Monday, November 22, 2010

PANCHAAMRITAM 199

1 comments

Visit us at http://pancha-amritam.blogspot.com/

Vishwa Samvad Kendra, Chennai

PANCHAAMRITAM 199

Pancha is five in Samskritam, Amritam is nectar

Poornima / Kali Yugaabda 5112 / Vikruti Kaarthigai 2 (November 21, 2010)

 ONE

An elderly woman was found ill and left deserted at the Gandhipuram bus stand in Coimbatore (Tamilnadu, Bharat) a few days ago. P Mahendiran, an entrepreneur-cum-social worker visited the spot after some of his friends informed him about the woman. He got her admitted at Sree Anbalayam Rehabilitation Home at Vadavalli run by K Srikala on the outskirts of the city.  Later when, Mahendiran asked M Rukmani about her family she said she was under the care of an oldage home in Coonoor where she was one among the 15 inmates. Mahendiran visited the oldage home run by Christian missionary in Coonoor to enquire the reason behind leaving Rukmani at the bus stand. The priest said that she left the home on her own. Meanwhile, he got information about her sister's son working in Aravankadu. He detailed him about Rukmani, who is now at an oldage home in Coimbatore. The youth wasn't interested in taking care of his aunt. Mahendiran returned to Sri Anbalayam Rehabilitation Home with a determination to help the deserted woman. He spent his spare time looking after her. Within  five days, he said, he made her walk with the help of a walker. Mahendiran said that a sensitisation programme is the need of the hour to help the youth care for elderly people.        THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS, November 15, 2010.

TWO

Speaking on November 17 at a press conference at Chennai, organised by cosmologists to announce a global conference on cosmology to be held at Bangalore from December 2 to 4, Prof N Sivagnanam, former head of the department of Geography, Anna University, said that references to global warming could be found in the works of Varahamihira, an ancient Indian astronomer, who lived between 505 and 587 AD. He had compiled the results of research done before his lifetime, and in that, had given references to global warming, the professor said. Seminars during the global conference would throw more light on the ancient knowledge related to global warming, he added. Reference to global warming could also be found in Surya Sidhantha, a treatise of Indian astronomy, said Dr Sivagnanam. The conference would bring together scientists, cosmologists, and experts of different ancient civilizations, including the Mayan, Aztec, Hindu, Roman, Buddhist and Incas, explained DN Acharya, founder president, Srinivas Jyothish Vigyan Research Foundation, which is organising the global conference. More than 250 delegates were expected in this conference, which would serve as an interface between scientists and cosmologists, he added.       THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS, November 18, 2010.

THREE

The first World Sanskrit Book Fair will be held in bangaluru (Karnataka, Bharat) in January 2011. At the four-day fair, scholars in the ancient Indian language from around 20 countries will interact with their Indian counterparts on the 'treasure house of Indian knowledge tradition', said M.N. Venkatachalaiah, former chief justice of India and president of the National Advisory Board, World Sanskrit Book Fair. Though titled World Sanskrit Book Fair, it will have books in all Indian languages on Sanskrit literature. 'People are longing to go back to the roots and access primary sources (of knowledge). Hence the fair is being held to make Sanskrit literature available in all Indian languages to the public,' Venkatachalaiah said. The popularity of Yoga, Ayurveda, Vedanta (ancient Hindu religious texts) and Bhagawad Gita has brought about renewed interest the world over to learn Sanskrit, he said. The Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, Sanskrit universities, oriental research institutes and Sanskrit academies will be among the participants, he said. About 100 publishers from India will display their books in and on Sanskrit. Around 10,000 delegates from India and abroad will participate. Sifynews, September 20, 2010

FOUR

US First Lady Michelle Obama purchased wooden Lord Ganesh, a Hanuman, and Patachitra and Madhubani paintings (which usually depict Hindu religious themes), etc., during her visit to New Delhi's Crafts Museum on November 8. Eminent Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) on November 9, commended Michelle Obama's, 46, reported interest in Hindu artifacts and added that if she wanted to explore Hinduism further, he or other Hindu scholars would be glad to assist. Rajan Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, pointed out.Lord Ganesh is worshipped as god of wisdom and remover of obstacles and invoked before the beginning of any major undertaking. Lord Hanuman is known for his incredible strength. Both Ganesh and Hanuman are highly revered in Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world with about one billion adherents, whose ultimate goal is moksh (liberation). in.news.yahoo.com, November 9, 2010.

FIVE

It all began with a group of BSNL officials in Chennai who used to buy meals tickets and distribute them among beggars every day at noon. That was 10 years back. Now Shri Lakshminrasimhan, one among those officials, takes his friends along to villages in the neighbouring districts on holidays and involves them in free note books distribution benefitting poor children of government elementary schools out there. He claims to have distributed over one lakh notebooks in the past few years.  Team PANCHAAMRITAM.

__._,_.____._,___

Saturday, November 6, 2010

PANCHAAMRITAM 198

0 comments

Visit us at http://pancha-amritam.blogspot.com/

Vishwa Samvad Kendra, Chennai

PANCHAAMRITAM 198

Pancha is five in Samskritam, Amritam is nectar

Amavaasya / Kali Yugaabda 5112 / Vikruti Ayppasi 19 (November 5, 2010)

On the sacred occasion of Deepavali, this issue focuses on

the noble quality of giving – Moderator

 

ONE

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal unveiled a tall Hanuman statue on November 4, 2010. He says that with the unveiling of the world's tallest statue of Lord Hanuman, Jakhu hills off Shimla (Himachal Pradesh, Bharat) has come on to the map of the world tourism. He said that this statue was constructed at the cost of Rs 1.5 crore by HC Nanda Trust who were die-hard devotees of Hanuman. He said that 108 feet tall statue built on famous Jakhu Hills at an altitude of 7500 feet which makes this statue the tallest statue of the world. Now the tourists as well as the locals coming to Shimla would be able to see the statue of Lord Hanuman from a distance of 20 kilometers. Dhumal said that State Government is all out to promote pilgrimage tourism in the State of Himachal Pradesh known as Dev Bhoomi or the land of gods. Bollywood actors Parikshit Sawhney and Abhishek Bachhan were allso present at the occasion.

Based on a report by Shri Anil Kimta in THE PIONEER on November 5, 2010.

TWO

Tamil film actor Vijay gifted 108 milch cows to poor families in Udumalpet near Coimbatore (Tamilnadu, Bharat). The 36-year-old actor's under-production film 'Velayudham' is being shot in the Kollywood's famous coconut-lined locale of Udumalpet. Bellowing cows lined up at a glitzy function in Udumalpet town as Vijay personally handed over the bovines to villagers. In Hindu tradition, donating cows is considered to be a sacred gift to appease the Gods. The actor, the production crew of 'Velayudham' and his fan clubs pooled in funds to gift the cows. At the function held a day before Deepavali (November 4, 2010), Vijay tried to strike an emotional chord with the poor of Tamil Nadu. ''Many TN families are unable to buy fireworks for their kids because of poverty. But these milch cows will provide a livelihood for the poor people,'' he said.

From THE TIMES OF INDIA, November 5, 2010

THREE

Smt. S. Bhavani, a Dalit woman auto driver, was surprised to receive a cheque for $1,000 (Rs.44,000) from a philanthropist. The benevolent action came from Shri Ram Ramanujam, a resident of California State in the United States. Ramanujam, after reading the plight of Bhavani (in The Hindu newspaper's online edition dated October 20, 2010) sent the cheque along with a covering letter to The Editor stating "everyone should appreciate Bhavani's inner strength and determination and we need more Bhavanis in the world to make a difference." Bhavani (28) of Kallakurikki village, nearly 7 km from Krishnagiri town (Tamilndu, Bharat), is the only woman who has a Light Motor Vehicle licence for auto in the district. The cheque was handed over to her by District Collector Shri.  V. Arun Roy at the Collectorate on November 4, 2010. He promised the woman every possible help she needed from the district administration to buy an autorickshaw . (After her husband's death in 2006, Bhavani has been working as a daily wage labourer to eke out a living besides educating her two sons and a daughter. She had hired an auto and was driving it for over a month. Following resistance from her father-in-law Chennaiyan, a village assistant, she stopped driving. "After much persuasion from my neighbours and well-wishers, my father-in-law has allowed me to drive an auto", Bhavani was reported to have said.).

Based on a report in THE HINDU, November 5, 2010

FOUR

It was a special and unique occasion for inmates of the Home for Psychosocial Rehabilitation of Mentally Ill Persons at Tirupattur (Vellore district, Tamilnadu, Bharat) as they celebrated  Deepavali as `Anandha Deepavali' – with District Collector C. Rajendran and a number of invitees drawn from various walks of life on November 3, 2010. The Collector took the initiative of gifting new clothes, fire crackers and also hosted a lunch for the inmates of the home from his own pocket. "The home was established four-and-a-half-years ago. This year, it was indeed a special Deepavali for all here," said C. Ramesh, President of Udhavum Ullangal-Tirupattur, which runs the home.  Rajendran presented new clothes and fire crackers to the 36 men and five women inmates of the home, and also to the staff of the home. In fact, this celebration has inspired a number of persons who have come forward to support us with donation. This has encouraged our work too. While one donor presented Rs. 10,000, another has come forward to donate Rs. 25,000," Ramesh said.          From a report in THE HINDU, November 5, 2010

 

FIVE

India's Tata Group has given a whopping 50 million US Dollars (Rs 220 Crore) to the prestigious Harvard Business School (USA) to fund a new academic and residential building on its campus, the largest gift received by the institute from an international donor in its 102-year-old history. The gift comes from Tata Companies, the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and the Tata Education and Development Trust, the philanthropic entities of the Group. It comes days after Anand Mahindra, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Mahindra and Mahindra Group, gave 10 million US Dollars (Rs 44 Crore) to the Humanities Centre at Harvard in honour of his mother Indira Mahindra.                         From INDIAN EXPRESS,  October 15, 2010.

OOOOOOOOOO

 _._,_._