Vol.3 No.48 March 19-25, 2011 60 Cents TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Spiritual Awareness 30 Astrology 31 Fashion 32 ICC World Cup 33

NEW YORK EDITION

Japan nuclear

crisis: Global

fears mount

International,

page 34

Mangano refuses

to increase

property taxes

Tristate

Community, page 5

Unabashed

Merry Making

Holi Special,

page 10-30

Surender Sharma:

On a laugh riot

Holi Special,

page 22

Mini PBD to be held inToronto in June

Riots in Pak afterDavis ‘buys’ freedom

Ambani on Bank ofAmerica board

By Parveen Chopra

New York: A Pravasi Bharatiya Divas

(PBD) for North America and the Caribbean

region is to be held in Toronto on June 9-10,

announced Dr A. Didar Singh, Secretary in

the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs

(MOIA) at the Indian Consulate here on

Wednesday.

Regional, mini versions of the PBD --

which is organized every year in India in

early January -- are held outside India to

make it convenient for the Indians in that

area to attend, Dr Didar Singh explained.

The PBDs aim to help the diaspora connect

with India and engage them socially, cultur-

ally, and economically. These meets provide

them a platform for dialogue and network-

ing, he added. He reported that as many as

2,000 delegates attended the 2011 PBD in

New Delhi, with the largest contingent from

USA.

Ambassador Prabhu Dayal introduced the

Secretary who has served in important

capacities in various Indian ministries. He is

an IAS Officer of the 1976 batch, same as

the Consul General’s. Amb. Dayal and Dr

Didar Singh addressed the meeting at the

Consulate which was well attended by com-

munity leaders and the press. The two also

took questions from the audience.

Continued on page 6...

Lahore: Riots broke out

on the streets of Pakistan

following release of dou-

ble murder-accused CIA

contractor Raymond

Davis after a 'blood-

money' deal, and hun-

dreds of protesters

attempted to attack the

US Consulate building in

Lahore on Wednesday.

Police wielded batons,

fired warning shots and

resorted to tear-gas

shelling to control the

mob at the consulate,

The Nation reported.

Davis' release sparked

countrywide angry

protests, and a large

number of protesters -

mostly belonging to reli

Continued on page 6...

Mumbai: Billionaire

Mukesh Ambani, chair-

man of India's most val-

ued company Reliance

Industries or RIL, has

joined the board of the

Bank of America

Corporation, the largest

US lender by assets. His

nomination will be rati-

fied at the bank's annual

meeting of shareholders.

"Bank of America's

shareholders will benefit

from the global perspec-

tive Mr Ambani brings to

our board," Bank of

America's chairman

Charles O. Holliday, Jr

said in a press statement

Wednesday.

"It is a privilege and a

great honor for me, as the

Continued on page 6...

Dr Didar Singh, Secretary in MOIA, withConsul General Prabhu Dayal addressing

a meeting at the consulate .

Libya declares ceasefire, butsad over UN decision

India abstains in UNSC vote on ‘no-fly’ zone

PM denies WikiLeaks oncash-for-MP-votes scam

Tripoli/Cairo: The Libyan government

Friday decided to halt all military opera-

tions against rebels in line with a UN reso-

lution that imposed a no-fly zone over the

North African country, but Foreign

Minister Moussa Kusa stressed "great sad-

ness" over the Security Council's decision.

Announcing an immediate ceasefire on

all military operations against rebels, Kusa

said: "We also express great sadness

towards imposing a no-fly zone over

Libya, including civil aviation."

Speaking at a press briefing in the capital

Tripoli, Kusa also said Libya was open to a

dialogue with opposition forces, DPA

reported.

On Thursday, after weeks of discussions,

the UN Security Council banned flights in

Libya's airspace and authorized "all neces-

sary means" to implement the ban.

The UN move and the support of Arab

governments for the measure provided the

two key conditions the NATO asked for

before it would enter the fray against

Muammar Gaddafi's forces.

In an unusual action, the council author-

ized not only organizations but also indi

Continued on page 6...

New Delhi: Prime

Minister Manmohan

Singh Friday went on the

offensive against allega-

tions that MPs had been

bribed to win the 2008

parliamentary trust vote

and denied any wrong-

doing as stated in the

'unverified and unverifi-

able' WikiLeaks cables.

Stoutly defending his govern-

ment, he spoke at the India Today

Conclave and then made identical

statements in the two houses of

parliament.

'I wish to make it clear that no

one from the Congress

party or the government

indulged in any unlaw-

ful act during the trust

vote during July 2008,'

he said in the Lok

Sabha, a day after the

opposition demanded

his immediate resigna-

tion over the alleged

2008 cash-for-votes

scam that resurfaced with a news-

paper publishing the WikiLeaks

cables.

'The government rejects that alle-

gation absolutely and firmly,' he

Continued on page 6...

Protesters celebrate in Tobruk after a UNresolution authorizing a 'no-fly' zone

and military attacks on Gaddafi's forces.

Manmohan Singh Mukesh AmbaniRaymond Davis was

accused in double murder

Tristate Community 5

TheSouthAsianTimes.info March 19-25, 2011

Mangano refuses to increase property taxes

Obama appoints Adobe CEOShantanu Narayen as

member of PMAB

Mineola, N.Y : Due to the change

in accounting rules applied by the

Nassau Interim Finance Authority

(NIFA), Nassau County Executive

Edward P. Mangano announced ma-

jor budget cuts for 2011 that protect

homeowners and employers from a

21.5% property tax increase. The

County Executive detailed over

$121.2 million in budget cuts that

include $60.5 million in employee-

related spending reductions, $40

million in across the board budget

cuts and $20 million in lower tax re-

fund liability than projected by

NIFA.

“Since the last thing Nassau fam-

ilies need in these tough economic

times is a double-digit property tax

increase, I will submit a revised fi-

nancial plan next week that cuts

County spending by over $121 mil-

lion,” said County ExecutiveMangano. “These cuts will affect

every area of the County and the

services we provide. That’s unfor-

tunate, yet necessary in the face of

NIFA’s decision to change account-

ing practices and create a paper

deficit.” The $121.2 million in

budget cuts announced by the

County Executive include: $60.5

million in employee-related spend-

ing reductions, including: $50.5

million in savings from layoffs and

the elimination of vacant positions;

and $10 million in savings by call-

ing on NIFA to freeze employee

wages; $40 million in across the

board budget cuts, including: $15

million from the reduction of con-

tractual expenses; $15 million from

the restructuring of the police de-

partment; $5 million from ending

the County’s relationship with the

MTA to run Long Island Bus serv-

ice; and $4.5 million from the pri-

vatization of inmate healthcare; and

$20 million in lower tax refund lia-

bility than projected by NIFA.

“By reducing spending and Nas-

sau’s workforce, I am taking the ap-

propriate steps required to protect

our homeowners from a property

tax increase,” said County Execu-

tive Mangano.

“I ask NIFA to understand the

tough economic climate we are in

and the financial difficulties faced

by our families. That is why I call

on NIFA to use their power to stop

automatic pay increases – negotiat-

ed by my predecessor – that are

scheduled to take place on

April 1st.”

Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano called on NIFA to use theirpower to stop automatic pay increases

Washington, DC: US President

Barack Obama has appointed Shan-

tanu Narayen, president and CEO of

Adobe Systems, as a member of his

Management Advisory Board.

Along with Narayen, Obama ap-

pointed nine other eminent individu-

als to President's Management Advi-

sory Board (PMAB).

"I am grateful that these impressive

individuals have chosen to dedicate

their talents to serve the American

people at this important time for our

country. I look forward to working

with them in the months and years

ahead to deliver a government that's

more affordable, effective and effi-

cient," Obama said in a statement.

PMAB was established by an exec-

utive order in April 2010 to advice on

how to implement best business

practices on matters related to Feder-

al Government management and op-

eration focusing on productivity, the

application of technology and cus-

tomer service.

It is part of President Obama's on-

going commitment to cut waste and

get the most from taxpayer dollars.

Before becoming Adobe CEO in

2007, Narayen - who holds a bache-

lor's degree in electronics engineer-

ing from Osmania University, was

Adobe's president and COO.

Internationally acclaimed Violin maestro Dr. L Subramaniam (inset) along withhis son Ambi Subramaniam presented a 90-minute Carnatic music concert atthe UN ECOSOC chamber on behalf of the Permanent Mission of India to the

U.N. The UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, UN First Lady, IndianAmbassador to the United Nations Hardeep Singh Puri, his deputy Manjeev

Singh Puri and an array of diplomats from many nations and sat through theentire concert and gave a standing ovation at the end to the violin virtuoso.

RANA to celebrate Holi on April 2New York: RANA (Rajasthan Association of North

America), one of the top cultural associations in the

Tristate area will hold its annual celebration of Holi on

April 2 at the Ganesh temple auditorium in Flushing.

The highlight of the celebration will be a Hasya Kavi

Sammlan featuring poets ‘Hasya Samrat’ Surendra

Sharma and ‘Haysa ka dhamaka’ Arun Gemini. RANA

President and leading jeweler Haridas Kotahwala told

the SATimes that about 600 people are expected to at-

tend the colorful event which will also serve up a cul-

tural program and traditional Rajasthani meal.

The Hasya Kavi Sammelan has been organized every

year since 1999 for RANA by Vinod Jain, a jeweler.

Says he: “I have hosted many famous poets from India.

I really enjoy humorous poetry and it's in my blood.”

RANA aims to bring together Rajasthani people to

preserve and promote Rajasthani culture and heritage.

Taped call suggests Rajat Gupta toldRajaratnam about Goldman plans

New York: Rajat Gupta , a former

Indian American Goldman Sachs di-

rector, told hedge fund tycoon Raj

Rajaratnam the investment bank was

considering buying a commercial

bank, according to a wiretapped tele-

phone conversation played in court.

In a July 29, 2008 conversation

played Tuesday in a New York court,

where Rajaratnam, co-founder of the

hedge fund Galleon Group, is on tri-

al, Gupta told him Goldman was

weighing an acquisition of either Wa-

chovia or American International

Group (AIG).

Rajaratnam, working from his

Greenwich, Connecticut, home that

day, told Gupta that he was meeting

with Gary D. Cohn, the president of

Goldman, later in the week. He asked

Gupta about a rumor that Goldman

might look to buy a commercial

"This was a big discussion at a

board meeting," Gupta said on the

taped call. "And, you know, it was,

uh, a divided discussion in the

board."

Goldman was bearish on commer-

cial banks, he said, but the board was

"opportunistic" and if Wachovia

"was a good deal they'd go and buy

Wachovia."

Gupta also said that the board was

weighing the acquisition of an insur-

ance business, including AIG. "Yes,

AIG was in the discussion mix," he

said. Ultimately, Gupta concluded, "I

would be extremely surprised" if

there was "anything imminent."

The detailed discussion of Gold-

man's board meeting is the first time

the government has disclosed specif-

ic comments made by Gupta to Ra-

jaratnam about the bank's internal

dealings.

Rajaratnam and Gupta are also

heard discussing former Indian

American McKinsey & Co.

partner Anil Kumar, prosecution's

star witness in the biggest US insid-

er-dealing trial in decades.

Vinod Jain (left) and his wife Poonam Jain withthe poets Surendra Sharma and Arun Gemini.

Announces major budget cuts,layoffs & wage freeze

6 Community

March 19-25, 2011 TheSouthAsianTimes.info

HappyHoli

PM Manmohan Singh storyfrom page 3said, adding: 'It is unfortunate that

the opposition continues to raise

old charges that have been debat-

ed, discussed and rejected by the

people of India.'

The prime minister later read out

the same statement in the Rajya

Sabha. But the opposition was far

from satisfied and both houses had

to be adjourned over the clamor for

clarifications on the statement.

Hitting out at the opposition for

giving 'dignity' to an 'unverified

communication', he referred to

Congress victory in the 2009 Lok

Sabha elections and said: 'Upon

the conclusion of the term of the

14th Lok Sabha, there was a gener-

al election. In that general election,

the opposition parties repeated

their allegations of bribery in the

trust vote.' Both BJP and Left par-

ties suffered losses, but Congress

improved its tally.

As per WikiLeaks cables payoffs

had been made to MPs to ensure a

majority for the Congress-led gov-

ernment in the confidence vote fol-

lowing differences over the India-

US nuclear deal in 2008. A US

diplomat was told Rs.50-60 crore

was kept aside by the Congress

party to get some opposition mem-

bers of the Lok Sabha on board

PBD story from page 3

Dr Didar Singh has been in the

country in connection with the

Maximum India festival in

Washington DC’s Kennedy Center.

He recalled fondly that at the time

of the Festival of India in 1985 he

was serving as Consul in New

York.

Dr Singh said we all should be

proud of Indian government’s suc-

cess in evacuating almost 14,000

Indian citizens in about 8 days

from Libya facing a civil war like

situation. “India must now behave

as a responsible global power that

it is,” he said. Evacuation of

Indians from Japan has not been

required, he said. He also pointed

to the creation of a welfare fund

for Indians living abroad for any

contingency, for which provision

has been made in 120 Indian mis-

sions.

Stating that many initiatives of

his ministry have been the outcome

of discussions at PBDs, Dr Didar

Singh mentioned the merging of

the PIO-OCI card and clarified

how NRIs (not those who have

taken foreign citizenship) can exer-

cise their restored voting rights by

self-registering back home in a

constituency in which the address

on their passports falls.

Officially the Toronto conclave

is called PBDCanada2011 and its

theme is Building Bridges:

Positioning Strategies for the

Indian Diaspora. It is co-sponsored

by FICCI and ASSOCHAM.

MOIA has appointed the Indo-

Canada Chamber of Commerce

(ICCC) as the nodal agency for it.

Those wishing to attend can regis-

ter at ICCC.org . Mini PBDs have

been held in the past in New York

(2007), Singapore (2008), The

Hague (2009) and Durban (2010).

PBDCanada2011’s

Libya storyfrom page 3

vidual countries working together

to use "all necessary means" to

take action to end Gaddafi's mili-

tary crackdown on civilian pro-

testers.

India abstained from the UNSC

vote (passed 10:0 with 5 absten-

tions)) out of a concern that the

measures may not worsen the

Libyan people's woes.

The announcement of a Libyan

ceasefire came after the interna-

tional community Friday began

discussing all measures, including

military action, against Libyan

leader Muammar Gaddafi's forces

to enforce a no-fly zone.

The US and European officials

said air attacks against Gaddafi's

forces were possible "within

hours", according to the Wall

Street Journal.

Raymond davis storyfrom page 3

gious and opposition political par-

ties - converged outside the Lahore

Press Club soon after the local

media flashed the news.

Tehrik-e-Insaaf and Jamaat-i-

Islami activists were leading the

protests as they blocked the busy

road by setting tyres on fire, creat-

ing a traffic mess in the highly sen-

sitive and busy location of the city.

As the angry protesters tried to

attack the US consulate, dozens of

them sustained injuries as the

police resorted to baton-charge to

disperse the mob.

The surrounding of the press

club turned into battlefield as the

protesters - who were chanting

full-throat slogans against the

Pakistan government and US

authorities, terming the release as

an attack on the country's sover-

eignty - pelted stones and water

bottles at the policemen.

Mukesh Ambani storyfrom page 3

first non-American citizen to join

the board of one of the world's

largest financial institutions" said

Ambani.

Ambani, who figured among the

top 10 on the Forbes billionaire list

in 2011, owns RIL, India's largest

private business enterprise with

$44.6 billion in annual revenues

and over $70 billion in market cap-

italization.

RIL recently announced that it

was entering into a joint venture

with British Petroleum that operate

various oil refineries and has assets

in India.

SoS members playing with colors, celebrating Holi with Fun & Food atthe Science of Spirituality (SoS) Center, Amityville, NY. Celebrations

on Wednesday included a message from Sant Rajendra Singh Maharajon spiritual awareness, meditation, as well as a cultural program by

young members and ghazal recital.

Kalpana Patel (middle), President-CEO of Unique Comp Inc., LongIsland City, NY, received 2011 Enterprising Women of the Year Awardinstituted by Enterprising Women magazine. The award she receivedlast week at Boca Raton, Florida was in the category of $5-10 millionsales in 2010. Unique Comp Inc offers IT and engineering services.

National Community 7

TheSouthAsianTimes.info March 19-25, 2011

New Jersey: Prominent

South Asian community

members met up with the

officers of Homeland

Security and Preparedness in

Edison here organized by the

Indo American Cultural

Society Inc.

Anne Kriegner working as

Assistant Deputy Director,

Operation told the guests,

“The training of law enforce-

ment and other individuals

tasked with homeland securi-

ty and emergency prepared-

ness will be shared in tem-

ples, church, Gurudwaras,

schools or colleges in con-

junction with multiple part-

ners in state and local gov-

ernment. The Task Force

issued several recommenda-

tions to improve the security

at the state’s colleges and

universities also.”

John Paige, an investigator

in special tasks said,

“Federal and state local

homeland security, law

enforcement and emergency

management maintain a

close working relationship

with the Newark and

Philadelphia FBI Offices. If

you observe suspicious

behavior, or someone asking

for suspicious chemicals,

weapons or someone having

killing thoughts must be

brought to our knowledge for

proper handling of the per-

son or situation.”

Leaders from audience

asked many tough questions

related to Homeland Security

and Preparedness and mis-

treatment of South Asian

community at airports in par-

ticular and many places in

different part of the country

and stressed the need of sen-

sitivity training to Law

Enforcement Officials and

majority community.

Any suspicious activity can

be reported on toll free num-

ber and 24-hour terrorism tip

line 1-866-4SAFE-NJ and a

newly established email

address tips@njhomelandse-

curity.gov.

IACS organizes meet with HomelandSecurity and Preparedness

Nayan Parikh is new SIAEA president

Edison, NJ: Leading profes-

sionals, public officials and

community leaders cheered

and applauded as youthful

and energetic Nayan Parikh

took oath of office as the

newly elected president of

Society of Indo American

Engineers and Architects

(SIAEA), the representative

body of engineers and archi-

tects of Indian origin. The

swearing in ceremony was

organized at Miraj Banquet

hall in Edison, NJ.

Ambassador Prabhu Dayal,

Consul-General of India in

New York, administered the

oath of office to Parikh who

took over as president for a

two year term. Parikh’s entire

team of executive committee

comprising of president-elect

Mihir Patel, vice president

Ketan Shah, secretary Samir

Shah and Treasurer Shishir

Agarwal also took oath of

their offices. Ambassador

Dayal congratulated Parikh

for taking over as the presi-

dent of the society. He

expressed his compliments to

the society for its accom-

plishment as a uniting force

in the Indian American com-

munity. “You have played an

important role in strengthen-

ing relations between the

people of India and the

USA”, he said. He expressed

his confidence in the leader-

ship of Parikh. Mayor John

E. McCormac of Woodbridge

Township and Mayor Antonia

"Toni" Ricigliano, of Edison

Township attended the event

to express their support to

Parikh on his election as

president of the society.

Special awards were pre-

sented to three society mem-

bers at the ceremony. They

were Rajiv Bhagat, for his

excellent work in producing

newsletters, Vinod Devgan,

for successfully and efficient-

ly running several key com-

mittees, such as, Jugaad

Exhibition, Election and

Scholarship and Yatish

Sharma, for being a very pro-

active Secretary with innova-

tive ideas.

Gayatri Chetana Center celebratesMaha Shivratri

Anaheim, CA: On Maha Shivratri day Gayatri

Chetana Center, Los Angeles Branch here cele-

brated special rituals with scientific reasoning.

More than 300 people attended Shiv pojan in

Gayatri Center on March 2, 2011 at 6:00PM.

Shiv means “Shubha” Shankar means

“Kalyankari” with understanding of Lord Shiva

divine message of divine form as a

Manifestation of Supreme Consciousness was

explained by Mahesh Bhatt during the ritual.

All attending family members were having

shivaling and pooja items in front of them to

perform special rituals with Abhishekam. Niki

and Viren Bhatt performed the main shiv-

alingam poojan on the stage as representative

of all members and to get blessing on their mar-

riage anniversary. Shiv Strotram, and special

devotional songs were sung by Niruben Barot,

Niki Bhatt and Bhumika Dave.

Shankarbhai Barot, Niruben Barot and

Chinubhai Thaker, Vyvasthapak of the Gayatri

Chetana Center, LA who leave at this center’s

primises, inaugurated the special 40 day

"Gayatri Mantra Lekhan Sadhana" and invited

all temples and spiritual organizations in USA

and Canada to participate.

Special announcement was made for starting

of Sunday Bal Sanshkar Shaal at this Gayatri

Chetana Center from March 6, 2011. Mohan

Gupta is facilitating the curriculum and plan-

ning of this program. Mohan introduced the

teachers for the Bal Sanskar Shaala Neha

Vaidhya, Niki Bhatt, Pragya Sharma, Rohita

Bhatt, Bhumika Dave and Sashank Patil.

Niki and Viren Bhatt perform main pooja

Newly sworn in SIAEA president Nayan Parikh (5th from left) with CG Prabhu Dayal (6thfrom left) with other dignitaries present on the occasion

South Asian community leaders with OHSP members

Ameredia named in ‘Top 10 AsianAmerican Business in California’

San Francisco, CA: Améredia, the San

Francisco-based multicultural advertising

agency, was selected on March 9 as a “Top 10

Asian American Business in California” by the

US Pan Asian American Chamber of

Commerce Western Region.

Améredia was joined by other notable compa-

nies from the technology, communications and

engineering sectors that required at least 51 per-

cent Asian American ownership to qualify for

the Top 10 ranking. Selection was determined

by percentage revenue growth over three years

and finalists were independently verified by

A2Q2, a California-based accounting firm.

“Our California Top 10 Asian American

Business Award recipients exemplify the aspira-

tions, innovation and perseverance which are

the stock that built the American Dream,” said

Susan Au Allen, National President and CEO of

USPAACC. “Along their journey to success,

they have also contributed to the economic

vitality, job creation and now serve as role mod-

els for aspiring entrepreneurs in the business

community. We are mighty proud of them.”

USPAACC National named Améredia a Fast

50 Asian American Business in 2010, and earli-

er this year the agency was selected as a Top

Business in America by DiversityBusiness.com,

winning five awards including “Top 100

Diversity Owned Businesses in California” and

“Top 100 Subcontinent Asian American

Businesses in the U.S.”

8 National Community

March 19-25, 2011 TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Sydney/New Delhi: A 24-year-old

Indian student was raped and mur-

dered and her body stuffed into a

suitcase in Australia's Sydney city.

Indian External Affairs Minister

S.M. Krishna Monday described the

incident as "unfortunate".

Tosha Thakkar, a student of

Sydney College of Business and IT,

was raped and murdered and her

body was found packed into a suit-

case in a canal in Sydney last week.

Daniel Stani-Reginald, 19, an

Australian of Sri Lankan descent,

has been arrested and charged with

the murder and aggravated sexual

assault on Thakkar.

The Age quoted the police as say-

ing the "predator" had waited until

her housemate was away to sexually

assault and kill her.

Thakkar's body was found Friday

morning in a canal behind the

Meadowbank Park in northwestern

Sydney. It had been stuffed into a

large, black, cloth suitcase.

The case was mentioned briefly in

the Burwood Local Court Monday.

Stani-Reginald is alleged to have

murdered Thakkar last Wednesday.

He was arrested Friday night and

charged for Thakkar's murder, the

media report said.

About 20 friends and family mem-

bers of Thakkar, who had been liv-

ing in Australia to study accounting,

turned up at the court Monday.

"We are very upset, of course, and

are just waiting to get justice ASAP.

She was very nice, the type that got

along with everybody and she didn't

deserve this, such a painful death,"

The Age quoted a friend as saying

outside the court.

Pamela Young, a police official,

said Thakkar was a respectful young

woman and did not deserve this at

all.

Young said Thakkar's parents had

not yet made plans to come to

Australia and police hoped to return

her body to India for a proper Hindu

funeral service.

"I understand her father is very

ill," she was quoted as saying.

Niralee, a cousin of Thakkar, said

the victim was "a lovely human

being" who was too young to die.

"No human being should ever

deserve something like this," she

said.

New Delhi: Radio collars have been

removed from 12 out of 18 students

of the sham Tri Valley University in

California, said the National Human

Rights Commission (NHRC) which

had issued a notice to the Indian min-

istry of external affairs on the issue.

'The ministry of external affairs

(MEA), in response to the NHRC

notice, has informed that radio col-

lars have been removed from 12 out

of 18 students in Tri Valley

University in California, US and the

same are expected to be removed

from the remaining students very

soon,' a statement said on Tuesday.

Taking suo motu cognizance of

media reports alleging human rights

violation of the students who were

victims of visa fraud, the commission

had issued a notice to MEA through

its secretary Feb 7 calling for a report

in the matter.

'The ministry has emphasized that

the students were in the US on valid

visas or authorisations and the inves-

tigations being conducted by the US

authorities pertain to violation of visa

conditions relating to class atten-

dance, residence and work,' the state-

ment said.

'The Indian government has strong-

ly protested with the US government

the clamping of radio collars on the

ankles of Indian students of Tri

Valley University,' it added.

Indian student raped, killed in Australia,body put in suitcase

Radio collars removed from 12 students offake US university

DIASPORA

It was a big

day for the

I n d i a n

American Forum

for Education

(IAFPE) –

Virginia chapter

when the

G e n e r a l

Assembly of

Virginia, at its

full Senate

Session, recog-

nized and

admired the

IAFPE. Many of the members

from Washington and Richmond,

who had arrived at the VA

Capitol, were ushered into the

Assembly and stood up to the

applauses of the Senators.

IAFPE had, indeed, made a big

presence in the Assembly where

Lt Governor, who is also the

President of the VA Senate looked

up to Gallery and, interestingly,

said “Wow, so many people!”

It was also a proud moment for

India and Indians in USA when

Satish Korpe and Sanjay Mittal

were welcomed by Lt Governor

Bill Bowling and were honored to

say Hindu Prayer (both in

Sanskrit and English) in the

Assembly. The Lt Governor also

offered gratitude by giving gifts to

Mittal and Korpe.

Earlier, in an adjoining Senate

Building, more than 40 VA

Senators and Delegates, belong-

ing to different Districts and

Counties of Virginia, met the

IAFPE Members, at a breakfast,

and spoke on the current bills pro-

ceedings in the Assembly. They

freely interacted on various politi-

cal subjects and also answered

questions as raised by the

Members. (The correspondent is

a member of the IAFPE and had

also accompanied the delegation

to the General Assembly at the VA

Capitol, Richmond)

Political education forummeets VA senators and

delegates

Houston: Two Indian-origin pro-

fessors are among the four to have

been named 2011 MacVicar

Faculty Fellows for their outstand-

ing undergraduate teaching, men-

toring and educational innovation

at Massachusetts Institute of

Technology (MIT).

This year's honorees are

Bishwapriya (Bish) Sanyal of the

Department of Urban Studies and

Planning; Christopher Schuh of

the Department of Materials

Science and Engineering; and

George Verghese and Patrick

Winston, both of the Department

of Electrical Engineering and

Computer Science.

"It is certainly in the spirit of

Margaret MacVicar's commitment

to students that we award these

prestigious fellowships and recog-

nize the creative efforts of MIT's

outstanding teachers.

"This year's fellows are deeply

committed advisors and mentors,

they have led important curricu-

lum changes and made significant

contributions to programs in stu-

dent life," MIT provost L Rafael

Reif said during a reception at

Gray House.

At present, there are 38 mem-

bers of the MacVicar Faculty

Fellows Program, which was

established in 1992 to provide an

annual allowance to support facul-

ty undergraduate teaching efforts,

he said.

The 10-year fellowship program

was initiated to honor the life and

devotion to the teaching excel-

lence of Margaret MacVicar '64,

ScD '67, MIT's first dean for

undergraduate education and

founder of UROP (Undergraduate

Research Opportunities Program),

Reif said.

Bishwapriya Sanyal, who

received his PhD in urban and

regional planning from the

University of California at Los

Angeles, joined the MIT faculty in

1984 after previously working for

the World Bank, and served as the

head of the Department of Urban

Studies and Planning from 1994 to

2002 and chair of the MIT faculty

from 2007 to 2009.

Sanyal, currently the Ford

International Professor of Urban

Development and Planning, also

directs the SPURS/Hubert

Humphrey program at MIT for

mid-career professionals.

George Verghese, a professor of

electrical engineering, has been

part of the MIT faculty since

1979. He received his B Tech from

the Indian Institute of Technology,

Madras in 1974; his MS from the

State University of New York,

Stony Brook in 1975; and his PhD

from Stanford University in 1979,

all in electrical engineering.

Having a broad educational

impact in the Department of

Electrical Engineering and

Computer Science, he has taught a

range of courses, and in recent

years has been involved in the

evolution of the "header" course in

communication, control and signal

processing.

The provost's advisory commit-

tee, which assists the provost in

selecting new fellows, is chaired

by Daniel Hastings, dean for

undergraduate education, and

includes faculty and students.

MIT honors two Indian American professors

Picture taken inside the VA Senate at the time ofHindu prayer read by the IAFPE-VA members

Chandan Gambhir (right) is amember of the IAFPE who

accompanied the delegation to theGeneral Assembly at the VA

Capitol, Richmond

Tosha Thakkar

India Newswire 9

TheSouthAsianTimes.info March 19-25, 2011

New Delhi: The Manmohan Singh gov-

ernment plunged into fresh crisis as the

opposition joined hands to demand its

resignation and said it had lost the moral

right to govern following allegations on

WikiLeaks that MPs were bought to win

the 2008 trust vote.

The clamor for the government's res-

ignation, which forced adjournments in

both houses of parliament, saw the Left

parties, the main opposition Bharatiya

Janata Party (BJP) and the Samajwadi

Party amongst others unite.

The government responded by saying

it could not comment as the cables

between the US government and its

missions abroad were inaccessible for

the government of India.

US diplomatic cables leaked on

WikiLeaks and published by The Hindu

newspaper purportedly say that that

payoffs had been made to MPs to

ensure majority for the Congress-led

government in the confidence vote over

the India-US nuclear deal.

Nachiketa Kapur, a political aide of

Congress leader Satish Sharma, is quot-

ed as saying that a fund of Rs.50 crore

had been formed to pay MPs. He also

apparently showed two chests contain-

ing cash meant for the pay-offs.

"Sharma's political aide mentioned to

an embassy staff member in an aside on

July 16 that Ajit Singh's (Rashtriya Lok

Dal) RLD had been paid Rs.10 crore

(about $2.5 million) for each of their

four MPs to support the government.

"Kapur showed the embassy employee

two chests containing cash and said that

around Rs.50-60 crore (about $25 mil-

lion) was lying around the house for use

as pay-offs," according to the leaked

cable.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok

Sabha Sushma Swaraj said the issue had

"shamed Indian democracy". She

mocked the government saying "all this

has taken place right under the nose of a

so-called honest prime minister". This

has come to light now, she said, recall-

ing that three BJP MPs had brought

cash to the house in 2008 during the

trust vote. But then speaker Somnath

Chatterjee had ordered an inquiry

against them instead of taking cog-

nizance of the matter who was distribut-

ing the wads of cash, she added.

She said: "An official of the US

embassy was shown a chest full of cash.

Is this a display of the bullying tactics of

the government or its shamelessness?

"This government has lost the moral

authority and the right to continue and

the prime minister should resign imme-

diately."

Samjawadi Party's Mulayam Singh

Yadav, who had voted in favor of the

UPA government in 2008, said: "I had

also played a role in saving the govern-

ment. This defames even me. If all are

painted with the same brush, we will

also lose face. Only a discussion on this

matter can clear our name."

Communist Party of India (CPI)

leader Gurudas Dasgupta added: "Never

in the history of Indian democracy has

such a news report appeared in newspa-

pers. Money was paid to members. This

is the murder of democracy. If the prime

minister does not deny this he should

resign immediately.”

It was no different in the Rajya Sabha

with BJP's Arun Jaitley stating that the

"government survived on the basis of a

political sin" and had no authority.

Faced with the barrage of criticism,

the government said it could neither

c o n f i r m

nor deny

the alleged

revelations.

Fresh Wikileaks: Opposition guns for govt

CBI to probeRaja aide's

suicide

Davis's release challenged in Pak court

Islamabad: A petition was

filed in a Pakistan court chal-

lenging the release of CIA

security contractor Raymond

Davis, who was let off after

paying compensation to the

kin of the two people he had

shot in January, a media

report said.

The petition filed by barris-

ter Iqbal Jafri in the Lahore

High Court stated that the

families of the two dead

Pakistani nationals - Faizan

and Faheem - were pressur-

ized by the government into

pardoning Davis, Dawn

News reported.

The petition said Davis's

pardoning and immediate

release was in violation of the

law, and requested the court

to invalidate the decision and

direct the authorities to initi-

ate proceedings against those

who brought about his

release.

A court in Lahore acquitted

Davis after payment of com-

pensation. A US Air Force

plane carrying 12 men,

reportedly including Davis,

later took off from Lahore

airport for Afghanistan.

Davis, 36, shot dead two

Pakistanis on a motorcycle in

Lahore Jan 27, in what he

described as an attempted

armed robbery. He claimed

he acted in self-defense. He

was a member of a security

team assigned to protect CIA

operatives in Lahore collect-

ing intelligence on militant

groups

CIA security contractorRaymond Davis was let offafter paying 'blood money'to the kin of two people he

had allegedly shot.

BJP MPs show the wads of cashthey had allegedly been bribed on

July 22, 2008, the day theManmohan Singh government

faced the trust vote.

New Delhi/Chennai: The

Central Bureau of Investigation

(CBI) said it had been asked to

probe the suicide by Sadiq

Batcha, a close aide of dis-

graced former communication

minister A. Raja. A CBI official

confirmed to IANS that the

Tamil Nadu government had

transferred the suicide case to

it.

The Tamil Nadu government

earlier on Thursday said it was

transferring the case as the CBI

was investigating the spectrum

scam and had questioned

Batcha.

Batcha, 47, was found hang-

ing at his Chennai home on

Wednesday afternoon. His

autopsy was conducted on

Thursday and the body handed

over to the family.

Batcha was under the CBI

scanner to check whether his

company, Green House

Promoters, was a conduit for

the money generated in the

spectrum scam.

CBI officials visited Batcha's

house and carried out investi-

gations. Police officers said

Batcha hanged himself with a

rope on a hook used to tie a

baby cradle. According to

police, Batcha left behind a sui-

cide note asking his wife S.

Reha Banu to forgive him. He

also requested his brother-in-

law to take care of his family.

Batcha's wife has said her

husband was under pressure

because of the CBI's investiga-

tion into the spectrum scandal

and the media spotlight on him.

Sadiq Batcha, a close aide ofdisgraced former communica-

tion minister A. Raja.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has

stayed a Mumbai court's order granting

bail to Pune stud farm owner, Hasan Ali

Khan, alleged to be the country's biggest

tax-evader, and granted his immediate

custody to the Enforcement Directorate

for four days.

An apex court bench of Justice B.

Sudarshan Reddy and Justice S.S. Nijjar

said it was doing so in the face of

extraordinary situations and the com-

plexity of the situations involved in the

money laundering cases against Khan

the ED is probing.

The court also expressed its bewilder-

ment over the detailed order of

Mumbai's principal sessions judge M.L.

Tahilyani refusing the ED custodial

interrogation of Khan and granting him

bail.

SC stays Hasan Ali's bail

TheSouthAsianTimes.info March 19-25, 2011

10

Celebrate a safe and com-pletely natural Holi this year! Here are some safety

tips to prevent damage to skin, eyes and hair due to chemicals. This fes-tival was traditionally celebrated using natural colored extracts from seasonal herbs. However gradually, synthetic colors and dyes, most of which contain a cocktail of danger-ous chemicals, came in vogue. Now again organic or natural colors are available, choose them.

Skin Care- Use natural/skin friendly and

herbal colors or the ones made by reputed companies using natural products.

-Wear clothes that cover the maximum part of your body.

-Apply waterproof sunscreen on all exposed body parts.

- Trim your nails properly .Use a thick coat of nail paint on the nails and put Vaseline under the nail edges.

- After Holi, use warm water and moisturizing soap to scrub the colors off. Use a baby oil to gently mas-sage off the leftover color. Follow this up with lots of moisturiser, espe-cially one that is meant for sensitive skin to correct dryness.

Eye Care Eyes are extremely vulnerable to

harmful chemicals in colors. Water balloons can also injure eyeballs, especially in children.

-Make sure that colors do not get in-side your eyes. If they do, immedi ately

Play it safe and natural

Unabashed Merry Making

White is passé, try sexy and stylish

Holi falls on March 19 this year. This multi-hued festival allows you to drop enmities and inhibitions, and affords an occasion

to grab a respite from the tedium of work and splash some color on the monochromatic, humdrum life. Follows a vibrant

SATimes’ section to mark the festival. Enjoy!

wash the eye with large amounts of water and in case irritation persists, medical aid should be sought im-mediately.

- You can use sunglasses to pro-tect your eyes from water balloons or water jets.

Hair care-If possible, cover your hair.

Make use of a hat or cap as a protec-tion against hard-to-rinse dyes.

-Use hair gel so colors do not stick on your hair and can be washed off easily later. Rinse your hair with a mild shampoo as early as possible but don’t keep on wash-ing them again and again.

General Tips - Avoid running and jumping on

wet floors, you can slip and injure yourself. Your bones are especially vulnerable.

- Avoid too much indulgence in bhang, alcohol or food to avoid a bad day ahead.

- Do not drive if you are high on alcohol or bhang for your and other road users’ safety.

Wearing old white clothes on Holi is passe. With people becoming in-

creasingly fashion conscious, hot pants, backless blouses and off-shoulder tops in vibrant colors have taken a front seat this Holi.

“Yes, there has been a drastic change in the people’s perception towards Holi, especially the young-er generation. They want to have fun but not at the cost of losing the glamour quotient,” Delhi-based de-signer Riddhima Chauhan said.

“Bollywood plays a major role in inspiring these youngsters to go for the trendy way and what could be a better option than showing the sexy curves in figure-hugging dresses,” she added.

Holi songs in movies like “Mo-habbatein”, “Waqt - Race Against Time” and “Action Replayy” started this trend where Kim Sharma-Shamita Shetty, Priyanka Chopra and Neha Dhupia respec-tively brought a revolution in the dress code for Holi.

Style divas are constantly spot-ted in body-hugging short dresses to skin hugging tights and transparent fabrics at Holi parties and adding glamour to the celebration of colors.

“Light colored tunics matched with multi-colored pajamis or an-kle length trousers, with chiffon dupattas, are some of the trends in vogue. Not only young girls but

also married women are trying to get away from their traditional look; so the demand for saris with halter neck and backless blouses has increased,” Delhi-based de-signer Meera Gupta said.

Mumbai-based designer Digvi-jay Singh, said: “Skin show is something not too many mind on this occasion. No matter what you wear, eventually you will get drenched,” he said.

For Deeksha Aggarwal, a young girl pursuing her B. Com (H) from Delhi University, it’s all about how you mix both the cul-tures together.

“With the changing times, skin-revealing garments are no longer

the point of discussion. And this is the reason why I am going to wear a Rajasthani lehenga that I will team with a stylish and sexy choli. I will not only manage to keep my parents happy but will also set a trend,” she said.

So what should trendy people wear this Holi?

“Holi means a splash of colors, so why stick to the basic white? Col-ors like raspberry, bubblegum pink, coral, mauve, and electric blue are surely going to make you feel spe-cial this Holi. Side cowl, trapeze and tulip can be the best accessories this time,” said Divya Gupta, own-er of clubwear brand Yell, which offers a special Holi collection.

By Parveen Chopra

There is no other country in the world other than India with a calendar so choc-a-bloc with

festivals and celebrations. Some are pan-Indian, and some regional or hyperlocal. They run the entire gamut of life—religious, cultural, social, seasonal, pagan. A common element is the community’s com-ing together and boisterous partici-pation, the other is a respite from routine life and tedium of work.

Diwali and Holi remain the two biggest Indian festivals. But while Diwali has a more pious, religious tinge, and could be observed in quiet in the confines of home, Holi is un-abashedly paganistic and can only be celebrated in a group, bigger the better. The idea is to make merry—eating, drinking, singing, dancing. Intoxicants are no taboo. Smearing others with gulal, dousing them in colored water—are all meant to break down boundaries: physical,

psychological, of caste and class. Inhibitions fall, so much so that

certain tribal communities give sanction to post-pubertal boys and girls to elope and consummate their relationships. Holi is also a safety valve, for every once in a while one must let one’s hair down, the feet up and boost the spirit, sort of charge life’s batteries.

As the festival falls at the onset of spring in March, new beginnings are made. Old enmities and disputes are dropped along with the winter woolens, a kind of social spring-cleaning. Bonhomie prevails. One lesson is the importance of laughter in life and of occasional overturn-ing of conventions. In Hindi heart-land, Hasya Kavi Sammelans (also named Mahamurkh Sammelan) are organized where poets recite hu-morous poems and the chief guest is declared Mahamurkh (Biggest Fool), a title coveted by many.

Each Indian state and region

has a different and specific way of cel-ebrating Holi. But most widespread, at least in north India, is Holi’s as-sociation with the eternal and divine love between Radha and Krishna. Their dalliance and color-play is the subject of scripture and song.

God is forever playing Holi—look how colors abounds in nature. We can only hope to imitate if not enhance god’s creation.

Besides the colorful Krishna con-nection, the legend of Holika has given rise to the tradition of burning bonfires on Holi night. The demon Hiranyakshipu wanted to kill the devout Prahalad and ordered the young boy to sit on a pyre on the lap of his demoness sister, Holika, who had a boon that fire would not burn her. But when the fire started, Holi-ka burnt to death while, protected by his Lord Vishnu, Prahlad survived unharmed. So, to commemorate the victory of good over evil, the burn-ing of Holika is celebrated as Holi.

Holi is unabashedly paganistic and can only be celebrated in a group, bigger the better.

Bonfires, originating from the Holika myth, commemorate the victory of good over evil, like Diwali, the other biggest Indian festival besides Holi.

United Colors of India11 As the brief spring warms the landscape, India cuts loose for a day of

boisterous celebration and general hilarity. The festival of Holi is

celebrated on the day after the full moon in early March every year. And

it’s not just the northern part of the country which is dunked in colors.

The festivity is spread across the country with Holi taking many regional

forms. Here’s how the festival is celebrated throughout the length and

breadth of the country in different forms.

Braj Holi – Uttar Pradesh

The Braj ki holi, also known as the famous Lathmar

Holi, is played in the sprawling compound of the Radha

Rani temple in Barsana near Mathura in Uttar Pradesh.

Thousands gather to witness the Lath Mar holi when

women beat up men with sticks as those on the sidelines

become hysterical, sing Holi Songs and shout Sri

Radhey or Sri Krishna.

Lathmar Holi of Barsana is the most popular and colorful form of the festival.

Kaman Pandigai – Tamil Nadu

In the state of Tamil Nadu, people worship

Kaamadeva for his supreme sacrifice on the occasion of

Holi. People know Holi by three different names Kaman

Pandigai, Kamavilas and Kama-Dahanam.

Holika Dahan is referred to Kama-Dahanam in South India.

Phagu Purnima - Bihar

Phagu Purnima is another name for Holi where Phagu

means the sacred red powder and Purnima or Pune is the

full moon day, on which the festival ends. At some

places like Bihar, Holi is also known as Phagwa as it is

celebrated in the later part of the month of Phalgun and

the early part of Chaitra in the Hindu calendar. This cor-

responds to the English months of March-April.

The Holi celebrations at politician Lalu PrasadYadav’s home are the most famous in Bihar. The festival

is known as Phagwa in the state.

Baithki, Khari and Mahila Holi - Kumaon, Uttarakhand

The uniqueness of the Kumaoni Holi of the Kumaon

region in Uttarakhand lies in its being a musical affair,

whichever may be its form, be it the Baithki Holi, the

Khari Holi and the Mahila Holi which starts from

Basant Panchmi. The Baithki Holi and Khari Holi are

unique in that the songs on which they are based have

touch of melody, fun and spiritualism.

The Kumaoni Holi is characterized by its musical nature.

People of Maharashtra

commonly know this

festival of colors by the

name of Rangpanchami

as the play of colors is

reserved for the fifth day

here. Locals of

Maharashtra and Goa

also know Holi as

Śigmo or Śiśirotsava.

The festival is particu-

larly popular amongst

fisher folk. They cele-

brate it in on a large

scale and revel in the

festivities by singing,

dancing and merry-mak-

ing.

A young man at the Goa Holi Festival, also known as Śigmo.

Dulandi Holi - Haryana

Holi receives this name in the state of Haryana. Here,

bhabhi - the brother’s wife gets an upper hand on the day of

holi. And, devar's - husband's younger brothers need to

watch out. The bhabhi's on this day get a social sanction on

Holi to beat their devars and make them pay the price of all

the pranks they played on them for the entire year. Besides,

there is also a tradition of breaking the pot of buttermilk

hung high in the street by forming a human pyramid.

In Haryana, bhabhi's get a social sanction to beat their devars on Holi.

Dol Purnima - West Bengal

Holi by the name of Dol Purnima is celebrated with

fervor in the state of West Bengal. The festival begins

early morning with students dressing up in saffron-col-

ored clothes and wearing garlands of fragrant flowers.

They sing and dance to the accompaniment of musical

instruments like ektara, dubri, veena, etc. Holi is known

by the name of 'Dol Jatra', 'Dol Purnima' or the 'Swing

Festival'.

The Dol Purnima festival begins early morning with people wearing garlands of fragrant flowers.

Rangpanchami – Maharashtra, GoaHoli gets this joyful name in

the state of Punjab. The festival is

celebrated in an entirely different

manner, it's meaning and signifi-

cance also shifts a little here.

Hola Mohalla is actually an

annual fair that is organized in a

large scale at Anandpur Sahib in

Punjab on the day following the

festival of Holi. The festival is

celebrated for three consecutive

days, in which members of Sikh

community display their physical

strength by performing dare-devil

acts like bareback horse-riding,

standing erect on two speeding

horses, Gatka (mock encounters),

tent pegging etc.

Sikh Nihangs perform a traditional Sikh martialart called Gatka in Anandpur Sahib as part of the

Hola Mohalla festivities.

Hola Mohalla - Punjab

By Swathi A.K.

Holi is celebrated all over

India – the why and how

may vary. Its Krishna

connection, however, prevails far

and wide. More so in Mathura-

Vrindavan area or Braj Bhoomi,

associated with him. Holi there-

fore has a special fervor and

uniqueness there.

We all know the immortal,

divine love of Radha and Krishna.

The tradition of playing with col-

ors on Holi is said to have origi-

nated from the ‘leela’ of Radha

and Krishna. As per the story told

in song and scripture, the young

Krishna was always jealous of

Radha's fair complexion and

would constantly complain to his

mother Yashoda as to why she

was so fair and he so dark. To

console him, Yashoda would ask

Krishna to smear Radha’s face

with colors. Taking his mother’s

advice he would teasingly apply

multiple hues to Radha's fair face.

In mock anger, Radha would try

to run away to avoid him.

In the legend of Krishna, he is

depicted as a mischievous boy

playing all sorts of pranks on the

“gopikas” or cowgirls. One prank

was to throw colored powder all

over them. So on the day of Holi,

images of Lord Krishna and his

consort Radha are carried through

the streets and colors fly.

According to mythology,

Vrindavan is the place where he

spent his childhood and left

behind tales of playfulness as well

as mysticism and divinity. This

explains the enigma of Mathura-

Vrindavan, where one can still

feel divine presence of the Lord.

Thousands of devotees come here

every year on a pilgrimage to find

peace and feel divine love.

The Holi celebrations offer

another excuse for the admirers of

the Lord to throng Mathura and

Vrindavan. They come to be a part

of the colorful festivities, to

rejoice in the love and devotion of

the Supreme Being. The festivi-

ties begin with celebrations at the

Dwarkadheesh temple in

Mathura. The priests mostly use

natural color made from mixing

Tesu flower with lukewarm water,

so that the little Krishna doesn't

catch cold. This is followed by a

special ritual and the customary

worship of Lord Krishna at the

temple. The festival lasts for 16

days. The tradition of playing

with colors as part of Holi cele-

brations is steeped at Banke-

Bihari temple of Vrindhavan. This

temple is also an important tourist

destination and attracts people

from all over the world. Dance

performances and singing recitals

are held here an delicacies served

in feasts.

Barsana, in Mathura district, is

said to be the birthplace of Radha.

It is now known for the “Lath

Mar” Holi played in the sprawling

compound of the Radha Rani tem-

ple. Thousands gather to witness

the distinct “Lath Mar” Holi,

where women beat up men with

sticks even as those on the side-

lines become hysterical, sing Holi

songs and shout “Sri Radhey” or

“Sri Krishna”. The Holi songs of

Braj mandal are sung in pure

“Braj Bhasha”. Men also sing

provocative songs in a bid to

invite the attention of women.

Women then go on the offensive

and use long staves called lathis to

beat men folk who protect them-

selves with shields.

The Barsana Huriyarins

(women) start

preparations a

month in

advance. The

m o t h e r s - i n -

law feed their daughters-in-law

rich food to be able to participate

and show their prowess on the

battlefield of Holi. It is a show of

love, fun and equality, one that

even the gods descend to witness.

Traditionally, it is believed that

Lord Krishna, accompanied by his

friend gopis from Nandgaon town

in Mathura district, went to his

beloved Radha's village in

Barsana and played Holi.

A dance style associated with

Krishna's childhood is Raaslila.

According to the Bhagwat Purana,

Krishna and the gopis had danced

the Raas on the banks of the

Yamuna at Vrindavan. When the

gopis felt conceited about Lord

Krishna dancing with them, he

disappeared from their midst. In

the agony of separation from their

beloved Krishna, the gopis enact-

ed his lilas (divine episodes of his

life) which in course of time came

to be known as the Raaslilas. The

Raaslila in its present form is

ascribed to Swami Haridas and

Shri Narayan Bhatt. Only young

Brahmin boys of 13 to 14 years of

age can perform the Raaslila. The

charming childhood pranks of

Shri Krishna constitute the main

them of these dramas.

The Krishna ConnectionIn Mathura-Vrindavan area, the playground of Krishna, Holi is

celebrated with a special fervor and uniqueness.

Barsana, in Mathura district, is said to be the birthplace of Radha. It isnow known for the “Lath Mar” Holi played in the sprawling compound

of the Radha Rani temple.

Shri Banke Bihari Mandir in the holy land ofVrindavan is the most revered temple in the entire

Braj region of northern India.

Artists dressed as Krishna andRadha are showered with rosepetals during Holi celebrations

in Mathura.

Complexion complex

Little Krishna asks his mother

Yashodha why his beloved Radha is

fair in color and He dark complex-

ioned? Mother Yashoda smiles and replies

with immense love that He was born in the

dark midnight that’s why He is dark

skinned. ”Oh my love, the black kajal of

beautiful and fair skinned Radha's eyes has

cast a spell of love on you. Hence your

complexion is dark.”

To get over his complexion complex,

Yashoda goes on to advise Krishna to smear

Radha’s fair face with color.

Here are the lyrics of this popular, playful

song.

Yashomati maiya se bole Nandalala:Radha kyun gori, Main kyun kala? Boli musakati maiya, lalan ko bataya:

(2X)Kali andhiyari adhi-rata me tu aya.Ladla Kanhaiya mera, ho...o...o,Ladla Kanhaiya mera kali kamaliwala,isi lie kala.Boli musakati maiya, sun, mere pyare,Gori-gori Radhika ke naina kajara re.Kale nainovali ne, ho...o...o,kale nainovali ne aisa jadu dala,isi lie kala.

A Madhubani painting depicting Radha-Krishan playing Holi in Vrindavan.

13

TheSouthAsianTimes.info March 19-25, 2011

14

Photos by Jyoti Mulchandani

Colors in monochromatic sand

People in the desert state of Rajasthan use every way to make their life colorful.

Holi is a godsend.

By Prakash Bhandari

Rajasthan is itself a color-ful state and is known as a province of festivals. Holi

has special significance here and is the most awaited of festivals. Cel-ebrated at the onset of spring, this festival is regarded as the harbinger of the season. In the Hindu calendar Holi is one of the major festivals. Amid colorful Holi festivities, all disputes are left behind amity pre-vails. Holi also succeeds in break-ing all barriers of caste and class.

According to Hindu mythology, Phalgun Purnima is marked for the celebration of Holi. In Rajasthan, a bonfire begins the festival. The sec-ond day involves applying colored powder on each other-- this day of the festival is known as Dhulandi. People of Rajasthan also enjoy a special drink during the festivities, known as Thandai or Bhaang.

Men and women, young and old, rich and poor, all are touched by the joyous spirit of this festival. Bois-terous revelers spare no one during Holi and delight in splashing. color on everyone around.

Various regions of Rajasthan cel-ebrate Holi in their own different ways. In eastern Rajasthan which is influenced by Brij culture and in the region of Bharatpur, Alwar, Dholpur and Sawai Madhopur, revelers could be seen singing and performing the Raaslila dance, originating from the im-mortal love-story of Radha-Krishna.

All of Bharatpur comes alive to the sound of folk melodies on Holi.

There was a time during the heyday of the princes, when the raja-maharajas and thakurs (nobles) would mingle with the commoners and play with colours.

In Ajmer regionMali Holi: The ‘mali’ or gardener

community of Ajmer region has a unique style where the men splay the women with colored water and women retaliate by hitting them with sticks or long pieces of cloth.. Gair at Godaji: Men from 12 villages collect at Godaji village near Ajmer to play Gair, a traditional dance a few days after Holi. Each village brings his own drummer and Gair troupes. The picturesque location for it is a val-ley surrounded by hills on all sides. Thousands of onlookers and close to a hundred players make a wonderful sight and a fond memory.

In Pali also people assemble and dance wearing the traditional attire.

In Bikaner members of the Bram-hin community particularly ‘Harsh’ and ‘Vyas’ communities have been celebrating Holi by throwing water at one another with force for the past more than 300 years. A specially de-signed vessel called ‘dolchi’ made from camel skin is used for the pur-pose. But the water is thrown only at the back of an individual. In Shekha-wati region, the region of wealth cre-ators which gave to the country Birlas, Bajajs, Khetans, Goenkas, Morarkas,

Dalmiyas, Modis and Singhanias, Holi holds special significance. There was a time when the male folk would go to bigger cities to earn their livelihood or soldiers would be serv-ing the army in various parts of the world.But they would make it a point to return home to celebrate Holi. The festival of Holi is also celebrated as the “return of the natives”.

A few days before Holi, the rev-elers start assembling and play dhol and sing and dance. Usually a good looking male is dressed as a female and is made to dance with the men folk to the beating of the dhol. The dhol is made of animal skin and a good player of the dhol could mes-merize the people with drum beat.

Poets have penned innumerable songs for Holi and there is one song expressing the joy of returning home after toiling in the big city for earning money and how happy one feels after meeting one’s own friends after a long time. Holi also brings lovers close and there are happy numbers sung by women to celebrate the arrival of their beloveds. But in the midst of the fun and frolic, some women cannot but sing sad songs as their husband or loved ones fail to visit home because

of preoccupation or because of rea-sons beyond their control.

In JaipurIn Jaipur, Holi is celebrated with

much fun and gaiety. In the famous Govinddeoji Mandir, the Phagotsav is celebrated and dance troupes com-prising numerous males and females dance before the idol of Govinddeoji. During one such dance recital the women softly hit others with a stick in what is called ‘Latthmar Holi’. The Pink City on Holi day witnesses processions in which some eligible bachelor perched on the back of an elephant is taken around the walled city, announcing that this eligible bachelor is on a bride hunt. Much before the Holi all over the city ‘ratri jagrans’ are organized where reli-gious bhajans are sung.

In Jaipur for the past 40 years a Hasya kavi sammelan (humorous poetry session) called ‘Mahamurkh Sammelan’ is organized and Hindi and Urdu poets recite their poetry before a large crowd of 50,000. The poetry session is presided by a donor who is conferred the title of “Maha-murkh” (Biggest fool) by the organiz-ers. There is great demand to becomethe chief guest of the evening and peo-ple pay handsome amounts for the honor. The money thus raised is paid to the invited poets. In Jaipur, the state tour ism depart-ment organizes an el-ephant festival certainl to mark the Holi festi-val, which is y the most colorful elephant event! The pulse of energy shoots like an electri-cal current through the

Elephant Festival and crowds from all over the region pour the previous eve-ning into Jaipur’s Chaugan Stadium set against the background of the ma-jestic Nahargarh fort. It’s a celebration where a large number of tourists come as it is heavily promoted by the tourism department. The decorated elephants with a mosaic of colors adorning the trunk and ears of the elephants pro-vides a good photo op to the tourists.

Dancers and musicians join the festival and the tourists throng the ground to take photographs of the elephants playing polo. But this el-ephant festival for the past couple of decades has not seen any innovations or new features. However, note that this festival affords free entrance.

Some hotels and resorts organize their own Holi festivities for the tourists who are often asked to stay indoors to avoid the hooligans on the streets and the rowdy elements who often misbehave with the tourists.

But the brave among the tourists go out of their hotel rooms, face often drunken revelers who shoot water-guns and buckets of water on them and smear their faces with fast colors that take a few days remove. But that is the spirit of this festival.

Revelers sing and dance and consume Thandai-Bhang and make merry to celebrate Holi in the state .

A few days before Holi, people start assembling and play dhol and sing and dance.

On Holi, Jaipur sees processions in which a man perched on the back of a decorated elephant is

taken around the walled city, announcing that this eligible bachelor is on a bride hunt.

All for cultural andcommunal harmony The boisterous Holi of Beawar, 55 km from

Ajmer, has a different hue altogether. Dr. Pradeep Kumar Sarda

India, despite its cultural diver-

sities and regional differences

celebrates its religious festivals

with gaiety and enthusiasm. Two

major festivals, Deepawali and

Holi coincide with encashment of

crops and end of hard work of the

previous 5-6 months. Although

both the festivals are based on the

theme of good defeating evil, the

celebrations have entirely different

tone.

Where Deepawali is a sober and

to an extent serious festival invok-

ing gods for well being and pros-

perity, Holi is a festival of gaiety,

exuberance, dancing and with pas-

sage of time has acquired rowdy

overtones. Based on narrations and

religious facts, celebrations during

Holi are also associated with Lord

Krishna.

India has a number of religions,

communities, social groups with

subsets, different cultural back-

grounds, religious practices and

regional differences. Often dictat-

ed by geographic compulsions, the

same festival is celebrated in dif-

ferent ways.

In Beawar, a small town in

Rajasthan, Holi celebrations hap-

pen at a scale involving the entire

town. Two particular events mark

the celebration-‘KODA MAR

HOLI’ and ‘BADSHAH KI

SAWARI’. These also make it

unique to this town. Thus Holi, a

festival of colors, has predominant

theme of male-female interaction,

where playfulness has surfaced.

Permissive relationships are

explicitly demonstrated.

The practice of this behavior is

also based on the female acquiring

an aggressive role in shooing away

her partner with wooden staff

(lathi) as in parts of UP, Bihar and

other northern states. The proto-

type is, well touted, BARSANE KI

HOLI of Mathura-Vrindavan.

Koda Mar HoliIn the Cobbler community

(Jingars) of Rajasthan, the same

practice is modified in the form of

Lashes replacing the lathi. With

the passage of time and perhaps

economic considerations the

Leather Lash has been replaced by

cloth lash prepared on the spot

(sari). The interaction is free for

all, across age groups, in the open,

for a limited time. As is obvious

from the pictures, vulgarity is not

the theme and perhaps not accept-

ed. A major observation can be

made that Indian culture permits

permissiveness in the society, even

in overt form.

Badshah Ki SawariKing Akbar the Great had his

ways to maintain communal har-

mony and preserve the rich cultur-

al roots.

Pleased by the presence of mind,

resourcefulness, and managerial

capabilities of Raja Todarmal (a

Vaish by community, and one of

his Navratans), the great emperor

permitted him to be the king for

two and a half days, to demon-

strate his happiness.

Raja Todarmal, in turn, went

about in a ceremonial procession

and distributed all the treasures

among the citizens. Pleased and

infatuated by his friend’s indul-

gence, Raja Birbal (Mahesh Dutt),

danced ahead of the king’s

(Todarmal’s) procession. On

reaching the palace, a pleased and

happy Emperor, Akbar himself,

received Todarmal and Birbal. The

same sequence of events is re-

enacted and practiced in Rajasthan

by the Agarwal community with

religious fervor on Holi.

Beawar, about 55 km from

Ajmer, was established by Colonel

Dixon. ln 1851, he started the cele-

brations of having a fair dedicated

to this event to maintain communal

harmony.

The Badshah is from the

Agarwal community, dressed by

the members of Maheswari com-

munity. The Thandai (a drink made

with several ingredients including

cannabis) is prepared by the mem-

bers of Jain community.

Birbal is from the Brahmin com-

munity. The Badshah is selected in

the morning. About two and a half

quintals of Thandai is distributed

free of cost in the city.

The citizens accept it as “Prasad”

and get inebriated and participate

with fervor in the procession. They

demand pocket money, which the

king gladly throws, now in the

form of Gulal from the truck-top

(earlier elephant top).

To gain the mental and physical

strength for the same, Birbal prays

to BHAIRONJI and in a nearly

intoxicated state (effect of thandai)

he starts dancing to the deafening

beats of drums, and playing of

Holi songs.

The procession ends at the local

administrator’s (district magis-

trate) reminiscent of AKBAR

office late in the evening.

On reaching, first they exchange

a lot of Gulal, followed by frenzied

dancing and then at the end, the

two-day Badshah gives instruc-

tions to the local administrator

how to maintain communal

harmony.

‘Birbal’ dancing and requesting Bherubaba to give him strength todance all day long

Women Beating men with KODAS made of saris

Streets flanked by colors of holi

The entire town witnessing the gulal throwing by Birbal (Photos: Shreya Sarda)

Word between ‘Birbal’ and District Magistrate

16

Harvest time in tribal GujaratVisiting Gujarat in March is a pleasure to behold the vibrant

beats of tribal music as the tribal communities in the state enjoytheir traditional entertainments following the Holi harvest.

By Anil Mulchandani

The names sounded poetical-

ly enchanting when Kr

Harendrapal Sinh (Sinh is

in use in Gujarat, the land of

lions; in other states it is Singh for

tiger!), the owner of Darbargadh

Poshina heritage hotel, told us

about the tribal fair that occurs a

fortnight after Holi near his vil-

lage in the northern districts of

Gujarat. “The fair is called Chitra

Vichitra and is at the site of a

Shiva temple associated with

Chitraveer-Vichitraveer of the

Mahabharata, overlooking the

confluence of the Aakar and

Vaakar rivers with the Sabarmati

river,” he explained. “And this is

one of the best sites to experience

tribal culture at its colorful best in

Gujarat.”

We set off in the morning from

Ahmedabad and drove four hours

past Himmatnagar, Idar and

Khedbrahma after which came the

turn for Poshina. The narrow road

to Poshina led past fields and

hills. The village is a fairly busy

one, being the centre of about 90

smaller villages, tribal hamlets

and settlements of pastoral groups

like the Rabaris, with a crowded

bus station and a colorful market-

place where brightly-dressed trib-

al girls were walking around, tur-

baned men were unloading their

produce, and shoppers galore.

Walking into the village, we saw

pottery workshops where the

famous votive terracottas are

made. A man was dexterously

shaping clay into pots on the pot-

ter’s wheel while women painted

the utensils with white on earthy

tones. At the workshop, we saw

the terracotta horses and a few

elephants that tribal groups of the

region revere. The horse is espe-

cially sacred to the Garasias as

their local deity, Bakar

Bhavsingh, is said to ride a horse

in the Aravalli foothills called

Bakar. After buying the terracotta

from the potter, the horses and

other animistic figures are placed

in a shrine usually located under a

sacred tree or on open land near a

water-source, and hundreds can be

seen together, some of them

decades old. After being wor-

shipped, the horses are said to

give away their holy powers to the

spirits who are given these as

offerings with requests to ward off

evil spirits and give a good har-

vest. They are then left at the site.

Sometimes, these terracotta hors-

es and wall-paintings like the

pithoras and warlis adorn tribal

homes as a means of deflecting

evil spirits.

After breakfast, we drove to the

Chitra Vichitra site and found

vehicles jam-packed on the way

carrying tribal groups to the fair.

Some men were walking with

their musical instruments. Strains

of tribal music filled the air when

you approached the site. The fair

starts at night at the confluence of

the rivers, which is holy to the

Bhil and Garasia tribal groups.

Chitraveer and Vichitraveer are

said to have repented for their sins

here. Ancestors are worshiped,

followed by the tribal groups from

nearby villages coming together

to make offering to the flowing

rivers for their ancestors.

As the morning progressed,

mourning gave way to rejoicing

with the turbaned men and bright-

ly attired women dancing at the

fairgrounds, singing and playing

local instruments. Ferris wheels

and other amusements were the

order of the day, and a bazaar

sprung up with freshly harvested

produce, utensils and jewelry,

local snacks, and objects like mir-

rors, talc powders and cosmetics

commonplace to us but attractive

to dwellers of these remote hilly

areas. Eloping (in public view) rit-

ual prevails among the Garasia

community and it is quite com-

mon to see men running with

women towards the hills.

The Chitra-Vichitra fair

Holi in Chhota Udepur

Among many fairs and cele-

brations in the tribal-domi-

nated eastern districts of

Gujarat in March-April, Kvant or

Kawant fair held during the Holi

festivities near Chhota Udepur is

certainly the most striking.

Driving towards Kvant, it is possi-

ble to see large groups of women in

colorful clothes wearing eye-catch-

ing jewelry, walking to attend the

fair. Most of the men are also

vibrantly dressed for the occasion.

Some men play the flute and women

play cymbals (manjeera). Jeeps,

buses and trucks filled with people

head towards the site.

At the site of the fair, the atmos-

phere is festive. Men with painted

bodies, peacock feathers adorning

their turbans, and sometimes masks

to suit the dance, play musical

instruments and form human pyra-

mids. The dances are effervescent

and enlivened by music, with

gourds hung on the belts of the

dancers rattling to enhance the

rhythm of the dance. A variety of rit-

uals can be witnessed during the

fair.

Continued on page 19...

Ferris wheels and other amusements are the order of the day at the fairs. (Photos: Dinesh Shukla )

18

Tribals take part in festivities with gusto

Traditional instruments being played at Chitra-Vichitra fair

A tribal woman all decked up for the occasionJeeps, buses and trucks are jam-packed with peopleheading

towards the site of the fair.

Desert enchantment ofJaisalmer

A very colorful Holi celebration is held in the old quarters of the fort, which is a living heritage,

with people residing within its walls.

Continued from page 18

19

The fort of Jaisalmer rises

from a rocky hilltop in the

heart of desert plains like a

vision from the Arabian Nights.

This is one of the few forts that are a

living heritage, with people residing

within its walls. A very colorful Holi

celebration can be seen in the old

quarters within the fort walls.

Its very first sight at dawn, which

gives its yellow sandstone a golden

hue, began my love affair with this

medieval citadel which is defined by

its many carved havelis, ornate

palaces, crumbling sandstone build-

ings and bazaars. Founded in the

12th century by Jaisal, a Bhatti

Rajput ruler, Jaisalmer thrived on

business from the trade caravans

traveling into India from the north-

west. After the coming of modern

ports in the 19th century, Jaisalmer

began to lose its importance.

Tourism rescued the city from

becoming derelict, together with the

presence of armed forces because of

its proximity to the border with

Paksitan. Jaisalmer today is a popu-

lar place for tourists attracted by its

medieval flavor and the mystery of

the desert surrounding it.

We started our exploration of

Jaisalmer at the fort, which loomed

up impressively in front of us with

its 99 bastions and rugged walls. A

paved road took us through huge

gateways while winding up to the

‘chowk’, a large square dominated

by five-storey façade of the

Maharawal’s palace which displays

the fine stone masonry of Jaisalmer

in its balconies and screens.

Continuing past the palace which

now houses a museum, we came to

clusters of Hindu and Jain temples.

The seven Jain temples, most of

them built in the 15th and 16th cen-

tury by wealthy Jain traders, are

exquisitely carved with finely

sculpted motifs on walls, columns

and windows. The Gyan Bhandar

has an outstanding collection of

beautifully illustrated Jain palm leaf

manuscripts, some a thousand years

old. From here, we walked through

living quarters, some of them rather

filthy, before climbing the ramparts

with canons and cannon balls, for a

view of the desert countryside.

Descending from the fort, we

wandered around the streets and

lanes lined with facades covered

with latticework, reliefs and sculp-

ture. The highpoint is the Patwaon-

ki-Haveli, a complex of residences

of a Jain family in a cul-de-sac. This

19th century haveli has extraordi-

narily attractive protruding bal-

conies, called jarokhas, carved

columns and sculptures. A few min-

utes away Nathmalji-ki-Haveli was

built around 1885 and has some

really fine carvings, some of which

reflect European influences in the

carriages, cycles and steam engines.

We walked east to Salim Singh-ki-

Haveli which has a lavish pavilion

like upper storey with overhanging

balconies and blue cupolas. Built

around 1815 the haveli has taken

some knocks during earthquakes.

From the havelis, we headed to

Gadisar lake which is a tank

approached through a finely carved

historical gateway. In the afternoon,

we set out for the Sam sand dunes

for a camel ride. Back at Jaisalmer,

there were many Holi fires burning.

We were warned the next morning

would be boisterous but the owner

of a guesthouse in the fort invited us

to witness it from his balcony in the

early morning when the crowds had

not gathered. Hundreds of people

gathered in a square where they

started painting each other’s faces

and throwing gulal at each other.

Within no time pink powder created

a cloud all around the square. The

whole atmosphere was of gaiety and

it was one of the most colorful

scenes we could ever hope to see.

We were off to an auspicious start

– a desert fox skulking among the

scrub with its white-tipped tail visi-

ble over the bushes.

The grasslands trilled with bird-

calls. I took out my binoculars and

started scanning the grass and bush-

es for birds. Within a few minutes, I

had spotted a good number – a

desert wheatear feeding on insects

among the grasses, short-toed larks

running around the grassfields in

jerky spurts, a sparrow lark flying

up on rapid wing beats before nose-

diving in a spectacular display,

flocks of bush larks flitting around

the bushes, a pipit perched on a

rock. This is also a good site for

birds of prey – pallid harrier, light

bodied hawks, were flying low over

the grasslands searching for prey, a

magnificent dark-brown tawny

eagle was perched on a low acacia

tree, a buzzard was soaring over-

head, and a kestrel was eating a

rodent on the ground.

Presently, we saw the star attrac-

tion of the Indian desert – the

endangered Great Indian bustard, as

much a flagship of India’s bird con-

servation movement as the tiger is

for forest conservation.

As we continued on the camel trek

through the enclosed grassland, we

saw chinkara, the graceful Indian

gazelle, four more Indian bustards at

a distance, and the migratory

Macqueen’s bustard. We returned to

the rest house in time to see sand-

grouse flying to a water trough call-

ing cattr, cattr, loudly on their way.

I relaxed at the rest house, watch-

ing larks, chats and other birds

around it, and opened the packed

lunch I had carried from Jaisalmer

which I shared with the forest

department staff who in turn gave

me their local food.

(Author and freelance writerAnil Mulchandani has writtenextensively about India includingTRAVELLERS KERALA &SOUTHERN INDIA, a travelguidebook published by ThomasCook Publishing, UK.)

Dangs Durbar, held in March-April,

honors a tradition that began in British

times when the rulers and other leaders of

villages got together for gatherings called

‘durbars’ or audiences. The tradition contin-

ues today in the Dangs, a tribal district, as

many of the former Rajas and Naiks are still

accorded the status unlike the princely fam-

ilies whose titles and privy purses were

abolished. This is the time for great festivity

at Ahwa, the district headquarters, and at

the hill resort of Saputara. For visitors, it is

a great opportunity to see tribal communi-

ties like Bhils, Kunbis, Warlis and Gamits

in their traditional attires. Tribal dances are

spectacular to watch as the dancers move in

concentric circles to the beat of percussion

and wind instruments.

A cloud of gulal gathers in the main square of the fort as Holi is celebrated. (Photos by: Dinesh Shukla)

The fine stone masonry can be seen on facades of palaces and havelis.

Dangs Durbar

Surender Sharma:On a laugh riot

Hasya Samrat, as he is called, Surender Sharmawill be in New York for RANA Holi celebration

22

By Hiral Dholakia-Dave

His name needs no introduction. Es-

pecially for those, who have their

origins from the Hindi speaking

states of India. A very well poet whose wit-

ty, humorous jokes which he presents with

his trademark straight face have enthralled

generations of people who appreciate clean

comedy. Little wonder then that the stal-

wart has also won the title of ‘Hasya Sam-

rat.’ Surender Sharma will be in New York

for the Hasya Kavi Sammelan organized

by the Rajasthan Association of North

American as a part of its annual Holi cele-

bration on April 2.

SATimes caught up with this popular

gem of Hindi literary circles from India,

who’s all set to unleash a laugh riot in the

US. Of course it goes without saying that

when you are interviewing someone who

has a way with his words, that too a hilari-

ous one, your job becomes all the more

joyful.

Ask him why he chose this unconven-

tional career option and his reponse with-

out blinking an eyelid that is, is “since I

was doing nothing after college, thought

might as well do this.”

Orginially from village Nangal Chaud-

hary, district Mahendergarh in Haryana,

Sharma grew up in Delhi for most part of

his childhood. Despite studying with Eng-

lish as medium of instruction all through

out his school and college, his strong grip

over Hindi, Haryanvi and Marwadi lan-

guages helped him reach audiences far and

wide. “Mein hamesha kehta hoon, English

k dwara car milegi, Hindi k zariye sanskar

milta hai aur zindagi jeene k liye dono hi

chahiye,” he says. (Learning English can

lead to owning a car but it is through your

mother tongue that you imbibe culture). He

adds, “People say if you don’t learn Eng-

lish you’ll be left behind, I say if you don’t

learn your mother tongue you’ll be cut off

from your own culture and people.”

His straight face and glum expression

while dishing out his jokes became his USP

as he left his viewers of the good ol’ Door-

darshan days and audiences at ticketed

shows in splits. It all started during college

days with a jovial set of friends. “I was a

shy guy in first year of my college, besides

I always had a serious face. My friends

used to get amused a lot when I shared

jokes without changing the glum expres-

sion. At that time there was no such real-

ization, tab toh galiya padti thi (I was

scolded then). I even failed in my second

year. Didn’t inform my father for six

months till a friend did the favor. But my

father was easy going,” he says.

Parents have become a lot more focused

about their children’s progress now, he

goes on to add. “KG 2 ka baccha aur 2 kg

ka baxa,” (A kid of kindergarten ends up

carrying a school bag weighting two kilos).

The depth of his thinking reflects in

every oneliner he comes up with. Empha-

sizing importance of education with ethics

he says, “Anpadh ne pau chhuye aur edu-

cation k saath hath milana shuru kara. Agar

juk nahi payenge toh uth nahi payenge,”

(An illiterate son used to bow down to his

elders but with education sans ethics he

prefers shaking hands instead. If one can’t

bow down to elders, one won’t be able to

rise high as a person). He adds, “However

much a successful person you become in

life you need to see to it that you don’t lose

your humble nature. (kisi bhi height par

pahunch k aap k pairo ne zameen toh nahi

chhodi na). Only a rooted tree grows tall, a

kite flying in the sky can come crashing

any moment.”

While his father was a manufacturer of

ayurvedic medicines back home in a

Haryana village followed by another facto-

ry in Delhi, Sharma realized he didn’t have

it in him to run a business. “I ventured into

50-60 businesses but lost money on each.

My father was not keen on expanding. He

was happy with what he had achieved. His

idea was to lead a satisfied life with what

he had on hand and not lose sleep over its

growth. But I was the opposite. So we did-

n’t get along on business philosophy and

eventually I quit,” he says.

What started as a fun routine in college

went on to become his hobby and soon

people started inviting him. “Earlier I used

to go and present on stage my poems and

satires free of cost but eventually got com-

mercial since I realized people were taking

advantage. I never looked back since then,”

he says.

Sharma has followed his heart all along.

“I never set any career goals for myself.

And I always curtailed my wants. If one

doesn’t get what he wants, he gets frustrat-

ed and a frustrated person can never create

humor. Mein jis mukaam par hoon, vahi

manzil samaj leta hoon (the journey is the

destination for me).”

His famous starting line for many of his

poems is chaar lainaa suna raha hoon

which means I am going to say four lines

when translated. While family and educa-

tion remain his favorite subjects for satire,

politics too finds way in his presentations.

But he insists that he doesn’t write on pub-

lic demand. “I say what they should be

hearing and not what they like to hear. That

is not important to me. Generally I make

educational entertainment. The idea is that

what I say should reach your heart and it

should not touch vulgarity,” he says.

Sharma says he is very much inspired by

Rajasthani poet Vimlesh and impressed by

Osho as a thinker. “I like Osho because he

quoted my four peoms in his discourses. I

never got a chance to meet him. During a

program at Osho Ashram I was told he was

listening to me in his bedroom on TV.”

Sharma has explored various mediums

during last 40 years of his career. Be it his

popular column in news paper - ‘Atpate

sawal, chatpate jawab’ for years together or

his daily talk show ‘Sharmaji se puchho’

on Red FM for four years. His three books

‘Buddhimano ki murkhtae’, ‘Bade bado k

utpat’ and ‘Mansarovar k kauve’ have been

published. Currently he is vice president of

Sant Parmanand Hospital, a 150 bed hospi-

tal in Delhi which was first opened in

Haryana in 1932 and visited by the liked of

Mahatma Gandhi, Indira Gandhi and Jawa-

harlal Nehru for the credible work it did

reaching out to people

He lives in Delhi with his mother Shanti-

devi, 85, wife, Savitaji and two sons and

also has a daughter who is married.

Hasya kavi Surender Sharma is known to regale audiences with his dead pan sense of humor

Arun Gemini: Bondingwith audience

The popular Delhi-based poet will be in NY for RANA’s Holi celebration

By Hiral Dholakia-Dave

Being son of a respected name

in Hindi literature came with

its own set of expectations

but Arun Gemini took to it like a fish

takes to water. In the process also

evolved his own style and fan fol-

lowing which makes him one of the

most sought after hasya kavis of our

generation. With his innate talent of

keeping audiences glued to their

seats for hours together, Gemini has

been able to strike the right chord

with his satirical presentations.

Gemini started writing poems at a

very young age and he candidly con-

fesses that since he couldn’t find a

proper job after his graduation he

took to independent writing. Of

course hailing from a well estab-

lished family in the field did make

his job easier. “Earning respect was

definitely not tough given the lineage

but after that it was solely on me to

prove my talent. Apna hi khel hai

phir toh,” he says.

Thirty years into the field and it has

been a pleasant journey all the way.

“I met so many people at numerous

events that I was a part of. Seeing so

many laughing faces in front of you

creates a bond with the audiences.

Plus you make so many relationships

along the way. I have been to the US

eleven times and at times for month

long tours. You make new friends,

get acquainted with new families

who eventually become your extend-

ed families. I have been a guest of so

many hosts and I value all those rela-

tionships,” he says.

But it wasn’t always a cake walk.

Getting married was certainly a

tough call given his unconventional

choice of carrier. “When people used

to come asking they used to say ‘kavi

hai par karta kya hai’ (he is a poet al-

right but what does he do for a liv-

ing!),” he laughs remembering his

struggle.

“I had to start a business - at least

so that my parents could say that I

was doing something worthwhile,”

he says.

And indeed the effort did pay off

and he found his wife, “par 2.5 lakh

funkne k baad” (but after blowing off

two hundred thousand dollars), he

quickly adds.

In his inimitable style he shares the

details of the situation. “My mother-

in-law though had a hard time. When

people used to ask her what does her

son-in-law do, on learning that he

was a poet, they used share their

sympathies with her (weh sahanub-

huti ki drashti se dekhte the).”

Having catered to a variety of au-

diences all over, Gemini does agree

that when it comes to presenting in

front of NRIs it does require a lot of

thinking of issues which they could

connect with. “Being Indians they

are aware of the ground realities in

our country. Besides they are not

keen on satirical takes on the nega-

tives. One has to bear in mind that

they don’t get too many occasions to

socialize with fellow Indians and

when they do they devote utmost at-

tention and hence relish the time

spent to the core.”

Social values and family situations

generally make up for the most pre-

ferred topics of audience interest fol-

lowed by politics. However, Gemini

agrees that people are bored of lis-

tening to jokes on political leaders.

Always a jolly person, Gemini

took to stage since he was in class

five. “I never had stage fear so that

helped,” he says.

After initially paying heed to pub-

lic demand, Gemini believes in get-

ting the audiences to listen what he as

a poet wishes to convey. “But first

you need to establish a bond with

them,” he says.

Born in Haryana and brought up in

Delhi, Gemini did his post gradua-

tion in Hindi followed by a diploma

in journalism. He lives with his

mother, sister, wife, son and a daugh-

ter who is married.

Given the spate of comedy pro-

grams on television, didn’t he think

of joining in? “I can’t tolerate below

the belt humor. Comedy has to be

clean enough for an entire family to

enjoy together. And it is a tough job

to produce that kind of humor. None

of the comedy programs we seee on

Indian TV caters to family entertain-

ment hence I stayed away from it,”

he explains.

He has been conferred Om Prakash

Aditya and Kaka Hatharsi Hasya

Ratna awards. A collection of his po-

ems ‘Filhal itna hi’ has been pub-

lished too.

23

TheSouthAsianTimes.info March 19-25, 2011

24

By Anil Mulchandani

The festivities are musical in the Visva-Bharati University of Santiniketan. You can hear Tagore’s songs and enjoy the

artsy atmosphere of this university which has a world-famous arts college. Here, the Spring Festival celebrations called Basant Utsav start in early March and continue to Dol Poornima, which falls on March 19, 2011. We took an early start for Santiniketan from Kolkata and checked-in at a hotel near the uni-versity town. In the morning, we set out to visit Santiniketan, the land of Rabindranath’s father, Maharshi Debendranath Tagore. Rabindranath Tagore started Patha Bhavana with five pupils learning in a classroom under a tree as he be-lieved learning in a natural environment would be more enjoyable and fruitful.

After he received the Nobel Prize for Lit-erature, the experimental school was expanded into Visva-Bharati in 1921. Among its illustri-ous students have been Indira Gandhi, Satyajit Ray and Amartya Sen.

We walked around the Uttrayan complex where Tagore lived with buildings in different styles: a temple with European stained glass windows but without an idol as the Tagores believed in Raja Ram Mohan Roy’s Brahmo Samaj, which believes in one God, who is the creator and sustainer of the world and infinite in power, wisdom, love and holiness. There are also Nandlal Bose’s paintings, abstract struc-tures, and classrooms, which in keeping with Tagore’s vision are still alfresco.

When Dol Poornima day dawns, the students of Visva-Bharati University dress up in yellow and orange clothes and wear garlands of fragrant flowers. They sing and dance to the accompa-niment of stringed musical instruments like the Veena and Ektara.

Throughout West Bengal, on Dol Poornima, idols of Krishna and Radha are placed in a palanquin, which is taken round the main streets. The devo-tees take turns to swing them while women dance around the swing and sing devotional songs. Dur-ing these activities, the men keep spraying col-ored water and colored powder at the women.

In West Bengal homes, the head of the family observes fast and prays to Lord Krishna and Ag-nidev. He smears Krishna’s idol with gulal and offers “bhog” to both the deities.

This is a good day to try the classic Bengali sweets like Sandesh and Payash.

Dreamed up by Tagore, Santiniketan is one of the best places to enjoy Holi, called Dol Poornima or Dol Jatra, in Eastern India.

Holi at Santiniketan

Dol Jatra in Santiniketan

Wearing yellow and orange, students sing and dance.

Santiniketan is a center for kantha, batik and other handiwork.

Baul singers at Santiniketan.

Photos by Jyoti Mulchandani

Outside Rabindra Bhavan, a museum with photographs and memorabilia, were girls selling earrings made of seeds. Driving around, we saw institutes for sciences, arts, humanities, Indology and Japanese studies. While the buildings are not as well-kept as we imagined and there are those who feel Visva-Bharati is not as idyllic as Tagore dreams of Santiniketan, the Kala Bhavan is a top-class arts institute attracting foreign students.

We drove from here to Sriniketan, which has the Institute of Rural Reconstruction founded in 1922 at Surul, about 3 km from Santiniketan, with Leonard Elmhirst as its first Director. It is a campus extension of Visva-Bharati. We stopped on the way at Amar Kutir. We watched artisans at work on kantha, batik, leatherwork, pottery and other crafts. Much of the route has the red laterite soil that Tagore called `Rangamati’ and has not been surfaced in his honor.

After shopping, we drove to Ballavpur which has been developed into a natural sanctuary for deer. Walking around, we saw a herd of spotted deer coming for water at a trough. Further ahead, we saw a large male spotted deer with velvety antlers. The trees trilled with bird calls. We saw a maroon-headed oriole on a branch, a tree pie in a tree, a flameback woodpecker climbing up a tree, a fantail flycatcher whistling loudly. Pres-ently, we came to a lake where we saw pintail and shoveler ducks. To watch more ducks, we drove to another side of the wetland area which is now a fenced-off bird sanctuary. Walking along the fence, we could watch huge rafts of duck floating on the water, herons fishing on the waterfront, and waterhen among the aquatic grasses.

25

By Anil Mulchandani

With the hordes of pil-

grims that visit Puri

each day, we weaved

our way from the parking area on

Grand Road to the Jagannath

Temple, which soared some 65

meter high in front of us with the

wheel of Vishnu and a flag rising

above the pinnacle. As at other

religious places in India, around

the temple is a cluster of shops

selling rudraksha malas, idols,

pictures of Lord Jagannath with or

without his siblings, prayer offer-

ings, textiles and handicrafts for

tourists, and souvenirs.

The temple is the center of the

Dhol Jatra or Dolo Utsav, as Holi

is called in Orissa. On this day,

idols of Jagannath are taken

around the streets of Orissa in

palanquins, and in Puri the deity

coming out from the main temple

is eagerly awaited by devotees.

Amid loud bhajans and brilliant

colors, the Lord is brought out in

a grand and colorful procession

along with idols of goddesses.

Once they reach the pavilion

called the mandap, the three

deities are then placed on a jhulla

or a swing.

Puri is one of the four dhams or

divine abodes, like Dwarka in

western India, Badri-Kedar in the

north and Rameswaram in the

south, which makes it a major pil-

grimage for Hindus, one of the

most visited temples. The temple

has four entrances - the southern

gate has equestrian figures, the

northern gate has elephant figures,

the western gate has tiger figures.

With other yatris we entered from

the eastern gate with huge musta-

chioed lions flanking the gate, and

walked past a 10m high monolith-

ic Aruna Stambha pillar brought

here from Konark in the 18th cen-

tury. The temple has a 55m high

shikhara and four shrines in a row.

Like all temples of Orissa, this

one too has an assembly hall

called Jagamohan, a hall for offer-

ings called the Bhoga Mandapa, a

dance theater for ceremonial per-

formances, and the central hall-

way. The panda shows that 30

subsidiary shrines and a yatra is

complete when you visit three or

more of them, and take a holy dip

in one of the four sacred tanks.

But we avoided the crowds there

and after booking our Prasad for

the offerings, we filed towards the

main shrine and saw the idols of

Lord Jagannath, his brother

Balabhadra and sister Subhadra.

The temple employs about 20,000

people including 6,000 pandas

and more than10,000 others like

craftspeople who produce all the

materials required for the daily

round of rituals and `servants’

who keep the idols clean.

A panda explained to us, “Puri

came into the limelight as a

Vaishnavite center after the Hindu

reformer Shankaracharya made

Puri one of his four ‘mathas’,

attracting holy men from all over

India for discussions, a practise

continued till this date. The Ganga

dynasty reign enhanced its reli-

gious importance further, espe-

cially after 1135 when

Anantavarman Chodaganga

founded the Purushottama temple,

which was renamed Jagannath

(Vishnu as the Lord of the

Universe) by the Gajjapathi

dynasty in the 15th century’’.

Puri has remarkably molded

itself to its variety of visitors.

Grand Road, the main thorough-

fare with banks, shops and office

buildings, leads to the temple and

around the Jagannath Temple are

the dharamshalas and guest-hous-

es for pilgrims. Marine Parade is

the hot-spot for most domestic

tourists with affordable hotels,

Bengali, Punjabi and South Indian

restaurants, ATMs and a pretty

beachside stretch with recreation-

al facilities and playing areas for

children. Between Marine Parade

and CT Road, a splash of star-

rated hotels and resorts like

Mayfair and Hans Coco Palms

caters to upmarket tourists and

those looking for a splurge in a

great seaside holiday.

CT Road is where the budget

holiday seek-

ing foreign

tourists stays

in low-key

hotels and

guest-houses.

This is the

place to enjoy

the travelers’

scene of

peaceful gar-

den cafes,

r e s t a u r a n t s

done-up with

handicrafts of

eastern India

playing Indian

meditation and

c l a s s i c a l

music, bar-

r e s t a u r a n t s

paying techno

tapes and loud

music, bakeries, international-

style roadside eateries and sea-

facing outdoor dining places

where tourists gather to swap

travel guides and paperbacks,

exchange travel tips and relate

their experiences of travel in

India. And with them are the

attendant services like handicraft

and souvenir shops, curio ven-

dors, money changers and internet

centers. This is a good lane to

look for Japanese, Tibetan, Italian

and every other kind of food.

Earlier Puri was, like Goa,

something of a hang-out for hip-

pies. I remember these psychedel-

ic chillum-smoking foreign youth

on the beach in front of the BNR,

but this scene was brought to an

end by a clean-up act by the

1980s. A few of colorful junkies

can still be seen at the cafes along

the CT Road.

The famous Jagannath temple

In picturesque Puri Jagannath temple is the center of the Dhol

Jatra or Dolo Utsav, as Holi is called inOrissa.

Festive atmosphere in Puri (Photos by Dinesh Shukla )

The tribal tale of HoliFor most people, Holi is about splashing colored water,

smearing friends with gulal exchanging Holi gifts and listeningto evergreen Holi songs. However, for the various tribes of

India, the festival holds different meanings, which reflect notonly their religious and social traditions, but also their joy and

jubilation. Some tribal Holi traditions have their roots in religion and mythology, while others have their social and

cultural significance. Let’s take a look at how the festival ofcolors is celebrated by the tribal population of the country.

The Banjaras: The Banjaras of Andhra Pradesh, locally known asLambadi tribe, celebrate Holi in their own way with a great sense ofcommunal harmony. They perform the Lambadi dance, play pranks

and stage mock-fights. A remarkable ceremony is the dhund ritual forall male off-springs born in that year which comprises honoring the god

of love Kama and the Holika deity.

Tribals of Jharkhand: The tribal State of Jharkhand has its own uniquerituals for the festival. On the day of ‘Agja’ (Holika Dahan), the tribal

women of Bundu, about 45kms from Ranchi, carry broken cane basketson their head, stuffed with flowers and pieces of non-usable items fromtheir houses, and dump it on the outskirts of the village to ward off evil

spirits haunting the village.

Banswara tribe of Rajasthan: Holi is the main festival of the tribals inthe Banswara district of Rajasthan. They wear their traditional dresses,carry swords and sticks, and perform the Gair dance – a typical tribal

dance of the region.

Tribes of Manipur: Yaosang, the Holi festival is celebrated on the full moon of Lamda (Feb/March) and lastsfor six days. Tribal people construct bamboo huts, 'Yaosangs', on the roadside and place an idol of Chaitanyainside it. After offering puja, the idol is removed and the hut is set on fire. The shouts of 'Hari-Bola' and 'He

Hari' are exchanged while the hut is burning. The burnt embers are considered to be very auspicious.Therefore, the ash is collected and used to mark the foreheads of the worshippers and the entrance of the

houses. The main highlight of the festival is the Thabal Chongba dance.

Bhils of Madhya Pradesh: Marriages do not take place in the Holi season but the Bhils spend the entire weekbefore the festival matchmaking. Just preceding the festival is the week-long event of Bhagoria Haat, a coun-try fair where young men and women look for soulmates. During the festival, men and women interact freely,

dancing to the beats of ‘dhols’ (drums) and ‘thalis’ (plates).

26

Bollywood ready for colorful riot

Most wanted Holi songs

As the festival of colors

comes knocking,

Bollywood, along with the

rest of the country, is all geared up

to celebrate it with a great amount

of festivity and glory.

The trend of Holi celebration in

film industry was initiated by

showman Raj Kapoor and his

famous Holi bash at RK Studios in

Mumbai. The tradition still contin-

ues and the RK Studios bash still

remains the most star-studded and

well attended Holi bash in the B-

town. The true champion of filmy

Holi bashes, R.K. Studios is a riot

of colors and festivity every Holi.

The entire film industry and all

their kith and kin arrive in spotless

white to be dunked into the famous

RK color tank.

Living up to his cult song 'Rang

Barse', Bollywood megastar

Amitabh Bachchan is all set for the

festival. Holi celebration at his res-

idence, Pratiksha in Mumbai's

north-western suburb of Juhu has

gained immense popularity and

almost everybody who matters is

personally invited.

Following the Kapoor's and the

Bachchan's, others like Subhash

Ghai, Yash Chopra and Javed

Akhtar and Shabana Azmi continue

to host the annual Holi bash.

For Shabana the Holi spirit never

dies. "It's always an open house for

friends and family on the occasion

of Holi at my parents' home in

Janki Kutir. There's a generous

flow of non-toxic colors, gaana-

bajaana, and khaana...a long-stand-

ing tradition in our house as part of

India's ganga-jumna tehzeeb, says

the actor.

Here's hoping that the entire film

fraternity enjoys to the hilt and has

a colorful and safe Holi this year!

Rang Barse

The chemistry crackled between AmitabhBachchan and Rekha in this song from'Silsila'. It's a perfect depiction of gettingnaughty on Holi with your 'special' friend!

Rang Barase Bheege Chunarwali

Rang barase bhiige chunaravaalii, rang

barase

Are kaine maarii pichakaarii, torii bhiigii

angiyaa

O rangarasiyaa rangarasiyaa, ho

Rang barase bhiige chunaravaalii, rang

barase ...

Sone kii thaalii mein jonaa parosaa

Are, sone kii thaalii mein, jonaa parosaa

Haan, sone kii thaalii mein jonaa parosaa

Are khaae gorii kaa yaar, balam tarase rang

barase

Holi hai!

O rang barase bhiige chunaravaalii, rang

barase ...

Laungaa ilaayachii kaa, are laungaa ilaay-

achii kaa

Laungaa ilaayachii kaa? haan!

Are laungaa ilaayachii kaa biidaa lagaayaa

Haan laungaa ilaayachii kaa biidaa

lagaayaa

Chaabe gorii kaa yaar, balam tarase rang

barase

Holi hai!

O rang barase bhiige chunaravaalii, rang

barase ...

Are belaa chamelii kaa sej bichhaayaa

Belaa chamelii kaa, sej bichhaayaa

Are belaa chamelii kaa sej bichhaayaa

Haan belaa chamelii kaa sej bichhaayaa

Soye gorii kaa yaar, balam tarase rang

barase Holi hai!

O rang barase bhiige chunaravaalii, rang

barase

Holi Ke Din Dil Mil Jaate Hai

This colorful number from Ramesh Sippy's

'Sholay' is one of the best Holi songs with its

lyrics emphasizing on washing away enmity

by splashing color on each other.

Hori Khele Raghuveera

Holi tracks are synonymous with Amitabh

Bachchan and it is inevitable that his name

figures again. This one from 'Baghban'

makes you dance with the dream jodi of

Hema Malini and Big B.

Ang Se Ang Lagana Sajan

This playful track from 'Darr' adds zing to

the hues of Holi and is a flawless depiction

of showering colors of love on each other.

Do Me A Favor Let's Play Holi

Featuring doomed lovers Akshay Kumar

and Priyanka Chopra, this song from 'Waqt'

reminds one of his salad days.

Aaj Na Chhodenge Bas Humjoli

Khelenge Hum Holi

Rajesh Khanna, in his typical style, entices

Asha Parekh on the sacred day of Holi. This

timeless song from 'Kati Patang' is a must on

the list.

Chhan Ke Mohalla Saara

This song from 'Action Replayy' makes a

spanking new entry in the category of Holi

songs with Aishwarya Rai shaking a leg and

splashing color!

Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi at their Holi bash in Mumbai.Actor Anil Kapoor enjoying Holi with daughter Sonam Kapoor.

Holi celebrations at the Bachchan residence, Pratiksha, in Mumbai.

28

Eating and drinking revelry

Dahi Bhalle

By Swathi A.K.

Huge boxes of traditional

Indian sweets like Kala

Jamoon, Rasgullas,

Ladoos and Rasmalai on the

shelves of the sweet shops, and

colorful posters of events and

functions adorning the walls of

Indian dominated streets in Jersey

and New York area add to the

gaiety of the bustling streets with

Indian establishments as people

gear up for the joyous spring fes-

tival celebrated as Holi.

India is a country which has

embraced diversity and fostered

the growth of various religions

and social traditions. Throughout

the year people observe umpteen

festivals and ‘Holi’ – Festival of

colors-- is one of the most popu-

lar of them. It is celebrated with

fervor and ecstasy among all age

groups throughout India.

Though Holi loosens people’s

inhibitions to playfully splash

colored water on one another and

smear colored powder on the face

of anybody at an arm’s length, the

joyous mood is incomplete with-

out gorging on the wide assort-

ment of scrumptious delicacies

and gulping down the mouth

watering drinks. Lip smacking

dishes like the crispy onion frit-

ters, vegetable pakoras, and

crunchy chaats including ‘Paapri

Chaat’, ‘Dahi Bhalle’ and ‘Aloo

Chaat’ and desserts like Gujia and

Gola Ice top the popularity list on

this festival. “I always eagerly

await Holi just to indulge myself

in throwing colors at others and

eating a lot of good food made at

my P.G.” says Nikhil, a college

student living in Jersey City.

The zeal to prepare these dishes

is infectious, but the recipes and

number of delicacies vary with

different traditions and families.

There are people who stick to the

handed down recipes from their

grandmothers and mothers and

cook the most favorite dishes of

the family members. ‘’My family

follows the concept of “Pacca

Khanna” (special food) on Holi

and make it a point to cook Puri

and Bhaji and also relish on Kaza

(round papad),” says, Anupama

Singh , a Delhiite now working

with HSBC in New York.

Among typical Holi drinks

which are popular are Thandai

and Bhang.

Thandai is a soothing drink usu-

ally made of purified water,

sugar, seeds of watermelon and

muskmelon, almonds, lotus stem

seeds, cashew nut, cardamom,

saunf, rose-flower, white pepper

and saffron. A glass of Thandai

offers instant energy and sets the

mood for the festival. Thandai is

more popular in North India.

Banaras is called the hub for

Thandai. Banarasis have a liking

for milk-based drinks and

Thandai is said to be their

favorite.

Bhang was first used as an

intoxicant in India around 1000

BC and soon became an integral

part of Hindu culture. In Atharva

Veda, Bhang is described as a

beneficial herb that "releases anx-

iety". Its preparations were sacred

to Gods, particularly Shiva. One

of Shiva's epithets is "Lord of

Bhang" as he is said to have dis-

covered its transcendental proper-

ties.

In imitation of Shiva, many sad-

hus use Bhang to boost medita-

tion and achieve transcendental

states. Besides, Bhang or

cannabis is also believed to be

popular among Sufis as an aid to

spiritual ecstasy for a long time.

But Bhang is now known as an

official “Holi drink”.

Using mortar and a pestle, the

buds and leaves of Cannabis are

squashed and ground into a green

paste. To this mixture milk, ghee

and spices are added. The bhang

base is made into a nutritious,

refreshing drink.

The intoxicant property of

‘Cannabis’ escalates the spirits of

a person after consuming it and

serves as a healthy alternative to

alcohol.

Youngsters these days enjoy

these drinks for the “kick” they

receive, making them more ener-

getic to indulge in the festive spir-

it. “Honestly, I don’t care about

why people drink this on Holi.

My friends and I have it as it

helps us drop our inhibition and

have more fun with colors,” says

Keyur in Bangalore.

Whether you are the kind who

grabs sweets and other delicacies

from the sweet shops or enjoy

cooking at home on festivals, try

out these couple of recipes and

make your Holi more special and

enjoyable for yourself and your

family this spring.

Ingredients1.Maa Ki Daal washed -250 gm

2. Water to soak daal

3. 1 Onion and Ginger - chopped

4. Green coriander - chopped

5. Green chilies - 2 chopped

6. Cumin seed - 1/2 tsp.

7. Salt - 1/2 tsp.,

8. Soda-bi-carb - 1/4 tsp., Oil for frying,

9. Curd - 750 gm,

10. Raisins - 15-20.

Preparation Wash and soak daal for three hours. Drain

water and grind, add chopped onion, ginger,

coriander-chilies-salt, cumin seed and soda.

Heat oil. With moistened hands, make Bhalla

with daal batter into 2" discs. Deep fry each

Bhalla light brown. Drain oil, keep aside.

Soak in hot water for ten minutes. Press out

water lightly. Beat curds-add- salt - 1/2 tsp.

cumin seeds. Soak-raisins in water for ten

minutes. Add to the curd. Lay Bhallas in a flat

dish and pour curd on it, garnish with red chili

powder-chopped coriander, powdered cumin

seeds. Serve with Imli chutney and extra beat-

en curd.

Drinks like Thandai, snacks likeCrispy onion fritters,

vegetable pakoras, and crunchychaats and desserts Gujia and

Gola Ice top the popularity list onHoli.

Bhang Lassi

Ingredients 1/2 cup water

1/2 cups warm milk

1 tbsp blanched and chopped almonds

1 tbsp chopped cashewnuts

1/2 tbsp chopped pistachios

1/4 tbsp poppy seeds

1/4 tbsp melon (kharbooj) seeds

1/4 tbsp saunf

1/4 tsp cardamom powder

1/4 cup dried rose petals

1 tsp rosewater

1/4 tsp peppercorns

1/8 tsp ginger powder

1/8 tsp cinnamon powder

1/2-3/4 cup sugar

15 gm cannabis leaves and buds (this is

banned at many places and available in limited

stores, one may not use this ingredient)

Preparation Clean the cannabis leaves and buds by remov-

ing any stick and seeds. Wash thoroughly. In a

pot, boil the water. Add all the ingredients,

except sugar and milk. Let it boil on slow flame

for 10 minutes. Strain and keep aside the liquid.

The solid part is grinded in stone grinder by

adding 1-2 tbsp warm milk. Press through

muslin with back of palms, extracting the liquid

into vessel. Repeat the previous two steps till 1

cup milk is consumed and the residue becomes

dry and husk like. The extracted milk should be

smooth. Mix the extracted milk and boiled

water which was kept aside. Add remaining

milk and sugar. Chill for 2-3 hours and serve.

29

Libaas Xclusif

249-12,Hillside avenue,Bellerose,NY-11426

(Next to Dipali, Ph: 631-873-8298)

The true colors of Holi

The festival of Holi is celebrat-

ed in India during the spring-

time wherein people of all

ages delight in spraying each other

with colored and scented water

mixed with saffron. In the last few

years, children have filled balloons

with this colored water and thrown

them at anyone who walks in the

street. This joyous holiday is cele-

brated by older people as well as the

young. Playing together, they often

greet each other by putting a little

mark on the forehead or on the face

with a colored powder called gulav.

This festival is based, in part, on a

story from the ancient Indian scrip-

tures about a young boy, named

Prahlad. His father was a king who

claimed to be God. When the king

realized his son was worshiping

God and not himself, he became

angry. His sister, Holka, had

received a boon that any fire couldnot harm her, and so the king had

Prahlad sit on Holka’s lap and set

fire to both of them in the expecta-

tion that his son would die but that

his sister would survive. According

the story, Prahlad sat in meditation

and as the king watched the fire

burn, he found the body of his sister

deteriorate to ashes whereas his son,

who was sitting in meditation,

remained unharmed. The festival of

Holi commemorates the young

body’s escape from the fire and his

triumph over evil. The night before

Holi, a fire is lit and an effigy of

Holka is burned to signify that good

is ultimately victorious in the end.

Throughout history there are

many stories about the unseen hand

of God protecting His devotees.

Those who serve humanity selfless-

ly and whose aim is communion

with the Lord are always under

God’s divine protection. Like the

young boy, Prahlad, we may pass

through many fires and ordeals in

life because of our devotion to God,

but when we put our faith in the

Lord, then whatever happens is

always under God’s direction, under

God’s sweet will. If we have full

trust, like Prahlad, then God will

pull us out of the fire and lead us to

our ultimate freedom, to the land of

bliss, to our eternal Home.

Holi has another meaning which is

also of great significance. Many of

the saints and mystics have spoken

about the spiritual meaning of Holi.

In the Sant Mat tradition, the saints

explain that whereas we may cele-

brate the outer festival of Holi, we

can also play Holi with the soul’s

Beloved within. Through meditation

on the inner Light and Sound of

God, we can learn to concentrate at

a point known as the single or third

eye, located between and behind the

two eyebrows. When we gaze into

the area which lies right in front of

us, our soul starts to withdraw from

our physical body, and we experi-

ence a multicolored panorama

which bursts forth either as a rain-

bow or as different colors that

sparkle like fireworks. These colors

are actually the true colors of Holi.

Although we may play with the col-

ored waters outside, the colored

lights we see dancing in front of us

are the true colors in which we want

to be absorbed.

During Holi, musical bands play,

brothers and sisters sing songs in the

street, but when we go within

through meditation and discover the

rose-colored spiritual waters of

Naam (the Holy Word), we also hear

the harmony of all Harmonies, the

Celestial Music that God created.

This music is also referred to in

some of the scriptures as the

Unstruck Music, and on this current

of spiritual Music our soul can soar

back to our divine Beloved within

us.

The colored waters that we throw

on each other may color us in red,

blue or green, but the inner waters

of the Divine dye us with the color

of Love. It is only through this

transformation in our hearts,

through love itself, that we can go

back to God and attain our final aim

in life. This color of divine love

dyes us in the hue of the Beloved

which is the Lord.

The joy and pleasure that we

experience in playing Holi outside

only gives us an inkling of the gai-

ety and happiness that we experi-

ence in the inner realms. A spectacu-

lar show of divine Light and Sound

surrounds us and permeates us as

the Lord carries us through the high-

er realms until we reach our eternal

Home which is an ocean of all bliss

and Light.

On this day of Holi, let us sit in

meditation on the inner Light and

Sound of God and enter the inner

playground to enjoy the game of

colors with our radiant Lord and

become dyed in God’s hue of

divinity.

Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj isan internationally recognized spiri-tual leader and Master of medita-tion who affirms the transcendentoneness at the heart of all religions,emphasizing prayer and meditationas building blocks for achievingpeace. www.sos.org.

In the Sant Mattradition, the saintsexplain that where-as we may celebratethe outer festival ofHoli, we can alsoplay Holi with the

soul’s Beloved with-in. Through medita-

tion on the innerLight and Sound ofGod, we can learnto concentrate at apoint known as thesingle or third eye,

located between andbehind the two

eyebrows

30

By Sant Rajinder SinghJi Maharaj

Aries: Take advantage of your stars and

seek favors from important people.

Efficiency will be the key to success, so finish

pending correspondence on priority basis. In a

business environment, your creative ability will

flourish, and you will be able to convey your

new ideas in a simple way. Those planning a trip

abroad will have a pleasant and a memorable

journey. Pleasant news towards the weekend

uplifts the spirit of the entire family. Spiritual

gains for some provide mental peace and com-

fort.

Taurus: This week you need to be high-

ly cautious while doing business. Watch

out for individuals who might think that you

could be easily tricked. This week is definitely

not good for taking any risky chances, especially

with money. Your charisma will no doubt attract

lot of attention. Time spent with old friends will

leave you with happy memories. Travel will be

on your mind, but you need to be extra careful

of your belongings.

Gemini: Opportunities to make financial

gains will develop through connections

that you have recently made. You will get inspi-

ration from your large circle of friends and

acquaintances. Important message from a distant

place, later in the week, will boost your moral

and spirits. Your financial position will improve

from unexpected gains, but your health however

will need extra care, therefore take preventive

medicines if necessary.

Cancer:You need to stop other activities

and finish off pending correspondence

that you have neglected recently. Investment

connected with arts and antiques will be prof-

itable. A visit to a spiritual person or a holy

shrine later in the week will bring mental peace

and happiness. Your health will show remark-

able improvement, but there would be little

activity on the professional front. Avoid people

who like to pry into your affairs.

Leo:This week you will spend much

more than required on your home and

entertainment. You'll have a chance to earn extra

money through the strength of your personality

and wonderful contacts. You will feel that des-

tiny is playing a favorable role in your life and

things are moving according to your plans.

Travelling will be beneficial and educating.

Children may bring in some thrilling news

towards the weekend.

Virgo: You should disassociate with col-

leagues who are fond of gossip and

spreading rumours. Work should be on your top

priority. Your accomplishment will bring you

good results in the long run. Dealing with land

and property matters will ensure gains. Time

spent at home will improve your understanding

about the family needs and bring you enormous

love and affection. Your income will definitely

improve but there will be a rise in expenses as

well.

Libra: This week you will have tremen-

dous mental pressure trying to cope up

with your professional as well as personal

responsibilities. Refrain from any actions or

statements that will make you regret later in life.

Your financial status seems to get better with

new opportunities and ventures in the offing.

Sportsmen and athletes can look forward to

some benefits and fame. Spiritually you will be

gaining a lot.

Scorpio: Positive thinking will have a

good impact upon you, as you integrate

more practical methods into your work and deci-

sions. You will be more skillful in handling your

clients and negotiations will work to your bene-

fit, but you need to keep your secrets to your self

and avoid overspending. Sports and physical fit-

ness programs will be highly beneficial. Those

connected with arts will finally be rewarded for

their efforts.

Sagittarius: Your accomplishments will

exceed your expectation if you concen-

trate on your jobs. Special honor and recognition

will come your way if you help your colleagues

and coworkers. This is also a very good period

for matters relating to the heart, as a casual part-

nership will turn into more serious commitment.

Meddling in the affairs of others should be

avoided. Legal problems will cause a state of

nervousness and tension.

Capricorn: Put your creative ideas to

good use. Taking immediate decisions

will be crucial for your career and your goals,

therefore do not waste your time. Financial front

looks bright as gains from speculation are also

foreseen. Romantic pleasures are assured as

spouse or beloved will be in a loving and caring

mood. Cultural activities will be entertaining.

Journey would yield returns. Some good news

expected during the end of the week.

Aquarius: This week simplicity will be

one of your greatest strengths and your

determination will become your greatest asset. A

close friend or colleague will help you complete

pending jobs on time. Opportunity to meet new

lovers will evolve through your involvement in

functions and ceremonies. It would be wise to

do a safety check on water taps, door and electri-

cal equipment, before going on a vacation.

Unexpected guest makes surprise, but pleasant

visit later in the week.

Pisces: This week you will gain

approval from seniors if you present

your ideas well. Refrain from arguments and

avoid being too outspoken and critical about

others. Property related investment will be high-

ly beneficial. Lectures and seminars that you

attend will be highly interesting and educating.

Financial losses are likely if you get involved in

new ventures or risky investments. Get involved

in creative hobbies in order to relax.

March 19:

Dominated by number 1 and the Sun, you are origi-

nal, confident, honest, methodical and a systematic

person. You have deep interest in spirituality and al-

ways search to find inner peace. You are deeply ad-

mired by people around you, but you need to check

your tendency to behave impatient, extravagant and

moody at times. Opportunities to lift your living

standard will come through new contacts that you

develop this year. You need to concentrate your

maximum efforts into career improvement, as it will

yield desired results. You will do extremely well so-

cially if you travel and get involved in clubs and so-

cial events. Distant pilgrimage is on the cards for

some of you. Spouse and children will be support-

ive but health of your parents will be a matter of

concern. The months of May, August and January

will bring in the desired result.

March 20:

Ruled by number 2 and the Moon, you are imagina-

tive, simple, noble, friendly and highly disciplined

person. You can easily accomplish difficult tasks

with your dedication and hard work, but you need to

control your tendency to behave cynical, stubborn

and introvert at times. Pending problems will get

sorted out. This new phase in your life will bring you

rewards and recognition. Your financial position will

also improve and you will feel more secured and sat-

isfied with whatever you do. Family and friends will

be there for you when you need them. Legal matters

will be complicating and you should avoid standing

guarantee for others, as it will cause embarrassment

and many legal problems. Matrimonial alliances for

few lovebirds. Pilgrimage and religious activities

will bring peace of mind. The months of October and

December will be significant.

March 21:

Governed by number 3 and the planet Jupiter, you

are confident, creative, systematic, generous and an

optimistic person. You are good at building new

contacts, which in return bring you lots of populari-

ty and benefits. You are smart and trustworthy, but

you need to control your tendency to behave extrav-

agant and dominating at times. Professional gains

are all most certain but rise in expenses will bother

your mind. There will be moments when your

achievements will exceed your expectations, but

most of the times you will have to put in your max-

imum to achieve bare necessary results. People who

have stood besides you till now will continue their

support. Relationship with your spouse will be high-

ly cordial and on an even footing, but you need to

control yourself from being to stubborn, which will

create uneasy moments at home. Romantic alliances

will prosper and strengthen. The months of June,

September and February will be significant.

March 22:

Ruled by number 4 and the planet Uranus, you are

energetic, charming, peace loving, creative and an

active person. You are always given great deal of re-

sponsibility at work because people know they can

depend on you. You should receive major success in

your career provided you check your tendency to be-

have jealous, self centered and overconfident at

times. Your planetary position is offering major

changes in your career. New opportunities look

bright and recognition and rewards seem high on

your cards. Your involvement in social activities will

bring you close to important people, who will pro-

vide favors and benefits. Those wanting to travel

overseas for business or pleasure will receive a

boost to their plans. You will have abundance of en-

ergy and you will easily implement whatever you

plan. Health however will need care. The months of

May, July and December will be highly eventful.

March 23:

Ruled by number 5 and the planet Mercury, you are

practical, energetic, trustworthy and possess a strong

intuition. You are highly popular in your group be-

cause you are witty and intelligent. You are helpful

and sensible but you need to control your tendency

to behave vindictive, stubborn and timid at times.

Promising career opportunities ahead for fresh grad-

uates and extremely good period for scholars, scien-

tists, writers and sportsmen as well. This year will

be important for working women, as they will re-

ceive a major boost in their career. Financial gains

are certain but expenses will also take an upward

trend. For those involved in romantic entanglement,

chances of a matrimonial alliance will be quite high.

Travel will bring pleasure. The months of June, Au-

gust & January will be significant.

March 24:

Ruled by number 6 and the planet Venus, You are

energetic, cheerful, trustworthy, dynamic and a me-

thodical person. You have a very strong willpower

and dislike interference of others in your personal

affairs. You are carefree and helpful, but you need to

check your tendency to behave stubborn, vindictive

and dominating at times. Financial gains are cer-

tain provided you associate with people who are cre-

ative and experienced. Improved finances will make

you spend more on luxuries and other living com-

forts. Legal or property disputes will settle around

the middle of the year. New romance for some will

develop through social gatherings and recreational

activities. Health of an infant will cause stress and

anxiety. Religious feelings will arise making you

seek spiritual blessing later in the year. The months

of April, October and January will be highly impor-

tant.

March 25:

Influenced by number 7 and the planet Neptune, you

are active, friendly, ambitious, independent, honest

and possess a sharp memory. You are an optimistic

person who possesses many in-built talents to im-

press others, but you need to control your tendency

to behave impatient and erratic at times.

This year you should move very cautiously espe-

cially when it comes to handling finances. Although

period will be overall good and support from people

will be there, but thoughtless or hasty decisions will

only result in losses. Distant traveling will be on

your mind. Seeking blessing from a spiritual person

during this period will bring mental peace and com-

fort. Job opportunity in the field of sales and mar-

keting will prove promising. Matrimonial alliance

for those seeking a life partner. Proper and timely

diet will be essential for chronic patients. The

months of August and December will prove to be

highly eventful.

Astrology 31

TheSouthAsianTimes.info March 19-25, 2011

By Dr Prem Kumar Sharma Chandigarh, India: +91-172- 256 2832, 257 2874; Delhi, India: +91-11- 2644 9898,2648 9899; psharma@premastrologer.com; www.premastrologer.com

Stars Foretell: March 19-25, 2011 Annual Predictions: For those born in this week

i) Accurate Data: Please make sure Date,

Time and Place of birth is accurate.

ii) Careful: Did you check background of the

astrologer before disclosing your secrets.

iii) Fee: Discuss the charges before, don’t feel

shy. It’s his business.

iv) Expectation: Expect the best, if the out-

come is not as desired, never give up.

v) Consult: Take second opinion before

spending thousands on cure/remedies.

Learn about the fair value of diamonds & precious stones.

To the readers of The South Asian Times

by an expert gems dealer.For appointment, please call 516 390 7847 or

email consult.gems@gmail.com

Before you consult...

Free Consultation

32 Lakme Fashion Week 2011

March 19-25, 2011 TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Full-on Fashion at LFW 2011

India’s topmost designers got together once again to redefine the future of fashion and integratethe country into the global fashion world. The Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) Summer/Resort 2011was the highlight of Mumbai from 11th to 15th March. Held at the city’s Hotel Grand Hyatt, theevent not only saw breathtaking creations by established designers such as Shantanu & Nikhi,Manish Malhotra, Anamika Khanna, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Rocky S and the likes, but also wit-nessed a lot of new talent like Manas Dash, Timsy Kamnoj, Shivaji Dutta, Deepti Pruthi, Manas

Dash, Siddhartha Mittal and even a bunch of Japanese designers. Here’s a sneak peek into whatthe Lakme Fashion Week Summer-Resort collection looked like.

Models display creations by designer Sabyasachi Mukhrjee during LFW 2011 on March 11.

Actor Yuvika Chaudhary displays a creation by designer Sabah Khan.

Designer Manish Malhotra poses with actor KareenaKapoor during the second day of LFW 2011 on March 12.

US actress and singer Jennifer Lopez’s sisteractress Caterina Lopez attends designer Anita

Dongre's fashion show on March 13.

A model displays a creation bydesigner Anamika Khanna on

the first day of the LakmeFashion Week in Mumbai on

March 11.

Former West Indian cricket captain Vivian Richards (R) poseswith daughter designer Masaba.

Actors JuhiChawala and

UrmilaMatondkar

attend Indiandesigner AnitaDongre's fash-

ion show onMarch 13.

ICC Cricket World Cup 33

TheSouthAsianTimes.info March 19-25, 2011

Cup to remain dreamfor Dhoni: Jones

WC quarters: Tight race in Group B

Melbourne: Former Australian

cricketer Dean Jones feels that for

Indian captain Mahendra Singh

Dhoni, winning the World Cup

will remain a dream.

In his column in The Age, Jones

pointed out that history is very

important to cricketers.

"The three main common

denominators consistent with all

World Cup champion teams are:

Your top four batsmen must be of

a high quality.

They must have the technique

to play the new ball, as well as

have the power and stroke play

during Powerplays. They also

must have the fitness to bat

through the whole 50 overs. Your

top four bowlers must be of high

quality, able to absorb pressure

and bowl defensively in

Powerplays. If you can't field,

don't bother turning up!" he said.

"All this taken into account, I

do not believe India will win the

World Cup with its current form.

Everyone here has a huge regard

for the Indian team.

They have the batsmen, no

doubt. Tendulkar and Sehwag can

rip any attack to shreds. But that

alone doesn't win the World

Cup," he said.

New Delhi: South Africa's win

over Ireland at the Eden Gardens

in Kolkata on March 15 and

England's string of shocking

defeats have made it a tight race

for last three spots from Group B

for the knockout stage of the

World Cup.

South Africa became the first

team from Group B to qualify for

the quarters, leaving England,

India, the West Indies and

Bangladesh jostling for the last

three berths with just a handful of

games left before the knockout

stage.

England's progress to the last

eight looked assured but

Bangladesh stunned Andrew

Strauss' men to open up Group B.

England may miss a ticket to the

knockout round if they lose to the

West Indies in their next match.

But if they beat the West Indies,

they may still make the quarters as

they would finish with seven

points.

But England could still make a

first round exit if Bangladesh beat

South Africa.

If Bangladesh beat South Africa,

both will be through with 8 points.

In that case, if the West Indies lose

to India, India and England go

through and the West Indies go

out.

But if India lose to West Indies,

the Caribbean team will finish

with eight as well - leaving

England and India on seven and it

would come down to the net run-

rate and the team with the lowest

goes out.

And if the West Indies-India

match ends in a tie, India will go

through on eight - and England

and the West Indies would have to

compare run-rates.

As of now, the West Indies have

the best run rate of +2.206, fol-

lowed by South Africa (+1.606),

India (+0.768) and England

(+0.013).

From Group A, all the top teams

- Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan

and Sri Lanka have qualified for

the knockout stage.

South Africa rode on JPDuminy's brilliant 99 in 103 ballsagainst Ireland at Eden Gardens

to become the first team fromGroup B to march into the

quarterfinals. South Africa get together after Paul Stirling’s dismissal.

Bangladesh win keeps India on toes

No problemsplaying in

India: Afridi Chennai: Bangladesh, to pose any

serious threat to India's chances,

had to win against the Netherlands

in Chittagong on March 14.

That they did, without breaking

much sweat and climbed to the

fourth position in the Group B

points table with six points.

Their comprehensive win makes

sure that the every other team in

Group B will have to be on their

toes.

Nobody can afford another slip-

up, given the prevailing equa-

tions.You tick one box at a time,

with emphasis on what India can

afford or not.

Bangladesh's victory over the

Netherlands ticks off the first of

them. For the script to unfold the

way the whole of India wants,

Mahendra Singh Dhoni's team

must win against the West Indies

on March 19 here.

Pallekele (Sri Lanka): Pakistan

captain Shahid Afridi, who earlier

voiced concern over playing in

India, has said his team was ready

to play the quarter-final in any

venue. "It does not matter to us

where we play our quarter-final.

The biggest issue for us was to

qualify for the knockout stage, and

we have done that now," Afridi

said after beating Zimbabwe in the

World Cup.

We are ready to play our quarter-

final at any venue now. What I said

earlier is a thing of the past. Right

now we are just happy to make (it

to) the quarter-finals. If we remain

in our confident mode, it does not

matter where our venue is."

Bangladesh’s win against theNetherlands has opened the race

for top spots in Group B.Dhoni’s strategy of seven specialist batsmen and four specialist

bowlers is being questioned post their South Africa defeat.

Teams Mat Won Lost Tied Pts Net RR New Zealand 5 4 1 0 8 +1.957

Pakistan 5 4 1 0 8 +0.729

Sri Lanka 5 3 1 1 7 +2.705

Australia 4 3 0 1 7 +1.645

Zimbabwe 5 1 4 0 2 -0.669

Canada 5 1 4 0 2 -2.046

Kenya 5 0 5 0 0 -3.005

Teams Mat Won Lost Tied Pts Net RR South Africa 5 4 1 0 8 +1.606

India 5 3 1 1 7 +0.768

West Indies 4 3 1 0 6 +2.206

Bangladesh 5 3 2 0 6 -0.765

England 5 2 2 1 5 +0.013

Ireland 5 1 4 0 2 -0.881

Netherlands 5 0 5 0 0 -2.386

Group A Points Tally: Who Stands Where Group B

34 International

March 19-25, 2011 TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Tokyo: Doubts over whether

Japan can contain its nuclear cri-

sis grew as helicopters dumped

water onto an overheating power

plant and more foreign govern-

ments urged citizens to leave

Tokyo. Four military Chinooks

ran a mission to empty containers

holding more than seven tonnes

of water each onto the nuclear

facility damaged by the massive

earthquake and tsunami.

The operation aims to keep the

fuel rods inside reactors and con-

tainment pools submerged under

water, to stop them from degrad-

ing when they are exposed to air

and emitting dangerous radioac-

tive material.

At the same time, Japanese

engineers were focused on restor-

ing the power supply to the

stricken power plant in an attempt

to reactivate its cooling system

and avert a meltdown.

The power supply to the

Fukushima No. 1 plant on the

Pacific coast, some 155 miles

northeast of Tokyo, could partial-

ly resume later, the country's

nuclear safety agency said.

"If the restoration work is com-

pleted, we will be able to activate

various electric pumps and pour

water into reactors and pools for

spent nuclear fuel," a spokesman

for Plant operator Tokyo Electric

Power Co. was quoted as saying.

Australia told its nationals to

leave Tokyo amid the worsening

crisis at the power plant and the

threat of aftershocks. "If you're in

Tokyo or any of the affected pre-

fectures... we are saying that you

should depart," said Foreign

Minister Kevin Rudd.

Britain advised its citizens to

consider leaving Tokyo and

northeastern Japan, though

British officials said there is still

"no real human health issue that

people should be concerned

about".

France's authorities said they

were assigning two government

planes to assist French citizens

who wanted to leave Japan.

US officials warned nationals

living within 50 miles of the crip-

pled Fukushima nuclear plant to

evacuate or seek shelter.

The Japanese government has

told people living up to six miles

beyond the exclusion zone around

the plant to stay indoors. More

than 200,000 people have already

been evacuated from the zone.

Germany, Italy and The

Netherlands also advised their

nationals to leave or refrain from

traveling to the northeast.

France's Nuclear Safety

Authority said the disaster now

equated to a six on the seven-

point international scale for

nuclear accidents, ranking the cri-

sis second only in gravity to the

level-seven Chernobyl disaster in

1986.

US Energy Secretary Steven

Chu said the events in Japan

"actually appear to be more seri-

ous" than the 1979 accident at

Three Mile Island, a partial reac-

tor meltdown that led to small

releases of radioactivity. "To what

extent we don't really know now,"

Chu said in Washington.

Gregory Jaczko, chair of the US

Nuclear Regulatory Commission,

warned there was no water left in

the spent fuel pool of the plant's

number-four reactor, resulting in

"extremely high" radiation levels.

The US military will send a spy

drone to take a closer look at the

reactors in the troubled plant,

Kyodo News reported. UN atom-

ic watchdog chief Yukiya Amano

said the situation was "very seri-

ous" as he prepared to fly out to

see the damage for himself.

The official toll of the dead and

missing after the quake and

tsunami flattened Japan's north-

east coast exceeded 13,000,

police said, with the number of

confirmed dead at 5,178.

Millions have been left without

water, electricity, fuel or enough

food and hundreds of thousands

more are homeless, stoically cop-

ing with heavy snowfalls, freez-

ing cold and wet conditions in the

northeast.

Japan nuclear crisis: Global fears mount

Smoke billows out from Fukushima nuclear plant on the Pacific coast and (right) quake survivors search for their belongings.

India carries radioactive checksNew Delhi: India has started

checking travelers and goods

from Japan for possible

radioactive contamination as

the nuclear crisis in the East

Asian country escalated fol-

lowing last week's devastat-

ing earthquake and tsunami,

knowledgeable sources said.

National Disaster

Management Authority

(NDMA) sources said

checkpoints had been estab-

lished at the Delhi and

Mumbai airports for check-

ing incoming travelers and

their luggage from Japan.

The checks are being carried

out by the Nuclear Disaster

Core Group, which is part of

the NDMA. It is headed by

Major General (retd) J.K.

Bansal.

Meanwhile, some Indian

companies with operations

in Japan are taking precau-

tionary steps, asking their

Indian staff there to relocate

their families and offering

them the option to return

themselves if the situation

warrants.

Global software major

Infosys Technologies

advised its Indian employees

to send their families back to

India. It has also given its

staff there the choice to

return if the situation war-

rants it, a top company offi-

cial said Tuesday.

Another top software

major, Tata Consultancy

Services also said it was

ready to relocate its Indian

staff and their families in

Japan back to India. The

three companies have an

estimated 700 Indians work-

ing in Japan.

Prime Minister Manmohan

Singh told the Rajya Sabha

that there were an estimated

25,000 Indians living in

Japan, and most them were

living in areas that have not

been impacted that adversely

by the natural disaster that

struck the island country.

IAEA chief calls situation 'very serious'

'Iodine 131 greatest threat'

According to Bingham Cady, a profes-

sor of Mechanical and Aerospace

Engineering at Cornell University,

US, “Iodine 131 is the worst environmental

actor emitting from the four stricken nuclear

facilities in Japan’s northeast. It’s radioactive

and has the potential to become airborne and

travel downwind. It will also stick to soil and

settle on the ground.”

“Those in danger of exposure should evac-

uate the area, which could remain contami-

nated for months, even years. Iodine pills –

which have been used in past nuclear disas-

ters – should be distributed to prevent

exposed humans from absorbing contaminat-

ed iodine.” “Because the emergency cooling

systems failed at these four facilities, other

facilities must rethink their own nuclear

safety strategy and implement tighter testing

requirements.”

Vienna: The head of the

International Atomic Energy

Agency (IAEA), Yukiya

Amano, called the situation

at the Fukushima nuclear

plant "very serious" as he

prepared to fly to Japan.

There have been fears of a

meltdown at the plant ever

since last week's magnitude-

9 earthquake and ensuing

tsunami disabled the cooling

systems at all of the plant's

reactors.

"The situation is very seri-

ous," Amano, who is

Japanese said of the dam-

ages at the core of reactors 1,

2 and 3. Nevertheless, with

workers engaged in an-all

out effort to stabilize the sit-

uation, Amano stressed that

"it is not the time to say that

things are out of control".

The IAEA director general

said he would leave as soon

as Thursday for a high-level

meeting to explore further

areas of cooperation

between his agency and

Japan, and to improve the

flow of communication.

Japanese people undergoing radioactive checks.

IAEA head Yukiya Amano.

US shows growing alarmWashington: The United States

showed increasing alarm about

the worsening nuclear situation

in Japan on Wednesday and

urged its citizens to stay clear of

an earthquake-crippled power

plant -- going further in its

warnings than Japan itself.

"The situation has deteriorated

in the days since the tsunami

and ... the situation has grown at

times worse with potential

greater damage and fallout from

the reactor," said President

Barack Obama's spokesman,

Jay Carney.

US officials took pains not to

criticize the Japanese govern-

ment, which has shown signs of

being overwhelmed by the cri-

sis, but Washington's actions

indicated a divide with the

Japanese about the perilousness

of the situation.

Bed bugs are showing up everywhere -

- in homes, hotels and even planes --

and if you don't watch out, you may

find yourself as angry as the single middle-

aged Toronto woman who thought she was

hearing good news when a fortune teller told

her, "You'll never be alone in bed again."

The bed bug population in North America

is rising as fast as the unemployment rate,

which means that if you don't have a job, you

can't just lie in bed. And if you think bed

bugs are a pain, wait until you meet sofa

bugs. Wherever you encounter them, they're

likely to give you itchy restless nights.

"I woke up to find a dozen bite marks on

my back," said a 20-year-old New York

woman. "My doctor says it's either bed bugs

or Marv Albert."

"They're all over my bed!" said a college

student in Pennsylvania. "I wish I hadn't got-

ten a tattoo that says, 'Bite me.'"

"I hate all the bed bugs in hotel rooms!"

tweeted aprofessional basketball player.

"How's a guy supposed to have an affair?"

"Too much scratching going on," he later

tweeted. "Not the bed bugs -- my wife just

scratched out my eyes."

Once you have bed bugs, it can be really

tough to get rid of them. The first step, of

course, is to make sure you have bed bugs

and not some other critters. Just examine the

bite marks on your body. Bed bugs like to

leave small red dots close to each other and

if you connect the dots, you will see a picture

of Muammar Gaddafi. (If you see a picture

of Barack Obama, you do not have bed bugs.

You have democ rats.)

The next step is a drastic one. Take all your

furniture outdoors, spread it around and put

up a large sign that says "Yard Sale." Make

sure you warn potential buyers about the bed

bug infestation by displaying messages such

as "All sales final" and "All items sold as is."

If you don't attract enough buyers, you

might want to put up a more enticing sign:

"Moving Sale." (Just don't tell them who's

moving.)

The final step is to deal with any bed bugs

that are still hiding in your house. The best

way to do this, most experts agree, is to blast

them ruthlessly with one or two Justin

Bieber songs. The bed bugs will rush out of

their hiding places -- and so will any teen-

aged girls. Smack them with an old maga-

zine (the bugs, not the girls).

If you're unable to get rid of all your bed

bugs, try to look on the bright side. Strangers

will be reluctant to enter your home, so you

won't have to worry about crime.

Just ask the 40-year-old accountant in

Seattle. "I got rid of my lazy, good-for-noth-

ing dog," he said. "Instead, I put up a sign

that says 'Beware of the Bed Bugs.'

Everyone has been staying away, even my

mother-in-law."

In some cases, bed bugs can even invigor-

ate your love life. Just ask the 80-year-old

man in the Atlanta retirement home.

"Nothing was happening between my wife,

Mildred, and I until last Saturday," he said.

"Then, in the middle of the night, I heard her

say, 'Oh Harold, it's been so long since you

nibbled my ear.'"

NEW YORK: The vast

"Pokemon" empire is about to get

even bigger with the launch of two

new video games for the handheld

Nintendo DS simply called

"Pokemon Black Version" and

"Pokemon White Version."

Among a certain demographic,

the fierce little "pocket monsters"

generate the type of obsessive fan-

dom reserved for the biggest enter-

tainment icons.

The "Pokemon" video games

center on catching, battling and

trading the hundreds of colorful

characters. As usual, the two new

games, which sell for $35 each, are

slightly different so that players

can buy one and trade Pokemon

characters with others to strive

toward collecting them all.

The new games add more than

150 creatures to bring the total to

more than 640, ranging from the

purple cat creature Purrloin to

dinosaur-inspired Haxorus. The lat-

est games let players battle not just

people they know, as with previous

versions, but strangers through ran-

dom matches using the DS's Wi-Fi

connection.

"Black Version" and "White

Version" are the latest for the kid-

centric empire that has managed to

outlive video game icons such as

"Guitar Hero" and outsell big shots

such as "Call of Duty." The games

are rated "E" for everyone and

have a broad appeal that goes well

beyond grade school kids.

The "Pokemon" franchise is the

second-biggest video game proper-

ty for Nintendo Co and in the

world, not far behind the iconic

"Mario Bros" games. Worldwide,

the game has sold about 215 mil-

lion copies, compared with Mario's

250 million, Nintendo says.

But "Pokemon" did so in 15

years. Mario took a decade longer.

It helps that the primary system to

play "Pokemon" games is the

handheld Nintendo DS, the world's

best-selling video game machine.

Through the end of December

2010, Nintendo had sold nearly

145 million DS systems in various

iterations, compared with 85 mil-

lion units of the Wii console.

Over the years, related

"Pokemon" products have popped

up, including cartoons, trading

cards, comics and toys. The com-

pany that licenses the brand,

Pokemon Co International, is pri-

vately held and won't disclose rev-

enue figures, except that, in years

when there's a new game, it's in the

billions of dollars.

"Pokemon" got its start in 1996

from a company called Game

Freak, a group of guys who wrote

fan magazines for video games and

decided to make their own, Smith

said. The first game was for the

original Nintendo Game Boy, and

it let players interact with each

other by using a cable that plugged

into their friend's Game Boy. The

cartoon series came the following

year in Japan, and the games

launched in 1998 in the US and

Europe.

Part of the game's staying power

has been that it was built from the

start as social. In this age of non-

stop interactivity, the games that

have been the most popular have

been those that let players interact,

whether that's on Facebook playing

"FarmVille" or at home scheming

against a common enemy on "Call

of Duty."

36 Humor

March 19-25, 2011 TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Three steps to get rid of bed bugs

Nintendo expands Pokemon empire Tech Life

Humor with Melvin Durai

by Mahendra ShahMahendra Shah is an architect by education, entrepreneur by profession, artist and humorist,cartoonist and writer by hobby. He has been recording the plight of the immigrant Indians for

the past many years in his cartoons. Hailing from Gujarat, he lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Laughter is the Best Medicine