A Diwali of Enlightenment

Very few vacations are truly memorable in the recent times. This Diwali was !! i have to thank friends who were with me in the Trip and also initiators of it in a way. My friend Mangal Akole wanted his son Aditya to have a good holiday and an useful one at that. At first he thought of going south towards Goa and Karnataka, both of course beautiful places with a rich bounty of nature. It sounded more of a pilgrimage to me when he suggested I join him with his son. I pondered over his suggested route and places .
I came up with a suggestion which then developed into a wonderful trip and a successful one at that.The highlight was the joining in of Makarand Vaidya, an instrumentation engineer but an avid nature and bird lover. As I recall, we visited the 'Lonar' crater which was a historic and amazing site. it was created by the impact of an asteroid or foreign body from the outer space and has quite an importance in astronomical studies. This was the beginning of our journey from Pune to Akola. I wonder why the government does not care for such valuable sites and use them as true tourist places. The facilities around this Crater were quite a dismay.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lonar_crater
Our interests were truly kindled by seeing what lay in front of us. So few know the importance and the value of the place and its history which goes back thousands of years.....
The next place we camped at was a hill station in the Satpudas, namely "Chikhaldara". we were pleasantly surprised that in 2006 it had actually snowed there.This place has the historical Gawilgad Fort and a wild sanctuary around it wherein there are Tigers,Bears,Bison(Indian version -Gaur), Deer,Sambhars,etc......It is a part of the Melghat region and a place worth visiting in winter.The jungles are very attractive with the Flora and Fauna.It was luckily the season for "Oranges" which were available in abundance.
http://amravati.nic.in/htmldocs/chikhaldara_home_page.htm
A visit to Amravati city, it's Goddess "Ambabai" led us to Hinganghat for a visit to the Famous and century old 'Mohta Mills'. We ended that day at A lovely and most unlikely wonder of Hemalkasa.Here we had an experience of our lifetime.'Missionary Dedication' in person...in the form of Dr Prakash Amte and family.
http://amravati.nic.in/
It is 'heaven sent' for the tribals. Praksah Amte and his wife also a doctor have given their entire life for the 'seva' (physical help and aid) of the tribals and also have an orphanage for their animals and pets who are injured.A school is run for the children of the tribals along with a hospital and a mobile medical aid unit.The entire campus reveals to you the history of hard work and every stone ,tree,whispers of nature tell you about 'The Amte Family and their team".Years in time and effort have gone in making of what we saw,it started without a proper road and no electricity and literally no building structures!! Amazing but true and so heart rendering......
http://mss.niya.org/projects/anandwan.php

Then there was the meeting with Baba Amte himself and Dr. Vikas Amte."Anandwan" is a Heaven/paradise by Leprosy patients for their own fellow beings. Who says 'Nothing is Possible'
http://chanda.nic.in/htmldocs/anandwan.htm
I would say Anything is Possible.What Baba Amte has done should be the answer to any depressed person to any of his questions and a Lesson to every 'Human' who has all his physical God given healthy limbs but says he is out of work and would like to commit suicide.Transformation of a barren dry area into an evergreen habitat with cleanliness as it's prime motto and hard work as it's anthem.That is "Anandwan".Hope and ambition is in the air they breathe in place of oxygen, and their eyes glitter like shinning gems. People , not cared for by the community,society,personal families have their own respectful dream world given to them by a "Godsend" Baba Amte. He has taught them to be self sufficient and righteous.
http://anandwangreetings.com/default.aspx
It as an exhilarating experience and it was exposed to ourselves that we are "Nothing" as compared to the work we can do and what Baba Amte has done.
Let me very importantly say that there was no 'Temple",Idol worship,Showmanship,artificial make belief or gongs and bells sounded of any kind in both Hemalkasa and Anandwan.Man lived with God all the while along with God's creations. Nature and All !!!No time was wasted in unnecessary rituals ,It was truth and facts all the while. The number of projects that went on were all pertaining to creation of jobs and output ,both needed for the community.It was deep and serious learning, a class and practical education....A Diwali of enlightenment.

History of Dainik Deshonnati doesn't mention....

I was going through the search engines ,news and articles, also information on the net and found out that there were missing facts about the Marathi daily newspaper 'Deshonnati' from Akola in Maharashtra, India.
Mr Ranganath Kulkarni was the primary editor of this news paper and after the demise of my Father in 1988 April I took over as the Editor and Managing Director, This was so for the next 3 years till it was sold to 'The present owners'. Not all of it, but the rights of my family and it's shares were parted with.
So the history should read that along with the addition of Mr.Kulkarni as the editor in the beginning, C M Vairale was the next Executive Editor and Managing Director of Deshonnati.Is it not right to give due credit where required?
May truth prevail as always and the truth be in black and white mentioned , where ever and when ever....for it is all there in the archives and in print on all those issues printed in that period.....
Every contribution is important as is every step in the progress of a goal foreseen....

Gossip - vile world

It is but so sad that either failure or jealousy or even simple incapability could lead a human to say anything about his own race without regard or love or compassion.
Some even do it to earn fast bucks ! Irresponsible individuals or even groups and entities spread the Hush word in an evil fashion may be to "get back" or 'even' things out.

Gossip From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gossip

Judaism considers gossip spoken without a constructive purpose (known in Hebrew as lashon hara) as a sin. Speaking negatively about people, even if retelling true facts, counts as sinful, as it demeans the dignity of man — both the speaker and the subject of the gossip.
According to Proverbs 18:8: "The words of a gossip are like choice morsels: they go down to a man's innermost parts."

Islam considers backbiting the equivalent of eating the flesh of one's dead brother. Backbiting about somebody harms that person without offering any chance of defence for the victim; just as a dead person cannot mount a defence if one were to eat his flesh. Since Islam has the concept of universal brotherhood, one should treat every other man like one's brother.

Christianity condemns all kinds of gossip. The Epistle to the Romans associates gossips ("backbiters") with a list of sins including sexual immorality and with murder:

But man has made business out of it. WHY ? Are we becoming inhuman? No feeling,compassion,respect,regard,care,nothing???

It is not progress to live off someones Private lives even if the Gossip you spread is the truth.Value each other or else you will only spell doom and bad Karma !

Deserving birth?

Looking back it all seems that I have been truly blessed.Now by looking back I do not just mean ...at my life ! I mean there is such a long queue of have nots behind me that makes me feel blessed!
"One tends to forget" conveniently of course. A blind eye as it is known ,towards what 'You' have received this life from the Almighty.I remember a hoarding put up by the then President of the Society for the handicapped Mr. Vijay Merchant near churchgate ,mumbai...Saying.....alongwith a visual of a boy sitting on a wall crying " I cried because, I had no shoes.....until I saw a Boy without Feet! ",
There are always those who 'Have' those who 'Don't'.....Those who 'Have' do not value "IT "always or even most of the time.....But those who 'Do Not' always treasure "IT".
Learn to thank and enjoy what you 'Have' rather than cry over what you "Don't" Bless yourself and take full advantage and live a life of gratitude !!
Do not waste time in looking at and feeling jealous over what others have, it is illusion."the grass on the other side is always greener (psychologically).
I have learnt it the hard way....so I pass it on.............

"Making puppets out of people"

The 'Idiot Box' as it is called has slowly and steadily started ruling over people's lives.The Visual aid was for getting across better and making things clearer to those who didn't have a percepts or vision.Low imagination led to less understanding and therefore words along with line drawings,then pictures,moving images,films with sound tracks etc.....followed.Man stayed stagnant and the book started to move.....Rock,to paper,to newspaper,till the Internet ....and now both move faster than the other....Man and Machine....from original form to" nano technology"
Who is pulling the strings?Have we become objects in other's controls?Is this question being asked at all?...is so...who is going to give the answers.Is progress properly going to wards a "better" goal?.We are apes surely...Aping each other and the original Ape too!!We are becoming a sight to be observed with great entertainment and enquiry !!So nice of us to call ourselves "idiots" sitting in front of (now a days) Flat picture-like frames calling it the 'State of the art' object in one's living room...for that matter any "room" where there is no 'space to sit a square box in !!
Have we become the squares? and the TV sets watching us staring at ? Or are they the one's watching the 'puppet show' !!??

The sensex...is it real? or are we going on a ride?

Indian economy at it's best.That's what it is.Great potential,better offers,educated players,truer spirit,fabuloue intelligentia,datring businessmen with high Aims!
It is a nice scene which one had never imagined.Things a re happening so fast.It is an extraordinary situation.India> the land of opportunity.!! Suddenly everyone is looking in the direction of the east....and what do they see/ India rising even faster than the Sun !
We Indians are a proud lot in a sense but I as a person, am thinking whether we are really going towards the right end? we need to take a while and look at our foundation,fundamentals and cultural heritage. Do we really need this pace and this progress which is going to bring doomsday nearer?Nature is not being paid heed towards.....we need to tread softly,carefully and cautiously!
Will we survive our pace and enjoy the good LIFE ? Ethics,rationale,logic,reason.....are they flaunted with recklessly?Is the rural and urban disparity being looked at/Is the economic disparity being disturbed ?What are we Humans in India doing?

Suddenly all seems so well !!

I am so wonderfully at peace.......having seen ,lived,enjoyed,suffered,dreamt,received,and so much more in this particular life has been a sweet revealation !! I cannot and will not complain.One has no choice over one's birth and therfore Death too.Logically follows >No control over anything in between too ! Have you an answer ?
Life is a continuos cycle with all parameters set for each individual.Karma is Action ! Your thoughts performed !! Body is the vehicle of the 'Soul'(life)...Science knows What the body is made of and How it performs.Having given all pre-requisites can You put life in it ? Can you decide then who will that Human's parents will be ?>> Interesting isn't it?
Looking for answers and rational discussions.....I feel so well and at peace!

It's time Hillary Clinton is nominated and becomes A President.

The world needs a shake up(shake down) to realise that woman is also as human and as deserving as man.
It has been proven beyond doubt that woman is no less or more but an equal when it comes to "natural existence".The rules of nature are not made by man, but by a force that humans have no control over.I am sure there are predominant and stronger characters as per their constitutional make up but humans are governed without their own will.Destiny and Fate is a reality and the script is already written.We are all subject to circumstance and react to situations.The results are unknown to US but have been predestined.
Desmond Morris, Sigmund Freud,Charles Darwin etc....would interpret life as it is or answer questions and doubts, but to predict a reaction of 'Human" nature is only a shot in the dark: for it can be totally out of Man's logic.
You study and try and analyse but to guarantee a particular result or reaction is very difficult and unsure.I feel that every time something happens, there has to be to it a newer perspective and angle.That's what Life is about. 'Ever changing' and subjective.Change is a 'truth' to be remembered by man,who takes too many things for granted.
All this makes Life so interesting and challenging.Everyday a new day and every moment a new 'light'.

personal belief

I am sure "each to his/her own" is the final truth.No one is equal, and no one can be forced to do and act as someone else wants one to.All men and women are born equal is a natural myth.Nature believes in diversity.Repition is man's(human) way of making things easy.All can't go on like the moon and the stars.Change is the rule of life and 'Life' goes on.If all do and react in the same manner , we will have a problem at hand.All will be predictable and that is what 'Life' isn't.
The human is an intelligent product of nature but not Nature itself or it's creator or commander.Let each literate person know for sure that you can't lead the reigns of the 'Life' cart as per his/her control.One can only understand what one has to go by rather than make things happen in a particular way.
I humbly bow to the creator whoever He/she/It.....What a world !!! and what planning!!! and what execution!!!! Just Unbelievable....just enjoyable and live able!!!

The art of saving has to be learnt from our fourfathers

The new Man/woman is leading a life of peril if he rests his needs and solves woes by the use of the Plastic money.Credit cards or debit cards teach you and help you to spend.That too in advance. Use now and pay later is a dangerous way to live,Do not put your heirs in a situation of debt and rob the love from you after your depart.
Wise spending,limited and necessary expenses,justified buying all have to be metered.The art of keeping something back for emergency.There is health too! Unknown happenings,demands,dues can crop up anytime putting you in a spot.Begging and borrowing from friends ,kith and kin is shameful.Popularity can really take a dip if the lenders come knocking at your door.Public censure and lifted eyebrows are a sorry sight.Be safe than sorry the saying goes and believe me all the sayings come from experiences of the people from the past.Our ancestors,old wise men/women have set some learnt rules .....do try and follow them for your own good.
I know YOU earn so you can SPEND as you like.I will not take that right from you and no one can.The LURE of spending is put in your head and the carrot is dangled in front of you for the lenders are going to earn from you.You will earn FIRST to pay their interest,then the actually sum and then only will be any leftovers.......if possible.
Think Guys n Gals....shopping is wonderful, all at a stroke!...Earning is difficult...it is bit by bit?

highway,runway,expressway or panicway ?

I was really proud when I first travelled on the Mumbai-Pune expressway.I thought my country is making great progress.Today a few years later I have to Qualify my words and thoughts. As my work makes me go a lot on tours,I am a frequent traveller on the expressway.By the shear Number of vehicles I come to know that the economy is flourishing. The more alarming rate is the increase in road vehicles sold and the number of frequent travellers.The numbers are mind boggling and almost swamping.I am afraid we are going to be swept away by the tsunami of Numbers.
We have not been able to give precedence and importance to the control of population.We have put our country in grave danger.Look at the figures of food grown and imported.At the number of mushrooming cement blocks and the absolute pitiful infrastructure.The Public Transport Systems are sheer failures and below quality.The numbers of unnecessary Bars and pubs keep on enveloping & shrouding the rational thoughts of the human race.
Too much is needed and too little is done or achieved .The alarming rate of climate change speaks of our paying a blind eye to the important things and acting deaf and dumb to the needs of reality and qualitative survival.
The illiterate and the educated are equally to be blamed.There is very little difference between either when it come s to human nature.Responsibility is abegging and so is the sense of duty.Each has to rethink of where one is really taking the country to? The politicians are a sad story themselves.The education and administrative system is going so corrupt.All needs to be changed and need to introspect very urgently.
To me the Reality is going to surface a lot of Lacunae and expose man's vulnerability to uncontrolled progress and living.

Dreaming on..

If Fly I could, then I would,
come to greet and meet,a love so Sweet!

When by your side ,I would abide,
by your wishes and demand, at your command.

With feelings so deep and within,I would always win,
your heart and dare not part,nor you let you depart.

Pray as I do for your hand,along with a love so grand,
may nature bring all the beauty,in your form:all Sanctity'

Time would fly as days went by,knowing not why?
Happiness be the blood that flows, in my heart never slows,

With you as mine 'A wonderful bliss',sealing it always with a kiss,
walking through life hand in hand, as here I keep Dreaming on.........

sense and sensibility

Does it make sense to you to give a son a motorcycle worth 70+K rupees even when he is doing nothing after 3 years of passing his XII Th std.?...It doesn't to me.
My contention is that, only he deserves something who shows hope and responsibility.What can one do about such an act?Nothing. Each to his own understanding. I wonder how God has planned it. People do not have the sense of reasoning and depth of understanding for they are genetically incapable. You can't blame it on anyone. It is the Constitution that each is in possession of. You are born that way, as you have your 'x' & 'y' from your parents.
Who decides you get the good gene or the bad one?The traits which you have are individualistic and could be reactionary in different ways in different situations.You may never believe in the people who really care for you...as you do not know how to decide who really cares?Destiny and fate are therefore nothing but a result of all this.All is not sense and therefore sensibility is not guaranteed.

Unless the 'Gap' is bridged

It is said 'better late than never'. I had an experiences that things do and can happen this way but there is a huge gap between 'understanding' and 'imbibing'. To' know' something is not enough.To understand the progressive results of using that knowledge correctly or incorrectly is more important. Even the 'Law' says ignorance is no excuse.Effort has to be made to be aware of :why,what,where,when,which,who,how.....etc is necessary . If one cannot or has not the capacity to do so,One needs to get and accept help.
What is Maturity? that is what one should find our,Sensibility doesn't come our of Education alone.Application of a lot of characteristics of any given premise is to be done properly.The results obtained in a comprehensive manner are far better than a thing done in a haphazard manner.
It is also as true as your existence that there are limitations with each individual.Each has his/her limitations of absorption,understanding,maturity,speed,reaction,etc....All this what I think is a general but real fact and in reality lies the importance not just a thought of the mind or just a notion.

Years going by...

It only seems to the human mind that the time is passing.What really happens is emotions are felt,lived,more follow.Understanding develops as you age.Emotions grow in number with understanding.There are a number of them, rapidly increasing as one ages.A multitude of such and of course there reactions follow and keep on happening.This experience gives one the sense of Time.Time isn't a tangible or real product.It is a notion.The length of our living is unknown and therefore always an intrigue.We only seem to go after the unknown as we are made that way.How you age should be Qualitative .All humans have a reasoning sense inbuilt in them.They accordingly have their ethics,priorities,reactions,etc.....Asking from someone to do something in a particular way and react in a certain manner is fruitless.....Nothing is in your control.
As the man counts it will be 51yrs tomorrow and I am a mixed bag of emotions like all are ,trying to make sense of things around me.Living with "satisfaction"(searched for and groped around) 'happiness' relatively received and heart fully felt.The brain doesn't match the heart though.We live in a "society" and have to keep 'it" in mind.
How far and How long do I have? is the intrigue that puts a smile on your face and wrinkles on your forehead!
Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional.
http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/7131.htm

Once you know the birth date, how to compute how old someone is?
A common belief for computer geeks is that an age is a duration.

http://00f.net/2007/an-age-is-not-a-duration

So to my co sustaining humans......make merry and live the moment!!Adios!

Losing the information

I was quite surprised that the younger generation is quite unaware of the Local festivals,rituals,cultural information.I wonder why? There is a surge of information at the doorstep for the common man.There is the popular TV and it's channels that go in 3 figures.There is the daily,weekly,fortnightly...newspapers,magazines,publications etc..Then there is the rapid popular gain in the radio channel listeners. All college,school,society ,association,temple noticeboards and the mouth to mouth blabber.
There is no real scarcity in information but funnily enough the IT knows no common news...."common sense is not very common" it is said,so is common news I think.What are these educated working class busy with.Is Page 3 ,Sensex,Police file news...the only knowledge awareness within them?or is it 'The Entertainment page' the only page of interest?or is it the only 'IN" things that matter?Do all want to be be top bracket socialites?It is because the plastic money available? or the Loan and Credit schemes?
What are our values,priorities,ethics,plans,foresights......where is this road leading to? I Wonder.

Karma, the theory that puts doubts to rest

I had this experience of a friend losing his wife very early and suddenly!He was in a lot of shock,anger,pain,doubt and being the thinking type and a studious person it bothered him no end.....Why Me ? What have I done bad?Why was I the chosen one? etc...
I do not blame any human for a reaction of this kind.One goes to such extent that he / she would rage aginst the deities in his own "Gods" whom he worships sveryday.There will always be questions. Let me ask you "Why does a hunter choose a Tiger or a Lion rather than a Dog for a hunt?""why do the strongest and most able face defying situations?"Calamities may fall on many at random(according to us) but what ever is planned by the Creator is beyond our imagination or capacity...but there are people who have found answers! "Karma"
http://www.hirabhaithakkar.net/tribute1.htm or the next one http://www.hirabhaithakkar.net/ will tell you what I want to convey.
Anyway ,things came to quite a rest when My friend came across the thoughts by this man and the inquisitiveness calmed down.
I know that people question you in funny ways.....All your formal education doesn't teach you what vedic philosophy does.Neither is there any answer in any of the sciences available to the common man.To think in a bigger and vast scope is not an average ability. LIFE, LIVING and LIVELIHOOD are 3 different things and each swallows the other therefore all is lost...Life is Lost in Living and Living in Livelihood.One forgets to Live...what a waste!.
http://wanabo.com/living
more later....

Life first punishes and then .....teaches !

India ,My country has been Independent for 60 years.....I am 51 and yet free for only 27 yrs.....how come? Well ,I have been married for 24 years....lol ...do you get it? Anyway, life is the best teacher for it has a Long experience of 'TIME".There can be no better way to learn ! I have ,as must have most of you ...learnt through experience. All dream, and live...paint pictures,wish....etc. What is destined happens.....the fate you have been alloted.... it is all preplanned..........so you are but a vehicle....one of many! Never sail high on an ego!!! Believe me , only experience will teach you that truth.

I have learnt it at a very young age and live happily now ,without complaints ,all thanks to my teacher"LIFE". It isn't easy but it is the truth.'Live and let live' is the motto...I would say that unless you give up your "Ego" life is going to be difficult irrespective of the material wealth you have.All claims are debatable.....more later