Paush Shukla 5 Vik. Samvat 2080, Yugabda 5125 : 16 January, 2024: SM 5020 (For Private Circulation only)
1. FESTIVALS:
PARAKRAM DIWAS: Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose was born on 23 January, 1897 in
Cuttack, Orissa, to Prabhavati Dutt Bose and Janakinath Bose. This year, Bharat
will celebrate his 127th birth anniversary as Parakram Diwas. Netaji was a
Bharatiya nationalist whose patriotism towards Bharat has left a mark in the
hearts of many Bharatiyas.
2. PROGRAMS OF RSS SARSANGHACHALAK DR MOHAN BHAGWAT:
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's Sarsanghachalak Dr. Mohan Bhagwat reached Jind on
January 12 for a three-day visit to Haryana. He formally inaugurated a painting
workshop based on the seven sections of Ramayana by lighting the lamp in Shri
Ram Mandapam and applying colors with paintbrush on Ram Tilak in the children's
section. The painting workshop was organized under the joint aegis of Haryana
Kala Parishad and Sanskar Bharti. Speaking on the occasion he said that the
world is in a turmoil and it will attain peace and prosperity when Bharat
becomes VishwaGuru. The organized strength of Hindus has the capacity to create
role models for such a society.
3. SJM SETS UP 448 ENTREPRENEURSHIP CENTRES: The
Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) along with 32 other organisations have set up 448
centres to promote entrepreneurship and help people, especially women and youth,
start their own venture to become self-reliant.
4. RAM MANDIR’S PRAN-PRATISHTHA EVENTS IN BHARAT: As per
mandir officials, the pran-pratishtha ceremony of Bhagwan Ramlala will be held
in Ayodhya over a span of seven days starting January 16.
Iqbal Ansari, the former litigant in the Ayodhya land dispute case, was also
extended an invitation to attend the ceremony. The invitation marks a
significant moment as Ansari, who once played a crucial role in the legal
proceedings, embraced the upcoming event with positivity. Expressing his
sentiments, he stated, “I am happy that the idol of Bhagwan Ram is going to be
installed. Ayodhya is the land of Hindu-Muslim-Sikh-Christian harmony. It will
always remain intact.”
RSS and other related organisations started a campaign to reach out to people
across the country and invite them to join the pran-pratishtha ceremony by
offering prayers at mandirs in their neighbourhoods. Besides the invitation, a
picture of Bhagwan Ram is also being presented to every household.
The pure silk clothes brought on behalf of the Kapse Foundation in Yeola for
Bhagwan Ram, Ma Sita, Lakshman, Bharat, Shatrughan and Bhagwan Hanuman were
prepared by a team of three hundred specially abled devotees. Along with this,
other puja materials also arrived in Ayodhya. The General Secretary of Shri Ram
TeerthKshetra Trust, Champat Rai, accepted these sacred materials for worship.
5. RAM MANDIR’S PRAN-PRATISHTHA EVENTS AROUND THE WORLD:
The pran-pratishtha of Bhagwan Ramlala on January 22 has captured the attention
of the entire world. Several programs have been organized worldwide to
commemorate this event. Many special gifts have also been sent from abroad to
Ayodhya ahead of the ceremony. The much-awaited pran-pratishtha ceremony will
also be telecast at various Bharatiya embassies overseas. Vishwa Hindu Parishad
(VHP) has outlined plans for events in over 50 countries worldwide including
USA, UK, Canada, Ireland, Fiji, Indonesia, and Germany.
A live broadcast of the ceremony is scheduled at Times Square. Mandirs across
USA and Canada will conduct prayers and organize festive events. Car
rallies are also being organized in California, Washington, Chicago, and other
places.
In a vibrant mix of faith and unity, the Bharatiya-American community organized
a car rally with Hindu symbols and saffron colour flags in Houston, Texas.
VHP of America organised an Epic Tesla Musical light show at Shri Bhakta
Anjaneya Mandir in Maryland. More than 150 cars, parked strategically in
the ‘Ram’ formation, participated in the light show with people holding flags
inscribed with images of Bhagwan Ram and raising ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and ‘Ram
Lakshman Janki, Jai Shri Hanuman Ki’ slogans.
President of the Mauritius Sanatan Dharm Temples Federation, Bhojraj Ghoorbin
said that all mandirs in Mauritius will organise Ramayan chanting on
January 22. Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth said in a statement
that the Mauritius government will grant a two-hour break for public officials
of Hindu religion on January 22 to participate in prayers.
More than 3000 gifts for Bhagwan Ram were sent to Ayodhya from Nepal’s
Janakpur, the birthplace of Sita. The gifts, including silver shoes,
ornaments and clothes, were transported in a convoy of around 30 vehicles from
the Janakpur Dham Ramjanaki Mandir in Nepal to Ayodhya.
6. SDSS MYANMAR WINTER CAMPS: Winter camps were
organized in December by the Sanatan Dharma Swayamsevak Sangh SDSS Myanmar at 4
places in 4 vibhags. Around 450 people including 350 shiksharthis, 40 shikshaks
and 60 prabandhaks participated in it. The programs from 5am to 10pm included
many physical and intellectual activities. Kabaddi and kho-kho competition, yoga
practice and several traditional games were part of the shareerik sessions.
Bauddhik sessions included topics to inculcate pride in the Hindu culture,
history of SDSS Myanmar, contribution of Hindus to the world and introduction to
great Hindu personalities. In some places, meetings were also organized with the
local community as part of the camp.
7. CANADA HINDU SIKH FORUM COMMEMORATES VEER BAAL DIWAS:
Veer Baal Diwas is a solemn remembrance of the young sons of Shri Guru Gobind
Singh, Sahibzades Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh, whose supreme sacrifices
epitomize bravery and unwavering faith in the face of adversity. The Hindu Sikh
Unity Forum Canada paid homage to the valiant Sahibzades through a series of
poignant events, fostering unity and solidarity.
On December 23, the Vaishno Devi Mandir in Oakville, Ontario hosted a gathering,
supported by the Hindu Canadian Foundation. Esteemed speakers including Swami
Advaitan and Dr. Pargat Singh Bagga who spoke eloquently about the enduring
legacy of the Sahibzades and the intertwined destinies of Hindus and Sikhs. On
December 24, a similar program was held at the Bharat Mata Mandir in Brampton,
with the support of the Hindu Forum Canada.
On December 31, the Hindu Mandir in Montreal, Quebec marked the Veer Baal Diwas
event. Distinguished attendees included Mr. Ratan Jaku of Shri Ravidas Gurudwara,
Mr. Shyam Singh of the Dr. Ambedkar Association, and Mr. Rajveer Singh Bhandal
of the Punjabi Association. All events culminated in the spiritual serenity of
Bhajan, Shabad Kirtan, and distribution of Langar Prasad. These events not only
celebrated historical courage but also served as a cohesive force, uniting
participants in cultural and spiritual contemplation.
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8. SEWA DIWALI’S ANNUAL FOOD DRIVES HELPED 245 ORGANIZATIONS
IN 34 STATES: Sewa Diwali, a charitable food drive organized by Dharmic
communities across the United States, donated more than 502,000 pounds of food
in 2023, benefiting over 245 organizations from 34 states, including food
pantries, homeless shelters, worship houses, and schools. Hindu Swayamsevak
Sangh (HSS) volunteers participated in this drive and coordinated the
collections and donations regionally and nationally, a press release from Sewa
Diwali said.
Lisa Kelly, the Executive Director of Middlesex College Foundation in NJ,
thanked Sewa Diwali for its generous donation. US Congressmen Kevin Kiley and Ro
Khanna of CA provided Special Congressional Recognition to Sewa Diwali.
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9. VISHWA VIBHAG PARIVAR MILANS IN BHARAT: Many overseas
Bharatiyas visit Bharat in the month of December. Vishwa Vibhag Kendras in
Bharat took the opportunity to connect with them during their visit.
A program for the current and former HSS karyakartas and their family members
was organized by the Vishwa Vibhag Pune Kendra on December 25 at Motibaug
Karyalay. 51 participants from 9 countries and 26 karyakartas of Vishwa Vibhag
Kendra Pune attended the event.
Lunch was followed by Shri Ram Pujan and Ramraksha stotra recital. The Vishwa
Vibhag Kendra activities were introduced to the participants and HSS karyakartas
gave information about the work carried out by HSS in their respective region.
Saumitra Gokhale, Global Coordinator of HSS, enlightened the audience on the
different work and activities carried out by HSS globally. He expressed that the
work carried out by HSS is unique to each territory and that accomplishments of
HSS, in difficult circumstances, in regions like Ukraine, African countries,
etc. was only possible through the dedication shown by local karyakartas.
The day-long program ended with the conclusion of a family shakha.
The first Parivar Milan of Bengaluru Vishwa Vibhag Kendra was organized
at Rashtrotthana Vidya Kendra, Banashankari on December 17. The event was
inaugurated by V. Nagaraj, Kshetriya Sanghachalak, RSS and Saumitra Gokhale,
Global Coordinator, HSS.
Srinivas Bhagavatula, Coordinator, Vishwa Vibhag Bengaluru Kendra, spoke on the
idea behind the program, its scope and the journey ahead.. V. Nagaraj, who gave
the presiding address for the event, highlighted the importance of the Soft
power of Bharat that comes from our cultural heritage and concluded his speech
with a call to the Kannada diaspora to be the cultural ambassadors of Bharat.
Venkatesh Murthy, National Member of Seva Bharati and Parimala V Murthy of Youth
For Seva, gave a short presentation on a variety of Seva projects and
volunteering opportunities available in Karnataka. Visiting delegates from USA,
Germany, UK and Singapore briefed about HSS activities and different Seva
projects happening in their respective countries.
On December 22, around 20 families whose children are either studying or working
overseas participated in a similar program in Indore. Four visiting
families from four countries were also present. There was some information
sharing and interaction followed by dinner.
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10. SMRITI IRANI LEADS NON-MUSLIM BHARATIYA DELEGATION TO
MADINA: In a historic visit showcasing significant diplomacy with Saudi
Arabia, Union Minister for Women and Child Development and Minority Affairs
Smriti Irani led the non-Muslim Bharatiya delegation to the holy city of Madina,
one of Islam’s holiest cities. Irani was accompanied by Minister of State for
External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs V. Muraleedharan. This marked the
first time a non-Muslim delegation had been welcomed to Madina. The visit was
part of an ongoing diplomatic mission.
11. NJ’S FIRST BHARATIYA AMERICAN WOMAN MAYOR: Neena
Singh became the first Sikh and Bharatiya American woman to be sworn in as Mayor
of Montgomery Township in the US state of New Jersey. She was administered the
oath of office by Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman at the Montgomery Township
Reorganization Meeting on January 4.
12. AMERICAN SCIENTIST FUNDS AWARD IN HONOUR OF JC BOSE:
Jagadish Chandra Bose, invented the detector for wireless telegraphy which
was used by the Italian inventor and engineer G Marconi for his historic
demonstration of the first ever trans-Atlantic radio telegraphy. Since Marconi
did not mention Bose, Bose’s vital contribution remained hidden. Efforts to
publicly acknowledge the contributions of Bose began with The Institute of
Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), located in New York City, placing a
memorial plaque at the Presidency College in Kolkata where Bose came up with his
ground-breaking invention. Now, the IEEE has decided to establish a prestigious
medal known officially as the IEEE Jagadish Chandra Bose Medal in Wireless
Communications. Bengal-born Mani Bhaumik, who lives in Los Angeles has offered
to donate one million US dollars to sponsor the medal and award in perpetuity.
Bhaumik holds numerous patents and is the inventor of the laser technology that
paved the way for Lasik eye surgery. Bhaumik says he feels his donation is a way
of paying back for all that he gained from his teacher and mentor, Satyendra
Nath Bose of the Bose-Einstein statistics fame who was a student of J C Bose.
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13. OBITUARY : PROFESSOR VED PRAKASH NANDA - Senior
swayamsevak and Sanghachalak of Americas Zone Prof. Ved Prakash Nanda passed
away on January 1 in his hometown Denver. He was surrounded by his close family
and HSS volunteers.
Prof. Nanda started the first shakha in the US in 1961 at the University of
Chicago. Since 2001, after becoming Sanghachalak of HSS, he constantly travelled
across the country to meet, guide, and inspire HSS volunteers. He took
initiative to reach out to the opinion makers of the society for various
Hindu-American causes.
He also served as the Chairman of the Board of Hindu University of America. He
was the chairman of the board of trustees at Hindu Mandir of Colorado and also
remained active in interfaith activities in Colorado.
He leaves behind his daughter, Anjali, son-in-law, granddaughters and extended
family.
In their condolence message, RSS Sarasanghachalak Dr. Mohan Bhagwat and
Sarakaryavah Dattratreya Hosabale said that with the passing away of Prof Nanda,
the life journey of an ardent swayamsevak of Sangh and a person endowed with
great human qualities came to an end. His contributions as zonal Sanghachalak of
Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh in America will always be remembered with reverence.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed his condolences on X, acknowledging
Prof. Nanda’s invaluable contributions to the legal field and his unwavering
commitment to legal education.
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14. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Vishwa Vibhag Sah
Samyojak Dr. Ram Vaidya will be travelling to Bharat for the ICCS Elder’s
Conference. Visitors: Rakesh Shukla - USA, S.N. Kothari - Indonesia, Hemant Raj
- South Korea, Kirti Lodhe with family - Germany, Sumitra and Tapash Pal -
Canada. -GoTop
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: To be happy always is something which is difficult to
achieve. That is to say, happiness and sorrow alternate in one's life and there
cannot be unintrerrupted happiness alone. - Bhagwan Sri Ram to Mother Kaikeyi
(Ramayana).
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JAI SHRI RAM
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BHAGWAN RAM OUTSIDE INDIA
Satyajit Shriram Joshi
Maharishi Valmiki’s Ramayana is a
much-loved tale of good triumphing over evil, the world over. Valmiki Ramayana
is recognized as the original but over 300 Ramayana versions are known to exist,
especially in South East Asia, when around the 12th and 13th centuries, the
region received and imbibed many of the cultural traits, along with goods and
services, traveling from Indian shores. 
Ram outside India
Many of the versions may not ascribe to certain values in the original Ramayana
but different versions and interpretations are found in Indian versions of
Ramayana as well. For example, some different characters are found in Jain
texts. Such texts seem to have influenced Ramayana versions outside India. Ram
is depicted and considered as a respectable figure in the Buddhist version in
South Asian countries. The Buddhist version of Ramayana is called `Dasarata
Jataka’. We find two versions here. Firstly, Dashratha sent Ram, Sita, and
Laxmana to live in the forest to protect them from his third ambitious wife. The
second version does not have the abduction of Sita.
The fact is that both versions got immense popularity and gained social
acceptance. It is seen that Ramayana was even used by the rulers to legitimize
their kingship. Eleventh-century Burmese stone is found, with an inscription in
the Mon language. The inscription describes King Kyanzittha, who belonged to the
Bagan dynasty, as Ram’s close relative. In several countries like Cambodia,
Thailand, and Myanmar, Hinduism had a large following before Buddhists entered
in these regions. Orissa and Tamil sea merchants were responsible for the
proliferation of Indian culture to Southeast Asia, when they would undertake an
annual voyage, and along with the goods exchanged stories. In some Southeast
Asian versions, Hanuman is depicted as someone playing mind games, who charms
and outwits, especially the female characters. Despite having multiple versions,
Ram continues to be a dominant character in these countriesThe Cambodian
Ramayana is known as Reamker (Ramakerti–Ram + Kirti/glory), a text of Khmer
literature, which takes from both Hinduism and Buddhism to demonstrate the
balance of good and evil. In Cambodia, Ram is known as Phreah Ream, and Sita,
Neang Seda. A corridor with carved episodes on Ramayana is seen in 12th-century
Angkor Wat ruins. Some murals are also noticed on the walls of Phnom Penh’s
royal palace. Interestingly, Hanuman is shown expanding his body between India
and Sri Lanka so that Ram’s army could cross the sea.
The monarchs of Thailand, erstwhile Siam, used to call themselves as descendants
of Ram. Their names had Ram either as a prefix or a suffix. Its capital city was
Ayutthaya, which sounds similar to Ayodhya. In the 18th century, Burmese
soldiers invaded Ayutthaya, and the name was changed to Rama I, this happened
despite him being a practicing Buddhist. Later, he wrote the Thai version of
Ramayana, which is known as Ramakien and it is still considered as a national
epic.
Myanmar (Burma) has a national epic, known as Yamayana; Yama or Zatdaw was
introduced during King Anawratha’s reign in the 11th century CE. This version
calls Ram as Yama and Sita as Thida. Ravana is called Yawana. Ram is portrayed
as a Bodhisattva. The narrative is mostly the same as Valmiki’s Ramayana, except
for localised names of places and characters.
In Laos, the national epic is Phra Lak Phra Ram. Lao devotees believed that
their ruler King Lava was Ram’s son. They believe that Lava gave Laos its name.
This is viewed as a Jataka story. Malay version of Ramayana - Hikayat Seri Rama
– is very similar to the original Sanskrit text. But the central character in
Malaysia is Laxman and not Ram.
Spread and versions of Ramayana in Southeast countries can be understood by the
fact that every island has different versions.
In Bali, it is Ramakavaca, in Java its Kakawin or Yogesvara Ramayana, and in
Sumatra it is Ramayana Swarnadwipa. In the latter version, Tamawaka (Ram)
rescues Himegini (Sita), from Baramon (Ravan). The Javanese Kakawin is a
Sanskrit-metre-poetry composed during the Medang kingdom era. In some Indonesian
versions, Sita is shown as a fierce lady, who fought against Asuras on her own.
In the Maranao version of the Philippines, which is called as Maharadia Lawana,
a completely new version is seen, in which adventures of monkeys can be seen.
Deep influence of Ramayana on Southeast countries continues even today. The
opening ceremony of the 2017 ASEAN summit involved a staging of the musical
version of Ramayana.
In China, few parts picked up orthodox and ethical values noted in the Indian
epic. Jataka Katha of Ram are popular with the Chinese. China has also a
Buddhist text Liudu ji jing. This is an elaborate account of the Ramayana, while
in Sun Wukong, Hanuman finds some representation in the form of a monkey-king.
Japan has two versions namely, Hobutsushu and Sambo-Ekotoba. Hanuman has a
diminutive role in another adaptation titled, Ramaenna or Ramaensho, and in the
Bontenkoku version, Tamawaka (Ram), a flute player rescues his wife Himegini (Sita)
from King Baramon (Ravan).
In Nepal, Mahakavi Siddhidas Mahaju Amatya wrote Siddhi Ramayana in the Nepal
Bhasa. There’s also Bhanubhakta Acharya’s Bhanubhaktako Ramayana in Khas
language. However, the revelry of Dussehra called Dasain or Mohini in Nepal is
more about the Goddess Durga, than Ram’s triumph over Ravan.
https://www.newsbharati.com/Encyc/2024/1/8/Bhagwan-Ram-outside-India.html
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SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN samvadnewsletter@gmail.com http://shrivishwaniketan.
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