fruits to hearts!!
So, Mariyah.. congrats!Mariyah Moten, a 22-year-old US-based Pakistani, is being billed as “Pakistan’s first Miss Bikini” after she topped the ‘Best in Media’ category at the Miss Bikini Universe pageant in China last week.
Having won the title at Beihai resort in southern China, wowing crowds there and alarming conservatives in Pakistan, Moten is currently in Mumbai for a “special interview” assignment with a major Indian newspaper chain.
The News International newspaper reported with the comment: “A few Pakistani women in the past have ventured to compete in beauty pageants but none has gone this far in terms of unsheltered territory.”
The Houston girl has “created a frenzy by participating in an international bikini contest and even landed a prize – even if not exactly for skin”, the newspaper said.
Mariyah represented Pakistan at the pageant. She received a trophy, plus cash in the ‘Best in Media’ section for being “the most photographed and interviewed girl in the entire pageant”.
Since the pageant, Mariyah has created a splash on television channels like Zee News as well as Khaleej Times, China Daily, Hangzhou Newspaper and various other newspapers in China and elsewhere.
Born and brought up in Karachi, Mariyah moved to the US with her family eight years ago, the newspaper said, quoting a report on the popular website DesPardes.com.
“It’s the first time that Pakistan is participating in the bikini pageant, as we’re an Islamic country,” Moten was quoted as excitedly telling China Daily.
“Now, there’s less reproach in Pakistan on women’s participation in such beauty contests,” she said. “All my family supports me and I’m excited to have the chance to participate in the event.”
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Pain of a Kashmiri Pandit…
Rahul Pandita is one of my favorite writers on the web! I love his sensitive writing style… here is a poem from him that captures his family’s pain of having left Kashmir and the notalgia that still prevails.
For a man who no longer has a homeland, writing becomes a place to live: Theodor Adorno
Two days ago I saw
My land like a tourist
On the Discovery channel
My father shouted and
Told my niece:
Look that is the Dal lake
Where lotus stems come from
In his shikara
Gulla carried
Bunches of Narcissus
Which we would decorate
In a brass plate
Along with a pen
And a coin to
Welcome the spring
Now springs are spent
In colouring rusted coolers
To enable them to
Provide succour in heat
Relatives from Jammu
Arrive every few months
Bringing with them
Souvenirs of my land
Green saag with roots
And local sesame bread
My father and mother
Arrived in Delhi
A few years ago
From Jammu
And now when
He refers to Jammu
My father says:
Back in Srinagar
And then he stops
When he realises
That Srinagar was
What he left
Sixteen years ago
And then for days
He keeps silent
He keeps on staring
At the ceiling
He also does not
Then read newspapers -
Secessionist Movements in the Indian Sub Continent: Is Balochistan another Bangladesh?
Balochistan is on fire. Because Musharraf’s Army killed Bugti – the Baloch leader – and his closest men. Is this the beginning of secession of Balochistan? I think so. Is it going towards the Bangladesh direction? Maybe. Should India help the Balochs? Heck yes! Why? Because really speaking I am sick and tired of Pakistan’s many games. There are only so many ways to deal with it. One of the best way, that a pacifist friend of mine once articulated was – just break them into smaller countries so they keep fighting amongst themselves and wont bother about us! I think he was very right!! The time to fight a full fledged war is gone. But Pak would not stop from creating terrorist attacks on India … ever! But there HAS to be a way to blunt its ability to keep “bleeding” India because it cannot rise anyway!
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Sikhs in Sports
Interesting article on the Sikhs in sports – motivated by the rise of Monty Panesar. The writer, Frank Keating, starts with Bishen Bedi – one of the best all time spinners in cricket!
Bishen Singh Bedi was the very same age, and I savour the thrill of enchantment at my very first sight of him twirling his softly supple southpaw slows alongside the gasometers that midsummer of 1971. The preening choc-caps of Surrey were on their way to another county championship but that day, against the Indian tourists, successively one by one their batsmen – Stewart, Younis, Roope, Storey, Intikhab, Long, Arnold – were dispatched to the hutch, shaking their heads in baffled embarrassment at the Sikh’s placidly lethal cocktail of curve and loop and spin.
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Imam Bukhari at his anarchist best
This guy is a classic anarchist in India. First of all, he or these other Islamists do not even begin to comprehend God and worship in its true sense… and then they go about creating an entire population of sub-optimal citizens who can’t contribute economically or socially to the society they live in!
National song Vande Mataram is ‘against Islamic beliefs’ and asking Muslims to sing it would amount to ‘suppression’ of the community, Shahi Imam of Delhi’s Jama Masjid Syed Ahmed Bukhari said on Sunday.
Addressing a press meet in Allahabad, Bukhari, who is also patron of the United Democratic Front, said according to the tenets of Islam, one could love one’s country and even lay down one’s life for it if the circumstances so demand.
“But when it comes to worship only Allah is given that honour. A Muslim cannot worship his or her parents, motherland and even the Prophet though they are held in high esteem,” he said, reacting to a Central directive to states for recitation of Vande Mataram in educational institutions during a celebration on September 7 to mark the national song’s centenary. -
Lesbians from Ahmedabad Unite in Canada!
IT is obvious that things are a changing in the Indian society… and that too in hitherto smaller or Tier 2 cities. But for Ahmedabad to have the first immigrant to Canada on basis of lesbian conjugal partner visa is indeed an amazing revelation!
Sexual preference helped a 29-year-old woman from the city secure a permanent resident (PR) visa to Canada. The lesbian woman migrated earlier this week after she was sponsored by her girlfriend in Canada, who declared her as conjugal partner.
“She is probably the first first-ever lesbian from the country to immigrate to Canada as a conjugal partner,” immigration consultant Lalit Advani, who assisted the girl in securing the resident visa, told TOI.
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India’s Independence Day! Happy Independence Day to All!!
Today is India’s Independence Day! Happy Independence Day to All!!
Youth performing Bhangra on the occasion of the 60th Independence Day at Jalandhar on Tuesday, August 15, 2006 (courtesy; Hindustantimes.com)
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Dr. Kurien and our respect for his Work?
A blogger Alka, writes about the irony of the fickle-mindedness of the Indian public – which cannot even identify someone who has worked so hard –
like Dr. Kurien but go ga-ga over someone like Sonia Gandhi:
I invite my fellow bloggers to enlighten me about contribution of the lady in the right picture, in the development of our country.
I don’t know if we carry out a survey and ask the people to identify the above two snaps, how many will recognize the gentleman. He passed the Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the Michigan State University, U.S.A. with distinction. So he had secured the so called “Ticket” to a good life. But instead of running after good life, he did the following:
He has enabled India to become the largest milk producer in the world.
A man with a rare vision, he devoted a lifetime to realize his dream – empowering the farmers of India.
He is known as Father of White Revolution in India.
She specifically mentions his “disgraceful” exit from GCMMF and wishes that the rest of the mortals should at least have shown some respect to such a great man. Great man he was. One who comes in decades!! But I think you need to look at Kurien’s exit from GCMMF in perspective.
I believe – barring VERY VERY few – most successful people become their own caricatures (even the mighty Gandhi was not spared from this “disease”). Dr. K – as we from IRMA (Institute of Rural management) – call him was a great visionary. But he also had a big ego and had become one heck of a megalomaniac.
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Bikram Yoga Studio is closed in LA due to Violations
This guy Bikram had done – what in my view was a sacrilegious in the Indian viewpoint.. that of patenting Yoga. Yoga is remnant of that great generation of Rishis who were the pioneers in “Open Source” movement in Spirituality. To then take a few moves add some heat and patent it is inherent facetious! I really dont have much empathy for this Choudhary guy.
On the other hand, I would say that there seems to be – behind the scenes maybe – a move to target the Indian Yogis in the US.. specially the ones who become a bit high profile and famous.
The city attorney’s office charged yoga magnate Bikram Choudhury with 10 criminal safety violations at one of his studios.
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Mumbai is the Rudest City on Earth
This is a strange survey. There are so many differences and cultures because what looks rude to a westerner may be "business-as-usual" for a Mumbaikar! The language there is anyway very rough to go along with a very commercial point of view of people!
Mumbai, the bustling economic capital of India, is the rudest city on earth, whereas Sao Paulo in Brazil and New York in the US are among the most cordial, a survey has found.
The survey on common courtsey conducted by popular monthly Readers Digest has found the culture of extending help, expressing gratitude when helped and talking politely are not part of everyday life in Mumbai.
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Alexander, Barbaric Indians, Aryabhat and the “Inspired” Galileo!!
Did anyone see the movie “Alexander the Great” – with Colin Farrell and Angelina Jolie?? In that movie, Alexander is shown to have come to India and there Indians are shown as almost primitive creatures with very little intelligence or culture. In fact, the illustration is of a timid and very tribal kind of people. The Movie researchers little realized that THAT period of Indian history was probably the most glorious ever. Chandragupta Maurya, at whose hands, Alexander’s Army lost was arguably one of the greatest ever kings flanked by Chanakya – arguably the greatest political strategist the world has ever seen!