Diwali Celebrationstarts.........

First Day..........

धनतेरस Dhan Teras falls two days before Diwali. The word “Dhan” means wealth and “Teras” means 13th day of lunar fortnight. God Yama is worshipped on this day to provide prosperity and well being.

As such this day has a great importance for the community of North & Western India . Houses and Business premises are renovated and decorated. Entrances are made colourful with lovely traditional motifs of Rangoli rangolee designs to welcome the Goddess of wealth and prosperity. To indicate her long-awaited arrival, small footprints are drawn with rice flour and vermilion powder all over the houses. Lamps are kept burning all through the nights.

Celebrations include shopping of new clothes, jewelry, new utensils, sweets and beautiful lanterns, especially for Dhantrayodashi . On the occasion, corporate and any enterprise find it the perfect time to gift their employees. Gift hampers are marked with corporate name and logo; also used for promotional handouts.

As per a legend, when the gods and demons stirred the ocean for Amrit (the potion which makes one immortal), Dhanavantri – physician of the gods – who is also supposed to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu emerged from beneath the waters carrying the jug containing the potion.

According to another legend, King Hima’s sixteen-year-old son was preordained to die on the third day following his marriage because of snakebite, according to soothsayers. On the critical day, his wife illuminated the house by lighting up numerous lamps. She took out all the ornaments and gold and silver coins piled them up at the entrance of her husband’s room. She related tales to the people gathered at their house and also sang songs through the night.

Yama (god of death) arrived at the fated time in the guise of a serpent. However, the bright lighting in the house dimmed his vision. He couldn’t sight the prince’s chamber. So he made himself comfortable by seating himself on the pile of ornaments and coins. As he sat there, he could not help, but get enchanted by the songs rendered by prince’s wife. At daybreak on the following day, he left the place with his mission unfulfilled. Thus, the wife was successful in saving her husband’s life. It became a sacred day, and Dhanteras also came to be referred as “Yamadeepdaan” . So on Dhanteras lamps are aflame throughout the night for the worship of Lord Yama.

Preparation for the Puja

- One Deepak made out of atta/clay with 4 wicks

- Wicks for the Deepak oil/ghee, matchstick

- One shell with a hole

- Flowers, roli, chawal

- Water in panchpatra and a spoon
                                                       
- Some money

- Pata & Aasan

- Kheel & batasha

- Dhoop (sambrani) & dhoop daan

- Chopda with roli, chawal for applying tikka

- Suhali, petha (shaker para)
    

Vidhi / Method of Performing the Puja

• In the evening, after seeing the star, the women of the house get together for puja. In some houses both men & women do the puja.
• The 4 wick Deepak is placed on the pata
• Oil/ghee is put in the Deepak with the Four Wicks.
• The Cowrie shell is placed on the Deepak.
• The Deepak is lit. This is referred as Yamadeep. This Deepak pleases Yamaraj and the pitars/departed ancestors of the family.
• Some water from the panchpatra is sprinkled around the Deepak, puja is performed with roli, chawal and money.
• Four suhali and little pethas are offered.
• Some people offer kheel and batasha also Dhoop is lit.
• Women performing the puja go around the Deepak four times & do pranam.
• The eldest woman of the family or unmarried girl of the house puts tilak from the roli in the chopda to everyone sitting for the puja.
• One male staff member of the house, covers his head with a cloth, takes the lit Deepak and keeps it outside on the right side of the main gate. This person is given dakshina.
• After puja, the family members do pranaam to all the elder people to them. 

 ---------Compiled from Internet

दिवाली ,.....बदलते परिपेक्ष्य में

दिवाली का  आगमन और ढेर सारी  तैयारियां.......सबसे पहले दिवाली का गृहकार्य निबंध लिखने को स्कूल से दिया जाता  था  जैसे......

" इस उद्धरण के साथ निबंध  की शुरवात होती थी..
..
" घरों का  मैल हटाने को,सफेदी से पुतवाने को :

पुराना नया बंनाने को ,अनेको साज सजाने को :

दिवाली प्यारी आई है,  दिवाली न्यारी आई है"  |

 फिर घर की सफाई , पेंट और सफेदी का सिलसिला शुरू होता था , चारो तरफ एक अलग सी महक होती थी 

समय के साथ विकसित दौर में दिवाली की तैयारियां  भी बदल गईं   ,कहाँ वो मिट्टीके दिए लाना ,रुई की बाती बनाना ,दिए भिगाना और सुखाना फिर शाम के लिए दियों को पंक्तिबद्ध करना वगैरह ........घर में नमकीन एवं मिष्ठान बनाने  में ड्यूटी लगना और जी चुराना तथा कोसना कि त्यौहार इतनी जल्दी क्यों आते हैं!!  ....फिर शुरू होता था नए कपड़ों का सिलसिला ..  दौड़ दौड़ के  दियों  को सजाते हुए रखने की जो ख़ुशी होती थी अद्भुत थी, इतना ही नहीं, पूजा के लिए भी उत्साह कम नहीं होता था | गणेश लक्ष्मी जी की मिट्टी की मूर्ति लाते  थे ..,फिर सबसे महत्वपूर्ण, पटाखे चलाना, माँ ,पिताजी और भाई  बहन के साथ.......दूसरे  दिन का उत्साह था सुबह  उठ के जले हुए दिए इकठ्ठा करना फिर उससे तराजू बना कर खेलना.......

आज की पीढ़ी  की दिवाली कितनी परिवर्तित है पर ये भी उनके लिए उतनी ही प्यारी है जैसे हमे हमारी दिवाली..

आज तकनीकी युग में छोटे छोटे बल्बों की कतारें खूबसूरती में  में चार चाँद लगाती हैं ,चांदी के गणेश लक्ष्मीजी,

सब कुछ जगमगाता है....अब तो ऑनलाइन पूजाभी चलन में है..पर सच है इन सबके पीछे भी इंसान का मस्तिष्क अगर लगा है तो निश्चय ही कहीं तो संस्कार आज भी कायम है.....इस परिवर्तन के आगे नतमस्तक होना लाजमी है.....कौन कहता है की अब वो संस्कार नहीं रहे.......ज़रूरत है सिर्फ उने अहसास दिलाने की ......जो हर  पीढ़ी का धर्म हैं .....आज भी जाम्बवंत को हनुमान का बल याद दिलाना है कुछ इस तरह . 

"कवन सो काज कठिन जग माहि,जो नहीं होत तात तुम्ह पाहि .".....अंत में आप सभी को दिवाली की हार्दिक  शुभकामनाएं!!!!!!!!!!!

Its Time To Say Good Night.......

Its time to say good night...
After the long day that was bright,
After the evening that was calm,
After the dusk that was quiet;

From dawn to dusk,the day passed,
The flowers bloomed,
The birds hammed,
The stars shone
Its time to dream.....

And its time to say Good night.............

Old vs New Generation.......

NOWADAYS THE older people and the younger population complain of generation gap and of breaking down the communication between these twos. But who is to blame? I think both go amiss now and then. 

There is a great hue and cry raised by the elders and the young both that the communication between them has broken down and they accuse each other for and bemoan this state of affairs. They attribute it to generation gap. Majority in the society carries along with this moroseness and never pauses to think the why and how of the problem.

The elders are more critical of the younger generation with a big inventory of complaints against the young and the young mostly tend to ignore the grumbling, mumbling and occasional loud protestations of the older generation. But now and then they do protest. They resent the petting attitude of the elders. 

The generation gap, however, is a deeper malady than viewed superficially. There may be the following differences between the old and the young: 

1. Of ideas on general conduct comprising dress, food habits etc.
2. Morality, marriage & career
3. Of tastes on art, music, literature, and in short total outlook.
4. Family unit breaking up and gradually losing the importance it once had. 
5. Imposition of the self-righteous attitude of the older generation on the young.
6. Biological evolutionary difference.

It is generally observed that the old behave like a frog in the well. They are fully convinced that the ideas they have had throughout their lives are the ultimate and ideal. They ignore certain vital factors that are no longer valid in the case of the modernity. There always has been generation gap since the dawn of civilization. The young have always deviated from the older standards and it was well that they did or there wouldn’t have been any progress today.

A Special Gift.....

A mother gave her daughter a newly opened saving pass-book on her marriage day with a deposit of Rs.1000.
"This is a precious gift to you",she told.she said,  "Each time when both you and your husband share good things,just deposit a small amount of money according to your capacity and write the good thing in it." The daughter shared it with her husband and both thought it was a nice idea.
So each day they started sharing happy occasions,they deposited a small amount.Her first promotion,her pregnancy,his birth day and their first vocational trip abroad- all added up to their saving.this continued till the relationship soured.
The daughter went to her mother and told her about her decision to separate from her husband..The mother advised if she had finally decided to separate ,then go ahead with her plans,but before that she should spend all the money which she and her husband had deposited to some happy occasions.
The daughter thought it was a good idea and next day she went to the bank to withdraw money from her account.As she stood in the queue,she browsed through deposits made  in the passbook and the special occasion for    which they deposited.
Memories of past filled in and she started crying.She returned home and gave the passbook to her husband.He gave it back to her the next day with a new deposit of Rs 5000 and a note--"for realising how much we love each other." Their marriage was saved.
                             
                               

                                       

Legendary Ghazal Singer Jagjit Singh No More .....A Tribute

Jagjit Singh has been one of the most famous Ghazal singers of the modern times. In an era where the current generation is headed towards rock and hip hop music, it has been refreshing to listen Jagjit Singh's ghazals . Born in Ganganagar located in Rajasthan on 8th February, 1941, the name Jagjit means the one who triumphs over the world. His father Sardar Amar Singh Dhiman was a Government official and his mother Sardarni Bachchan Kaur had a religious family background. He has four sisters and two brothers and is fondly addressed as "Jeet" by his family. 
Jagjit Singh studied at Khalsa High School located in Ganganagar. After completing his matriculation, he took up science. He graduated in Arts from DAV College located in Jalandhar and has a post graduate degree in history from Kurukshetra University, Haryana. His father wanted him to join the Indian Administrative Services.    But when he saw his son achieving accolades in the world of music, he was more than happy. Jagjit learnt classical music under Pundit Chaganlal Sharma and achieved expertise in classical forms like Khayal, Thumri and Dhrupad.

Jagjit Singh was still doing jingles for advertisements during the initial years, he met another singer named Chitra. They got married after a two year long courtship in the year 1969. Together, they exemplified the first successful husband-wife singing team. They both produced numerous soulful and melodic Ghazals which were enjoyed by a wider audience. 

During the early 90's, they released an album named "Beyond Time", which was an experimentation with different sounds and music. It conveyed a feeling that was beyond space and time and logical explanation. Sadly, around this time, their only son Vivek met with an accident and died at the young age of twenty one. It was a huge jolt for the couple and also all their fans and well wishers all over the world. After the album "Someone Somewhere", Chitra quit singing. The songs are emotionally very powerful and moving since they connect with the personal loss of the couple.
 However, Jagjit Singh continued to sing and his songs have only gained more popularity with each passing day. His later albums named Hope, In Search, Insight, Mirage, Visions, Kahkashan (Galaxy), Love Is Blind, Chirag (Lamp), etc. have made him the top Ghazal singer in the country and a favorite among fans. An album with Lata Mangeshkar named "Sajda" (Offering) was a hit and sold innumerable copies. It was a classic Ghazal album.
Jagjit Singh did not limit himself to just Hindi songs.He  has also sung many Punjabi songs . His  bubbly and vibrant Punjabi songs are very popular and are very pleasant to hear.                                                                     

.Jagjit Singh was the first Indian composer, and together with his wife Chitra Singh the first recording artist in the history of Indian music to use digital multi-track recording for their (India's first digitally recorded) album, Beyond Time (1987). For all those ghazal lovers, there will not be any Jagjit Singh anymore to look forward to.  The endearing golden voice which bordered on the meaning of life bringing such profound expressions to the listener is gone for ever. 
 For his mass of followers Jagjit will always remain a ‘Jeet’ even when he looks upon them from the heaven above.There was a chorus of sadness coming from all walks of life with Jagjit Singh now gone.  Described as someone who brought simplicity and a common man’s proach to ghazals, there were many like Usha Uthup, Javed Akhtar, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle and the like expressing pain and  anguish at such a great celebrity no more. 
 .

May his soul rest in peace!!!!!


We 'll miss him forever......Words can't express the loss.........




compiled from various sources from internet.......
 please visit the following link:..its a slideshow of Jagjit Singh........


http://www.dnaindia.com/india/slideshow_jagjit-singh-the-man-who-gave-ghazals-a-new-meaning_1597029-2#top

शुभता का प्रतीक है नीलकंठ ........

आज दशहरा है .........याद आता है जब बचपन में पिताजी ने बताया था कि विजयदशमी के दिन नीलकंठ को देखना बहुत ही शुभ संकेत होता है .हम सभी तैयार हो कर उनके साथ चल देते थे नीलकंठ को देखने.बाल मन शुभ -अशुभ कुछ नहीं जनता था पर नीलकंठ पक्षी को देखने को आतुर था.सड़क पर हर तरफ चलते हुए बस कोई भी पक्षी दिखता लगता था कि  बस नीलकंठ ही है. यदा कदा ही नीलकंठ जी के दर्शनं होते थे.कई बार ऐसा भी हुआ कि मन निराश हो जाता कि इस बार नीलकंठ नहीं दिखे तो दशहरा व्यर्थ हो गया.ऐसे में पिताजी हमारा मन रखने के लिए कह देते ,'' अरे तुम लोग व्यर्थ परेशान हो ,नीलकंठ देखो वो रहा!!!!"जब तक हम उधर देखते ,वहां कुछ नहीं ..फिर पिताजी कहते ",तुमने याद किया था ना. अभी आया था पर जल्दी उड़ गया.. सानिध्य तो  मिला ......वो क्या कम है?"

नीलकंठ तुम नीले रहियो, दूध-भात का भोजन करियो, हमरी बात राम से कहियो', इस लोकोक्त‍ि के अनुसार नीलकंठ पक्षी को भगवान का प्रतिनिधि माना गया है। दशहरा पर्व पर इस पक्षी के दर्शन को शुभ और भाग्य को जगाने वाला माना जाता है। जिसके चलते दशहरे के दिन हर व्यक्ति इसी आस में छत पर जाकर आकाश को निहारता है कि उन्हें नीलकंठ पक्षी के दर्शन हो जाएँ। ताकि साल भर उनके यहाँ शुभ कार्य का सिलसिला चलता रहे..

आज के परिपेक्ष्य  में  ना वो खुला स्थान बचा है, औरे ना ही बच्चों के पास वक़्त  जो नीलकंठ को  खोजते रहे.सच कहे तो आज हम अभिभावकों के पास भी इतना वक़्त कहाँ रह गया जो बच्चों के लिए.कोई बात नहीं कम से कम नेट पर  तो नीलकंठ  के दर्शन कर ही सकते हैं.नीलकंठ को भगवान् शिवजी का अवतार  मानते है.और शिवजी तथा श्रीराम का प्रेम जग जाहिर है, जिसके चलते हर व्यक्ति इसी आस में चाट पे जाकर  आकाश को निहारता है ताकि नील कंठ के दर्शन हो जाये..
वैसे आज की सच्चाई  तो ये है की नीलकंठ की प्रजाति भी लुप्त होती जा रही है ,पर मन में विश्वास है तो नील कंठ का दर्शन क्या पता आज हो ही जाये................आखिर विश्वाश पर तो दुनिया  कायम है...

आप सभी को दशहरा की हार्दिक बधाई !!!!!!!!!!!