Web Hosting India Windows Hosting Linux Hosting India Reseller Hosting India News India SEO India Web Design India SEO India

Hundred of eunuchs propitiate their deity Gochara in Jamshedpur

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 01:55:00 -0500

Hundreds of eunuchs from different parts of the country drew big public attention as they took out a procession, dancing on popular tunes in Jamshedpur city on Friday.

These eunuchs had assembled at Jamshedpur to offer prayers to their deity at a colourful event.

Every year these eunuchs gather at different places in the country to offer prayers to their deity goddess ''Gochara'' and take out a procession to celebrate the occasion.

"We perform this ritual annually where we worship our deity... This takes place in several parts of the country... We prayed for the well being of the people," said Najira, a eunuch.

The event also holds significance as the head of the eunuchs takes on a disciple who is ''married'' to her and takes on her duties after her death.

These eunuchs, who usually earning their living by dancing and singing in public on happy occasions. Though a handful of them have been elected to public office. (ANI)

Hazi Rattan Dargah and Gurudwara, a symbol of communal harmony in Bathinda Fort

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 01:55:00 -0500

Punjab is also known as the land of Sufi saints and Gurus who always spread the message of communal harmony. A visit to the mausoleum devoted to Muslim Saint Haji Rattan in Bathinda Fort confirms the message.

People of different castes, creed and religion visit Saint Haji Rattan’s Dargah from far off places. Also located adjacent to the mausoleum is a gurudwara devoted to the same saint.

Raj Kumar, one devotee, said: “ I have been coming to this Dargah since my childhood and the Haji Rattan Gurudwara Sahib is also built at the same place, so it''s a very nice. All wishes are fulfilled here. ”

It is said while on his way to Talwandi Sabo, the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh camped here for the night outside the mausoleum of the saint Haji Rattan. The tomb''s keepers tried to dissuade the Guru from sleeping here saying that the place was haunted.

Since Sikhs don''t build tombs and the Guru like other Sikhs didn''t believe in ghosts. So Guru Gobind Singh spent the night at the place to show the people that such superstitions had no ground.

Later, marking this visit, a gurudwara was built near the mausoleum of the saint and today Sikhs, Muslims and Hindus pay obeisance at both the spots.

Maulvi Sajuddin, Priest at Dargarh Haji Rattan, said: “It is written in holy Quran that a man, who loves the believers of Allah, is a good person. It is written in Guru Granth Sahib also that God is there in every human being. God is everywhere. I request all the people to live in love and peace. The Dargah and Gurudwara Sahib, which have been built at the same place, send the message of `unity''.”

According to a legend, Hazrat Haji Rattan was a `Sabaha'' or companion who actually saw the Rasul of the Muslim prophet.

The first reference to Haji Rattan is Islamic literature dates back to the 12th century. Several Hadith collectors travelled from as far as Andulusia and Central Asia to collect the supposed traditions pertaining to him.

Visitors have a deep faith in Hazrat Haji Rattan and they believe that all wishes come true here. People from far-flung areas visit it to express their faith and devotion.

Located within the premises of Bathinda fort, the historical edifice is in the tourism map of district administration.

The gurudwara and mausoleum have helped unite the local residents who share their problems and celebrate religious occasions. (ANI)

Punjab villagers lament U.S slowdown influencing NRIs investment

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 01:41:00 -0500

Living thousands of miles away from their homeland, a large number of non-resident Indians (NRIs) have never lost their fondness for India. They have always wanted to invest in India.

According to a World Bank report, nearly six million Indians working abroad sent home 30 billion dollars during 2008 making India, the top receiver of migrant remittances.

For instance, almost each family in the Giljian Village near Jalandhar today boasts of having at least one member living in abroad. The village has 300 houses.

But the impact of the slump in the U.S. economy has started to show in this village with almost zero NRI visits and a sharp fall in the remittances, especially in Punjab.

Punna Singh, the Head of Giljian Village, said: “Nearly 80 per cent of village people are living in foreign countries. Earlier, at this time, around 50 per cent of the NRIs used to visit the village. But this year nobody has come, especially from the U.S. Only one or two families have come here to attend marriages. The economic slowdown has a major role to play. There is big crisis in foreign countries. The incomes have reduced a lot.”

Devendra Kumar, member of the Jalandhar Money Exchange Association, said: “ At present, the business, which was 80 per cent earlier, has gone down to 20 per cent. People from foreign countries used to send money to their homes through Western Union. But these days nobody is sending money because of the global meltdown.”

A sharp decline in NRI remittances spells trouble for Punjab’s economy.

The affect of the U.S. recession was evident at the annual NRI convention, organized by the NRI Sabha. Despite having 12,000 non-resident Indians as members, the presence of the NRIs remained less than a thousand this year in the meeting, which is held to boost NRI investments in the state.

Many people, however, say that the Punjabis love for their homeland is a fact that cannot be discounted.

VIC Dhillon, an NRI and Member of Parliament, Bramptin, West, said: “From an individual point, they can invest in small houses, a piece of land. I know there are joint ventures who are ready and prepared to plan and build big industries as well. India is such a big country and there is a demand for so many things that I believe NRIs can come and fulfill.”

Virendra Sharma, Parliament Private Secretary, U.K, said: “ As far as the NRIs are concerned, they can give the financial investment. They can give some kind of a technical know-how; they can provide other resources, which are needed to set up any project, which is finance, human, and the technical know-how, the three areas NRIs fully qualify to give to the state. “

Despite uncertainty in the market, the spirits are high among the expatriate Punjabis.

They are waiting for good old days to return so that they can wholeheartedly contribute to the economic upliftment of Punjab. (ANI)

Pakistani theatre troupe wins hearts for performing ‘Bullah’ in Kerala

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 01:40:00 -0500

Far away from the tensions brewing between India and Pakistan’s political circles, people in Thrissur district applauded the famed theatre group of Pakistan which performed a play at the International Theatre Festival of Kerala (ITFK) here on Friday.

Pakistan’s Ajoka Theatre, represented by a 16-member troupe, has been invited by the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi to perform the play ‘Bullah’ at the 10-day theatre festival.

The play ‘Bullah’ revolved around the life and message of great Sufi poet Bullah Shah (1680 – 1758) who witnessed the downfall of the Mughal Empire.

Living through times characterised with internecine conflicts, rebellions, civil and religious strife and total political chaos, Bullah Shah was a beacon of hope and humanism for the people of his time. With his powerful voice Bullah Shah called for tolerance and love in times when the Indian sub-continent was engulfed with war, hopelessness and hatred.

The play ‘Bullah’ reflected his life and was a tribute to the great mystic. It was based on the events of his life, as are known through poetry, historical records and popular myths.

While staging the play ‘Bullah’, the Pakistani artistes hoped that normalcy would return to the subcontinent soon.

"It is unfortunate that there is tension. We face problems. Some people in the group, their families did not allow them to come because they were fearful that anything might happen. But, I somehow, I''m very optimistic. I''ve faith in the better aspect of the human nature and I think that sanity will ultimately prevail despite this mass hysteria," said Madeeha Gauhar, the Art Director at Ajoka Theatre.

Ajoka Theatre group is stated to have been promoting peace for the past 25 years, and staging the play for seven years.

Theatre groups from China, Nepal, Iran, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and different parts of India are other participating in the international theatre festival.

The 10-day festival includes showing of Mudrarakshasam, performed by the Jose Chirammel Smaraka Samithi; Rarang from Bangladesh (director: Mamunur Rashid); Paari Padukkalam, a Tamil play (Pralayan); Bulha from Pakistan (Madeeha Gaur); Atmahatya, a Marathi play (Sadanand Paramanand Borkar); Sinhabahu from Sri Lanka (Ethiriweera Sarachandra); Jocasta from Iran (Mohammed Aghebati); Dusamay, a Bengali play (Prathap Jaiswal); and Fire in the Monastery from Nepal (Sunil Pokharel). (ANI)

Christmas spirit lives on in Goa

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 01:35:00 -0500

Christmas might have been over, but the festival spirit still lives on in Goa in form of cribs put out by locals recreating the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem.

Numerous cribs in various sizes depicting Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, the three kings, sheep and camels, set against a backdrop of a manger adorn the houses, churches across the state.

For the Catholic families, the tradition of crib making is as special as the festivity of the Christmas.

These cribs are made by the people themselves, from different materials such as thermocol, paper, wood and clay.

They are done up beautifully by the people in an effort to replicate the exact setting of the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.

In today''s times of turmoil, these cribs have also come to be associated with peace and harmony.

According to the Christians, Jesus was a messenger of peace so by making these cribs, they want to spread the message of peace and harmony.

"He has influenced the whole world. This is a new era of the Christian gospel that has to go around especially at a time when there is war. We want peace, Jesus is a priest of peace," said Father Ivo Consecao Souza.

A classic crib has infant Jesus in centre, framed by Mary and Joseph, and accompanied by an ass and an ox.

The cribs, which are thrown after midnight mass on 25, are on display till January 6, the day when feast of three Kings is celebrated. (ANI)

President Patil arriving Hyderabad on 15-day southern sojourn

Sat, 27 Dec 2008 09:17:00 -0500

President Pratibha Patil is arriving here on her 15-day southern sojourn.

She will stay in the Rastrapathi Nilayam at Bollaram near Secundrabad from where the president''s office functions till her departure to Delhi on January 11.

During her visit, Patil will attend various programmes organised by the State Government and the Ministry of Defence.

She is scheduled to take part in the golden jubilee celebrations of National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD) here on December 30.

Patil will also visit Visakhapatnam, Tamilnadu and Karnataka to participate in various programmes.

This is her second Southern sojourn as President.

The tradition of Presidents staying at the Rashtrapati Nilayam in recent years has been broken, as the `southern sojourn'', which is supposed to be an annual affair, is not happening. (ANI)

Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls result tomorrow

Sat, 27 Dec 2008 09:17:00 -0500

Counting of votes for the 87 assembly constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir will be held on Sunday.

The counting in all the constituencies will start at 9 a.m at 22 centres set up at district headquarters across the state.

Electoral fate of 1,353 candidates will be decided including former Chief Ministers Gulam Nabi Azad of Congress (Bhadarwal), Mufti Mohammad Sayeed of the People''s Democratic Party (PDP) (Anantnag) and National Conference''s (NC) Farooq Abdullah (Sonawar and Hazratbal), NC president Omar Abdullah (Ganderbal) and PDP''s Mehbooba Mufti (Wachi).

All the 87 seats witnessed multi-cornered contest but the real fight is among Congress, NC and the PDP for the 46 seats in Kashmir while BJP and J-K National Panthers Party are also in contention for the 37 constituencies in Jammu.

In the final phase of Assembly polls, over 56 per cent voting was recorded. The poll percentage in 13 assembly segments of Jammu and Samba districts was 70 per cent.

Over 63 per cent polling was recorded in the sixth phase, which spread in the districts of Doda, Ramban and Kishtwar in Jammu Division and Anantnag and Kulgam districts in Kashmir. Approximately 57 per cent voters exercised their franchise in the fifth phase on Saturday. Polling took place in eleven constituencies in the districts of Kathua, Shopian and Pulwama.

An estimated 55 per cent of the 14 lakh electorate exercised their franchise in the fourth phase of polling on December 7. An average 50-60 per cent turnout recorded in the third phase on November 30.

At least 65 per cent voting was recorded during the second phase of polling.

Despite the call by separatists for boycott of elections, 64 per cent participated in the first phase.

In the first four phases, the number of candidates showed a marked increase this time as compared to 2002. In the Kashmir division the number has gone up to more than double. (ANI)

Mumbai Muslims protest against Pakistan

Sat, 27 Dec 2008 09:15:00 -0500

Muslims in Mumbai held a rally on Friday to protest against the inaction of Pakistan government on the terror outfits operating from its territory after India blamed Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba, for last month''s Mumbai attacks which killed 179 persons.

Raising voice against Pakistan, the demonstrators urged the Indian government to destroy all militant camps operating in Pakistan.

"I want to inform the Government and give a message to the whole nation that all the militant camps should be destroyed. Islam asks you to sacrifice your life for the country you live in," said Aftab Ahmad Khan, a protestor.

The demonstrators holding dummy AK-47 rifles also demanded from the government that the police force should be fully equipped to deal with the militants.

Relations between India and Pakistan have simmered after the former blamed the outlawed LeT for the spate of terror attacks in India.

India has blamed Pakistan of backing out of its earlier commitment to take action against those involved in the terror attacks and has asked Islamabad to stop terrorist outfits operating from its soil.

On the contrary, Pakistan has denied any links to the assault and has promised to cooperate with India in investigations into the assault, if provided with proof. (ANI)

Superstition stops villagers to build concrete houses in Madhya Pradesh

Sat, 27 Dec 2008 07:45:00 -0500

If you want a comfortable house, build it with concrete and which will guard you against rain, sun and extremes of weather.

But you cannot do so if you are living in Bhind village of Madhya Pradesh

Resident here live in mud houses even today. They believe that concrete houses bring you bad luck.

If you want a concrete house, better go outside the village boundary, say the villagers.

Residents claim that concrete houses bring bad luck to the owners. There is a fear among all of us that if we build a house here, our children will die, says Mukund Singh, a resident.

According to a legend, a king who had come visiting the village happened to witness a fight between a goat and a jackal. He asked a temple priest to explain to him the importance of the fight in which unexpectedly the goat had managed to ravage and kill the jackal.

The priest had apparently told him that the village would prove to be very lucky for human habitation and survival. The priest also told him that the king should immediately lay the foundation for his palace if he wished to live there.

The king who was in a hurry, built a temporary mud hut and left. When he returned after a few months, the priest told the king that he had committed a mistake of not laying the concrete foundation and hence now if anyone attempted to build a concrete house, an evil spell would be cast on that family.(ANI)

India terms Pak allegations of involvement in Lahore blasts as hogwash

Sat, 27 Dec 2008 01:05:00 -0500

India today termed Pakistan''s claim of arresting an Indian national in connection with the Lahore blasts on Wednesday, as mere hogwash which mean to confuse people.

In the backdrop of the Mumbai terror attacks and growing international pressure on Pakistan to arrest the perpetrators of the Mumbai carnage, Islamabad had claimed to arrest an Indian national Satish Anand Shukla, a move however denied by Lahore police officials.

Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma said that " it''s a mere hogwash meant to confuse people. Nobody is going to believe it because before the international community the real issue is terror outfits operating from Pakistan."

Reacting on Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani''s statement that ''non state actors'' were behind the Mumbai Terror attacks, Sharma said that the statement of the Pakistani Prime Minister on non-state actors is surprising.

"All the non state actors are actors of the state. All the perpetrators behind the Mumbai terror attacks were Pakistani citizens," the Minister of State for External Affairs said.

Sahrma added: "It is time to act on the ground and Pakistan must dismantle terror infrastructure on its soil. We had written statements from Pakistan in the past that authorities would be taking action against militant outfits. It is not the time for words which is meaningless."

Earlier in the day, a pro-Taliban group Ansar Wa Mohajir has claimed responsibility for bomb explosion in Lahore, nailing Pakistan''s lies that they have arrested an Indian spy.

Toofan Wazir, identifying himself as a commander and spokesman of the group, claimed responsibility for the attack.

Lahore''s Senior Suprintendent of police (operations) Chaudhary Shafiq Ahmed had denied of any such arrest being made by the police.

"I have no information about the man, he might have been arrested by some other law-enforcement agency," Ahmed said.

A woman was killed and four persons were injured when a car bomb went off in a high-security residential complex for government officials in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore on December 24. (ANI)