1) The proposed line would run parallel to the flow of Ganga.

2) The Railway Ministry has finally allocated Rs 40 crore in the year 2010-11 out of the estimated project cost of Rs 4,295.30 crore for the new rail line connecting Rishikesh, in the foothills of the Himalayas, to Karanprayag in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand.

3) In the second phase, the proposed line would extend up to Mana (height 3,150 metres approx), beyond Badrinath near the China border.

4) The Rishikesh-Karanprayag project to be set up by the Railway Board has the status of National Project. That is all the funding to be done under the auspice of the Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs (CCEA) or Central Govenment.

5) The Rishikesh-Karanprayag rail route not only opens growth opportunities to the backward region of Garhwal (and that is most important). The Rishikesh-Karanprayag rail route also means (to theists) the linking of the Ganga from its celestial abode in the Himalayas to the ocean at Gangasagar in West Bengal. In short, now a religious person can reach Ganga at highest reaches via Howrah –Rishikesh-Karnaprayag rail route.

6) In early 1900s, the four main shrines of Uttarakhand — Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri — collectively known as the Char Dhams of the Garhwal Himalayas — could be reached only by foot.

Courtesy the British, motorable roads came into existence in the first half of the 20th century. These roads were opened to pilgrim traffic in 1934, making Rishikesh the gateway to lofty mountains of the Garhwal Himalayas. The first segments of road were Rishikesh-Tehri-Dharasu, Rishikesh-Devprayag-Kirtinagar and Kotdwara-Srinagar-Chamoli.

The Rishikesh-Karnaprayag Rail line will traverse through the districts of Dehradun (Rishikesh), Tehri, Rudraprayag and Chamoli.

7) The Rishikesh-Karnaprayag rail route runs along the Rishikesh-Karanparyag National Highway (NH-58), atleast for some length, running parallel to the river Ganga. Thereafter, it crosses over to the south bank of the river Ganga in order to connect Srinagar and other important towns of Garhwal region.

Some of the important towns on the proposed alignment are Muni-Ki-Reti, Shivpuri, Dev Prayag, Kirti Nagar, Sri-Nagar, Rudraprayag, Gauchar and Karan Prayag. Beyond Karan Prayag lie important religious and tourist places like Nand Prayag, Gopeshwar, Chamoli, Joshi Math, Auli, Tapovan, Vishnu Prayag, Pandukeshwar. Badri Nath, Valley of Flowers, Hemkunt Sahib etc. The holy places and those falling in the influence zone are Pauri, Tilwara, August Muni, Gupt Kashi, Okhi Math, Gori Kund, Kedar Nath, Tungnath, Rundra Nath, Bansi Narain, Kalpeshwar, Madhya Maheshwar, Nandi Kund and Nikanath.

8) The first survey for the Rishikesh-Karanprayag rail line was done in 1919 on the initiative of then Deputy Commissioner of Garhwal JM Clay. The second survey was done in 1996 and the project was not found financially viable. In 2009, the Railway Ministry rejected the project again on the same ground. After that, the Union Government decided to take up the line’s construction as a National Project, considering its importance strategically and for the region’s socio-economic development. The project is likely to be completed by 2019.

WFDY

Every once in a while, I believe, one should try their best to make a change. For, it is the small steps on our part that pave the way to a better tomorrow. Last December, I was fortunate enough to witness one such endeavor in the form of the 17^th World Festival of Youth & Students in South Africa from the 13^th Dec.- 21^st Dec. 2010. It is an annual event hosted by the World Federation of Democratic Youth.

I was excited at the idea of attending such a unique festival and in retrospect, I am glad that I did; it is such a nice memory to have etched on my mind for a long time to come. This annual festival has a unique theme each year on which the youth representatives from all over the world gather and discuss the issues they believe is important. I was one such participant. This year’s theme was “Let’s Defeat Imperialism, for a world of peace, solidarity and social transformation”— a brilliant idea. For years now we have heard versions of what the leaders of a various assortment of countries think about this issue but this platform was a wonderful way of giving voice to the youth—the present and the future of the world—about their views on the subject.

Nsui @ 17th WFYS 2010

During my stay in South Africa, I could not help but notice the finer differences between their system and ours. They are not very overt things, rather smaller things in fact; such as the Youth movement in Africa is very strong and is, at the same time, more socialist in nature. By saying that it is a strong youth movement, I mean to imply that they seem to hold direct influence in the policy making of the reigning government. They are also more bent towards what is known as “Black Nationalism” which is essentially a focus on the native Africans. The student movements are particularly strong in not only South Africa but also some other countries such as Venezuela.

But apart from all this serious overt side to them, the Africans also have a fun way of putting forth their opinion to the public. They do so, by the means of music. During their protests and rallies, instead of shouting out slogans like it is done traditionally, they prefer to make themselves heard by singing out their issues. It is a very moving sight, people with banners, hurdled in group, singing out their causes and concerns, and I think, just how can anyone refuse to listen to this! I paid enough attention to what they were saying and was touched by the songs’ humble lyrics and more or less tell the listener the background of the people of the country.

As an example, I would like to show you the lyrics of two such songs:

1. ”Iyho uSolomon, Solomon………. Iyho Solomon !
Isotsha lo Mkhonto We Sizwe!
Wa yo bulala amabhunu eAfrika!”

Translation :- “Oh Solomon, The Spear of the Nation soldier. He struggled against the boer opressors in Africa.”

2. ”My mother was a kitchengirl, my father was a cabinboy,
and that is why i am a communist
and that is why i am a communist”

So you can see for yourself what the people back there are truly fighting for.

NSUI

However, let not this fun and innovative way of protesting fool you into thinking that they take their politics any less seriously. The truth is, that they are all very well grounded when it comes to their basics of politics. They are, in fact, very focussed towards their goals, as is significant from their songs. Glimpses of it can be seen when they protest for the freedom of Western Sahara from Morocco and how strongly they feel about it. It is among the causes they really believe in as is the cause of the Cuban Five, where these people want the five Cuban people who are detained in the USA with the charge of murder and spying and are spending precious time in the American jails to be set free and be able to lead a life of dignity. And the controversy and other problems pertaining to Palestine. Truth be told, these are among the very few various issues that is so important to them. They also hold a very strong view about Kurdistan and want autonomy because they feel that their culture and language should be preserved.

I think it was the others’ views on India that grabbed my attention me the most. Personally, it was very nice to discover that the South Africans view India as their friends and it is always nice to have friends. Our friends, then also think that on the whole, India is socialist country. And this is the reason they have rationalized about why India is not given a permanent seat in the United Nations till date.

NSUI @ WFYS, South Africa

With all this synergy, I really could not simply seat back and observe. And so, I got on the stage and delivered a speech on the topic Democracy, Freedom and Human Rights. I principally focused on the Indian democratic setup and the challenges we face. As an example, I talked about the NSUI internal elections, which is an initiative by NSUI to bring students close to grass root level democratic setup. The focus was also drawn towards the significance and importance of the centralized universities in higher education and research. This was also said to further discuss the DYFI point of view that centralized universities are an interference of the Union government in states.

On the whole, it was a great experience and I’m glad to have been a part of it. I hope for more times like this to come and I hope all the more for a better world of peace and solidarity.

Indian Women

Implementation of these amendments came into practice from 1993. They were enacted without any pressure or persistent demand from women or any other section. Prior to these Amendments the State of Karnataka had introduced 25% women’s quota in Panchayati Raj Institutions. Later, the State of Maharashtra passed a law providing for 30% reservation of seats for women in rural as well as urban local self-government institutions. It is curious that in spite of over 1,000,000 elected women representatives flooding the local governments, the women’s movement in India was totally silent over this issue till 1996.
The smooth passage of the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments encouraged all major national political parties to commit themselves to extending the 33% women quota to state legislatures and Parliament. The 81st Constitutional Amendment Bill, popularly known as the Women’s Reservation Bill, was introduced in the Parliament in 1996 to that effect.

Sonia Gandhi

There was no women movement & demand behind this Bill. Later on, after the debacle of this bill in XI Lok Sabha ,the women rights activists  became vocal and visible on this issue. This visibility was restricted to demonstrations in front of parliament. Many political parties spoke in favor of this bill but till date no such reservation is given to women in the Lok Sabha and/or Vidhan Sabha elections.

Women Reservation Bill: A Brief Introduction

1. As nearly as about one-third of all seats in Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies shall be reserved for women.

2. Reservation shall apply in case of seats reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) as well.

3. Seats to be reserved in rotation will be determined by draw of lots in such a way that a seat shall be reserved only once in three consecutive general elections.

Main Drawbacks of the Women Reservation Bill:

1. Rotational reservation of one-third seats is the most serious flaw in the Bill. The pre-election nursing of a Lok Sabha or State Assembly constituency involves a very heavy investment on the part of the political parties and individual aspirants. Rotational reservation of one-third of the seats exclusively for women would lead to a grave uncertainty for sitting male MPs eroding their meticulously developed political base and leaving them no scope to pursue politics as a life-long mission or career.

2. This is harmful for the political career of an individual politician as well as for the process of the development of national level leaders with towering personalities. This would dwarf the popularly elected political leadership and strengthen the bureaucracy.

3. The Bill also ignores an important recommendation of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the 81st Amendment Bill about extending reservation to Rajya Sabha and Legislative Councils that was incorporated in the Clause 21 of its Report.

4. The Bill turns women’s quota into a zero sum game where women would get seats only if male MPs were removed from one third of the constituencies.

Priyanka Gandhi

Passing the Bill in its present form would mean a political suicide for the sitting male members of the Parliament. It also means that this bill will hamper the political position of regional, small political parties, which may lead to situation of political unrest in the Union of India.

Here I would like to put forward an example of the Student union elections after the implementation of Lyndoh committee guidelines by Ho’nable Supreme court.

Earlier, a candidate was allowed to contest election more than one time and in such a situation the elected representatives worked among the students because they were aware that if they will not work, they would loose the chance of being re-elected. However, the new guidelines restricted candidature for only one time whether you win or loose, and that resulted in the sudden downfall in the functioning of the Students Union because they became aware that they couldn’t contest again.

Feminism

“One is not born, but becomes, a woman. “-  Simone De Beauvior (The Second Sex)
One of the most enigmatic words of our time is Feminism. It is a word, a signifier that seems to denote a lot to different people. I have observed that a while it signifies emancipation or liberty to one set, it Is a derogatory word for another. For some it means male bashing, while for others it is symbolic of equality.
So, what is feminism? The most common definition of it declares that it is the radical notion that women are people. A feminist could be a male or a female. A feminist is someone who believes in equality of both the sexes but also accepts the inherent biological differences. I say biological  because there is a basic difference in the biology and anatomy of a man & a woman. If you ignore this, then you blind & foolish & most definitely not a true feminist! A man is physically stronger & a womans body is designed to tolerate the pains of childbirth.Celebrate the difference, not demean it.
To be a feminist you dont have to hate men. Both men & women are people. They are, philosophically speaking, two halves one of Whole. No one is better or worse than the other. They are equal, but different.

I think that within all these years, the term feminism has almost become a folklore. People have come up with so many versions of it without even grasping its concept. They comment on it, judge it without even knowing what it is really about. It is even used derogatorily. I think when a woman says she hates men or that men are evil animals or worse etc etc, she is not a feminist but a direct opposite if a misogynist. She is a misandrist.

Feminism is not a political thought, nor is it a sociological one. It is a psychological state. No form of liberty (national or individual) exists if the mind is not free of petty boundaries that society has imposed on us.

Women Empowerment

Nature has assigned division of labour beautifully to both the sexes; it would be hideous to make it biased towards only one. Gender discrimination has taken its toll on both the sexes. Men are also victimized into being the compulsory provider to the family, the problem fixer and all that. The question that one may as is that then why is there no such thing as Masulinism. The answer is simple: that out of the two sexes it is the female whose oppression is tangible and overt. Now people are slowly starting to do away with the stringent codes of how to be a man or a woman. Men now sport pink colour and long hair. Women have gone miles. But theres still light years to go.

Icc World Cup

India, Bangladesh & Sri Lanka Will Host the Cricket World cup from 9th Feb to 2nd April 2011. This is the 10th Icc World Cup and Its in Indian Subcontinent after 1996 Cricket World Cup . Total Top 14 Teams will be participating in this Mega event and they all will be divided into two groups .

Schedule Of ICC World Cup Cricket 2011 :

Tournament Venues :

All of the 49 matches will be held in 13 different venues across the three countries. Except two new venues in Sri Lanka (Hambantota and Pallekele), the rest of them are test venues including India’s 8 well-known test grounds. Here, I am giving the names of the venues:

Venues in India

MA Chidambaram Stadium Chepauk Chennai, Sardar Patel Stadium Motera Ahmedabad,Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground, Nagpur,Feroz Shah Kotla Delhi,Eden Gardens Kolkata, M Chinnaswamy Stadium Bangalore, Punjab Cricket Association Stadium Mohali Chandigarh,Wankhede Stadium Mumbai

Venues in Bangladesh

Shere Bangla National Stadium Mirpur Dhaka, Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium Chittagong

Venues in Sri Lanka

Hambantota  Pallekele, R. Premadasa Stadium Colombo

Format of the Tournament

Cricket Stadium In India

There are 14 teams who will be participating in the tournament including 10 test playing nations and 4 associate member countries. The test playing teams have automatically qualified for the tournament, while the 4 associate members have come through the qualifying tournament held in South Africa earlier this year. The four associate members are: Ireland, Canada, Netherlands and Kenya.The format of ICC World Cup 2011 is not same to that of the previous world cup that took place in West Indies in 2007. All of the 14 teams are divided into two groups of 7 teams each. In the group stage, each team will play against all other group members once in a round robin league system.

Super Eight :

Legends of Cricket

In 2007 world cup, there was a ‘Super Eight’ phase involving 8 teams who qualified through group stage, and four best teams from ‘Super Eight’ progressed to the semi final. However, there is no super eight phase in 2011 world cup. In stead, top four teams from each group in terms of points achieved will qualify for the quarter final. There are four quarter finals scheduled to take place on 23 March, 24 March, 25 March and 26 March. That means knock out stage starts just after the group stage. Four winners of the four quarter finals will get into the semi final of the tournament. The winners of the semi finals will meet each other in the tournament final at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on 2 April 2009.

The probable reason behind the format change is perhaps to ensure that each of the participating teams play at least 6 games even if they fail to qualify for the quarter final. Last year, two test playing nations: India and Pakistan- failed to reach the ‘Super Eight’ round and had to go back home, having played only 2 matches. The early exit of the two cricket powerhouses caused huge loss for the TV channels, sponsors as well as for those who bought time slots for TV commercials beforehand to promote their products. That is why, ICC has now ensured that each of the teams will play at least 6 games in the 2011 tournament.

All Teams

Group A:

Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Canada and Kenya

Group B:

India, South Africa, England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland and Netherlands.

Nehru Stadium

So sometimes you want to get a nose job, fix that crooked, funny looking nose that you have, that’s, perhaps, even a bit off center. And then you for the nose job and end up looking like a mutant, a cast from the X-men in their full bloom. Not a pretty picture, eh?

That’s how Delhi has been looking like since a few months now.

Every bit of the good old earth (and everything along) has been recklessly dug up. So much so that foot paths no longer exist, and in some cases, nor does half the road. All of this somehow results in the drivers, motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians, all travelling on the same road. And seconds later, that road being dug up! Talk about unity.

All of this done in the name of beautification of Delhi. Quite honestly, it doesn’t look very beautiful. Maybe the end result will be nice. But a good many of us may choke to death by inhaling an insane amount of dust by then.

It’s upsetting to see the tax money going all into a hole (literally!). I just hope this place actually turns into a world class city some day.

Lord Shiva

Maha Shivaratri, the night of the worship of Shiva, occurs on the 14th night of the new moon during the dark half of the month of Phalguna. It falls on a moonless February night, when Hindus offer special prayer to the lord of destruction. Shivaratri (Sanskrit ‘ratri’ = night) is the night when he is said to have performed the Tandava Nritya or the dance of primordial creation, preservation and destruction. The festival is observed for one day and one night only.

Shivaratri, one of India’s biggest festivals, honors, the power of Shiva Linga. Long ago a hunter killed too many animals and birds to carry them all home before dark, so he spent the night terrified and hungry up a tree. It was the night when there was no moon in the month of phalgun (February / March) – a sacred night to Shiva. The hunter’s constant trembling caused petals and dew to fall from the tree on to a linga beneath, and the god was pleased. When the hunter home and died on the following day. Shiva decreed that, since the man had worshipped the linga on the night of Shivaratri, he was fit to spend his after life on mount kailash.

Shiva the “Great God”
“It is probable that, long before the arrival of the Aryans, the ‘great god’ (‘Mahadeva’ or ‘Maheshvara’) was wor-shipped in India.” Mount Kailas in the Himalayas is the abode of Shiva. “The Ganges came down from the heavens because Shiva bore on the matted locks of his head the forceful impact of her falling torrents.”
“He creates and destroys, he sustains the world, he at times obscures by his power of illusion (maya), or offers grace to the suffering world. These are the fivefold activities of Siva, symbolised by the five faces of the god (Pancanana). He sees the past, the present and the future by means of his three eyes (Trilocana). To save the earth, he drank the poison and his throat became dark-blue (Nilakantha). A moon’s crescent round or above his central eye (Candrasekhara), clad like an ascetic with a tiger-skin, he holds a trident (Pinaka) in his hand; he rides the bull Nandi. Some of his images represent him as a four-armed person-age, two of the hands holding a battle-axe (khadga) and a deer, the two other hands in poses signifying assurance of safety and liberality; in some other representations, he carries a bow, a thunderbolt, an axe, a skull-capped staff, a drum.”
Shiva’s family is composed of his wife Uma (Sakti) and their two sons Ganesh and Kartikeya (Subrahmanya). Their respective mounts are the bull, the lion, the mouse and the peacock.

Shiva Linga
The stone in its spherical form untouched by the sculptor, is the form nearest to the formless. And the sexual union of male and female is the farthest the human mind can reach to express the creative action of God. This action, as God Himself, remains a mystery to man. All that man can do is to look at nature and see how a new being comes into existence. Since nature is the work of God, it is logical to conclude that both the male and the female principles must be found in God Himself, the sexes being only a manifestation of God’s nature. At the level of symbolism, the Shiva Linga or the stone with the semi-spherical top, makes a positive contribution in man’s effort to express the Divine Mystery.

Shiva Rituals
On the day of Shivaratri, a three-tiered platform is built around a fire. The topmost plank represents swargaloka (heaven), the middle one antarikshaloka (space) and the bottom one bhuloka (earth). Eleven urns or kalash, are kept on the swargaloka plank symbolising the eleven manifestations of the Rudra Shiva. These are decorated with bilva (woodapple leaves) and mango leaves atop a coconut representing the head of Shiva. The uncut shank of the coconut symbolizes his tangled hair and the three spots on the fruit Shiva’s three eyes.

Legends behind Shivaratri

Lord Shiva Family

• Once Lord Vishnu and Lord Bramaha argued over each other’s prowess. However, Lord Shiva challenged both of them. He appeared as a flaming Linga and challenged the duo to measure the gigantic Linga (phallic symbol of Lord Shiva). Lord Bramaha, who took the form of a swan, and Lord Vishnu who became a boar and went to Netherland, were both unable to measure the Shivalinga. Then Lord Shiva came out of the Linga and declared himself the most powerful. Maha Shivaratri therefore means the grand night of Shiva. The devotees of Shiva fast during this day and pray to the lord throughout the night. This legend goes to prove the supremacy of Mahadev over other Hindu Gods.
• King Daksha, opposed Sati’s marriage with Shiva. At a yagna (holy sacrifice) the king ignored Shiva’s presence and thereby insulted the latter publicly. Sati was so angered by this that she jumped into the sacrificial fire and ended her life. Lord Shiva unleashed his fury at the death of his wife by performing the violent dance, Taandav. He wiped out Daksha’s kingdom, undertook rigorous penance and retired to the Himalayas. The Gods, who feared that the severity of Shiva’s penance might bring an end to the world, revived Sati in the new avatar of Parvati. Shiva-Parvati married and this reunion is celebrated on Maha Shivaratri.

Jai Badri Vishal

The folk beliefs of Garhwal, on the basic constitution of man, differ from the Pauranic tradition. Two origin myths of Garhwal narrate the constitution of man and the cosmos. The first myth, found in Lata village on China border in the lap of Nanda Devi range, is the most plausible of all Nanda myths of Garhwal.

According to this myth, in the beginning there was only water, and water everywhere ” having anma priori existence. From the whirls of water originated Shakti, the goddess. She longed for a companion, and started churning the waters. First came up twelve seeds of grain, then twelve species of grasses and plants which were kept safe in patal Lok, the underworld. Next came up the Kapila cow, then Kalp Vriksha, Dev Kanya, the pitcher of nectar, and the pitcher of poison. It was followed by Brahma. The Goddess wanted to woo him as her husband, but he refused saying that he was borne of her. Then came Vishnu, who also rejected her on the same grounds. She then rubbed her thighs, and out came Ishwar Raja, Siva. Siva also rejected her prayer, but with a concession that they could marry after an interval equal to twelve generations. Shakti became so infuriated on his refusal that she spit upon his thighs and up grew his genital from there. It continued growing up to sky with such a speed that the Goddess had to stop it by creating dense smoke around and above it. It stopped but the sweat which seeped down in the process gave birth to two cells of algae on the right and left of the genital.

Badri Nath Ji

The cells were broken and inside them were found two frogs, Dendkhi and Mendkhi. The frogs started woozing out saliva at an enormous speed, giving birth to bubbles. The goddess then created a fish of silver, put life into it and asked it to break open the bubbles. Out of many bubbles broken, the two bubbles revealed two celestial beings, Nal and Nalini, the brother and the sister. In order to test their celestialness, she threw upon them her agni-patt sara (the fire cloth), and hasanda jyundal (smiling sacred rice). The test was successful.

Nal and Nalini grew as adolescent. But they started having an amorous relationship. The goddess then separated and sent them to far north and south. There they planted their incestual sin upon the cows, buffaloes, wild animals, birds and natural vegetation. The remaining sin was left upon a stone. After twelve years they returned and decided to marry. Nalini started bearing children now.

When the first child was born, it slipped to Naglok and got transformed into various parts of Naglok. Its head was transformed into sky; its eyes, the stars; its bones, mountains and valleys; and its flesh, the soil.

The same was repeated with the second issue which slipped into Martya Lok. There Nal found that Ishwar Raja was the king. Ishwar Raja loved to have human beings as his companions/subjects. Therefore Nal wanted to create man. He first tried to make the body of man with various metals, but failed. Ultimately, he made it of ashes, phlegm, dust, and mud and succeeded. But the man would not hear. So ears were planted on his body. Many words were tried to get a response from this man. At last he answered to the word ann, food. Nal thus created everything that was needed for human existence — grains, oxen, fire, wind, cow, sleep, measurements, insects, etc.

The third issue was lost into Swarg Lok, the ether, which was ruled by Anchali Raja; Nal created nine planets, yagya, etc.

In this way the myth provides explanation for every object of the universe. But it does not explain the constitution of the human soul and the five bhutas separately. On the basis of the myth and popular beliefs and practices, the following points have been explained.

Bhumiya Puja

The Gross and Subtle

Folk myths of Garhwal nowhere give the mathematical details of the constitution of each bhuta (elements of nature). However, a recognizable pattern of the gross and subtle is found in the form of the concrete matter and the all powerful souls of gods, goddesses, man, animals and birds. All such souls are believed to be the subtle forms of the pancabhutas. Finding expressions in their human vehicle, they assume all powers of a gross form. The case of ran bhuta (soul of man dying at battle), and gharya bhuta (soul of a man dying prematurely with wishes left unfulfilled) is an evidence.

Thus all Bhumyals, Bagdwal, Latu, Heet, Khetrapal, Bheldeo, are the subtle forms of earth. All goddesses and Dropadi, Jakh, Narsingh are the subtle forms of fire. Bayal, an invisible procession of divine spirits represents air. Shankar and Nad-Budh Bhairav are the subtle forms of sky as they are the presiding deities of dhol, Garhwali folk drum. The myth of the dhol also says that in Dwapar, Vam Dass Drummer of Mandhata had a dhol called gagan, sky. Chhaya is the soul of water.

Characteristic Features

The beliefs of the folks of Garhwal about the cosmos and the human world are strongly patterned. There is incest among the human, animal and vegetal world because Nal and Nalini did it first. Ishwar Raja’s agreement with Shakti is the cause of not marrying into the same clan for at least twelve generations. Strikingly, not a single act of the universe exists which has no explanation in the myth.

Ritual and Social use of Bhutas 

Symbol- Heet

When souls of gods and goddesses are invited to the community, they are given a gross forms of ensigns animated with the help of the following: sacred ashes of the shrines of Trijugi-Narayan and Kalimath (fire), soil of the all sacred shrines, like Tholingmath, Mathyana, etc., and soil under the bed of a lion (earth), water from Ganga at Hardwar and Vasudhara, Gangotri, Yamunotri, etc. (water). The sky element is omnipresent in the form of aero phonic and membranophonic instruments. Besides, there is a practice of fire and water rituals.Jal Jatra (water procession), is a common ritual of tree worship. The bonfire in the dance arena is for ritual worship, and is later used as a test for the powers of gods who jump into it for the purpose. In profane rituals, the use of all four elements is a must without which the spirits cannot be aroused.

Hockey 2010

Do we all really know that the 2010 Men’s Hockey World Cup is to be held in India, taking place over two weeks from Feb 28 to March 13, 2010 at New Delhi’s Dhyan Chand National Stadium?

Well, to some extent answer in the mass will be a  “ No ”. So, what led to explain offsetting feature of non awareness?? Is it that other games are attracting more or it is loosing its power to attract people towards the game?

I think the answer to this can be explained in both but not exogenously of one another, infact can be sought that both factors are contributing in loosing its value….that is just one side of countrymen. Now consider the authorities and media that also blow the wind in haphazard manner that actually lead us no where…..
India’s hosting of the event was put in doubt, however, when the FIH reviewed the progress of the Indian Hockey Federation’s “Promoting Indian Hockey” program and India’s preparation for the championship, and warned that “satisfactory progress had not been made in either area”. India [We]was warned that it could lose the right to host the World Cup unless satisfactory progress was made. Although it was confirmed on July 18, 2008 that International Hockey Federation formally awarded the hosting rights to India, if we consider on part of India , the sensitisation among the people is lacking. Cricket set off not only other sports but our National Sport,  Field Hockey as well….which is actually not desirable.
So lack of concern is not only limited to one but to all. For eg. people in India can talk for more than an hour about cricket but can’t even talk about other sports including hockey for even half an hour. Whereas, if we consider the authorities, everyone is showing their concerns about the COMMON Wealth Games and undergoing a big change for that…but not even a sigle enthusiastically mention about the upcoming     Men’s Hockey World Cup……is that a way of getting in to extremes of one and forget about rest a justifiable?

Men’s Hockey World Cup 2010,New  Delhi , Shedule

Pool A: Germany, Netherlands, Korea, New Zealand, Canada, Argentina

Pool B: Australia, Spain, England, Pakistan, India, South Africa

Sunday February 28:

16:35 Pool B South Africa vs Spain

18:35 B Australia vs England

20:35 B India vs Pakistan

Monday March 1:

16:35 A New Zealand vs Canada

18:35 A Germany vs Korea

20:35 A Netherlands vs Argentina

Tuesday March 2:

16:35 B South Africa vs England

18:35 B Pakistan vs Spain

20:35 B India vs Australia

Wednesday March 3:

16:35 A Canada vs Germany

18:35 A Argentina vs Korea

20:35 A New Zealand vs Netherlands

Thursday March 4:

16:35 B South Africa vs Australia

18:35 B England vs Pakistan

20:35 B India vs Spain

Friday March 5:

16:35 A Korea vs New Zealand

18:35 A Netherlands vs Canada

20:35 A Germany vs Argentina

Saturday March 6:

16:35 B Australia vs Spain

18:35 B South Africa vs Pakistan

20:35 B India vs England

Sunday March 7:

16:35 A Korea vs Canada

18:35 A New Zealand vs Argentina

20:35 A Germany vs Netherlands

Monday March 8:

16:35 B Spain vs England

18:35 B Australia vs Pakistan

20:35 B India vs South Africa

Tuesday March 9:

16:35 A Germany vs New Zealand

18:35 A Netherlands vs Korea

20:35 A Canada vs Argentina

Wednesday March 10: Rest Day.

Thursday March 11:

15:35 Classification.11-12 6th Pool A vs 6th Pool B

18:05 Semi-final 1st Pool A vs 2nd Pool B

20:35 Semi-final 1st Pool B vs 2nd Pool A

Friday March 12:

15:35 Clas. 9-10 5th Pool A vs 5th Pool B

18:05 Clas. 7-8 4th Pool A vs 4th Pool B

20:35 Clas. 5-6 3rd Pool A vs 3rd Pool B.

Saturday March 13:

15:35 Bronze medal match

18:05 Final