April 2016

Swami Vivekananda in his epoch making speech at Chicago on 11th September 1893 thanked all in the name of the most ancient order of the monks, in the name of Hindu people of all classes and sects. He also thanked all in the name of the Mother of Religions i.e. India. For most of the religious expressions were founded here and even those which were brought from outside, were not just tolerated but accepted in her motherly fold. He said on another day ‘… sect after sect arose in India and seemed to shake the religion of the Vedas to its very foundations, but like the waters of the seashore in a tremendous earthquake it receded only for a while, only to return in an all-absorbing flood, a thousand times more vigorous, and when the tumult of the rush was over, these sects were all sucked in, absorbed, and assimilated into the immense body of the mother faith. From the high spiritual flights of the Vedanta philosophy, of which the latest discoveries of science seem like echoes, to the low ideas of idolatry with its multifarious mythology, the agnosticism of the Buddhists, and the atheism of the Jains, each and all have a place in the Hindu’s religion.’ (The paper on Hinduism)

In his first speech in the east which was delivered in Colombo in Sri Lanka, Swami Vivekananda said, ‘If there is any land on this earth that can lay claim to be the blessed Punya Bhumi, to be the land to which all souls on this earth must come to account for Karma, the land to which every soul that is wending its way Godward must come to attain its last home, the land where humanity has attained its highest towards gentleness, towards generosity, towards purity, towards calmness, above all, the land of introspection and of spirituality — it is India.

To envision a sustainable project, it is mandatory for an organization to attribute themselves with the local community by various means. Volunteers are one such tool, acts as a bridge between the organization and the community. Under “Recycle for Life”, Hand in Hand India is imparting training and awareness to various stakeholders at different levels in order to have a holistic approach towards sustainable waste management. This kind of training and awareness programmes not only helps educate a community; it also serve as a medium to identify like-minded people within the location.

It is a large climber with succulent stems and aerial roots like the common trees and shrubs. Stems and branches are specked with white glands. Fruit are reddish and about the size of a peanut. It occurs throughout the tropical regions of India.

Thida Murugan, a student to learn Sastras went to Brahma tapovanam near the Himalayas. The saint refused to take him as a disciple because he belonged to a lower caste by name Karalan. Then Murugan was very much disturbed. He cursed the Rishi, if I am true to myself, let this Prana leave this body and simultaneously he also said to the rishi that he will lose his knowledge and power. With the curse, the rishi became an animal. Agasthyar who once visited the tapovanam found to his dismay the saint behaving like an animal. The Agasthyar Rishi could see the reason and the curse by the Thida Murugan. Taking pity on the saint, he brings back the saint to the normal status of a man; Agasthyar guides him to do tapas for Shiva to get back his knowledge. He prayed to Lord Shiva. Then Shiva creates a theertham where if he takes bath all his sins will be washed away and hence it is known as Pap vinashaka teertham.