Day 15

January 18,2010
06:32 P.M.
Monday.

Heyy everybody....I'm back on the blogger with another post and that too within a week....now that indicates the level of our 'foktaii' or idleness these days. Well as we all know days of comfort never last for too long as we had to resume our college from today. Usually during holidays or at time of our GT's I used to develop a habit of getting up late in morning....rather I should say getting up early in noon....and even after awaking I take a long time to regain my consciousness. But today, it was all different. Noticing my pace....mom inquired about my intentions and she was 'totally shocked' after learning that I am getting ready for college !!....let me quote her exact reaction which goes like "abhi se college ??....abhi to exam khatam huye dus din bhi nahi huye hain....collg abhi se khul gaye kya ??"....then it took me another half an hour to make her understand that in all other previous semester there was also no such thing like semester break....we use to take that break on our will and this time for a change we are not taking that huge break(although the inner me was aware of the fact that this was not for a change....this time our intentions were a bit different !!)

After that the time that we spent at college was also superb....I mean it was really awesome to see the faces of our respected faculties who were jolted after seeing us at the college in the very beginning of the session. It was fun to see the condition of faculties who were in a great dilemma after our traumatic appearance. Although the strength today was only thirteen but it was enough to compel them to move their butts to the classroom and take the lectures. The situation can be easily estimated by the instance that the time table which was in effect from the 11th of January was circulated to the concerned faculties after our appearance in the college. Well the most positive thing about the time table of this semester is all senior faculties are allotted to us this time time. Well I'm afraid that I'll be able to enjoy these moments for two days only because I have to leave for Mumbai on 20th.

Ahh....Mumbai....another excursion and I guess it will be the last one in my engineering tenure so I want to enjoy it completely. Here, I would like to tell you that I'm a touring freak. I love to visit different places, different cities, roam there, meet people of different cultures and know about them. Well the only reason for my this passion is the real incredibility of incredible India. India is said to be the land of cultures, religions and diversities. Geographically, it is distinguished by the rest of the Asia by the great Himalayan range and stretches upto the Indian Ocean in the south and from Arabian Sea in the west to the Bay of Bengal in the east. Amidst these boundaries India virtually holds every imaginable landscape. An abundance of mountain ranges and that too in every region, rivers, national parks, forest etc provide copious opportunity for adventurous activities such as trekking, river rafting, camping etc that fascinates me the most. I have already been to many parts of this divine land but still there is a lot to discover about it. I would love to give you a glimpse of this splendiferous country but then this blog post will break all the records of lengths, but I promise to deliver that to you in next post.

Today, when I came back from the college in the evening I was traversing through the various channels on television and found something to be cherished about. The legendary song "Mile sur mera tumhara" is being re-picturised and i guess re-recorded also under the name "Fir mile sur" featuring Shahrukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Salman bhai and many others and whose launch is scheduled on the 26th of January thats Republic Day. I still remember when I was small and there was no flood of such commercial television channels the stand alone entertainer was Doordarshan. Although the telecast of each day always used to began with Vande-matram still the frequency of other patriotic and nationalistic songs immensely increases while approaching towards any such National Holiday. I hope almost all of us have at least listen it once....any way for the ones who haven't and for them who wants to hear it again I'm posting it here.

Now, this is a song which is self sufficient to project the unity among the different diversities in India whether be it region, religion, culture or just anything. In that promotional video for fir mile sur I found Salman Khan saying that this song is almost next to National Anthem for India which is not wrong in any sense. Well I'm very much eager to see the new version of this great song. On the closing note let me wish you a a very happy republic day in advance, as would not be able to go online from 20th to 27th of January, till then be good, do good and keep loving your nation !!

Long Live India
Ravi Sharma

Day 14

January 12, 2010
01:03 PM
Tuesday.

First of all to start with....A Very Happy New Year to all of you....may this year bring new heights of success for you and add new accolades in your life. A new year has just commenced...full of new hopes....new targets and not to forget new resolutions, leaving behind the memories of the old one. Lets hope this year will be peaceful, brighter and more prosperous for all of us.

Phew....again a huge break....again many excuses (though some are justified too)....but OMG !!....I forgot the first anniversary of my blog that was on 8th of January....oops I missed it....anyways belated Happy Birthday my blog. Well quickly coming to the main concern of today's post....how many of you know that 12th of January is celebrated as "National Youth Day" in India....and how many of you know that on whose birth anniversary this day is celebrated ??....If you don't know....don't worry you are still in majority !!

On 12th January, 1863 a boy named Narendranath Dutta was born in Calcutta which was then part of Bengal Presidency of slave India, who later turned out to be a legend and was known as Swami Vivekananda to the whole world. The same Swami Vivekananda who changed the way the world look at India, the same Swami Vivekananda who showed a path of success and enlightenment to the Indian Youth. The one who taught the lessons of spirituality , self control and human service to the whole world. He was the chief disciple of Shri Ramakrishna Paramhansa and later established Ramakrishna Mission on his name.

Since birth Narendranath was more inclined towards spirituality and realization of god. While searching for a man who could directly demonstrate the reality of God, he came to Shri Ramakrishna Paramhansa and became his disciple. As a guru, Ramakrishna taught him Advaita Vedanta and that all religions are true, and service to man was the most effective worship of God. After the death of his Guru, Vivekananda became a wandering monk, touring the Indian subcontinent and getting a first-hand account of India's condition. He travelled through rail and road to different parts of the country and studied various cultures and literature. He also gained information about various religions being worshiped in India. He visited almost every part of India and in this continuation he lastly visited southern India. At Kanyakumari, the Swami meditated on the "last bit of Indian rock", famously known later as the Vivekananda Rock Memorial for three days. At Kanyakumari, Vivekananda had the "Vision of one India", also commonly called "The Kanyakumari resolve of 1892". He wrote,

"At Cape Camorin sitting in Mother Kumari's temple, sitting on the last bit of Indian rock - I hit upon a plan: We are so many sanyasis wandering about, and teaching the people metaphysics-it is all madness. Did not our Gurudeva used to say, `An empty stomach is no good for religion?' We as a nation have lost our individuality and that is the cause of all mischief in India. We have to raise the masses."

Vivekananda Rock Memorial

Swami Vivekananda went to Chicago to attend The Parliament of Religions. His journey to America took him through China, Japan, Canada and he arrived at Chicago in July 1893. But to his disappointment he learnt that no one without credentials from a bona fide organization would be accepted as a delegate. He came in contact with Professor John Henry Wright of Harvard University. After inviting him to speak at Harvard and on learning of his not having credential to speak at the Parliament, Wright is quoted as having said, "To ask for your credentials is like asking the sun to state its right to shine in the heavens." Wright then addressed a letter to the Chairman in charge of delegates writing, "Here is a man who is more learned than all of our learned professors put together."

The Parliament of Religions opened on 11 September 1893 at the Art Institute of Chicago. On this day Vivekananda gave his first brief address. He represented India and Hinduism. Though initially nervous, he bowed to Saraswati, the goddess of learning and began his speech with, "Sisters and brothers of America!". To these words he got a standing ovation from a crowd of seven thousand, which lasted for two minutes. Dr. Barrows, the president of the Parliament said, "India, the Mother of religions was represented by Swami Vivekananda, the Orange-monk who exercised the most wonderful influence over his auditors." He attracted widespread attention in the press, which dubbed him as the "Cyclonic monk from India". The New York Critique wrote, "He is an orator by divine right, and his strong, intelligent face in its picturesque setting of yellow and orange was hardly less interesting than those earnest words, and the rich, rhythmical utterance he gave them." The New York Herald wrote, "Vivekananda is undoubtedly the greatest figure in the Parliament of Religions. After hearing him we feel how foolish it is to send missionaries to this learned nation." The American newspapers reported Swami Vivekananda as "the greatest figure in the parliament of religions" and "the most popular and influential man in the parliament".

Swami Vivekananda not only helped to restore a sense of pride among Hindus over their religion but also enlightened the Indian Youth and provoked them to be thoughtful and be united. In many institutes, students have come together and formed organizations meant for promoting discussion of spiritual ideas and the practice of such high principles. Many of his quotes were responsible for this....some of them are :

• “Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life - think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success, that is way great spiritual giants are produced.”

• “We are responsible for what we are, and whatever we wish ourselves to be, we have the power to make ourselves. If what we are now has been the result of our own past actions, it certainly follows that whatever we wish to be in future can be produced by our present actions; so we have to know how to act.”

• “We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far.”

• “The goal of mankind is knowledge ... Now this knowledge is inherent in man. No knowledge comes from outside: it is all inside. What we say a man 'knows', should, in strict psychological language, be what he 'discovers' or 'unveils'; what man 'learns' is really what he discovers by taking the cover off his own soul, which is a mine of infinite knowledge.”

There are many such quotes said by Swami Vivekananda which elucidated the thinking of many Natonal Leaders and inspired them. He will be remembered as a great spiritual leader and will be seen as a great idol for youths. Today's post is completely dedicated to this great man who is regarded as one of India's foremost nation-builders. To end with

"Arise, Awake! And stop not until the goal is reached"

Wishing you an enlightened year ahead,
Ravi Sharma