\SAMVAD  श्री विश्व निकेतन SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN

Ashwin Krishna 2, Vik. Samvat 2076 Yugabda 5121: 16 September 2019


1. FESTIVALS: PAPANKUSHA EKADASHI 2. DR. MOHAN JI BHAGWAT AT BHAGYANAGAR GANESH IMMERSION
3. KENYA RAKSHA BANDHAN UTSAV 4. SHRI KRISHNA JANMASTHAMI CELEBRATED AT TEMPLES AROUND CALIFORNIA IN USA
5. ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY APOLOGIZES FOR JALLIANWALA BAGH MASSACRE 6. HINDU MIGRANTS IN GUJARAT GET CITIZENSHIP
7. EKAL VIDYALAYA FOUNDATION RAPIDLY APPROACHING 100,000 SCHOOLS TARGET 8. SHRI HINGLAJ TEMPLE FACILITIES TO BE UPGRADED
9. PAKISTAN'S SINDH GETS FIRST HINDU WOMAN POLICE OFFICER 10. SEWA INTERNATIONAL TURNING ON THE LIGHTS FOR COLOMBIAN TRIBAL CHILDREN
11. ARYANS NEVER INVADED BHARAT, SAYEXPERTS 12. RESERVATION SHOULD CONTINUE TILL BENEFICIARIES NEED IT: DATTATREYA HOSABALE
13. OVER $100K GANDHI SCHOLARSHIPS GIVEN TO STUDENTS BY SAN DIEGO INDIAN AMERICAN SOCIETY 14. SSV 2019 - KISUMU, KENYA
15. HISTORIC SIKH ITEMS DISPLAYED AT KHALSA CARE FOUNDATION 16. HINDU MANDIR EXECUTIVE CONFERENCE OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
17. SEWA’S SUPPORT HAILED CRUCIAL IN BANNING ‘SINGLE USE’ PLASTIC BAGS AT TROY HILLS USA 18. CROSS BORDER PETROLEUM PIPELINE BETWEEN BHARAT & NEPAL
19. IN 4 YEARS, BHARAT JUMPS 18 SPOTS ON WORLD TOURISM INDEX 20. BHARAT TO OFFER 1,000 PHD FELLOWSHIPS TO ASEAN STUDENTS
21. Shri Vishwa Niketan Food For Thought

Article:

WHEN CHINA LOVED INDIA


1. FESTIVALS: PAPANKUSHA EKADASHI: Papankusha Ekadashi falls on Aashwin Shukla 11, (October 9 this year) and is dedicated to Bhagwan Padmanabha, an incarnation of Bhagwan Vishnu. On this day devotees worship Bhagwan Padmanabha with total dedication and zeal. By keeping the Papankusha
Ekadashi vrat, the observer will be bestowed with his and will enjoy all the luxuries of this world.It is also the dat when Bharat Milap – Reunion of Bhagwan Ram and Bharat after the 14 year exile in forests is celebrated. It is mainly celebrated at Varanasi and other places on the next day of alongwith Dussehra celebrations.
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2. DR. MOHAN JI BHAGWAT AT BHAGYANAGAR GANESH IMMERSION: The annual grand Ganesh immersion procession at Bhagaynagar – Hyderabad started on 12th September culminating the 10 day festivities. RSS chief Dr Mohan Bhagwat was the Chief Guest for the immersion ceremony and welcomed the procession and devotees at the historic Charminar. Hundreds of decorated Ganesh Murtis passed through the Charminar where thousands gathered to get a glimpse of the colorful procession. Dr Mohan Bhagwat in his speech, appealed to the devotees to emulate the great qualities of Sri Ganesh. “Through these Ganesh festivities, we should inculcate devotion and care towards Bharat mata. Sri Ganesh is a symbol of Shakthi, he’s the son of Shakthi, and he is also the God of Wisdom and Intelligence.” he added.
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3. KENYA RAKSHA BANDHAN UTSAV: Parklands Nagar, Nairobi celebrated the Raksha Bandhan Utsav on 25th August with a total of 56 Swayamsevaks. Kenya Sanghchalak, Navin Ji Shah tied the Rakhi to the Dhwaj. Prakash Parmar spoke about Raksha Bandhan and its importance to Swayamsevaks. Langata Nagar, Nairobi celebrated the Utsav on 25 Aug, at the Langata Campus with a total of 71 Sevikas and Swayamsevaks. Shrimati Janakiji Agastyaraju tied the Rakhi to the Dhwaj.
Alpaji Dudhiya spoke about Raksha Bandhan and its social importance. The Coast Vibhag celebrated Raksha Bandhan Utsav at Mombasa on August 31. Mitulji Gohil, said in his Bauddhik that Raksha doesn’t entail only the Sister Brother relationship, but encompasses our duties towards the Samaj and Prakruti (Nature) as a whole. After tying Rakhi to the Dhwaj, the Sevikas & Swayamsevaks tied Rakhi to each other.
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4. SHRI KRISHNA JANMASTHAMI CELEBRATED AT TEMPLES AROUND CALIFORNIA IN USA: In Norwalk, over 400 devotees, young and old, men and women celebrated Shri Krishna Janmashtami at Radha Mandir in Norwak on August 24 from early evening singing bhajans and participating in the puja. After midnight, the birth of Bhagwan Shri Krishna was celebrated with a baby in a basket. Shri Laxminarayan Mandir in the Riverside saw over 400 devotees join in the celebrations on the same evening. At Sri Siva Kameswari temple in Costa Mesa many children dressed up as Krishna and Gopikas took part in the chanting of the Vishnu Sahasranamam and enjoyed themselves thoroughly in the breaking of the dahihandi.
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5. ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY APOLOGIZES FOR JALLIANWALA BAGH MASSACRE: Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby on September 10 visited Jallianwala Bagh memorial and said that he was both "ashamed and sorry" for the crime which was committed at that site in 1919. Welby lied on the floor of the memorial after reading out a prayer to God to seek forgiveness. While paying homage, Welby said, "It is a place for sin and redemption. You have remembered what they have done and their memory will live. I am ashamed and sorry for the impact of the crime committed. As a religious leader, I mourn the tragedy in the name of the Christ", Welby said."Here I come only seeking in sorrow and repentance before the people who have suffered in the hands of British bullets. The Jallianwala Bagh massacre happened on April 13, 1919, when troops of the British Indian Army under the command of Colonel Reginald Dyer fired machine guns into a crowd of unarmed protesters and pilgrims who had gathered in Jallianwala Bagh in Punjab's Amritsar on the occasion of Baisakhi. The crowd had assembled peacefully at the venue to condemn the arrest of two national leaders - Satya Pal and Saifuddin Kitchlew -- when they were fired at indiscriminately by General Dyer and his men.
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6. HINDU MIGRANTS IN GUJARAT GET CITIZENSHIP: 46 applicants have been issued citizenship certificates by office of District Collector Ahmedabad on 26th August. Six sisters Mona, Lakita, Uljhan, Heena, Lubna & Rasna told that they are on seventh sky today. With getting Bharatiya citizenship, Heena said, “We will be able to get Bharatiya passports & will try for getting admission in good university abroad. In Pakistan, we were confined to homes & studied at home. We went to school only for exam. Here in Bharat girls have all opportunity & equality for education.” Ahmedabad district is first in issuing Bharatiya citizenship certificates to Hindu migrants in Bharat, from the date of notification by Home Ministry.
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7. EKAL VIDYALAYA FOUNDATION RAPIDLY APPROACHING 100,000 SCHOOLS TARGET: As of this moment, Ekal already has 93,000 schools in the same number of villages that are grooming 2.55 million children & youth each year for life’s major challenges. The most remarkable thing about these staggering numbers is, more than half of them are girls. ‘United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) confirmed that, defying global trend, Bharat is likely to meet 100% child enrolment and school completion target set by them, in 2030.
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8. SHRI HINGLAJ TEMPLE FACILITIES TO BE UPGRADED: Shri Hinglaj Mata temple, situated in Baluchistan province of Pakistan, is to be developed and facilities for the pilgrims will be increased. Baluchistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan met a delegation of Shri Hinglaj Mata temple to discuss the facilities available at the temple, particularly during April when thousands of pilgrims throng the revered site. The committee, led by Mukhi Shiva Ram, apprised the CM of the facilities currently available en route to and at the pilgrimage site.
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9. PAKISTAN'S SINDH GETS FIRST HINDU WOMAN POLICE OFFICER: For the first time, a Hindu girl has been inducted into Sindh Police after passing the provincial competitive examinations. Pushpa Kolhi has been posted as the Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) in the province. "Pushpa Kolhi has become the first girl from #Hindu community who has qualified provincial competitive examination through Sindh Public Service Commission and become Assistant Sub Inspector in Sindh Police."
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10. SEWA INTERNATIONAL TURNING ON THE LIGHTS FOR COLOMBIAN TRIBAL CHILDREN: Sewa International’s Colombia team distributed solar lamps and panels to two indigenous communities –hw Huitorá and Aguas Negras - in the Amazon basin in June bringing light into the homes of people and enabling children to pursue their education without hindrance. The project, funded by Sewa, was carried out with the support of the Colombian government. About 250 people (45 families) in remote areas benefited from this gift: 148 LED outdoor waterproof lamps and two solar panel lighting systems with FM radio. Four leaders of Aguas Negras traveled to Huitorá to receive the donation on behalf of their community.
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11. ARYANS NEVER INVADED BHARAT, SAYEXPERTS: An inter- continental team of genome experts and archaeologists conclusively proved beyond any doubt that there was never any Aryan invasion on the subcontinent from across the border.The scientists were drawn from Deccan College Post Graduate and Research Institute, Pune, Harvard Medical School, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, Lucknow, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology under the CSIR (Hyderabad) , Max Planck Institute ,Leipzig, Germany and University of California, USA.
The title of the scientific findings, which is described by genome scientists like Prof Kumarasamy Thangaraj of CCMB, Hyderabad and Prof Gyaneshwar Chaubey of Banaras Hindu University as the last nail on the coffin of the Dravidian theory is “Ancient Harappan genome lacks ancestry from Steppe Pastoralists or Iranian Farmers”.
The research which focussed on human genomes as well as archaeological studies found that the Indus Valley population has no detectable ancestry from Steppe pastoralists or from Anatolian and Iranian farmers, suggesting farming in South Asia arose from local foragers rather than from large-scale migration from the West, Prof Vasant Shinde, director, Deccan College said during a program at Delhi.
The Indus Valley Civilization is one of the first large scale urban societies in the ancient world believed to have existed during the period 2600 to 1900 BCE. “But the DNA samples we collected from a Harappan cemetery in Rakhigarhi in Haryana proves that there is no trace of any foreign genetic presence in them which proves that people belonging to the Indus Valley Civilization had distinct genetic lineage,” said Prof Thangaraj of CCMB, Hyderabad. Prof Shinde explained that had there been traces of genome from other sources like Iran or Steppe region in the samples collected from Rakhigarhi it could have been argued that there was annexation and cross breeding. “But the results negate the theory of Aryan-Dravidian divide and Aryan attacks of any kind,” said Prof Shinde.
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12. RESERVATION SHOULD CONTINUE TILL BENEFICIARIES NEED IT: DATTATREYA HOSABALE: “There is social and economic disparity in our society and therefore reservation is required...we totally support the reservation as mandated by the Constitution,” said RSS Sahasarakaryavah Dattatreya Hosbale at a press conference on the last day of the Sangh’s three-day coordination meeting in Pushkar, Rajasthan on September 8. The RSS strongly feels and has been working towards the belief that temples, cremation grounds and water reservoirs should be open for all, he added.
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13. OVER $100K GANDHI SCHOLARSHIPS GIVEN TO STUDENTS BY SAN DIEGO INDIAN AMERICAN SOCIETY: The San Diego Indian American Society’s Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Lecture Series was held at the Atkinson Auditorium in the University of California, San Diego, August 17. In his opening remarks, Dr. M.C. “Madhu” Madhavan, the 87-year-old Bharatiya American founder and executive director, traced the history of SDIAS and its growth from recognizing 10 outstanding students with awards of about $5,000 in 1984 to 54 students this year with scholarship awards of $110,000. Brother Chidananda discussed the special relationship between Paramahansa Yogananda, the founder of SRF, and Gandhiji and their mutual interest in bringing peace to the world. He said from 1923, and after Yogananda came to the U.S., he began to spread the yoga science of meditation and began telling audiences all over the country about the profound spiritual movement that Gandhiji was creating. Chidananda said, as Gandhiji had put, “yoga philosophy to work on an unprecedented level, and by doing so, literally changed the history of the modern world.”
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14. SSV 2019 - KISUMU, KENYA: The Sangh Shiksha Varg (SSV2019) was held in Kisumu, from 10t—18 August. 56 Swayamsevaks and 31 Sevikas got together in a Gurukul like environment, for 9 Days, to get trained further in Sangh activities over the SSV. From Day 1 all the Shiksharthis were very serious and paid full attention to grab all knowledge taught to them. The Sharirik focus was on Samata and Yogasana. The Bauddhik was focused on personal skills and character building. The Shiksharthis were treated to very delicious meals, cooked by the Mothers of Kisumu Sevikas and Swayamsevaks.
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15. HISTORIC SIKH ITEMS DISPLAYED AT KHALSA CARE FOUNDATION: Historical artifacts associated with Guru Nanak Dev and the Sikh empire were the focus of an interesting exhibition held at the Khalsa Care Foundation at Pacoima, California, USA, on August 24. Some of the items from the era included a brass jug with a handle (kamandal), a brass tumbler, a jug (gagaar) and a hand-written story of birth (janamsakhi) of Guru Nanak Dev, in flowing Gurmukhi, by Bhai Mani Singh, the 18th-century Sikh scholar and martyr. They also included a Puratan Panj Granth Pothi, or a small book containing five chosen texts, from the Guru Granth Sahib, written in Gurumukhi in the flowing style of the time. Also on view were coins from the 15th century. Guru Nanak Dev traveled extensively and when in Nepal he was honored with coins. Armaments used in the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh – swords and daggers – were part of the display of historical items. The traveling exhibition made history come alive for all those who were able to view it.
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16. HINDU MANDIR EXECUTIVE CONFERENCE OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA: Nearly 100 delegates including 19 youth from 18 temples and 15 organizations of Southern California participated in the fourth Regional Hindu Mandir Executive Conference of Southern California that was held on August 18 at the Sanatan Dharma Temple in Norwalk. The aim of the conference was to bring together religions that have their origins in Bharat – Hindu, Sikh, Jain and Buddhists – with the purpose of sharing, in a spirit of unity, their experience and knowledge.
Representatives from several religious organizations brainstormed and provided ideas to work toward their stated goal. Pandit Chandrashekaran, Sri Siva Kameswari Temple; Ma Mukthikanada, Nithyanandeshwera Hindu Temple; Swami Muktatmananda, Bharat Seva Sangh were among those who participated. Several youths participated in the conference. Children from VYASA-LA explained the benefits of yoga.

Another young girl from the Gurudwara at Norco spoke on ‘Guru Nanak’s principles of Sikh Dharma.’ There was also a dance performance by students of Savithri Dance Academy.--GotTop

17. SEWA’S SUPPORT HAILED CRUCIAL IN BANNING ‘SINGLE USE’ PLASTIC BAGS AT TROY HILLS USA: Parsippany-Troy Hills is the largest community by population in Morris county, and the first in the county to pass a resolution banning single-use plastic bags. City Council Vice President Janice McCarthy said, “I am thankful for the great support this effort received from the Environmental Advisory Committee, ANJEC, Sewa International, their volunteers, and hundreds of residents that recognize the importance of this issue and understand that the ever increasing use of plastic is out of control as well as how it impacts our environment and health.”
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18. CROSS BORDER PETROLEUM PIPELINE BETWEEN BHARAT & NEPAL: Asserted as a game changer by enhancing relation between two neighbouring countries, Bharat and Nepal, the Motihari- Amlekhganj petroleum product pipeline was inaugurated by Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi and Nepal PM K P Sharma Oli on 10th
September via video conferencing. The over 60 km-long pipeline is the first-ever cross-border petroleum product pipeline in the South Asian region, according to a video presentation made before the inauguration. As of now, tankers carry petroleum products from Bharat to Nepal as part of an arrangement which is in place since 1973. Bharat has invested Rs. 3.5 billion to install the pipeline.

PM Modi and Nepal PM Oli had jointly laid the foundation stone for the project at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi during Oli's visit to Bharat last year.--GotTop

19. IN 4 YEARS, BHARAT JUMPS 18 SPOTS ON WORLD TOURISM INDEX: Bharat clocked the biggest improvement among the top performers in global tourism, jumping from 40th in 2017 to 34th in the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2019 published by the World Economic Forum. The only lower middle income country in the top-35 ranked countries, a look at where it scores and where it lags as a major tourist destination. According to World Bank, a whopping 1.5 crore international tourists visited Bharat in 2017.
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20. BHARAT TO OFFER 1,000 PHD FELLOWSHIPS TO ASEAN STUDENTS: The Government of Bharat is launching a programme commencing on Sepember 16 that will allow and offer 1,000 PhD fellowships to students of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) at the Institute of Information Technology (IITs) in Bharat. External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal will jointly inaugurate the programme. Head of missions of ASEAN countries, senior officials of ministries of External Affairs and Human Resource Development, Directors of all 23 IITs, Chairman of UGC and Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog would attend the event.
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21. Shri Vishwa Niketan: Pravas: Shri Vadla Bhagaiah ji sahsarkaryavaha, RSS is on tour of USA and Canada.Visitors: Rajiv Issar, USA.

Food For Thought: Bharat is proud of our scientists! They’ve given their best and have always made Bharat proud. These are moments to be courageous, and courageous we will be! — Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi after the snapping of contact from Chandrayaan-2 just before 2.1 km from the Moon.
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Jai Shree Ram
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WHEN CHINA LOVED INDIA

Kashmiri Buddhist scholar KUMARAJIVA sparked a cultural renaissance in the East 1,600 years ago, when the Chinese, eager to learn from India, became his avid students. MONA MEHTA reports from an exhibition on this exchange in the Capital recently

The ‘Hindi Chini Bhai Bhai’ chant may no longer resound along the Indo-China border today. But it’s a good time to relive the great relationship India had with China more than a millennium ago. India’s most significant export to the East — Buddhism — reached China via the Silk Route, sparking a cultural renaissance. Indic cultural emissaries were no diplomats; they were Buddhist scholars like Kumarajiva who journeyed from India to China 1,600 years ago, and whet the Chinese appetite for Indic knowledge. This and other details were revealed at an exhibition titled Legacy and Life of Kumarajiva in New Delhi recently.It was curated by Prof Shashibala, research professor at the International Academy of Indian Culture, Delhi. “China has the maximum number of Buddhist treasures, temples, monasteries, and cave complexes in the world,” informs Shashibala. “All of this was facilitated via the Silk Route, & this was not easy”.
Recently, when the curating team travelled via this route into China, for three whole days they had to drive a gruelling 800 km per day because there were no facilities available on the route. So nothing much has changed,it seems, since the days of Hiuen Tsang whose travel accounts have disseminated a wealth of information on both India and China. He wrote that people would starve,die of
thirst,or lose their way, yet great masters and monks travelled to China carrying Sanskrit scriptures with them.Why? Because they were welcomed warmly and eagerly by Chinese emperors and their subjects, enthusiastic to learn from the rich knowledge of Indian scholars.
Shashibala cites an ancient Sanskrit- Khotanese book of conversation from Central Asia,Vartalap Pustika, the kind you carry when visiting a country where they don’t speak your language. It had four questions. After the usual pleasantries, ‘where are you from’ and ‘how are you’ one monk asks the other,‘So what Sanskrit scriptures have you brought with you?’ ‘Have you met the emperor?’ Kumarajiva stands out in an array of Indian scholars who went east also because he had a family history of such scholarship, points out Shashibala.
His father, Kumarayana, was a Kashmiri Brahmin noblemanturned- Buddhist monk who travelled along the Silk Route to disseminate Buddha’s teachings. His mother, Jiva, was a princess of Kucha kingdom, which lay en route. As a young prince, Kumarajiva, a child prodigy, studied Buddhist scriptures of the Mahayana tradition and also the vedas, at the behest of his mother, who became a Buddhist nun when he was seven.
Well-versed in Sanskrit and Chinese, Kumarajiva was asked by his guru to travel to China to share knowledge, but the ruler of Kucha resisted as he did not wish to lose a scholar of such repute.
Meanwhile, Kumarajiva’s fame reached far and wide. When the Chinese invitations were ignored, the emperor sent an army of 70,000 soldiers to capture Kumarajiva and bring him to his kingdom. He was made the royal guru.Monasteries were built to house him where Buddhist scholars from across the kingdom would come to study,understand and translate Buddhist texts in Sanskrit
into Chinese. “Kumarajiva had a unique style of translating the texts. Being a poet himself, he did it poetically, making them reader-friendly. Of the 54 scriptures he worked on, the Lotus Sutra, Sukhavati Vyuha Sutra and the Vimalakirtinirdesha Sutra stand out. His
translations enabled many Buddhist sects to get formed further east, in Japan.

‘Nippon,’ another name for Japan, meaning ‘land of the rising sun’, is derived from his translations, and the Soka Gakkai and Pureland sects of Buddhism too are based on them.Japanese prince Shotoku Taishi was so reverential towards Kumarajiva that his
constitution — Asia’s first constitution — was based on Buddhist teachings: Bahujan Hitaye, Bahujan Sukhai and the Panchashila. There are 65,000 Buddhist temples today in Japan, thanks to Kumarajiva’s teahings,” says Shashibala.

The east’s quest for Indic knowledge has been overwhelming.There is evidence that Chinese rulers at one point sent an army to Champa,Vietnam, to acquire 1,300 Sanskrit scriptures there. And, a section of the Great Wall of China has the words ‘Supreme Victory’ written on it, in Sanskrit. “Today, too, scores of Chinese and international scholars are all looking towards India to explain the philosophical meaning behind this invaluable heritage,” says Shashibala. Even as governments spar over border issues and China opposes India’s bid for NSG membership, it is people-to-people knowledge exchanges and philosophical scholarship that have the potential to take Indo-Chinese relationship to more evolved heights. (Editorial by Mona Mehta, Speaking Tree Times of India, 1st July 2016)  --GotTop


Shri Vishwa Niketan  vishwav@bol.net.in http://shrivishwaniketan.blogspot.com/




 

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