Summer and How to enjoy it

The summer is here.In our part of the country summer normally sets is after
Shivarathri.In the north Holi heralds the begginning of the summer.Along with this so many things happen.Hectic preparations for the exams have started which is only a few weeks away.All students will be looking forward for the summer vacations where they will have a lot fun playing , travelling and watching TV and movies.It is also the begginning of new year in most of the states once the harvest season is over.In south india it is celebrated as Ugadi,Gudi Padwa and Vishu , in north india it is celebrated as Baishaki and in the east as Bihu.We indians have celebrations for all seasons and we do it in style than any other country. Normally summer months are time for travelling, playing and relaxing for the young ones. Others toil day in and day out irrespective of the season as the jobs have become round the clock affairs and with a big work load .Still most people find out time to short vacations with their families and travel to new places if possible. Hill stations and beaches will be crowded during these times.For kids there will be lot of free time but now most kids cannot enjoy it as they will be send to summer camps to learn various skills or spend most of the time in front of the TV watching cartoons, movies or playing violent games in playstation or watching mindless wrestling matches. It is looks like we have forgotten how to enjoy life as we live mostly in a virtual world of social media networks, apps etc.We often forget to enjoy the world around us like how beautiful the sunrise is, how the night sky looks, how refreshing it is to see a tree full of flowers.As summer grows in intensity we will be looking for relief and it will come in the forms rains which is another great season the nature unflods for us.

Here are some suggestions for making the summer more enjoyable for the young one during vacations

Spend some time reading –will help keep  your skills you have acquired during the academic year

Follow current events -Be sure to read the paper and follow what is going on both locally and globally which will help you in your studies later .

Stay fit-To be able to stay in great shape and stay fit can be a great advantage , it will benefit you to have focus, persistence and stamina. It will keep you healthy, and exercise can be a great outlet for stress.

Continue networking-Be sure to spend time networking and meeting new people.

Have fun and visit friends and family-be sure to take time over the summer to relax and spend time with your friends and family. If it's traveling, playing, reading or spending time relaxing, whatever your passion is, spend time doing it!!

I  remember the summers I have spent in Kerala which was full of playing crikcket, eating mangoes , jack fruits,learning swimming in the ponds, going long rides in the bicycle with friends and watching movies .I also remember that summers in mumbai which comes with water shortage , stuffy ride in the local trains, the mad scramble to get train tickets to go to native places. The summers in Chennai where the heat is unberable and there is no relief from it as there will be no monsoon rains.The summers in Bangalore is getting warmer by the year as we cut down more tress to “develop” roads to reduce traffic congestion which  it will never do, neglecting  lakes and mind less contructions of high rises .It is high time that we take responsibilty for preserving out environment so that our coming generation can enjoy it.

Shivarathri and Lord Shiva

To every one wishing a pious Shivarathri celebrations.We should celebrate all festivals it is a great way of spending time with your family, friends , relatives and will help you to reduce stress and tension.As life becomes more hectic and stress full all these festivals will help us to relax .

On the eve of Mahashivarathri a few thoughts on Lord Shiva and his Thandava ( Dance )
This falls on the 13th (or 14th) day of the dark half of Phalgun (February-March). The name means "the night of Shiva". The ceremonies take place chiefly at night. This is a festival observed in honour of Lord Shiva. Shiva was married to Parvati on this day.
People observe a strict fast on this day. Some devotees do not even take a drop of water. They keep vigil all night. The Shiva Lingam is worshipped throughout the night by washing it every three hours with milk, curd, honey, rose water, etc., whilst the chanting of the Mantra Om Namah Shivaya continues. Offerings of bael leaves are made to the Lingam. Bael leaves are very sacred as, it is said, Lakshmi resides in them.
Hymns in praise of Lord Shiva, such as the Shiva Mahimna Stotra of Pushpadanta or Ravana's Shiva Tandava Stotra are sung with great fervour and devotion. People repeat the Panchakshara Mantra, Om Namah Shivaya. He who utters the Names of Shiva during Shivaratri, with perfect devotion and concentration, is freed from all sins. He reaches the abode of Shiva and lives there happily. He is liberated from the wheel of births and deaths. Many pilgrims flock to the places where there are Shiva temples.

Shiva Tandava
bLord Shiva is also known as Nataraj, the Dancing God. This divine art form is performed by Lord Shiva and his divine consort Goddess Parvati. The dance performed by Lord Shiva is known as Tandava. Shiva’s Tandava is a vigorous dance that is the source of the cycle of creation, preservation and dissolution. Tandava depicts his violent nature as the destroyer of the universe.Characteristics of Tandava DanceAccording to scholars, ‘Characteristics of the Tandava Dance’ have been described in the fourth chapter of Bharat Muni’s Nata Shastra, which is referred to as fifth Veda and an expression of Lord Shiva’s eternal dance - Tandava. It says that Shiva’s Tandava is embellished with 108 karanas and the 32 anghaharas - the composite parts of the dance. Bharat Muni further says that Lord Shiva conceived the dance, as he was very much fond of dancing every evening. Shiva further mentioned that 108 karnas included in tandava could be employed in the course of dance, fight, and personal combats and in other special movements like strolling. Types of TandavaSome scholars believe that there are seven different types of Tandava. The tandava performed with joy is called Ananda Tandava and that which is performed in violent mood is called Rudra Tandava. The other types of tandava identified are Tripura Tandava, Sandhya Tandava, Samara Tandava, Kaali Tandava, Uma Tandava and Gauri Tandava. However, there are few people who believe that there are 16 types of Tandava. Significance of Shiva's Tandava NrityaAccording to religious scholars, the cosmic dance of Shiva, called 'Anandatandava,' meaning, ‘the Dance of Bliss’ symbolizes the cosmic cycles of creation and destruction, as well as the daily rhythm of birth and death. The dance is a pictorial allegory of the five principle manifestations of eternal energy - creation, destruction, preservation, salvation, and illusion. According to learned scholar, Coomerswamy, the dance of Shiva also represents his five activities namely,
'Shrishti' - creation, evolution
'Sthiti' - preservation, support
'Samhara' - destruction, evolution
'Tirobhava' - illusion
'Anugraha' - release, emancipation, grace
The overall temper of the image is paradoxical, uniting the inner tranquillity, and outside activity of Shiva.LasyaThe dance performed by Goddess Parvati is known as Lasya. In Lasya, the movements are gentle, graceful and sometimes erotic. Some scholars call Lasya, the feminine version of Tandava. Lasya is of two kinds - Jarita Lasya and Yauvaka Lasya. According to the Puranas, Shiva dances a wild and vigorous (tandava) dance in the cremation grounds at night but dances a soft and graceful (lasya) dance in the tranquillity of the twilight.
MAHA MRITYUNJAYA MANTRAॐ त्रियम्बकं यजामहे, सुगन्धिं पुष्टिवर्धनंउर्वारुकमिव बन्धनान् मृत्योर्मोक्षिय मामृतात्
We worship Shiva - The Three-Eyed (tryambakam) Lord (yajamahe);Who is fragrant (sugandhim) and nourishes (pushti) and grows (vardhanam) all beings.As the ripened cucumber (urvarukamiva) is automatically liberated (bandhanaan) from its bondage from the creeper when it fully ripens;May He liberate us (mokshiya) from death (mrityor), for the sake of immortality (maamritaat).

Indiantreasuretrove: To write or not to write

Indiantreasuretrove: To write or not to write: I always wanted to write about so many things about life, arts, music and many other things .But some how I was holding it back for a long t...

To write or not to write

I always wanted to write about so many things about life, arts, music and many other things .But some how I was holding it back for a long time now. Now I have decided to start writing down my thoughts whether it is relevant or not .I found it a great way of de stressing. Will try to write meaningful things .There are so many things I  have experienced in life to wrote about. Will also write about current events arond us . This is a small beginning towards that

Rain

when I look out of my window the sky is dark rain may be coming soon. But the experience of rain I had in Kerala is unmatched . The preparation for rain will start sonn after Vishu. The pond in the house will be cleaned and the whole compound will be ccleaned and readied for the rain. The rain usually start from May 20th or 25 th that is called Edavapathi ( Middle of the malayalm month Edavam) and how it rains !!!!!.

It will be raining day and night all the ponds and the canals connected to it will be overflowing , we kids will have a gala time looking for fish, snakes ,turtles and forgs. We catch a few of them but never eat them. By the time the rain catches on the scholl will be opening by the first of June. From then on the pattern of rain completely changes. It will not be raining in the morning but by the time we will be ready for school by about nine o clock the sky will suddenly become dark and it will start rain  heavily ,we will reach school in the heavy rain and all of us will be shivering in cold and once the school starts the rain will mysteriously stop !!!! . Again by around 3.30 in the evening the sky will  darken and the rain will start exactly by 4 o' clock as the school will end at that time. We will reach home drenched , drink hot tea and tapioca or some thing , go out and play in the rain making paper boats and have swim in the pond which will be filled by then. In the night it will be raining throuhout and will sleep listening to the sounds of the frogs in the pond .This will continue till Onam and again the the rains will come in October and  November . I have so many memories of celerations , games, school and college days in thse rains . will write about that another time . I have never seen that kind of rains in Bangalore and but seen the torrential rain in Mumabi which we enjoyed .

Now I am planning to go Wynad or somewhere in Kerala to enjoy rains . Rains are an integral part of amy life cannot imagine living in a place without rains ..

Terrorism

We have been the victims of terrorism for a long time now . The ruling class is not able to take any concrete action in fghting menace due to the politics of votebank. I tis surprising to know that there is no comprehensive law to fight terror in this country. All other countries have laws and the law enforcement agencies have powers to search, detain and check organisations and individual who spread terror in the name of religion,ideology or race. We still do not have any. The one who killed hundreds in mumbai lives as a state guest with spent on him and prospect of punishment for him looks far away as the legal process  goes on. The ruling class is not interested in improving technology and working conditions of the police force which will help us fight terror better. Instead they are interested in talks to a neighbouring country which is the epicenter of terror for reasons of political survival through votes.

Hope is not far away .We now have civil society fighting to implement a strict law against corruption at all levels which again the ruling class is not interested. They are forced to draft and implement a law now .
The same way the voice of indians will soon come up for strong a law for fighting terror and we will be able to win the battle against terror in the long run