The Indian Panorama

Month: June 2014

  • HOLIDAY – A SOLDIER IS NEVER OFF DUTY

    HOLIDAY – A SOLDIER IS NEVER OFF DUTY

    Story: A soldier’s holiday turns into a full-time mission to save Mumbai from terror attacks, while only taking time out for his bride-hunt. Review: Gagged men tumble out of his closet. Tied up terrorists and ‘sleeper cells’ too. Hell’s bells, they’re far from ‘sleeping beauties’. But then they have to make our brave-heart Virat Bakshi (Akshay) look good. And he sure does.

    In his camouflage suits and his neon bermudas. Whether he’s on a secret mission (as Defence Intelligence Agent), or romancing his boisterous ‘boxer’ belle Saiba (Sonakshi). All the while coaching his cop buddy on how to ‘crack a case’, or saluting his boss sergeant (Govinda, in a cutesy cameo). Virat’s on holiday in Mumbai – ‘ladki dekhne’ – where a terror blast kills school kids in a bus.

    A suspect is caught and it leads to series of more suspects who’re part of a devious demolition plan by – Sleeper Cells (trained terrorists guised as common men in society). His holiday turns into havoc and Virat becomes a oneman army – who has to raze the terror outfit and salvage Mumbai from exploding into flames. Nothing can break this lion-hearted soldier who upholds his valour, wardi and values – like a true jawan. Murgadoss’ film (remake of the Tamil ‘Thupakki’) offers an intelligent plot, with blows, blasts and raw bone-cracking action (Greg Powell- of ‘Skyfall’ fame).

    It triggers a fear that anyone from your paanwala to pizzadelivery boy could be a ‘closet’ terrorist (Beware!). While the core plot is compelling and finely directed, the side-tracks – like bombs needing to be deactivated and the romantic angle, waste screen-time and the songs infiltrate the plot too often. The film is too long and needs a taut edit.

    It has flaws too, but doesn’t fail to entertain. Akshay’s stunts are jaw-dropping; he’s in top form and impressively leads the show without much support from his squadron of actors. Farhad (the lead villain) doesn’t leave much impact; and Sonakshi slides in for the song and dance. This one applauds the jawans who live in the jaws of death, and is a ‘wake up’ call for all the ‘sleepers’ that abound. Bravo!

  • IS DEEPIKA FOLLOWING RANBIR KAPOOR?

    IS DEEPIKA FOLLOWING RANBIR KAPOOR?

    It seems Deepika Padukone is not yet over her former boyfriend Ranbir Kapoor. After seeing Ranbir Kapoor-Katrina Kaif’s public display of affection, Deepika was seen taking a romantic walk with her beau Ranveer Singh. A Zee News report says that Deepika was spotted in Barcelona with Ranveer, spending quality time with him. The two were seen taking a stroll in the streets looking very happy and comfortable with each other.

    This news comes as a surprise as just a few days back pictures of Ranbir- Katrina walking hand-in-hand in Cape Town were splashed over the media. It seems Deepika is following her ex Ranbir and is leaving no chance to give him tough competition and to show him that she has really moved on.

  • US RESUMES DRONE STRIKES IN PAKISTAN

    US RESUMES DRONE STRIKES IN PAKISTAN

    Pakistan condemns US drone strikes in Waziristan

    ISLAMABAD (TIP): A missile strike from a suspected US drone has targeted a compound in a northwestern tribal district in Pakistan near the Afghan border, killing at least 10 people, Pakistani intelligence officials have said. The attack on June 12 came a day after a drone strike in the same area in North Waziristan, marking the resumption of the CIA-led program in Pakistan after a nearly six-month hiatus. The Pakistani government condemned the strikes, with a ministry of foreign affairs statement calling them a violation of Pakistani sovereignty and territorial integrity.

    The latest attack, early on Thursday, June 12, saw a pair of US drones drop three missiles on a compound and a vehicle in the town of Ghulam Khan, two Pakistani intelligence officials told the AP news agency, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media. Military sources told the Reuters news agency that six people, including four Uzbeks, were killed in Wednesday’s strike around 5km north of Miranshah, the capital of the North Waziristan tribal region, where Taliban fighters are holed up. Pakistan’s northwest, particularly the North Waziristan tribal area, is home to numerous armed groups, both local and al-Qaeda-linked foreign groups – who often work together, sharing fighters, money or expertise. Due to stricter rules on the use of drones, diplomatic sensitivities and the changing nature of the al-Qaeda threat, the number of drone strikes had dwindled. The missile strikes came in the wake of a siege on the international airport in Karachi, Pakistan’s busiest hub.

    The five-hour attack ended with 36 people dead, including the 10 attackers. The Pakistani Taliban, who have been fighting to overthrow the government and install their brand of Islamic law, killing thousands of people in the campaign, initially claimed responsibility for the attack on Jinnah International Airport. An Uzbek armed group, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, also based in North Waziristan, later said it had also played a role in the attack. The statement appeared to be a sign of increased cooperation between armed groups in Pakistan.

    Shahidullah Shahid, a Taliban spokesman, said on Wednesday, June 11, that the Taliban had worked with the Uzbek group but did not give any details. The Pakistani government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has tried to negotiate a peace deal with the Taliban ever since he took office last summer, but those talks have so far yielded little results. Meanwhile, Pakistan on Thursday condemned two U.S. drone strikes recently in the country’s restive North Waziristan tribal region that have killed nearly 16 suspected militants. After a break of some five months, the United States has once again started its drone mission in Pakistan with a late Wednesday attack, killing at least six people. Security officials said in a second U.S. spy aircraft attack early Thursday, 10 people were killed, lifting the death toll in two strikes to 16. Several people were also injured in the attacks.

    “The government of Pakistan condemns the two incidents of U.S. drone strikes that took place near Miranshah in North Waziristan on June 11 and 12,” the Foreign Ministry said. “These strikes are a violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” a Foreign Ministry statement said. The Foreign Ministry said these strikes have a negative impact on the government’s efforts to bring peace and stability in Pakistan and the region. The drone strikes had been stopped for nearly five months in the wake of peace talks between the government and the Taliban.

    Pakistan had accused the United States of sabotaging the Taliban peace process when an unnamed aircraft killed the Taliban chief, Hakimullah Mehsud. The recent drone strikes were launched just three days after the Taliban launched a deadly attack on Karachi airport that killed over 30 people. The Taliban and an Uzbek militant group claimed responsibility for the attack. Security officials said the late Wednesday, June 11, U.S. strike had killed four Uzbek and two local Taliban militants. They added the pre-dawn attack targeted Afghan Taliban hiding in North Waziristan.

  • Sonakshi’s exclusive contract with Fox Star Studios

    Sonakshi’s exclusive contract with Fox Star Studios

    Sonakshi Sinha has signed a contract with Fox Star Studios, stating that she will not shoot for any other film until she finishes their film, to be directed by A R Murgadoss. The film will go on floors in November and will be completed within three months.

    The action-oriented film will also require Sonakshi to attend a 30-day workshop prior to the shoot. This implies that the actress has allotted four months exclusively to the film where she apparently plays a college girl. Aalif Surti, Chief Creative Officer, Fox Star Studios, India, said: “Murugadoss is a superb storyteller who makes entertaining films which have a pan-Indian appeal.

    He is the only director whose films have been consistenly successful in three language-Tamil, Telugu and Hindi.” When contacted, Murgadoss said: “I have a great working relationship with the production house and I’m excited to collaborate on a Bollywood project with them. My film with Sonakshi is based on a story which is close to my heart and has a very personal and powerful message for all Indian women.”

  • NARGIS FAKHRI MAKES STYLISH APPEARANCE IN CAPITAL

    NARGIS FAKHRI MAKES STYLISH APPEARANCE IN CAPITAL

    Actress Nargis Fakhri looked no less than a style icon in a bright pink crochet short skirt with a top and well-fitted floral jacket when she came to launch a fashion store in the capital. She was here to launch a twostoreyed fashion store of Vero Moda at Khan Market that houses creations for fashion-conscious women. “I’m happy to be associated with an international fashion brand like Vero Moda.

    The collection at the store is chic, trendy and stylish and I can spot many pieces that go well with my style. With a variety of designs and silhouettes to choose from, I really couldn’t ask for more,” said Nargis. The store was inaugurated by Nargis along with models including Surily Joseph, Noyonika Chatterjee, Sapna Kumar, Indrani Dasgupta and Tamara Moss.

  • Afghanistan flash floods kill around 60

    Afghanistan flash floods kill around 60

    KUNDUZ, AFGHANISTAN (TIP): Flash floods have killed around 60 people in northern Afghanistan, washing away hundreds of homes and forcing thousands to flee, officials said on Saturday warning that the death toll was expected to rise. The floods in the remote mountainous district of Baghlan province come a month after a landslide triggered by heavy rains buried a village and killed 300 people in a nearby region.

    The twin disasters highlight the challenges facing underdeveloped Afghanistan’s next leader as the country heads into the second round of the presidential election on June 14. “People have lost everything they had — houses, property, villages, agricultural fields, cattle,” Baghlan police spokesman Jawed Basharat said about the floods.

    “There’s nothing left for them to survive. People don’t even having drinking water,” he added. “They urgently need water, food items, blankets and tents.” Afghan disaster management officials said they were scrambling to get food and medical aid to the area after torrential rains unleashed the floods, which forced thousands of people to flee their houses. Officials recovered 58 bodies from the inundated areas, including women and children, with several people said to be missing, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

    “There is a lot of stagnant water, and there are more bodies under the rubble and mud,” Mohammad Nasim Kohzad, head of NDMA in Baghlan, said. “We are still looking for other victims of this flood.”

  • 5 Nato soldiers killed in attack in Afghanistan

    5 Nato soldiers killed in attack in Afghanistan

    KABUL: Nato says five service members have been killed in attack in southern Afghanistan. A statement from the international alliance on Tuesday says that all five soldiers died on Monday. It did not give further details on where the attack happened nor the nationality of the soldiers killed in the attack. Coalition policy is for home countries to identify their military dead. The deaths bring to 36 the number of Nato soldiers killed so far this year in Afghanistan, with eight service members killed in June.

    Casualties have been falling in the US-led military coalition as its forces pull back to allow the Afghan army and police to fight the Taliban insurgency. All combat troops are scheduled to be withdrawn from the country by the end of this year.

  • ELIZABETH HURLEY SELLING OFF COUNTRY FARM

    ELIZABETH HURLEY SELLING OFF COUNTRY FARM

    British actress-model Elizabeth Hurley is giving up the country life by selling off her farm. The 48-year-old bought the rural property in England’s picturesque Cotswolds region more than a decade ago, and she kept cows, sheep and pigs there, producing her own line of meat and organic foods.

    However, Hurley has now put the six-bedroom mansion and 73 acres of land up for sale for around $9.6 million (6 million pounds), reports contactmusic.com. Hurley also expressed her views of leaving the farm. “I’ll miss sitting round the fire cackling with my friends, walking through the fields with my son, and the rose garden I created. But I’m taking my memories with me, so I’ll be Ok,” she said.

  • Floods displace over 100,000 in Sri Lanka

    Floods displace over 100,000 in Sri Lanka

    COLOMBO (TIP): Floods caused by days of torrential rain have displaced over 100,000 people in Sri Lanka, latest government data showed on Friday. The Disaster Management Centre said that 26,688 families comprising 109,075 people have been affected by the rain, floods and landslides as of Friday afternoon, Xinhua reported.

    At least 23 people were killed and one person remains missing. Over 40 houses have been completely destroyed due to heavy rainfall and subsequent flooding in six districts while 101 more homes have been partially damaged. Most of the deaths and damage have been reported from the Kalutara district in Western Province and relief efforts are going on, disaster management minister Mahinda Amaraweera told reporters. “We are providing compensation of SLRs 15,000 (about $115) to people who have lost family members.

    There has been criticism this is not enough but this is all that has been allocated from the finance ministry,” he said. In Western Province 148 schools re-opened after being closed due to adverse weather conditions earlier in the week, the provincial council said. President Mahinda Rajapaksa tweeted on Monday that he had instructed his officials to “expedite relief measures to communities affected by the bad weather”. Security forces and police have initiated flood relief measures to rescue people trapped or marooned due to rising water levels and roads being inundated.

  • Afghans tighten security as Taliban threaten vote

    Afghans tighten security as Taliban threaten vote

    KABUL (AFGHANISTAN (TIP)): Afghan police and soldiers are manning checkpoints at almost every intersection, searching vehicles and banning trucks from the streets, tightening security ahead of a weekend presidential election. Insurgents have intensified attacks ahead of Saturday’s runoff vote, and the Taliban have issued a new statement warning voters to stay away from the polls.

    The first round in April passed relatively peacefully, but a recent assassination attempt against one of the two presidential hopefuls left in the race has raised fears. Still, a senior UN envoy expressed confidence Thursday that Afghan voters will turn out as they did in the first round on April 5.

    Jan Kubis also called on candidates Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai to give electoral authorities time to tally the ballots and resolve any complaints about fraud.

  • 14,000 strong CWA Local 1180 endorses John Liu for State Senate

    14,000 strong CWA Local 1180 endorses John Liu for State Senate

    QUEENS (TIP): After New York Hotel Trades Council, UFCW Local 1500, and New York City Coalition of Operating Engineers, it is CWA Local 1180 which has strongly supported John Liu for State Senate. Citing Democrat John Liu’s proven track record as a tireless fighter for working families and the middle class in New York City, CWA Local 1180 endorsed progressive Democrat John Liu’s campaign to bring Democratic leadership back to Senate District 11. CWA Local 1180 is one of the largest public sector locals of the Communications Workers of America, representing more than 14,000 workers and retirees, and has committed its full support behind the candidacy of Democrat John Liu against the status quo. “Democrat John Liu is the people’s champion. He has always displayed great courage in his willingness to question the status quo and to take on powerful interests on behalf of working people,” said CWA Local 1180 President Arthur Cheliotes. “During his tenure as New York City Comptroller, he uncovered the fraudulent CityTime contract, put a stop to the corrupt project and returned half a billion dollars to the City.

    He also audited the 911 system overhaul, noting overbilling of millions of dollars; which the City has recently suspended. While Comptroller he released several reports detailing: the value of public sector employees, the advantages of defined benefit contributions, gender equity in the workplace, the cost of rent in NYC, and income inequality. Time and time again, John has defended and supported the workers and the middle class of New York City and we know that he will do the same in Albany. John has always led with integrity and he represents the voice of the people. We are proud to stand with him again to help realize a bold vision for New York.”

    “It is my honor to accept the endorsement of my brothers and sisters of CWA Local 1180,” said Democrat John Liu. “The Union and its members have always stood up for the working women and men of New York and beyond. In my years of public service as City Councilmember and New York City Comptroller, it has been a privilege to stand side by side with my friends at CWA Local 1180 in the fight to bring good jobs, higher wages, quality public education, and affordable housing to all New Yorkers. I look forward to working with the Union when I’m in Albany, where I’ll put an end to the Senate status quo that has, for far too long, stood in the way of real reforms that will make positive changes in the lives of New York’s working families.” The CWA Local 1180 endorsement is yet another show of labor support for John Liu’s surging campaign.

    The Liu campaign has also been endorsed by numerous major New York City labor unions, including UFCW Local 1500, which represents 23,000 grocery store workers; the New York City Coalition of Operating Engineers, which represents 18,000 crane and heavy equipment operators Locals 14 and 15; stationary engineers Locals 30 and 94; school custodians Local 891; and New York City building inspectors Local 211. Liu also earned the coveted endorsement of the New York Hotel and Motel Trades Council, AFL-CIO (HTC) that boasts 50,000-plus workers and retirees, and is known for its highly sophisticated political operation.

    In addition to labor support, John Liu’s campaign has also received endorsements from tenants’ rights group Tenants PAC, grassroots activist organization New York Communities for Change, and the nation’s largest progressive online community Daily Kos. CWA Local 1180 is one of the largest public sector locals of the Communications Workers of America, representing more than 14,000 workers and retirees. It is comprised of workers at dozens of New York City Mayoral agencies including the Health and Hospitals Corporation, the Board of Education, the Housing Authority, the Transit Authority, the School Construction Authority, the state’s Unified Court System; and private companies such as the Jacob Javits Convention Center; and at not-for-profit organizations including Planned Parenthood of New York City, the ASPCA, Human Rights First, and Human Rights Watch.

  • Demi Moore replaces Sarah Jessica Parker in ‘Wild Oats’

    Demi Moore replaces Sarah Jessica Parker in ‘Wild Oats’

    Actress Demi Moore will replace ‘Sex And The City’ star Sarah Jessica Parker in the upcoming comedy ‘Wild Oats’. Shirley MacLaine leads the cast of ‘Wild Oats’ as Eva, who takes her best friend (Jessica Lange) on a crazy adventure after mistakenly getting a USD 900,000 social security check, reported Variety.

    Moore, 51, is replacing Parker just over a month after the former ‘Sex and the City’ actress was announced to be joining ‘Wild Oats’. There has been no public explanation as to why Parker is leaving the project. ‘Wild Oats’ will be directed by Andy Tennant, whose previous credits include ‘Fool’s Gold’ and ‘Hitch’. The film is expected to be released next year.

  • EDGE OF TOMORROW

    EDGE OF TOMORROW

    Story: The Mimics are set to take over the world in this post-apocalyptic outing. Humanity’s hope rests on a soldier who is caught in a time loop. Can he use his powers to defeat the alien hordes? Review: US Army Major William Cage (Cruise) is not exactly warrior material. Serving as a lily-livered mediarelations officer, he has neither the guts nor the gumption for actual combat, even if it is a battle on which the fate of the world hinges. When he is summoned to London by General Brigham (Gleeson) for a briefing, he is given a mission that’s a one-way ticket to the front-lines in Normandy, France.

    Cage tries to wrangle out of it by blackmailing Brigham. For this, he is arrested, stripped of rank and forcibly sent to the staging point at Heathrow Airport, just like an ordinary private. There, he is deployed with J-Squad. The Mimics, controlled by an entity named the Omega, have taken over most of Europe. With their timecontrol powers, they can actually learn and use the very same tactics humans themselves use, before they’ve even used them.

    When an Alpha Mimic (more powerful than ordinary Mimics) is killed by Cage (who also dies in the struggle), its powers get transferred to him. Subsequently, each loop begins where Cage snaps awake on a pile of luggage, meets Master Sergeant Farrell Bartolome (Paxton) and is deployed to the front, only to die in a different manner.

    Cage can either relive the horror of an infinite loop or he must find a way to destroy the Omega and break out of the loop. GI Jane-like Rita Vrataski (Blunt), who excelled on the battlefields of Verdun, helps him understand the process. And things then begin to change. Cage’s emergence as a soldier who actually has a fighting chance against the enemy is fascinating. Writer Hiroshi Sakurazaka’s story has solid sci-fi credentials and Cruise proves that he still has the chops to pull off mega action movies. Edge of Tomorrow is one of his most compelling and nuanced performances in this genre.

  • SRI GURU GRANTH SAHIB

    SRI GURU GRANTH SAHIB

    The tongue drinks in the subtle essence of the Lord, and deep within, the heart is drenched with His Love, contemplating the True Word of the Shabad. Deep within, the well of the heart is overflowing with the Lord’s Ambrosial Nectar; the water-carrier draws and drinks in the water of the Shabad. One who is blessed with the Lord’s Glance of Grace is attuned to the Truth; with his tongue, he chants the Lord’s Name. O Nanak, those who are attuned to the Naam are immaculate. The others are full of the filth of egotism.

    || 2 || All the religious scholars and astrologers read and study, and argue and shout. Who are they trying to teach? Deep within, they are stained with the filth of emotional attachment to Maya; they deal in Maya alone. They love to deal in Maya in this world; coming and going, they suffer in pain. The worm of poison is addicted to poison; it is immersed in manure. He does what is pre-ordained for him; no one can erase his destiny. O Nanak, attuned to the Naam, lasting peace is found; the ignorant fools die screaming.

    || 3 || Their minds are colored by emotional attachment to Maya; because of this emotional attachment, they do not understand. The mind of the Gurmukh is imbued with the Lord’s Love, and the love of duality departs. The love of duality departs, and one merges in Truth; the treasure of Truth is overflowing. One who becomes Gurmukh, comes to understand; the Lord embellishes him with Truth. He alone merges with the Lord, whom the Lord causes to merge; nothing else can be said or done. O Nanak, without the Name, some are deluded by doubt; but others, imbued with the Name, enshrine love for the Lord.

    || 4 || 5 || WADAHANS, THIRD MEHL: O my mind, the world comes and goes in birth and death; only the True Name shall emancipate you in the end. When the True Lord Himself grants forgiveness, then one does not have to enter the cycle of reincarnation again. He does not have to enter the cycle of reincarnation again, and he is emancipated in the end; as Gurmukh, he obtains glorious greatness.

    Imbued with love for the True Lord, he is intoxicated with celestial bliss, and he remains absorbed in the Celestial Lord. The True Lord is pleasing to his mind; he enshrines the True Lord in his mind. Attuned to the Word of the Shabad, he is emancipated in the end. O Nanak, those who are attuned to the Naam, merge in the True Lord; they are not cast into the terrifying world-ocean again.

    || 1 || Emotional attachment to Maya is total madness; through the love of duality, one is ruined. Mother and father – all are subject to this love; in this love, they are entangled. They are entangled in this love, on account of their past actions, which no one can erase. The One who created the Universe, beholds it; no other is as great as He. The blind, self-willed manmukh is consumed by his burning rage; without the Word of the Shabad, peace does not come. O Nanak, without the Name, everyone is deluded, ruined by emotional attachment to Maya.

    || 2 || Seeing this world on fire, I have hurried to the Sanctuary of the Lord. I offer my prayer to the Perfect Guru: please save me, and bless me with Your glorious greatness. Preserve me in Your Sanctuary, and bless me with the glorious greatness of the Lord’s Name; there is no other Giver as great as You. Those who are engaged in serving You are very fortunate; throughout the ages, they know the One Lord. You may practice celibacy, truth, austere selfdiscipline and rituals, but without the Guru, you shall not be emancipated. O Nanak, he alone understands the Word of the Shabad, who goes and seeks the Lord’s Sanctuary.

    || 3 || That understanding, imparted by the Lord, wells up; there is no other understanding. Deep within, and beyond as well, You alone exist, O Lord; You Yourself impart this understanding. One whom He Himself blesses with this understanding, does not love any other. As Gurmukh, he tastes the subtle essence of the Lord. In the True Court, he is forever True; with love, he chants the True Word of the Shabad. Within his home, he finds the home of his own inner being; the True Guru blesses him with greatness. O Nanak, those who are attuned to the Naam find the Mansion of the Lord’s Presence; their understanding is true and approved.

    || 4 || 6 || WADAHANS, FOURTH MEHL, CHHANT: ONE UNIVERSAL CREATOR GOD. BY THE GRACE OF THE TRUE GURU: My mind, my mind – the True Guru has blessed it with love. The Name of the Lord, Har, Har, Har, Har, dwells within my mind. The Name of the Lord, Har, Har, dwells within my mind; it is the Destroyer of all pain. By great good fortune, I have obtained the Blessed Vision of the Guru’s Darshan; blessed, blessed is my True Guru. While standing up and sitting down, I serve the True Guru; serving Him, I have found peace and tranquility. My mind, my mind – the True Guru has blessed it with love.

    || 1 || I live, I live, and I blossom forth, beholding the True Guru. The Name of the Lord, He has implanted the Name of the Lord within me; chanting the Name of the Lord, Har, Har, I blossom forth. Chanting the Name of the Lord, Har, Har, the heart-lotus blossoms forth, and through the Name of the Lord, I have obtained the nine treasures. The disease of egotism has been eradicated, suffering has been eliminated, and I have entered the Lord’s state of celestial Samaadhi. I have obtained the glorious greatness of Name of the Lord from the True Guru; beholding the Divine True Guru, my mind is at peace. I live, I live, and I blossom forth, beholding the True Guru.

    || 2 || If only someone would come, if only someone would come, and lead me to meet my Perfect True Guru. My mind and body, my mind and body – I cut my body into pieces, and I dedicate these to Him. Cutting my mind and body apart, cutting them into pieces, I offer these to the one, who recites to me the Words of the True Guru. My mind has become disillusioned and renounced the world; obtaining the Blessed Vision of the Guru’s Darshan, it has found peace. O Lord, Har, Har, O Giver of Peace, please, grant Your Grace, and bless me with the dust of the feet of the True Guru. If only someone would come, if only someone would come, and lead me to meet my Perfect True Guru.

    || 3
    || A Giver as great as the Guru, as great as the Guru – I cannot see any other. He blesses me with the gift of the Lord’s Name, the gift of the Lord’s Name; He is the Immaculate Lord God. Those who worship in adoration the Name of the Lord, Har, Har – their pain, doubt and fear are dispelled. Through their loving service, those very fortunate ones meet Him; their minds are attached to the Guru’s Feet. Says Nanak, the Lord Himself causes us to meet the Guru; meeting the Almighty True Guru, peace is obtained. A Giver as great as the Guru, as great as the Guru – I cannot see any other.

    || 4 || 1 || WADAHANS, FOURTH MEHL: Without the Guru, I am – without the Guru, I am totally dishonored. The Life of the world, the Life of the world, the Great Giver has led me to meet and merge with the Guru. Meeting the True Guru, I have merged into the Naam, the Name of the Lord. I chant the Name of the Lord, Har, Har, and meditate on it. I was seeking and searching for Him, for the Lord, my best friend; I found Him within the home of my own being. I see the One Lord, and I know the One Lord; I realize the Lord within my soul. Without the Guru, I am – without the Guru, I am totally dishonored.

    || 1 || Those who have found the True Guru, the True Guru – the Lord God unites them in His Union. Their feet, their feet, I adore; I fall at their feet. O Lord, Har, Har, I adore the feet of those who meditate on the True Guru, and the Almighty Lord God. You are the Great Giver, the Inner-knower, the Searcher of hearts; please, reward my faith, O Lord King. Meeting the Gursikhs, my faith is rewarded; night and day, I sing the Glorious Praises of the Lord.

    Those who have found the True Guru, the True Guru – the Lord God unites them in His Union. || 2 || I am a sacrifice, I am a sacrifice to the Gursikhs, my dear friends. They chant the Lord’s Name, the Lord’s Name; the Beloved Naam, the Name of the Lord, is my only Support. The Name of the Lord, Har, Har, is the companion of my breath of life; without it, I cannot live for an instant or a moment. The Lord, Har, Har, the Giver of peace, grants His Grace, and the Gurmukhs drink in the Ambrosial Nectar. The Lord blesses them with faith, and unites them in His Union; the Lord Himself adorns them. I am a sacrifice, I am a sacrifice to the Gursikhs, my dear friends.

    || 3 || The Lord Himself, the Lord Himself – He is the Immaculate Almighty Lord God. The Lord Himself, the Lord Himself, unites us with Himself; that which He does, comes to pass.Whatever is pleasing to the Lord God, that alone comes to pass; nothing else can be done. Even by all sorts of clever tricks, He cannot be obtained; all have grown weary of practicing cleverness. By Guru’s Grace, servant Nanak beholds Him; without the Lord, I have no other at all.

    The Lord Himself, the Lord Himself – He is the Immaculate Almighty Lord God. || 4 || 2 || WADAHANS, FOURTH MEHL: The Lord, the True Guru, the Lord, the True Guru – if only I could meet the Lord, the True Guru; His Lotus Feet are so pleasing to me. The darkness of ignorance was dispelled when the Guru applied the healing ointment of spiritual wisdom to my eyes.

    The True Guru has applied the healing ointment of spiritual wisdom to my eyes, and the darkness of ignorance has been dispelled. Serving the True Guru, I have obtained the supreme status; I meditate on the Lord with every breath and morsel of food. Those, upon whom the Lord God has bestowed His Grace, are committed to the service of the True Guru. The Lord, the True Guru, the Lord, the True Guru – if only I could meet the Lord, the True Guru; His Lotus Feet are so pleasing to me.

    || 1 || My True Guru, my True Guru is my Beloved; without the Guru, I cannot survive. He gives me the Name of the Lord, the Name of the Lord, my only companion in the end. The Name of the Lord, Har, Har, is my only companion in the end; the Guru, the True Guru, has implanted the Naam within me. There, where neither your children nor your spouse shall accompany you, the Name of the Lord, Har, Har shall emancipate you. Blessed, blessed is the True Guru, the Immaculate, Almighty Lord God; meeting Him, I meditate on the Name of the Lord. My True Guru, my True Guru is my Beloved; without the Guru, I cannot survive.

    || 2 || Those who have not obtained the Blessed Vision, the Blessed Vision of the Darshan of the True Guru, the Almighty Lord God – they have fruitlessly, uselessly wasted their whole lives in vain. They have wasted away their whole lives in vain; those faithless cynics die regretting and repenting. They have the jewel-treasure in their own homes, but still, they are hungry; those unlucky wretches are far away from the Lord. O Lord, please, let me not even have to look at those who do not meditate on the Name of the Lord, Har, Har, and who have not obtained the Blessed Vision, the Blessed Vision of the Darshan of the True Guru, the Almighty Lord God.

  • EIGHT FORMS OF MARRIAGE

    EIGHT FORMS OF MARRIAGE

    According to the brahma form of marriage, the girl must not have had her menarche. There is incontrovertible proof for this in the Vedic mantra chanted at the end of the marriage rite. . I told that a girl is under the sway of a gandharva between the time she is able to wear her clothes without anybody’s help and her menarche. His name is Visvavasu. The mantra I referred to is chanted by the groom addressing this demigod. “O Visvasu,” it says,”I bow to you. Leave this girl and go. Go to another girl child.

    Have I not become the husband of this girl? So give her over to me and go to another girl who is not married and lives with her father. “During the wedding the groom performs a puja to this gandharva and prays to him to free the girl from his control. Here is proof that the bride is not under Agni and has not had her menarche. The question now is about the verse (from the Manusmrti) cited by the reformists. According to it, a girl may wait three years after her menarche and then seek her husband on her own.

    There is an answer to this. The general rule according to the dharmasastras is that a girl must be married before she attains puberty: “Pradanam prak rtoh.” What happens if this injunction is not followed? If groom does not come on his own, seeking the girl’s hand, her father or brother must look for a groom and marry her off. But if they turn out to be irresponsible or otherwise fail to find a groom? Or if the girl has no guardian, no one to care for her? The lines quoted by the reformers from the Manusmrti apply to such a girl.

    She may look for a husband on her if none of her relatives, neighbours or well-wishers take the trouble of finding her a groom even after she has attained puberty. Though the reformists quote from the Vedas and sastras in support of their view, they fail to take into account the context in which the relevant passages occur. They see them in isolation. That is why they keep arguing that the customs followed by people steeped in our traditions are contrary to the sastras.

    In the Chandogya Upanisad there is mention of a sage called Cakrayana Usasti whose wife had not come of age. The reformists do not examine such references in our ancient texts with a cool head but are carried away by their emotions. In the past the common people did not know how to counter the arguments of the reformists. Even so they did not accept their views thinking it best to follow the practices of their elders, of great men.

    That is why the bill brought twice by the Rt Hon’ble Srinivasa sastri before the legislative council to amend the marriage act (with reference to the age of marriage) did not receive enough support. Later (Harbilas) Sarda introduced the bill which [on its passage] came to be called the Sarda Act. Many people (in the South) think Sarda was a woman and call the law named after him the “Sarda Act”.

    The Central legislative assembly was equally divided on the bill — 50 percent for and 50 per cent against. Then the British asked one of the nominated members to vote in favour of the bill; and thus the minimum age of marriage for girls was raised by a legal enactment. The bill was passed not on the strength of public opinion but because if the government’s intervention. The mind of our British rulers worked thus: “The Congress has been demanding svaraj but we have refused to grant it.

    Let us give it some satisfaction by being of help in inflicting an injury on the (Hindu) religion. ” Now things have changed. There is no respect any longer for old customs and traditions. When the Sarda Act came into force in British India, some Sanskrit scholars returned the “Mahamahopadhyaya” title conferred on them by the government. Among them were Pancanana Tarkaratna Bhattacarya of Bengal and Laksmana Sastri Dravid.

    The latter was settled in Kasi and had the “Dravid” tagged on to his name to make it known that he belonged to the land of the Tamils. How many people today are inspired to rise in protest against the changes introduced by our government in our sastric observances. Our children must be taught the substance and meaning of the sastras in a comprehensive manner. To speak to them about one aspect here and another there will lead to a haphazard and confused view.

    The half-baked research carried on in the Vedas has given rise to the opinion that the scriptures favour love marriage. The canonical texts must be seen in their entirety. When a subject is examined, its underlying meaning and purpose must be grasped. Also they must be seen in the light of other relevant passages occurring elsewhere. A conclusion must be arrived at only after a thorough inquiry into all points.

    The brahma marriage is for all castes. Other forms of marriage are also permitted for non- Brahmins, also postpuberty marriage. If the idea is to give importance to carnal pleasure these other forms may be permitted. But brahma is the best if the purpose of the marriage samskara is the advancement of the Self.

  • REAL WEALTH

    REAL WEALTH

    Wealth to us is gold, land, or other monetary assets. But this is not real wealth. A man may make a lot of money, but can he take any of it with him, when it is time for him to depart from this world? A man may have a very high status in society. He may have fame; he may have power. But none of this is going to stop him from dying. Even good looks are temporary, for they last only as long as we are young.

    The greatest wealth we have is our birth as human beings, because only human beings can contemplate on the Supreme One and get liberated from the cycle of birth and deaths. Only if you are born a human can you make efforts to attain moksha, said Goda Venkateswara Sastrigal, in a discourse.

    To be born a human being is a great boon. But instead of seeking the company of those who have bhakti and gnana, we hanker after other things. Bhartrhari, in his Niti Sataka, talks of people who do not tread the right path and says they are like a man who roasts sesame seeds in a golden vessel, studded with diamonds, the fuel used being sandalwood! They are like a man, who makes a plough of gold and ploughs the land in which he plans to grow cotton! He cuts valuable trees, and uses the trunks to fence the land where he grows cotton! We do not want to share our wealth with others.
    The Sukra Niti says that a man should give one fifth of his wealth for the benefit of the poor. But instead we waste our money to show off our wealth. So, since human birth enables us to attain moksha, this janma we have taken is our biggest wealth, and we must not waste our days on this earth.

  • TIMELY HELP

    TIMELY HELP

    Kings built palaces and temples. But while the temples survive, there is no trace of their palaces. What we do for others survives. What we do selfishly, doesn’t last even until our death, said Ilampirai Manimaran, in a discourse. A popular story shows that to God selfless service is important, even if the help we offer may be something simple. A king who built a temple had a dream, in which Lord Siva appeared, and the king asked Him if He was happy with the temple he had built. Siva replied that He was happy with the service of an old woman. Puzzled, the king wondered who the old woman was and what shelter she had offered.

    He talked to his sculptors about his dream. The sculptors told him, that while they had been at work, an old lady had served them water everyday. The water stored in a mud pot was cool and the sculptors found it most refreshing. The sculptor said this was the lady Lord Siva must have been talking about in the dream. So here was a huge temple built by a king. But what the Lord spoke about was the service of an old woman.

    That was because she had served refreshing water to the sculptors at work. She had seen that as a way of serving God Himself. The poem Vaishnava Janato defines who a Vaishnavite is. The popular poem says that a person who is a devotee of Lord Vishnu, is one who can relate to the pain of others; he is one who does good to others. While helping others, we must help without condescension.

    The poem says that a true Vaishnava is not drawn by worldly attractions. His thoughts and deeds are pure. The mother of such a person may consider herself blessed. Such a person’s family too is saved by his goodness, and gets salvation by virtue of his good deeds.

  • WAYS TO RE-USE OLD KITCHEN WARE

    WAYS TO RE-USE OLD KITCHEN WARE

    When it comes to food, more often than not, presentation scores over all other factors. While investing in the latest crockery is always good, one can also try to re-use some old kitchen ware in novel ways. Jam jars — which have become popular with chocolatiers, barmen and chefs — are one such option. Instead of discarding old jars, store them and serve your guests a surprise treat, be it at a kitty party, drinking session or even after a lavish dinner spread. Take a cue from some of the prevalent presentation styles in top restaurants in the world, and woo your guests with these tricks…

    For coolers and cocktails

    With the summer sun showing no respite, coolers and cocktails are a good solution to beat the heat. When serving up a drink, use a jam jar instead of boring glasses. Remember, though, that you also need to spruce up the presentation. When serving something as simple as lemonade or orange juice, place a slice of lemon or orange on the rim. You could also season the rim with either rock salt, chilli powder or chaat masala to give your drink an edge.

    For desserts

    When you’re serving baked or set desserts like pannacota or mousse, you could use a small jar instead of a bowl. To add a little texture to the dessert, add some cookie crumbles, nuts or chocolate chips at the bottom. With bakers and chocolatiers also taking to the cake in a jar concept, you could try your own little variant when you’ve guests over. Put some crushed brownies, chocolate bits, raspberry and chocolate syrup, cookie crumble and even some ice cream and in a jar. When you’re ready to serve the dessert, place it the microwave for a minute. You could serve your guests an interesting gooey, chocolatey mix that will leave them asking for more.

  • BLAME YOUR MARRIAGE FOR A BAD NIGHT’S SLEEP

    BLAME YOUR MARRIAGE FOR A BAD NIGHT’S SLEEP

    Now you may know why you usually have a disturbed sleep at night – go figure out if your wife has higher marital satisfaction! Couples are more likely to sleep in sync when the wife is more satisfied with their marriage, a fascinating research reveals. “Most of what is known about sleep comes from studying it at the individual level.

    However, for most adults, sleep is a shared behaviour between bed partners,” said Heather Gunn, a post-doctoral scholar at University of Pittsburgh. “How couples sleep together may influence and be influenced by their relationship functioning,” Gunn added.

    Results show that overall synchrony in sleep-wake schedules among couples was high, as those who slept in the same bed were awake or asleep at the same time about 75 percent of the time. When the wife reported higher marital satisfaction, the percent of time the couple was awake or asleep at the same time was greater.

    To reach this conclusion, researchers studied 46 couples who completed relationship assessments. Objective sleep data also were gathered over a 10-day period. “The sleep of married couples is more in sync on a minute-by-minute basis than the sleep of random individuals,” Gunn noted. “This suggests that our sleep patterns are regulated not only by when we sleep, but also by with whom we sleep,” she said.

  • BANISH STOMACH FAT FOREVER

    BANISH STOMACH FAT FOREVER

    For how long are you going to hide that paunch? Let’s not run away from the problem and, instead, face it head on! Arnav Sarkar, our Strength and Conditioning coach gives you the weapons to banish stomach fat forever. Read Arnav’s tips below to shed those baggy clothes…

    • Strength train atleast 3 days a week. This will help boost your metabolism and help you burn more calories even at rest.
    • Ditch the “500 crunches” workouts and do more intense core work with exercises like windmills, Turkish situps, hanging leg raises, etc.
    • Perform 2-3 HIIT or high intensity interval training workouts a week. These need not and should be long in duration, 10-20 minutes is enough if done correctly.
    • Get more active. Even if you spend 1 hour a day in the gym on all days of the week, it is still just 7 hours of a total of 168 hours in the week. Try to make the best of the remaining hours by getting more active. Plan playtime with friends/kids, and move a lot more during the day.
    • Get 6-8 hours of sleep each night. Less than that and your hormones will always be in a fat storing state, and you will find your dreams of a flat stomach hard to realize.
    • Meditate, and use other stress reduction strategies that will keep your cortisol levels under control and keep you from gaining abdominal fat and not make you age faster.
    • Eat more protein, fiber, and healthy fats. This means more lean meats, veggies, and nuts. Eat less junk, refined and sugary foods. These are the worst enemies of a flat stomach, and they are often the cause of many other chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, etc.
    • Drink more water, atleast 2 liters a day is a bare minimum. Less than that and your body will not be able to burn fat most efficiently.

    These are some of the best tips you can get to lose abdominal fat and flaunt a flat stomach. Want it? Then lose it and flaunt it!

  • ‘LOVE’ HORMONE REJUVENATES OLD MUSCLES TOO

    ‘LOVE’ HORMONE REJUVENATES OLD MUSCLES TOO

    The ‘love hormone’ not only triggers emotions when you see your beloved but also helps old muscles work like new. According to new research, oxytocin – a hormone associated with maternal nurturing, social attachments, childbirth and sex – is indispensable for healthy muscle maintenance and repair.

    “Our quest was to find a molecule that not only rejuvenates old muscle and other tissue but that can do so sustainably without increasing the risk of cancer,” said principal investigator Irina Conboy, an associate professor of bioengineering at University of California, Berkeley. Conboy and her research team found that oxytocin is a good candidate because it is a broad range hormone that reaches every organ and is not known to be associated with tumours or to interfere with the immune system.

    “This is the hormone that makes your heart melt when you see kittens, puppies and human babies,” said Conboy. The new study determined that in mice, blood levels of oxytocin declined with age. To tease out oxytocin’s role in muscle repair, the researchers injected the hormone under the skin of old mice for four days, and then for five days more after the muscles were injured. After the nine-day treatment, they found that the muscles of the mice that had received oxytocin injections healed far better than those of a control group of mice without oxytocin. “The action of oxytocin was fast.

    The repair of muscle in the old mice was at about 80 percent of what we saw in the young mice,” Conboy added. The researchers also found that blocking the effects of oxytocin in young mice rapidly compromised their ability to repair muscle, which resembled old tissue after an injury. They noted that oxytocin could become a viable alternative to hormone replacement therapy and for longterm health.

  • WHY STRESS, FEAR TRIGGER HEART ATTACKS

    WHY STRESS, FEAR TRIGGER HEART ATTACKS

    In a first, scientists have come up with an explanation to why a sudden shock, stress and fear may trigger heart attack and they found that multiple bacterial species living as biofilms on arterial walls could hold the key to such attacks. Hormones released during these events appear to cause bacterial biofilms on arterial walls to disperse, allowing plaque deposits to rupture into the bloodstream, the findings showed. Because the biofilms are closely bound to arterial plaque, the dispersal of a biofilm could cause sudden release of the surrounding arterial plaque, triggering a heart attack.

    “Our hypothesis fitted with the observation that heart attack and stroke often occur following an event where elevated levels of catecholamine hormones are released into the blood and tissues, such as occurs during sudden emotional shock or stress, sudden exertion or overexertion,” said David Davies of Binghamton University in the US. The researchers isolated and cultured different species of bacteria from diseased carotid arteries that had been removed from patients with atherosclerosis.

    Their results showed multiple bacterial species living as biofilms in the walls of every atherosclerotic (plaquecovered) carotid artery tested. The researchers added norepinephrine, at a level that would be found in the body following stress or exertion, to biofilms formed on the inner walls of silicone tubing.

    “At least one species of bacteria – Pseudomonas aeruginosa – commonly associated with carotid arteries in our studies, was able to undergo a biofilm dispersion response when exposed to norepinephrine, a hormone responsible for the fight-or-flight response in humans,” Davies stated. This research suggests that management of bacteria within an arterial plaque lesion may be as important as managing cholesterol.

  • Stress hormones drive you eat more sugar

    Stress hormones drive you eat more sugar

    Do you know why you look for chocolates or sweets when under intense stress? Because stress-activated hormones are hidden in oral taste cells responsible for detection of sweet and get activated under stress. These hormones, known as glucocorticoids (GC), may act directly on taste receptor cells under conditions of stress to affect these cells’ response to sugars and certain other taste stimuli.

    “Sweet taste may be particularly affected by stress. Our results may provide a molecular mechanism to help explain why some people eat more sugary foods under stress,” said M. Rockwell Parker, a chemical ecologist at Philadelphia-based Monell Chemical Senses Center. Knowing that stress can have major effects on metabolism and food choice, the researchers used a mouse model to ask whether taste receptor cells contain these GC receptors. The findings revealed that GC receptors are present on the tongue where they are specifically localised to the cells that contain receptors for sweet, umami and bitter taste.

    The highest concentrations of GC receptors were found in “Tas1r3” taste cells, which are sensitive to sweet and umami taste. The results suggest that sweet taste perception and intake, which are known to be altered by stress, may be specifically affected via secretion of GCs and subsequent activation of GC receptors in taste cells. “Taste provides one of our initial evaluations of potential foods. If this sense can be directly affected by stress-related hormonal changes, our food interaction will likewise be altered,” Parker maintained.

  • Vishal Sikka to head Infosys

    Vishal Sikka to head Infosys

    BANGALORE (TIP): IT major Infosys named Vishal Sikka, former executive board member SAP AG, as its first nonfounder Chief Executive Officer. The Vadodara-born, doctorate in computer science from Stanford, will take over from incumbent S.D. Shibulal on August 1. The company said in an early morning filing to the exchanges on Thursday that company founders N.R. Narayana Murthy and S. Gopalakrishnan will step down as Executive Chairman and Executive Vice-Chairman on June 14.

    However both co-founders will continue on the board to ensure “smooth transition” till October 10 in non-executive roles, post which Mr. Murthy will be Chairman Emeritus. Murthy’s office, which was set up last June when he returned from his retirement to “build a desirable Infosys, will be dissolved effective Saturday. Putting an end to speculation over a larger role for his son Rohan Murthy, Infosys announced that his appointment was co-terminus and he will exit the company on June 14.

    The announcement brings to a close a tightly watched CEO hunt, which officially lasted exactly two months. On April 12, the second largest IT services exporter in the country had indicated that Shibulal might step down before his official retirement date in March 2015. Shibulal and Srinath Batni will step down from the board on July 31. Infosys also said that 12 leaders have been elevated to executive vicepresident roles, indicating a full management revamp.

    Infosys also announced that president and whole-time director U.B. Pravin Rao has been elevated to the post of Chief Operating Officer. On the appointment, Sikka said, in the release, “I look forward to working with and learning from talented Infoscions around the world. Computing technology is reshaping every industry across every walk of life. We, at Infosys, have a unique opportunity to deliver breakthrough solutions that will bring greater value to our clients, employees, investors and other stakeholders.”

    Murthy, who first tweeted the announcement in the morning, said: “Vishal brings valuable experience as a leader of a large, global corporation. His illustrious track record and value system make him an ideal choice to lead Infosys.” He thanked the members of my office, the Chief Financial Officer and the head of Human Resources for their fabulous support through my second innings at Infosys. Gopalakrishnan commented, in the release, that he was glad that the Board chose a “thought leader who has demonstrated how technology can be leveraged to help businesses become more competitive”. Shibulal thanked the Board, employees and investors for the support.

  • COUNTRY’S FIRST PAYMENT BANK TO COME UP SOON: RBI

    COUNTRY’S FIRST PAYMENT BANK TO COME UP SOON: RBI

    MUMBAI (TIP): Reserve Bank of India has said that the country will soon have its first payment bank as prescribed by a committee headed by Nachiket Mor to look into financial inclusion. Speaking at a BFSI Conference organized by SBI Capial Markets, HR Khan, deputy governor, RBI said, “I know that many are disappointed that RBI has issued only two universal bank licences.

    But we will soon be coming out with new guidelines and the licencing will not be a window where everyone will have to rush at the same time,” said Khan. “We will shortly be coming out with a payment bank which has been recommended by the Nachiket Mor committee,” said Khan. He added that besides guidelines for a universal bank, RBI will have separate norms for small banks along with midsized commercial banks.

    A payment bank, as envisaged by the Mor Committee, will provide transactional services like opening an account, allowing payments and remittances. However, it will not extend loans and invest the deposits in government securities. The objective of such a bank is to extend primary banking services to the hitherto unbanked. There have been reports that IndiaPost, one of the aspirants for a bank licence, would be granted a payments bank licence. There were 26 aspirants in all for a bank licence of which only two – IDFC and Bandhan were successful.