chetana-september-2000 - the bharatiya temple of ... you and may devi durga bless and protect us...

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Chetana, September - October 2000 1

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Inside this Issue

From the President …………….………………………………….…………………….... 3

List of Board of Trustees, Executive Committee and Working Committee ………… 4

Temple Announcements …………………….……………….………….…………………5

Deepavali …...……………………………………………….………….………………..…6

Dama, Daana and Daya …….……………………………………….………………….…7

From the Cultural Committee ….……………………………….…..……………………9

Bawarchi ……………………………………………………….…..…..…………….……10

Prayer ..…………………………………..……………………….……………….……....12

Check your A, B, C's in Mahabharata …………………………………………....…… 16

Children's Corner ………………………………………………………………....…..… 18

The Significance of Zero ……..……………………………………………….…...…… 20

Band on the Run: A Literary Analysis ……………………………..…….……………. 21

Kaun Banega Krorepati … ….…………..……………………….………..….………… 23

Pursuing the Pure Essence of Religion ……………………………….……..………….25

Profile of a Modern Saint: Sri Sri RaviShankar ...………………………………………27

From the Chetana Committee …………………...……………………………….…….. 31

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From the PresidentNamaskar,

We are approaching one of the busiest months in our Temple calendar. With auspiciousDevi Navaratras about to begin, we will be launching a series of religious and culturalevents. Chandi Havan will be followed by nine days of special poojas, archanas andjoyous raas-garbaas. These will be followed by Sarat Purnima, Deepavali Lakshmi puja,the Diwali cultural program and the keenly anticipated celebration of Annakutam.

Chandi Havan has always held a special place in my heart. When we did not have themulti-purpose hall, we used to chant all the 700 slokas and perform the special Deviaarati sitting outside. Shivering in the unpredictable fall weather, our breaths steamingin the cold frosty air with blankets thrown over our laps, we watched the Havan fire riseup to the heavens to warm our hearts and souls. We feel so fortunate that we have theluxury of a grand multi-purpose hall. Now we can sing our hearts out aboutJaganmata’s glories without fear of frostbite.

We could achieve that only with our members’ generous contributions and the visionarydedication of our tireless volunteers. This Temple has not achieved its prominence in theDetroit area by efforts of a single individual or even a handful of people. Many, manynew comers who brought new ideas and fresh energy followed the original founders. Isalute them all.

Please come and join us in all the celebrations. Please volunteer your time, donategenerously and take pride in our unique Temple. Help us all grow and move forward toembrace the glorious future.

Thank you and may Devi Durga bless and protect us all.

Sukla DoshiPresident, Executive CommitteeBharatiya Temple, Troy

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Board of Trustees - 2000Board of Trustees - 2000

Name PhoneRavindranath Kambhampati Chairman 248-645-9077Manda Gupte Vice Chairman 248-641-0747Raj Gupta Long Range Planning 248-683-7964Girish Divecha Secretary 248-644-5005Rajesh Bhagat Fund Raising 248-932-3347Sukla Doshi Ex Officio 248-855-1053Vasudev Rao Mandava Member 248-646-7363Chithra Chakrapani Member 248-375-2158Arun Agarwal Member 248-658-8245Satyanarayan Kodali Member 248-879-2754Deepak Parekh Member 248-689-6861Anant Bhogoankar Member 248-363-2652Neha Yale Member 248-370-8990Ravi Khattree Member 248-366-0105Amir Tandon Member 248-661-1862Pushpa Goswami Member 248-363-1441

Executive Committee - 2000Executive Committee - 2000

Name Position PhoneSukla Doshi President 248-855-1053Ramanbhai Patel President Elect 248-254-1590Vani Gutta Secretary 248-852-6471Ravi Khattree Joint Secretary 248-366-0105Vijay Parvataneni Treasurer 810-739-2672Nutan Oak Joint Treasurer 248-879-0121Shanta Viswanathan Committee Coordinator 248-853-5988Prakash Shrivastava Ex Officio 248-641-0063

Working Committee - 2000Working Committee - 2000

Chairperson Committee PhoneRajanikant Patel Communications 248-689-1244Usha Menon Chetana 810-469-2531Shankar Krishnan Cultural 248-299-9205Rajkumar Ramamurti Education 248-853-3487Nandu Kamath Facilities 248-652-4607V. G. Vaishya Information Systems 248-738-8687Ravi Joshi Library 810-274-1116Kush Shah Membership, Public Relations 248-370-8902Hare Patnaik Inventory 248-375-7445Dinesh Billore Audio 248-852-5544Meera Lal/Suman Desai Bal Bharati 248-528-0089Sudha Chalasani Religious 248-952-5874

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Temple AnnouncementsTemple Announcements1 ANAND BAZAAR - 2000ANAND BAZAAR - 2000

We would like to announce that another successful Anand Bazaar has beenaccomplished at the Bharatiya Temple. This increasingly popular annual event drewhundreds of community members. The weather cooperated with a beautiful sunnyday. Vendors from all over the country eagerly booked up the stalls. Even at the lastminute there were requests for stall rentals. There were stalls of much varietyincluding such popular stand-bys such as clothes and jewelry. The Temple volunteerscooked mouth-watering dishes from all corners of India. The food was plentiful. Thechildren were entertained at a special booth where there was face painting, cottoncandy, popcorn and Moonwalk. This event raised around $ 17,000.00 for the Temple.Special mention should be made of the tireless efforts by Mr. Ramanbhai Patel inorganizing this event. He along with many other Temple volunteers like the TempleSeniors worked hard to make Anand Bazaar another grand success.

2 DEVI NAVRATRI FESTIVALDEVI NAVRATRI FESTIVAL

The Devi Navaratri festival begins on Thursday, September 28, 2000. The followingpooja schedule will be followed on all days of the Navaratri festival:

10:00 am - 12 noon Sri Lakshmi Narayana pooja, Abhishekam, Sri LalitaSahasranama pooja, Mantra, Pushpanjali, Arati.7:00 pm - 9:00 pm Stotras and Lalita Sahasranama pooja, Nirajanam, Vedaparayana ,Arati.

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D E E P A V A L IDeepavali is a holy festival. It is the festival of lights. Our sage Vedavyasa introducedthis celebration to enlighten us. Deepavali is celebrated in late October or earlyNovember.

The story associated with Deepavali goes as follows. Once there was a demon namedNarakasura, the son of mother Earth (bhumimata). He performed penance (tapas) formany years focussing on Lord Brahma. Lord Brahma was finally pleased and appearedbefore Narakasura. Narakasura asked Lord Brahma to grant him a special boon - whichgranted him death only by his mother's hands. Lord Brahma granted the boon. Once hewas granted this boon, Narakasura thought he was invincible. So he began doing evil -harmed people, destroyed temples, hurt holy people, and ordered that everybodyworship him and only him.

The Gods (devatas) were very disturbed by Narakasura's activities. They went to LordLakshmi Narayana and asked him to protect them from this demon. Lord LakshmiNarayana thought about their request and said, "Do not worry. I will save you. I willincarnate as Lord Sri Krishna". The Gods then went back to their abodes and performedpoojas to Lord Vishnu. In the meantime, the demon Narakasura's deeds had becomeincreasingly wicked. Lord Vishnu thought it was time to put an end to Narakasura'swickedness. He took the form of Sri Krishna in the eighth birth (ashtama garbha). Afterhis birth, he transferred to Nandagokul, and grew up there along with his big brother SriBalarama and the other cowherds (gopalakas). He killed demon Putana, Sakatasura,Bakasura and Vrutrasura. He finally destroyed his own maternal uncle Kamsa alongwith Chanura. On seeing his powers, He was praised by one and all as the SupremeGod.

Lord Krishna married and had eight wives. His wives were Rukmini, Satyabhama(incarnation of bhumimata), Jambavati, Kalindi, Nagnagiti, Lakshna, Bhadra andMitravinda(the mother nature). Philosophically Lord Krishna controlled the eight evilqualities of mankind (madas) namely, Kama, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Mada, Matsara,Ahankara, Mamakara. While he enjoyed his family life with his wives, he heard aboutNarakasura and got ready to fight with him. Satyabhama was a lovely wife who wasespecially dear to the Lord. She asked Him, "Oh, Lord, why don't I come and help you inthis battle?" So he took her with him.

The big battle between Lord Krishna and Narakasura was a long and fierce one. Bothsides were very strong and well versed in all the missiles (astras) like Naga, Garuda,Agneya, Varuna, and Brahma astras. Suddenly the demon Narakasura released apowerful sakti astra at Lord Krishna. Lord Krishna fainted and fell down and went in toyoga nidra. This infuriated his wife Satyabhama Devi. She was so angry that she tookthe bow and arrows and started to fight with Narakasura herself. What Narakasura didnot know was that she was Shakti and his own mother. She killed Narakasura with theBrahmastra on the fourteenth day (chaturdasi) before the new moon (Diwali amavasya

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day). Then Lord Krishna got up and said, "Where is the demon? I will kill him". He thengot to know about Satyabhama's battle and appreciated her. Narakasura also got toknow that she was nothing but his own mother. The moral of the story is that when ason indulges in bad behavior it is only the mother who can teach him and bring him onthe right track.

The people and the Gods (devatas) were overjoyed at Narakasura's death. Theycelebrated his passing away as a festival for one whole month - the kartika masa.During the celebrations, they lighted ghee lamps, burst firecrackers, ate lots of sweets,and put on new clothes. They also decked Lord Narayana and Lord Siva in new clothes.They prepared delicious food and offered it to the Lord as Annakootam, and thankedthe Supreme Lord for saving them from evil. It is noteworthy that the Jewish festival ofHanuka, and the American Thanksgiving are also celebrated around the same time.

May our Lord Lakshmi Narayana bless us all with good luck and spiritualenlightenment.

Janakirama Sastryji Vithala

DAMA, DAANA, and DAYAThe most striking message relating to ethics found in the Brhadaranyaka Upanishadpertain to Dama, Daana and Daya. When a person is initiated into the art of meditation,he is invariably taught the three da s (da-da-da) of a thunderclap, which are suggestiveof self-restraint (dama), self-sacrifice (daana) and merciful benevolence (daya). Thisgreat ethical teaching is embodied in Sloka 3 of Section II of the Upanishad:

"Tadetatatryam shikshedyamam danam dayamiti"

Prajapati conveys this teaching to his three classes of children -- the devas, themanushyas, and the asuras as follows. Those who are godly in nature and are tossedabout by lust (kaama) though otherwise good should be understood as gods (devas)among men. Those who are grasping and greedy and motivated by greed (lobha),should be taken as men (manushya) among men. Those cruel men, demonized by anger(krodha), should be taken as demons (asurah). All men should practice dama, daana,and daya to exorcise the monsters of kaama, lobha, and krodha, respectively.Interestingly, the exact same teaching has been imparted in the Bhagavad Gita in whichkaama, krodha, and lobha have been characterized as the triple doors to hell.

Pradeep Srivastava

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FROM THE CULTURAL COMMITTEE-2000FROM THE CULTURAL COMMITTEE-2000

Quite often people tell me “You did not inform me that so and so is performing on this aradhanaday”. While I do appreciate the concern and the level of interest, one should realize that weorganize about thirty cultural programs in a year that averages to one program every two weeks.It would be a daunting task to publicize each event to individuals. However, in order to addressthis concern, I would like to reiterate our general schedule.

Second Friday of the month Carnatic styleFourth Friday of the month Hindustani styleFifth Friday of the month (which occurs four times in a year) Nritya Aradhana

We see to it that the Temple calendar and flier announce the specifics of the programs.

The last few months have been busy for the Cultural Committee. In the month of April, we had aCarnatic style flute recital by Mr. Murali and a Hindustani vocal recital by Mrs. Sangeeta Kar.On the occasion of Ramanavami, the committee organized two programs - a Bharatanatyamconcert by Mrs. Devika Raghavan and Mrs. Asha Subramaniam and a dance ballet ‘ SitaSwayamvaram” by the students of Mrs. Sudha Chandrasekhar.

In May, we had a Carnatic style vocal recital by Mr. Shanta Prakash - a very popular artist inour community and a Hindustani vocal recital by a new comer Mrs. Sudeshna Dutta. In June,we organized a Carnatic style vocal recital by Mrs. Chitra Sridhar, a Hindustani vocal recital byMrs. Sumita Choudhery and Mala Choudhery and an Odissi style nritya aradhana by Mrs.Sangeeta Kar.

In July, we had the Carnatic style Aradhana by the mother of our regular mrindangam artist -Mr. Rajasekhar Atmakuri. The Hindustani program did not take place as the artist scheduled toperform cancelled due to unavoidable reasons. In the month of August, we had a veena recital byMrs. Geetha Iyer and a Hindustani vocal recital by Mrs. Anitha Raghu. On 26th August, as partof the Janmashtami celebrations we had a unique program of three styles of dances choreographedjointly by Mrs. Sandhya Sree Athmakuri (Kuchpudi Style), Mrs. Asha Subramaniam(Mohiniattam style) and Ms. Sangeeta Sastry (Kathak style) with children dancing inBharatanatyam style. The program was appreciated by a very large gathering.

We are planning to have Mr. Sekhar Sen - a visiting professional artist perform in theHindustani style on 8th September and Carnatic vocal by Mrs. Rukmini Balasubramaniam on22nd September. We also have a nritya aradhana on 29th September by Mrs. Sandhya Sree(Kuchpudi) and Mrs. Bhavani (Bharatanatyam).

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the artists who accepted my invitation toperform at short notice and the large audience who made these events successful and memorable.

Sankar KrishnanChairman- Cultural Committee

BawarchiBawarchi

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Diwali is just around the corner again and that means its time to think of andprepare your favorite Indian sweets. So have you thought of what to make this yearyet? Well, here is one recipe that is sure to be a favorite with your family andfriends!

Rasagollas

1) Ingredients Milk (regular) 1 gallon

Sugar 2 cups (heaping) each batchWater 5 cups each batchCitric acid 1 teaspoon

Bring the milk to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.Add the citric acid and stir. When the milk curdles pour it out on two feet squarecheesecloth draped on a colander. Tie the two opposite corners and hang thecheese up to drip dry over night or at least eight hours.

Knead the cheese by the heel of your hand or in a food processor until smooth.Make one-inch balls. In the mean time, heat the water in a pressure cooker overmedium heat and then add the sugar. When the water starts to bubble stir and add10-12 of the cheese balls. Close the cover of the pressure cooker. When thepressure valve starts to sway you may reduce the heat slightly. Cook for 7/8minutes. Remove from heat and immediately put under running cold water to bringthe pressure down. Remove the rasagollas to a bowl with all the syrup and repeatthe process of cooking until all the cheese balls are used. Makes about 25-30rasagollas.

TIPS: I sometimes store the cheese in the refrigerator for a few hours if Icannot cook the rasagollas right away. The cheese should be dry enough not to leavea film on your palm when making the balls. If the cheese gets too dry you cansprinkle a few drops of water on the cheese. You can add a tiny sugar cube in thecenter while forming the cubes. You can freeze the rasagollas and thaw them in themicrowave or at room temperature before serving. I like to boil the milk in themicrowave at high power for 45-50 minutes per gallon. This saves boil overaccidents and scorching. Of course the cleanup is a breeze as well.

Submitted by Sukla Doshi

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Prayer

The early man was full of wonder and fear about Mother Nature. He saw the sun, themoon, the stars, the seas, the rains, the storms and the thunder. And he also saw disease,pain, birth and death. He was overwhelmed by what he saw. He was filled with aweand panic, joy and sorrow. And this motivated prayer. The basis of prayer is the firmbelief that the universe is created, sustained and dissolved by one supreme power.

Prayer is thus a religion in practice. There can be no religion without prayer. The act ofpraying is not performed with one's lips but from one's heart. It is faith that prompts oneto pray and worship God. The essential quality in prayer is utmost humility, when onereduces oneself to nothing in front of the Almighty. Total surrender to the Almightyreleases one from all sins and from all the attachments of the material world. A pure andrestrained mind, in turn, brings happiness.

A prayer is a brief invocation for the grace of God. Its origins can be traced to the earlyHindu scriptures, the Vedas. The four Vedas were created before mankind. They weregiven at the dawn of time to Brahmmaji - the Lord of Creation. They are also known asshruthies as they are passed down from generation to generation as divine sounds. Theyare thus a directly revealed literature. Many Vedic hymns of prayer that invoke theblessings of God also beg for redemption from sin. The Hindu scriptures consider thepenance of chanting or prayer (japa yajna) to be the easiest and the most potent of allpenance (yajnas).

The human mind is unstable, turbulent, powerful and obstinate. It is as difficult tocontrol as the wind. Normally we are at the mercy of our mind. Milton in his ParadiseLost said Mind could make a hell of heaven or heaven of hell. However, prayer has the powerto make the mind steady in course of time.

In this article, we discuss two very potent Vedic prayers, namely,

1. the Gayatri mantra2. the Shiva Sankalpa suktas

These prayers make the mind peaceful and cheerful. The sincere chanting of the Gayatrimantra or the Shiva Sankalpa sukta as a means of prayer is believed to bring divine blissto one's heart.

The scriptures classify the human mind as being in one of three modes, namely, satva,rajas and tamas.

A tamasic mind is filled with delusion, dullness, negative thoughts and useless desires.A tamasic mind has the worst and crudest desires, including desire for revenge andharm to others. It is lazy. It is believed that if one were to die when tamas prevails he isreborn among senseless fools.

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A rajasic mind is distracted, restless and desires wealth, fame, power and the manyvanities of life. It is active. It is believed that if one were to die when rajas prevails he isreborn among the action oriented.

A saatvic mind is filled with harmony, goodness and purity. It desires simplicity and thepursuit of spiritual upliftment. And to achieve this goal relies on the reading anddiscussion of the scriptures. Saatvic desire is not harmful. It is essential for spiritualprogress. It is calm. It is believed that if one were to die when satva prevails he is rebornin the abode of sages.

The impurities of the human mind are those desires opposed to duty (dharma) - therajasic, tamasic and passionate desires. Most desires are expressions of ignorance andimperfection. A mind infested with desires cannot rest in peace. There cannot behappiness in a disturbed mind. Happiness can be measured only by the tranquility ofone's mind.

The mind is endowed with two energies, viz., jnanashakti and karmashakti. Without theassociation of the mind no action can be done. For this reason, the mind is given thenames of pragyana chetus and dhrut in the Shiva Sankalpa suktas. Man's joy andsorrow, pleasure and affliction, delight and discomfort, happiness and distress dependon good and bad conditions of the mind. That is why we pray to the benevolent mercifulGod.

If the mind meditates on God (Atman), it will become peaceful. This is the technique forcontrolling the restless mind of a human being. Poise and placidity are thecharacteristics of the purified mind. Atman the reality gets reflected best in a pure mind.Ultimately the pure mind itself gets merged in Atman.

The Gayatri Mantra

The Gayatri mantra is a very sacred Vedic prayer. It is believed that with the regularchanting (japa) of the Gayatri mantra 108 times everyday, our individual conscience getspurified. On its purification we get a glimpse of Atman, who is the indestructible andeternal God. Thus the regular chanting of the Gayatri mantra is considered a means ofgetting rid of all our sins.

The Gayatri mantra is the third mantra of the 26th Chapter of the Yajur Veda. The text ofthe Gayatri mantra is as follows:

! BaUBa-uva: sva:t%saivatuva-roNyaMBaga-ao dovasya QaImaihiQayaao yaaona:p`caaodyaat.

AUM bhuurbhuvaH svaHtatsaviturvareNya.nbhargo devasya dhiimahidhiyo yonaH prachodayaat.

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The meaning of the Gayatri mantra is as follows: May we meditate on God and hisglory, who has created this universe, who is fit to be worshipped, who is the remover ofall sins and ignorance, may He enlighten our intellect. May we meditate on theeffulgent light (or power) of Him, who is worshipped and who has given birth to theentire world. May He direct the rays of our intelligence towards the path of Good. Maywe meditate upon the beautiful light of the shining Creator of the infinite worlds so thathe may inspire and illuminate our intellects.

It is very important to concentrate on the meaning of the Gayatri mantra while chantingthe Gayatri mantra.

The Shiva Sankalpa Sukta

A sukta is a divine song. Shiva Sankalpa means right intention or having an auspiciousresolve. The Shiva Sankapa sukta consists of six verses. These six verses are very sacredVedic verses and constitute a hymn. They are regarded as an Upanishad. Being Vedicverses they are very difficult to understand.

These six Shiva Sankalpa mantras are also repeated in the first chapter ofRudrashtadhyayi. Chanting the six mantras of the Shiva Sankalpa for some timeeveryday, is a method to steady the mind. It is also a method to control one'ssubconscious mind (the chitta), and the faculty of thought. The six verses of the ShivaSankalpa sukta are listed below with the meaning in English.

yajjaaga`tao dUrmaudOit¸dOvaM tdu sauPtsya

tqaOvaOit.dUrMgamaM jyaaoitYaaMjyaaoitrokM¸

tnmao mana:iSavasaMklpmastu..1..

yajjaagrato duuramudaiti,daiva.n tadu suptasy tathaivaiti.duura.ngama.n jyotishhaa.n jyotireka.n,tanme manaH shivasa.nkalpamastu..1..

English: That which divine, mounts for when man is waking, that which returns to himwhen he is sleeping, the light that lights (the illumination of all jnanaindryas) and thatgoes to a distance, may my mind be moved by right intention.

yaona kma-aNyapsaaomanaIiYaNaao¸

ya&o kRNvaintivadqaoYau QaIra:.

yena karmaaNyapaso maniishhiNo,yaGYe kR^iNvanti vidatheshhu dhiiraaH.yadapuurva.n yakshmantH prajaanaa.n,tanme manaH shivasa.nkalpamastu..2..

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yadpUva-M yaxamant:p`jaanaaM¸


English: Whereby the wise and thoughtful in assemblies active in sacrifice, performtheir duties, the peerless spirit stored in living creatures, may my mind be advancedtowards the correct goal.

yavp`&anamaut caotaoQaRitSca¸

yajjyaaoitrntrmaRtMp`jaasau.yasmaaÙ|?to ikMcana kma-ik`yato¸


yavpraGYaanamuta cheto dhRîtishcha,yajjyotirantaramRîta.n prajaasu.yasmaanna|RRite ki.nchana karm kriyate,tanme manaH shivasa.nkalpamastu..3..

English: That which is wisdom, intellect and firmness, immortal light which creatureshave within them, that without which men do no single action may my mind beactivated towards righteousness. This mantra describes the intellect.

yaonaodM BaUtMBauvanaM BaivaYyat

pirgaRhItmamaRtonasava-ma.yaona ya&stayato saPthaota¸


yeneda.n bhuuta.n bhuvana.n bhavishhyatparigRîhiitamamRîtena sarvam.yen yaGYastaayate saptahotaa,tanme manaH shivasa.nkalpamastu..4..

English: Whereby, immortal, all is comprehended, the world which is and what shall behereafter, whereby spreads sacrifice with seven hotas (a priest who recites prayers at asacrifice), may my mind be stirred by genuine aim. This mantra describes chitta thesubconscious mind.

yaismaÙRca: saama yasminnRîchH saama yajuu.nshhi,

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yajaUMiYa¸yaismana pìtiYzta

rqanaaBaaivavaara:.yaismaMiSca<aM sava-maaotM p`jaanaaM¸


yasmin pratishhThitaarathanaabhaavivaaraaH.yasmi.nshchitta.n sarvamota.n prajaanaa.n,tanme manaH shivasa.nkalpamastu..5..

English: Wherein the richas samans yajur verses like spokes within a car's wheel areincluded and all the thoughts of creatures are in woven, may my mind be prompted byauspicious resolve.

sauYaariqarSvaainavayanmanauYyaana¸

naonaIyato|BaISauiBava-aijana [va.)vpìtYzM yadijarMjaivaYzM¸


sushhaarathirashvaaniva yanmanushhyaan,neniiyate|bhiishubhirvaajina iva.hRîvpratishhTha.n yadajira.n javishhTha.n,tanme manaH shivasa.nkalpamastu..6..

English: Controlling men as with the reins that guide them, a skillful charioteer drivesfleet footed horses, which dwells within the heart, agile and most rapid, may my mindbe operated by real purpose.

R A Desai

Check your A, B, C 's in Mahabharata

A______________ Pandu’s son, who pierced an arrow into the earth and created awater fountain to quench Bheeshma’s thirst, when he was lyingon a bed of arrows during the war.

B______________ Though he was Lord Krishna’s brother, he declined to take theside of Pandavas during the war.

C______________ Arjuna’s son, Abhimanyu knew how to get into, but not out ofthis war strategy.

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D______________ Draupadi’s father made a vow to kill Dronacharya and performeda yagna to get a son who would kill Dronacharya.

E______________ Considered an equal to Arjuna, he lost his thumb to Dronacharya.

F______________ Though not a Pandava, Karna was the ___________ son of Kunti.

G______________ Bhima’s son and a mighty warrior, he was a great threat to theKauravas and had to be killed by Karna.

H______________ The whole Mahabharata war was fought for this kingdom.

I_______________ Arjuna’s divine father, who is also the king of all devas.

J_______________ Abhimanyu’s assassin, who was killed by Arjuna after making avow to commit suicide if he could not kill by sunset.

K______________ The whole Mahabharata war took place here

L_______________ The 18th day of war was the _______ day in the Mahabharata war

M______________ Lord Krishna was born at this place, before he was taken toGokulam

N_______________ Though not Kunti’s son, he was one of the Pandavas

O_______________ Kunti had obtained a promise from Karna, to use his Nagasthraonly ____ on Arjuna, during the war

P________________ This great sage cursed Karna, that he would forget all he hadlearned from him at the crucial time in the war

Q________________ Before Kings Pandu or Drithrastra, the kingdom, for which thewar was fought, was ruled by a ___________

R________________ Karna's original name, as named by his foster parents

S________________ Bheeshma declined to fight against this warrior and dropped hisweapons down, during the war

T________________ This demon, who took the form of a whirl wind to kill LordKrishna, was killed due to the weight of Lord Krishna

U________________ This great emperor of the Yadhava dynasty was imprisoned byhis own son, Kamsa, Lord Krishna’s uncle

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V________________ He was the able Prime Minister for Drithrastra and was neverinterested in the war

W________________ Long before the war, Duryodhana tried to kill all Pandavas byburning their palace made of ______

Y________________ Though she did not give birth to Lord Krishna, she was themother of Lord Krishna

Z________________ Number of children of the Pandavas, who were alive after theMahabharata war.

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Children's CornerMy Trip to Kerala

During the summer of 2000 my family and I went to visit my relatives in Kerala.Kerala is the southern most state of India. During my visit we stopped at a fewtemples and quite a few cities.

We left Detroit for Amsterdam, Holland and from there on to Bombay (Mumbai),and ended up at our final destination, which was Trivandrum. Trivandrum is thecapital of the state of Kerala. Trivandrum offers many beautiful places to see suchas zoos, flower gardens, boat rides and a beautiful oceanfront. After we arrived inTrivandrum, we went to my father's house, which is close to the city of Kollam.From my father's house I could see the Arabian Sea and the beautiful black sandsof the beach. We also went to my mother's house, which is in the city ofKayamkulam. When we went to visit my mother's folks, my cousins and my aunts wehad to go up north a little bit. We went to the city of Cochin. Cochin has a bigharbor and a big shipyard. It is a modern city with a great deal of technology.There is only one major problem with Cochin - it has way too many mosquitoes!

In addition to visiting my relatives we also visited some temples. We first went toKalady to see the Kanchi Peettam. Sri Sankaracharya built the Kanchi Peettam. Nowthere is a tower built over the Peettam. Inside the tower you can learn about thelife story of Sri Sankaracharya as you climb up to the top of the tower. The nexttemple we visited was in Guruvayoor. It is Lord Sri Krishna's temple. It is said tohave the statue of Lord Krishna from his sunken castle in Dwaraka. The templeopens at 2:30 a.m. in the morning. In the evening, between 6 and 7 p.m. elephantsare decked with beautiful Indian adornments and go around the temple. During ourstay in Guruvayoor, we were also privileged to see a marvelous sight - the templewalls lit with numerous little lamps. We stayed in Guruvayoor for a couple of days.

We then left for Tamil Nadu. There we went to a temple called Palani. It is LordSubramanyam's temple. This temple is on a hill. We had to climb about 800 steps toreach the temple. After reaching the top we were told that we could not enter thetemple because of a special five-day pooja called Kumbhabhishekam. The best thingabout this temple is that it has one of the best views of India's vast farmlands.

Before we left India we visited one last temple. This temple is dedicated to LordGanapathy and is in Trivandrum. At the temple we got to break coconuts and thenprayed. We broke the coconuts because it is believed that it can open one's heart

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to worship Lord Ganapathy. When we went to see Lord Ganapathy, he was dressedvery beautifully, an extraordinary sight to see.

During our stay in Kerala my family and I had lots of fun. We saw some sights thatwe could never see anywhere else. I would not mind visiting Kerala a few moretimes, but I would not want to live there. I say this because I have been raisedhere and have been taught differently. I am not so used to seeing so much poverty.I hope that in the near future the poverty and increasing population rate will drop agreat deal.

Nidhin Arshed

ACHIEVEMENTSMaya Deshmukh won the first place in the Reading Rainbow Young Writers andIllustrators Contest 2000 at the Kindergarten level. PBS sponsored the contest.

Maya's story was called My Holiday at Home and was dictated by her when she was fourand a half years old. It was a description of one of her favorite pretend games, where shegoes to the beach in the family room at home. She enjoyed illustrating the story too.Maya went to the Gateway Montessori in Birmingham, MI last year and attended asummer art class at the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Association Center.

Congratulations Maya! Keep up the good work!

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The Significance of Zero

Arya Bhatta invented zero in India in the 4th century AD. He gave zero the status of aneven integer. He also started the practice of denoting the set of Integers on the horizontalnumber line. The following results are characteristic of zero when it is used in arithmeticoperations like addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

When zero is added to an integer, the result is the integer without any change. Whenzero is subtracted from an integer, the result is the integer without any change. When aninteger is multiplied by zero, the result is always zero. When an integer is divided byzero, the result is always infinity.

Zero plays an important role in understanding God. When zero is placed after a number,the resulting number is even. For example, if we place 0 after 1, the resulting number 10is even. In the time-space continuum, God is considered 1 and an individual isconsidered 0. But if an individual were placed after God, the power of the individualbecomes 10 fold. If another individual were to join hands, the power of the groupbecomes 100 fold. This is the spiritual understanding of true devotees of God who arefree from vanity and ego.

We, as individuals have to realize that we are just zeros - a small mass of bones, skin andmuscle. We do not own anything in this world. Where we are and what we are today isa result of the efforts of our family, parents, relatives and friends and to some extent byour own efforts and deeds of our past life (karma). But these efforts are constantlychanging with the passage of universal time.

In self-meditation (adhiatma chintan) one has to find zero time and zero space.Meditating on zero time makes one realize that one can recollect past events and alsodream about the future. The present is today and in the fine sharp time line it is this verymoment - today and now - when one is living, breathing and conscious.

When the heart stops, one dies. This is true of every living being on the earth. Space andtime bind every part of the body. The soul, however, does not die. It is immortal. Spaceor time does not bind it. This is universally true of all living beings. It is also true ofinanimate objects like the sun, moon, stars, mountains, clouds, rivers and sand particles.

When this understanding occurs deep within oneself, then one transcends into thespiritual zone of the noble prophets and makes contact with the Supreme God. This isnot an easy path but any curious steadfast student of religion can take this path and seeGod everywhere, in animate as well as inanimate objects.

Dr H K Gandhi

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Band on the RunBand on the Run:: A Literary AnalysisAs it pertains to India’s struggle for Independence!

Sir Paul McCartney of the Beatles has written many outstanding and colorful songs, likeCan’t Buy Me Love, Hey Jude and Yesterday. After the Beatles breakup, his songs grewmore and more in depth. One such is his song of 1973 - Band on the Run!

Originally Paul McCartney had this to say about Band on the Run. After we (the Beatles)had broken up, John came to me one day, at his New York apartment and said,“Wouldn’t it be great if we wrote a song about The Beatles getting back together again?"I answered ”But John, we are a Band on the Run! ”. So it stuck, and so it stuck!

Although not its original purpose, the song Band on The Run has a lot of phrases whichconvey the emotions felt by the Indian people and their leaders during India's strugglefor Independence from British rule.

Band on the Run Lyric Relevance in India's Independence struggle

Stuck inside these four walls Conveys the feeling of oppression felt by the Indianpeople and leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and S. V.Savarkar during the Independence struggle.

If we ever get out of Here!If we ever get out of Here!

Conveys the desire for freedom and Independence fromBritain that was felt nationally.

Well, the rain exploded with amighty crashAs we fell into the sun!

Describes the pouring in of support by the Indian peoplein 1947 to gain Independence. Mahatma Gandhi once said,The force that is felt by unity in a cause by a society, is oftenmuch greater and produces a much more lasting effect than thatfelt by the physical force of aggression.

Exploded like a mighty crashAs we fell into the sun

Conveys the loud and explosive call for IndianIndependence that was heard around the world

And the first one said to thesecond one thereI hope you’re having fun

Conveys the dedication and unselfish pursuit of freedomof the Indian people and their leaders. Leaders likeLokmanya Tilak, Lala Lajput Rai, and Bhagat Singh weretotally dedicated to the cause of Indian Independence.Achieving independence for India, was no easy task.Several leaders like Tilak were jailed for going against theBritish government. Many were even executed.

Band On the Run! Conveys how despite all the oppression and tyranny facedby the Indian people from the British government, theystood united as a Band whose first and foremost objective

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was to be free from British Rule.

And the jailer man and SailorSamWere searching every oneFor the band on the run

Conveys the tyranny of the British government and thetorment of the Indian people. The Indian people were notrunning from the British, but were trying to be free fromoppressive British Rule. Every one from the police in theBritish government to British naval officers tried their bestto stop the Indian movement for Independence.

Well, the undertaker drew aheavy sighSeeing no one else had come

Conveys the desperation of the British in the face of theIndian national movement for Independence. No matterhow much the British tried to stop the movement, theIndian people were determined to become independent.Finally, the British officials gave up.

And a bell was ringing in theVillage SquareFor the Rabbits on the run

Describes how the National Movement for Independencewas like a bell ringing for the Indian people. The need forIndependence had gained so much momentum that byAugust 15th, 1947, citizens through out India were totallyengrossed in the cause – like rabbits on the run from Britishoppression.

Well, the night was falling asthe desert worldBegan to settle downIn the town they’re searchingfor us every whereBut we never will be found

Describes the British government officials' final attemptsto crush the movement and stop the Band!

And the county judge, whoheld a grudgeWill search forever moreFor the band on the run

Conveys the hopelessness of the British efforts to curb themovement. By the dawn of January 26th, 1947 it was toolate. No matter how much the British Court officials hadhoped!

Amit Kshirsagar

Answers to Check your A, B, C’s in Mahabharata

Arjuna Balarama Chakra-vyuha Drupada EkalavyaFirst Gadorkatcha Hastinapura Indra JayadradhaKurukshetra Last Mathura Nakula OnceParasurama Queen Radheyan Sikandi TrinavrithaUgrasena Vidura Wax Yasoda Zero

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KAUN BANEGA CROREPATI!1

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DOWN1. An emperor of this dynasty built Brihadeeswara temple at Tanjore (5)3. Who said "We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count"? (8)4. Which famous concept in Mathematics did the Indians find? (4)5. Wandering nomads from India, they left around 1000 AD (5)6. Symbolic wedding dye (5)9. In his book SuryaSidhanta, he proved that the earth is a sphere and rotates about its own axis (9)11. Demonstrated Wireless transmission before Marconi (4)12. Only member of the cat family, not to have retractable claws (7)14. What theory of ancient Indian history has recently been disproved (5)15. Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913 (7)16. What age in Indian History is referred to as the 'Golden Age' (5)

ACROSS2. Started the Indian National Army (7, 7, 4)5. Tree from Madagascar, extinct there now. But found in India. (8)7. Sherpas belong to this country (5)8. Mathematicians can not survive without it (2)10. Philosophy in love, made popular to the Western world by Sir Richard Burton (4, 5)12. Old capital of India (8)13. Ironically, this symbol strikes terror in the minds of NRIs (8)17. Indian king who first used rockets in warfare (4, 6)18. Brain Game from India (5)19. Meaning of the word 'SANSKRIT' (9)

Puneet Saxena

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Pursuing the Pure Essence of ReligionSpirituality is the highest plane that man can attain. The subject being infinite, thatplane is the highest, and the pleasure there is the highest for those who canappreciate it. Hence, even on the utilitarian ground that man is to seek for pleasure,he should cultivate religious thought, for it is the highest pleasure that exists.Therefore, religion as a study is absolutely, essential for man.

Religion is the greatest motivating power for realizing the infinite energy, which isthe nature of man. Religion helps man build character, in making everything that isgood and great, in bringing peace to others and peace to one’s own self. Religionpurifies our life and thoughts and lends some structure and strength to our actionsby helping us embrace the oneness of human life.

The effects exist all around us. Study of religion is the greatest power that moves thehuman mind. No other ideal or great pursuit can put into us the same mass ofenergy as spiritual study can. All the great souls and men who bring a mass ofmagnetism into the world, whose spirit works in thousands, and whose life ignitesothers with a spiritual fire – such men always have a spiritual background. Theirmagnetism, strength and power come from religion.

“Books never make religions, but religions make books” said a great philosopher andwe must never forget that. No book ever created God, but God inspired all the greatbooks. The end of all religions is realizing God in the soul. That is the one universalreligion. There may be a thousand different radii, but they all converge to onecenter, and that is the realization of God.

Religion does not consist in doctrines and dogmas. It is not what you read, nor thedogmas you believe that is of importance, but what you realize. The only way todispel darkness in a room is to strike a light, and get rid of the darkness. The onlyway to realize the light above us is to strike the spiritual light within ourselves; thedarkness of sin and impurity will then flee away and help us in the realization of God.

Since ancient times our scriptures and sages have told us that every soul is destinedto be perfect and every being in the end, will attain the state of perfection. We havealso been told, that whatever we are now is the result of our acts and thoughts inthe past, and what we think and do now will govern whatever we will be in future.Different stages of growth are absolutely necessary to the attainment of purity andperfection.

How can we attain this state of perfection? Are we capable of shaping our destiny?Yes we can, but in order to shape our destiny we need the guidance of a “Guru”.Generally, the word Guru conjures up images of a spiritual leader who wears saffronrobes and meditates on distant arcane thoughts. Who is a Guru? What does heteach us that we do not know? How can he enlighten us? A Guru can light the torchof knowledge and dispel the darkness, lift the cobwebs of ignorance so that we canunderstand the true and pure essence of religion. This cannot be derived frombooks.

The soul can receive this training from the Guru and when it comes, the high powersand possibilities of the soul are quickened, spiritual life is awakened, growth is

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animated and man becomes holy and perfect in the end. These magnetic impulsescannot be derived from books. The soul can only receive these impulses fromanother exalted soul (such as a Guru). We may study endless books and becomevery intellectual, but in the end, we realize that we have not developed spiritually atall. Sometimes in studying books we may be deluded into thinking that we are beinghelped spiritually. However on very close examination and on analyzing the effect ofthe study of books on ourselves, we shall find that at the most it is our intellect thatderives profit from such studies, and not our inner spirit. Almost everyone can speakwonderfully about spiritual matters, but when it comes to action and living a trulyspiritual life, we find ourselves awfully deficient. To quicken the process and upliftthe spirit, the impulse must come from an exalted spiritual soul and master whomwe call Guru.

Nowadays taking a Guru has become a fad, which it should not be. One who is veryserious about understanding the spiritual life requires a Guru. A Guru is a questionof necessity for a disciple who is very serious about understanding spiritual life, God,proper action, and one’s relationship with God. When a person is serious aboutunderstanding these subjects, we need a Guru.

When we are sincere about pursuing the pure essence of religion, we must surrenderto the Guru, for without a reverent surrender we cannot learn anything. We mustaccept the Guru and surrender just as Arjuna surrendered himself to Lord Krishna.Thus it has been said “sa:ksha:drithve:na samastha-sastrihi:” – the Guru is as goodas God. Since a Guru is God’s representative we have to learn to offer respect toGod’s representative in order to advance spiritually. One who has accepted a Guruspeaks intelligently. WE should offer our respects to the spiritual master andremember to carry out his orders.

The Guru must possess the powers of transmitting the spiritual message, and theperson receiving the message must be qualified to receive it, and when bothconditions are fulfilled the wonderful spiritual awakening occurs. Just as the sun isself-effulgent and it does not need a torch to be seen, similarly when a Guru comesto help us the soul instinctively knows that truth has already begun to shine upon it.

We must always approach the study of religion with reverence and a good attitude,for it will open our heart and enable us to see the truth. If we approach it withintellect only, we can have a little intellectual gymnastics with intellectual theoriesbut no truth. When man has developed a high state of spirituality we canunderstand that the kingdom of Heaven is within himself. That is the kingdom of themind. Love and charity for the whole human race, that is the test of truereligiousness, which is to feel the oneness of human life.

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD KAUN BANEGA CROREPATI!:Down: 1: Chola; 3: Einstein; 4: Zero; 5: Gypsy; 6: Henna; 9: Aryabhata; 11: Bose; 12:Cheetah; 14: Aryan; 15: Tagore; 16: Gupta

Across: 2: Subhash Chandra Bose; 5: Gulmohar; 7: Nepal; 8: PI; 10: Kama Sutra; 12:Calcutta; 13: Swastika; 17: Tipu Sultan; 18: Chess; 19: Perfected

Profile of a Modern Saint: Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

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India is unique. Of all lands, it is Bharatvarsh that has been synonymous with the highesthuman ideals and values. The ancient and blessed land of India has since timeimmemorial been that part of the Earth where great rishis and sages like Vyasa,Vasistha, Valmiki, appeared, taught and performed penance. Holy avatars made Indiathe arena of their divine lilas. The subtle footprints of Lord Krishna, Lord Rama,Buddha, Bhagwan Mahavir, Guru Nanak, Kabir, Tulsidas, Ramakrishna Paramahansa,Swami Vivekananda, Srila Prabhupada and many others have been and continue to bean uplifting and purifying influence on India’s vibrations even now. The lives of theseelevated persons constitute an expression of the greatest truth. The wisdom theyrepresented is unparalleled even in the present age. They spelled out the highest lawsgoverning the universe. Their teachings concerning dharma, non-violence, selflessaction, devotion and the ultimate purpose of existence are eternal. If, despite thevarious ills of modern civilization and the overall degeneration of values we still revereIndia, it is because there still abides in the ethos of India the wisdom of the realizedsouls.

In this article we profile one such realized being, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, a beloved saint ofmodern India, who is an inspiration to countless people around the globe.

Having the naturalness and the innocent charm of a child, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is anembodiment of unconditional love, compassion and wisdom. His love and gracetransform the lives of all those who come in touch with him. When he was only fouryears old, he amazed his family by reciting the entire Bhagavad Gita without having beentaught. By the age of seventeen, he had completed traditional vedic studies and alsoearned an advanced degree in modern science. In 1982, he emerged from ten days ofseclusion and silence with the knowledge of Sudarshan Kriya, a technique that brings intoharmonious alignment all the seven layers of existence, namely body, breath, mind,intellect, memory, ego and self. As he says, “real inner peace or enlightenment is notsomething that we acquire, it is a rearrangement of the system that we already have”.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is the founder of Art of Living Foundation, an institution that offersthe Art of Living course, also known as the Healing Breath Workshop. It is thanks tothis gift of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar that tens of thousands of people all over the world areenjoying better health, peace of mind and a stress-free joyful life. The Sudarshan Kriyaalong with other consciousness elevating and awareness expanding processes is anintegral component of this life-changing workshop, which has been conducted in morethan ninety countries.

One of the teachings that Sri Sri Ravi Shankar emphasizes upon, is the skill of living lifefully in the present moment. The human mind has a tendency to either be in the past,regretting what has already happened, or be in the future, anxious. Due to this constantvacillation between the past and the future, a lot of tension, stress and toxins build up.The key is bringing the mind into the present moment because joy is neither in the past,nor in the postponed future. Happiness and freedom can only be experienced when oneis fully in the present moment. However, knowing this truth intellectually is not

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enough. Controlling the mind from the level of the mind is difficult. Sri Sri, as devoteesaffectionately call him, therefore emphasizes the importance of the breath as a practicaltool for bringing the mind into the present. He compares the mind to a kite and thebreath to the string. Through skillful control of the string, the kite can be taken tounimaginable heights. According to him, “the breath contains the secret of life. Breathis connected with the vital life energy in us, or prana. Low prana translates intodepression, lethargy, dullness and poor enthusiasm. When the mind and body arecharged with prana, we feel healthy, alert, energetic and joyful. Specific breathingtechniques can revitalize and invigorate our physical and emotional well-being”. It waswith this intent of enabling others to experience what he had discovered that Sri Sri RaviShankar designed the 16-18 hour workshop.

In this internationally renowned program, participants learn several powerful breathingpractices, including the jewel, Sudarshan Kriya, that gives one the unique ability to fullyoxygenate the cells and recharge them with new energy and life. Negative emotions,stored as toxins in the body, are naturally flushed out. Tension, anger, anxiety,depression and lethargy are released and forgotten. The mind is left calm and centered,with a clearer vision of the world, our relationships and ourselves. Apart from thismethod for purifying and energizing at the cellular level, the workshop also featuresseveral ancient yogic breathing practices (prayanams) that are helpful in relieving stressand balancing emotions, and simple yogic stretches for any fitness level. In addition,there are processes to increase awareness of one’s own mental and emotional tendencies,a review of basic truths as they relate to daily life, experiences of deep relaxation andguided meditations. The heart of the workshop also includes deep insights into thenature of life and how to be happy.

Apart from the yoga, meditation and breathing that are taught in his courses, Sri SriRavi Shankar’s fascinating and insightful commentaries on various scriptures are alsowell known. His discourses on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and Bhakti Sutras of SageNarada are extremely valuable for spiritual seekers. These great sutras or denseaphorisms contain profound spiritual truths but require the key of higher consciousnessto truly unlock the astounding wisdom and knowledge that they contain. Hiscommentary on the Ashtavakra Gita is spellbinding. Sri Sri describes this esotericscripture as the most unique conversation to have ever taken place on this planet. Thisinteraction took place in very ancient times between Sage Ashtavakra and King Janaka.Passing through successive stages of higher consciousness induced through a mostunusual conversation, King Janaka is led to the direct experience of liberation.

Seva, or unconditional service to the world and to others is one of the foremostprinciples that Sri Sri Ravi Shankar espouses. Welfare of humanity is the primaryobjective of the Art of Living Foundation and its affiliated organizations, the Ved VignanMahavidyapeeth, the Vyakti Vikas Kendra and the International Association for HumanValues. Under the guidance of Sri Sri, several dynamic humanitarian projects have beenundertaken that are in full swing. These include:• The Dollar a Day Program: A service program that provides needy children and

communities in India with food, clothing, medical services and education.

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• Prison SMART: Stress Management and Rehabilitative Training, a remarkable newapproach to prisoner rehabilitation in USA and India.

• The Barefoot Project: This project provides vocational training to poor uneducatedwomen in third world countries for their economic advancement.

• The 5H Program: 5H stands for Health, Hygiene, Homes, Human Values andHarmony in Diversity. This program is intended to bring transformation to ruralIndia and focuses on• Setting up primary schools for tribal children in India• Providing education and life skills training to unemployed youth• Making available facilities like free medical/dental checkups and clinics, public

toilets, bore wells for clean drinking water, garbase bins, water storage tanks, etc.• Construction of simple but durable homes for homeless/poor families using

locally available environment-friendly materials• Training of Yuvacharyas(youth leaders), who adopt villages in their region,

initiate 5H development projects and enlist the cooperation of the villagecommunity.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar visits North America every summer. His beautiful and sereneashram near Montreal is located on 232 acres of forest with lakes, restful silence andplenty of fresh air. His brief visit to Michigan in 1998 was marked by ecstatic andelevating satsangs filled with joy, laughter and celebration. The President of India hasbestowed him with the title of Yoga Shiromani. In August 2000 he was invited to addressthe World Peace Summit held by the United Nations in New York. The city ofWashington D.C. has honored Sri Sri by proclaiming August 26th as His Holiness Sri SriRavi Shankar Day.

Shonu Nangia

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From the Chetana Committee-2000Another issue of Chetana is ready to go the press. And as always there are numerous people tothank - volunteers, contributors and advertisers - people whose commitment, efforts andenthusiasm make Chetana a reality.

The Chetana committee had three new volunteers joining in the last quarter. Dr ShivshankarShastry, a Bharatiya senior joined us and helps out providing continuity, observations andadvice. Sri Murali Krishna, from the Library Committee joined us helping with the artwork, frontcover layout and format. Sri Puneet Saxena helps with the editing and provides a constant supplyof enthusiasm. The Chetana committee is back to holding its own.

With the Devi Navaratri festival and Diwali just around the corner, these are busy and excitingtimes at the Bharatiya Temple. While the Temple is abuzz with activities, we at Chetana try tocover as many events for you just as much as we like to inform you of upcoming events. We hopeyou can partake and enjoy the festivities while at the same time obtain the blessings of the Lord.

We would like to see Chetana as a meaningful medium of communication within the community.So, in addition to providing you, our readers, with articles of religious education and Indianethnicity, we would also like to introduce new members, announce your children's achievementsor highlight important milestones in your life. So do let us know of your achievements so we canhelp you share your achievement with the rest of the community.

And as always, we would like to solicit articles and advertisements for our future issues. Articlesmay preferably be submitted by e-mail as attached files. Articles may also be submitted on 3.5"floppy diskettes. Articles should be in at least one of two formats - MS Word or plain ASCII textfile. For all your advertisement requirements, please get in touch with Sri Rajanikant Patel [email protected]. For submission of articles, you may get in touch with any of the Chetanacommittee members:

Murali Krishna: [email protected] Patel: [email protected] Saxena: [email protected] Menon: [email protected]

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Editors

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chetana-september-2000 - the bharatiya temple of ... you and may devi durga bless and protect us...

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