DesiReflections

This year Lakshmi Poojan Muhurat Date 26th October :Wednesday 5.57 PM to 8.32 PM Godhuli Pradosh Bela                                                       7.08 PM to 9.04 PM Vrishabh Sthir Lagn Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth, luxury, beauty, power, generosity and auspiciousness. Maha Lakshmi is claimed to fulfill the promises of material, wealth and contentment. Goddess Lakshmi represents fortune, purity, courage and fertility.   Most of Hindu families are invoking Goddess Lakshmi for wealth, prosperity and over all wellbeing in their own ways that  they have learned from family traditions. Do it your own way ! But I will mention some wonderful swata anubhut Lakshmi Mantras : सर्वज्ञे सर्ववार्दय सर्वदुश्त्भाय्द्करी सर्वदुखाहरय देवी महालक्ष्मी नमोस्तुते ( “Sarvagyay Sarvavarday Sarvadushtbhaydkree Sarvadukhaharay Dev...

सोमवार अर्थात कल  धन त्रिओदिशि  है. इस दिन को आम भाषा में धनतेरस भी कहते हैं. अपनी अपनी हैसियत के अनुसार हर परिवार की इच्छा रहती है की मूल्यवान धातु घर में खरीद के लाये, मान्यता  है कि इस से पूरे वर्ष भर घर में सुख संपत्ति का वास रहता है. घर के एक कोने में  सुन्दर सा मंडप बनायें उसे वस्त्र और पुष्पों  से सजाएँ. वहां महालक्ष्मी की प्रतिमा के सामने श्री यन्त्र, श्रीपारद सुमेरु प्रष्ट कुबेर यंत्र तथा कनक धारा यंत्र स्थापित करें, इनका पूजन करें.  श्री यंत्र मध्य में रहे. कुबेर यंत्र तथा कनक धारा यंत्र  इसके दोनों ओर रहें. सामने रोली से षट कोण  बना कर शुद्ध घी वाला बड़ा दीपक रखें. पांच या ग्यारह छोटे छोटे दीप रख लें. पूजन के लिए कमल पुष्प या कमल पुष्प की माला तथा जप के लिए कमल गत्ते की माला लें. २७, ५४ या १०८ बार कुबेर मन्त्र तथा लक्ष्मी मन्त्र का जाप करें. दरअसल धन त्रयोदिशी को कुबेर का दिन भी माना जाता है. कुबेर लक्ष्मी माँ के सेवक, द्वारपाल, कोष के रक्षक मने जाते हैं. इनकी कृपा से ही लक्ष्मी का घर में आगमन होता है. सुमे...

Mumbai 21st Oct. 2011. The Mumbai Film Festival (MAMI) 2011 concluded yesterday, and over the seven days it held screenings of the various selected films from all across the world, there were mixed reactions to both the organisation and the films showcased. This was the 13th year but it did not appear that the festival has matured enough. Despite big support and patronage from Reliance ADG the whole show lacked professionalism. The festival opened on a sour note with many people accusing the organisers of putting up a clunky opening ceremony. In fact, Kabir left the inauguration function in a huff and blamed the organisers for putting up a shoddy show. Shyam Benegal, who heads the festival, was absent on the opening day and was not seen until the third day. Nana Patekar didn’t turn up on the second day despite the festival’s publicity which said he was slated to attend the festival. At the closing ceremony yesterday, most of the awardees were not present, every time a name was called t...

एक दीपक चीर दे सीना अँधेरी रात का,  ऐ अँधेरे ,जानते हैं सब तेरी औकात को.   दीप जम कर लड़ा है तिमिर    से रात भर, दे गया है रौशनी अपनी प्रभात को.   देख के दीप और बाती के दिली  सौहार्द को,  रो दिया अँधेरा दीवाली की रात को.   दीप ही काफी नहीं उजाले के लिए,  ग्यान की बाती भी जलाओ आज तो. ऐसी ही शुभकामनाओं सहित 

I am sitting in front of my Deck listening to some of the choicest Ghazals of Jagjit Singh, singer with velvet voice who sang Ghazal for every Aam and Khas. This is the way I decided to mourn for departed soul.When I think of Jagjit Singh, and look back it is almost opening of yadon kaa daricha I started as music critic for one of the most popular woman's magazine 26 years back. As a critic I have been a witness to his long musical journey, listened to each and every thing sung/ composed by him and reviewed. Some time compliments and sometime brickbats also. Job of a critic is slightly tricky, in the process you make a lot of relations and friends in the fraternity but when it comes to evaluating the work, you simply can not carried away ! The work has to be evaluated with objectivity. In his creative and my critic role, there were instances when I appreciated his work when others did not, I expressed my reservation while others showered praise. I will narrate two instances. He c...

Those who knew Late Umesh Mathur, they are aware that apart from being ace photographer he was a good human being. Only few knew that he used to write lyrics that too in the bhajan genre. Divine India, as a part of their series on Bhajans of legends like Sur Das, Tulsi Das, brought a CD containing 8 Bhajans penned by Shri Mathur. These bhajans are not to theclass of Sur Das, Tulsi Das but definitely soul lifting. Anup Jalota, Sadhna Sargam, Ravindra Jain and Anuradha Paudwal have given voice and music is composed by Kalyan Sen. In sum total, the CD can be listened while you are in low spirit. This is an apt shradhanjali to Late Umesh Mathur

Death news of Steve was not shocking to me at all, this brave man was fighting with his cancer from last so many months, he knew it well but he still fought with all odds and even in those unbearable pains he tirelessly worked on new gadgets with same zeal and passion.No, he was not a pass out from any top educational institute, he was almost a college dropout, which in most of the societies are treated as useless, incapable person. But his passion to create, to be different, adding aesthetics to most common technology gadgets has given him name, fame and ofcourse lot of money. his journey to success was not a cakewalk, full of filmy twists, hated and envy by his own colleagues, sacked and again taken back by his own company, storyline for any hollywood or bollywood blockbuster.It is difficult to understand his success without his unusual life story. Thinking different came from the circumstances of his upbringing : his was a misfit, raised by adoptive parents offspring of Syrian i...

सर्व मंगल मांगल्ये शिवे सर्वार्थ साधिके शरण्ये त्रिम्बयके गौरी नारायणी नमो स्तुते इन्ही शब्दों से साथ आप सभी को नवरात्रि की शुभ कामनाएं. यह त्यौहार कैसे शुरू हुआ इस बारे में संछेप में जानकारी देने की कोशिश कर रहा हूँ. नवरात्रि यूं तो एक हिंदू पर्व है लेकिन यह भारत की सनातन परंपरा है । नवरात्रि संस्कृत शब्द है, जिसका अर्थ होता है नौ रातें । यह पर्व साल में दो बार आता है। एक शारदीय नवरात्रि, दूसरा है चैत्रीय नवरात्रि. यह महज संयोग नहीं है कि नवरात्रि साल में दोनों बार एक मौसम से दूसरे के परिवर्तन के संधिकाल पर ही मनाई जाती है. नवरात्रि पर्व के समय प्राकृतिक सौंदर्य भी बढ़ जाता है। ऐसा लगता है जैसे ईश्वर का साक्षात् रूप यही है। प्राकृतिक सुंदरता के साथ-साथ वातावरण सुखद होता है। हिन्दू पंचांग के आश्विन माह की नवरात्रि शारदीय नवरात्रि कहलाती है। विज्ञान की दृष्टि से शारदीय नवरात्र में शरद ऋतु में दिन छोटे होने लगते हैं और रात्रि बड़ी। वहीं चैत्र नवरात्र में दिन बड़े होने लगते हैं और रात्रि घटती है, ऋतुओं के परिवर्तन काल का असर मानव जीवन पर न पड़े, इसीलिए साधना के बहाने हमारे ऋषि-मुनियों न...

Images full of life, what a picture memory to linger till the next Summit.

After two days hard labor at iMedia Summit 2011, the delegate decided to unwind themselves, of course in style!