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Maha Kumbh Mela 2010-Haridwar

2010-01-05T06:46:20Z

The Kumbh Mela ("festival of the pot of nectar of immortality") is held every three years in each of four different locations, returning to each of four places every twelve years. An Ardh (half) Mela (festival) takes place six years after the Purna (full) Kumbh in each location.

Kumbh Mela is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage and bathing festival that takes place at the following 4 locations of India:

-Prayag (near the city of Allahabad, in the state of Uttar Pradesh) at the confluence of three rivers Ganga (Ganges), Yamuna and mythical Saraswati.
-Haridwar (in the state of Uttaranchal Pradesh) where the river Ganga enters the plains from Himalayas.
-Ujjain (in Madhya Pradesh), on the banks of Ksipra river.
-Nasik (in Maharashtra) on the banks of Godavari river.

Dates for the Kumbh Festival
(every 12 years in 4 locations)

-In 2010, March-April, Kumbh Mela will be held at Haridwar in the foothills of the Himalayas. The main bathing date for Kumbh Mela, Haridwar, is April 14, 2010.
-In 2013, Maha Kumbh Mela will be held in Allahabad (Prayag), Jan. 27 to Feb. 25. Main bathing date: Feb. 10.
-In 2015, Kumbh Mela will be held Aug. 15 to Sept. 13. Main bathing date: Sept. 13.
-In 2016, Kumbh Mela will be held April 22 to May 21. Main bathing date: May 21.
Major Dates for the next Kumbh Festival in Haridwar:

14 January 2010 (Thursday) - Makar Sankranti Snan - First Snan (Holy Bath)
15 January 2010 (Friday) - Mauni Amavasya and Surya Grahan (Solar Eclipse) - Second Snan
20 January 2010 (Wednesday) - Basant Panchmi Snan - Third Snan
30 January 2010 (Saturday) - Magh Purnima Snan - Fourth Snan
12 February 2010 (Friday) - Maha Shivratri - Pratham Shahi Snan - First Royal Bath
15 March 2010 (Monday)- Somvati Amavasya - Dvitya Shahi Snan - Second Royal Bath.
24 March 2010 (Wednesday)- Ram Navmi - Fifth Snan
30 March 2010 (Tuesday) - Chaitra Purnima Snan
14 April 2010 (Wednesday) - Amavasya of Krishna Paksh of Baisakh - Pramukh Shahi Snan (Main Royal Bath).
28 April 2010 (Wednesday) - Shakh Purnima - Snan.

Shahi Snaan (Royal Bath) for six Akharas of Vaishnav and Udasi sects: March 15, March 30, and April 14, 2010

The basic point of the Kumbh Mela is for pilgrims to bathe at certain sacred spots on certain auspicious days. A large tented city is erected and pilgrims stay at tents owned by Pandas (religious and spiritual guides) and at various ashrams and hotels. Others will just camp on the ground or visit for the actual bathing day. Some of these bathing days are designated "royal." On all the 10 major bathing dates, the naga sadhus (naked mendicants) will parade and bathe. On all other days there will still be people bathing, other events, and random processions.

posted in India - 3 replies

Kalbeliya dance tour in Rajasthan with Suva Devi Kalbeliya

2009-11-23T10:57:29Z

SUVA DEVI KALBELIYA INVITES YOU TO RAJASTHAN
For around 25 hours kalbeliya dance workshop with Suva Devi & her musicians
From February 22th to March 3rd 2010 in Jodhpur (India)

Simona Jovic and Suva Devi Kalbeliya invite you in Rajasthan to discover the nomad traditions through dance and music !

The rate of 795€ includes :
- Transfer from the airport to the hotel in both ways
- Night train between New Delhi and Jodhpur
- Accommodation in the hotel with breakfast (twin room)
- Kalbeliya dance courses with Suva Devi Kalbeliya and her musicians (24 hours on 6 days)
- Video shows about nomad life, culture, traditions, dances of Tajasthan
(organized in collaboration with Rajasthani Folk Series)
- Meeting up the kalbeliya caste : meeting and parties in the nomad villages
- Many tours and outings, always in relation with Rajasthan culture.
Are not included in the price : plane ticket, airport taxes, travel insurance, visa, drinks, meals (except breakfasts), tips

Suva Devi Kalbeliya (Rajasthan, India)

Suva Devi Kalbeliya , this great dancer who has made a name for herself through the Tony Gatlif's movie « Latcho drom », will welcome us in in Jodhpur during those 10 cultural days ! More than 24 hours of dance (on 6 days) with Suva Devi and her musicians. But also parties in nomad villages, video shows about rajasthan traditions, many cultural outings, etc... A trip like we are not used to make ! The courses are open for beginners and couriers.
Below a video of Suva Devi in her village in Rajasthan and a video of Suva Devi in the movie Latcho drom of Tony Gatlif.
This trip is organized by Simona Jovic.

Suva Devi video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qU9xt7uSjss

Information and bookings :

www.romanobersh.com
rromaorganization@gmail.com

posted in India - 0 replies

This Navratri learn how to dance Garba and Dandiya

2009-09-23T11:13:42Z

http://getahead.rediff.com/slide-show/2009/sep/16/slide-show-1-specials-learn-how-to-dance-the-garba-and-dandiya.htm

posted in India - 1 reply

India Visa Outsourcing San Francisco COMPLAINT "TRavisa"

2009-09-06T03:00:35Z

India outsources their visa function to a for-profit company in San Francisco. They penalized me for being TOO
EARLY and gave me a via that started last week when they got the application instead of when I said I'd be arriving.
When I complained they said they warned against applying early (I never saw it in the fine print on their website; I only have a Ph.D. and that I should have waited or applied for 12 months. I am only stay for less than two months.
It seems to me that TRAVISA is misleading, trapping, and churning applicants in order to get extra fees for themselves and for their required FedEx.

posted in India - 5 replies

Jodhpur Rajasthan International Folk Festival

2009-08-28T01:35:14Z

Anyone going to this year's RIFF in Jodhpur? Dates are October 1-5

http://www.jodhpurfolkfestival.org/

posted in India - 0 replies

Jahan-e-Khusrau (Delhi)

2009-08-28T01:32:08Z

Does anyone know anything about the Jahan-e-Khusrau Sufi arts festival in the Delhi area, specifically this year's event?

It doesn't look like the website has been updated in a while http://www.jahan-e-khusrau.org/

posted in India - 0 replies

road from Delhi to Kerala

2009-08-07T03:42:39Z

Can anyone recommend a good route from Delhi to Kerala? And a good mode of transportation? This will be my first trip to India, so I'm looking for some noob info.

posted in India - 14 replies

U.S. to India Visa

2009-08-01T02:28:47Z

Namaste Friends
I am intrested to go to India to study Yoga, ayurveda, meditation. what type of visa could i apply for? i want to stay a longer time i feel. I am born and living in U.S.

posted in India - 5 replies

favorite spots

2009-07-10T20:02:09Z

traveling to india in the future, recommendations? must see places? whats the scoop?
infinite blessings to you all

posted in India - 21 replies

Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire

2009-06-07T17:01:49Z

The school of hard knocks: Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire
By Hiram Lee
16 January 2009

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/jan2009/slum-j16.shtml

Dev Patel and Freida Pinto in Slumdog MillionaireDirected by Danny Boyle and Loveleen Tandan (co-director: India), written by Simon Beaufoy, based on a novel by Vikas Swarup

Slumdog Millionaire, directed by Danny Boyle (and co-directed in India by Loveleen Tandan), took home the Golden Globe award for Best Dramatic Picture at the ceremony held January 11. Boyle, whose previous work includes Trainspotting (1996), 28 Days Later (2002) and Millions (2004), also received the award for best directing. Slumdog Millionaire has been the subject of a great deal of praise, earning a place on many lists as one of the best films of 2008.

The film opens with a multiple-choice question posed to the viewers: “Jamal Malik is one question away from winning 20 million rupees. How did he do it?” The possible answers provided by the film are “(a) He cheated (b) He’s lucky (c) He’s a genius (d) It is written.”

The story proceeds from there, with Jamal Malik (Dev Patel), a young man from the slums of Mumbai, in police custody following his appearance on the Indian version of the “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” game show. By the end of the first day’s taping, Jamal has succeeded in answering all the trivia questions except one, winning several million rupees in the process. He is set to answer one final question at the next day’s taping to win the top prize of 20 million rupees.

Believing the young “slumdog” could not possibly know the answers to their questions, the game show’s producers report him to the authorities for cheating. He is tortured, but will not admit to any crime. Unable to break him, the police investigator (Irrfan Khan) plays a tape of Jamal’s performance and asks the young prisoner to explain how he knew each answer.

They go through the questions one by one. Jamal recounts key stories from his childhood, traumatic incidents during which he also, by chance, learned facts or bits of trivia that would provide him with the correct responses on his future television appearance.

The most interesting and satisfying section of the film treats Jamal’s early childhood in the Mumbai slums. One aerial shot, in particular, makes a strong impression as the camera pulls back revealing an impossible number of shacks with rusted tin roofs. One is staggered by the wretched conditions, the number of the dwellings and how close each one is to the next.

In another of the film’s stronger moments, the predominantly Muslim community is invaded by Hindu-chauvinist thugs. The horror of the moment is communicated with feeling, although the film lacks social and historical context regarding Hindu extremism in the country.

These images, and others showing an orphaned Jamal and his brother Salim living in makeshift tents on a landfill or sleeping in empty railroad boxcars to avoid a rainstorm, are significant and valuable. They have clearly made an impact on many viewers, despite the serious limitations of the film’s approach.

While living on their own in the streets, Jamal and Salim meet a young girl named Latika. She will become the love of Jamal’s life. When the three are taken into a cruel orphanage, the two boys escape, leaving Latika behind. Jamal’s efforts to reunite with her are the primary focus of the film’s second half.

The Jamal-Latika love story, while often moving, is clearly and regrettably styled as “one for the ages.” The film lets us know, in no uncertain terms, that Jamal and Latika are destined to be together. This often takes the sting out of the would-be lovers’ difficult circumstances, as Jamal hustles on the streets to survive and Latika (Freida Pinto) becomes the prized possession of various wealthy men.

Whatever strengths the stories and images presented in the film’s first half may possess, the spectator soon realizes that its central concern is not with the plight of those forced to live as “slumdogs” in extreme poverty or the gangster milieu in which Jamal’s brother Salim eventually loses himself, but rather with fate, destiny and “true love” which, of course, conquers all.

One also has definite reservations about what Jamal’s game show appearance is meant to communicate. There is a populist sentiment at work in depicting his victory over the game, with its mean-spirited host mocking Jamal’s intelligence at every turn. No, the film suggests, Jamal isn’t the product of higher education, but a real education in the real world out there on the streets. Just watch what he can do. He will outsmart your system and get his 20 million rupees even if all the odds are stacked against him.

As an expression of social anger and resentment, such a view may have its place, but the implication that serious knowledge and education are not necessary for someone like Jamal to make his way in the world, much less fight against his condition, is lazy and retrograde.

During his time on the show, Jamal becomes a kind of folk hero to viewers and even receives the blessings of the poor. Even worse, the film no longer suggests so much as comes right out and declares that Jamal’s destiny is to win the money and get the girl. One sees the impossibly happy ending coming from several miles away.

As the “slumdog millionaire” reunites with Latika, as he must, in the film’s sentimental final sequence, the filmmakers do away with any pretense of seriousness all together. As the final credits play out, Jamal, Latika and perhaps a hundred or more extras take part in a Bollywood-style dance number.

This gaudy celebration strikes a very false note. One is left to wonder at the nature of this conclusion. Jamal is a millionaire now. He got the girl. All is right in the world. One can’t help thinking, however, as the newly christened millionaire dances his way into a happy ending, of the countless other Jamals in those Mumbai slums who apparently did not have destiny on their side. What’s to become of them?

posted in India - 24 replies

Awesome Yoga Classes in Kerala

2009-06-02T01:03:18Z

www.bhagyodayamyoga.com/home.htm

Girija Maa's classes are unforgetable. She is an amazing Yogini and healer.

posted in India - 2 replies

Chennai Hotels

2009-05-07T01:10:45Z

Hello dear friends!

Anyone have any recommendations for hotels in Madras/ Chennai. My flight arrives at 1:20 in the morning. So. I'm looking for somewhere safe and comfy to rest my head. Mid range.

Preferably close to the bazaars.

Peace and Love,

Laura

posted in India - 2 replies

The vanishing girls of India

2009-04-08T04:53:25Z

According to a recent report by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) up to 50 million girls and women are missing from India’ s population as a result of systematic gender discrimination in India. In most countries in the world, there are approximately 105 female births for every 100 males.

In India, there are less than 93 women for every 100 men in the population. The accepted reason for such a disparity is the practice of female infanticide in India, prompted by the existence of a dowry system which requires the family to pay out a great deal of money when a female child is married. For a poor family, the birth of a girl child can signal the beginning of financial ruin and extreme hardship.

However this anti-female bias is by no means limited to poor families. Much of the discrimination is to do with cultural beliefs and social norms. These norms themselves must be challenged if this practice is to stop.
India is fast becoming the land of the boys. The infanticide of girls is changing the male female ratio and many males are without wives. Despite the shortage of women the infanticide goes on. This is one of the many dozen stories that are available about the brutla practice of girl infanticide.

posted in India - 2 replies

There's no such thing as a free meal...or is there?

2009-04-07T19:03:14Z

I posted this on my blog, but I thought it was an interesting video to share here.

After seeing a lot of painful stuff about all the misery that is life in India, and feeling helpless, hopeless and quite depressed by it, I found this unique, positively uplifting video that made me smile and cry at the same time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BN5KGrFzUc

I guess there is such a thing as a free meal...and it tastes good.

For all the innumerable things that are wrong with Indian democracy, politics, the corrupt police, poverty, globalization etc, at least there are a few things that are going well.

Btw, I heard that education for girls is now free upto the 12th grade, which should help empower them when they grow up.
Money was certainly the main reason for the educational struggles of women in my parents generation.

posted in India - 2 replies

music concert

2009-04-07T07:47:11Z

sankatmochan music festivel will be held from 13 to 17 of april in sankatmochan temple varanasi...BANARAS

posted in India - 0 replies

Trip To India

2009-04-01T13:05:19Z

I just love India I went last year wonderful time. I'm starting to plan another journey for this year. I want to spend more time in Goa with day trips from there. I'm interested in hearing from interesting people with similar interests for suggestions on my trip.

posted in India - 3 replies

Jaipur woman burnt alive for dowry

2009-03-31T18:44:15Z

JAIPUR: In yet another dowry death in the district, a 32-year-old woman was allegedly set on fire by her in-laws at Kumharon Ka Mohalla under Bassi police station on Saturday.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Jaipur-woman-burnt-alive-for-dowry/rssarticleshow/4302644.cms

posted in India - 2 replies

News: V Malya puchsed gandhiji's articles

2009-03-17T19:52:53Z

Hearing that liquor baron purchased them in auction (of course from earned from liquor business),
Mahatma Gandhiji (insisting for prohibition of liquor) experienced heart attack and he expired in heaven
and got ultimate liberation thinking that he was wrong for hating liquor to that extent
and he realised his mistake and became 'Purna'.

God has made everything and kept in the world at its place.

posted in India - 12 replies

this tribe is now moderated

2009-03-16T15:56:07Z

due to some persistent individuals i have changed the status of this tribe from public to moderated.

most are welcome

happiness elsewhere to the rest
bom

posted in India - 6 replies

Learning Hindi in america?

2009-03-16T15:30:40Z

Namaste everyOne
I am intrested in learning Hindi in America. From your experiences, what is the best method? I am thinking just to get a book. maybe if i could find a friend here they could help me.
Thanks You

posted in India - 3 replies

Sita Sings the Blues

2009-02-27T21:19:30Z

This excellent movie is now available for free viewing online, at the following url

http://www.thirteen.org/sites/reel13/blog/watch-sita-sings-the-blues-online/347/

Other links :
The movie website : http://www.sitasingstheblues.com/
The Director's blog : http://blog.ninapaley.com/2009/02/26/sita-streaming-at-channel13org/

I loved the whole intro sequence, with the moon chasing the sun around the earth etc.
I also loved all the different animation styles used, and the humor in all of it.
I thought the "return to mother earth" scene could've used a little more drama, but maybe thats just me.

posted in India - 1 reply

Indomania in Brasil

2009-02-23T01:23:16Z

So I'm sitting here in my studio in Rio watching morning television and what do I see?

A whole episode of one of the morning tv shows dedicated to India. Seems like the rest of the world, Brasilian media is now experiencing an interest in India due to a local soap that filmed some episodes there. They just interviewed this couple, Mukesh Chandra and Marcy Campos, who own an Indian clothing store in Sao Paulo. They had an Indian lady by the name of Antima Rajput put on a sari-draping demonstration.

The talk show is still going. Among some of the topics they cover on India--dalits and the issue of caste. The show host is interviewing the actor who filmed in India who wholeheartedly recommended India travel to Brasilians.

posted in India - 7 replies

Religion at work: ICICI Bank vs. Microsoft

2009-02-18T07:09:10Z

At ICICI bank in India religious photos cannot be Computer screens. One and cannot wear tilak.

At Microsoft in Redmond Washington, near Seattle, one can have Krishna, Rama, or Shiva as his screen saver. Many workers go to work wearing dhoti, kurta, and tilak. They even weekly have lecturers from the temples speak in the lecture hall. Such lectures are broadcasted throughout the facility for anyone who is interested in plugging in.

How do I know this, I know people who work at both places. I was invited to lecture as well in the hall.

posted in India - 49 replies

Mother's final journey video

2009-02-17T08:32:10Z

Mother Teresa - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef39jJ2xLww&feature=channel_page

posted in India - 0 replies

Indian Defence Budget Could Touch US$ 40 Billion In 2009

2009-02-15T21:13:13Z

India is planning to raise its military budget by 50% to almost $40 billion, making military expenditure 3% of the annual gross domestic product (GDP).

"Our current defense spending is lower than 2% [of GDP]...and it should be at least 3%," India raised its defense spending in February by 10% to $26.5 billion for the fiscal year 2008-2009, but it still fell below 2% of GDP for the first time in at least a decade.

India's neighbors and long-term rivals, Pakistan and China, allocate around 3.5%(+begged money from U.S.) and 4.3% of GDP to defense, respectively.

We must also assume a new approach taking into account a variety of threats to our national security. The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India said in a report last year that over the past three years, India had spent as much as $10.5 billion on military imports, making it amongst the largest arms importers in the developing world.

India's military imports are expected to reach $30 billion by 2012 with its armed forces expected to ink defense deals for at least 126 multirole fighters, 155-mm howitzers, a variety of helicopters and long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft.

posted in India - 0 replies

Raw Organic India?

2009-02-07T00:39:02Z

Namaste Everyone
I am intrested about going to India and eating mostly raw full Organic foods. how easy would it be?
Could i bring my own food in bulk on the plane there?
Thank You

posted in India - 4 replies

Seriously, can we stop posting full articles?

2009-02-03T08:00:31Z

Guys,

Please, Can we stop posting all these articles? This is not Digg or Reddit.
Its a tribe. Its a forum.

If you want to post on a subject, post YOUR PERSONAL thoughts and experiences, and feel free to add links to sites for reference or further reading. Forums are for discussions on subjects, with personal insights, viewpoints and thoughts. They're not for copy pasting articles.

Most of these article threads just clutter up this tribe and make it far less useful. If you must post articles, It would be great if you posted a small paragraph with your thoughts on a subject that you wanted to discuss, and linked the article for reference, without pasting its content here.

If I want news about India, there's news.google.com and tons of RSS feeds/readers that will push the latest news to me.

Posting articles in a forum is just as annoying as that "friend" who forwards jokes every monday and CCs them to the whole crowd.

posted in India - 6 replies

India ratchets up tensions with Pakistan

2009-01-31T05:11:50Z

India ratchets up tensions with Pakistan over Mumbai attack
By Peter Symonds
9 January 2009

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/jan2009/inpa-j09.shtml

The Indian government launched a diplomatic offensive against Pakistan this week, with a dossier linking the Pakistan-based Islamist organisation Lashkar-i-Taiba (LeT) to the Mumbai terrorist attacks. While none of the evidence links the Pakistani government or its agencies to the operation, Indian leaders accused Islamabad of involvement and indicated that military action was not ruled out.

Announcing on Monday that New Delhi had handed over the dossier to Pakistan, Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon told the media that it "beggars the imagination" that no one in the Pakistani establishment knew about the preparations for the Mumbai attacks. New Delhi has been demanding that Pakistan thoroughly investigate and hand over suspects for trial in India.

The following day, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh sounded an even more strident note, declaring: "There is enough evidence to show that, given the sophistication and military precision of the attack, it must have had the support of some official agencies in Pakistan." He did not name any agency, but the Indian political and media establishment routinely blames the Pakistani military's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) for terrorist acts in India.

A leaked copy of the document has been published in full on the Hindu website. The newspaper's strategic affairs editor Siddharth Varadarajan concluded that the dossier "certainly... does not contain material which substantiates this [Singh's] belief" and warned that India was letting Pakistan off the hook by overplaying its hand.

The dossier contains photographs of weapons and other items captured, details extracted from GPS equipment, selected transcripts of phone conversations and a few details from the interrogation of the surviving attacker, Mohammed Ajmal Kasab. It concludes that the LeT was responsible for the attacks in Mumbai, but makes no mention of the Pakistani government, military or state bureaucracy.

India is clearly exploiting the Mumbai violence to intensify pressure on its long-time regional rival and to enlist international support, particularly from the US, for its demands. The dossier has been handed to "friendly governments" and details leaked to the media. While both countries have played down the threat of war, the danger remains that tensions can rapidly escalate as happened following the terrorist attack on the Indian parliament in 2001.

Indian Defence Minister A.K. Anthony and Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee both repeated the refrain on Wednesday that "all options"—that is, including the military one—remain on the table. Accusing Pakistan of failing to dismantle terrorist groups, Anthony declared that "we are examining all possible available options." The phrase refers to the barely disguised debate in India's political and military establishment over the launching of military strikes against alleged "terrorist training camps" inside Pakistan—a move that could rapidly lead to all out-war between the two countries.

Facing national elections this year, the Congress-led government in New Delhi is under pressure from the Hindu supremacist Bharatiya Janata Party to take a tougher stance against Pakistan. BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar on Monday branded the government's response as a political "bail-out plan" for Pakistan. Two days later, BJP party chief Rajnath Singh offered the party's support for a military offensive against Pakistan.

Significantly, the Samajwadi Party on Thursday threatened to review its support for the United Progressive Alliance government in four or five days if it failed to take action against terrorists in Pakistan. "We are not for action against the people of Pakistan, but the terrorist camps must be dismantled. The government must satisfy us on this," general secretary Amar Singh said. The government depended on the populist Samajwadi Party to survive a key parliamentary vote last July.

At the same time, New Delhi is under pressure from Washington not to escalate tensions with Islamabad. While demanding that the Pakistani government take tougher measures against terrorism, the US is above all concerned that the Pakistani military continue its operations on the border with Afghanistan to suppress anti-US insurgents and help stabilise the US-led occupation of that country. Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher visited both countries this week to encourage cooperation, cautiously praising Islamabad for detaining key LeT figures, while declaring there was still "a long way to go".

Under the Bush administration, India has forged close economic and strategic ties with the US. However, the failure of Washington to back Indian military threats against Pakistan, even as the US carries out its own air attacks inside Pakistani border areas and gives carte blanche to Israel in its onslaught on Gaza, has generated an undercurrent of resentment in Indian ruling circles and calls for a more independent stance.

Former Indian ambassador to Pakistan, G. Parthasarathy, told Time this week: "No country will fight your battle for you. Just see the contrast between India's response to Mumbai and Israel's in Gaza. We have to remember that the US is itself heavily dependent on Pakistan for logistics in Afghanistan. And if India really has evidence to link the ISI to the Mumbai attacks, the US will not help us go down that path at all."

Pakistan has bluntly rejected the latest Indian allegations and demands. A foreign ministry statement declared: "Instead of responding positively to Pakistan's offer of cooperation and constructive proposals, India has chosen to embark on a propaganda offensive... Vilifying Pakistan, or for that matter any of its state institutions, on this score is unwarranted and unacceptable." It warned that the approach was "fraught with grave risks".

In the wake of the Mumbai atrocity, the Pakistan government offered a joint investigation, which was rejected by India, and detained a number of LeT figures. But it has repeatedly rejected Indian accusations that Pakistani officials were involved in the attacks and insisted that India provide evidence before acknowledging that any of the attackers were Pakistani citizens.

The Mumbai attacks have heightened existing tensions within the Pakistani political establishment, fuelled by its support for the widely-despised US occupation of Afghanistan as well as the country's economic crisis. Like their Indian counterparts, the Pakistani ruling elites invariably respond to deepening social tensions by whipping up communalism and the threat posed by their regional rival. Under such circumstances, anything that smacks of a concession to India carries a high political risk.

The frictions within the government became evident on Wednesday, when Prime Minister Yousak Raza Gilani summarily sacked the country's national security adviser Mahmood Durrani after he confirmed to an Indian television station that the surviving Mumbai attacker was a Pakistani citizen. A statement from Gilani's office accused Durrani of "irresponsible behaviour" and making an unauthorised announcement. Information minister Sherry Rehman has since confirmed that Mohammed Ajmal Kasab was a Pakistani civilian.

The sacking appears to be the result of political feuding between Gilani and President Asif Ali Zardari who appointed Durrani, a retired army general and former ambassador to Washington. According to some commentators, the Pakistani military has been pushing for the dismissal of Durrani, who is viewed as too conciliatory toward India and the US.

With neither government in a position to compromise, the danger of an escalation in the confrontation between the two nuclear-armed powers continues.

posted in India - 12 replies

Mass Invitation for Kundalini Awakening through Shaktiapt/Mystic Initiation

2009-01-30T21:54:43Z

Namaste to All
I am here inviting All of you sincere seekers to join mass Kundalini Awakening session with me.
I am going to start it from 21 Jan to 26 Jan 2009 at 10.00pm IST(Indian Standard Time) which is +5.30 GMT.
The session will be for one and half hrs daily and hope all of you sincere seekers will spare your time to sit at the same time according to your Country Time Jone and get the benefit of this mass Kundalini Awakening session through Shaktipat/Mystic Initiation in Siddha Maha Yoga.
Any question on this invited.
I am authorizing charlyne pich, who has received Shaktipat for Kundalini Awakening recently to guide and reply the questions of all seekers.
Pl.see my blog for more information.
OM

posted in India - 1 reply

Amnesty international on India

2009-01-30T13:51:51Z

"Many types of human rights abuses were reported, including unlawful killings, forced evictions, excessive use of police force, violence against women and harassment of human rights defenders. Institutional mechanisms failed to protect civil and political rights or ensure justice for victims. The failings extended to economic, social and cultural rights, particularly of already marginalized communities."

.....

Impunity
Impunity remained widespread.

Jammu and Kashmir
State and non-state actors continued to enjoy impunity for torture, deaths in custody, abductions and unlawful killings. A human rights organization reported that in the past 18 years 1,051 people had been victims of enforced disappearance in Baramulla district alone. Human rights organizations challenged official claims that there had been no disappearances until 10 November 2007, saying that 60 people had disappeared since 2006, including nine in 2007. Five people, who had allegedly been detained illegally, were traced. In a few cases criminal action was initiated for human rights violations committed years earlier.

In May, the Jammu & Kashmir High Court directed the state police to file murder charges against 11 officials of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police in connection with the disappearance of Ashraf Ahmad Koka, a resident of Gond, in October 2001.

Gujarat
Five years after the violence in which thousands of Muslims were attacked and more than 2,000 killed, justice continued to elude most victims and survivors. Perpetrators of the violence indicated in the media that members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were implicated in the violence, yet no substantive investigation was carried out.Little action was taken over an official report that more than 5,000 displaced families continued to live in “sub-human” conditions in Gujarat. Several key cases relating to killings and sexual assault of Muslim women were still pending before the Supreme Court.In May, Gujarat authorities admitted that senior police officials had been involved in the unlawful killing of Sohrabuddin Shaikh and his wife, Kausar Bi, in November 2005. Following this development, relatives of at least three other people killed by the police in previous years sought fresh investigations.

Punjab
A majority of police officers responsible for serious human rights violations during the 1984-94 civil unrest in Punjab continued to evade justice. The findings of a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into allegations of unlawful killings of 2,097 people who were cremated by the police had still not been made fully public, nine years after the investigation was launched. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) awarded compensation to the relatives of 1,298 victims of such killings in one district, Amritsar. However, the NHRC was criticized for the slow pace of its investigations, and a commission appointed by the NHRC in 2006 to examine compensation claims was criticized in October by human rights organizations for various failings.In May, the government ordered an investigation into three unlawful killings by the police in Punjab in 1993-94, after reports that three people, listed as among those killed, surfaced in their native villages.

Karnataka/Tamil Nadu
Eleven years after allegations of unlawful killings, torture, sexual assault and illegal detention of adivasis were first levelled against a joint Tamil Nadu-Karnataka force established to catch sandalwood smugglers, the NHRC had failed to initiate charges against any of the 38 officials cited as perpetrators of the abuses. In January, the NHRC ordered interim compensation for 89 of the 140 victims and their relatives who had made the allegations.

Assam
A commission of inquiry into the unlawful killings between 1998 and 2001 of 35 individuals associated with the United Liberation Front of Asom published its findings in November. It concluded that the killings were carried out by surrendered members of the organization at the behest of a former chief minister and the state police. It remained unclear if anyone would be brought to justice.

Read he full report:
http://www.amnesty.org/en/region/india/report-2008

posted in India - 7 replies

Shakespeare in India

2009-01-28T14:49:58Z

Just got back from seeing a fantastic adaptation of Measure For Measure, staged by the Out of Cocoon Theatre Company in Udaipur, India, at the gorgeous heritage setting that is Jagmandir in the middle of the lake.

The company is presently touring India thru February 4th and will be performing in Udaipur, Jodhpur, and Delhi

To find out more about the troupe's performances, they can be reached at outofcocoon (at) yahoo (dot) com

posted in India - 1 reply

could anyone recommend some great yoga schools in india?

2009-01-24T18:50:13Z

i would like to go deep into yoga.

posted in India - 2 replies

Strikes widen over Indian pay commission report

2009-01-18T09:12:33Z

Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and the Pacific
17 January 2009

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/jan2009/wkrs-j17.shtml

The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.

Asia
Strikes widen over Indian pay commission report
Indefinite strike action by 300,000 members of the Bihar State Non-Gazetted Employees Federation (BSNGEF), demanding full implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission report, entered its sixth day on January 12. The walkout has caused major disruptions at all state government departments.

The Sixth Pay Commission has recommended the payment of three years' wage arrears, outstanding since January 1, 2006, the lifting of the retirement age from 58 to 60 years in 2010-11 and the provision of transport allowances to all employees.

BSNGEF and the Bihar Secretariat Services Association (BSSA) rejected a government offer to pay the arrears from April 1, 2007. The BSSA is refusing to enter negotiations with the government stating, "We will not accept anything less than the Commission's recommendations". Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi claimed that the Bihar state government had conceded more than it could afford in the latest offer.

Work at various state departments in Jharkhand came to a standstill on January 13, after 250,000 members of the Jharkhand State Non-Gazetted Employees Federation began indefinite strike action over implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations. Departments responsible for drinking water and sanitation, forest, fisheries, land, health and village government departments were affected. The striking workers rallied outside the Ranchi district deputy commissioner's building and other collectorate offices in Kutchery, encouraging more state workers to join the walkout.

In the state of Manipur, 15,000 teachers at 2,200 elementary, secondary and higher secondary schools staged a sit-in over the Sixth Pay Commission. The All Manipur Elementary School Teachers Association demonstration came three days after higher secondary school lecturers staged a protest in Imphal city on January 9. It followed a one-month strike by Manipur government employees on November 27 over pay demands.

On January 7, Manipur government employees in Ukhrul district closed almost all state government offices, paralysing developmental and official works. Their union has called for employees in other districts to implement similar action.

The Chief Minister of Manipur told the media this week that the state would introduce the Sixth Pay Commission's recommendations when other Indian states implemented them.

Indian teachers jailed for demonstrating
Over 70 protesting elementary trainee teachers (ETT) in the Punjab were cane-charged and jailed on January 11 for disrupting a political rally for Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. Angry over their companions' arrests, other teachers rallied outside the court the next day and marched through Maler Kotla markets, accusing the Punjab government of trying to oppress the teachers' protest.

ETT union district president Sukhbir Singh said the teachers were demonstrating because the government had not honoured a promise to absorb ETT teachers into the state education department.

Indian jute workers strike enters third week
An indefinite strike by 2,500 jute workers from the East India Commercial Company Limited (ECCIL) in Kothuru, Andhra Pradesh, entered its third week on January 13. The Indian Federation of Trade Unions and the Telugu Nadu Trade Union Council have presented a charter of demands, included wage increases in line with rising consumer prices, an attendance incentive and advance payment of the dearness allowance.

ECCIL management is refusing to talk to the unions, claiming the strike is illegal because the current agreement does not expire until 2010. The union leadership, ECCIL and Department of Labour officers were due to meet on January 16.

Jobless diamond workers protest in India
Vivekanand Diamond Association members protested at a government-sponsored financial investment summit in Ahmedabad city, Gujarat, on January 12, waving placards condemning the state government for "not doing anything concrete" for jobless diamond workers.

Association member Babu Patel said the state government was turning a blind eye to the fate of two million idled diamond workers. About 80 percent of diamond factories in Gujarat have shutdown as a result of the global financial crisis. The unemployed diamond workers are becoming increasingly desperate and several have committed suicide.

The jobless workers want a government monetary package that includes sufficient access to food grains, cheap loans for community members and education of their children.

Kerala telephone workers on hunger strike
Indian Telephone Industries (ITI) employees in the Kanjikode industrial area, Kerala began a protest hunger strike on January 13 over pay and job security. Workers at the state-owned company are demanding payment of two months' salaries and want ITI to be merged with the government-owned telecom giant Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL) or taken over by the Ministry of Defence.

The Indian government wants to fully privatise its telecommunications industry and claims that ITI is a sick industrial company or "SIC" and referred it to the Board of Industrial and Financial Reconstruction (BIFR). The Indian government established BIFR in 1987, following pressure from the World Bank and the IMF. Its function has been to justify privatising SIC government enterprises.

The Joint Action Committee at Kanjikode has rejected ITI being classified as SIC and claims that the company has made a profit for the past 12 years and paid taxes totalling 6,600 million rupees ($US132 million).

Laboratory staff in New Delhi strike
Laboratory staff at various New Delhi government hospitals boycotted work for two hours on January 12 over a number of outstanding claims. Their demands include better pay scales, promotional opportunities and doubling of the patient care allowance.

The Joint Forum of Medical Lab Technical Staff, which has accused the Sixth Central Pay Commission of neglecting laboratory staff, also wants passage of the Para-medical and Physiotherapy Central Councils Bill 2007. The bill allows for the establishment of a separate central council for scientific and clinical laboratories and uniform standards for education and diagnostic techniques.

Nepal hotel workers strike for minimum wage
Around 400 hotels and restaurants in Pokhara remained empty on January 9 as indefinite strike action by hotel and restaurant workers entered its third day. Hundreds of tourists deserted the city when they could not get food or accommodation.

The All Nepal Hotel and Restaurant Workers Union wants a government-fixed minimum monthly salary of 4,600 rupees ($US58). Union chairman Rajendra Timilsina said a memorandum had been presented to the District Administration Office and if the union did not receive a reply in the next few days it would organise protests.

Bangladesh garment workers demonstrate over beatings
Around 700 employees from the Pallmall Style garment factory in Uttara, Dhaka chased a manager from the factory on January 11 and followed him to the local police station where they held a protest, accusing him of beating workers. The workers barricaded the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway, stopping traffic for more than an hour, and demanded that the manager be charged for assaulting one of their female colleagues that morning and for past beatings he had inflicted on them.

Employees returned to the factory after senior police and company representatives said they would call a meeting to resolve the matter. Workers were assured that the manager would not be allowed back into the factory.

Bangladesh nurses rally for jobs
Some 200 unemployed nurses rallied in central Shaheed Minar, Dhaka on January 12 to demand jobs. Bekar Diploma Nurses Association secretary Iqbal Hosain Sabuj said there were more than 9,000 nurses unemployed but vacant positions remained unfilled in government hospitals and health complexes.

The nurses attempted to march to the Bangladesh prime minister's office to put their case but were blocked by police.

Korean auto workers vote for strike
Workers at Ssangyong Motor Company, South Korea's No.5 automaker, voted for strike action on January 12 to demand that the major shareholder, the SAIC Motor Corp., save the company from bankruptcy.

The unionised workers, who produce Rexton sport utilities, have accused SAIC of not providing enough financial backing for Ssangyong, which is suffering from plunging car sales and liquidity problems. SAIC, China's largest automaker, has a 51 percent stake in Ssangyong.

A union spokesman also urged the South Korean government to inject money into Ssangyong, to "not only to save the company but also to prevent potential bankruptcies of suppliers". Ssangyong has about 7,100 employees and 250 vendors.

Last week the Seoul Central District Court froze all Ssangyong's debts, obligations and assets and will decide in a month whether the company can file for bankruptcy protection.

Australia and the Pacific
Telstra workers resume industrial action
The battle to secure union-negotiated employment agreements for Telstra employees resumed last weekend as union members went on strike for the second time in a month. Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union (CEPU) members refused to work overtime or be available for recalls and call backs for 48 hours from January 10. CEPU and Community and Public Sector Union members first instigated rolling stoppages and placed bans on overtime and call backs in early December

Telstra is adamant that it will not negotiate a new collective agreement with the unions, claiming only 15 percent of Telstra employees are union members. Telstra spokesman Martin Barr said last weekend's industrial action had no impact on customers as less than 20 employees across Australia declined to do overtime or recalls in the 48 hours.

CEPU national secretary Ed Husic said the union would look to more strikes in the future. "We will be significantly ramping up the level of industrial action in February with the prospect of longer disputes and we may take union members out for indefinite periods," he said.

About 13,000 Telstra employees are covered by an enterprise agreement that expired in September. The unions estimate that the rest of the 32,000 workers are on Australian Workplace Agreements (individual contracts).

Queensland firefighters reach agreement in pay dispute
An 18-month pay dispute between state firefighters and the Queensland government ended on January 13 when the United Firefighters Union (UFU) accepted an average pay rise of 5 percent and new job classifications. The state government said firefighters and station officers would be entitled to some back pay, but it is not yet clear when the new rate will apply.

The dispute came to a head in February 2008 after a breakdown in negotiations between the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service management and the UFU over a job evaluation report in 2006. The government had agreed to adjust the firefighters' classification structure but refused to offer a pay increase, triggering a series of street protests and work bans.

The agreed 5 percent rise is much less than the union's original demand for a 9 percent increase.

posted in India - 5 replies

russian rumor mill

2009-01-07T18:59:44Z

my friend from Moscow told me that the Indian embassy is rejecting all visa application by Russian women who are single between the ages of 18-45 unless they are traveling with a boyfriend.

posted in India - 6 replies

For Whom Does Hinduism Speak?

2008-12-28T17:22:00Z

"‘Hindu’ is not found in the Hindu scriptures, the Vedas, which are written in Sanskrit"
"We thus have an unusual

situation in which one becomes a Hindu by accepting the authority of

scriptures that do not recognise the word ‘Hindu’."

" The earliest canonical expressions of krsna-bhakti, devotion to Krsna, are

found in such literatures as the Mahabharata and its appendixed Hari-vamsa,

and in the Visnu Purana and the Bhagavata Purana. The foundational scripture

for devotion to the Lord as King Rama is Valmiki’s Ramayana. In none of

these texts do we find the word hindu. The language of all of the above

texts is Sanskrit. Even as late as the tenth and eleventh centuries of the common era, we find

this term entirely absent in essential Vaisnava devotional, philosophical

and apologetic writings"
"As in earlier Sanskrit texts, so in the Gaudiya Vaisnava Sanskrit texts of

the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries we do not find the word ‘Hindu.’"

to read the entire article see here http://ru.philosophy.kiev.ua/library/asiatica/indica/authors/hdg/hind.html

posted in India - 8 replies

workshop place in Goa...please help me jog my memory!

2008-12-20T07:51:32Z

I remember seeing a posting (I think on tribe) about some sort of centre that hosted workshops on art, writing, etc. I think it was Goa and I think I saw it on tribe, but not sure.

ANy idea what I am talking about? Thanks.

posted in India - 1 reply

any info about Tureya Ashram and Institute

2008-12-13T02:31:32Z

Greetings,
I was wondering if anyone one knows anything about Tureya Ashram in Kodeikanal. I am interested in their yoga psychology program. I found it online so I would appreciate any sharing..
thanks
e.

posted in India - 7 replies

"safety"?

2008-12-06T13:27:08Z

Horrible violence in Mumbai (and elsewhere!)

Unfortunately reading the travel alerts can scare a person into a shell...

Anyway, hubby and I are going to India for 1st time end of the month - Delhi, Jaipur, Varanasi and a few places in between.

From someone out there who knows, can you comment on increased violence/tension? What are/have you experienced?

Thanks and peace,
E

posted in India - 8 replies

Target Mumbai is target India - Wake up people

2008-12-04T09:25:04Z

I think we the people should force supreme court to pass a law which says possession of gun for self defense should no longer be against law. We should not require any license for for possession of arms for self defence. I don't think now few uncommon people can put their life on the mercy of inept Government and police. For so called common people, is it not a matter of laughter that our so called ATS( Anti-Terror Squad ) were trying to tackle those loaded with high-tech automated gun terrorist with outdated pistols and useless lathi. I do not understand why they did not deploy NSG(National Security guards). Three top cops from ATS lost their lives. But, Maharashtra is run by stupid politicians. They should have asked for the central forces and deployed NSG.

Wakeup guys... can't you see those people who are in power and suppose to protect our life give a damn to this country and we common people. Democracy means we common people have the power to decide our fate. And we must decide it now or never. But, I think the mindset of people in India have become like those of crawling insects, life starts normally for them after a cry over some disaster and soon the disaster is forgotten without finding any stringent solution.

But in India democracy has become a joke, we the common people have lost our will to decide our fate. Most of us either don't vote or just vote for the sake of voting without caring to whom we are really voting and after that simply leave our live on the mercy of those elected people about whom most of we, the common people are very much sure that he/she is totally a loser. We choose people based on regional politics, we divide ourselves on the basis of state, religions, caste and what not? Given this what else you can expect in society of the common people, in my opinion bloodbath we witnessed yesterday should have been a common day to day life phenomena for the common people. I think we should thank those terrorist that they remind us that we the common people are complete loser. In my words this is not the victory of terrorist, it is defeat of we common people, kinda spit rt on our face.

I want to pay my most sincere condolences to the families of common people and police officials who lost their lives in Mumbai.

posted in India - 7 replies

attacks

2008-12-02T18:00:21Z

wow! terrorist fire upon crowds in shivaji terminal in mumbai with machine guns and grenades! as well as at leopolds and the taj oberoi.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/26/indian-terror-shootings-i_n_146708.html

posted in India - 26 replies

saving indian secularism

2008-11-30T04:55:25Z

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/meenakshi-ravi/saving-indian-secularism_b_147046.html

Saving Indian Secularism from Divide and Rule Politics
by: Meenakshi Ravi

Four years ago, the Hindu-dominated, right wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was dismissed from government by an Indian electorate that saw through its glossy 'India Shining' campaign propaganda. The BJP's loss was the compound effect of many of its failings, but the most glaring offense was its alleged involvement in the violent Hindu-Muslim clashes that erupted in the western state of Gujarat. For over four months, the state burned and people were killed on the grounds of their religious faith. In official records you would find that 1,044 people died as a result of the communal violence. Read the reports compiled by NGOs and human rights groups and you'd find that the figure was closer to 2,000.

The Mumbai attacks heighten the threat to the Indian secular state which is already battling internal threats to minority groups. It is easy to sell situations like this to the man on the street as an attack that threatens his community. The terror in Mumbai has struck during a year in which six Indian states are going to the polls. These are crucial elections for both main parties in India since the one that makes a stronger showing is likely to be on firm footing to make gains in the General Elections scheduled for May 2009. The BJP will probably leverage this climate of fear and uncertainty to make electoral gains. For the ruling Indian National Congress, the communal card will come in handy as a tool to paper over serious lapses in intelligence and national security during its watch.

The BJP has managed to maintain a strong anti-terror image with its constituency by riding on religious rhetoric and convincing its supporters that the party will protect their interests and ensure their safety. This, despite its lamentable record of not just the horrors of Gujarat in 2002, but other incidents that go further back, such as the mishandling of the 1999 Kandahar hijacking incident, and most infamously, the BJP-led demolition of the Babri Mosque in 1992.

The Congress never had a hope of making light work of these state elections. A nervous economy and terror-struck populace was going to need serious convincing if some states were to be retained/won. The Mumbai terror attacks have made the Congress' work many times more difficult as it has struck fear in the hearts of the people and has reminded them of the indefensible performance by the party and the government it leads in the task of protecting Indians from terrorism.

The Indian government's security failures are in no small part due to the vote bank politics that plagues the Indian political scenario and which has left the Congress Party with a weak and unconvincing stance against any form of extremism. In a country where 80% of the population is Hindu, the Congress cannot alienate too large a chunk of that demographic. On the other hand, Muslims are India's largest minority, forming 15% of the population, and with the BJP's image and rhetoric being what it is, the Congress and its allies bank on the fact that they have this vote almost all to themselves. It's an unenviable position to be in and the Congress-led government has itself to blame for failing to rise above this kind of politics and to take on the fundamentalists more aggressively, irrespective of their background.

In schools across the country, students are taught of the famous tactic used by British colonialists to maintain their control over India - Divide and Rule. The English found many fault lines running through India's social, political and economic systems and it made considerable use of them to prevent the sort of unity that a visionary leader like Mahatma Gandhi was able to bring about.

Today, India's political parties seem to be using many of the same fault lines used by the British to wrench open India's multi-cultural society and win votes. It's clear to many watching that these latest terror attacks in Mumbai will deliver some much needed electoral gains to the BJP in the state elections. The fear amongst liberal Indians (be they pro or anti-Congress) is that come 2009, the BJP will be in position to put together (probably another coalition) government at the centre. That may just be the beginning of a dangerous path towards the de-secularization of a country whose stance on religious tolerance has been one of its most praiseworthy and noble traits.

In the face all this political divisiveness, Indians are not completely powerless. The national electorate has shown time and again that it is wise to the Machiavellian tactics of Indian politicians. The man on the street has smarts that compensate to a great extent for the desperation of poverty and illiteracy. The middle class has caught the attention of the world with its educational qualifications and ability to make a success of itself. Now is the time for Indians to switch on the self-awareness and compassionate humanity that Mahatma Gandhi taught. As Indian politicians practice Divide and Rule in their own land, Indians have to dig deep within themselves to engage a spirit of tolerance that isn't just the teaching of each individual religion, but is in fact quite simply, the ethos of India.

posted in India - 1 reply

Mumbai....is everyone okay?

2008-11-27T05:08:10Z

I just read this story about some terrorist attacks over there. Just thought I would check in with those of you who live there. Hope everyone is well.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7751160.stm

posted in India - 2 replies

Movies...

2008-11-26T22:29:49Z

After the posting about Shantaram and my recent subscription to Netflix, I've wanted to start a thread about movies here. What are movies you would recommend about India, that take place in India or have a yogic appeal to them? I've got Ayurveda: The Art of Being and a bunch of Bollywood movies heading my way soon. I'm really missing India and figure I'll try to get a good dose of it this way at least. Heh. Any suggestions?

posted in India - 38 replies

Books...

2008-11-26T22:27:41Z

what books based about or in India, both fiction and non-fiction have you found compelling, informative and entertaining?
i am sooooo tired about hearing of Shantaram and Eat Pray Love. Come on, there are so many books out there, let's not get in the shantaram/eatpraylove rut!

I'd like to get some books for my trip this season.

Here are some I can recommend but it is a puny list and i'd like more! help!

May You Be the Mother of a Hundred Sons: A Journey Among the Women of India
by Elisabeth Bumiller

Q & A
by Vikas Swarup

posted in India - 10 replies

I need your india stories for our new low budget travel site.

2008-11-25T19:26:35Z

So my friend Ron is building a low budget travel site. We need people to write reviews of cool places you've traveled and the things you've seen. Along with all the in's, outs and hole-in-the-wall places. A lot of you have some great stories and tips that I've read over the years and I'd love to see them on the site. Go to http://www.wherescool.com It still has a few bugs and If you don't see the city or region email Ron to add it.

posted in India - 2 replies

Amazing Race in India

2008-11-22T07:26:27Z

New Delhi
http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race/video/video.php?cid=827787788&pid=rPTg5VHfuGtPTygKtihgZ1Jk3_7LTzJ1&play=true&cc=30

Holi Festival
http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race/video/video.php?cid=827787788&pid=W78_LB_KNVKU3dUgdmHVexhs2kASniy0&play=true&cc=30

posted in India - 2 replies

Going for 1st time ...

2008-11-18T06:54:51Z

Hi .... *waves* .... I am planning to go in Jan... w/ a group of friends. We are 4 right now, none of us have been to India .... and we thought it would be great to explore India, some of it by train.... I would love to hear all 'bout your fav. Indian experience... We have not decided which part of India to explore ... We are all spiritual, nature lovers, and Free Spirited .... Peace and Blessings .... (yes, we love poi spinning, music, art .... not too many touristy things, the real deal vs. commercialized version) ....

posted in India - 25 replies

where to stay and music to see in Benares

2008-11-15T06:38:03Z

I am headed to Varanasi for a week in the beginning of November to play music and watch music.

does anyone have any favorite places to stay there? I would love a rooftop patio and a bathroom in my room, but I am not too picky.

Also, any recommendations on where to see indian classical music there?

Thanks!
e

posted in India - 6 replies

Kumbhalgarh fort

2008-11-14T02:29:24Z

90 kms away from Udaipur. worth visiting.

posted in India - 4 replies

Role Call 2009.......

2008-11-14T02:25:36Z

So who is game for going to India this winter and where are you going?

I will be going to Gujarat to do a 10 day Vipassana and explore the region, and will be spending time in Goa pursuing yoga studies with my teacher there. I am also planning a trip to Calcutta and 1 to 2 weeks in Nepal......
This is my 4th trip.......

posted in India - 8 replies

DJ suggestions - based in Goa preferred

2008-11-14T00:30:08Z

I need a DJ for the 9th of December to spin on an island off Karwar, North Karnataka. Goa is close by so I'd rather get someone from there come down. Anyone got any suggestions?

trance out,

d

posted in India - 8 replies

advice and insight appreciated

2008-10-04T09:35:47Z

hey guys!

thank you so kindly in advance for taking the time to read my post and replying!

recently I have been fortunate in many ways; practicing yoga, making friends with a great guy who moved here from rajasthan to work with a phd in a lab here at the state university, being exposed to a hindu temple and hinduism, and finally a trip to india with him.

I will be making my first journey to India in October:

i will spend one week with my friends family in Dausa, Rajasthan. then the remainder of the journey will be alone. i travel by train from Jaipur to Haridwar then to rishikesh to study yoga for one month. then on to the vipassana meditation ten day program in Jaipur!

however after the meditation program is over, i will have seven days free before boarding the flight in new delhi.
the question is: what to do with these seven days? where to go, and what to see? is there anything particular going on in the month of december between the 14th - 22nd?

i have been turned on by others to Ajmer, Agra, and Mathura as places i need to see. but an overnight train to somewhere farther away is just fine!

i am drawn to things not tourist/commercial/money oriented, i appreciate temples and holy places very much, i also love to stay outdoors and appreciate scenery, mountains, rivers etc without the burden of a big metropolitan city, i would rather experience authentic India very much removed from western influence. i am interested in music, music making, eastern medicine, yoga, healing, tradition, astrology etc. i would rather stay in ashrams vs. hotels/hostels.

yay for you guys! i cant wait to come back and share some experiences!

with love for you all
scottie

what say you india lovers??!!

posted in India - 8 replies

MEETING OF MANMOHAN SINGH JI PM INDIA AND SARA PAULINE

2008-09-27T08:59:07Z

Friends Indian men are quite shy to face american women.Just see the example of prime minister manmohan ji meeting with sara pauline candidate for vice prez U.S....news paper in india says PM was blushed to see sara and sara 's voice got fumbbled on few occassion during talk with PM.well it's nice colourful meeting i hope american and indians chemistry is going to be great in coming days.

posted in India - 4 replies

new delhi hwy scene

2008-09-26T17:23:27Z

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klteYv1Uv9A

posted in India - 4 replies

required vaccinations

2008-09-15T18:02:44Z

Hello,

I am making my first trip to india in october and would like to know about required vaccinations from the united states to india and then back again.

on the cdc website i have only seen "we suggest" or "it is recommended" and talk to your doctor and she what he she says. but all i am concerned with is whether or not my departure from an airport is halted because i do not have proof of this vaccine or that.

does anyone know?

anyway, I am looking forward to my trip!
cant wait to come back and share some experiences!

peace love and enlightnement
scottie

posted in India - 7 replies

Immunizations

2008-09-13T00:34:18Z

Hi,

I'm leaving for India in May, possibly March, it's all happening so fast. :)

I know that there are 'recommended' shots, but nothing is required. What do you guys think about shots? Are there some I should definitely get? Do you think I can forgo? I kinda dislike the idea of pumping my body with all these chemicals before I leave, but I also understand that it may be necessary. I surely don't want to be on my deathbed in India! I want to be safe.

I'm going to be there for a while...time still being determined. Probably at least 7 months...and I plan on staying in Jaipur, Goa, Kerala...all over the place actually.

Thanks so much!!!

posted in India - 33 replies

Koshi - 'The River Of Sorrow' strikes again

2008-08-31T11:43:18Z

Kosi river continues to wreak havoc in Bihar with more than 2.5 million people rendered homeless. The Prime Minister has announced Rs 1000 crore aid for the state. Also declares Bihar flood as a national disaster.

references : -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koshi_River
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/PoliticsNation/PM_sanctions_Rs_1000_cr_for_Bihar/articleshow/3419064.cms

Videos: -
http://utube.smashits.com/videos/bydate/bihar-flood.html
http://www.videospider.tv/Videos/Detail/2499580508.aspx

posted in India - 1 reply

Terrorist Christian Group Murders Hindu Monk

2008-08-29T14:03:22Z

PRESS RELEASE

International Sanatana Dharma Society Condemns Murder of Hindu Swami

August 26, 2008

On Saturday, August 23rd, 2008, a terrorist mob of fundamentalist
Christians attacked a Hindu school in the eastern Indian state of
Orissa opening fire on unarmed Hindu teachers, students, and religious
leaders killing a total of five innocent people.

The respected Hindu leader, Sri Swami Lakshmanananda, who founded the
school to educate poor Hindu students, and four other Hindu volunteers
were killed Saturday in the Kandhamal district when up to 30 gunmen
barged into the Hindu school and opened fire indiscriminately,
Orissa's chief minister's office said.

Most significantly, this premeditated Christian terrorist attack
against this Hindu school was very consciously planned and carried out
on the most sacred day of the Hindu calendar, Sri Krishna Janmashtami,
the appearance day of Lord Sri Krishna.

The International Sanatana Dharma Society condemns these terrorist
murders in the strongest terms, and asks all peace-loving people
globally, regardless of your religious affiliation or lack thereof, to
stand with us in protesting this atrocity.

When even revered religious leaders are not safe from the threat of
violence and harm, then none of us are.

Sanatana Dharma ("Hinduism") is the most ancient continuously
practiced spiritual tradition on earth. It is a spiritual tradition
that has been acclaimed and celebrated by multitudes of scholars,
intellectuals and religious leaders throughout history for its
foundational practices of peace, tolerance, brotherhood, compassion,
and openness.

It is the prayer of the entire one-billion member global Sanatana
Dharma community that the world may be united as one family in peace
and understanding regardless of our religious differences.

Aum Tat Sat,

Sri Dharma Pravartaka Acharya
Founder-President
International Sanatana Dharma Society

http://www.dharmacentral.com

Please forward this press release to as many discussion groups, web
sites, news groups, and interested persons as you can. Thank you.

posted in India - 4 replies

stampede deaths

2008-08-03T14:04:00Z

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7539509.stm

Must be especially horrible for the parents who brought their kids there. :(

I was in a crowded market a few months back and we saw bomb squads and police with dogs everywhere. There had obviously been a bomb concern but they probably didn't want to announce it because of stampede fears. We left immediately (more out of concern about stampedes than about bombs themselves).

posted in India - 0 replies

India bazaar guest house

2008-07-31T14:21:16Z

Personal paying Guest house in Udaipur Rajasthan..$40

Staying with Indian family. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, City tour with CAR, Drinks, Nice double bed room with American Toilet, Bath Tub, Hot running water. Airport/Railway Pick up / Drop, Every thing included in only $40 each day for Person.
Located 15 km from Airport, 6 Km from Railway station, 5 Km from Center of City..
Have a Real exp with indian family and indian culture.
Only for Virtual tourist members...
Contact : Mobile +91 9460271417

posted in India - 0 replies

Kirtan, it is fun?

2008-07-28T16:40:17Z

As Kindred Spirits - Yoga Mala Krishna Murari Kirtan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XtsmM4CotI

As Kindred spirits - Yoga Mala Ram Ram Ram Kirtan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2UaI2D1RfM

and for more action see
New York Rathayatra Kirtan - Acyuta Gopi dasi and Gaura Vani das
http://youtube.com/watch?v=_sJlfi3iWp4

posted in India - 1 reply

Indian Embassy bombing in Kabul

2008-07-14T00:40:06Z

Very sad news: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7492601.stm

I am surprised this article doesn't mention opposition to the India/US nuclear deal as a possible "message" behind the attacks. Just speculating.

posted in India - 11 replies

india gay pride!

2008-07-11T18:19:17Z

ok this is a little late but we haven't been that active here so i thought i'd say yay in this forum...

the first gay pride parade ever in india happened recently in three different indian cities and was a big success! yay for india!

http://www.google.com/search?q=delhi+gay+pride&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

posted in India - 7 replies

Role Call 2008

2008-07-06T16:57:26Z

Role Call 2008

I thought it might be auspicious to drop a post on a New moon when Bhagavan Das is set to drop the Kali jams and bring down the shakti the day after 11.08. Well it’s not Oct. 8th, but still a 108, 1108, twice strong. I’m actually in CO and my profile says India, but haven’t updated it. So who is game for going to India this winter and where are you going in 2008?
I’m going to do a month in Mysore, and probably travels to Vrindavan, Rishikesh, Hardiwar, and maybe Goa in just over 2 months. It’s my 3rd trip there.

posted in India - 18 replies

monsoon question from first-timer

2008-06-20T15:48:31Z

Hi all! I'd like to hear from anyone who knows about Kerala and its weather. I'm invited on my first trip to India to attend a wedding in Delhi the first week of September. I very much want to travel to Kerala after that (second or third week of September). Is there any way the monsoon could be over in Kerala by then or are we definitely in for a soggy time? One of my traveling companions is from Delhi, but he doesn't know much about southern India.

posted in India - 4 replies

Air India Sale ends Friday

2008-06-17T15:05:22Z

According to Sunday's New York Times, Air India is having a "One Price India" sale. The sale ends Friday. They are offering "round-trip tickets from Kennedy or Newark airports in the New York area to Chhatrapti Shivaji Airport in Mumbai and over 40 other destinations in India served by the carrier, set at $549 round trip (for departures Aug 19 to Sept 18), $599 round trip (for departures Aug 1 to 18 and Sept 19 to Oct 31) and $704 (for departures July 14 to 31). To get this rate, travelers must leave New York from Sunday through Thursday and return Monday through Friday. Weekend departures are available for an additional $50. Taxes and fees are not included. Passengers must also travel during monsoon season (roughly July through September) unless they are flying in October." www.airindia.com

posted in India - 0 replies

India: The Place of Sex (NYRB)

2008-06-16T02:40:37Z

India: The Place of Sex
By William Dalrymple
Chola: Sacred Bronzes of Southern India
catalog of the 2007 exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, edited by Vidya Dehejia

London: Royal Academy of Arts, 157 pp., $65.00
The Book of Love: The Story of the Kamasutra
by James McConnachie

Metropolitan, 267 pp., $27.50
Kamasutra: A New, Complete English Translation of the Sanskrit Text
by Wendy Doniger and Sudhir Kakar

Oxford University Press, 231 pp., $12.95 (paper)
Kiss of the Yogini: "Tantric Sex" in Its South Asian Contexts
by David Gordon White

University of Chicago Press, 372 pp., $25.00 (paper)

There is nothing new about India being perceived as a place of great and growing wealth: for much of the pre-colonial period, the West was the eager consumer of the spices, silks, and luxuries of the subcontinent, while India was the prosperous supplier. As early as the reign of Nero, there was such a dramatic drain of Western gold to India that Strabo, the Greek geographer and historian, anxiously asks in a letter what can be done to solve the crisis. One South Indian dynasty even sent an embassy to Rome to discuss the problem of the balance of payments.

You can still get a flavor of the intoxicatingly rich and sophisticated classical India that supplied these luxuries at the once-great port of Mamallapuram on the Coromandal coast. Here massive relief sculptures faced onto the port where, according to a seventh-century poet, "ships rode at anchor, bent to the point of breaking, laden as they were with wealth, with big-trunked elephants, and with mountains of gems of nine varieties." The reliefs cover one side of a hill: at the right are two huge elephants, trunks swinging; nearby, warrior heroes and meditating sages stand below flights of gods and goddesses, godlings, nymphs, and tree spirits. There is a breezy lightness of touch at work: a flute is playing, there is dancing, and the heavenly apsara fertility spirits and goddesses are whispering fondly to their consorts.

The man who commissioned the sculptures was King Mahendra, a ruler of the Pallava dynasty who reigned from 590 to 630 AD. (The dynasty itself held power between the sixth and the eighth centuries.) Taking the titles Vicitracitta (The Curious Minded) and Mattavilasa (Drunk with Pleasure), Mahendra was an eclectic poet and playwright and an innovative aesthete and sensualist. He wrote two lost treatises on South Indian painting and music, and several plays—one of which, a cynical and sophisticated satirical farce called The Drunken Courtesan, tells the story of an alcoholic worshiper of Shiva and his courtesan-lover who get into an argument with a tipsy Buddhist monk over a drinking bowl left lying in front of a bar. The farce is still regularly performed in the south today.

[snip]

http://www.nybooks.com/articles/21557

posted in India - 0 replies

Roadside Romeo - Disney Ventures to India

2008-06-11T02:43:30Z

Hi all,
I was watching a Hindi movie last Saturday and saw this trailer. I am not finding a decent link to post, I don't have much time right now...
but here is a little blurb:
"Indian Animation movie is going mainstream with Yash Raj Banners joining hand with Disney for the movie RoadSide Romeo . Voice for the characters is given by Saif Ali Khan , Kareena Kapoor and Javed Jaffari . Based on promotions it looks like a quality product."
found at:
http://www.newscrux.com/2007/11/03/india-animation-movie-roadside-romeo-review/
k, gotta go, see ya all later...
back to work,
Therese
~*~

posted in India - 2 replies

Srinagar info

2008-05-22T09:36:19Z

Hello,

Headed to Srinagar for a long weekend and was just wondering if anybody felt like sharing their experiences there. Not neessarily looking for guest house info (although I welcome it) but more just people's experiences, good and bad! I am really just looking for some light reading ;)

posted in India - 6 replies

Guesthouses in Delhi/Paharganj

2008-05-18T19:14:46Z

Hi,

any recommendations? I would go to Hotel Namaskar first, because it was recommended to me, but that was 10 years ago!
I look for cheap, clean, safe & trustworthy...

posted in India - 3 replies

Bombings in Jaipur

2008-05-14T12:55:16Z

"In the first terrorist attack in many months, seven bombs went off within minutes of each other on Tuesday evening in the crowded lanes of one of India’s main tourist hub, the historic city of Jaipur, with reports of deaths ranging from 50 upwards, with roughly 150 injured, officials said."

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/14/world/asia/14india.html?_r=2&ref=world&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

posted in India - 5 replies

Dj'ing, Dancing, and Creatively Giving in India

2008-05-10T15:58:54Z

I'm on the last leg of my 6 mo. round the world trip and will be a month in India. Got in two days ago and Leaving Delhi for Dharmasala tomorrow (anybody want to get together?). And I've been fortunate to play out in Laos and Thailand so far on the trip and would love to at the very least connect with some dance scenes and communities while in India and would love to share my beats with them as well.

I'm sampling and being inspired by the sounds and music I encounter on my travels and fuse it all, through my little travel laptop, into my productions. I'm most interested in the dance tracks, dance scenes, and dance parties that encorporate healing, conscious, or social elements.

But I'll always settle for some great music and vibes to just get the sweat on. It doesn't matter what the party looks or sounds like though, of course, uniquely indian would be cool, whatever that means! (indian music, indian causes, indian location, indian dj's/musicians, expats of india, indian spirit/religious music, indians, indian hippies). And, "yes" I like Bhangra.

Many of my projects sample events of humanitatian interests like music from mine victims in Cambodia or hurricane relief in Fiji. I hope to get these tracks posted when I finish the trip in the coming months to then be posted to download for a donation to these various causes to raise funds and awareness. See here for some idea of what I mean:
http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sonicbridges/1/1209644760/tpod.html

So if you also know of any particular indian events or causes or cultural experiences I should creatively engage please let me know.

My dj music and even productions are mostly deep techy funky house breaks and lounge tossed about with some world beats and sprinkled with conscious dust. I know there's a healthy psy movements such as Goa and although i appreciate the sound and mind states it's not really my cuppa'. Anything else going on? Or else maybe I need convincing that the psy stuff is REALLY going on!

peace in the middle east,
astro

sonicbridges.com
myspace.com/sonicbridges

posted in India - 5 replies

Cycle question for the women

2008-05-10T09:51:36Z

How many of you have had your cycle go completely psycho while traveling? I was in India durning March for 25 days total and spent half of that bleeding. . . and not at the time I usually would (no I'm not on the pill). The other women in our group had all kinds of weirdness to their cycles also.

posted in India - 8 replies

Leh and altitude

2008-05-03T07:58:06Z

We're going to Leh next month (flying in from Delhi) and I('m a bit concerned about altitude sickness. Am considering taking Diamox as a preventative...anyone have any experience with this? I've never been to such a high place before which is why I ask.

Thanks

posted in India - 5 replies

Nadaka - Auroville

2008-04-28T16:01:01Z

I've been trying to get hold of the Lotus Trilogy(3 CD's) by Nadaka - he's a guitarist living in Auroville - any ideas?

Thanks, Michael.

posted in India - 6 replies

How to keep photo gear safe during monsoon time?

2008-04-23T13:24:52Z

Does anybody have experience with that?

I heard silica gel helps...

Anything else I should consider?

posted in India - 0 replies

Anyone in or traveling to New Delhi?

2008-04-23T13:05:16Z

Hi everyone -- I have a very very special project I'm working on and am looking for someone who is in or will soon be traveling to New Delhi, India. It would probably take up a day of your time, but you'd get to meet some amazing people at an ancient Ashram and be part of a potentially historical project. To sweeten the deal, I'm happy to offer a small amount of money for your kind service. Please email me directly for more details: yeshigyaltsen@gmail.com

padma

posted in India - 1 reply

A Blue Hand

2008-04-18T15:10:33Z

I just saw a review in the NY Times of this book by Deborah Baker about Allen Ginsberg and his experiences in India in the 60s that shaped the whole Beat generation and the American counterculture. I haven't read it yet, but plan to. I thought some of you might like to check it out also. It sounds very interesting. It's called "A Blue Hand: The Beats in India". Penguin Press.

posted in India - 3 replies

If you're in Mumbai this weekend...

2008-04-18T15:08:50Z

Then head to Aurus tonight (Fri) or Blue Frog tomorrow night (Sat) to check out SF's own Janaka Selekta. These shows mark a significant turning point in India's electronic music scene (it's catching up fast, woohoo!). Hope to see you there :-)

Details are here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=16642520125

posted in India - 0 replies

appearence

2008-04-14T20:30:35Z

This is a strange question, but a concern I have about being in India and the appropriate clothing you should wear in respect to the culture. Even though I won´t because I´m white, I´d like to try and blend in as best as possible. I imagine in each area it´s different? Or is the saari good for everywhere?
I have a lot of tattoos on one of my arms, and I didn´t know if it was considered rude or something to have your arms showing. I know that sounds strange, and I know India´s so exotic appreance-wise in many ways, but I also know it´s very conservative. I´m living in S. America right now, and I experience it, at least where I am, being really weird showing my arms much in public, as it is a conservative society. Anyway, just some thoughts! Thanks!

posted in India - 30 replies

MUSIC INFORMATION IN INDIA

2008-04-10T20:20:10Z

HI varanasi sakant mochan temple is goin to organisi a 5 days music concert in temple free entry from 24th to 28 apr.

posted in India - 0 replies

Mumbai

2008-04-10T16:00:43Z

I may be going to Mumbai soon, and I was wondering what people´s thoughts/experiences are there. A vague question, I know. I heard that it´s like the Hollywood of India, true? And of course a profound clash in classes. Let me know :)

posted in India - 1 reply

First India trip highlights

2008-04-04T23:01:24Z

I just left India after four months of travel. I was traveling with a circus group doing free performances for kids, so my experience in india was quite unique. Most of the places we visited were far off the tourist circuit. The number one thing i learned in india is how to let go, how to surrender completely and somehow still hold on to yourself, if that makes any sense. i also learned a lot about the strength and determination of people to live, despite less than ideal conditions. I managed to stay healthy throughout my trip, had one head cold in the middle of my trip and caught another just as i was leaving Delhi. I used grapefruit seed extract and also ate curd on a regular basis.
The highlights of places i visited:
Goa - Arambol beach. Super chill and fun traveler hangout, lots of great restaurants. Samsara is a great place to hang out (hehe), the Shakshuka at Dylan's is amazing and the peanut butter balls at cookie walla's are great.
Mysore - Some of the best food i had in India, RRR banana leaf thalis for 25 rupees :) :) cute city, lots of art and music and a really wonderful Parvati temple at the top of a hill.
Khajuraho - Amazing temples, very friendly people and lots of fun kids to hang out with. Dont miss the dakini temple...
Varanasi - such a powerful place. Stay in Assi ghat its more calm, and you can eat at Ashish, the thali is amazing and cheap! Ashish is sooo friendly :) Take a boat ride early in the morning, try a vow of silence ;)
Dharamkot (near Mcloud Ganj) - Tushita meditation center www.tushita.info for intro to buddhism courses. A serene environment, wonderful teachers, very informative with great guided meditations.
Stay in Dharamkot, so many cute guesthouse up in the hills, the hike to Triund is amazing.
Kasol - Great if you want nothing to do except be in nature :) Beautiful river valley.

India has so much to offer i can see why people go back again and again, i will be back for sure!

posted in India - 0 replies

vegetarian articulation

2008-04-04T15:32:55Z

tonight i ordered mutter masala
and i dipped several bites of fantastic butter naan portions in...
i had to hold myself back from doing the happy dance
and just as i approached khanna nirvana
i noticed a big hunk of meat in my masala
flesh
mutton
oh i just wanted to barf

mutter
mutton

potaytoe
potahto
(and aloo)

oh it's a big difference

be sure when you are in india to enunciate
or else you're gonna go carnivore

posted in India - 4 replies

Homosexuality in India Today

2008-03-23T22:47:43Z

Well, the subject is rather self explanatory. I am fairly sure that people are not allowed to be nearly as open as in (for example) Britain or even here; but has the acceptance level risen at all? I have the film 'Fire' (absolutely love it) and I know there was/is a lot of controversy about it. It was banned in many theatres if not the country. Is there a prevalent culture there?

posted in India - 2 replies

going back home for a couple weeks

2008-03-22T08:41:58Z

back to delhi, my earthly birthplace and home. no stay is ever long enough so i'm ok with it...

anyone interested in networking while i'm there?

d

posted in India - 0 replies

COME ON SAY IT ..

2008-03-21T06:52:49Z

HOLI HAI !

posted in India - 34 replies

Touristic India: Let Me Explain!

2008-03-20T18:38:05Z

Hey, All. I'll explain first: I love the off-the-beaten path, adventurous travel, have lived and studied abroad and have certainly had my fair of wonderful and crazy travel experiences. In fact, I've worked as a flight attendant for the past 12 years.

However, I'd like to travel with my 72 year old father to India and see a few highlights -- comfortably. Crazy, huh? = )
He's in good heath, but walks a bit slower because of painful arthritic ankles. I want comfortable and clean hotels, as he is easily impressed with and highly appreciative of a bit of modern luxury and I don't mind paying for it for quite possibly our most wonderful Dad/Daughter vacation ever.

All I know as of yet is that I want to see the Taj Majal with him, and I want to do as much 'homework' about the trip to make it as comfortable, enjoyable, mind-blowing and non-stressful trip for him as possible. I love opening his eyes to new worlds, but I like to do all of the grunt-work of pre-planning so that I can provide for him the most seamless experience possible. I guess I like playing 'travel agent.'

I'm thinking end of April/ beginning of May. Maybe 10 days tops, which includes travel days. We'll be flying standby on whatever airline -- that isn't a problem as I work in the airline industry and can travel for next to nothing. What I'm looking for is 'must see' spots or tips on a 'touristic' trip which would include the Taj Mahal. Any and all recommendations are welcome, either here or in a personal message. Thank you!

posted in India - 10 replies

Gayatri Mantra...

2008-03-19T23:12:39Z

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pb0L2oHwh5o

Please check out this out and let me know how much u like it

posted in India - 13 replies

MANTRA THE NECTOR

2008-03-15T06:12:21Z

it is not necessary to listen mantra from a guru by physical mouth.i refer vigyan bhairav and mahanirvan tantra where it is elabortated in detail about type of diksha and mantra power transmission in a disciple.for example -chakshusi diksha evoke mantra power just by a graceful look of master on disciple, sparsa diksha evokes energy by touch .One can see all these diksha takes help of one or another senses.Another category mentioned is pratibha jyanana which exposes swatantraya (complete independence) in inner and outer surface of conciousness,Sambhavai diksha takes help of MAHAR TATTAVA and results in direct bodha of mantra that is istta dev darsan (vision of diety of particular mantra) in SOMA mandala( nector or full moon state 16 kala)so here disciple even do not need to complete the purascharan of mantra he just get bodha of mantra.The swapana deeksha include vision of mantra in dream with out physical interaction of master.THERE ARE MANY MORE TO TELL now i would like to draw attention toward SUFISM ,here four sect is famous KADARIYA,CHISTIYA(USE MANTRA IN PHYSICAL STATE) NAQSBANDIAYA(USE MANTRA AT PRANIC AND OVERMENTAL STATE) SOHARVARDIA (USES MANTRA AS A VISION LIKE SURIJAN OR MANTRA DRASTA MUNI EXPLAINED IN VED USE TO DO)..........................so mantra is just like mother and she will not mind if you pull her hand OR climb in lap.........OM SHANTI

posted in India - 0 replies

terror scare in goa??

2008-03-02T14:18:35Z

it seems like every season there is some big rumor about a foreign attack on goa during the christmas/NYE week. i've seen armed guards on beaches, etc. Nothing ever comes of it so i usually scoff at the rumors.

however this one could be more substantiated since it's in print.
what do you think of this??

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1164881885910&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Israelis warned not to go to Goa, India
By SIMEON COHEN AND JACOB SLOSBERG
[Print this Article] [EMail this Article] [Subscribe] [SMS Alerts] [JPost Toolbar] [JPost ePaper]

Thousands of Israelis visiting the popular Indian resort of Goa, many of them freshly out of the army, have been urged to return home immediately amid warnings of an al-Qaida terrorist plot.

The security warning for all Israelis traveling in and around Goa was issued on Wednesday by the Foreign Ministry and the Counter-Terrorism Division of the National Security Council. The statement said the warning was based on intelligence information of a specific al-Qaida threat against tourists.

"As part of the existing al-Qaida terror threat in India, there is currently a concrete threat concentrated in the Goa region, where hundreds of travelers, including Israelis, gather for holidays at the end of the year," a ministry statement said.

The statement advised all Israeli citizens to refrain from vacationing in Goa and to avoid crowded tourist sites in the region at least until the end of December.

Noah Saban, 25, an Israeli who spent four months living in Goa, said on Wednesday that this was the peak season for tourists avoiding the cold winter months to bask in the warmth of southern India's beach climate.

"There are a lot of families from Israel and all over the world in Goa, and as soon as [al-Qaida] attacks, they will hurt a lot of people from all over the world, not just Israel," Saban told The Jerusalem Post. "This is a threat not just against Israel, but a threat against the world."

When asked if he thought that Israelis should heed the ministry's call to return to Israel, he responded by saying "the minute we show that we are afraid and run away, we show our weaknesses."

Saban said Israelis living in India travel on a seasonal cycle; they generally spend summers in the north and winters in the south. Thus, many Israelis congregate in Goa in the winter, as it is located on India's southwest coast.

"This is the height of the winter season," he said, attracting the largest number of Israeli tourists visiting the coastal get-away.

Goa's beautiful beaches and nightclubs have consistently been a popular destination for Western and Israeli tourists, especially youngsters who are looking for an escape after completing their military service. Every year, between October and March, nearly 400,000 Western and Israeli tourists travel to the beach town on India's southwestern coast.

Tourism really begins to pick up in November and culminates towards the end of December, during the height of the holiday season, when Goa's beaches are usually brimming with tourists. This renders them an ideal target for terror attacks during the winter months.

The Foreign Ministry's warning comes on the heels of a warning issued several weeks ago by Indian authorities, when word broke that al-Qaida was planning an attack on Goa over the holiday season. Earlier in the month, Indian intelligence reported that two al-Qaida terrorists had carried out practice runs of attacks in Goa.

The concern is that they could potentially return to execute an attack with the assistance of terrorist cells in India. After the warning initially surfaced, the airport in Goa was temporarily closed to prevent a terrorist hijacking; it has since reopened.

Nightclubs in Goa have been under special surveillance and hotel staff have been particularly alert in regards to spotting potential terrorists checking in to their establishments.

The attack is expected to be in a similar vein to the Bali attacks of 2002, in which terrorist operatives bombed a major tourist district of the Indonesian island, killing over 200, many of whom were foreign tourists on vacation.

"Those traveling to Goa in the next few weeks will be under serious threat of al-Qaida terrorist attacks" said the Division of Counter-Terrorism on Wednesday in its advisory.

Although the warning is strongly advised, it is not legally binding. "The Foreign Ministry would like to clarify that from the perspective of Israeli law, there is no travel ban on the aforementioned areas."

Although the Foreign Ministry stated that the decision to visit Goa is up to each individual's better judgment, they also acknowledged that each individual is responsible for their own actions.

The warning came just a week after Labor, Industry and Trade Minister Eli Yishai's four-day visit to India, where he promoted bilateral economic relations and also met with Israelis at Goa.

posted in India - 14 replies

Getting to India: Step one...

2008-02-29T16:04:15Z

Step one is...what?
How do you even begin?
Is there anyone here who, like me, longed to go but held a full time job you were fond of? Did you ditch it so you could go to India?
Do you wait until you are between jobs?
Do you take up a vocation that allows you long excursions?
Are those who go all traveling writers, trust fund babies, or simply low maintenance enough to manage?
How do you support yourself while you are there?
How do you create a budget for the whole thing?
Do you recommend any books that would help, or simply biographical accounts of other's travels in India?

I'm new to the tribe--if this is repetitious, feel free to direct me back to a post that talks about this. I just turned 26 and I thought, ok, maybe it will take 4 years to plan such a trip, so...what a great way to celebrate turning 30, yaknow?

posted in India - 9 replies

Rroma dances performance photos

2008-02-27T09:34:35Z

Photo album of my rroma dances performance at the International Indian Diaspora Festival in New Delhi, India on January 11, 2008. Photos by Janardhan Pathania.

romsktnet.ning.com/index.ph...slideshow

Simona

posted in India - 0 replies

ex. rate

2008-02-27T05:57:18Z

I don´t yet understand what is the exchange rate from american dollars to indian rupees? Say, 200 rupees-- what is that in dollars? Thanks

posted in India - 8 replies

any psy parties in goa?

2008-02-21T00:03:02Z

please enlighten me with this request.....\
flyin to goa tomorrow..... stayin in baga for 3 weeks...
appreciate any help
romeo901@yahoo.com
om shanti

posted in India - 5 replies

volunteering io an organic farm

2008-02-13T08:35:20Z

Hello everybody
If you are interested there is a good opportunity
to volunteering in an organic farm in tamil nadu near tiruvannamalai.
The place is wonderful and the food (organic of course)
is really good.

for more information you can contact Sumithra (0)9843898871(mobile)

If everyone is tamil nadu .......don't miss this opportunity!

Ciao

posted in India - 3 replies

shivaratri

2008-02-11T12:22:50Z

Hi all shiva ratri is coming soon .ppl in varanasi are warned not to drink bhang as most of then also contain belladona seeds.Even if you wish to have bhanga get it from govt shop.Do not forget to joing DHRUPADA MUSIC FESTIVAL AT TULSI GHAT.I AM GOING TO STAY THERE FOR 3 DAYS WHOLE NIGHT ...WAOOOO CAN NOT WAIT TILL THEN

posted in India - 0 replies

Rice tractor fight!!!

2008-02-06T01:34:03Z

All ways wondered if you could bunny hop a tractor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Nv1kqI7WW4

posted in India - 8 replies

clarifying the intent of this tribe

2008-02-04T05:14:56Z

This tribe’s url is: INDIALOVE.tribe.net
And the description is: “Do you love India? Have you been there, live there, want to return, want to go for your first time, are curious about this amazing country filled with beautiful people and spiritual bounty?...then this tribe is for you.”

This is a tribe to celebrate and share our experience as we return from or prepare a journey to or offer insight as a native, etc. on India.
The intent was not to make make it a forum for sweeping generalizations about the people of India, their culture or any other racial group or people of a specific country.
I understand as much as any traveler to India that the dynamics of such huge differences from our familiar culture and society at home can bring forth frustration… I especially have had frustrating moments since I am a single female tall blonde traveler.
I know India can be frustrating. Thus, discussions to overcome the challenges of the differences are welcome...and that includes reasonable venting.
I do not however welcome negativity, particularly when it is a sweeping generalization.
I have deleted the “post traumatic Indian haggling flashback” thread.
Yes, I understand this is censorship.
The thread was immediately offensive to me but I left it up for a while for the sake of discussion. Ultimately however it went on a tangent making negative generalizations about backpackers from specific countries and sassing individuals for their offerings to the discussion…and what is the point?

If you enjoy this sort of conversation, especially in an antagonistic way to rile up those of us who choose to focus on the positive aspects, or at least a productive conversation of frustration…then perhaps this is not the tribe for you.
That is the beauty of tribe. You can go make your own tribe. For example: the “I travel to enforce my beliefs that those of different belief systems, behaviors and cultures than mine SUCK” tribe

So there.
I am currently in India and will, while I can (based on opportunity and connectivity), delete some of the b.s. comments on here.

Namaste,
Dwanjabi the censor

posted in India - 17 replies

Auroville

2008-02-01T18:54:06Z

feedback anyone?

posted in India - 9 replies