Tarang Magazine - August 2003 issue

~ enriching life, serving community, promoting heritageTM ~

august 2003 US $2.00

jaagaVk BaartaIyaaeM kI saaMsk�itak paiXaka cultural magazine for the distinguishing indian

sArE jahAB sE achchhAsArE jahAB sE achchhAsArE jahAB sE achchhAsArE jahAB sE achchhAsArE jahAB sE achchhAhindostAB hamArAhindostAB hamArAhindostAB hamArAhindostAB hamArAhindostAB hamArA

saare jaha

: sae AcCa

ihndaestaa

: hmaara

the wave

tarMgatarMgatarangtarang

(C) 2003 SHASHIKANT JOSHI

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Ohio Governor Bob TaftWhat India means to me?

... Ohio exports have increased 68% since 1999 to $110 million, and India isOhio's 21st largest export market. The new Ohio-India Chamber of Commerceshould further strengthen these business links. We are also hopeful that Indianmulti-national companies will invest in Ohio to serve the North American mar-ket.

India is a very diverse and fascinating country. My wife and I very much enjoyedour visit a number of years ago. We saw New Delhi, Calcutta, Madras, andother parts as well.

One cannot overestimate India's strategic economic and political importance inthe world today. As the world's largest democracy, a more dynamic India isemerging as a major force in the world. Therefore, it is imperative that Ohio andthe United States should continue to develop and maintain strong ties with India.

His ExcellencyShri Lalit Mansingh,

Ambassador of India to USA

His ExcellencyShri Bhairon Singh Shekhavat,

Vice President of India

tarang wishes everyone a

Happy India Independence DayAugust 15th, 2003


4 taraGg august 2003

mahajanaae yaena gataH sa panTaaH

indiabhAratbhAratbhAratbhAratbhAratBaarta

PiNwyaaNow in its 56th year as a modern, free, democratic country, India has always been a silent but

noticeable world inspirer and leader in its unique ways! How good is your India-101?

the national flag

The national flag consists of threeequally wide horizontal strips of deepsaffron (kesari) at the top, then white

and dark green at the bottom. The colours sig-nify spirituality, peace and prosperity respec-tively. In the centre of the white band is a navyblue wheel which represents the chakra fromthe abacus of the Sarnath Lion Capital of Em-peror Ashoka the Great. The flag has deepinner meaning rather than just the numberof states in it.

The ratio of width of the flag to its lengthis two to three. The design of the nationalflag was adopted by the Constituent Assem-bly of India on 22 July 1947.

��the national anthem

was composed originally in Bangla byRabindranath Tagore, was adopted in itsHindi version by the Constituent Assem-bly as the national anthem of India on 24January 1950. It was first sung on 27 De-cember 1911 at the Calcutta Session of theIndian National Congress. The completesong consists of five stanzas. The firststanza contains the full version of the Na-tional Anthem:janagaNa-mana-AiDanaayak jaya he

Baarta-Baagya-ivaDaataa

paMjaaba isanDau gaujarata maraQa

/daivaw. [tkla baMga

ivaMDya ihmaacala yamaunaa gaMgaa

[cCla jalaiDa tarMga

tava SauBa naamae jaagae

tava SauBa AaiSaza maa:gae

gaahe tava jaya gaaTaa|

janagaNa-maMgaladayak jaya he

Baarta-Baagya-ivaDaataa

jaya he, jaya he, jaya he

jaya jaya jaya jaya he|

jana-gaNa-mana adhinAyaka jaya hEbhArata-bhAgya-vidhAtApanjAba sindhu gujarAta marAThAdrAviWa utkala bangavindhya himAchala yamuna gaGgAuchchhala jaladhi taraGgatava shubha nAmE jAgEtava shubha AshISh mABgEgAhE tava jaya gAthA |

jana-gaNa-maGgala-dAyaka jaya hEbhArata-bhAgya-vidhAtAjaya hE, jaya hE, jaya hEjaya jaya jaya jaya hE|

the anthem describes some of salient fea-tures of the land of bhArat, the fertilepanjAb, cradle of civilization - the erst-while sindh (now in pAkistAn), theentrepreneural gujarAt, brave mahArAShTra,ancient draviW, proud orissA and culturalbangAl; the high mountains of vindhya andhimAlaya, mighty rivers gaGgA and yamunAand the great indian ocean!

��

state emblemis an adaptation from the Sarnath Lion Capi-tal of Emperor Ashoka the Great, who re-nounced war and sponsored Buddhism aftera decided victory in war. In the original, thereare four lions, standing back to back, mountedon an abacus with a frieze carrying sculpturesin high relief of an elephant, a galloping horse,a bull and a lion separated by interveningwheels over a bell-shaped lotus. Carved outof a single block of polished sandstone, thecapital is crowned by the Wheel of the Law(Dharma-Chakra).

In the State emblem, adopted by the Gov-ernment of India on 26 January 1950, onlythree lions are visible, the fourth being hid-den from view. The bell-shaped lotus hasbeen omitted. The words �satyamEvasatyamEvasatyamEvasatyamEvasatyamEvajayatEjayatEjayatEjayatEjayatE� from muNDaka-upaniShad, mean-ing �Truth Alone Triumphs�, are inscribedbelow the abacus in �dEvanAgarI� script.

In one stroke, it speaks of ancient, spiri-tual, dharmic, fertile, powerful yet benevo-lent glorious India.

��national song

The song �vandE mAtaram�, composed inSanskrit by Bankimchandra Chatterji, wasa source of inspiration to the people in theirstruggle for freedom. It has an equal statuswith �jana-gaNa-mana�. The first politicaloccasion when it was sung was the 1896session of the Indian National Congress.

vande maatarma\!

saujalaama\ sauflaama\ malayaja-SaItalaama\

Sasya-Syaamalaama\ maatarma\!

SauBü-jyaaetsanaa paulaikta-yaaimainama\

fþÐ-kþsauimata /dumadla-SaaeiBainama\

sauhaisainama\ saumaDaur-Baaizainama\

sauKadama\ vardama\ maatarma\ |

vandE mAtaram!sujalAm, suphalAm, malayaja shItalAm,shasya-shyAmalAm, mAtaram!shubhra-jyotsanA pulakita-yAminimphulla-kusumita druma-dala shobinimsuhAsinim, su-madhura-bhAShinimsukhadAm, varadAm, mAtaram!

�salutations o mother!richly-watered, richly-fruited,cool with the mountain breeze,dark with the crop-harvests, o mother!

moonlit illuminated rejoicing nights,adorned with abundant flowering trees,sweet of laughter, sweet of speech,giver of comfort, giver of boons, mother!�

��national calendar

The national calendar based on the �shakasamvat� with �chaitra� as its first month anda normal year of 365 days was adopted from22 March 1957 along with the Gregoriancalendar for the following official purposes:(i) Gazette of India, (ii) news broadcast byAll India Radio, (iii) calendars issued bythe Government of India and (iv) Govern-ment communications addressed to the



august 2003 taraGg 5

do what the great men do

members of the public.

Dates of the national calendar have a per-manent correspondence with dates of theGregorian calendar : 1 Chaitra falling on22 March normally and on 21 March inleap year.

��

national animalThe magnificent tiger, Panthera tigris(Linnaeus), is a striped animal. It has a thickyellow coat of fur with dark stripes. The com-bination of grace, strength, agility and enor-mous power has earned the tiger its pride ofplace as the national animal of India.

Out of eight races of the species known,the Indian race, the Royal Bengal Tiger, isfound throughout the country (except in thenorth-western region) and also in theneighbouring countries, Nepal, Bhutan andBangladesh. To check the dwindling popu-lation of tigers in India �Project Tiger� waslaunched in April 1973. So far, 25 tiger re-serves have been established in the coun-try under this project, covering an areaof 33,875 sq km.

��

national birdThe Indian peacock, the national bird of In-dia, is a colourful, swan-sized bird, with afan-shaped crest of feathers, a white patch un-der the eye and a long, slender neck. The maleof the species is more colourful than the fe-male, with a glistening blue breast and neckand a spectacular bronze-green train ofaround 200 elongated feathers. The femaleis brownish, slightly smaller than the male,and lacks the train. The elaborate courtshipdance of the male, fanning out the tail andpreening its feathers, is a gorgeous sight.

The peacock is widely found in the Indiansub-continent from the south and east ofthe Indus river, Jammu and Kashmir, eastAssam, south Mizoram and the whole of

and �apa-bramsha�. It has been influencedand enriched by Dravidian, Turkish, Farsi,Arabic, Portugese and English. It is a veryexpressive language. In poetry and songs,it can convey emotions using simple andgentle words. It can also be used for exactand rational reasoning.

��

OXOXOreligions of india

India is most known for its spirituality,yoga, ayurveda, but few outside India know,that India has given the maximum numberof �faith systems�, allowing complete de-mocracy and openness in the matters ofdivine union of humans. It has given riseto the oldest system of divine principles,inquiries and social science called sanAtandharma or perennial principles. It is popu-larly called Hinduism, which literallymeans �of the land of Hind or India�. Inthat sense Hinduism is the only �religion�that by definition is a �way of life�.

India gave birth to Vedic Sanatan Dharma,Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism, apart from hun-dreds of faiths that date from tens of millen-nia to a few decades. It also sheltered innu-merable varieties of Jews, Zorostrians, Chris-tians, Muslims, Bahais and many more whowere welcomed when their homelands per-secuted them. It has the second largest Mus-lim population, more than Saudi Arab or Pa-kistan. There have never been wars, perse-cutions in the name of �who you bow to�.

�Hinduism� is the first belief system to rec-ognize one supreme divinity (para-brahma);primordial sound or the sound of creation(nAda, O, om); different ways leading tothe same goal, the path of wisdom (jJAna),action (karma), devotion (bhakti);�newton�s law of action and reaction� in theform of the �law of karma�; the divinity ofhumans and all life forms; creation a wayof realizing the creator; tolerance and ac-ceptance that different people have differ-ent levels and needs of rituals andspi�ritual�. O

the Indian peninsula. The Peacock enjoysprotection from the people as it is nevermolested for religious and sentimental rea-sons. Peacock is the �vAhana� of Lord�kArtikEya� and Lord �kRiShNa� has one ofhis plumes on his crown. It is fully pro-tected under the Indian Wildlife (Protec-tion) Act, 1972.

��

national flower�Padma� or Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) is theNational Flower of India. It is a sacred flowerand occupies a unique position in the art andmythology of ancient India and has been anauspicious symbol of Indian culture sincetime immemorial. It has a spiritual signifi-cance as it grows in muddy water, yet is un-touched by it in its beauty. Similarly, humansshould be untouched by desires and the mAyAof mortal world, instead, do selfless deeds andescape the cycle of karma. The highest civilhonours in India are named after the Padma,Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan, PadmaShri etc.

��languages of india

Baarta kI Baazaa{:There are 18 languages recognized by theIndian Constitution. These languages areAssamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi,Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Malayalam,Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi,Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telgu, Urdu.

Hindi is the official and main link languageof India. Its homeland is mainly in thenorthern India, but it is spoken and widelyunderstood in all urban centers of India. Itis written in the �dEvanAgarI� script, whichis phonetic and, unlike English, is pro-nounced as it is written. Hindi is a directdescendant of Sanskrit through �prAkRita�

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ka vazaaY jaba k�iza sauKaanae

Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism, it illus-trates the spirit of tolerance that has alwaysbeen the unique characteristic of India.

Nestled in the crook of the Charanadari hillin Deccan is a series of ancient temples andmonasteries hewn out of the moutainside.Situated on the ancient north-south traderoute or the dakshiNApatha, the tiny moun-tain village of Verul � mutated today toEllora � was a well-known stopover for trad-ers, priests and pilgrims who plied the routeto the western ports.

Beginning sometime in the 7th century,when the Chalukyas (553 - 753) ruled theDeccan, these wayfarers decided to maketheir presence permanent. And excavationstarted on a number of Buddhist chaitya and

vihAra. The place foundfavour with other faiths aswell, and over the next fivecenturies, Hindus and Jainsalso built their temples in therocks there.

Unlike the caves at Ajanta,the Ellora caves were never�lost�. Largely because it layon a more frequented route,Ellora remained in the pub-lic eye. In fact, kailAshaTemple remained a practisingshrine until the 19th century.Several travellers to India in-cluding the 10th century Arabgeographer Al Masudi andNiccolao Manucci in early17th century mention thecaves in their accounts.

the cavesThere are 34 caves, of which 12 are Bud-dhist, 17 Hindu and 5 Jain. The caves allface west, so are best seen in the afternoon.

Although not too far removed from theAjanta caves in terms of both space andtime, the chaitya and vihAra of Ellora arearchitecturally and sculpturally different.Compared to the Ajanta paintings andsculptures, the Ellora representations aremore earthly, drawing elements from thevajra-yAna school of Buddhism. The

In 1983, UNIESCO listed the ajantA ajantA ajantA ajantA ajantA andandandandandellorAellorAellorAellorAellorA caves in mahArAShTra, India, asworld heritage sites. Not that it adds to

the intrinsic value of the caves, it does giveit more exposure outside India. In the com-ing issues, we will explore the various worldheritage sites located in India.

The absolutely amazing part of the caves isthat the whole thing, caves, statues, temples,platforms, etc. are carved, excavated out ofthe mountain stone only.

ajanta cavesThe first Buddhist cave monuments atAjanta date from the 2nd and 1st ceturiesBCE. During the Gupta period (5th and 6thcenturies), many more richly decoratedcaves were added to the original group. Thepaintings and sculptures ofAjanta, considered masterpiecesof Buddhist art, have had a con-siderable artistic influence.

The caves including the unfin-ished ones are thirty in number,of which five (9, 10, 19, 26 and29) are chaitya-gRiha and the restare vihAra (monasteries). Aftercenturies of oblivion, these caveswere discovered in 1819.

A few paintings which survive onthe walls of Caves 9 and 10 goback to the 2nd century BCE. Thethemes centre around Buddha,Bodhisattvas, incidents from thelife of Buddha and the Jatakas.The paintings are executed on aground of mud-plaster in the tem-pera technique.

ellora cavesThese 34 monasteries and temples, extend-ing over more than 2 km, were dug side byside in the wall of a high basalt cliff, notfar from modern-day Aurangabad, inMaharashtra. Ellora, with its uninterruptedsequence of monuments dating from 600 to1000, brings the civilization of ancient In-dia to life. Not only is the Ellora complex aunique artistic creation and a technologicalexploit but, with its sanctuaries devoted to

dwArapAla, or doorkeepers that flank eachdoorway, the gigantic Bodhisattvas and theirconsorts have a robust earthiness aboutthem.

architectural masterpieceIn fact, it is architectural skill rather thansculptural aesthetics that Ellora is noted for.Buddhist Cave 12 or tIna tala, for instance,has a rather plain edifice with unadornedpillars and the sculptured panels are onlyon the inner walls. But its historical valuelies in the fact that human hands fashioneda three-storeyed building from solid rockwith such painstaking skill that even thefloors and the ceiling are smooth and lev-elled. Tin Tala cave is a commodious mon-astery-cum-chapel, with cells enough tohouse 40 monks. It dates to the rAShTra-kUTaperiod in the middle of the 8th century.

Rock-cut kailAsha temple (100m x 50m)(Henri Stierlin)

kaliAsha kaliAsha kaliAsha kaliAsha kaliAsha temple - world�slargest monolithic structure

The other Buddhist caves as well as the firstfew Hindu caves are fairly unremarkableand do not prepare you for the magnificenceof Kailasha Temple or Cave 16. Believed tohave been started by the Rashtrakuta king,Krishna I.

Its excavation must rank as an architecturalwonder. Two great trenches some 90 meterslong were dug into the hillside. They wereconnected at the deepest point by anothertrench 53 metres across. The temple wasmeant to appear as though rising from avast courtyard at ground level.

The great block of residual rock, rising 30metres, was then carved into the three- sto-reyed vimAna, the main maNDapa, two gi-ant dhwaja-stambha or pillars, and four sub-

rock pillar cut out of themountain side! Kailasha

temple, Ellora

UNESCO world heritage sites in India




while the grass grows, the horse starves

1997 Rohtas

shrines. Beginning at the top, the mass ofrock was hewn into shape, and as each layerwas shaped, the carves began ornamentingthe structure. Each layer was thus hewn anddecorated completely before moving down-ward, thus eliminating the need for any scaf-folding. Compare this with Mt. Rushmore,if you will, four simple heads carved withmodern machines!

The temple is dedicated to Shiva and namedfor his mountain home in the Himalayas,the snow-peak Kailasha. The main shrineand the Nandi maNDapa are built on a plinth,over 7.8 metres high, with its entire verti-cal surface carved with mythical animals.

The shikhara, or tower, of the Kailasha temple,entirely cut out of a mountain side!

The Chhota KailashaA further 2 kms along the rock-face are theJain caves, the most recent of the lot, hav-ing been excavated between AD 800-1100.Of these the chhoTA kailAsha (Cave 30) andthe indra-sabhA (Cave 32) are the most note-worthy. Chhota Kailasha is a miniaturisedversion of the stupendous Hindu KailashaTemple.

However, the masterpiece of the Jain cavesis the two-storeyed indra-sabhA temple. Thedoorway opens onto a courtyard containinga small shrine, but the temple itself is a largeedifice attained by a high flight of steps andflanked by a huge dhwaja-stambha (flagpost) and a statue of an elephant. The three-sides of the central quadrangle are carvedover to produce a two-storeyed façade con-taining a series of shrines to the many Jaintirthankara or saints.

What staggers one at Ellora is the realisationthat all that beauty one beholds was fash-ioned by human hand, more than amillenium ago. O

the calm of the understanding spirit, and aunifying, a pacifying love for all livingthings.�

joseph campbell (1904-1987)�In the Biblical tradition, God creates man,but man cannot say that he is divine in thesame sense that the Creator is, where as inHinduism, all things are incarnations ofThat Power. We are the sparks from a singlefire. And we are all fire. There is no �fall�.Man is not cut off from the Divine.�

sir monier-williams�The Hindus, were Spinozists more than2,000 years before the advent of Spinoza,and Darwinians many centuries before Dar-win and evolutionists many centuries be-fore the doctrine of evolution was acceptedby scientists of the present age.�

peggy holroyde�History and art and literature and philoso-phy do not begin and end at the Mediterra-nean as a great many school and universitycurricula would have us believe � Out ofpolitical and economic necessity, Asians andAfricans have had to learn more about usthan we about them.

It is sometimes salutary as Westerners toask ourselves what would have been the ef-fect upon our culture and christian civiliza-tion if we had lived through 300 years ofHindu rule with all its inevitable influencesupon our processes of thought, education,religion and artistic expression, leavingaside our own personal psychology.�� Indian Music - A Vast Ocean of Promise�

��Almost every Indian prides in such won-derful comments made about India by greatminds of non-Indian origins. Indeed theseare some of the most flattering statementsone would hear. It works as an authoratative�approval� of the �greatness of their (Indi-ans�) motherland�. Be it winning Oscars orMiss Universe, approval seeking is at thecore of every Indian�s psyche!

Non-Indians don�t cares what India or itsgreat minds have to say about their coun-try! No one should seek approval from out-side to feel good about themselves!

Indians should realize their own worth intheir own terms and shine forth confidently!

O

Great minds of all ages whohave had the fortune ofknowing India in its viva-

cious colours, have been awe-struck, with the variety of life-stylesunder a general umbrella of �Hin-duism� or �The Indian way of life�.When Alexander asked his guru, what hewanted from the Indies, his reply was �Aguru�. Some of the great minds of moderntimes who have shaped western thoughthave been in turn influenced deeply by In-dian thoughts. Here are a few.

arthur schopenhauer(1788-1860)

�In the whole world there is no study sobeneficial and so elevating as that of theupaniShadsupaniShadsupaniShadsupaniShadsupaniShads. It has been the solace of mylife - it will be the solace of my death.�

� certainly one of the greatest philosophers ofthe 19th century. German philosopher,

influenced Kant, Otto and Jung.

henry david thoreau(1817-1862)

�In the morning I bathe my intellect in thestupendous and cosmogonal philosophy ofthe bhagvad-gItA bhagvad-gItA bhagvad-gItA bhagvad-gItA bhagvad-gItA in comparison with whichour modern world and its literature seemspuny.�

ralph waldo emerson(1803-1882)

�I owed a magnificent day to the bhagvad-bhagvad-bhagvad-bhagvad-bhagvad-gItAgItAgItAgItAgItA. It was as if an empire spoke to us, noth-ing small or unworthy, but large, serene,consistent, the voice of an old intelligencewhich in another age and climate had pon-dered and thus disposed of the same ques-tions which exercise us.�

mark twain (1835-1910)�Land of religions, cradle of human race,birthplace of human speech, grandmotherof legend, great grandmother of tradition.the land that all men desire to see and hav-ing seen once even by a glimpse, would notgive that glimpse for the shows of the restof the globe combined.�

will durant (1885 - 1981)�Perhaps in return for conquest, arroganceand spoliation, India will teach us the tol-erance and gentleness of the mature mind,the quiet content of the non-acquisitive soul,

tributes to india




coming events6 Jul - 14 Sep The Sensous and the Sacred: Chola Bronzes from South-

ern India. Cleveland Musuem of Art. Call (216) 421-7340

August 20032 Aug, Sat Mamta Shankar Ballet6:30 PM Solon High School. Call Amit (440) 353-959210 Aug, Sun Family Day at Cleveland Museum of Art

Chola Bronze Exhibition. Call (216) 421-734023 Aug, Sat Hema Malini in Live Dance Ballet - Radha Krishna5 PM TriC Main Auditorium. Rupa Parikh (440) 993-750030 Aug-1 Sep Annual ASEI ConventionFri-Mon �Entrepreneurship for a Waking Giant� at Hilton Cleveland

South. Call Jag Kottha (216) 299-8011

September 200313 Sep, Sat ihndI idvasa samaaraeh - Hindi Diwas Celebrations2-5 PM at Kiva Hall, Kent State Univ. kiva sammaelana saayaM 6 bajae

RSVP to Dr Sneh Raj (330) 633-114327 Sep, Sat AAIWO �women�s all day retreat�

Yoga, meditation, hiking, facials, massage, mehndi and food.$35/person. RSVP AAIWO (440) 734-7788

27 Sep, Sat Samarpana - Fundraiser dance recital4:30PM Sujatha Srinivasan�s Bharatnatyam dance with live orches-

tra at Tri-C Metro campus. Call Sree (440) 519-9660

keep connected! join the email mailing list [email protected]

message boardHappy Birthdays: Republic ofIndia; Akash Ganguly; VaidehiSharma; Saurabh Sharma;Nishkam and Shrikant Joshi;

many cultures, one world

On May 15, Marion C. Seltzer Elementary School in Cleveland helda multi-cultural day, �Many Cul-

tures, One World�. Two Indian teachers,Mrs. R. Khan and Amit Ghosh along withNeeta Chandra, Board Member, AAIWO,did a presentation on India. There were post-ers, exhibits depicting clothes and currency,spices, songs and dances. Snacks were of-fered to staff, students and parents. Afterwatching Aishwarya Rai and Madhuri go-ing through the song and dance routine fromDevdas, some little boys wanted to marryIndian girls! �I wish I was an Indian�, saidone child wistfully.

On June 19th, Gauri Hampole and AmyNakhooda, who are Board Members ofAAIWO, held an evening of Indian enter-tainment at Welsh Nursing Home in RockyRiver. Students of Padma Rajagolpalan dida Bharatnatyam presentation, including thedifferent dance forms. Residents even at-tempted to copy some of these, and enjoyedthe demonstration. � Cheryl D�mello

iit dean visits cleveland

On June 22, Professor MadhusudanChakraborty, Dean of Alumni Affairs, IIT Kharagpur visited Cleveland

during his recent tour to various US cities.

The informal luncheon picnic hosted by IITalumni Jacob Matthew was well attendedby the whole spectrum of alumni, from allIITs, from 1957 batch to the most recentones. The Dean updated everyone with thecurrent projects of IITs and the role ofalumni in the development of some of thebest institutes of higher studies in the world!

tarang editor, also an iit alumni, with thedean and alumni shrikant joshi

ohio

woman power!

When it comes to serving the smallbusiness community, Rita Singhhas gone beyond the call of duty

by creating and participating in projects andefforts in advancing and regeneration of eco-nomic development in the City of Cleve-land and in our region. The vision startedfrom home and the management-consult-ing firm �S&A Consulting Group LLC� iscurrently serving from one-person entrepre-neur to fifty fortune companies across theworld in Global Resource Management De-velopment, Marketing of Product, Manu-facturing/Engineering/Quality Systems, Ac-counting, Taxation, Finance and other cus-tomize projects.

In May 2003, S&A received another presti-gious award as �Top Ten Women BusinessOwners in Northeast Ohio� for the year2002 from National Association of WomenBusiness Owners (NAWBO).

S&A has received great testimonials, acco-lades and awards over the years such asbeing the first Asian Indian Woman to serveas a Board of Directors on the nations larg-est chamber of commerce the Council ofSmaller Enterprises/COSE, 2002 Accoun-tant Advocate of the Year for the District ofCleveland and State of Ohio from U.S.Small Business Administration, honored asone of the 500 most influential woman inNortheast Ohio by Northern Ohio Live in2002, Woman of the Year in 1998 and re-cipient of Diversity in Business Model ofSuccess Award and goes on.

She attributes the success to a �collectiveeffort� from her family � daughters Kavita& Anjulika and husband Nip.

Community EventsSend in your upcoming events and recent news for printing. (See page 10)

Keep connected. Send emails to [email protected] joining email to [email protected]




keep connected! join the email mailing list [email protected]

answers from the last issue

word jumblefind the following words related to india. (you can go up, down, diagonal or even backwards)

a b r a h m A X S L

d h f d s h k A B k

f l Q G h J b l E t

b R i h a s p a t i

g k f P y O U r T D

h h g u r u g k r N

j v y h A g f u g a

k d h f h j f h j p

l f k e c l g s l W

y e r n A n a k D s

a s d h n k i O p I

t R T g D G i h s k

B b h A r a t a h b

p k g n T r d y i n

r w h d e A f p v h

a k d h r y i o A X

t e a I s B A h j B

A k D l d t e w I J

p h b h A k h r A L

s i k k i m G H P Y

bhAratbhAratbhAratbhAratbhArat - real name of �india�; gAndhI; gAndhI; gAndhI; gAndhI; gAndhI - fa-ther of free india; pratAp; pratAp; pratAp; pratAp; pratAp - fought againstthe first powerful moghul - akbar; shivAjI; shivAjI; shivAjI; shivAjI; shivAjI -fought against the imperialist tyranny ofaurangzeb, the last powerful moghul; jhABsI; jhABsI; jhABsI; jhABsI; jhABsI- queen of jhABsI led the rebellion againstthe imperialist tyranny of britain; kalAm; kalAm; kalAm; kalAm; kalAm -current president and father of nuclear india;;;;;bhAkhrAbhAkhrAbhAkhrAbhAkhrAbhAkhrA - one of the first dams in free india,secret of paJjAb�s riches; TATA; TATA; TATA; TATA; TATA - builder ofthe first steel plant for the future of freeindia; sikkim; sikkim; sikkim; sikkim; sikkim - second highest mountainkAnchan-janghA, and dArjeeling - best hillresort and tea in the world; iitiitiitiitiit - higher stud-ies institute the toughest to get in!

political map of india with 29 states and 6 union territories.




the real yogi and renouncer �

AnaaiotaH kmaYflaM, kayaYM kmaY kraeita yaH|sa saMnyaasaI ca yaaegaI ca, na inarig®naY caai/kyaHó

anAshritaH karma-phalam,

kAryam karma karoti yaH|

sa saMnyAsI cha yogI cha,

na nir-agnir-na chAkriyaH||

��

kmaYfla ka Aaoya na laekr jaae ktaYvyakmaY krtaa hE, vahI

saMnyaasaI taTaa yaaegaI hE; k�vala Aig®tyaaga sae saMnyaasaI nahIM haetaa,

inaiz/kya haenae sae yaaegaI nahIM haetaa|| (oImaÂgava¿Itaa 6-1)one who does his duty without depending upon the fruits ofit, he is saMnyAsI (renouncer), he is yogI| not the renouncer

of fire (is not saMnyAsI), or of activities (is not yogI)||(shrImad-bhagavad-gItA 6-1)

��anAshritaHanAshritaHanAshritaHanAshritaHanAshritaH=without refuge, not depending upon; karma-karma-karma-karma-karma-

phalamphalamphalamphalamphalam=fruits of actions; kAryamkAryamkAryamkAryamkAryam=worth doing, acting upon;karmakarmakarmakarmakarma=actions, deeds; karotikarotikarotikarotikaroti=does; yaHyaHyaHyaHyaH=one who; sasasasasa=he;

saMnyAsIsaMnyAsIsaMnyAsIsaMnyAsIsaMnyAsI=renouncer, one with good foundation (for the afterlife?); chachachachacha=and; nanananana=not; nir-agniHnir-agniHnir-agniHnir-agniHnir-agniH=without fire; chachachachacha=and;

akriyaHakriyaHakriyaHakriyaHakriyaH=actionless;��

saMnyAsI is one who renounces| it literally means one withproper foundation (sam + nyAsa)| foundation for the afterlife, or union with the divine| one who has gathered all

wisdom and experiences from this human life! a saMnyAsIrenounces all material things, including the fire � be it forcooking or rituals| he wanders like an ascetic, with no attach-ment, no belongings|

a yogI is one who has had union with the divine, or is on theway to it| he is the one who is without actions in the material,mortal world, seen meditating or immersed in the divine, wearing

nothing or saffron clothes|

it is a common misconception among people that according tothe scriptures and even otherwise, a saMnyAsI is one who hasrenounced material comforts like cooked food or warmth offire| and a yogI is one who is aloof from the society, absorbedin his own world|

in context of karma-yoga, lord shrI kRiShNa says in the sixthchapter that these are not true| the true saMnyAsI is one whorenounces the dependence upon, desire of the fruits of one�sactions (not that he or she will not get them!)| mere physicalrenunciation is nothing| owning a car is not bad if you do itfor ease of transportation, without attachment to the thing| butsitting aloof and thinking of what all could have been done inthe life gone by, is not saMnyAsa!

neither is yoga the stopping of actions| maharShi pataJjalisaid, �yogaH chitta-vRitti-nirodhaH�, which is not just stoppingthe actions, but the desire for them or their fruits!

so why is one told to do actions? humans by nature have agreat urge to do things| we do things for two reasons � to getthe fruits, or to get over it| e.g. the mind is more restful afterwe fulfill our craving once; of course keeping control that itdoesn�t become a habit! that is why moksha is after dharma,artha, kAma| the logic being that after fulfilling the materialdesires in the prescribed social way, one would have got overthe desires for more|

one should only do the sanctioned, moral, legal actions that arenatural to one| a scholar should not try hard to acquire busi-ness acumen; nor should a businessman join the army| i.e.don�t go against your natural talent, qualities etc.

it is easy to leave everything, but difficult to be like a lotus, inthe mud of mortal world�s actions and their fruits, but un-touched by it and shine like a lotus in full bloom|

- shashikant joshi

yaaEvanaM DanasaMpaiôaH püBautvamaivavaeiktaa|{k�kmapyanaTaaYya ikmau yaXa catauzqyama\ ó

yauvanam dhana-sampattiH, prabhutvam-avivEkitA|Ekaikamapi-anarthAya, kimu yatra chatuShTayam||

yauvanam=yauvanam=yauvanam=yauvanam=yauvanam=youth; dhana-sampattiH=dhana-sampattiH=dhana-sampattiH=dhana-sampattiH=dhana-sampattiH=wealth;prabhutvam=prabhutvam=prabhutvam=prabhutvam=prabhutvam=control, power; avivEkitA=avivEkitA=avivEkitA=avivEkitA=avivEkitA=lack of discriminatingpower, practical wisdom; Eka-Ekam-api=Eka-Ekam-api=Eka-Ekam-api=Eka-Ekam-api=Eka-Ekam-api=even one (by itself,

instead of all four); anarthAya=anarthAya=anarthAya=anarthAya=anarthAya=for disaster, mishap;kimu=kimu=kimu=kimu=kimu=what (to say); yatra=yatra=yatra=yatra=yatra=where; chatuShTayam=chatuShTayam=chatuShTayam=chatuShTayam=chatuShTayam=all these

four!

youth, wealth, fame, stupidity, each is individually capableof a disaster, mishap, what to say when all four are in oneplace! this shloka is heard by a king who has four useless

princes, whom the entire hitopadEsha is taught!

varmaekae gauNaI pauXaae na ca maUKaYSataEripa|{kÕn/dstamaae hinta na ca taaragaNaEripa ó

varam-Eko guNI putro, na cha mUrkha-shatair-api|Ekash-chandras-tamo hanti, na cha tArA-gaNair-api||

varamvaramvaramvaramvaram=worthy, better; EkaHEkaHEkaHEkaHEkaH=one; guNIguNIguNIguNIguNI=endowed withqualities; putraHputraHputraHputraHputraH=son (child); chachachachacha=and; nanananana=not; apiapiapiapiapi=even;

mUrkhamUrkhamUrkhamUrkhamUrkha=fools; shataiHshataiHshataiHshataiHshataiH=hundred; EkaHEkaHEkaHEkaHEkaH=one; chandraHchandraHchandraHchandraHchandraH=moon;tamaHtamaHtamaHtamaHtamaH=darkness; hantihantihantihantihanti=kills, removes; gaNaiHgaNaiHgaNaiHgaNaiHgaNaiH=group;

tArAtArAtArAtArAtArA=stars;

just one good son endowed with qualities is enough, not evena hundred stupid ones| the darkness of the night is removedby a single moon, not even hundreds of stars! this analogy is

also applicable for employees, contractors etc. i.e. instead ofgetting hundred cheap but less qualified employees/contrac-tors, one should get one good one!




f rom AkAshaAkAshaAkAshaAkAshaAkAsha (sky) (sky) (sky) (sky) (sky) i learnt that eventhough there are different �spaces�(buildings, vessels, caves etc.) the

�atmosphere� is the same, similarly eventhough there are different small andlarge mobile and immobile life forms,the divine is same in all of them in theform of AtmA (soul) � (like the samethread goes through all the beads in anecklace)| similarly,the seeker should un-derstand AtmA in itsomnipresence, likespace| wild fires hap-pen, rain falls, harvestis cut, clouds comeand go; but the skyis untouched bythem| similarly, past present and fu-ture causes so many creation and trans-formation of forms and identities, butnothing even touches the AtmA|�

�jalajalajalajalajala (water) (water) (water) (water) (water) by nature is clear, fric-tionless, quencher (of thirst), and puri-fying (e.g. in rituals, water is sprinkled)|the sacred river pilgrimage purify whendevotee visits them, touches (bathes in)them or even chants their name| simi-larly, one should make one�s naturepure, loving (frictionless) and purify-ing, benevolent for others, in sight,touch or memory|�

�agniagniagniagniagni (fire) (fire) (fire) (fire) (fire) is full of lustre, heat, in-suppressible energy; it doesn�t hoardanything, consumes everything and yetremains unaffected; similarly the seekershould be lustrous with penance, fullof energy, controlling senses, shouldonly gather what can be consumed inthe stomach (no hoarding), and be un-affected by the subjects of senses (noaddiction or slavery of any pleasureseven while experiencing them)| just likefire takes the shape of what it burns(e.g. long, short, or uneven stick), simi-

larly the omnipresent AtmA appears totake the qualities of the nAma-rUpanAma-rUpanAma-rUpanAma-rUpanAma-rUpaforms and identities (bodies) it takeson|�

�even though no one can see �time�, itseffects are seen in the waxing and wan-ing of the chandramA chandramA chandramA chandramA chandramA (moon)(moon)(moon)(moon)(moon); but themoon is not really increasing or decreas-ing| similarly, all the changes from birthto death are only of the body, not ofthe AtmA| even though the materialbodies are transforming every second,we don�t see out of ignorance (lack ofperception at the microscopic level)|�

�just as the sUryasUryasUryasUryasUrya (sun) (sun) (sun) (sun) (sun) �absorbs� (takes,evaporates) the water out of the oceansand rains it down (back on the same

earth) at the appropri-ate time (when it istoo much to bear inthe clouds?), similarlythe wise enjoys thesubjects of the sensesbut lets them go at ap-propriate time (age,stage in life after

householder stage) without attachment|even in householder stage when he ispermitted to �hoard� he considers theresources, wealth not his but merelyunder his control| the wealth that hetakes, enjoys, absorbs from the soci-ety, he gives it back at appropriate time(to needy people in times of need)| justas sun reflected in different vessels ofwater seems many but is one, so doesthe AtmA appear many when reflectedin different containers (bodies), but issame, same as the supreme divine|�

what is important to note in this con-versation between avadhUta dattAtrEyaand king yadu is that we are all ca-pable of learning from our surroundingwith the application of our intellect| aslong as our thinking is not biased byother motives, we are capable of see-ing the same truths as seen by seers ofthe past, like avadhUta dattAtrEya does|one doesn�t always need a guru withlot of paraphernalia, as one sees in themodern times of kali-yuga; gurus areeverywhere!

(to be continued in next issue)(to be continued in next issue)(to be continued in next issue)(to be continued in next issue)(to be continued in next issue)

unarrived sorrow is avoidable

heyaM duHKamanaagatama\��

BaujaMgaasanabhujaGga-AsanabhujaGga-AsanabhujaGga-AsanabhujaGga-AsanabhujaGga-Asana

cobra posture

benefits:benefits:benefits:benefits:benefits:this Asana is similar to dhanura-Asana (see july 2003 issue) in ef-fects and mode of operation| re-moves constipation and increasesappetite| it is also beneficial inreducing weight| after practiceone may do this Asana for 10-15minutes a day to reducewaisteline| this Asana should notshould notshould notshould notshould notbe done by those with a condi-tion of hernia|

method:method:method:method:method:lie down on your stomach| keepyour legs together| put yourhands on the ground next to yourshoulders| while keeping thebody from the navel to the toeson the ground, raise the upperhalf of the body| raise till it iscomfortable, without hurting theback or the arms|

no Asana should be performed thatgives unnecessary pain| doslowly, it comes with practice|yoga practice is never a matterof competition, even with one-self|

gurusall around

- part 2

(continued from july t issue)

till now: king yadu asks dattAtrEya,his secret of blissful detachment| andhe says he has learnt from many gu-rus| he explains what he learnt frompRithvI (earth), and vAyu (air)| now,read on about his other gurus|




a bad descendent destroys the lineage

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tulasI-dAs tulasI-dAs tulasI-dAs tulasI-dAs tulasI-dAs taulasaIdasaTulasidas had a tough childhood, aban-doned by his family and society for his ap-parent bad luck. Finally, Narharidas (nara-hari-dAsa), a priest, took him under his care,and named him Rambola (rAma-bolA). Hestudied well, and grew to be a scholar andpeople called him Tulasidas. He used tospread the praise of Rama to the people.

Tulasidas got married to a beautiful girlcalled Ratna (ratnA). He was totally in lovewith her. One day she left for her father�s.Tulasidas could not bear the separation andon the stormy night, he journeyed far toreach his in-laws. When he couldn�t findthe ferry to cross the flooding river, he useda passing corpse as a floating device andcrossed the river. So blind was he in herlove! When he reached his wife late in night,she was ashamed of him and said, �If you

had this much devotion for Rama, youwould have found liberation.�

That was his wake up call. Tulasidas re-nounced married life. He took to the mis-sion of spreading the glory of Rama amongpeople in the vernacular languages, insteadof keeping it confined to Sanskrit, whichwas not the language of common people anymore. For his renunciation, he is called�Goswami� (go-swAmI) or Gosai (go-sAi),which means �Master of Senses� (go =senses).

His monumental work of Ramcharitmanas(rAma-charita-mAnas) retells the life storyof Lord Ram, based on the original ofvAlmIki rAmAyaNa. It was not a translationbut a retelling for the changed times.

In this, Tulasidas, who was a scholar of San-skrit and Indian philosohy, distills the wis-dom of seers in simple words for the com-mon person. Some examples are:

jaa:kI rhI Baavanaa jaEsaI,

/paBau maUrita deKaI itana taEsaIjABkI rahI bhAvanA jaisI,

prabhu mUrati dEkhI tin taisI we see the divine in the forms as per ourinclinations (mood, faith and belief)

hir Ananta hirkTaa Anantaa,

khih saunaih bahu ivaiDa saba santaahari anant hari kathA anatA, kahahi

sunahi bahu vidhi sab santAdivine lord is limitless, endless so, are his

tales of divine play; the wise and noblesay and listen them in many ways!

DaIrja Darma imaXa A@ naair

Aapatakala pariKa{ caairdhIraj dharam mitra aru nAri

Apat-kAl parakhiE chAripatience (mental stability), righteousness,friend and wife � test these four in troubledtimes!

sister�s love!

The festival of rakshA-bandhan is perhapsthe most precious of all festivals. It is cel-ebrated on the shrAvaNa pUrNimA, full moonof the month of Shravana. It denotes thesolemn pledge of the brother to protect hissister forever.

On this day, brothers give gifts to their sis-ters, who tie the rAkhI on their wrist, thusreminding them of their duty to protect theirsisters.

Happy Raksha Bandhan!

XXXXXXXX




hr yauga maeM rama- SaiSakanta jaaeSaI

rama!

iktanae BaagyaSaalaI Tae tauma

jaae vaailmakI sa pücaNw kiva imalaa,

vanaaY hr yauga maeM jaanae iktanae hI rama haetae hEM,

jaae ibanaa rajaBaaega k� hI

mahanagarIya vanavaasa Baaegatae hEM|

ma:hgaaPY k� ravaNa

ijanakI saItaaAaeM kae [nasae dUr rKatae hEM,

ijanak� Barta saa BaaPY taae nahIM

dae-caar bahnaeM ̀jaVr byaahnaI haetaI hEM,

baUW.e-Kaa:satae dSarTa kI deKaBaala

taumanae banavaasa maeM kh:a kI TaI rama ?

lavakþSa k� skUla kI ̀fIsa taae

vaailmakI nae maa:gaI hI nahIM

vanaaY tauma jaanatae ik Gar paalanaa +yaa haetaa hE,

na tauma PYMDana-taela kI +yaU maeM Kaw.e hu{

na [Daar k� kpaw.e pahna kr PNqrvyaU k� ila{ ga{ |

hnaumaana Aba AaEr nahIM imalatae

[naka yauga samaapta huAa

Aba hr rama Kuad Ak�laa ravaNa sae law.taa hE

Aba ivaBaIzaNa kae gaÃarI k� ila{ Caew. nahIM idyaa jaataa

saae Psa ravaNa k� kvacaiC/d ka khIM pataa nahIM

rama Aatae hEM, jaatae hEM

ravaNa barkrar hE |

Pna ramaaeM k� ila{ kaePY vaailmakI nahIM

jaae Amar kr detaa hr [sa xaNa kae

hr [sa i/kyaa, vyai£, vastau kae

jaae [nak� sampak� maeM AataI |

Agar haetaa BaI taae

Pna ramaaeM k� paasa Ptanaa va£ nahIM

ik [sae ApanaI rNagaaTaa saunaatae

yae taae jaItae jaI mar jaatae hEM

tauma markr BaI Amar hae

yah tauma BaI jaanatae hae rama

ik tauma BaagyaSaalaI Tae!

tauma Aa jaaAae- SaiSakanta jaaeSaI

Aa:KaaeM maeM Aba naIMd nahIM hE, tauma Aa jaaAae

rataaeM maeM haeM idna k� [jaalae, tauma Aa jaaAae

iwnar, laMca AaEr büek`fasq ka nahIM Baraesaa

saubah savaere caaya ipalaanae, tauma Aa jaaAae

idna Wla jaa{, rata A:DaerI sae kþC pahlae

saMDyaa k� yae laala [jaalae, tauma Aa jaaAae

caaya-pakaEw.I bahuta hae gaPY Psa saavana maeM

baarISa maeM Pk Aaga jalaa laeM, tauma Aa jaaAae

gaaere mauKa par Kaulae gaulaaba ka AaBaasa ila{

haeMQaeM k� yae jaama ipalaanae, tauma Aa jaaAae

mauJa par maerI taanaaSaahI bahuta hae gayaI

kþC Apanaa BaI h`k jatalaanae, tauma Aa jaaAae

Aa `jaad, Ak�laa AaEr kþC Kaa eyaa saa ma E M

Ba ujapaaSaa e M ma e M rah idKaanae, ta uma Aa jaaAae

taerI gaaed mae M isar rKa baEQ: U, Aa:Kae M maU :de

AaE� baalaae M mae M haTa ifranae, tauma Aa jaaAae

tana BaUKaa, mana pyaasaa AaEr Vh baecaEna

Pna saba kae Aba SaaMta kranae, tauma Aa jaaAae

hae MQ ka:pata e, Aa:Kae M vyaakþla, rMga [w.a saa

püema-jvar kI dvaa iKalaanae, tauma Aa jaaAae

�SaiSa� h:sataa ivarh vaednaa ka ddY iCpaanae

püema-imalana k� Aa:saU baha laeM, tauma Aa jaaAae

idna taae baItaa, rataaeM kae iksa tarh gauj̀aaV:

hr duHKa ka tauma hI hae karNa, basa! tauma Aa jaaAae

wUbaa vaMSa kbaIr ka, [pajae paUta kmaala!




the king is the strength of the weak

what india means to meExcerpts from a farewell luncheon speech by US ambassador to India,

Robert D. Blackwill, sponsored by FICCI in New Delhi.ing all the stars. Be sure and take your sun-glasses along when you go there -- to dealwith the starry nights.

Standing in Jaisalmer, close your eyes for amoment and see the camel caravans comingthrough this desert town a thousand years ago,which I now realize by India's civilizationalstandards is only yesterday - a fellow on thestreet might have said to me, "yes, they camethrough Jaisalmer, just a little while ago."

The Jain Dilwara Temples at Mount Abu.Exquisite wonders of the world. As has beenso often the case during my stay in India, Ihad only two hours to look. I needed morethan two lifetimes there and elsewhere in thisuncommon land.

Andhra Pradesh with its path-breaking e-gov-ernance, and food hotter than hot. Don't letanybody tell you differently; those Andhrapeppers are without doubt weapons of massdestruction.

What a country this is. And I have hardlyexperienced any of it. Oh, this India that Ihave come to know ever so slightly.

India's innumerable and distinctive dances,beginning with the classical. The Vedas andthe Upanishads. They mean so much morewhen I read them here: "It is the ear of theear, the mind of the mind, the speech ofspeech, the breath of breath, and the eye ofthe eye. When freed (from the senses) thewise, on departing from this world, becomeimmortal."

Indian family values, which I admire as es-sential first principles, and see in action manytimes every day in this country. The livingsymbolic power in this ancient civilization,the abiding aura, of -- the tree. Of the circle.Of the triangle.

Fabulous cuisines. India is unquestionably theonly country in the world where this Kansaslad raised on beefsteaks could happily be avegetarian. But please don't tell my relativesback on the mid-West farms.

Holi. Kashmiri carpets. Weavers everywherecapturing India's enveloping colors. The Ben-gal tigers in the wild at Ranthambhore. Howcould they be more in command? The Mon-soon that rains life into India. Surely this hap-

pens by God's grace. The singular smell andsound as the drops strike the parched earth.Like so much of India for me, absolutely un-forgettable.

And more than any of this, the remembrancesof the character of the people of India, whichI will take back to America with me - of count-less individuals over these two years who havetaught me, counseled me, guided me, and pro-tected me - who were generous to me beyondimagination.

While I was preparing for my Senate confir-mation hearing in early 2001 in Cambridge,Massachusetts, I started to read regularly theIndian press. It was then that for the first timeI encountered the devastating fact of terror-ism against India. Sitting in my office atHarvard, I began to keep a daily count of thosekilled here by terrorists. Three on Monday.Seven on Tuesday. Fourteen on Wednesday.Five on Thursday. Two on Friday. Day afterday. Week after week. Month after month.

India's death toll from terrorism mounted asthe snow fell and melted in Cambridge, andthat New England winter turned to spring.Innocent human beings murdered as a sys-temic instrument of twisted political purpose.Terror against India that rose and fell withthe seasons, year after year after year.

By the time that I left the United States forIndia in the summer of 2001, this very per-sonal death count that I was keeping hadreached hundreds. And, for me, these werenot abstract and antiseptic numbers in a news-paper story. Each death, I forced myself toremember, was a single person -- an indi-vidual man, woman, child -- with family,loved ones, friends. They each have a name.Just like us, they each had a life to lead. Theseare our mothers, our fathers, our brothers, oursisters, our babies, and our friends. All snuffedout by the killing hand of terror. On Septem-ber 11 in America. Nearly every day in India.

We will win the war on terrorism, and theUnited States and India will win it together

And, thank you India for every single thingthat I have discovered here. Mother India haschanged my life -- forever.

Photo and transcript of speech courtseyof United States Embassy, New Delhi.

Shortly after my arrival, I took the trainfrom New Delhi to Mumbai to see andfeel the land and people of India. So

let's quickly take the train around India, paus-ing in Delhi before we begin.

Visiting Humayun's tomb with US Secretaryof the Treasury Paul O'Neill who commentedthat when it was erected, those living on mycontinent had built no structure higher thantwenty feet.

Back to traveling in India. Uttar Pradesh andUttaranchal - the heat, the dust, and the gla-cial source of the Ganga. Like so much ofIndia, alpha and omega provide conflictingcontext. The vale of Kashmir, yearning to beagain a normal place. Dal Lake, which Am-bassador John Kenneth Galbraith once toldme, was as close to heaven as one could geton this earth. Ladakh's high plateau with theBuddhist prayer flags flapping in the moun-tain wind.

Sugar in strong tea, a taste that I acquired inIndia only in the last two months. I will nowtreasure that for the rest of my life.

I recall speaking to jawans on the Siachen.Those men from all over India give newmeaning to the word tough. Listening enrap-tured to a male singer accompanied by aharmonium in the Golden Temple. Gyratingfrenetically in a borrowed red turban with aprofessional local dance group outside on alawn on a balmy evening in Chandigarh.

As has been said, the world is divided intotwo parts - those who have seen the Taj Mahal,and those who have not. I am proud to be inthe first, still too exclusive group. TheShatabdi Express transported me there andback in great comfort. A wonderful train.

All of Rajasthan entrances me. The nobleRajput legacy. Jaipur. Udaipur. Jodhpur. Andperhaps my favorite, the medieval walled cityof Jaisalmer, land of the Bhatti princes, bornof the moon. Parapets into the sky. On somenights, there must be stars nowhere else abovethe planet because they all seem to be overJaisalmer. I am surprised some city in north-ern Europe has not sued Jaisalmer for steal-




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Thank You for reading tarang !Dear reader,Thank you for giving your precious time to read tarang, a fine cultural magazine for the Indiancommunity.

kAvya-shAstra-vinodEna kAlo gachchati dhImatAm,kAvya-shAstra-vinodEna kAlo gachchati dhImatAm,kAvya-shAstra-vinodEna kAlo gachchati dhImatAm,kAvya-shAstra-vinodEna kAlo gachchati dhImatAm,kAvya-shAstra-vinodEna kAlo gachchati dhImatAm,vyasanEna cha mUrkhANAm, nidryA, kalahEna vAvyasanEna cha mUrkhANAm, nidryA, kalahEna vAvyasanEna cha mUrkhANAm, nidryA, kalahEna vAvyasanEna cha mUrkhANAm, nidryA, kalahEna vAvyasanEna cha mUrkhANAm, nidryA, kalahEna vA

The time of the intelligent passes in entertainment by philosophy and sciences;That of the foolish is wasted in troubles, sleeping or quarrelling.

We at tarang are trying to fill the void of a good compassionate cultural magazine for Indians. Wegenuinely believe in our motto �enriching life, serving community, promoting heritageTM� and areworking hard to do justice to it. We hope to be of some value to the newer generation, as well as tothose who need a deeper and healthy understanding of Indian culture and heritage.

Some of the topics we covered include � Independence Special Issue, Ajanta Caves, Women andMarriage, Rath Yatra, Kumbh Mela, Guru Gobind Singh, �makar saMkrAnti�, �makar saMkrAnti�, �makar saMkrAnti�, �makar saMkrAnti�, �makar saMkrAnti�, Valentine�s Day,History of Love, 50 years of IITs, Harivansh Rai Bachchan, Holi, Shiva, Saint Tyagaraj, IdealRama and Superhero Hanuman; articles on spirituality and yoga; stories for children; Hindipoems and stories, and articles on health and family.

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cal and valueable than a greeting card.As a community, we need to put an extra effort to understand, practise and share our traditions,heritage & culture. We also need to have a positive presence in the print media, something thatprojects the right and good things, as well, about our great civilization!

If we don�t do it, who will?because culture is not genetic!

Thanking you,

Shashi JoshiEditor




Education

Tarang Magazine - August 2003 issue