DUBAI

Dubai is the land of the biggest, tallest, longest, widest, richest, fanciest, fastest... everything is ... in the world.
They have the tallest residential towers in the world, the tallest restaurant in the world, the largest number of Malbaris in the world, the
highest crane operator in the world.
If it does not grow in Dubai, they'll make it artificially - artificial ski slopes, artificial islands, artificial oasis, coconut trees and lawns,
artificial beaches, artificial economy, everything artificial....
Indians especially love it here because of the dirham-to-rupee value. Paakistaanee adore it.
The Egyptians come here because there is nothing to do in Egypt. No more pyramids to build either.....
The Filipinos come here because they have no choice; there is nothing back home, not even dogs - they've been eaten up already....
The Brits come here coz they have forgotten what it is to enjoy 3 meals a day in UK and nobody employs them there for the crap they give....
The Lebanese come here to buy cars, dress to kill, wear Peter Pan shoes 10 sizes bigger than their feet, put 1 kg of gel on their heads and give everyone ball talk. They'll buy a 1980s Mercedes or BMW for 10k Dirhams and drive the car like they are sitting in the rear passenger seat, stretching their arms all the way to the steering wheel, giving you the piercing bald eagle look.....
Russian girls come here for "fun"....
The Bangladeshee come here to serve you when you honk outside a Bakala (shop), but would not even look at you if you park and go inside to pickup yourself....
Now according to the government, Dubai is "Tax free". Of course, that is true. You only have to pay for the "visa, medical, sponsor, insurance, resident ID, Opening a bank account or even closing an account, Municipality, Sewerage, attestation of papers, translation of
papers, driving license papers, lessons, Car license, testing, and...." but the salary is Tax Free.....
Only, there is a "Pay and Park" scheme with 5000 parking lots, and 500,000 cars in the city, so where the hell do you park? And you are fined for wrong parking.....
Toll has been introduced on many roads. You can avoid the toll tax by using alternative routes, but you'll end up in a traffic jam because everyone is trying to avoid the toll tax.......
If you have any government related work like medicals for visa or immigration, you have 2 options - Standard and Urgent Procedure. Standard procedure takes 7 days and Urgent takes 1 day. The difference is 100-odd Dirhams. Everyone goes for the urgent option and the Dubai government makes money, urgently.....
If you switch jobs you get a work ban and to lift the ban you pay a huge penalty.....
In Dubai, without a car you are paralyzed (you don't even get jobs if you don't have a car). But you'll get your license in attempts ranging from 2 to 20. Each time you fail you have paid fees for Driving Classes and Driving Tests, which are 1000-odd Dirhams. Imagine the money RTA makes.....
Most of the expatriates live alone with families back home. So they spend much on phone calls. And call charges from Dubai are high....
Another odd thing about Dubai - no matter where you go or who you meet, you take down his phone numbers. Everybody has everybody's number in Dubai. And everyone has a Visiting Card, whether you are a bootlegger, a masseuse, a hooker, a car cleaner, a watchman or a pizza delivery boy. Everyone knocks around with lots of cards in his or her wallet and one card in the palm. So whenever you shake hands with anyone in Dubai and let go, you end up with a visiting card in your palm......
If you are walking on the road and you ask someone the time, he'll tell you 10:30, give you his card and say, I have new and second-hand watches.....
At a restaurant when you are leaving they'll say "Here is my card, call us for home delivery".....
If you're below your building, you'll meet those Chinese chicks giving you their cards, saying, Call us if you want DVDs....
If you are standing at a bus stop, a Paakistaanee will pull over in his 1980 Toyota Corolla, give you his card and say, If you want Pick-up and Drop Service, call me.....
Dubai has amusing-looking buildings. Some have holes in them, some have giant balls on them, some look like airplanes, some look like sail boats, and, all of them reach into space with your window right in front of the Moon.....
Everyone in Dubai goes to malls. Not necessarily to shop.
To beat the heat, go to a mall; business meeting, go to a mall; getting bored, go to a mall;
want to take a leak or dump, go to a mall; want to do lukhagiri (little in your pocket, little in your mind), go to a mall.....
Even if you want to go for a picnic go to a mall....
Some Maalaabaaree go home to Kerala, get married, and then come to a Dubai Mall for their honeymoon.

THAT...MY FRIENDS..... IS *DOO-BAI*
Sushma Gupta
www.sushmajee.com
http://sushmajee.blogspot.com/2011/07/sanskriti-and-sanskar.html

आचार्य श्रीराम शर्मा की ‘ विचारक्रान्ति ‘ से ही परिवर्तन संभव है — जस्टिस लाहोटी

आचार्य श्रीराम शर्मा की ‘ विचारक्रान्ति ‘ से ही परिवर्तन संभव है — जस्टिस लाहोटी

shubhkamna: SHRADH-Tarpan

shubhkamna: SHRADH-Tarpan

SHRADH-Tarpan

Yesterday, I was thinking about and , my neighbours in Jhlau; Ram Narain never had any family. He lived alone through out his life and died leaving no one behind;Ram Narain,s only son died with some ailment after a few year of his marriage with no children. Thereafter, Ram Narain Lived alone for rest of his life and left no one after his death. Both of them loved me and perhaps, I was the only one who enjoyed the access to them and their love.
Shri Chandra Shekhar Sinha , my Principal in Hindu Inter College , Chandpur also died leaving behind no one. He treated me like his son. I enjoyed his special favour, love and affection.I regret as why I could not support him when he really needed most in 1969.He asked me to send him only Rs.50/- to buy a few cloths though I sent him then Rs.100/- but nothing afterward.
My grandmother, mother of my uncles Om Prakash and Krishna Kumar and wife of my grandfather Shri Jagan Nath ji was very special to me. She died very poor in a very miserable condition, perhaps, she had the curse from previous lives. Her sons and only grandson also died thus leaving no one behind.
This year, I decided that I will do Sharadh and Tarpan for all of them on Amaaswaya
day.
September 27, 2011:

I feel satisfied to day after remembering , offering my respects (SHARADDHA) and Tarpan to the Suksham shareers of the followings:
My mother; my nani ji, my uncle, Shri Ved Prakash Garg; my aunt, Smt. Savitri Devi Garg; my grandmother and grandfather ( mother and father of shri Krishna Kumar and Om Prakash); First cousins of my father, Shri Krishna Kumar, and Shri Om Prakash; My dear neighbours, Shri Ram Narain and Gharib Das; and my most favourite teacher and father like personality, Shri Chandra Shekhar Sinha;
I wish my good wishes, rememberance and Sharaddha reach to their suksham shareer where ever they are and whatever physical form they are in.

KANAV Rishi,s Ashram

विधान परिषद में उठेगा कण्व ऋषि आश्रम का मामला
Story Update : Tuesday, September 20, 2011 12:14 AM

बिजनौर। बिजनौर से दस किलोमीटर दूर मालन व गंगा के संगम पर स्थित माता शकुंतला की गृह और भरत की क्रीड़ा स्थली कण्व ऋषि के आश्रम की उपेक्षा का मामला विधान परिषद में गूंजेगा। एमएलसी ने मामला विधान परिषद के पटल पर रखने की तैयारी कर ली है।
विधान परिषद की याचिका समिति के कार्यवाहक अध्यक्ष व बिजनौर निवासी नसीब पठान का कहना है कि जिले में कई ऐतिहासिक धरोहर हैं। रावली में राजा भरत का जन्म हुआ, जिनके नाम पर हमारे देश का नाम भारत पड़ा है। यह ऐतिहासिक स्थल वर्तमान में उपेक्षा का शिकार है। इसे महाभारत सर्किल में शामिल करने के लिए प्रयास किए जाएंगे। बसपा एमएलसी सुबोध पाराशर का कहना है कि वे मामले को विधान परिषद में रखने की तैयारी कर रहे हैं। मामला जनपद ही नहीं बल्कि उत्तर प्रदेश के सभी लोगों के लिए महत्व रखता है। मुख्यमंत्री को भी व्यक्तिगत रूप से मामले से अवगत कराया जाएगा। रावली और कण्व ऋषि के आश्रम की उपेक्षा के मामले को जल्द ही विधान परिषद में मामले को रखा जाएगा। कांग्रेस नेता नसीब पठान का कहना है कि जरूरत पड़ी तो वे केंद्र सरकार से भी रावली को पर्यटन स्थल बनाने के लिए प्रयास करेंगे। विदुर कुटी के विकास के लिए धनराशि भी मंजूर कराई जाएगी।
नगीना से सपा सांसद यशवीर धोबी और बिजनौर से रालोद सांसद संजय चौहान ने भी मामले को संसद में उठाने की बात कही है । भाजपा प्रदेश मंत्री अशोक कटारिया का कहना है कि मामले को लेकर जनजागरण अभियान चलाया जाएगा। कण्व ऋषि का आश्रम दयनीय स्थिति में होना चिंता का विषय है

LIFE

September 19,2011;
Life has been moving just like routine;nothing much to think or to do.Since we came from Dublin (Ohio), Sushma has kind of weakness in her legs and because of that she does not feel comfortable in standing and walking; her legs tremble and she is scared to fall down; At one time, she was unable to get up, I have to take her on her walk using it like a wheel chair.It is pitiable to look at her present condition of hopelessness. I appreciate that she has tremendous power of tolerance and managing things. She does not want to give any trouble to any one including me except when she is helpless. Since we came from Dublin I have been managing the kitchen right from breakfast to dinner and entertaining any visitor ( we do not have many ). I have no problem about it.
In the afternoon, Sushma reads for me some scriptures like Bhagwad, Ramayan etc for about at an hour.She is very good at it and I learn a lot and enjoy a lot. For quite some, on every tuesday, we have Sunderkaand in the evening. I some times feel that my life in her absence will be very dull rather miserable; she may not feel so much of my absence as I simply render only small help which she will be missing or the communication we have to discuss on various social and religious aspects.Certainly, we have very coherence mutual understanding and communication.I wonder, considering current situation of families and social conditions , how people will cope in the absence of each other. The fact is that with growing age, one has to leave earlier than the other.And, one has to manage without the other. But, I wonder as people manage in retirement ( as nothing to do at home or outside ) with good understanding and communication

SHARADH

SHRAADDH
Shraaddh have begun from yesterday.( September 12, 2011; MONDAY)

Shraaddh is a kind of memorial ceremony to remember the Dead Ancestors. It goes up to three generations of both parental sides (father and mother's side) . Shraaddh continue for 16 days from the Poornimaa of Bhaadrapad up to Amaavasyaa of Aashwin month ( the whole dark fortnight of Aashwin month ) . This Amaavasyaa is thus called Pitri Samokinee Amaavasyaa. This Amaavasyaa has one more characteristic that if one forgets to perform Shraaddh on a prescribed day ( the date of the death of the ancestor) then he can perform it on this last day.

It is as much a son's duty to perform Shraaddh of his parents and grandparents, as he is supposed to look after them while they are alive. In most cases, it is performed by the eldest son but others my also participate.Thus this is Pitri Poojaa in a way and the method to perform it is prescribed in Shaastra. In our family, my grandfather used to do it in a grand way for his father by inviting Brahamins for Pooja and BHOJAN at the lunch time, not in the evening. Invitation to Brahamins for this ceremony was given only in the morning of the day of the ceremony while for other Poojas, it has to be in advance, some times even a few days earlier. It used to be a feast for other immediate members of the family. For other ancestors, it used to be only TARPAN (Remembrance of the ancestor with some token money and water; water is offered to the SUN while the money is donated to the Brahamins).

Note: 1. On the last day of Shraaddh - on Amaavasyaa day, final TARPAN is done for the forgotten ancestors and for others who are even unknown who may be expecting remembrance from their family but there is nobody to remember them.

2. Shraaddh for Nana and Nani (parents of the mother ) is done only when there is no son in that family to perform this Pooja and Tarpan; In my own case, I am supposed to do it for my Nani not for Nana as my Nana has the son and grandson etc. from his previous wife, but in case of Sameer, he and Shalabh are supposed to do it for their mother's parents as they don't have son to do it for them.

3. In my own case, as I lived abroad (Nigeria, Ethiopia, USA and Canada ) even in India in different regions of the country due to nature of my job, it was not conducive or possible for me to perform the rituals according to required norms, I used to do only TARPAN on the day of Amaavasyaa because I did not remember the exact Tithi /day of the death of my mother, Nani and other ancestors. I feel that this is the best way of performing this important ritual, but one must do it.

4. BACKGROUND of the ritual:

These are only my personal views and thoughts about it. In observe it main thing is to remember our ancestors at least once a year and do some charity work in their remembrance - like donating money, materials (clothes, and anything else) etc; meeting some social obligations, planting trees in their memory etc etc.Our ancestors do not come personally, directly and physically to accept these offerings but certainly acknowledge them indirectly in one way or the other.
As it is believed that the Soul lives with three different kind of bodies namely; PHYSICAL- the organic structure mainly composed of five elements-the earth, water, fire, air and ether with main function to perform physical activities; and this is very temporary for one life only in any living form (human beings, animals, birds etc .male, female etc.) After completing the life, it is destroyed by death.; SUBTLE BODY ( Sookshm Shareer) and CAUSAL BODY (Kaaran Shareer); these two bodies always remain with the soul and keep an account of their actions day to day and life to life. Depending upon the balance sheet (cumulative account of actions) of the previous lives (Praarabdh), the soul takes another Physical Body in any form in any specific place at some specific time. These two bodies wherever they are in any form are interconnected to other souls according to their relationships in previous lives in a very a complicated network. So, whenever we do anything in the names of the known bodies, they are accepted , acknowledged and appreciated and our accounts are readjusted accordingly.
Our FINANCIAL Capital, converted into SOCIAL Capital finally gets deposited into our SPIRITUAL Capital -the ultimate balance which goes with us after our death.