New Delhi, Jan 17, 2017: The 9th India International Pet Trade Fair (IIPTF), a three-day event from February 17-19, for the first time will have products related to small mammals and aqua apart from canine products.
This fair is touted as India’s largest pet event and the only trade fair for pets in South Asia.
“IIPTF will be holding various activities for pets and pet owners. This year, IIPTF will focus on spreading awareness amongst pet parents and introduce a wide range of products curated for pet health and wellness,” the organisers said in a statement.
“Mahalaya” is the auspicious occasion that marks the beginning of “Devipaksha” and the ending of “Pitripaksha” and heralds the celebration of Durga Puja
On Mahalaya, people throng to the holy river Ganges in order to pay homage to their ancestors and forefathers; which is called ‘Torpon’
Mahalaya remains incomplete without the magical chanting of the scriptural verses from the ‘Chandi Kavya’ that is broadcasted in All India Radio
The magic is induced by the popular Birendra Krishna Bhadra whose voice makes the recitation of the “Chandi Kavya” even more magnificent
Sept 19, 2017: Autumn is the season of the year that sees the Hindus, all geared up to celebrate some of the biggest festivals of India. The festive spirit in the Bengalis all enthused to prepare for the greatest of the festivals, the ‘Durga Puja’.
About Mahalaya:
Mahalaya is the auspicious occasion that marks the beginning of “Devipaksha” and the ending of “Pitripaksha,” and this year it is celebrated on September 19.
Observed exactly a week before the ‘Durga Puja’, Mahalaya is the harbinger of the arrival of Goddess Durga. It is celebrated to invoke the goddess possessing supreme power! The goddess is invited to descend on earth and she is welcomed with devotional songs and holy chants of mantras. On this day, the eye is drawn in the idols of the Goddess by the artisans marking the initiation of “Devipaksha”. Mahalaya arrives and the countdown to the Durga Puja begins!
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The day of Mahalaya bears supreme significance to the Bengalis. The day is immensely important because on this day people throng to the holy river Ganges in order to pay homage to their ancestors and forefathers. Clad in white dhotis, people offer prayers and take dips in the river while praying for their demised dear ones. The ritual is popular as “Torpon”.
An idol-maker in progress of drawing the eye in the idol of the Goddess. Wikipedia
As per Hindu myth, on “Devipaksha”, the Gods and the Goddesses began their preparations to celebrate “Mahamaya” or Goddess Durga, who was brought upon by the trinity- Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshwara; to annihilate the fierce demon king named Mahishasura. The captivating story of the Goddess defeating the demon got popularized with the goddess being revered as “Durgatinashini” or the one who banishes all the evils and miseries of the world. The victory of the Goddess is celebrated as ‘Durga Puja’.
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Mahalaya remains incomplete without the magical chanting of the scriptural verses from the ‘Chandi Kavya’ that is broadcasted at dawn in All India Radio in the form of a marvelous audio montage enthralling the souls of the Bengalis. Presented with wonderful devotional music, acoustic drama, and classical songs- the program is also translated to Hindi and played for the whole pan-Indian listeners.
The program is inseparable from Mahalaya and has been going on for over six decades till date. The magic is induced by the popular Birendra Krishna Bhadra whose voice makes the recitation of the “Chandi Kavya” even more magnificent! He has been a legend and the dawn of Mahalaya turns insipid without the reverberating and enchanting voice of the legendary man.
Mahalaya will keep spreading the magic and setting the vigor of the greatest festival of the Bengalis- the Durga Puja, to worship the supreme Goddess, eternally.
Cultural Apps for your Phone that may Elevate your Thoughts. Pixabay
June 18, 2017:
Will Durant, an American philosopher, once said-
“India was the motherland of our race and Sanskrit the mother of Europe’s languages: she was the mother of our philosophy, mother of much of our mathematics; mother of ideals embodied in Christianity; mother of self-government and democracy. Mother India is in many ways the mother of us all.”
India is the oldest civilization in the world, popular in other countries for its strong spiritual inclination and sustaining its old culture and heritage.These must have cultural apps for your phone will help you stay in touch with your true Indian side…
1. AstroSage Kundli: Free Application based on Indian Astrology/ Vedic Astrology. AstroSage Kundli is your go-to application for Kundalis, Birth Charts, and Horoscopes. The app has an inbuilt Hindu calendar. Google Maps support the large city atlas with thousands of cities. In addition, the app has cloud service that subsequently can be opened on the website. It has a more than 5,000,000+ downloads. Find it here.
Hindu Astrology. Wikimedia
2. Vastu Shastra: With over 100,000+ downloads on the play store, the Vastu Shastra app brings rightful living and fulfillment. It is the ancient science of architecture and decoration. The application is based on both Hindi and English. It elaborates the fundamentals of Vastu Shastra and the impact on life. Download the app here.
Vastu Shastra. Wikimedia
3. Sahaja Yoga: Yoga is a big part of the Indian culture. The Sahaja Yoga is a meditation technique to achieve bliss and self-realization. It is also a powerful way to reduce stress and improve the quality of life. The app has 10,000+ downloads on the play store. Sahaja Yoga for Android can be found here.
Yoga is also a good physical exercise. Wikimedia
4. Indian History in Hindi: Self-proclaimed “Android’s best Hindi Reader App” has over 100,000+ downloads. It provides a convenient way to quickly grasp historic events in India. You can customize your reading experience through features such as fonts and full-screen reading (+landscape mode). It covers all ages of India starting from BC. It has various subjects including History, Politics, Geography and Economics. You can download the app here.
Raja Chari is an American of Indian descent chosen by NASA for the new batch of astronauts
Currently, he is a Lieutenant Colonel in the US Air Force
Chari will have to go through two years of astronaut training which begins in August
June 06, 2017: NASA has chosen 12 astronauts out of a record-breaking 18,300 applications for upcoming space missions. An American of Indian descent, Raja Chari, has successfully earned his spot in the top 12.
The astronauts were selected on the basis of expertise, education, and physical tests. This batch of 12 astronauts is the largest group selected by NASA since two decades. The group consisting of 7 men and 5 women surpassed the minimum requirements of NASA.
Born in Waterloo, Iowa, Chari graduated from Air Force Academy in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in Astronautical Engineering and Engineering Science. He went on to complete his master’s in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The astronaut is also a graduate of US Naval Test Pilot School.
Currently, Raja Chari is a Lieutenant Colonel in the US Air Force. He is the commander of 461st Flight Test Squadron and director of the F-35 Integrated Test Force at Edwards Air Force Base in California.
After Late Kalpana Chawla, Lt. Col. Raja Chari is the second Indian American astronaut chosen by NASA.
The 12 astronauts will have to go through two years of training. Upon completion, they will be assigned their missions ranging from research at the International Space Station, launching from American soil on spacecraft by private companies, to flying on deep space missions on NASA’s Orion Spacecraft.
The US Vice-President Mike Pence visited the Johnson Space Centre in Houston to announce and congratulate the new batch. Pence also said that President Trump is “fully committed” to NASA’s missions in space.
– by Saksham Narula of NewsGram. Twitter: @Saksham2393
