2. SWAMI ASEEMANANDA NEVER HELD ANY POST IN RSS: IN a statement issued from Bengaluru on January 8, RSS Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh Dr Manmohan Vaidya said the reports, published in the media on January 8 about the confessional statement by Swami Aseemananda, mentioned him as a leader of RSS which is not only incorrect but also misleading and mischievous. He said Swami Aseemananda has never held any post at any level in the RSS. The said statement by Aseemananda is full of contradictions which will be contested in the court of law. However the manner in which some of the information was selectively leaked to the media confirms the suspicion about the intentions of the investigating agencies and their masters. It is becoming clearer that their objective is to malign the image of some individuals and organisations and we condemn their designs. RSS has repeatedly made it clear that it neither believes in nor supports any activity involving violence or terror. RSS has always been cooperating with honest investigation conducted with due legal procedure,” the statement said.
In a similar gesture, RSS National Executive Member Shri Indresh Kumar served a legal notice to CBI accusing it for “deliberately leaking” the so-called confession of Swami Aseemananda to media to jeopardize his reputation.
3. SELECTIVE LEAKS TO DEFAME US: Indresh Kumar to Vikas Pathak of Hindustan Times: In a conversation with HT, RSS functionary Indresh Kumar — whose name has been doing the rounds in relation to terror strikes — demanded that the ongoing probe be made public in view of "selective leaks". Excerpts: Aseemanand’s confession says that you provided money for terror strikes. What is your response?
In the last three years or so, the government and investigation agencies first gave the confession of Safdar Nagori. Narco-test was also done. Many Muslims were put in jail on this basis. Why is that after three years investigation is taking place outside that probe now? Was the government fooling people? This is an anti-national act and this government should be booked for sedition. The government gave names to Pakistan. These names and proofs should be made public. Selective leaks are being made to defame nationalist organizations without verification and this is a crime against democracy.
If you object to the probe, is there another way out? If government has the courage, they should make the probe public. Rahul Gandhi’s conversation with Timothy Roemer should also be included in it. Digvijaya Singh’s connections with the probe officials should also be included.
Have you met Sunil Joshi and Aseemanand? If so, how many times? Thousands and lakhs of people meet me. They too met me in programmes. But to say that I mentored them is wrong. I am not responsible for what people meeting me do. Meeting is neither a confession nor a charge.
There is a demand that the Joshi murder case be shifted to NIA. What’s your take? NIA is the probe agency in the Samjhauta case and two sets of confessions have come. How can we say they are impartial? They have by their actions raised a question mark on their own sincerity.
The families of Muslim youth in jail have demanded that they be released because new evidence has come out. What do you say? Government first troubled Muslims, now it is doing the same to Hindus. May be both are innocent. The government has shown double standards on the probe. Is it not committing a fraud and dividing the country, which is dangerous?
Why is your name repeatedly coming out? I have worked for Hindu-Muslim harmony. Can you name one Congressman who is doing so. I learn from media reports this is a reason to frame me.
4. 5TH LAKSHMANRAO BHIDE MEMORIAL lecture was delivered by Seshadri Chari, Joint Director Institute of National Strategic Studies on the topic ‘Dharma for fostering Global Pluralism’ on 7th Jan at Vidyanagari, Kalina – Mumbai. The well attended function was presided over by Ramesh Sheth – President Shram Sewa Nyas and Smt. Kirtida Bhat VP (retd) Chase Manhattan Bank was the Chief Guest. Two books namely, Secrets of RSS – Ratan Sharda & The saga of Hindu Migration – Ramesh Subramanian were launched at the function.
5. NEW DEOBAND CHIEF LAUDS MODI'S GUJARAT: The new Darul Uloom vice-chancellor, Maulana Ghulam Mohammed Vastanvi, has said "all communities" are prospering in Narendra Modi's Gujarat and there was "no discrimination against the minorities in the state as far as development was concerned."
This is arguably the most significant endorsement of Modi. Darul Uloom, based in Deoband in Uttar Pradesh, is a leading Islamic seminary in Bharat. .
Vastanvi, himself a Gujarati from Surat, is an MBA graduate and has been instrumental in introducing modern subjects in institutions run by Darul Uloom in Gujarat and Maharashtra, including medicine, engineering and allied subjects.
Asked about the riots, Vastanvi didn't give Modi a clean chit, but stressed that it was now time to move on. "The issue is almost eight years old now and we should move forward," Vastanvi said. "Rioting anywhere — in Gujarat or in any other part of the world — is bad for humanity and it should never happen. Gujarat riots were a blemish for Bharat and all culprits should be punished."
Vastanvi said "there are not as many problems in Gujarat as has been projected." Asked about justice for the Gujarat riot victims, he said the riots had worsened "because the police did not act due to political pressure during those days".
6. FIRST WORLD SAMSKRIT BOOK FAIR: The world’s ever first of its kind, World Samskrit Book Fair held at Bangalore from January 7 to 10, has been huge success in terms of both- to imbue spirit of Samskrit enthusiasm at all levels and the number of books sold, along with a massive presence of Samskrit well wishers in this 4-day historic event. Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa inaugurated this mammoth event organised by Samskrit Organizations led by Samskrita Bharathi. Scholars from about 14 Samskrit universities, 5 Samskrit Academies, 18 Oriental Research Institutes, National Manuscript Mission, Samskrita Bharati, International Institute of Samskrit Studies, Paris, various NGOs, scholars and lovers of Samskrit from all parts of Bharat participated in this conference.
Inaugurating the Book Fair and the associated Rashtreya Samkrit Sammelan CM Yeddyurappa said that “Samskrit is a rich language with a great Heritage. If we lose Samskrit, we are losing nothing other than our culture and tradition. Sanskrit represented the deep-rooted wisdom and knowledge of Bharatiya culture. The Karnataka government supported the language for the last two years and promoted Sanskrit in the majority of universities” ‘The already established Samskrit University will be strengthened with more facilities’, he added.
For having made Samskrit as Second official language of Uttarakhand, Ramesh Pokhriyal, the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand was honoured during the occasion. Former Chief Justice of Bharat Justice MN Venkatachalaiah presided over the inaugural event.
Anil Kumble, former Bharatiya cricket captain inaugurated the Jnanaganga — an exhibition showcasing the knowledge heritage of Bharat. Samskruta Gramaha, a model of the working Sanskrit village was inaugurated by Vishwshwara Hegade Kageri, Education Minister of Karnataka. In the valedictory event, Dinesh Kamath, the national organising secretary of Samskrit Bharati stressed the need for promoting awareness in the society about Samskrit learning and speaking.
Former Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswamy, Union Minister for State in Human Resources and Development Dr Purandareshwari, noted Kannada scholar G Venkatasubbaiah, Justice Rama Jois, Justice R C Lahoti, Dr. Dayanand Pai Industrialist, Dr. M M Alex, Director IAITR, Chennai, along with RSS Sahasarakaryavah Suresh Soni, Dattatreya Hosabale, RSS veterans like K Sooryanarayana Rao, Dr Manmohan Vaidya, MC Jaidev, Samskruta Bharati National Organising Secretary Dinesh Kamath and several others were present during the event.
7. INTELLECTUALS’ RALLY: Forum for Justice and Human Rights staged a peaceful demonstration at Jantar Mantar, Delhi on January 17, 2011 to protest against the blatant misuse of investigation agencies by the Central governments for political ends.
Convener of the Forum Prof. Rakesh Sinha alleged that the Central government is using investigation agencies viz. National Investigation Agency (NIA), CBI and ATS as the political tools of the ruling party. Whatever investigations are being carried out by these agencies about terrorism, are being leaked selectively to the media for media trial. Even the alleged confessional statements of the accused under Sec. 164 which are legally the property of the courts, are being leaked to selected media. This clearly shows that the intention of the government is not to abide by the legal norms but to discredit the innocent individuals and nationalist organizations for their political ends.
The Forum demanded that action should be taken against persons responsible for this selective leakage of alleged confessional statements to the media. Air Marshal R.C. Vajpayi, Dr. Ashwani Mahajan, CA Rajesh Sharma, CA Gopal K. Agrawal, Md. Kasmi, Mufti Sahab Abdul Sami, Jyotika Kalra, Sant Hardayal Singh joined the demonstration with large number of intelligentsia, educationists, journalists and retired bureaucrats.
8. APPEAL FOR SEWA INTERNATIONAL: Sewa International has applied for a grant from PepsiCo for its Bhutanese Refugee Empowerment Project and seeks help to win this grant. The highest Top 10 voted proposals will win the grant. Please see the information below about voting and help SI promote the project by status update at http://www.refresheverything.com/sewausabre
You can also vote for an ICCS project at
http://www.refresheverything.com/iccsus
Everyone can vote both the below links upto 3 times by using the link, kindly do it with all you friends and family till Jan 31st .
9. BUSINESS-FRIENDLY GUJARAT NOW GETS MORE VIBRANT: More than 12 Bharatiya states including Congress-ruled States like Andhra Pradesh and Assam, CPI (M)-governed Tripura as well as BJD-ruled Odisha participated in the fifth edition of Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors’ Summit (VGGIS), which began in Gandhinagar on January 13, 2011 in search of investments for themselves. “We have moved out of the traditional approach of piecemeal actions and knee-jerk reactions. We now look at fundamental changes and aim at qualitative and quantitative leap,” Modi told corporate leaders and other investors attending the summit. More than 350 MoUs, including 161 in knowledge sector and 111 in infrastructure sector, worth $50 billion were signed during the seminars that preceded the business meet.
Corporate leaders like Ratan Tata, Mukesh Ambani, his younger brother Anil Ambani, Anand Mahindra, Gautam Adani, Adi Godrej, Prashant Ruia and many other foreign delegates were all praise for Modi for his effective leadership and good governance.
10. FOR THIS BRIT, SANSKRIT IS LIKE HIS MOTHER TONGUE: For Michael Williams (25), from Manchester, UK, Sanskrit is like his own language. He speaks fluent Sanskrit, like any child born in Mattur, the village renowned for the revival of the language. Michael, who took part at the World Sanskrit Book festival, looked a little out of place in the Bharatiya milieu. ''Yes, I speak Sanskrit, I love this culture,'' he said. He was the only student of Oxford University to have taken up a course on Bharatiya languages and religion in 2006. He went on to do MPhil in classical Bharatiya religion.
He teaches Sanskrit at Manchester University. His dream is to become an 'Upadhyaya' in a 'vishwavidyalaya' (university)! This is his third trip to Bharat. On his previous visits, he was busy looking for manuscripts while working on a ''critical edition on Krishna devotion.'' Michael has also learnt to speak Tamil, Kannada and Hindi.
11. GLORIA ARIEIRA, A BRAZILIAN and an authority in Sanskrit has translated the Bhagawad Gita and parts of the Vedas to Portuguese. So, if you are seeking spirituality in the holiday resort of Copacabana, Rio, then you will find it at Vidya Mandir, a school of Vedanta studies founded and run by Gloria. Gloria, who is visiting Kalady, with a group of 28 students, has been to Kerala before. A disciple of Swami Chinmayananda and of Swami Dayananda, Gloria's entry into the world of spirituality was after she heard Swami Chinmayananda's talk on Vedanta in Rio. That was in 1973. Gloria felt that her search for the greater meaning to life was answered. Dissatisfied with her search in other philosophies, she was drawn towards Vedic ways. Gloria learnt Sanskrit because it was the only way she could reach the depths of knowledge that she was seeking. The Bhagvad Gita and the Upanishads had to be read in the language they were written in. Gloria dresses like a Bharatiya. Gloria, 57, is married and has three children, a lawyer, an engineer and one studying social sciences. Her husband is a yoga teacher. Does her family practise her way of life? She says that there is no compulsion to change. "The Vedic dharma does not ask for conversion. But the understanding of the Vedas changes life completely." Her children are proud of her work and value the Vedic tradition. Based on a report by Smt Priyadershin S in THE HINDU (Kochi), September 8, 2010.
12. CHRISTIAN CHURCH BECOMES GANESHA HINDU TEMPLE IN SCOTLAND: Before the Temple organizers purchased it, Wardlawhill Church was affiliated to Church of Scotland, the majority church in Scotland. It was then renovated and refurbished into the Sri Sundara Ganapathy Hindu temple. On the opening day, following the milk abhishegam ritual for Lord Ganapathy, the Deity was carried on a decorated palanquin in a procession from the City Centre to the Temple hall through the Main Street with a police escort. A Hindu priest from London conducted the opening ceremony. Two area councilors, the Consulate General of Bharat, and many others attended the inaugural ceremony. The Ganapathy Temple, whose aim is to "promote the ideals of Hinduism" and which is part of the South Indian Cultural Centre, plans to serve the religious, spiritual, cultural and social needs of the community.
13. EYE ON CHINA, ARMY FOCUSES ON MOUNTAIN WARFARE: After concentrating for long on taking the war to the enemy in the plains, basically a Pakistan-centric policy, the Army is now also steadily building its capabilities for offensive mountain warfare with China on mind. This comes at a time when the Army's new doctrine and "proactive strategy", which also factor in the worst-case scenario of grappling with both China and Pakistan simultaneously in a two-front war, are now ready and the 1.13-million force is poised for a comprehensive transformation into a lean, mean fighting machine.
"As of today, we are capable of meeting any threat on our borders, whether it is simultaneous, single or double...We are also restructuring to ensure offensive capabilities in the mountains as well," said General V K Singh on January 14, 2011, a day ahead of the Army Day.
14. BHARATIYA ECONOMY WILL GROW FASTER THAN CHINESE IN 2012: For years, Bharat has been the second-fastest growing major economy in the world. That could soon change, with the Bharatiya economy set to expand at a faster pace than the Chinese economy in 2012, according to World Bank data.
This is expected to result from continued high demand in Bharat even as measures to combat overheating kick in for the Chinese economy.
The multilateral agency`s World Economic Outlook has projected that Bharat will grow at 8.7% in 2012, compared to China`s 8.4%. In 2011, however, China would continue to grow at a faster pace than Bharat.
Although no reasons were mentioned in the report released on January 13, 2011, the slowdown in China could be the result of an increase in interest rates as inflation has emerged a major concern across the border too, economists said. In case of Bharat, the economy has benefited from robust domestic demand and a revival in investor and consumer sentiment although higher interest rates are expected to shave off a few basis points from the overall growth rate.
15. PRAVASIS HONOURED: Inaugurating the valedictory function of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas on January 9, Rashtrapati Smt Pratibha Patil called upon Bharatiya Diaspora to participate in building a better future of Bharat for the disadvantaged sections of society. She urged the overseas Bharatiyas to contribute their services in health and education sectors, in efforts to make Bharat slum-free, as well as in the participation in infrastructure development projects. 15 eminent overseas Bharatiyas – activist Lata Pada, who fought for justice for victims of Air India’s Kanishka disaster; Rajiv Seth, chief of the USAID and key member in US President Obama’s team; Governor General of New Zealand Sir Anand Satyanand; Professor Veena Harbhagwan Sahajwalla (Australia); Harindrapal Singh Banga (Hong Kong); Mohammad Munir Nazir Hassan Ansari(Israel); Upjit Singh Sachdeva(Liberia); Tan Sri Dato Ajit Singh(Malaysia); Saleh Wahid (Netherlands); Indian Community Benevolent Forum of Qatar; Mohiaddin Syed Karimuddin of Saudi Arabia; Mano Selvanathan (Sri Lanka); Mohan Jashanmal (UAE); Baroness Sandip Verma (UK) and Ashook Kumar Ramsaran(USA) – were honoured with Pravasi Bharatiya Samman on the occasion. In the Chief Ministers’ interaction with overseas Bharatiyas, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi said that Gujarat had brought a paradigm shift in the strategy for inclusive growth and during last whole decade.
16. 250 YEARS AFTER DEFEAT AT PANIPAT, MARATHAS REMEMBER MARTYRS: Although Marathas had a terrible defeat at Panipat in 1761 at the hands of the Afghan marauder, Ahmad Shah Abdali - despite losing that battle and in the process, losing all possibility of becoming masters of Delhi and Bharat — the Marathas never lost their pride. It was this unsinkable spirit that was visible on January 14 when Marathas from across Bharat gathered at Panipat, 250 years later, to remember their heroes.
Admitting that the defeat still hurts, BJP leader Gopinath Munde- the chief guest at the function- said, "We should leave the feeling of bitterness behind and not make such comments (Iska Panipat...) anymore." Munde added, amid applause, "It's a painful truth that we suffered heavy casualties in the battle here 250 years ago. But we should remember this day for the bravery of our ancestors who never accepted defeat. They continued the struggle to save their pride against invaders."
Kala Amb, the site of the third battle, has no detail of the event, the names of the martyrs, or tales of their bravery. The Marathas would like a memorial at Kala Amb in memory of heroes who could have changed the course of Bharat's history but for a tactical mistake.
"We would like our future generations to learn about the tales of bravery and sacrifices of their ancestors, Munde said.
17. KABADDI IN US CLASSROOM: Ajay Kumar Nair, who teaches English language and literature, has come to Johnsburg, a town with a population of 2,450 in the mountains of the Adirondacks, Houston on a six-month long Fullbright Teacher Exchange grant programme.
In his class, the students, a mix of sophomores, juniors and seniors at Johnsburg Central School, remove their shoes, watch their instructor and try to grab the rules of kabaddi, a popular team sport in Bharat. Students were advised to play barefoot to gain better traction on the gym foot.
18. BUILDING BRIDGES BETWEEN WORLD CULTURES: When leaders of the Hindu and Jewish communities came together past weekend at the India House, it turned out to be more than just an afternoon of revelry in celebration of two world cultures.
Hosted jointly by the Hindus of Greater Houston (HGH) and BridgeHouston (BH) the 1st Annual Hindu-Jewish Solidarity Day held on January 9, 2011, with a limited guest list of only 100 vetted invitees, brought together prolific leaders, rabbis, monks, and activists from several influential synagogues, temples, and organizations in Houston.
The program began with invocations in Sanskrit and Hebrew by Swami Nikhilananda of Barsana Dham in Austin, and Rabbi Steven Morgen of the Congregation Beth Yeshurun. Ira Bleiweiss, founder of BH, lauded HGH's Ravi Raghavan for being "the driving force" in facilitating the occasion. "For over 2000 years Jewish people have lived in Bharat and have never been persecuted by the Hindus. This forum will give us a better understanding of Hinduism and hopefully will be the start of something bigger and better and set an example for the rest of the nation” said Bleiweiss. He added that BH and HGH are planning a joint public event later in the year in celebration of Hannukah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, and Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights.
There were programs based on classical dances by artistes from the Nrityasri School of Dance and an impromptu Jewish dance.
Speaking on Hinduism, Swami Nikhilananda told "God is absolute, He is one Supreme Being, formless, yet can have a form. He is omnipresent,"
Ravi Raghavan worked with the HGH team Girish Naik, Dharminder Dargan, and Vijay Pallod to put together the event.
19. FLOOD RELIEF IN SRI LANKA: Sewa International Foundation, Sri Lanka is providing milk powder packets for children of Flood affected areas of Eastern province of Srilanka. Ampara, Batticaloa and Trincomalee Districts are mostly affected specially Batticaloa district. SIF has provided milk powder packets for children of malwattai, malligaithivu and weeramunai in Ampara district. Swayamsevaks are working at Thirukkovil and Tambiluvil areas.
20. GRAND BEGINNING OF HEALTH FOR HUMANITY YOGATHON 2011: Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS), USA volunteers and fitness enthusiasts from all across the nation began the fifth year of annual Yogathon or "Surya Namaskar Yajna (SNY)" by offering 51,056 Surya Namaskar in 89 cities across 26 states. In a nationwide wave or lehar, 1239 participants performed 50 sets of Surya Namaskar (13 Surya Namaskars per set) starting from the East coast and ending in the West coast between 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM. This 15 day Yogathon that began on January 15, 2011 will continue till January 30, 2011. All participants and beneficiaries of this unique event will continue practice sun salutation yoga individually at home or collectively at community centers or other public gathering places all across the United States.
Last year, close to 9,000 people from 40 states participated in this unique yogathon performing nearly one million Surya Namaskar. A number of schools, universities (students), yoga clubs, community leaders and many volunteers expressed their willingness to participate in this Yogathon which is open to people of all ages, gender, and races. Details of this event are available on www.hssus.org/sny.
21. IMPRESSIONS OF A SHIVIRARTHI: I had no idea about Vishwa Sangha Shivir. Subhash Rawal- Nairobi had introduced me to shakha. Since my sudden arrival in the UK in 1971, this activity ceased. However, I maintained some relationship with Subhash and his family. Sometime back, his brother Nalin Rawal mentioned that he will be attending the Shivir and I agreed to visit it too, but only for a day. What I saw and experienced on the first day, prompted me to stay for the full period.
The Shivir was more than I expected and I felt I belonged there as everyone was kind and friendly to me. Moreover, the Hinduness in me, which never ever left, returned with vengeance.
The Shivir gave me a huge opportunity of meeting many of learned people and enjoyed chatting & discussing (both hard & soft topics) with many. Two of my best events of the Shivir were the drama of Chatrapati Shivaji’s coronation and the speech of Sarasanghachalak Bhagvatji at Samarop on January 2. – Navtam Gosai, - Bulgaria.
22. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Dr.Shankar Tatwawadi, samyojak Vishwa Vibhag will leave for UK on Jan 21st. Most of delegates for VSS 2010 will leave for their destinations by Jan 31st.Visitors: Ma. Ghanashyam Gupta & others - Myanmar, Purnandan Barclay & team – Guyana, Shivprasad – Trinidad, Shri Ramyavaran Ramaswamy & family – Australia, VSS delegates from South Africa & Sri Lanka, Shri Dineshmani Dubey – Thailand..
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Seekers of Truth, aspirants on the path of Yoga, devotees of God, lovers of Mankind, all these have to pay tribute to the Supreme Father of the energy vital, which is Surya. If you have any visible God, it is the Sun before you. – Swami Krishnananda
JAI SHREE RAM
TURN OFF THE SPOTLIGHT PLEASE, I’M JUST A SCIENTIST
The 2009 Nobel Prize for Chemistry may have turned him into a celebrity in Bharat, but Venkatraman Ramakrishnan remains interested only in pure science rather than the sub-atomic particles of skittish fame in the 21st century. The microbiologist, who loves Carnatic music, insists young people must be entranced by science for the sake of science, rather than the febrile glitter of the Nobel Prize. Born in Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu, Ramakrishnan's parents were scientists. In a January 2010 lecture at the Indian Institute of Science, he revealed that he had tried – and failed - to enter the Indian Institute of Technology and the Christian Medical College, Vellore. In Chennai to attend last week's Indian Science Congress, the scientist from Cambridge University in the UK told Pushpa Narayan that science does not need the celebrity factor to shine. Excerpts: You've been sounding exasperated about the reception you got at the Indian Science Congress . Why? During my lecture at the Indian Science Congress , I spoke about several things. I did not see any of those comments reported in the media. Instead, what was reported was what I told students after the session. Students wanted to take pictures with me and get autographs. I told them I was not a film star. Being attracted to a scientist is the wrong way to be attracted to science . Almost all papers published it. My lecture was ignored. But you knew that Bharatiyas would continue to regard you as a celebrity. Why then did you agree to attend this event? I love Bharat. Media and mobbing can't stop me from coming here. But if this bothers me, I would ensure I keep my visits secret. The last time I came to the Indian Institute of Science, no one knew about it. It was a scientific meeting. There were no formalities. The director introduced me for just two minutes, and I went on to deliver my lecture. I think this is the best way to hold scientific sessions. No glitter, no glamour. You have been getting this attention ever since you were awarded the Nobel. Only a very few people attended your lectures (in Bharat) before then. Do you think Bharatiyas appreciate science for what it is? Or are they shallow in believing that a western prize makes someone, somehow better? Bharatiya scientists have known me for many years now. They have always respected me. I have been speaking about my work on ribosomes (for which he won the Nobel) since early 2000. I have been a foreign member of the Indian National Science Congress since 2008. But for others who never knew me, I am suddenly a celebrity after the Nobel. What I am trying to explain is that there was a good chance I would not have got the Nobel. There are many scientists doing great work. Not all of them win the Nobel. I have to say, I was fabulously lucky to be where I am today. It's a mistake to judge science by Nobel prizes. Students should take up science for the love of the subject. Is it not an irony that you, a graduate student of physics who switched to postgraduate biology, won the Nobel for chemistry? No. If you look at the list of Nobel laureates in chemistry, you will see that many are graduates in physics. Science has no watertight compartments. In fact, I can't claim to be an expert microbiologist. . You have said that science should not recognize and does not have national borders. Are you an idealist? Are you a dreamer a la John Lennon whose famous anthem for peace talked about a world without borders? Yes. I am a dreamer. I guess you have to be one to be a scientist. What do you think are the prospects for science and scientists like you in Bharat? Do you think scientists can flourish in a Bharatiya environment ? Could you? Would you? Science in Bharat is now in a transition stage. Earlier, scientists had to wait for a long time to be funded for research. Now, funding for science has improved a lot in Bharat. There are now many excellent labs in my field in various parts of Bharat. Today, there are many institutions of excellence, such as the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune. They look very promising. But it will take at least a decade for them to succeed in their endeavours.BRAHMA VISHNU IN GRAND CANYON
The western edge of the United States is a 2,000 miles long mountainous desert. In this, there is a mighty Colorado river which has cut a fantastic rock valley 356 miles long, about 10 miles wide and over one mile deep. It is not the deepest canyon in the world (Kali Gandaki Gorge in Nepal is far deeper), nor the widest (Capertee Valley in Australia is about 0.6 mi/1 km wider and longer than Grand Canyon); however, the Grand Canyon is known for its visually overwhelming size and its intricate and colorful landscape. Geologically it is significant because of the thick sequence of ancient rocks that are beautifully preserved and exposed in the walls of the canyon. These rock layers record much of the early geologic history of the North American continent. The bottom of the rocks is estimated to be 1,500 million years old. The bottom is named Vishnu basement. The other layers are Brahma layer, the next is Rama Layer, then Vishnu Layer, and then Shiva Layer. There are lots of mountain tops which have been named by American & International Geologists as follows as per the official guide of the Grand Canyon National Park: 1.Hindu Ampitheatre 2.Shiva temple 7570 ft 3.Brahma temple 8511ft 4.Krishna Shrine 6615ft5.Vishnu temple 7829ft 6.Rama Shrine 6611 ft 7.Buddha temple7204 ft 8.Jupiter temple 7081ft 9.Venus temple 6257ft It seems that there was enough evidence of Hindu Culture present and visible & available to the explorers of Grand Canyon that they named some of the important features of the area as per Hindu Gods. The various mounts are visible by naked eyes on the hills, and are displayed in models in the show cases in the visitor rooms. American Indians (they are not called Red Indians) have been living in and around Grand Canyon since 12,000 years. At the showcase at Yavapi exhibition room, a dried root of a Acacia tree is kept for display which was found in the valley. We have Acacia Arabica – the babool tree which gives gum and is used in Ayurvedic medicine. There are Gwar Patha plants (Aloe vera), there are Nag Phani with red flowers—similar to the plants growing on village field boundaries in Bharat. There is also mention of basil (Tulsi) in today’s use. There are few American Indian villages (called Reservations) near the top of canyon. There are village craft shops making excellent gold, silver jewellery, carpets, shoes and other handicrafts. The American Indians are fair, tall, well built and handsome. They still get medical treatment from their "Medicine Man". We have seen three CD's. In one of them some American Indian children were shown playing. A twelve year old girl was wearing a colorful Gujarati type lehnga. This visit has confirmed that Hindu worship and Hindu Gods have lived in Grand Canyon since ages. About forty lakh tourists visit Grand Canyon every year. There are a number of hotels at the site.
Grand Canyon was explored in September 1540 by a small group of Spanish soldiers Pablo de Melgrossa, Juan Galeras, and a third soldier along with Hopi guides under Captain Garcia Lopez de Cardenas. In 1869, Major John Wesley Powell led the first expedition down the Grand Canyon. He set out to explore the Colorado River and the Grand Canyon. Gathering nine men, four boats and food for 10 months, he set out from Green River, Wyoming on May 24. Passing through dangerous rapids, the group passed down the Green River to its confluence with the Colorado River, near present-day Moab, Utah and completed the journey with many hardships through the Grand Canyon on August 13, 1869. Grand Canyon Railway was introduced in 1901. President Roosevelt declared it a national monument in 1908. It became a national park in 1919. The place is well-connected by beautiful well surfaced, well marked roads to Arizona and California with hotels at small wayside habitations. One must spend at least two or three days to see everything, that too in summer. – Om Mathur(83), Architect and Cityplanner, presently on visit to his son in Sunnyvale, California.
