Home: Buy or Rent?

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-sundaymagazine/first-homethen-asset/article5010980.ece

Why one mustn’t thinkof housesonly from an investment point of view.

When you buy a house are you making an investment? In a sense, that is a pointless question, and most people would say that of course the answer is yes. It is true that for most of us a house is the largest single expenditure we are likely to incur, and true also that we hope that the value of the house does not drop. To be more precise, we hope that if we have to move — from personal choice or because of other circumstances, such as a change of job — the proceeds of sale of the house will be adequate to cover the cost of the new one. Many of us also hope that when we die, the value of the house will be sufficient to be helpful to our children if we leave it to them in our will.

I am writing this very much from the United Kingdom point of view. In the U.K. it has been customary for many people to own their houses, rather than rent them. That is far less true in several of our European neighbours, and of course it is the case that in the U.K. many people do in fact rent rather than buy (probably because they cannot afford to buy).

If I seem to be making a bit of a meal of this, I am, and I am doing so deliberately. Let me explain, by going back to the question with which I began this article: “When you buy a house, are you making an investment?”

The answer which I gave is entirely accurate, but in my opinion it is not the whole answer, nor indeed the more important part of the answer. The crucial part, surely, is: “We are buying a home.”

That certainly was how my wife and I saw it when we bought our first house; we needed somewhere to live, and we wanted it to be as agreeable as possible.

When I changed my job, and my place of work, we sold the house, and bought another, seeing it as a pleasant place in which to live and not principally as an investment. Another change of job led to another sale and purchase, and finally, in retirement, we sold our house and bought another, smaller, one which suited our needs better as our children had left home.

In my experience, most of the people we know have taken similar decisions for similar reasons, and most have been concerned above all with finding suitable and pleasant places in which to live. Seeing houses as assets from an investment point of view has been very much a secondary consideration.

In recent years in the U.K. an increasing number of people have been finding it very hard to find the money with which to buy their first home. Furthermore, house prices now vary quite dramatically between different parts of the country. This means that job-seekers in the north of England, for example, even if they are willing to move to a place where there are more jobs, cannot afford to do so, because they could not afford the houses in such areas, where their prices are far higher.

It is of course easier to identify the problem than to find an effective solution. As I see it, however, there are some possible solutions. One would be to impose high taxes on owning a “second home”.

Another would be to impose by law a strict limit on the profit that could be made from selling a house, except when the sale is to someone coming to work in the area.

Neither of these measures, I realise, would be at all likely to find favour with the politicians. On one side of the political spectrum, the measures would run counter to the idea that selling things for the largest possible profit is a sine qua non of good practice.

Politicians on the other side of the spectrum would avoid supporting such a fundamentally “new” set of measures, because of the risk that by doing so they would put themselves out on an untenable limb.

All that, I well understand. I am not a politician, and I certainly do not have any realistic advice for those on either side of the spectrum.

I do nevertheless believe that continuing to see houses as primarily investments rather than as primarily homes is fundamentally flawed.

This problem will not be tackled by leaving it to the politicians, but I feel strongly that tackled it should be.

bill.kirkman@gmail.com

Improve Your Brain Energy with an Unsung Ancient Wisdom

http://m.timesofindia.com/articleshow/20858954.cms

The new yoga that improves the brain

Jul 2, 2013, 12.00AM IST TNN[ PARAG MANIAR & Ismat Tahseen ]

Want the new yoga that improves the brain?

The new technique that aims to boost brain power is creating a huge buzz everywhere...

Guess what? If you were punished in school and made to do the uthak-baithak, it might actually have done more than just been an adherent. It might have made you alert and a better think too. For as per a new form of yoga, that which was considered to be a severe punishment in school — where you touch your ears — is actually a simple effective technique to energise and recharge the brain. Yes, the uthak-baithak sazaa where the student was made to cross his hands and hold the ear lobes for any lapse in school is actually the new 'superbrain yoga'- the regimen that synchronises the left and the right side of your brain to give you benefits.

How it helps
Master Choa Kok Sui who presented superbrain yoga to the public, explains how the brain is a 'living battery' and must be recharged so that it can retain memory and intelligence values. His exercise, he says can help this. As per this philosophy, energy connections are generated to energise the brain. The right ear lobe corresponds to the left brain while the left ear lobe corresponds to the right brain. The ears also act as powerful acupuncture pressure points that have a direct connection to the brain. So when the ears are massaged, the energy flows to the brain. Researchers maintain that the technique uses principles of subtle energy and ear acupuncture to increase memory and intelligence and can make one a better thinker. They say that the energy that is generated also balances out the other energies of the throat, heart and forehead.

In addition, reports mention how children with learning disabilities such as Down Syndrome, developmental and cognitive problems like ADHD/ADD reported an increase in performance and became more active in the class. Apparently, pinching the ear lobes has an acupuncture effect that helps.

What experts feel
Holistic guru Mickey Mehta believes this is something everyone should do. "In yoga there are such asanas that help increase brain activity. For instance, we also have something called 'bhamri pranayam', where you hum and that action the increases electro magnetic field in the brain. It activates the ENT and helps people with tinnitus (ringing in the ears). The technique also improves hearing and vision in addition to boosting neuro-activity. It's great for everyone, especially the elderly."

Adds Mumbai-based yoga expert, Shanti Chavan, "In yoga, innumerable techniques and principles have evolved over thousands of years. And in Mumbai, where there is such a high level of stress, yoga needs to be incorporated into the day. This technique fits in as it can be practiced in the office itself. It has calming benefits and helps energise you when you get thrown off balance."

The test
According to reports, in one study, the result of an electroencephalograph showed an increased amplitude in the parieto-occipital region of the brain following the superbrain yoga. It indicated an increased brain electrical activity following the exercise.

Hinduism - The Forgotten Fact

Couldn't help myself from sharing this. One of the most amazingly collected information on Vedic Culture. Read on this mindblowing article from https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=403728419739659&set=a.306046219507880.70504.302372529875249&type=1

Hinduism (The forgotten facts)

I found this interesting researching the proof that Vedic culture was once prevalent worldwide. All our Puranas, Itihas, and the Vedas talk about Vedic kings being the controlling authority of the Whole world. i.e. Yudhishthir Maharaj, Parikshit Maharaj etc. and that the whole world followed Vedic religion and spoke one language i.e. Sanskrit. I have read some fine books on the subject matter, and this one too has some very practical day-to-day proofs of Sanskrit and Vedic cultures influence in the whole world. I am trying to reproduce some relevant texts from the book. "Proof of Vedic Cultures Global Existence" by Stephen Knapp.

Here are some excerpts of the names of various countries and places, which have direct relationship with Sanskrit, and I am sure you will find it very thought provoking. We can also use the same in our preaching process.

Vedic influence in Britain

In the book The Aryans by V Gordon Childe relates how after 2000 BC people who had background with Indus Valley Civilization conquered Britain, and that was the phase of rapid development in Britain.

Britain - Name Isle of Angelsey in Britain derives from name of Lord Vishnu as Angulesh, meaning lord of Anguli country.

- British Isles which is finger sized compared to whole of Europe which is sized as palm of hand was designated the name Angulisthan that later came to be pronounced as Anguliand and then England.

- The name Britain also comes from Sanskrit Brihat-sthan meaning great place or great islands.

- Many names of England cities also have Sanskrit affiliations. E.g. London - was a very ancient Vedic capital, its Sanskrit name was Nandanium meaning pleasing habitation, and during Roman times it was misspelled as Londonium and later London. In European language letter "L" is often replaces "N", like name Svetanana (fair faced) is pronounced in Russia as Svetland.

- Sanskrit suffix Puri found in Indian cities as Sudamapuri or Jagannatha Puri is changed to "bury" in England like Shrewsbury, Ainsbury, Waterbury.

- Salisbury's hilly topography is also proof that it is a corrupt from Sanskrit term Shail-eesh-pury, which means hilly area with a (Vedic) Temple.

- Canterbury is also based on Sankarpury meaning a township of Shankar, Shiva. If you pronounce "C" as an "S" and replace "T" with a "K" in the name Canter, which is not uncommon in changes between Sanskrit and English, then it indicate that prior to British Isles turning Christian in the Sixth Century A.D. Canterbury used to be a seat of Vedic spiritual leader, thus the Archbishop of Canterbury today used to be a Vedic Priest and teacher or a Sankaracharya from which comes the name Sankarpury.

- The English term "shire" is also a corrupt Sanskrit word shwar. This is in reference to Indian towns known for ancient Shiva Center, such as Tryambakeshwar, Lankeshwar, Ghrishneshwar and many others. In England we find names such as Lancashire, Hampshire, Wiltshire etc.

- Like wise walled or fortified Townships are called "Cote" which is the same as kot as in Siddhakot, Agrakot, Lohakot etc. In England too walled townships and castle still bear the Sanskrit names "Cote" like Charlcote, Northcote, Healthcote etc.

- The famous horse races in Ascot is not a chance sport, the name Ascot comes from Sanskrit name Aswacot meaning City of Horses

IRELAND (http://www.salagram.net/VWHEurope.html#IRELAND)

Ireland is mispronunciation of Sanskrit term Aryasthan meaning land of Aryan (Vedic) Culture.

In the book Collectania De Rebus Hibernicus by Lt. Gen. Charles Vallancey, he explains how "ancient Druids religion of Britons was founded on that of ancient Irish, which was in great part that of the Brahmins...by no other means the deities of Brahmins could have been recorded in Irish manuscripts". This books further notes, "Sir William Jones allows the Irish language great affinity with Sanskrit".

Vallacy further notes, "The Irish and Welsh complain of the devastation of their manuscripts by the Christian missionaries, like Danes, Norwegians and others."

SCANDINAVIA

Meaning Scanda (or Skanda) is a warrior of Lord Shiva and Commander-in-Chief of the divine Army. Sanskrit word naviya signifies a naval expedition in the name if Scanda.

In the book India in Greece Edward Pococke observes that European, Scandinavian, and Indian Kshatriya warrior castes are identical.

The word Viking (king) comes from Simha meaning Lion, Simha is pronounced, as Singa then changing "S" to "K" it becomes King. Thus Vikings were considered Lion like Warriors, like the Singh's from Punjab in India.

GERMANY

- Is a corrupt of sharman applicable to Sanskrit scholars in Vedic terminology. Such names exist in India in surname form like Sharma, which is in reference to this.

- The name Deutschland is a corruption of Daityasthan, referring to land of Daitya clan or those born of Mother Diti and Kashyap Muni.

- The city Heidelburg, "burg" signifies Fort. Sanskrit of which is Haya-dal-durg meaning Fort garrisoned by contingent of Horses.

- German word for thanks is Danke is corrupt Sanskrit for Dhanya.

- Place called Ramstein Sanskrit for Ram-sthan, is the site where first American Pershing missile was located in November 1983, "Stein" is similar to Sthan meaning spot or place.

- Furthermore, Col. James Tod recoedds on pg.63 of Volume I of Annals and Antiquities if Rajasthan "The first habit of Germans upon rising is ablution, which must have been of Eastern origin and not of the cold climate of Germany, as also the loose flowing robes, the long and braided hair tied in a knot at the top of the head, so emblematic of the Brahmins."

- Nazis used swastika forking towards left, normally Gods (Devas) used swastika forked towards right, and the Daityas (Danavas) used swastika forked towards left. Mr. Oak says in "World Vedic Heritage" that is apparent from the left-forked Swastika rooted in German (Deutschland) tradition since hoary antiquity."

CENTRAL EUROPE

- The area of Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia and Hungary all has signs if ancient Vedic influence. Term Czech is from the term "shak' an ancient clan of Kshatriyas who as a branch of Daitya clan administered parts if Europe.

The Saxena of India, Saxons of Europe and Anglo-Saxons of Britain are part of the same stock.

Consequently the term Czechoslovakia is Sanskrit of Shakaslavakiya. Slavak is another ancient sub-clan.

- The Slav language also has many similarities with Sanskrit. Like agni (fire), Malka (meaning mallika) meaning mother, sestra is sister, brat is brother, syn is son, nos is nose, dam (dham) is house. Many of the personal names are also Sanskrit such as Sudhakant, Asha, Meenakshi and Ramkali.

In Scopte, a city in Yugoslavia there live over 50,000 Ramas, or families with names referring to Vedic connections.

- Slavak festival falling in January 13/14, known in Punjab of North India as Lodi and also as Sankranti, is almost the same as the "Loda" of Slavs.

Slavs celebrate the end of winter in the spring by building a bonfire. Peasants dance and sing songs to Loda, the goddess of spring and festivity.

The Christians have since changed the name to Butter Week. This is another indication of how the Christians have tried to place their identity on age old Vedic festivals to make them look deceptively Christian. Mr. Oak says The Slavs were forced into Christianity and to abandon Vedic culture in the 9th century. "For a long time Christianity suffered to exist. However, Vladimir, the Charemagne of Russia (who became king in 980 A.D.) proclaimed Christianity as the state religion by himself toppling a statue of the Vedic deity Varun, alias Parun. Then all Temples and Schools were turned to Christian Churches and monasteries. And Vladimir was changed to Wassily on being baptised.

- Hungary was shringeri, implying Scenic. Just like in Sindhu and Hindu the "S" and "H" is interchanged.

- Budapest was Buddhaprastha, meaning holy city of Buddha.

- In Bulgaria we find the dictionary replete with Sanskrit words. When the Indian Embassy, Bulgaria, informed Bulgarian government of this, they promptly set up courses in Sanskrit in numerous schools. During the Indian film festival organised in Bulgaria it was found that the audiences could easily understand Sanskrit words in the dialogue.

SPAIN

Spain originates from Sanskrit word spand, meaning throbbing or pulsating. Words like spin, spun and spindle come from the same Sanskrit root. Spain gets its name form being ancient pulsating or thriving Vedic centre that linked Europe with Africa.

Spain was conquered by Christians and later by Muslims. After about 600 years people had an uprising and they drove away the Muslims. Mr. Marvin H.

Mills Professor in Architecture school in the City College of New York, says "it is my belief, though remains to be confirmed, is that the most important alleged Moslem building in Spain are not Muslim at all. They probably precede the Muslim era dating from 711 A.D. much like in India the Muslims came as looters ad conquered preying on superior culture where they found generous amounts of buildings to choose from."

ITALY

The name Italy in Sanskrit Etaly signifies a country situated at the bottom of the continent (now called Europe).

- Many Roman gods originated from the east (Vedic deities), especially from the Greece e.g. Zeus is Dyus, Jupiter is Diupeter (or Dyua Pitar, the Vedic Indra), Minerva is Pallas Athen, Diana is Artemia, Venus (the Vedic Lakshmi) became Aphrodite, Neptune is Poseidon, Vulcan is Hephaestus, and so on.

- Even today we can see the image of Lord Shiva standing over a public fountain in the square at Bolgona, Italy with his Trident and hoods of two snakes on his shoulders.

- Throughout Italy images of Ganesha, Shiva and other Vedic Deities can be found in excavations.

- They also worshipped Lord Rama and images if Rama, Sita and Lakshman can be found in walls of ancient houses being excavated.

- Even portraits of Pompey, the Consul of Rome wearing the distinct mark of a V "Tilok" on his forehead is found. A Painting of Etruscan emperor (2nd Cent. B.C.) Wearing the same "Tilok" on his forehead and neck and wearing a "Dhoti" can be seen.

- The City of ROME is pronounced as "ROMA" in Italy, is also named after

LORD RAMA. "O" replaces the Sanskrit letter "A" for European pronunciation, just as Nasa in Sanskrit is spelled as "Nose" in English. This indicates the entire Roman Empire was part of Lord Rama Empire. Additional proof of this can be found from the founding date of Italy, which was 21st April in 753 B.C., which is unique because no other ancient city is so very exact about its founding date. The reason why this exact date is recorded is because 21st April is the date of Ramnavami in 753 B.C. Yet another proof is that another Italian city, Ravenna is named after Lord Rams adversary Ravana, and as Ravana was the enemy of Lord Ram, the city of Rome and Ravenna is situated diametrically opposite each other, one on the western coast and the other on the eastern coast.

POPE and VATICAN

- Pope comes from the Sanskrit word Paap meaning sin and ha meaning removes, thus Paap-ha means remover of sin. So Paap-ha was the title and the function of the supreme pontiff attached to the Vedic administration. And from this came the shortened word Pope.

- Every sage lives in a Hermitage which is called "Vatika", even the Vedic sage Paap-ha lived in his Vatika which is still now called "Vatican".

- Further evidence that the Vatican was once as Vedic post is found in the Vatican's Etruscan Museum. Therein is preserved and on display five Vedic Shiva-lingas, some of which the Vedic Pope used to worship, as well as images of Shiva with a Cobra raising its hood over Shiva's head. Many others are said to be hidden in the museum and in the cellars of the Vatican.

- Much of the present day rituals of the Pope have roots in the Vedic tradition, like chanting of Hymns, the purification with incense, the offering and distribution of Food and even washing of feet are the remnants of full Vedic rituals that used to be practiced by the Vedic Pope. Washing of feet is not a normal Christian practice because congregation members always wear socks and shoes.

GREECE

There are many connection of Greece with the Vedic Culture;

- Indra whirling his thunderbolt appears to be the same as Jupiter, Chrisn (Krishna) and his nine Gopis are evidently Apollo and the Muses.

- The fact that Krishna was the God of Greece is proved by the silver coins made by Agathaclose, a Greek ruler of the 2nd century B.C. These coins bear the imprint of Lord Krishna and his brother Balrama and are on display in several museums.

- Furthermore, a large mosaic of young Krishna playing his flute, standing cross legged under a tree white grazing cows, hangs in the museum in Corinth.

RUSSIA (http://www.salagram.net/VWHRussia.html)

The name Russia i.e. Russi (also spelled as Rishi) is Sanskrit word for a Sage. Thus the term Russia signifies the land of Rishis and Sages.

- Russian phraseology and language also bears close resemblance to

Sanskrit. E.g. Daughter-in-law is called Snoka like Sanskrit term for it Snusha. Name Andropov signifies one belonging to the family of Indra (In pronounced as Andro in Russian). The name Lebedev is Sanskrit name Lava-dev, meaning Lava, the son of Lord Rama.

- Name of Moscow has Sanskrit origin, when we change the places of "C" and "S" the name is spelled as Mocsow, which is Sanskrit of "Moksha", meaning salvation, which is the chief goal of life of the Rishis, Sages.

- While the term Soviet comes from the term Svet meaning white (snow-covered) region.

- Term Bolshevik is Sanskrit for Bal-Sevik, signifying Rishis (Sages) who sought to attain (Spiritual or Temporal) power.

- The names of towns ending with "Grad" are from Sanskrit "Graam".

- In Caspian Sea there is a busy port of Baku, where you find a temple of Goddess of Effulgence (Jwalamai). Buried under the heap of ashes are inscriptions left by Vedic Fire Worshippers. On the walls of the temple the sacred Gayatri Mantra is written in Devanagri Script. Even up to World War II a lone Vedic monk would station himself there in the austere surroundings to maintain the place. Local Indian Hindu merchants would bring donations for the upkeep of the temple and the monk. There may be many such Vedic Temple scattered in Russia now camouflaged as Christian Churches.

- In 30th August 1982, a Times of India publication published a discovery, a stone carving depiction a Vedic Chariot in the Region of Tajikistan.

Ancient Vedic Sages lived along with their disciples in the caves, which were hand carved just like you find in India in the Armenian Republic.

- In 27th November 1983 the Indian Express published about the Vedic

remains in Russia. When Soviet archaeologists stumbled on the remains of a giant

Buddhist Cave-monastery in the Kara-Tepe hill during excavation-work in Termez in Uzbekistan, fresh light was once again thrown on the possibility of cultural relation-ship between Soviet Central Asia and India.

- The Russians also knew Ayurveda, the Vedic medicinal science. The Sanskrit text of Ashtang Ayurveda was discovered in Russia, along with a bronze image of the Vedic deity of longevity, is on display at the international academy of Indian Culture, 22-Hauz Khas Road, New Delhi. Also, people of Siberia are conversant with the preparation of Ayurvedic medicines like Triphala, Hingashtak powders. Due to the inhospitable Siberian region Christianity was unable to penetrate easily into the region thus people of Siberia were still able to preserve the knowledge.

- The word Siberia is still pronounced by local people as Shibir, which is exact Sanskrit word meaning encampment or temporary habitation.

- In the town of Samarkand there is a palatial building housing the grave of conqueror Tamerlian, confusion exists about the building whether it was a Muslim building or an earlier Vedic Building of the earlier rulers. Because at the entrance there are pictures or images of Sun and Tiger, which local guides still call "Soor-Sadul" meaning Surya-Shardul which could very well be the emblem of the Vedic rulers.

- There exist Russian Veda which is exactly like our Vedas in which the central figure is the figure called Krishen, it has the same stories of that of Bhagavad-Puran, where he kills many demons including the witch, and snake exactly like Putna and Agasura.

THE KABA WAS A VEDIC SHRINE

- Kaba is the holiest shrine of Islam; it was entirely rebuilt as it stands now in 1627.A.D.

- The name Kaba comes form Sanskrit word Garbha Griha, which was shortened to Gabha. This refers to the sanctum, which the kaba is in Islam. Just as Sanskrit word for Gow or Gau becomes Cow in English, with the "G" becoming "C", the word Gabha became Kaba in Arabic. Thus Kaba was known as Garbha Graha. To help was confirm this, let us remember that the Kaba is also known as Haram, which comes from Sanskrit word Hariyam, meaning "The Shrine of Hari, Lord Vishnu." The Floor plan of Kaba is Octagonal structure, which was typical of Vedic pattern in Architecture. Each corner was meant for enshrining 8 Vedic deities, and the central sanctum housed the reclining form of Lord Vishnu.

- Even now the Vedic custom of circumambulation of the Deity is practiced at the Kaba. All pilgrims circumambulate the entire building 8 times. This is strange because in no modern mosques circumambulation is practiced. It is another carry over of the ancient Vedic custom, which is not Islamic custom.

- Also, just as every Shiva temple has holy Ganga (Ganges) River, there is the Zam Zam spring near the Kaba. The two "Gs" are replaced by "Z" which makes it Zamza or Zamzam.

- Also, Shiva is often shown with a crescent moon on his head, and Shiva

Temples have a crescent on top of the Temple. The crescent moon on the pinnacle on the kaba is but a remnant of its Vedic origin.

- It is also said that the Black Stone (Sangay Aswad) is originally a representative of Shiva. Mahadeva, in the form of a Shiva-lingam. Shiva is also known as Makkheshvari, to which the name Makka or Mecca refers. The linga as a formless symbol of Divinity was retained by Mohammed, although its pedestal has been lost.

- It is well known that Mohammed smashed all the deities except of that of Allah, and buried them in the cellars of the Temple. The Black Stone is black with reddish tones and yellow particles. It is an ovoid shape, about 111 inches wide and 15 inches high. This is typical shape and colour of Shiva-linga. In the book World Vedic Heritage it is said, "The general belief that Kaba is only a Shiva temple is not true. It is originated as a Vedic Shrine depicting the Vedic version of the creation with a reclining Vishnu's navel forming the centre of the cosmic theme. A whole pantheon of Vedic gods surrounded Vishnu. Mohammed destroyed them all. The Shiva-linga stone wrenched away from its base was retained as a sacred symbol because it was the special patron and a faceless deity of Mohammed's Kuru-ishi household. He was a Shaivite. That was why those insisting that the caliphate remain in his family are known as Shaivas, now called Shias (Shiites).

- An Ancient Sanskrit scripture known as "Harihareshwar Mahatmay has (a couplet) which mentions Lord Vishnu's holy foot prints to be at three main centres in the world, namely one in Gaya (India), the other in Mecca, and the third near Shukla Teertha. Thus today what Muslims treat as Mohammed's foot prints, are actually that of Lord Vishnu's.

Other Encyclopaedias tell us that there are inscriptions inside the Kaba walls, and what they are no body is allowed to study.

- Namaz has its Sanskrit meaning as well, it is made of two Sanskrit letters nama and yaja, meaning to bow and worship.

- Ramadan comes from Sanskrit word Ram-Dhyan, meaning meditate on Lord Rama (Incarnation of God). In Vedic tradition the 9th Day of the bright half of the month of Chaitra is Rama's birthday. The pre-Islamic Arab tradition has retained the 9th month of the year for meditating on Lord Rama. Also, fasts are always associated with Vedic worship, and Islam has retained that fasting tradition for Ramadan. (see more here)

VEDIC INFLUENCE IN THE ORIENT

The Vedic influence in Eastern Asia is very well known.

- Java is Sanskrit for Jawadvip means island shaped like a barley corn.

- Indonesia still retains its Vedic origins although it now has the biggest Muslim population in the world. Its national airline is Garuda the eagle carrier of Lord Vishnu. The name Indonesia refers to Nesia signifies group of islands and Indo refers to India. Java, Bali and Sumatra are all Sanskrit names and still have Vedic religion followed there.

- Malaysia and Singapore, "Pore" is derived from Sanskrit word "Pur" And Singa is derived from Nrsingha for lion, as the name of Narasinghadeva, the half-man, half lion incarnation of lord Vishnu. So Singapore is the "Lion City".

Malaya also is a Sanskrit word, and Malayan towns bear Sanskrit names, and the royal princesses are called Putri, Mahadevi, Vidyadhari While men have names such as Rama, Lakshmana. Even palaces are called Asthana. All throughout the country one finds excavations leading to Vedic temples and shrines.

- North And South Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. The port of Saigon was named using Sanskrit word Gaon, meaning town and suffix means so many, meaning "Many townships". Mekong River was named after "Ma Ganga" or Mother Ganga (the Ganges).

CHINA (http://www.salagram.net/VWHChinaJapanKorea.html)

- In China Manchuria derives its name from the Vedic goddess Manjushri, and "Ju" is pronounced as "Chu".

- China is also mentioned in Ramayan as the land of Kosa-Karas (silk worms).

China and India has links with each other dating back thousands of years.

- Auriel Stein found evidence of Indian rule in Turkistan and Khotan in the form of coins and inscriptions and the use of Indian language in the administration upto the 3rd Century B.C.

- In the Fjiyan province at Quanzhou, there are remains of a Shiva Temple.

It still has Shiva-linga over five meters tall and numerous Tamil inscriptions. Even as early as 1950 childless mothers would go to invoke the blessings of the deity for motherhood.

- Like wise in Hsuan-wu, Lo-yang district there is a pillar with Sanskrit writings from top to bottom and right to left. There are may more evidence to prove China too had Vedic past.

JAPAN (see more here)

Even today Lord Ganesha and Goddess Durga are worshipped but their names are Shoten or Kangijen and Kali-devi-ma is called "Kariteimo". The Navaratri celebrations of paying homage to dead ancestors are followed in Japan.

There are many Vedic temples in Japan and China but are called in different names.

(All throughout the ancient history of the world countries, we come to a stumbling block at around 3000 B.C., which was the time of "Kurukshetra" War. Thus during that war the whole world participated and men lost their lives. And confusion and vacuum that prevailed later gave rise to Christianity and Islam.)

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'Bag' a Prize!!

This Environment Day, go creative and unleash the eco-friendly you. Like a cherry on the cake, win a prize too! Read on... 

If you are in school and are creative, a shopping bag could win you a prize. The Australian Consulate-General in Chennai and TREE Foundation are joining hands for World Environment Day this year, to provide schoolchildren with an opportunity to compete in an eco-bag designing competition.

The challenge is to create a useable shopping bag out of recycled material like old clothing or bed sheets.

David Holly, Australia’s consul-general to south India said the competition would provide schoolchildren in and around Chennai the chance to be part of a global effort to help promote a more environmentally sustainable future.

A press release said that awards for the best bag would be given in two age categories: junior (12 years and below) and senior (13-18 years). The first prize would be worth Rs. 10,000; the second prize Rs. 5,000 and the third prize Rs. 3,000. All participants will receive certificates.

Participants can enter either as individuals or in teams of up to three members, and have until 5 p.m. on July 5 to submit their entries.

Bags and entry applications must be couriered to or dropped off at: TREE Foundation, # 5/25, Blue Beach Road, Neelankarai, Chennai - 600 115.

For details call Supraja on 9444926128, or email: treerootsandshoots@gmail.com. Facebook page: Tree Foundation India.

Source:

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/make-an-ecofriendly-bag-win-a-prize/article4783034.ece

Preserve Energy, Preserve India

This has been my recent interest - Energy conservation. This Environment Day, do not fail to read this catchy article from The Hindu that would push you to think about lighting up India simply, easily, innovatively.

 

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Sonam Tsomo prepares dinner on her electric cooker at her home in Udmaroo in Ladakh’s Nubra Valley. A micro-hydropower unit supplies electricity to the village for six hours every evening. Photo: Harikrishna Katragadda/Greenpeace

This tiny village in Ladakh might be frozen in time, but its initiative to harness renewable energy has led to all-round empowerment

“Stupid TV,” Rigzen Tsomo mutters in the local Bodhi language as she taps her black & white TV set hard enough to get the reception back. “There…,” she smiles and returns to her seat.

“Main samay hoon…,” says a man on the screen. “It’s Mahabharat!” I shout in excitement and turn to Rigzen. She looks at me, nods and quickly returns to watching the serial.

Udmaroo village in Ladakh is a civilization away from civilization. After a nine-hour journey from the capital Leh that involves trekking across two mountains, crossing a flower valley and a river, one reaches Udmaroo, a bright green triangle located at 10,320ft. This tiny village of 90 farmer families might be frozen 25 years back in time, but in terms of energy generation, it is at least 10 years ahead of all of us.

Ushering in hydropower

In 2005, the villagers put away their smoky kerosene lamps and a small diesel generator gifted to them by the Army, and approached the Ladakh Ecological Development Group to help them move ahead. Coal-based electricity was never an option for this remote village far away from the national grid. So, the group began to assess the villagers’ needs and feasibility of various types of renewable energy. Within three years, in 2008, Udmaroo was basking in the glow of electricity generated from a micro-hydro power plant installed in a glacier stream above the village.

Empowerment

Though just a power plant, in no time, it became a matter of pride, a source of income and a generator of happiness for the people of Udmaroo. Households got electricity to run their appliances. Children could play music and watch TV. A group of women, who bought an oil extraction machine to crush mustard seeds and apricot kernels, paid Rs.15 an hour for electricity and sold their hourly produce for Rs.80. Excess oil was packaged and sold to the Army for Rs.300. Another women’s group bought a pulping machine, making 750 bottles of apricot jam every year. The men’s carpentry group doubled its income after it purchased an electric wood carving machine. While households paid Rs.90 per month, widows were given free electricity because they have no source of income. And even after all this, the village still had surplus electricity.

To understand what renewable energy is doing in a country like India where 300 million people still have no access to basic electricity, Udmaroo couldn’t explain it better. For the villagers, the hydropower plant didn’t just light up homes. It brought a community together. It gave people the key to control their lives and the power to choose how and when their resources are used. It helped the village save Rs.1.2 lakh that it used to spend every year to buy diesel for the generator. For the government, it is about saving money that it would have spent on importing coal to meet everybody’s energy needs. For environmentalists, it is about saving the climate. For human rights groups, it is about human well-being and poverty reduction. For feminists, it is about women’s empowerment.

Across India

Gone are the days when renewable energy meant dim solar lanterns. Small-scale renewable energy power plants are now cheaper, more reliable and more efficient. In Durbuk, in Ladakh, a solar power plant is powering 347 households, a clinic, a school and some government offices. In Tamil Nadu, a panchayat purchased a windmill that is not only providing electricity to the entire village but is also selling the surplus to State utilities and earning profit. In Bihar, a company named Husk Power Systems is using rice husk to generate electricity and supplying it to 250 villages.

Unlike coal that kills everything around it, renewable energy plays a transformational role by uplifting those who were earlier languishing in the dark. But the irony is that clean energy risks being typecast as a poor man’s fuel when it should be everyone’s first choice.

India is currently the world’s third largest carbon emitter. According to the Copenhagen Accord, which India signed along with 167 other countries, 80 per cent of the world’s proven coal, oil and natural gas reserves must remain in the ground in order to avoid warming the planet beyond the internationally agreed limit of 2° Celsius rise in average temperature. To achieve this, renewable energy must come up on a large scale and not as isolated stories of miracles.

Depleting reserves

From an economic point of view, no one needs proof that India is facing a power crisis. Coal reserves are depleting and getting expensive. Nearly 21 major plants in the country are facing severe coal shortages. In the last fiscal, India imported over 50 million tonnes of the fossil fuel, widening the country’s fiscal deficit to further dangerous levels.

From a social point of view, the government had promised to deliver electricity to the entire population by 2012. But considering that providing electricity to all means providing it for 24 hours of 365 days and not four hours in a day, the government missed the target by a long shot. Worse, it was the same year when India faced the world’s biggest power blackout.

Renewable energy is the need of the hour and it is capable of delivering what India needs. But will we, like the people of Udmaroo, realise it in time?

(Ramapati Kumar is campaign manager, Climate and Energy, Greenpeace India. June 5 is World Environment Day.)

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/udmaroo-is-light-years-ahead/article4782072.ece

In Memory Of...

...our beloved friend Ramaprabha. Happened to befriend her around three years back and this tiny, studious, intellectual girl caught everyone's attention in the French class. A quick learner she was, very friendly, amazing everyone with her language competencies. One of the very few people I have admired. Happens rarely. Very rarely. So in the morning, as the class commences very early on a lazy weekend, 7 AM, that is, our gang of guys enter the class with eyes drooping and hearts disinterested. The professor generally performs her duty very well. Starts the course sharp at 7 irrespective of who is seen attentive or who has shown physical attendance. This little girl sat next to me for almost all of the months she was pursuing level 1. And this means we had fruitful conversations, fun and all of that sorts. Not to forget the 'pause' in between, where we all used to have a chit-chat next to her scooter and indulging on her thayir sadham that early on a weekend, followed by some scoldings from our mam waving from somewhere to get into the class to which we finally budge, of course, reluctantly.

An alumni of Church Park school and an Engg. graduate with an M.B.A, turned as a Software Engineer at one of the top MNCs, here she was - focusing on yet another dimension - language. In retrospect, she was doing it all with so much of elan. I was equally astonished when she said she just loved her job too much. Many such times when I had observed her had repeatedly crossed this thought in my mind, 'May be I shouldn't have wasted so much of time in my life so far and should have kept my learning curve upwards, always upwards. Not even a linear one.'.. That actually made me take a silent oath. To keep learning. To keep on learning without a break in knowledge acquisition.

One of the cherishable times with her was when we had a number learning exercise wherein we had to listen to an audio and mark the respective number. The dumb in me realized that the audio read all the horaires in 24hrs format, only after the answers were read out. How struggling I was to map the hours with the ones in the book. But then here is the girl who did it all in minutes. Appeared as if I was in the first step of the mathematical ladder.  The funniest part is, even after all these years, I hope I am in the very same place!

Days disappeared in a blink of an eye with us reaching mid of the course. The most intelligent of all was about to discontinue the course, for an impressive offer came along her way from her bureau. This made her fly from India to Australia for the software project she was into. My life too on the other hand got occupied with work and stuff. Then came a call from her once that passed with a quick chat on our everyday life, mutual friends, work and blah blah.

With time grew the distance and as they say, 'Out of sight, out of mind'. While my days got busier we lost track of each other. It took almost two years to hear something about her through a common friend. Wish I had not not heard it.  Rather, I wish it hadn't happened. This little, lively girl had moved out of the world, maybe to somewhere in the universe, maybe to the same place from where she had come. I just couldn't help thinking. After so much of bringing happiness to everyone around, after so much of efforts to reach a state was in, was this all she deserved? Or will she be pushed down to earth by that gracious God to restart her life all over again? Even in that case, what meaning will her new life have? And still, what meaning did her life hold when she was alive? No answers. No one can answer. In this unpredictable short life, the only given choice is to live. To live every moment to the fullest. Who knows what will happen next?!