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The victim of racist attack is struggling between life and death. Sarvan Kumar a 25 years old Indian living in Australia was the victim. He has suffered extensive brain damage because the racist assailant drove a screwdriver into his head. He family is in shock back here in India. The Australian authorities were reluctant in issuing visa to his family and relatives to go there in Australia and see him. They are backing the funding of medical treatment that he is getting there in Australia. After the media interventions finally the Australian authorities have issued the visa to his Uncle Dr. Srinivas who has left for Australia. He said that Sarvan’s father is in a state of shock and dint want to go to Australia, thus he is going on their behalf. Sarvan’s family is based in Andhra Pradesh. Sarvan’s father said that though Australians call themselves a developed nation but they have no humanity. If police in Australia would have taken some action when an Indian attacked in train, this would not have happened.  Sarvan’s father Mr. Chidambram is a farmer and is not in a postion to afford the foreign trip. He is facing problem in meeting the cost of sarvans treatment in Australia. He has approached the government of Andhra Pradesh for financial help who in turn promised to help. The challenge to reach Australia and pursue the legal procedures.  

 In the last three weeks four incidents of attack on Indian Students have been reported. The Indian students community has taken to the streets in Australia as they are protesting against this brutality. The students assembled at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. Sarvan Kumar is undergoing treatment in this hospital. Students were holding placards against these attacks. The protestors were advising to think twice before coming to Australia. These incidents have given a shock to the students and the authorities in both countries. Those who have faced racist attacks said that since these attacks are specifically on the Indian students thus we can say that these are racist attacks. Baljinder Singh, another 25 year old victim said the same.  He said Indian government should do something.

 More than 95 000 Indians live in Australia. More than 30000 students go every year to Australia. Such attacks would impact negatively relations between both the countries. Australia has been a favorite destination of Indian students in the past few years. They have been  going to get education and for some it is a way to get the permanent resident status. With such incidents coming in light it has become clear that Australia though a developed country is a racist country. People look down upon the people of Asian origin in Australia. They do not give the status of equality to them. Australian authorities have admitted that possibility of racism cannot be ruled out in these attacks.

Attractive Slogans All the leaders of India know that more that 50 per cent population of their ‘Mahan Bharat’ is fighting the battle for ‘bread and butter’. With empty bellies eyes become unable to see anything else except bread. More that 50 per cent public of India does not get even the pure drinking water supply. Some ‘sensitive’ leaders had sensed their problems and had promised them rice and wheat at the rate of 2-3 rupees per KG. The aim of the leaders was just to bring most of the ‘begging people’ under their party flags by attractive slogans. To whom they had promised to provide grains at the rate of 2-3 rupees per kilogram? These are the same people who ceaselessly toil in their fields to grow wheat and rice. These grains do not grow on the rooftops of these leaders. Only simple people grow and harvest crops. These are the same people who grow and harvest, take their products to markets and then from markets to the stores. From the starting to the end these poor people work ceaselessly. If after so much hard work, these grains are out of their reach then we will have to think that why all the political parties are not serious to improve the living conditions of the simple folk.

True Freedom When ever the election season nears leaders of the various political parties makes some ‘relief’ announcement. They use these announcements as a method to grab the power and succeed on their ‘evil designs’. But it should be though deeply that if after 60 years of independence cheap flour and wheat are the election issues of these leaders then it not an achievement. For last 60 years we are hearing about our achievements. We proudly say that our elders fought a fierce battle against colonial rule of England. We are told that thousands of people laid their lives for the achievement of freedom. If our elders have got freedom for us after battling against the decades’ old colonial rule then it is our duty to protect our freedom at any cost. But another question rises that is it the freedom our elders had wished while making supreme sacrifices for the noble cause.

Awakening The people should tell their leaders that they are not beggars. They demand work not the free or cheap wheat and grains. Jobs should be created for the youth so that can live their life with pride. But it is the pity that these issues have no places in election manifesto of any of the party. They are ready to give them cheap wheat and grains but are not ready to create job opportunities for the jobless educated girls and boys. By providing wheat and grains at cheap rates all the parties are trying to distract the attention of the people from their basic problems. And this is their shortcut method of grabbing power by distracting the attention of the people from their basic problems. 15^th Lok Sabha elections have revealed the true character of the Indian leaders. For them Indian public is nothing less than beggars. But election results have proved that Indian voters are not the herd of sheep. Only that state governments returned to power that had worked for the progress of their states and created jobs. If Congress has returned to power in centre the reason behind it is only it that they had initiated such kind of schemes that had provide jobs to the poor people.  Nehru Rozgar Yojana and Rajiv Gandhi Gram Vikas Yojana are the examples of such schemes.

Bad Affects of Modernism As the human mankind has progressed, human life has become more and more comfortable. Scientific inventions have made it easy for the people to live even in those areas where geographical conditions are not suitable for the survival of human kind. But this advancement has also affected some sections of the society adversely. With the revolution in information technology the whole world has become a global village. And with it English has become the global language. People have their reach to every corner of the world. It has threatened the existence of the natural existence of the tribal people. Some tribes have even disappeared and with them their languages too have disappeared. It is being predicted that after some time some of the regional Indian languages will also disappear as their will be a very few people who will be having the pure knowledge of their language. Scientific inventions have made some people jobless too. India has been badly affected by it. Indian society is divided into casts. Every caste has been defined by its profession. As ‘julaha’ (weavers) used to weave clothes but they have adopted some other professions. There is another caste which is known by the name of ‘ghumaar’ means potter. The people of this particular caste used to make earthen utensils.  But in the modern time they too have almost lost their jobs.

Refrigerator Vs Pitcher In the summer season everyone likes to drink cold water. But in the modern times refrigerators, water coolers and ice have taken the place of pitchers, and other earthen wares. These earthen wares were being used to cool the water for centuries. The practice of keeping water in pitchers has almost disappeared in cities and in some of the villages people still use the earthen utensils in their daily life. It is believed that the water, chilled in the pitters, is always good for the health while the water chilled by the modern methods like ‘refrigerators, coolers etc is not suitable for the human health. As refrigerators have occupied their place in every household the potters have started to loose their jobs. It main reason is that people have lost their interest in the earthen wares.

Costs Some of the potters have not lost their interest in their ancestral occupation and even take a lot of interest in it. But their children have lost their interest in this occupation. The reason is very simple; they are unable to earn enough money to make their both ends meet. Most of the ‘ghumaars’ have adopted other occupations. There are very few people who still make pottery items. This is because they have not learnt any alternative occupation.  The occupation of making earthen vessels is almost at its end. Nor the government has given them any facility to find some suitable alternative of their disappearing occupation and neither the government has taken any step to revive their dying occupation. In such conditions they have just a dark future ahead. In older times they used to get clay and dung very easily. Clay is used for making vessels while dung is used to bake them. But now investment costs have increased a lot. The clay is brought from the some far away places and then they have to transport their products to the big cities. Thus they have to bear the transportation costs too. There are many other hidden costs that have marginalized their profits. They get only 10 per cent profit from their productions.

Disappearance But in the rural sector people still prefer the pitchers. In rural sector people get the electricity supply only for 2-3 hours and in such conditions the refrigerators and water coolers have become useless boxes. But with the improvement in the electricity supply, potters will be badly affected. Because of the use of modern equipments and neglect by the government, the people of this caste are unable to keep their ‘centuries old’ occupation alive and this occupation will disappear and will become the part of history.  

After the fall of the Gupta Empire and the overthrow of the Huna power late in the 5^th century, there was no great power left in the Northern India. A large number of small independent kingdoms emerged in this region. One of these was the Kingdom of Thaneshwar of the Srikantha Janpada. In its earliest states it comprised a substantial portion of the Sutlaj Yamuna Doab in the east Punjab. According to Bana, the author of Harsha Charita, the Kingdom of Thaneshwar was founded by Pushpabhuti, a great worshipper of Shiva. The line of rulers who ruled over this kingdom is, therefore known as Pushpabhuti Dynasty. The Madhuban Plate inscriptions give the names of the first three rulers of this dynasty as Naravardhana, Rajusyavardhana and Adityavardahana. They used the title only of Maharaja. Little is known about these three kings. It seems that they were feudatories either of the Guptas or the Hunas or of both of them at different times. They also remained under the Maukharis for some time. These three kings ruled during the period AD 510-580. The next ruler of this dynasty was Parbhakarvardhan who came to the throne in 580 AD.

Parbhakarvardhan was the first king of the Vardhana Dynasty who assumed the royal titles of Maharajadhiraj and Parmabhatarka. Beginning as a petty chief of a small kingdom, he rose to pre-eminence by his military exploits and conquest of his neighboring kingdoms. He became a lion to the Huna Deer, a burning fever to the king of the Indus lands, a troubler of the sheep of Gujarat, a bilious plague to that scent- elephant the lord of Gandhara, a looter to the lawlessness of the Latas, an axe to the creeper of Malwa glory. Madhubani Plate Inscription describes him as a king whose fame had spread beyond the four seas. The empire of Parbhakarvardhan was limited to Thanesar only is what some scholar believe.

Bana’s Harashcharita tells that the Hunas ruled over a small principality in the foothills of the Himalayas in the north and the North West Punjab. The Gurjaras ruled over the upper regions of the Chajj and Rachna Doabs to the north east of the Sindhu comprising the Peshawar and Attock districts and some adjoining regions. Parbhakarvardhan followed a vigorous policy towards the North West Frontier territories. He sent an expedition against these kingdoms and brought them under his sphere of influence but probably he was not able to annex them to his empire. The territories under his direct rule seem to have been the present day states of Haryana and Punjab only. Whenever the Kingdoms of the North West became headstrong, he dealt with them sternly. For instance, when the Hunas created some trouble towards the closing years of his reign, he sent his elder son Rajyavardhana to suppress them. The young prince received numerous wounds in the battle but was successful in defeating and driving them away. Parbhakarvardhan also received the help of the Maukharis of Kanauj to fight against the Hunas.

Parbhakarvardhan had two sons Rajyavardhana and Harshavardhan and one daughter Rajyashri. He gave his daughter Rajyashri in marriage to Prince Grahavarman, the son and successor of Avantivarman Maukhari of Kanauj. Parbhakarvardhan died in 606 Ad and was succeeded by his son Rajyavardhana. Just then, Devagupta, the king of Malwas which is modern Madhya Pradesh invaded Kanauj, killing its young ruler Grahavarman. He also took away his queen Rajyashri as prisoner to Malwa. Hearing such shocking news, Rajyavardhana instantly led an army and defeated the King of Malwa. The battle was won but Rajyavardhana was treacherously killed by Sassanak, the King of Gaur which is modern day state of Bengal, an ally of Devagupta.

Aam Admi Ke Badhte Kadam Har Kadam Par Bharat Buland

The campaign for the 15^th . Every party has come up with their election manifestos. Every party is trying to lure the voters to vote for them. Congress also has come up with a bundle of promises that it would want to fulfill once back in power after the elections. Most of the critics feel that the congress party is still trying the same age old guns and stance. Once again the party is banking on the issues related to the weaker sections and the minority sections of the society. Well it is not an incorrect approach. The only problem is that this is not a new approach. This is the party which has been in power for decades. In fact the party that has ruled India almost every 5 years in a decade since independence. Thus the common man of India expects a lot from them. There is a lot of pressure on the party because of the fact that it is the party that was in power the longest in India and they already have their government which they will have to defend. This is what congress is asking in its manifesto, “We seek a fresh mandate on the basis of our heritage, record of service and vision of the future. We reaffirm our unflinching commitment to the welfare of all our people, especially to the well-being of the weaker sections of our society.  

 When you look at the manifesto of the congress you will find that the congress has compared itself with every other party that is not a part of UPA – the alliance that it has with other regional and national parties to form government in the Center. Congress talks about its past and has tried make fun of its main opponent BJP which look a bit immature. Like other parties it has talked about the fight against terrorism. Though it has once again stressed on the decentralization by bringing in the song of Panchayati Raj. I do know how much impact this can make in favor of congress.

The congress has promised that there would be a balanced approach in dealing everything as it did in the past. It has stressed that because of its balanced approach only the country in standing in a good stead though recession has hit almost entire world. It has claimed that it created balance between the public sector and the private sector to ensure that the growth is not hindered. It has assigned important roles to the cooperatives and self help groups. There is a balanced between building of a refreshed modern economy and imparting a new thrust on the traditional industries. The balance between promoting employment in the organized sector and protecting the lives of those in the unorganized sector has been stressed upon. It has mentioned the balanced between the urban parts of India and the improvement of the quality of life in the villages. Congress claims the balance between the globalization and benefits being flown to the local levels.

 There are many other things that have been discussed in the manifest of the congress. I would wonder if that can help them fetch votes. This is because of two things. One the Indian voter never looks at statistics. Second Indian voter needs and interpreter to understand what exactly congress has said in its manifesto. Indian voter would not be able to understand how the balanced approach helped India stay away from recession? There are many other questions. The only thing that attracts the voter is the approach of a political party. The way the political leader of congress have dealt with the voters in the past 5 years and of course now there is a huge possibility that the voter of India would give a second chance to the congress and its alliance because no matter  what promises other political parties have made in their political manifestoes congress has worked for the past 5 years and they also have put their government on the stake on some issues which the voter of India understand. There should not be any surprise if congress comes to power again. They really have made life easy in the past 5 years which was not experienced earlier.

Since the fifteenth century a considerable , originating from unions of Portuguese, English and other European with Indian women, has  grown up, which forms an important element in the population of the great cities, the Bombay Konkan, and the settlements on the lower Himalayan ranges.

The Jews, Parsis, Armenians and certain other small foreign communities maintain their isolation so strictly that they hardly affect the racial character of the general population.

Sanskrit, with its derivative vernaculars; the old Persian, or Zend language; Greek, Latin, German, English and many other European tongues, form a well-defined group or  families of languages which is designated either as Indo-Germanic or as Aryan. Many authors have shown a tendency must be of Aryan race, connected one with the other more or less closely by ties of blood. That assumption is wholly unwarranted. Community of language is no proof of community of blood. The population of India, as we have seen, comprises extremely various elements, descended from all sorts of people who formerly spoke all sorts of languages. In the north, for instance, no trace remains of the central Asian tongues spoken by the diverse tribes comprised under the terms Saka, Huna, or Yueh-Chi. The descendants of those people now speak Hindi and other languages closely related to Sanskrit. Similar cases maybe observed all over the world. Languages become extinct and are replaced by others spoken by races whose position gives them an advantage. Thus in Great Britain, the Cornish language is absolutely extinct, and the Cornish people, who are of different race from the English, now speak nothing and English.

Aryan ideas and institution have shown marvelous power and vitality in all parts of india. But the proportion of Aryan blood in the veins of the population which is small almost everywhere. In nonexistent in some provinces.

The most important family of the Indian language the indo Aryan comprises all the principal languages of norhter and wester india: hindi, Bengali, Marathi, gujrati and many others decending from ancient vernaculars or prakrits closely akin both to the vedic and to the later literary forms of Sanskrit.

The family or group of tounges second in importance is Dravidian in peninsula comprises tamil, telegu, malayam, kanarese and tulu, besides some minor toungue. Both tamil and telegu have rich literature. The tamil is the principal and perhaps the oldest language of the group. The grammer and the structure of the Dravidian speech differ wholly from Aryan type. The most ancient tamil literature dating from the early century for the chritian era or even earlier was composed on Dravidian lines and independent of Sanskrit model. The later literature in all the languages has been largely influenced by Brahmanical ideas and diction. The linguistic family is called Dravidian because dravida was the ancient name of the tamil country in the far south. In fact tamil is really the same word as the adjective dravida.

Three other families of language namely munda, the monkhumer and the tibeto Chinese are represented on the Indian soil, but as the poses little or no literature and are mostly spoken by rude savage or half civilized tribes it is unnecessary to discuss their peculiarities. The speakers of those toungue have had a small influence on course of history.

 The Wahabi movement named after its founder Abdul Wahab originated in Arabia in the 18th century with a view to restoring Islam to its pristine purity and order. In India, the movement was started by Syed Ahmed of Rai Bareilly who was influenced by the Wahabi ideas from Arabia. Syed Ahmed’s aims were at once religious and political. From the religious point of view, he aimed to urge Islam in India of all its accretion, corruptions and superstitions, which he thought were mostly borrowings from Hinduism. Politically, he aimed at bringing about the overthrow of the Sikhs in the Punjab and the British in Bengal and to restore the Muslim rule in India. Syed Ahmed first preached his doctrines in Rohilkhand but later due to political exigencies, he proceeded to North West frontier and established his headquarters at Sittana in Swat valley. He waged a Holy War against the Sikhs whom he considered as the chief oppressors of the Muslims in the Punjab. He fought many battles with Darbar troops till he was slain in the battle of Balakot in 1831 without achieving much success.

Syed Ahmad’s death gave a severe blow to the Wahabi movement but the fire of Holy War once lighted by him was kept burning for half century by the Khalifas of Patna. The British Government inherited this turbulent legacy from the Sikhs. Between 1853 and 1863, it had to send as many as twenty expeditions against the Wahabis in the North West frontier regions of India in which as many as 60,000 troops were engaged.

The Wahabis became again active in the 1850’s in the Punjab. After Sayed Ahmed’s death, ViIayet Ali took over the command of the Wahabis at Sittana camp. He organised various rebellions and a net work of conspiracies to overthrow the British rule. A Wahabi plan to temper with the Frontier Infantry Station at Rawalpindi was unearthed by the authorities in 1856. Mohammad Ali, a regimental Munshi and some other soldiers were tried at Rawalpindi for offences against the state and convicted. The Government also seized certain documents which made it clear that a well-thought of plan for transporting crusader from Bengal and Bihar to Sittana for the purpose of waging a Holy War was in operation. In 1853, the Wahabi leaders enlisted the sympathy and support of the ruler of Swat and made a spirited attack on the territories of Jahan Dad Khan, the pro-British ruler of Amb. Jahan Dad Khan had ostensibly shown sympathy with the Wahabi movement but had secretly appealed to the British for help. In a skirmish with the British troops, the Wahabis suffered heavy casualties; their rear guard and leader Karim Ali were killed. Inayat Ali, another Wahabi leader escaped with great difficulty. The Wahabis now adopted a policy of making suitable preparations before risking a battle with the trained British troops. They began to impart regular military training to the crusaders and recited songs extolling the glories of war with the infidels. They sent another expedition under Mirza Mohammad who occupied Yusufzai villages of Nawakhela and Sheikhjana. But the British troops soon expelled the rebels and recovered those villages. The Wahabis next occupied Narangi, a border village within the British territory, but the British troops drove them away to Chinghai and Bagh. They next secured the help of the tribals, and made a night attack on Lt. Horne, the Assistant Commissioner at Sheikhjana in October 1857. They routed the British troops and returned to their strongholds with a large booty which they distributed among the soldiers. While the Wahabis under Inayat Ali were preparing for another expedition, the mutiny of 1857 broke out in full fury, and their supply lines from Patna were cut off. Inayat Ali moved from Chinghai to Swat where he died of illness in March 1 B58. He was succeeded by Maqsud Ali, a Bihari, who took over the command of Sittana camp.

During 1850-57, the Sittana stronghold of the Wahabis remained a constant source of trouble and anxiety for the British. They sent sixteen expeditions to subdue the rebels and their allies, but they could not be extirpated. In 1858, an expedition was sent under Sir Sydney Cotton with 5000 men to chastise the rebels. The British occupied the Sittana territory but made it over to the tribals on the condition that they would give no shelter to the fanatics nor allow them to pass through their territory to commit depredations within the British frontiers. After the death of Maqsud Ali, the Wahabis under the command of Abdullah continued anti-British campaigns in the North-West frontier territories.

He recruited a large number of recruits through various agencies in India, received the active support of tribal chiefs and also of the Akhund of Swat and recovered the old Wahabi settlement of Sittana in July 1863.

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Is your child a bully at school? If the answer is yes then it is your responsibility to teach him. It is you who should tell him  to behave at school or with friends. You need to teach him that any bad behaviour by his side will not be tolerated by others. You need to make your child understand that people might get hurt with his actions and it is not correct to hurt others. You child need to know that there are feelings in other kids as well and his action may cause them feel  bad about him and themselves as well. All the more importantly you need to figure out why your child has turned in to bullying in social places and situations. You should teach your child how to be more appropriate in dealing with others.

Reasons for being a bully

If you find that your child is being bully with his peers and social situations, you need to ask you child. Try to find out the reason why he behaves like that. Try to listen and understand the explanation given by your child. There is a huge possibility that your child is in the wrong side and it is his mistake, however, you need to keep on listening and try to show him that you understand what his is saying and you are interested in knowing the problem he has. This may help your child express and more importantly will help him understand and he may try to change as well. Once you have done this your child would start feeling better. There is a possiblity that you child behaves bully to avoid others from making fun of his. You may also realise that the bullyness that your child has is the result of bullying. It is possible your child is defensive in saying that they are bullying someone simply because they don’t like that person, but that excuse is usually just the surface answer for the underlying reason. Try to get to the root of your child’s anger.

Why is the child violent? If your child is physically violent towards other children, try to figure out where your child learnt this type of behavior would be acceptable. Is there violence in your home? Does this child have siblings who are physically violent towards him? Does your child spend a lot of time watching violent television programmes or playing violent video games? Does your child listen to music that has violent messages and song lyrics? You have to stay on top of what is going on in your kid’s life so that you can keep violent images out of your child. If there’s violence in your home, then that is a major problem that you have to deal with as a family unit. Explain him that hitting, kicking, punching, and name-calling are intolerable behaviours. Make the child understand, tell your children to reflect on his or her actions. Ask your child how he or she would feel if someone would beat them up or make fun of them on a regular basis? Explain that it is very wrong to intentionally hurt someone physically or emotionally. Talk with them anytime when you are available for discussion. Often, a child who is a bully is a child with very low self-esteem and self-confidence. They feel that their only way to gain control in peer situations is by being a bully.

 Help your child to develop social skills or encourage them to participate in sporting activities. Try to nurture your child’s talents and dreams so that he or she does not feel the need to bully. 

Swami Vivekananda used to say that word carry only a miniscule part of the import we want to convey. It is but the inner strength our inner Ojas that does the real and effective speaking. Sawamiji himself is a burning example of this fact. When he stood up to speak before the American audience already having made up its mind about the ‘native Hindu monk from the land of the snake charmers’, the hall was almost vacated because of disdain. But when Sawamiji spoke a miracle was believed to have happened-we all know that. The same quality can be attributed to people across boundaries of nations and historical chapters-right from Buddha, Shankaracharya to Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King-where and when they spoke, the world listened. Pandit Nehru’s” Tryst with destiny” and Atal Bihari’s maiden Hindi speech in the United Nations are other examples. There was something common-they believed in what they said-every word of it.

From now onwards Eternal Solutions starts a new chapter on reading and understanding body language and finding the real import behind the words one speaks, the gestures one shows knowingly or unknowingly. It shall help us understand our relationships, our work atmosphere and direct us to put that extra behind what we want to convey and what we want to know about those who matter to us or to those we want to matter. Even astrologically there are specific conjunctions, house traits and planets which are assigned with the power of speech, the gestures and the effectiveness of communication. There are people who have much to say but do not know how to convey-and there are people who come across initially as having much to offer but in the long run turn out to be empty.

Even modern studies suggest that verbal (meant by words) communication makes a miniscule part of the total impact of a message. It is very clear with children and sometimes with animals like birds, cows and dogs. If you approach them with love they automatically understand. It is interesting to note that many scholars and experts opine that only about 35% of the impact we make through communication or our behavior has to do with the verbal component. And even within this only about 6-8 percent is through words-rest all is through our non-vocal or verbal gestures.

 There are five means through which we perceive objects or any person-rest is processed later. Then things get coloured and we see things through our own personal, cultural and experiential filters. Suppose you have had a bad past with a name similar to somebody you are meeting right now-you shall automatically have a reaction even before the person has started speaking. And chances are that you shall end up making your mind-build prejudices for the person holding the name borrowed from the traumas in your memory associated with that name. We all know that guys with a deep baritone have heady effect on women. But not necessarily all men with a baritone are good individuals. Suppose you feel very good about the letters or e-mails that one of your long lost and distant friends sends to you. Chances are that you might interpret that she must be in good health. Soon enough she calls you up and you find a deep low in her voice. Then you come to understand that she might seems to be healthy and high but now you have seen that original low through her voice that probably she might be trying to hide.

The ancient Olympics were of religious nature as the games were part of a festival conducted in the honor of the father of all the Greek gods and goddesses called Zeus. A rural sanctuary site called Olympia situated in western Peloponnesus was the venue for ancient Olympics. This sanctuary was named in honor of Mt. Olympus which was known to be the highest mountain in the main lands of Greece. It is considered in the Greek mythology that Mt. Olympus was he home of the greatest of the Greek gods and goddesses. This ensured that every country has a deep history of sports in their religion. Those who came to its sanctuary primarily Greeks were of the same religion and same language. The participants and athletes were from every part of the Greek kingdom. They came to join the games from as far as Iberia now called as Spain in the west to the Black sea or modern turkey in the east. All the athletes who participated in the games were males.

Back home in India the history of sports dates back to the Vedic period. Religious rites were the most powerful fuel to feed the physical culture in the ancient India. The values as taught in the Vedas stressed upon the physical culture. Dehveda (the body way) is a defined as one of the ways to full realization. In the Vedic period as evidenced by Ramayana and Mahabharata, the men of stature were supposed to be competent enough to compete in the Chariot Racing, archery, horsemanship, military tactics, wrestling, weight lifting, swimming and hunting. All these require great physical hard work and endurance that can be achieved by discipline only. Also it is important to mention here that there were some well laid rules as well to play these games though these games were played in a very raw fashion that sometimes one of the two contenders has lost his life as well.

 In India the teacher student relationship has always been held in high esteem. So is observed as integral part of the Indian sport from the time immemorial. The relationship between Vishwamitra and his pupils Ram& Lakshman and between Acharya Drona and his pupils Kauravas and pandavas as mentioned in the Ramayana and Mahabharta respectively establishes the fact that physical sports were played right from the civilisation begun in India. The sports like archery, equitation, hammer throwing, chariot racing etc find place in Villas Mani Majra when Tiruvedacharya mentions these sports. Terms like bhrashram or weight lifting, bhramanshram or walking and Mal Stambha or wrestling were the common sports those days.

Many of today’s disciplines being played at Olympics or for that matter in the field of sports are said to be the modern, sophisticated and improvised versions of the games of the strength and speed which were played in the ancient times in India and Greece. There are some games which are considered to have originated in India such as Chess, wrestling, Polo, archery and Hockey.

 It is observed that physical perfection was an integral part of Sanatan dharma or Hinduism. Dehveda or realizing one’s self is considered as the ancient way of obtaining salvation gained through physical perfection. It was called as Kaya Sadhna in the ancient India. This Sadhna required one to understand completely what body is and how it functions. Yoga of modern age is a perfect example as it enhanced stamina, strength and supreme control over the body functions. Ashtang Yoga has eight limbs namely Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayam, Pratyachaar, Dharna, Dhyan and Samadhi. This eight fold method includes the techniques which are associated with control over breathing commonly called as Pranayam, body postures or the asana and withdrawing of senses or Pratyhara. It was yoga only that helped the rishis to stay on the snowy mountains without clothes.

 The mention of malla yuda in the Mahabharata clearly indicates that wrestling was a very common game in the ancient India. Every common man along with Kings and princes used to practice the same. Archery was another sport loved in the ancient times. Chess though was played in the form of gamble but was very popular among common masses and the Royal houses. Horse riding was expected to be the most common art a male should learn in the ancient India.

The physical, religious and racial variety of India is as immense as its linguistic diversity. Underneath this diversity lies the continuity of Indian civilization and social structure. To preserve this cultural treasure, the government of Delhi set up a cultural wing in 1968 for music, dance, drama and fine arts called Sahitya Kala Parishad, which has been pursuing multifarious activities in order to enrich the cultural ethos of the Capital and inculcate an artistic awareness amongst people of Delhi through its various schemes and programmes. To promote, propagate and encourage literature of languages like Urdu, Sanskrit, Sindhi and Punjabi, the Sahitya Kala Parishad established various new language academies.

PUNJABI ACADEMY:  The Punjabi academy was established by the Delhi administration as an autonomous organization in the year 1981-82 for propagation, promotion and development of Punjabi language, literature and culture as an integral part of composite culture of Union Territory of Delhi. Ever since its inception the Academy has been playing a catalytic role in the proliferation of the Punjabi literary and cultural activities in the sphere of music, folk dances, seminars, symposia, short story, poetry, novel, literary criticism, drama etc.

SANSKRIT ACADEMY: The Central and the State governments have been increasingly making endeavours for the preservation and propagation of Sanskrit language which is a symbol of national integration and linguistic unity. With this aim in view, Sanskrit Academies are functioning in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and several others states. The Delhi Sanskrit Academy was set up in the year 1987, in the capital territory of Delhi.

SINDHI ACADEMY: The Sindhi Academy was established by the Delhi administration (now Government of NcT of Delhi) as an autonomous organization in 1994 for the promotion and development of Sindhi language, literature and culture. It has been playing a catalytic role in the proliferation of the Sindhi literary and cultural activities in the sphere of music, folk dances, seminars, etc.

URDU ACADEMY: Urdu Academy is engaged in the promotion, propagation and development of Urdu language and literature in Delhi. With a view to promote Urdu lingual culture and encourage exchange of ideas and experiences, it organizes seminars, mushaira, cultural programmes, etc, at various occasions. It provides financial assistance to publish creative writing for the needy Urdu writers. The Academy was established by the Delhi Administration in1981.

MAITHILI-BHOJPURI ACADEMY:  The Delhi Government has constituted a Maithili-Bhojpuri Academy by nominating the eminent persons as members. There will also be three ex-officio members. The tenure of the members of the governing body of the Maithili-Bhojpuri Academy, which got the nod of the Delhi Cabinet on January 7 this year, will be two years except for the ex-officio members.

Delhi is a city of dreams and splendid historical monuments where each crumbling wall has a tale to tell. Rulers have come and gone leaving behind a reflection of the past. Delhi is just not a city but it is a book-a book which narrates the history of India.

The complexities, the contradictions, the beauty and the dynamism of this city where the past coexists with the present, bear testimony to the fact that many dynasties ruled from here and contributed to its diverse cultural elements that are now absorbed into the daily life of the city enriching its character.

Exploring the various facets of the city can be a fascinating and rewarding experience. The charm that attracted emperors, conquerors and poor equally is still inherent despite Delhi now being cosmopolitan society. With the passing, the city has upgraded itself to global standards, providing perfect blend of both ancient and modern times.

Monuments of a place surely eulogize about the past grandeur. Delhi is an ancient land where the culture rose to soaring pinnacles long before modern civilization made its way into everyone’s heart. Delhi is home to multifarious cultural and heritage sites that are splendid in terms of their architectural value. Many of them have existed since the days of the Mughals and continue to radiate that same old charm that refuses to wither away.

Among the city’s prominent monuments is the Red Fort’s massive curtain wall and battlements, which dominate the skyline of old Delhi. Inside the fort-built by emperor Shah lahan-are a range of exquisite 17th century Mughal buildings. The flawless balance and proportion of these buildings, as the intricate decoration, is wonderful to behold and in complete contrast to the military might of the fort itself.

Also built by the Mughal emperor Shahjahan, the Jama Masjid is the largest mosque in India and situated opposite to the Red Fort. The mosque was built in 1656 AD; about 5,000 labourers and craftsmen toiled for six years to complete the beautiful monument.

In central Delhi, Humayun’s Tomb ‘was built by Mughal emperor Humayun’s widowed Queen Haji Begum in the 16th century. Set in a square enclosed garden, the finely proportioned structure in red sandstone and marble served later as a model for the Taj Mahal, which shows the Mughal architecture at its best.

The Qutub Minar in southern part of the city is a huge tower, was built to commemorate the Muslim conquest of Delhi, Standing 238ft (72.5m) tall, it is built of fluted red sandstone and decorated with calligraphy representing verses from the Koran.

SPEAKING STONES:  In the center of Delhi stands the India Gate, a majestic high arch, 138ft (42m) high, built as a memorial to the Indian soldiers killed in World War I. Beneath it burns an eternal flame.

Nearby stands the Jantar Mantar, an astronomical observatory with masonry instruments, built in 1724 by Jai Singh, the mathematician and astronomer king of India.

Delhi possesses a rich and varied cultural heritage spreading over millennia of history. The government of Delhi is presently undertaking several measures to protect these historic monuments, recently making the decision to restore 100 heritage structures in the city. The drive is part of the effort to showcase the Indian capital for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

NA HI KASCHIT KSHANAMAPI JAATU TISHTHATYAKARMAKRIT;
KAARYATE HYAVASAH KARMA SARVAH PRAKRITIJAIR GUNIAH.
(no one can stay without action even for a single moment.
 The Gunas born of Prakriti impel a person to be constantly engaged knowing or without.)

How can life be without karma (action and its ensuing fruits)? An easy breath and a moment of respite can’t come without hard work and sweat. All are compelled to perform karma by the gunas generated, and thus rest in prakriti.

The Gita’s central philosophy resonates at many places with the samkhya, which in its initial stages was very assertive about the fundamental dichotomy between purusha consciousness, which is pure, undaunted and supra personal and the immovable matter called prakriti.

All the three Gunas-satwa, tamas and rajas are present in prakriti only, purusha is the pure observer. This is the reason why Sri Krishna explains that he is beyond the three gunas. Somewhere else he points out that all movements within maya-the cosmic veil of ignorance-are the interplay between these gunas. When an individual is laying sloth or in procrastination, he befools himself by thinking that he is in inaction because even breathing is an action. Not doing anything is also doing something.

According to Bhagavad Gita, action is of three kinds-karma, akarma and vikarma. Karma is the right action, which gradually gets us riddance of the bondage of the three gunas. Akarma is apparent inaction-we think that we are not doing anything but in reality we fall short of doing that what is required. The case is similar to that of Arjuna’s when he is contemplating whether to fight or not.

Vikarma is the opposite-action done against what is required. In the immediate preceding s/oka Sri Krishna says inaction (not even wrong action) leads us nowhere. It does not ensure our liberation from the effects of our karma and the tyranny of the gunas. The gunas are bigger than our individual ego;  therefore, they make us dance on their tunes and get us enmeshed even more. But if we resolve to take the right steps following our conscience and the path of duty then, they yield our inner worlds to us, fathoming which we come to the shores of pure consciousness and reach our true nature where we can see the gunas work from outside-playing and dancing.

Man means to discern- to take a course. And when there is a  course, there is a path: a sequence and finally a vehicle. Mantra means thought, the Anahat sabda. The one that invokes a positive state of ind in the other. And when it is adjoined with the suffice Ach, it becomes mantrah, the vehicle which takes  sound ( undivided sound that is ) to higher and deeper realms where matter is yet to settle down in a manifested form and where energy is a sheer possibility, where it has not restricted itself to fall into any warp created by gravity, time and space.

According to Shastras, there are four levels of communication: Vaikhari, Madhyama, Pashyati, Para and their corresponding state of consciousness. One simple interpretation can be that when concentration is in these stages, our perception and interactions also vary accordingly. So when we are in Vaikhar, we depend upon the sound generated in our vocal chord and observed by the ear to receive or convey information.

What is the aim and purpose of life for human beings? To fulfill our duties that come ahead irrespective of whether we like them or not-steadfast on the path of truth-never to lose sight of our real aim and celebrate every moment of our living with those who really matter.

Life is a celebration but it is a beginning as well. Human birth is a coveted happening even amongst the gods-that is what our eternal scriptures claim. Why? Because here we feel the real pull between what ought to be done (howsoever difficult or agonizing it might appear in the beginning) and whatever comes easy.

Beguiled in clutches of lust and anger, those who delve in occupations creating illusions through elusive means, themselves get enslaved by greed and avarice and are discarded by the gods. Today, we see a lot of such delusions and illusions being created in the name of truth through communication, sermons, public service and so on. But truth never withers away. This realization is the purpose of our existence in this realm-that truth and its path is eternal-and it is difficult. That is why, we are put on this test-sometimes we pass and many a times we fail.

But in these times with all the illusions and delusions around, it is getting harder by every passing moment to keep ourselves, especially the young soul, joining existence, on the right track. Eternal Solutions came into existence on the values and ethos that were built through ages with the experiences of our rishis, in direct contact with the wiser and more responsible forces of nature and in control of orchestrating life on earth. That is why we find echoes of such holistic methods of blissful living even in other civilizations, right from the Egyptian, Babylonian, Chinese, lncan and Mayan civilizations to numerous others. The rise and fall of civilizations right from Ravan’s Lanka and Hastinapur to Ceasar’s Rome prove only one point-that eternal values of right living are really timeless. They need to be translated in the contemporary method and process of communication and rationale. This is the motto of Eternal Solutions.

But truth conveyed is truth half implemented. It needs to be upholded with purushartha. Hence, truth has dual responsibility-to be reminded the right way, and to be upholded and implemented. Just like the sun that dispels darkness by its radiance, the Nrup protects the humans, King or governing authority, uproots all adharma from the earth. And how would the king do it? By following the path shown by his guru-Brahman and his inner conscience which is expected to be connected with the eternal life force-again Brahman. And who is a Brahman?

Brahman is one who is established in eternal truth, who is in the giving mode (accepting less than giving), has capability, profoundness of heart, self control and empathy (feel ing others’ pain or helplessness). If these qualities are within a lowly born then such a one is not Shudra and if these qualities are not within a one born to a Brahman then such a one is not a Brahman.

And there are opinions that our Sanatana culture is casteist!