The Explorer of Miracles

Sunday, 29 March 2015

Banajaga Yatra And Nabakalebara in Puri, Odisha

Lord Ram's birth is celebrated as Ram Navami. It was celebrated yesterday.

During the birth month of Lord Ram i.e. in Chaitra, in Puri, Odisha, India, there are processions with the idols of Lord Ram, Sita & Laxman. There are grand celebrations for 15 days. This is called 'Sahi Jata'. In Odia language, 'Sahi' means locality/street. There is a 'Jatra' /'Yatra'- procession where people wear masks and costumes and there is theatre sort of Odia RamLeela. Residents of different localities of Puri have been taking part in this since 1230 AD:

Sahi Jata at Puri, Odisha ; Source

Ram Navami And Ashokastami In Odisha

Odisha, a state of India, boasts of centuries old art, architecture, culture and festivals.

Sitabinji, a village in Odisha, has a link to the Ramayana and houses an ancient 1500 years old painting as shown below:

1500 years old Fresco art in Sitabinji, a village in Odisha ; Source

Many places of Odisha have historical significance.
Many festivals are still celebrated with great pomp and grandeur.

Bhubaneswar, the capital of Odisha, is called the Temple City as at one time it had more than 10,000 temples, out of which many still exist.

Need For Dignity

“But you don’t need to worry about that now; just try and see for yourself.”

He tried to convince his petite fiance when she expressed her big concern that his room and home didn’t have an attached bathroom.

She felt like a fool having decided to marry him and having to go to the fields to answer nature’s call as there was no toilet!

He appeared chilly to suggest open defecation.

She shared info about Puffins.

When two Puffins become mates for life, they build homes on cliff sides with toilets for their future offspring to use; Source

Earth Hour

She had spent many years planting saplings that had grown into a lush forest.

When they set fire and burnt the forest, that too during Earth Hour, she felt that not only the forest, but human values and intelligence had also been engulfed in flames...

SOURCE

Team India's Loss in Cricket World Cup 2015

Team India has lost the important semi-final match against Team Australia, and thus missed a chance to play in the Finals of Cricket World Cup 2015 (#CWC2015).

Such Wins & Losses happen in games.

May the spirit of Sports win. May the better team win.

Millions of Indian cricket-fans are heart-broken.

While it is celebration time for some of our neighbours across the borders...

Team India had played brilliantly in all the matches so far, having won every single one.

We all have proudly celebrated the journey with our Team.

But, now some media channels and people are blaming the Team.

It is sad when the girl-friend of a cricketer is blamed for his poor form! It may be remembered that the same cricketer has played magnificently in the past matches when she was around to cheer for him!

Imagine if she couldn't have made it to this semi-final match, and Team India would still have lost, then the same people would have claimed that her absence proved to be the reason why Team India lost!

Kaleidoscopic Indian Culture

As per the Wikipedia:

Culture is a word for people's 'way of life', meaning the way groups do things. Different groups of people may have different cultures. Culture is seen in people's writing, religion, music, clothes, cooking, and in what they do.
The concept of culture is very complicated, and the word has many meanings.
The word 'culture' is most commonly used in three ways.

Excellence of taste in the fine arts and humanities, also known as high culture.

An integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior.

The outlook, attitudes, values, morals, goals, and customs shared by a society.

Indian culture is Kaleidoscopic.

Source

Stop Cyber-Harassment

Words are so wonderful.
Words are very powerful.
Words can heal.
Words can kill.

Cyber-bullying is the use of information technology to repeatedly harm, hurt, harass, embarrass, malign other people deliberately.

According to U.S. Legal Definitions,

Cyber-bullying could be limited to posting rumors or gossips about a person in the internet bringing about hatred in other’s minds; or it may go to the extent of personally identifying victims and publishing materials severely defaming and humiliating them.

Source: IndiBlogger

As per the Wikipedia:

The practice of cyberbullying is not limited to children and, while the behavior is identified by the same definition when practiced by adults, the distinction in age groups sometimes refers to the abuse as cyberstalking or cyberharassment when perpetrated by adults toward adults.

Pakhala Dibasa #PakhalaDibasa

Pakhala (In Odia language- ପଖାଳ) is an Odia term for a rice dish in the state of Odisha in India.
As per the Wikipedia:

"The term Pakhaḷa is derived from Pali word Pakhaḷiba as well as Sanskrit word Prakshāḷaṇa which means washed/to wash and it is made by cooling the rice by adding water and keeping the cooked rice in water and curd. The word Pakhaḷa was used in the poems of Arjuna Das in his literary work Kaḷpalata (1520-1530 AD)^"

Cooked rice is immersed in water & fermented. The liquid portion is called Torani. There are many variations of Pakhala. It is had with other dishes.

Courtesy

Lost Lamp

He cleared the IAS Exam, one of the toughest on Earth.
Did his job with dedication & proved his worth.
What did he get in return? Transfers & now death.
The system has failed him and stopped his breath...

He was planning raids on big developers of real estate,
Politicians & illegal transactions- he was to investigate.
They took the easy way & decided to silence & eliminate.
The honest earn brickbats & have death in their fate?