The English
Word Juggernaut, which means ‘a massive inexorable force that seems to crush
everything in its way’, is derived from the name of Lord Jagannatha. Actually
from the Puri Jagannath chariot procession. The chariots pulled during the Puri
Jagannath Rath Yatraare really huge and earlier people used to get
crushed under the big wheels while pulling it. Friar Odoric, a Franciscan
missionary, witnessed one such accident in 14th century and wrote about the
huge chariot in a European journal.
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Saturday, June 28, 2014
About the Puri Jagannath Ratha Yatra Chariots
The three
chariots (Raths) used for the annual Puri Jagannath Ratha Yatra are
newly constructed each year. A particular family of carpenters owns the
hereditary right to construct the chariots. The construction of the chariots
begins on the Akashya Tritiya day, which is around three months before the
actual Ratha Yatra day. Each chariot used in the Rath Yatra has specific size
and dimensions. The chariots are a classic example on indigenous engineering
marvel.
PURI Rath Yatra 2014 date – Puri Jagannath Rath Yatra
PURI Rath Yatra
2014 date – Puri Jagannath Rath Yatra
Puri Rath Yatra, the world famous chariot or car
festival, at the PuriJagannath Temple in Orissa. Puri Rath
Yatra 2014 date is June 29. It is celebrated on the second day of the
Shukla Paksha (waxing phase of moon or bright fortnight) Ashadh month as per
traditional Oriya Calendar. On the day of the Ratha Yatra (car
festival), chariots (Rath) carrying Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra is
pulled to the nearby Gundicha Temple.
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Inspirational Stories #172 - The Carpenter
The Carpenter
A highly skilled carpenter who had grown old was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his family. He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire.
A highly skilled carpenter who had grown old was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his family. He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire.
The employer was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build
just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter agreed to this proposal
but made sure that this will be his last project. Being in a mood to retire,
the carpenter was not paying much attention to building this house. His heart
was not in his work. He resorted to poor workmanship and used inferior
materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career.
Sunday, June 22, 2014
Inspirational Stories #171 - Who is the Rich Man?
Who is the Rich Man?
One day a
wealthy father took his son on a trip to the country so that the son could see
how the poor lived.
They spent a day and a night at the farm of a very poor family.
When they got back from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?"
"Very good, Dad!"
They spent a day and a night at the farm of a very poor family.
When they got back from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?"
"Very good, Dad!"
"Did you see how poor people can be?"
"Yeah!"
"And what did you learn?"
Inspirational Stories #170 - Temper Control
Temper Control
Once upon a
time there was a little boy who was talented, creative, handsome, and extremely
bright. A natural leader. The kind of person everyone would normally have
wanted on their team or project. But he was also self-centered and had a very
bad temper. When he got angry, he usually said, and often did, some very
hurtful things. In fact, he seemed to have little regard for those around him.
Even friends. So, naturally, he had few. “But,” he told himself, “that just
shows how stupid most people are!”
As he grew,
his parents became concerned about this personality flaw, and pondered long and
hard about what they should do. Finally, the father had an idea. And he struck
a bargain with his son. He gave him a bag of nails, and a BIG hammer. “Whenever
you lose your temper,” he told the boy, “I want you to really let it out. Just
take a nail and drive it into the oak boards of that old fence out back. Hit
that nail as hard as you can!”
Inspirational Stories #169 - The Brick
The Brick
A young and successful executive was
traveling down a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new
Jaguar.
He was watching for kids darting out from
between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his
car passed, no children appeared. Instead, a brick smashed into the Jag's side
door!
He slammed on the brakes and backed the Jag
back to the spot where the brick had been thrown. The angry driver then jumped
out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up against a parked car
shouting, "What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are
you doing? That's a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost a lot of
money. Why did you do it?"
The young boy was apologetic. "Please,
mister...please! I'm sorry but I didn't know what else to do," he pleaded.
"I threw the brick because no one else would stop!"
Monday, June 9, 2014
Inspirational Stories #168 - Mount Everest
Sir Edmund
Hillary was the first man to climb Mount Everest. On May 29, 1953 he scaled the
highest mountain then known to man-29,000 feet straight up. He was knighted for
his efforts.
He even made
American Express card commercials because of it! However, until we read his
book, High Adventure, we don’t understand that Hillary had to grow into this
success.
You see, in
1952 he attempted to climb Mount Everest, but failed. A few weeks later a group
in England asked him to address its members.
Hillary walked
on stage to a thunderous applause. The audience was recognizing an attempt at
greatness, but Edmund Hillary saw himself as a failure. He moved away from the
microphone and walked to the edge of the platform.
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Inspirational Stories #167 - The Blind Boy
The Blind Boy
A blind boy
sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which
said: “I am blind, please help.” There were only a few coins in the hat.
A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words.
Inspirational Stories #166 - The Idle Fisherman – A Pleasant Life
The Idle Fisherman – A Pleasant Life
A corporate
executive, on holiday in a small, Greek sea-coast village, was strolling by the
docks and taking in the local colour. He complimented one fisherman on the
quality of his catch.
“How long did
it take you to get all those fish?” he asked.
“Not very
long,” answered the Greek. “An hour or two.”
“Then why
didn’t you stay out longer to catch more?”
Shrugging, the
Greek explained that his catch was sufficient to meet his needs, and those of
his family.
The executive
asked, “But what do you do with the rest of your time?”
I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a
nap with my wife. In the evening, I go to the village to see my friends, dance
a little, play the bouzouki, and sing songs. I have a full life.”
The executive
said, “Well I have an MBA from Harvard and I’m sure I can help you. You should
start by fishing longer every day. You’ll catch extra fish that you can sell.
With the revenue, you can buy a bigger boat. With the extra money the larger
boat will bring you, you can buy a second boat and a third one, and so on,
until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a
middleman, you can then negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe
even open your own plant. You can ship fish to markets all around the world. In
time, you can then move to New York City to direct your huge enterprise.”
“How long
would that take?” asked the Greek.
“Twenty,
perhaps twenty-five years,” replied the executive.
“And after
that?”
“When your
business gets really big, you can sell stock and make millions!” exclaimed the
executive with zeal.
“Millions?
Really? And after that?”
“After that you’ll be able to retire, live in a small village
near the coast, sleep late, play with your grandchildren, catch a few fish,
take a nap with your wife, and spend your evenings singing, dancing, and
playing the bouzouki with your friends.”
A good
life-balance means taking the time to appreciate what we’re doing now. Try
thinking again about what you’re doing and what you hope to achieve. Being
satisfied with what you’ve got can be a liberating experience. Knowing when
enough is enough could transform your perception of success. Keep your guard
against narrow definitions of success. Try to stop and smell the flowers!
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Narendra Modi - Next Prime Minister of India Some Known and Unknown Facts
10 Facts to know about Narendra Modi, the new PM of India
Narendra Modi
is going to be the next Prime Minister of India.
Narendra Modi is both an ‘enigma’ and an ‘open book’ for his supporters as well as his detractors.
Nobody can explain what exactly makes him so popular among hoi-polloi. At the same time, he is widely known as a person who wears his heart on his sleeves.
Even his opponents admire him for his bold and fearless stand on sensitive issues that can dent his carefully crafted image of a no-nonsense man.
No other Chief Minister in India evokes as much hatred as Narendra Modi but at the same time no other Chief Minister commands as much respect as Narendra Modi.
The hatred for Modi is community specific but he is admired across communities and his popularity transcends all barriers of caste, community and religion.
Let’s have a look at some of the little known facts relating to Narendra Modi who is positioning himself as a serious contender for Indian polity's most sought after 'hot seat' in 2014 general elections:
1. The biggest mystery of Narendra Modi’s life was his relationship status. The world knew him as a ‘bachelor’ till the time he declared himself as married in his election affidavit . A magazine published a story in 2009 that claimed Jashodaben to be Modi’s wife. The fact that Modi never contested the facts of the story gave credence to the content of the article. Modi's wife is a retired school teacher and lives in Rajosana village of Banaskantha district. She is said to got married with Modi when she was 18. She had studied up to class VIII only and that is supposed to have spoiled their relationship. It is said that Jashodaben does not like to be photographed as she believes she is not good looking. Not only this, she is conscious of Modi’s high position and does not want to create any embarrassment to Modi although she is hopeful that someday Modi will come to her and publicly accept her as his wife. In 2014 elections the media covered when she went out and cast her vote. According to another popular story about Modi’s marriage, he got married during his childhood. It was a child marriage and Modi never met his wife again as the ‘second marriage (Gauna)’ never happened because Modi got attracted to RSS by that time and decided to remain bachelor for the rest of his life. It is said that his wife also took the vow of remaining single for the rest of her life.
2.Narendra Modi is a patriot since childhood. During Indo-Pak war of 1965, Modi, as a 15 year old boy, volunteered to serve the soldiers in transit at the railway stations. Similarly, in 1967 at an age of 17 years, he served the flood affected people of Gujarat.
3. Modi was born in an OBC family of grocers in Vadnagar of Gujarat. Modi wanted to become a sanyasi when he was a child. In fact, he was always fascinated with Sadhus, different forms of worship and meditation. He ran away from home after completing his school education. He visited many places including Ramkrishna Ashram of Belur in West Bengal. Finally, he reached Himalayas and wandered aimlessly and stayed with unknown but yogic Sadhus for months. After two years of wandering in Himalayas without money and with two pairs of clothes, he suddenly decided to give up ‘Sanyas’ life and returned home.
4. After returning from Himalayas, Modi ran a tea stall with his brother at the State Transport Office in Ahmedabad. Modi sold tea for many years. That was the time when Modi learnt what hardship really meant. It made him more determined and resolute in his approach towards life.
5. Narendra Modi is very particular about his appearance in public. He prefers trimmed beard and hair. As for his clothes, his favourite cloth store used to be Jade Blue of Ahmedabad. He ensures that he looks elegant whenever he moves out.
6. Narendra Modi has done a three-month course in US on public relations and image management. This could be one reason why he has succeeded in positioning himself as one of the most affable and sought after politicians in India.
7. Narendra Modi adores his mother and never forgets to take her blessings whenever he undertakes any new initiative- political or otherwise. Even today he went to meet his mother after it became clear that Modi is going to be the next Prime Minister. In fact, she is his only closest relation. He has got all traditional virtues of an Indian man. He is a teetotaler. He doesn’t drink, doesn’t smoke. He is a complete vegetarian. In nut-shell, he is miles away from even minor vices.
8. Women all over India and cutting over age bracket adore Modi. In his home state, he is seen as a sex symbol among women. A close look at his public meetings makes it abundantly clear that women outnumber men among attendees. Analysts say this is mainly because of his emperor like image exuding absolute power and authority.
9. Modi is a prolific writer and poet.He writes in Gujarati language and his favourite topics include life and teachings of Hindutva icons. Narendra Modi is a big fan of Swami Vivekananda. His most recent election campaign was christened as ‘Vivekanand Yuva Vikas Yatra’.
10. Narendra Modi sleeps only three hours. He is a workaholic. As CM of Gujarat, he reports to his office around 7 in the morning and works as late as 10 or even late in the night.
Narendra Modi is both an ‘enigma’ and an ‘open book’ for his supporters as well as his detractors.
Nobody can explain what exactly makes him so popular among hoi-polloi. At the same time, he is widely known as a person who wears his heart on his sleeves.
Even his opponents admire him for his bold and fearless stand on sensitive issues that can dent his carefully crafted image of a no-nonsense man.
No other Chief Minister in India evokes as much hatred as Narendra Modi but at the same time no other Chief Minister commands as much respect as Narendra Modi.
The hatred for Modi is community specific but he is admired across communities and his popularity transcends all barriers of caste, community and religion.
Let’s have a look at some of the little known facts relating to Narendra Modi who is positioning himself as a serious contender for Indian polity's most sought after 'hot seat' in 2014 general elections:
1. The biggest mystery of Narendra Modi’s life was his relationship status. The world knew him as a ‘bachelor’ till the time he declared himself as married in his election affidavit . A magazine published a story in 2009 that claimed Jashodaben to be Modi’s wife. The fact that Modi never contested the facts of the story gave credence to the content of the article. Modi's wife is a retired school teacher and lives in Rajosana village of Banaskantha district. She is said to got married with Modi when she was 18. She had studied up to class VIII only and that is supposed to have spoiled their relationship. It is said that Jashodaben does not like to be photographed as she believes she is not good looking. Not only this, she is conscious of Modi’s high position and does not want to create any embarrassment to Modi although she is hopeful that someday Modi will come to her and publicly accept her as his wife. In 2014 elections the media covered when she went out and cast her vote. According to another popular story about Modi’s marriage, he got married during his childhood. It was a child marriage and Modi never met his wife again as the ‘second marriage (Gauna)’ never happened because Modi got attracted to RSS by that time and decided to remain bachelor for the rest of his life. It is said that his wife also took the vow of remaining single for the rest of her life.
2.Narendra Modi is a patriot since childhood. During Indo-Pak war of 1965, Modi, as a 15 year old boy, volunteered to serve the soldiers in transit at the railway stations. Similarly, in 1967 at an age of 17 years, he served the flood affected people of Gujarat.
3. Modi was born in an OBC family of grocers in Vadnagar of Gujarat. Modi wanted to become a sanyasi when he was a child. In fact, he was always fascinated with Sadhus, different forms of worship and meditation. He ran away from home after completing his school education. He visited many places including Ramkrishna Ashram of Belur in West Bengal. Finally, he reached Himalayas and wandered aimlessly and stayed with unknown but yogic Sadhus for months. After two years of wandering in Himalayas without money and with two pairs of clothes, he suddenly decided to give up ‘Sanyas’ life and returned home.
4. After returning from Himalayas, Modi ran a tea stall with his brother at the State Transport Office in Ahmedabad. Modi sold tea for many years. That was the time when Modi learnt what hardship really meant. It made him more determined and resolute in his approach towards life.
5. Narendra Modi is very particular about his appearance in public. He prefers trimmed beard and hair. As for his clothes, his favourite cloth store used to be Jade Blue of Ahmedabad. He ensures that he looks elegant whenever he moves out.
6. Narendra Modi has done a three-month course in US on public relations and image management. This could be one reason why he has succeeded in positioning himself as one of the most affable and sought after politicians in India.
7. Narendra Modi adores his mother and never forgets to take her blessings whenever he undertakes any new initiative- political or otherwise. Even today he went to meet his mother after it became clear that Modi is going to be the next Prime Minister. In fact, she is his only closest relation. He has got all traditional virtues of an Indian man. He is a teetotaler. He doesn’t drink, doesn’t smoke. He is a complete vegetarian. In nut-shell, he is miles away from even minor vices.
8. Women all over India and cutting over age bracket adore Modi. In his home state, he is seen as a sex symbol among women. A close look at his public meetings makes it abundantly clear that women outnumber men among attendees. Analysts say this is mainly because of his emperor like image exuding absolute power and authority.
9. Modi is a prolific writer and poet.He writes in Gujarati language and his favourite topics include life and teachings of Hindutva icons. Narendra Modi is a big fan of Swami Vivekananda. His most recent election campaign was christened as ‘Vivekanand Yuva Vikas Yatra’.
10. Narendra Modi sleeps only three hours. He is a workaholic. As CM of Gujarat, he reports to his office around 7 in the morning and works as late as 10 or even late in the night.
Friday, May 16, 2014
Inspirational Stories #165 - Black or White
Black or White
When I was in
elementary school, I got into a major argument with a boy in my class. I have
forgotten what the argument was about, but I have never forgotten the lesson I
learned that day.
I was
convinced that “I” was right and “he” was wrong – and he was just as convinced
that “I” was wrong and “he” was right. The teacher decided to teach us a very
important lesson.
She brought us
up to the front of the class and placed him on one side of her desk and me on
the other. In the middle of her desk was a large, round object. I could clearly
see that it was black. She asked the boy what color the object was. “White,” he
answered.
I couldn’t
believe he said the object was white, when it was obviously black! Another
argument started between my classmate and me, this time about the color of the
object.
The teacher
told me to go stand where the boy was standing and told him to come stand where
I had been. We changed places, and now she asked me what the color of the
object was. I had to answer, “White.”
It was an
object with two differently colored sides, and from his viewpoint it was white.
Only from my side it was black.
Sometimes we need to look at the problem from the other
person’s view in order to truly understand his/her perspective.
Inspirational Stories #164 - Is there really a problem?
Is there really a problem?
One fine day,
a bus driver went to the bus depot, started his bus, and drove off along the
route. No problems for the first few stops - a few people got on, a few got
off, and things went generally well.
At the next
stop, however, a big hulk of a Pathan got on. Six feet four, built like a
wrestler, arms hanging down to the ground.. He glared at the conductor and
said, "Pathan doesn't pay!" and sat down at the back.
The conductor
did not argue with Pathan, but he wasn't happy about it. The next day the same
thing happened – Pathan got on again, made a show of refusing to pay, and sat
down. And the next day, and the next..
This irritated
the bus driver, who started losing sleep over the way the Pathan was taking
advantage of the poor conductor. Finally he could stand it no longer. He signed
up for body building courses, karate, judo, and all that good stuff. By the end
of the summer, he had become quite strong; what's more, he felt really good
about himself.
So, on the
next Monday, when the Pathan once again got on the bus and said, "Pathan
doesn't pay!" , the driver stood up, glared back at the Pathan, and
screamed, "And why not?"
With a
surprised look on his face, the Pathan replied,.......... "Pathan has a
bus pass."
Management Lesson: Be sure there is a problem in the first place before working hard to solve one.
Management Lesson: Be sure there is a problem in the first place before working hard to solve one.
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