Personalities - Gandhi

During childhood, I never like Gandhi. But, it was in Allahabad, in the house of Nehru, I brought the book "My Experiences with Truth", only because it was the cheapest book avaliable there and all others books were highly priced. It has been almost 15 years now, I wanted to tell the government of India and the Congress party to reduce the price of the books displayed in the Nehru house. They must be cheap so that the common people and the students can buy and get inspired by these great people.I started reading the book on the train from Allahabad to Anantapur. I was really mesmerised with the simple writing and putting forward the things in very straight manner without any language jargons.Today, though i disagree with gandhi on few things, i am really influenced by him a lot.
What I learned from him:1. Simple living is the best way of living. No need of jewels, cosmetics and so on.2. Habits make a person and everyone has to adopt good habits and try to leave bad habits. 3. Character is what makes a person, society, religion and history.4. Many problems in this world can be solved by discussion.5. An enemy is also a human being like you.6. Truth and only pure truth can what u have to aspire for. Only Truth can save you in the long run.7. Control of senses is the most important thing which can make or mar a person.8. All human beings irrespective of caste, creed are same.9. Practice what u preach to others.10. Means must always justify the ends.11. Faith in oneself, Truth and God can achieve anything in this world.

Regards,

Tirumalanath

tirumalanath.neelaiagari@gmail.com

Personalities - T N Seshan

One person can change the system and I was fortunate to see this during my college days when elections are won by muscle and money power. This man, who was part of the same system tried to clean it up and showed us that if u want to serve the people and the nation, u must be part of it. No one can bring peace and prosperity to the society by blaming it or destroying the system. Reforms and moderanity can be only brought through removing the drawbacks in the system and if i want to say...by going back to its foundation fundamentals/basics. We Indians, have the heritage, culture and experience which no other country has. It is only when we look at the system with its past, present we can understand what is going on. Just copying ourselves from the others or putting blame on the past or the people will not solve the problem. No one till now, by my knowledge has or can do more social work than a government employee. That has been proved by this person: T N Seshan.Eighty percentage of the India problem lies in its political and religious structure and the rest of 20 % percent lies with its geographical situation. Religous reforms are continously made from the past century and the modern look of the society is due to this only. 60 years of Independence - and it was also time to bring some changes in the electorial system of the country. As selection of the political system is the core for representing the various groups in the society and also solving their problem, it was essentially needed to clean up the electorial system which the political has been using for their own benefits.The greatest contribution of Seshan was realising that the Elections Commision must be same as Judicary system. He was successful in bringing those reforms in the Election Commision.It is happy to see that the successors of T N Seshan has not only kept the high standards and are bring more reforms in the electorate process.
What I learned from him:
For doing good, u don't have to be creative or think new things. The only thing u have to do is to follow the rules of the book and the land. One person who follows the rules of the book in word and spirit can bring lot of change in the society and that one person can be anyone.

Regards,
Tirumalanath
tirumalanath.neelaiagari@gmail.com

Personalities - P V Narasimha Rao

If Gandhi is the father of nation, then we can say P V Narasimha Rao as "father of Indian Economy Reforms". And today whatever we have achieved, except the work done by the great institutes like ISRO and DRDO, the total credit for the growth of industrialization and economy must be creditied to Mr. Rao. He reduced the fiscal deficit, Privatization of public sector units (though i believe few things like transportation, medical, education, mining, fuel, current, dams etc must be in the hands of government), trade reforms, loans and many more.
He was the 12th Prime Minister of India and an active freedom fighter. He won election from Nandyal with a victory margin of a five lakh votes and his win is recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records. Only not a politician, he is a scholar by himself. He is well educated and has command over 17 languages.
Few things I learned from him are:
1. Patience always pays.

2. Our Silence can be used to solve many problems.

3. Taking no action is also an action.

4. Always think about the long term goals even losing some short term gains.

5. For being strong, u don't need to shout

Many great people have in them good and bad. Though Mr.Rao faced lot of problems during the last years of his life, I consider him as the " CHANAKYA of our Times".

India – Constitution

It is a Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic with a parliamentary system of government. The Republic is governed in terms of the Constitution of India which was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 26th November 1949 and came into force on 26th January 1950.
The Constitution provides for a Parliamentary form of government which is federal in structure with certain unitary features. The constitutional head of the Executive of the Union is the President. As per the Constitution of India, the council of the Parliament of the Union consists of the President and two Houses known as the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) and the House of the People (Lok Sabha). The Council of Ministers with the Prime Minister as its head to aid and advise the President, who shall exercise his functions in accordance to the advice. The real executive power is thus vested in the Council of Ministers with the Prime Minister as its head.
The Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the House of the People (Lok Sabha). Every State has a Legislative Assembly. Certain States have an upper House also called State Legislative Council. There is a Governor for each state who is appointed by the President. Governor is the Head of the State and the executive power of the State is vested in him. The Council of Ministers with the Chief Minister as its head advises the Governor in the discharge of the executive functions. The Council of the Ministers of a state is collectively responsible to the Legislative Assembly of the State.
The Constitution distributes legislative powers between Parliament and State legislatures as per the lists of entries in the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution. The residuary powers vest in the Parliament. The centrally administered territories are called Union Territories.
Regards,
Tirumalanath
tirumalanath.neelaiagari@gmail.com

India – Armed Forces

The Government of India is responsible for ensuring the defence of India and every part thereof and Indian Armed Forces vests in the President. The responsibility for national defence rests with the Cabinet. This is discharged through the Ministry of Defence, which provides the policy framework and wherewithal to the Armed Forces to discharge their responsibilities in the context of the defence of the country. The Indian Armed Forces comprise of three divisions – Indian Army, Indian Navy, and the Indian Air Force.
Indian Army
Indian Army is the third largest in the world. The Indian Army's HQ is located in New Delhi and functions under the Chief of Army Staff, who is responsible for the command, control, and administration as a whole. The Army is divided into six operational commands (field armies) and one training command, each under the command of a Lieutenant General, who has an equal status to the Vice-Chief of Army Staff.
Indian Navy
The Headquarters of the Indian Navy is located in New Delhi, and is under the command of the Chief of the naval staff – an Admiral. The Indian navy is deployed under three area commands, each headed by a flag officer. The Western Naval Command is headquartered in Bombay on the Arabian Sea; the Southern Naval Command in Kochi (Cochin), in Kerala, also on the Arabian Sea; and the Eastern Naval Command in Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, on the Bay of Bengal.
Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force was officially established on 8th October 1932, and on 1st April 1954, Air Marshal Subroto Mukherjee, one of the founding members of the Air Force took over as the first Indian Chief of Air Staff. With the passage of time, the Indian Air Force undertook massive upgrading of its aircraft and equipments, and as part of the process, it introduced more than twenty new types of aircrafts.
Regards,
Tirumalanath
tirumalanath.neelaiagari@gmail.com

India – National Days

Independence Day
The Independence Day of India, which is celebrated religiously throughout the Country on the 15th of August every year, holds tremendous ground in the list of national days, since it reminds every Indian about the dawn of a new beginning, the beginning of an era of deliverance from the clutches of British colonialism of more than 200 years. It was on the fateful morning of 15th August 1947 that India was declared independent from British colonialism, and the reins of control were handed over to the leaders of the Country. India’s gaining of independence was a tryst with destiny, as the struggle for freedom was a long and tiresome one, witnessing the sacrifices of many freedom fighters, who laid down their lives on the line.
Republic Day
India became a Republic when the Constitution of the Country came into force on 26th January 1950, thereby defining it as a Sovereign Socialist Democratic Republic with a Parliamentary form of Government, through the Preamble. The Indian Constitution, which was adopted by the Constituent Assembly after considerable discussions represented the framework of the Government of the Country. Henceforth, 26th January has been recognized and celebrated as India’s Republic Day with great ardor, and is decreed a national holiday. The event is a constant reminder of the selfless deeds of all martyrs of the Country, who laid down their lives in the freedom struggle and various succeeding wars against foreign aggression.
Gandhi Jayanti
The 2nd of October is dedicated to the Father of the Nation, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi when the whole Nation celebrates Bapu's birthday. This day serves to remind all Indians of the sacrifices this apostle of peace gave, to bestow upon the country the gift of Independence. His ideas of Non-Violent Resistance to the British colonial rule has never failed to inspire later generations to live a life of brotherhood in a peace loving Country. He worked extensively for the social upliftment of the untouchables, who he called “Harijans”, and was the leader of the “Quit India Movement,” which served as a final signal of discontent to the British dominion in India.

Regards,

Tirumalanath

tirumalanath.neelaiagari@gmail.com

India - States

1. Andhra Pradesh
2. Arunachal Pradesh
3. Assam
4. Bihar
5. Chhattisgarh
6. Goa
7. Gujarat
8. Haryana
9. Himachal Pradesh
10. Jammu and Kashmir
    Jharkhand
11. Karnataka
12. Kerala
13. Madhya Pradesh
14. Maharashtra
15. Manipur
16. Meghalaya
17. Mizoram
18. Nagaland
    Orissa
19. Punjab
20. Rajasthan
21. Sikkim
22. Tamil Nadu
23. Tripura
24. Uttarakhand
25. Uttar Pradesh
26. West Bengal

Regards,

Tirumalanath

tirumalanath.neelaiagari@gmail.com

India – National Fruit

A fleshy fruit, eaten ripe or used green for pickles etc., of the tree Mangifera indica, the mango is one of the most important and widely cultivated fruits of the tropical world. Its juicy fruit is a rich source of Vitamins A, C and D. In India there are over100 varieties of mangoes, in different sizes, shapes and colours. Mangoes have been cultivated in India from time immemorial. The poet Kalidasa sang its praises. Alexander savoured its taste, as did the Chinese pilgrim Hieun Tsang.
Regards,
Tirumalanath
tirumalanath.neelaiagari@gmail.com

India – National Song

The song Vande Mataram, composed in Sanskrit by Bankimchandra Chatterji, was a source of inspiration to the people in their struggle for freedom. It has an equal status with Jana-gana-man a. The following is the text of its first stanza:

Vande Mataram, Vande Mataram!
Sujalam, suphalam, malayaja shitalam,
Shasyashyamalam, Mataram!
Vande Mataram!
Shubhrajyotsna pulakitayaminim,
Phullakusumita drumadala shobhinim,
Suhasinim sumadhura bhashinim,
Sukhadam varadam, Mataram! Vande Mataram, Vande Mataram!

Regards,

Tirumalanath

tirumalanth.neelaiagari@gmail.com

India – National Animal

The magnificent tiger, Panthera tigris is a striped animal. It has a thick yellow coat of fur with dark stripes. The combination of grace, strength, agility and enormous power has earned the tiger its pride of place as the national animal of India. Out of eight races of the species known, the Indian race, the Royal Bengal Tiger, is found throughout the country except in the north-western region and also in the neighbouring countries, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh. To check the dwindling population of tigers in India, ‘Project Tiger' was launched in April 1973. So far, 27 tiger reserves have been established in the country under this project, covering an area of 37,761 sq km.

India – National River

The Ganga or Ganges is the longest river of India flowing over 2,510 kms of mountains, valleys and plains. It originates in the snowfields of the Gangotri Glacier in the Himalayas as the Bhagirathi River. It is later joined by other rivers such as the Alaknanda, Yamuna, Son, Gumti, Kosi and Ghagra. The Ganga river basin is one of the most fertile and densely populated areas of the world and covers an area of 1,000,000 sq. kms. There are two dams on the river – one at Haridwar and the other at Farakka. The Ganges River Dolphin is an endangered animal that specifically habitats this river.
The Ganga is revered by Hindus as the most sacred river on earth. Key religious ceremonies are held on the banks of the river at cities such as Varanasi, Haridwar and Allahabad. The Ganga widens out into the Ganges Delta in the Sunderbans swamp of Bangladesh, before it ends its journey by emptying into the Bay of Bengal.
Regards,
Tirumalanath
tirumalanath.neelaiagari@gmail.com

India - National Calendar

The national calendar based on the Saka Era, with Chaitra as its first month and a normal year of 365 days was adopted from 22 March 1957 along with the Gregorian calendar. Dates of the national calendar have a permanent correspondence with dates of the Gregorian calendar, 1 Chaitra falling on 22 March normally and on 21 March in leap year.

Regards,
Tirumalanath
tirumalanath.neelaiagari@gmail.com

Indian – State Emblem

The words Satyameva Jayate from Mundaka Upanishad , meaning 'Truth Alone Triumphs', are inscribed below the abacus in Devanagari script.

The national emblem is thus symbolic of contemporary India’s reaffirmation of it’s ancient commitment to world peace and goodwill. The four lions(one hidden from view ) – symbolising power, courage and confidence- rest on a circular abacus. It has four smaller animals- Guardians of the four directions: The Lion of the North, The Elephant of the East, The Horse of the South and The Bull of the West. The abacus rests on a lotus in full bloom, exemplifying the fountainhead of life and creative inspiration.
Regards,
Tirumalanath
tirumalanath.neelaiagari@gmail.com

India – National Anthem

Jana-gana-mana-adhinayaka, jaya he
Bharata-bhagya-vidhata.
Punjab-Sindh-Gujarat-Maratha
Dravida-Utkala-Banga
Vindhya-Himachala-Yamuna-Ganga
Uchchala-Jaladhi-taranga.
Tava shubha name jage,
Tava shubha asisa mange,
Gahe tava jaya gatha,
Jana-gana-mangala-dayaka jaya he
Bharata-bhagya-vidhata.
Jaya he, jaya he, jaya he,
Jaya jaya jaya, jaya he!
The above is the full version of the Anthem and its playing time is approximately 52 seconds.

Regards,

Tirumalanath

tirumalanath.neelaiagari@gmail.com

India – National Tree

Indian fig tree, whose branches root themselves like new trees over a large area. The roots then give rise to more trunks and branches. Because of this characteristic and its longevity, this tree is considered immortal and is an integral part of the myths and legends of India. Even today, the banyan tree is the focal point of village life and the village council meets under the shade of this tree.

Regards,

Tirumalanath

tirumalanath.neelaiagari@gmail.com

India – National Flower

Lotus is the National Flower of India. It is a sacred flower and occupies a unique position in the art and mythology of ancient India and has been an auspicious symbol of Indian culture since time immemorial.
India is rich in flora. Currently available data place India in the tenth position in the world and fourth in Asia in plant diversity. From about 70 per cent geographical area surveyed so far, 47,000 species of plants have been described by the Botanical Survey of India (BSI).

Regards,

Tirumalanath

tirumalanath.neelaiagari@gmail.com

The Indian peacock, the national bird of India, is a colourful, swan-sized bird, with a fan-shaped crest of feathers, a white patch under the eye and a long, slender neck. The male of the species is more colourful than the female, with a glistening blue breast and neck and a spectacular bronze-green train of around 200 elongated feathers. The female is brownish, slightly smaller than the male and lacks the train. The elaborate courtship dance of the male, fanning out the tail and preening its feathers is a gorgeous sight.

Regards,

Tirumalanath

tirumalanath.neelaiagari@gmail.com

India – National Flag

The National flag of India was designed by "Pingali Venkayya". The National Flag is a horizontal tricolour of deep saffron at the top, white in the middle and dark green at the bottom in equal proportion. The ratio of width of the flag to its length is two to three. In the centre of the white band is a navy-blue wheel which represents the chakra. Its design is that of the wheel which appears on the abacus of the Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka. Its diameter approximates to the width of the white band and it has 24 spokes. The design of the National Flag was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India on 22 July 1947. The flag is made of Khadi.

Regards,

Tirumalanath

tirumalanath.neelaiagari@gmail.com

Hinduism Scripture

Pls. let me know the list of books or links or materials I can go through to gain knowledge.
Hinduism Scripture…..

· Rig Veda
· Yajur Veda
· Sama Veda
· Atharya Veda
· Itihasas
· Puranas
· Vyakarana
· Bhagavad Gita
· Upanishads

SIN

When things go wrong and when we don’t get what we want in life over a long period of time and when we face failures after failure in life and our mind don’t find any reasons of failure irrespective of all our efforts, after lot of thinking and analysis, we conclude ourselves to be sinners.
But that is not true at all. The worst like that you ever tell yourself is that you were born a sinner or a wicked man. The Vedanta recognizes no sin, it only recognizes error. And the greatest error, say the Vedanta, is to say that you are weak, that you are a sinner, a miserable creature and that you have no power and you cannot do this and that. Sins are very low degrees of Self-manifestation; manifest you in a high degree.
Do not talk of the wickedness of the world and all its sins. Weep that you are bound to see wickedness yet. Weep that you are bound to see sin everywhere, and if you want to help the world, do not condemn it. Do not weaken it more. For what is sin and what is misery and what are all these, but the results of weakness? The world is made weaker and weaker every day of such teachings. Men are taught from childhood that they are weak and sinners. Teach them that they are all glorious children of immortality, even those who are the weakest in Skills, Knowledge and talents and help them to grow in these areas in a right manner. Let positive, strong, helpful thought enter into their brains every second.
Regards,
Tirumalanath
tirumalanath.neelaiagari@gmail.com
References:
· Contact “Sri Ramakrishna Math” for more information.
· The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda.
· Prabuddha Bharata magazine – Nov 2008.

Happy New Year 2009

నమస్తే,
ఆందరికీ నుతన సంవ్షర శుభాకాంక్షలు.
పేమ తో.
తిరుమలనాథ్
tirumalanath@gmail.com