The results of the October 30 byelections have stung the BJP government in Himachal Pradesh, a year before the hill state goes to the polls. The ruling party drew a blank as the Congress regained the Mandi parliamentary seat and also won Arki, Fatehpur and Jubbal-Kotkhai Assembly seats. This was the first election in the state after six-term Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, by far Himachal’s tallest Congress leader, passed away in July. His rich legacy lives on, with the sympathy vote largely helping the Congress turn the tables on the BJP. Virbhadra’s widow Pratibha Singh outclassed Kargil war hero and BJP nominee Brig Khushal Thakur (retd) to wrest the Mandi seat. Not surprisingly, Arki, from where Virbhadra had won in 2017, also went the Congress’ way. While the outcome has given a fillip to the Himachal Congress, which has been struggling to regroup after Virbhadra’s demise, it’s an embarrassment not only for CM Jai Ram Thakur but also for BJP’s national president JP Nadda, who is a Rajya Sabha MP from the state. Both Thakur and Nadda need to assess how big a part anti-incumbency played in the bypoll and how the BJP can get its act together ahead of the 2022 elections. In Haryana, Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) candidate Abhay Singh Chautala retained the Ellenabad Assembly seat. The victory offers a ray of hope to the INLD, which has been reduced to a fringe player in the state. Resentment against the BJP-led state government and the prolonged unrest over the three Central farm laws seem to have influenced the result.
The verdict in Himachal and Haryana is at variance with the general trend in most other states, where the ruling party/alliance fared well in the byelections. The BJP and its allies gained ground in Assam and other northeastern states, while the Trinamool Congress swept the board in West Bengal. The Congress came up trumps in Rajasthan, even as the BJP had the upper hand in Madhya Pradesh. On the whole, it’s a mixed bag of results that hasn’t given the BJP much to gloat over.
Nations must realize they are not in a competitive race but trying to outrun the clock
In a surprise move at COP26 in Glasgow, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that India will commit to ambitious, enhanced climate targets and cuts in carbon emissions in its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). There were promises to increase non-fossil fuel energy capacity to 500 GW, meet 50% energy from renewable energy, reduce emissions by one billion tons, and bring down the economy’s carbon intensity below 45%, all by 2030. Finally, the PM made the much-awaited declaration: to reach Net Zero emissions by 2070. The announcement came as a surprise given that India had given no assurances to visiting western climate negotiators before the conference and had not filed updated NDCs by the deadline last month. Earlier, the G20 summit in Rome ended without any new commitments on climate change, and India’s G20 Sherpa and Minister Piyush Goyal had said that India could not “identify a year” for ending net carbon emissions (ensuring carbon dioxide emissions are absorbed by the use of technology and lowering output), unless the developed world committed to funding India’s energy transition and enabled clean technology transfers on a much higher scale. Mr. Goyal even suggested that India could not switch to non-fossil fuel and end coal-based thermal plants unless it was made a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, where it is being blocked by China and a number of other countries.
Mr. Modi’s pledges in 2021 will require an almost immediate shift in the Government’s priorities if it wishes to meet its first few goals in just eight years. According to one estimate (the Centre for Science and Environment), the promise to reduce emissions by one billion tons would need a reduction in India’s carbon output by a massive 22% by 2030. On Net Zero, the target of 2070 is two decades after the global goal at mid-century and would require the world’s other growing economies including China to peak emissions, preferably by 2030 itself. India meets about 12% of its electricity needs through renewable energy, and ramping that up to 50% by 2030 will be a tall ask too. If the Government realizes Mr. Modi’s promises in Glasgow, India will be a global beacon in fighting climate change and ensuring sustainable development. At the least, it is hoped the commitments will inspire other countries to keep their word, particularly the developed world that has lagged behind in fulfilling combined promises of billions of dollars to fund emerging economies, LDCs and the most climate vulnerable countries in the global South. When it comes to climate change, countries must remember they are not in competition with one another but trying together to outrun the clock.
“Given the stakes for the country, from urgent climate and social spending needs to the future of democracy, Americans badly need a rolling conversation today and in the coming weeks and months about how moderate voters of all affiliations can coalesce behind and guide the only party right now that shows an interest in governing and preserving democratic norms.”
Tuesday was not just about Republicans reclaiming electoral ground from Democrats. Even in many blue enclaves, voters showed an interest in moving toward the center.
Tuesday’s election result trend lines were a political nightmare for the Democratic Party, and no Democrat who cares about winning elections in 2022 and the presidential race in 2024 should see them as anything less.
Familiar takeaways like “wake-up call” and “warning shot” don’t do justice here because the danger of ignoring those trends is too great. What would do justice, and what is badly needed, is an honest conversation in the Democratic Party about how to return to the moderate policies and values that fueled the blue-wave victories in 2018 and won Joe Biden the presidency in 2020.
Given the stakes for the country, from urgent climate and social spending needs to the future of democracy, Americans badly need a rolling conversation today and in the coming weeks and months about how moderate voters of all affiliations can coalesce behind and guide the only party right now that shows an interest in governing and preserving democratic norms.
The results in Virginia are a grave marker of political peril. Virginia is a blue state; it hasn’t been a battleground in years. Mr. Biden won there in 2020 by 10 points; a year later, the Democratic nominee for governor just lost by 2.5 percentage points, and Republicans flipped two other statewide offices — lieutenant governor and attorney general — that they have not won in 12 years.
Virginia is a cross-section of suburbs, education levels and racial diversity that is a mirror of what a winning, coalition-driven Democratic party should be. Democrats lost there — even with a longtime moderate as their candidate for governor — because the party has become distracted from crucial issues like the economy, inflation, ending the coronavirus pandemic and restoring normalcy in schools and isn’t offering moderate, unifying solutions to them. Republicans now have a playbook for future elections, based on ways their nominee for governor, Glenn Youngkin, overperformed with independents and cut into Democrats’ support in the suburbs and among women. In true-blue New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy barely held onto his seat, while the powerful State Senate leader, Steve Sweeney, lost to a Republican truck driver whose campaign worked with a shoestring budget. Republicans flipped a House seat in a traditionally Democratic area of San Antonio. In Seattle, voters appear to have chosen a Republican for city attorney over a police abolitionist running on the Democratic line.
Bill Clinton’s mantra from 1992 of “it’s the economy, stupid” is rarely out of vogue, and it certainly isn’t now. But Democrats, looking left on so many priorities and so much messaging, have lost sight of what can unite the largest number of Americans. A national Democratic Party that talks up progressive policies at the expense of bipartisan ideas, and that dwells on Donald Trump at the expense of forward-looking ideas, is at risk of becoming a marginal Democratic Party appealing only to the left.
Broader trends were also working against the Democrats. Perhaps chief among these: When voters are feeling surly and unhappy about the direction of the country — as polls show that a majority of them are — they tend to blame the party in power. President Biden’s poll numbers have been on the slide for months, for a blend of reasons ranging from the ugly withdrawal from Afghanistan to the seemingly endless burdens of the pandemic. In an era of nationalized elections, that exerts a drag on his entire party. Many in the president’s party point to Tuesday as proof that congressional Democrats need to stop their left-center squabbling and clock some legislative wins ASAP by passing both the bipartisan infrastructure bill and a robust version of the Build Back Better plan, the larger social spending and environmental proposal. They believe this will give their candidates concrete achievements to run on next year and help re-energize their base.
But Tuesday’s results are a sign that significant parts of the electorate are feeling leery of a sharp leftward push in the party, including on priorities like Build Back Better, which have some strong provisions and some discretionary ones driving up the price tag. The concerns of more centrist Americans about a rush to spend taxpayer money, a rush to grow the government, should not be dismissed.
Tuesday was not just about Republicans reclaiming electoral ground from Democrats. Even in many blue enclaves, voters showed an interest in moving toward the center. In Buffalo, N.Y., the democratic socialist who bested the current mayor, Byron Brown, in the Democratic primary appears to be losing to Mr. Brown’s write-in campaign. In Minneapolis, a referendum to replace the police department with a Department of Public Safety went down in flames. In the New York mayoral race, voters went with Eric Adams, a moderate Democrat who ran with a focus on law and order. “Progressives on the ropes?” asked The Seattle Times, in a postelection piece noting that “the more moderate, business-backed candidates in the city’s three most watched races surged to huge and likely insurmountable leads.”
Progressives notched some notable wins for mayor in Boston, Cleveland and Pittsburgh. But progressive wins in deep-blue cities aren’t evidence of broad, national support. Many Americans, across party lines, are concerned about crime and border security and inflation. The high price of gas is causing particular pain. More than 60 percent of voters hold the Biden administration responsible for inflation. Polls show that many independents already think that the government is trying to do too much to deal with the nation’s problems.
For many voters — especially those who don’t vote regularly — the 2020 election was about removing Mr. Trump from the White House. It was less about policy or ideology. Mr. Biden did not win the Democratic primary because he promised a progressive revolution. There were plenty of other candidates doing that. He captured the nomination — and the presidency — because he promised an exhausted nation a return to sanity, decency and competence. “Nobody elected him to be F.D.R.,” Representative Abigail Spanberger, a moderate Democrat from Virginia, told the Times after Tuesday’s drubbing. “They elected him to be normal and stop the chaos.”
Democrats should work to implement policies to help the American people. Congress should focus on what is possible, not what would be possible if Joe Manchin, Kyrsten Sinema and — frankly — a host of lesser-known Democratic moderates who haven’t had to vote on policies they might oppose were not in office.
Democrats agree about far more than they disagree about. But it doesn’t look that way to voters after months and months of intraparty squabbling. Time to focus on — and pass — policies with broad support. Or risk getting run out of office.
(First published in New York Times)
(Tom Suozzi represents New York’s 3rd Congressional District)
“When it comes to climate change, there is a chance to turn this trend, and for India, the largest country in the region sharing the most boundaries with other South Asian neighbors, to lead the way to find holistic solutions: accessing funding, tapping the latest climate adaptation technology, and finding cross-border markets for renewable energy networks. Mr. Modi’s “One Sun One World One Grid” and ‘Panchamrit plans’ would clearly pack more punch if they contain a clear road map for the region, and strive for a common South Asian taskforce to tackle the enormous challenge that lies ahead for India and its neighborhood this century.”
Over the course of four days, at the G20 in Rome and COP26 (the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference) in Glasgow, Scotland, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke at nearly a dozen events, expanding on India’s plans to counter climate change. India’s record since the 2015 Paris Accord and initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), as a part of which Mr. Modi (along with other leaders) launched the ‘Infrastructure for Resilient Island States (IRIS)’ at the World Leaders Summit at COP26 were widely welcomed. The announcement of India’s new Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and the “Panchamrit” or five goals for the future elicited applause from across the audience. Missing however, was any reference to India’s own region, the subcontinent, South Asia, without which India’s multiple forays on fighting climate change could well prove fruitless.
South Asia’s feeble voice
The absence of a South Asian initiative on climate change led by India, accrues to a number of obvious reasons: India-Pakistan tensions that have led to the degradation of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) process, especially since 2014, when the last SAARC summit was held; events in Afghanistan and the Taliban takeover which will bring it closer to its Central Asian rather than South Asian neighbors; the differences over pollution issues within the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) grouping that has held up its initiatives like the common Motor Vehicle Agreement (due mainly to Bhutan’s opposition); and slow movement amongst the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) countries along the Bay of Bengal that have yet to bring about a common charter at the global level despite adding climate change as an area of cooperation a decade ago.
Impact of Global Climate. What does it mean?
To begin with, regardless of relations between any of the countries in South Asia (India-Pakistan being the only notable rivalry), there is no question that this is a cohesive geographical unit that is sheltered by the Himalayas to the north, fed by its many glaciers in an intricate network of rivers that fall into the ocean, and buffeted by the same climate and monsoon conditions. Second, South Asia is slowly becoming the world’s biggest area of concern when it comes to climate change. According to this year’s Global Climate Risk Index, India and Afghanistan are among the top 10 countries worldwide in terms of vulnerability, but South Asia classifies for the overall lowest values. By one estimate, 20 out of 23 major cyclone disasters in the world in the past have occurred around the Bay of Bengal region, and global warming, coastal degradation and soil salinity as well as water scarcities cause the deaths of thousands in South Asia each year. The Asian Development Bank now predicts a decrease of 11% in South Asian GDPs by 2100 if “Business-As-Usual (BAU) Emissions” are maintained. With global warming and sea levels rising, other estimates predict there will be nearly 63 million climate migrants in South Asia by 2050 (Costs of Climate Inaction: Displacement and Distress Migration).
Second, all these grim figures build a logic for a combined push for global reparations and assistance for the entire region. As a part of the developing world, the Indian subcontinent is not responsible for the massive damage done to the environment already wrought by the developed world, and according to 2019 figures, no single regional bloc has lower per capita emissions than South Asia does.
Green potential
When New Delhi speaks of the need for climate justice, global funding and climate adaptation technology transfer, India’s voice would only be strengthened multiple times if it speaks for South Asia as a whole. According to the World Bank’s newly launched South Asia road map, climate-smart investment opportunities in South Asia total a whopping $3.4 trillion, with “energy-efficient green buildings” alone representing an investment potential of more than $1.5 trillion. Green transport connectivity and infrastructure, electric vehicles could represent another $950 billion in investment opportunities by 2030. This does not include the vast sums of funding available for cross-regional solar grids, windfarms and run-of-river energy projects.
Other drawbacks, China
However, while India and other countries in the region access global banks, including the BRICS-led New Development Bank (NDB), the Beijing-based Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and Asian Development Bank for projects individually, there is no single South Asian entity the banks could work with for a more targeted focus and more concessional financing for the problem that faces the region.
Third, growing carbon footprints as well as post-COVID-19 economic compulsions are driving countries into closer regional coalitions, looking for solutions closer home, than those provided by globalization and long-distance supply chains. South Asia has remained an exception, persistently showing lower inter-regional trade and connectivity, and lower levels of cooperation on migrant labor issues, inter-state tourism and cross-border employment than other regions. Finally, New Delhi has often warned of the pernicious influence of ‘Chinese solutions’ to problems in the subcontinent, ranging from unsustainable infrastructure financing to environmentally harmful projects as part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), but it has been unable to proffer a viable alternative, with or without its Quad partners.
On certain issues, where India has failed, South Asian neighbors have learned to seek help from other international partners or even each other: when India stopped COVID-19 vaccine exports this year for example, Bhutan, which received vaccines from Denmark and a number of other countries including the United States and China after a desperate global appeal, in turn helped Nepal with stocks of AstraZeneca. When New Delhi failed to respond to Sri Lanka’s request for assistance with its currency and debt crisis last year, the Rajapaksa government turned to Bangladesh for a currency swap arrangement. The problems between India and Pakistan that have multiplied manifold in the past few years are no doubt a major obstacle, but not one that cannot be surmounted in the face of a common challenge, as the special SAARC conference on COVID-19 in March 2020 showed.
New Delhi can show the way
When it comes to climate change, there is a chance to turn this trend, and for India, the largest country in the region sharing the most boundaries with other South Asian neighbors, to lead the way to find holistic solutions: accessing funding, tapping the latest climate adaptation technology, and finding cross-border markets for renewable energy networks. Mr. Modi’s “One Sun One World One Grid” and ‘Panchamrit plans’ would clearly pack more punch if they contain a clear road map for the region, and strive for a common South Asian taskforce to tackle the enormous challenge that lies ahead for India and its neighborhood this century.
“History is a race between education and catastrophe.” -H.G. Wells
November 5th – Remembered as Guy Fawkes Day in Britain, for the anniversary of the failed “Gunpowder Plot” to blow up the Houses of Parliament and King James I in 1605.
November 5, 1733 – The first issue of the New York Weekly Journal was published by John Peter Zenger, a colonial American printer and journalist. A year later, he was arrested on charges of libeling New York’s royal governor.
November 5, 1911 – Aviator C.P. Snow completed the first transcontinental flight across America, landing at Pasadena, California. He had taken off from Sheepshead Bay, New York, on September 17th and flew a distance of 3,417 miles.
NOVEMBER 6
November 6, 1429 – Henry VI was crowned King of England at age eight. He had acceded to the throne at the age of nine months following the death of Charles VI.
November 6, 1860 – Abraham Lincoln was elected as the 16th U.S. President and the first Republican. He received 180 of 303 possible electoral votes and 40 percent of the popular vote.
November 6, 1917 – During World War I, the Third Battle of Ypres concluded after five months as Canadian and Australian troops took Passchendaele. Their advance, measuring five miles, cost at least 240,000 soldiers.
November 6, 1962 – The U.N. General Assembly adopted a resolution condemning South Africa for its apartheid policies and recommended economic sanctions.
Birthday – American conductor John Philip Sousa (1854-1932) was born in Washington, D.C. Best known for his rousing marches including The Stars and Stripes Forever, Semper Fidelis, and El Capitan.
Birthday – Polish composer, pianist and patriot, Ignace Paderewski (1860-1941) was born in Kurylowka, Podolia, Poland.
Birthday – Inventor of the game of basketball, James Naismith (1861-1939) was born in Almonte, Ontario, Canada.
NOVEMBER 7
November 7, 1659 – The Treaty of the Pyrenees was signed, ending the Franco-Spanish war of 1648-59.
November 7, 1811 – General William H. Harrison led 1,000 Americans in battle, defeating the Shawnee Indians at the Battle of Tippecanoe Creek near Lafayette, Indiana.
November 7, 1837 – A pro-slavery mob attacked and killed American abolitionist Elijah Lovejoy at his printing works in Alton, Illinois.
November 7, 1885 – Canada’s first transcontinental railway, the Canadian Pacific, was completed in British Columbia.
November 7, 1917 – Russian Bolsheviks overthrew the provisional government of Alexander Kerensky in Petrograd. The Council of People’s Commissars was then established as the new government of Russia, with Nikolai Lenin as chairman, Leon Trotsky as foreign commissar and Josef Stalin as commissar of nationalities. This event was celebrated each year in the former USSR with parades, massive military displays and public appearances by top Soviet leaders.
November 7, 1944 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected to an unprecedented fourth term, defeating Thomas E. Dewey. Roosevelt died less than a year later on April 12, 1945.
November 7, 1962 – Richard Nixon told news reporters in Los Angeles “…just think how much you’re going to be missing. You won’t have Nixon to kick around anymore, because, gentlemen, this is my last press conference.” Nixon’s statement came the day after he lost the election for California governor to incumbent Edmund G. Brown. In 1968, Nixon re-entered politics and won the presidency, defeating Hubert H. Humphrey. Re-elected in 1972, he resigned in 1974 during impeachment proceedings resulting from the Watergate scandal.
November 7, 1967 – Carl Stokes became the first African American mayor in the U.S., elected mayor of Cleveland, Ohio.
November 7, 1989 – The East German government resigned after pro-democracy protests.
November 7, 1989 – L. Douglas Wilder became the first African American governor in U.S. history, elected governor of Virginia.
November 7, 1990 – Mary Robinson became Ireland’s first female president.
Birthday – Polish chemist Marie Curie (1867-1934) was born in Warsaw, Poland. In 1903, she and her husband received the Nobel Prize for physics for their discovery of the element Radium.
Birthday – Christian evangelist Billy Graham was born near Charlotte, North Carolina, November 7, 1918. After his conversion at a revival meeting at age 16, he embarked on a career of preaching and has become known worldwide.
NOVEMBER 8
November 8, 1519 – Cortes conquered Mexico. After landing on the Yucatan Peninsula in April, Cortes and his troops had marched into the interior of Mexico to the Aztec capital and captured Aztec Emperor Montezuma.
November 8, 1895 – X-rays (electromagnetic rays) were discovered by Wilhelm Roentgen at the University of Wuerzburg in Germany.
November 8, 1923 – Hitler’s Beer Hall Putsch took place in the Buergerbraukeller in Munich. Hitler, Goering and armed Nazis attempted, but ultimately failed, to forcibly seize power and overthrow democracy in Germany.
November 8, 1939 – An assassination attempt on Hitler failed at the Buergerbraukeller in Munich. A bomb exploded soon after Hitler had exited following a speech commemorating the 1923 Beer Hall Putsch. Seven others were killed.
November 8, 1942 – Operation Torch, the Allied landings in North Africa, began as 400,000 soldiers under the command of General Dwight D. Eisenhower landed at Morocco and Algeria.
Birthday – Astronomer and mathematician Edmund Halley (1656-1742) was born in London. He sighted the Great Comet of 1682 (now named Halley’s Comet) and foretold its reappearance in 1758. Halley’s Comet appears once each generation with the average time between appearances being 76 years. It is expected to be visible again in 2061.
Birthday – Dracula author Bram Stoker (1847-1912) was born in Dublin, Ireland.
Birthday – Gone with the Wind author Margaret Mitchell (1900-1949) was born in Atlanta, Georgia. Her romantic novel about the American Civil War sold over 10 million copies, was translated into 30 languages, and was made into one of the most popular movies of all time. She won a Pulitzer Prize in 1937 for the novel, her only book. She died after being struck by an automobile in Atlanta.
Christiaan Barnard
Birthday – Pioneering heart surgeon Christiaan Barnard (1922-2001) was born in Beaufort West, Cape of Good Hope Province, South Africa. He headed the surgical team that achieved the first-ever human heart transplant in 1967.
NOVEMBER 9
November 9, 1872 – The Great Boston Fire started in a dry-goods warehouse then spread rapidly in windy weather, destroying nearly 800 buildings. Damage was estimated at more than $75 million. The fire’s bright red glare could be seen in the sky for nearly 100 miles.
November 9, 1918 – German Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated his throne in the closing days of World War I and fled to Holland. In Germany, Philip Scheidemann, a Socialist leader, then proclaimed a democratic Republic and became its first Chancellor.
November 9-10, 1938 – Kristallnacht (the night of broken glass) occurred in Germany as Nazi mobs burned synagogues and vandalized Jewish shops and homes.
November 9, 1965 – At 5:16 p.m., the Great Blackout of the Northeast began as a tripped circuit breaker at a power plant on the Niagara River caused a chain reaction sending power surges knocking out interconnected power companies down the East Coast. The blackout affected over 30 million persons, one-sixth of the entire U.S. population. Electricity also failed in Ontario and Quebec.
November 9, 1989 – The Berlin Wall was opened up after standing for 28 years as a symbol of the Cold War. The 27.9-mile wall had been constructed in 1961.
Birthday – Architect Stanford White (1853-1906) was born in New York City. He designed New York’s old Madison Square Garden, the Washington Arch, and the Players, Century and Metropolitan Clubs. White was shot to death on the roof of the Madison Square Garden by an acquaintance on June 25, 1906.
Birthday – Spiro Agnew (1918-1996) was born in Baltimore, Maryland. He served as Richard Nixon’s vice-president from 1969-73. He resigned amid charges of income tax evasion on kickbacks received while he was governor of Maryland and after he became vice-president. As Nixon’s vice-president, Agnew was known as an outspoken critic of the counterculture and anti-war movements of the late 1960s and early 70s.
NOVEMBER 10
November 10, 1775 – The U.S. Marine Corps was established as part of the U.S. Navy. It became a separate unit on July 11, 1789.
November 10, 1871 – Explorer Henry M. Stanley found missionary David Livingstone at Ujiji, Africa. Stanley began his search the previous March for Livingstone who had been missing for two years. Upon locating him, he simply asked, “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?”
November 10, 1928 – Hirohito was crowned Emperor of Japan. He was Imperial Japan’s Emperor during World War II. Following Japan’s defeat, he was allowed to stay and remained Emperor until his death in 1989.
November 10, 1942 – Following the British victory at El Alamein in North Africa during World War II, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill stated, “This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”
Birthday – Reformation founder Martin Luther (1483-1546) was born in Eisleben, Saxony. In 1517, Luther tacked his 95 Theses on the door of Wittenberg’s castle church asserting the Bible should be the sole authority of the church and calling for reformation of the Roman Catholic Church.
Birthday – Actor Richard Burton (1925-1984) was born in Pontrhydyfen, South Wales (as Richard Jenkins). The son of a coal miner, he came to be regarded as one of the greatest acting talents of his day, although he never received an Oscar and was never knighted. He led a tempestuous personal life, highlighted by twice marrying actress Elizabeth Taylor. He died at age 58 of a cerebral hemorrhage.
NOVEMBER 11
November 11th – Celebrated in the U.S. as Veterans Day (formerly called Armistice Day) with parades and military memorial ceremonies.
November 11, 1918 – At 5 a.m., in Marshal Foch’s railway car in the Forest of Compiegne, the Armistice between the Allied and Central Powers was signed, silencing the guns of World War I effective at 11 a.m. – the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. In many places in Europe, a moment of silence in memory of the millions of fallen soldiers is still observed.
November 11, 1938 – Irving Berlin’s God Bless America was first performed. He had written the song especially for radio entertainer Kate Smith who sang it during her regular radio broadcast. It soon became a patriotic favorite of Americans and was one of Smith’s most requested songs.
November 11, 1972 – The U.S. turned over its military base at Long Binh to the South Vietnamese, symbolizing the end of direct American military participation in the Vietnam War.
November 11, 1973 – Egypt and Israel signed a cease-fire agreement sponsored by the U.S.
November 11, 1987 – In Russia, Boris Yeltsin was removed as Moscow Communist Party chief for criticizing the slow pace of Soviet reform.
November 11, 1992 – The Church of England voted to allow women to become priests.
Birthday – Abigail Adams (1744-1818) was born in Weymouth, Massachusetts. She was the wife of John Adams, the 2nd U.S. President.
Birthday – Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1821-1881) was born in Moscow. Best known for The Brothers Karamazov, Crime and Punishment and The Idiot.
Birthday – World War II General George S. Patton (1885-1945) was born in San Gabriel, California. In 1942, he led the Allied task force that landed at Casablanca in North Africa. He commanded the U.S. 7th Army during the invasion of Sicily, then received worldwide attention and an official reprimand for slapping a hospitalized soldier suffering from battle fatigue. After D-Day, he led the U.S. 3rd Army across France and into Germany. He died at Heidelberg, Germany on December 21, 1945, of injuries from an automobile accident.
It’s time to pay attention to your mother when she asks you to eat healthy and cut on all the fried stuff or aerated drinks for better heart health. It’s a myth that young people can’t get heart disease. They can if there is history of heart diseases in family or if they are leading unhealthy lifestyle. It is better if you can reduce the consumption of junk food as much as possible and include more of green and colourful fruits and veggies to your diet. It is imperative to eat nutritious and exercise to keep your heart healthy and fit.
Keeping yourself hydrated
It is essential that your body is always hydrated. Water is essential to ensure that all systems in your body work smoothly and in tandem. Dehydration affects the kidney, heart, digestive system and blood pressure gets disturbed as well. Therefore, keep a bottle of water with yourself and sip in water at regular intervals.
Pay attention to your mental well-being
You should control your emotions and not let them sway you in any random direction. Anxiety, stress, anger and irritation are not good for health. Specifically, if you have had previous episodes of cardiac problems, make sure that you do not over think and seek medical attention whenever you feel stressed.
Be aware of the symptoms
Learn the heart attack warning signs and listen to your body but remember this: Even if you’re not sure it’s a heart attack, have it checked. Minutes matter! Fast action can save lives. A heart burn, stomach ache, nausea, pain in the legs, breathlessness, can indicate towards a brewing problem and it is essential that people are mindful.
Pay attention to your body signs
No matter what your age is, it is essential that you understand the signs of your body and abide by the normal physiological cycles. Late nights, binge eating on salty and oily food, over alcoholism is like a welcome bell for not just cardiac problems but many other complication that might arise as well.
Are you a diabetes patient? We are sure by now you must have been flooded with advises from everybody concerning your diet. It is true that a diabetic needs to be extra cautious of what he puts on his plate, but as they say, ‘too many cooks spoil the broth’. When it comes to diabetes, it seems as if everyone has a tip or tow to share. But it is upon you to distinguish which ones are actually effective and which ones are not. A diabetic should definitely cut out all sources of refined sugar and carbohydrates and fill up their kitchen pantry with more whole grains. Some spices like cinnamon, fenugreek seeds and turmeric are known to keep your blood sugar levels in check. Fibre-rich fruits and vegetables are also a must, and one fibre-rich fruit you could consider loading up on is pomegranate.
Pomegranates are packed with antioxidants. Pomegranates have almost three times the antioxidants of green tea and red wine. These antioxidants help in fighting damage caused by free radicals and chronic diseases like diabetes. Experts have claimed that pomegranate seeds may help improve insulin sensitivity, and thus, are beneficial for diabetics. Additionally, pomegranates are also low in carbs (19 grams in 100 grams). Carbohydrates get metabolised very quickly causing blood sugar spike. This is why diabetics are advised to include low carb foods in their diet. The estimated glycaemic load (GL) of pomegranate is 18, which makes it an excellent fruit to manage blood sugar levels.
The book ‘Healing Spices’ by Bharat B. Aggarwal with Deborah Yost also advises having more pomegranates for its range of health benefits. “In animal studies from the US, Australia, and India, pomegranate (pomegranate flower and pomegranate seed oil) controlled and reversed diabetes itself,” notes the book.
Pomegranates can help manage a lot of conditions that are known to be linked with diabetes too. According to a study published in the journal Atherosclerosis, researchers examined the effects of drinking a specially prepared concentrated pomegranate juice. A group was given pomegranate juice and another was given placebo. The group that drank pomegranate juice every day for three months had reduced risk of atherosclerosis (hardening of arteries) – a condition commonly associated with diabetes. However, it must be noted that the study sample of the group was pretty small. The researchers examined only 20 people. Go ahead, have these delicious fruit but make sure you do not go overboard. Remember moderation is the key to good health.
As you get older, your diet, lifestyle and hormones take a toll on your skin. Wrinkles, loss of elasticity, dark circles and blemishes can be a shock when you look in the mirror. Therefore, you need to give your skin a little more care in your 50s than you did in your 20s or 30s. Neeleshwari Basak, owner of WIGP and Harpreet Ahluwalia, owner of Earthly Creations, share useful tips to ensure glowing, vibrant skin after 50:
Balance the hormones
The hormones in our body act like messengers. With ageing, these hormones become unbalanced and we can see the changes following menopause. Due to this, women experience dry skin or oily skin and even adult acne. When these hormones are well-balanced, we feel and look energetic, healthy and vibrant.
As we age, it is important to know the interplay between hormone, health and beauty. There are superfoods like berries, walnut, avocado and turmeric when combined with proper diet and a healthy regime can give us glowing skin.
High insulin is bad
High levels of insulin can increase wrinkling of the skin. Our body gets an excess of insulin when we indulge in sugary foods like bakery items, packed juices, and other sweet items. If you go for sugar-laden eats, it’s not only bad for the waistline, you are also likely to have a dull complexion and damaged skin. The high level of insulin manifests as excess hair growth and dark patches on the neck and body folds. Try to avoid sugar in your diet.
Prefer more probiotics foods
Reach out for foods that are high in antioxidants as well as probiotics, which are naturally occurring and good-for-your-gut bacteria. Probiotics help in creating a healthy gut, so less toxins are absorbed into the bloodstream.
Toxins obstruct the absorption of important vitamins, minerals and nutrients in our body. Consuming probiotics will promote better moisture absorption and help in delaying the signs of aging. Lactic acid helps reduce wrinkles and tighten pores. This also helps to strengthen our immune system. A good immune system will strengthen all of your protective organs, including your skin.
You know silky hair when you see it: shiny, healthy, and free of tangles. But if you, like me, put your hair through the ringer, styling it with hot tools, using tons of product, and coloring it regularly, silkiness seems only but a dream. Luckily, with the right products, you can improve the look and feel of our hair in just a few weeks—especially since silky hair relies on the health and condition of the cuticle (the outside layer).
The surface of your hair is kind of like shingles on a roof. When all of those shingles lay downward and smooth from roots to ends, that’s when your hair looks and feels smooth and shiny—not knotty and tangled; it’s also when it reflects the most light.
If you’re reading this because you deal with dullness and tangles daily/weekly/whenever, follow the eight tips below to transform your strands and restore your natural shine.
Be mindful when shampooing
When shampooing, the tendency is to pile your hair on top of your head, and wash the entire length of your strands. This technique not only creates tangles, but also dries out the ends of the hair, which already lack moisture—especially of those with curly hair.
With naturally straight hair, oil from the scalp can go from roots to ends very quickly because gravity will pull it down. But with curly hair, the oil has to travel around the coiled shaft, so the oil doesn’t get there as quickly.
What this means is that people with curly hair don’t need to shampoo their hair as often. And, when it is time to wash, consider swapping out your regs shampoo with a cleansing conditioner to keep from stripping your hair of its necessary natural oils.
Comb when wet, brush when dry
Most people are not delicate enough when brushing, which can prevent your hair from looking its best. If you’re raking through wet hair with a paddle brush, that detangling noise that you’re used to hearing is actually the sound of your hair ripping. Instead of smoothing the cuticle, this action is causing damage to the outside layer. A gentler way to detangle hair? Using a comb when it’s wet (or a brush designed for use on wet hair), and only using a brush when your hair is dry. Work through the knots and tangles by starting at the ends before moving to the middle and roots, rather than working from roots to ends, which could worsen the problem.
Use a T-shirt to dry your hair
Somewhere along the way, we wrongly learned to “rough dry” hair by rubbing a towel back and forth against it. This action creates friction, which fluffs up the cuticle. And when the cuticles are fluffed up, they catch on one another, cause knots and breakage, and result in frizz. The number one key to having smooth hair is no friction. When someone’s hair gets super tangly, it’s usually because the cuticle is open. The tighter the cuticle, the more resistant it is to opening, and the smoother the hair is overall. So, switch out your fluffy friction-causing towel for a smoother cotton T-shirt. And instead of rubbing your head, wrap the ends in the shirt and squeeze all the water out, working it down to the ends.
Sleep on silk pillowcases
If you’re currently using a cotton pillowcase, that very well might be the cause of your frizzy or tangled hair. Makes sense if you think about it: a silky smooth pillowcase leads to silky smooth strands. Cotton absorbs all the moisture from your strands, while silk or satin maintains the oils necessary for nourished hair.
Finish blow drying with cold air
It sounds like a time-sucking extra step, but Picciano argues that finishing a blow out with cold air after the hair is dry is key for not only locking in the amount of volume, direction of your style, and movement of your hair, it also helps close the cuticle. Make sure to always use a nozzle or concentrator. It makes sure the direction of the air goes from roots to ends, closing the cuticle rather than roughing it up.
Rogan josh consists of pieces of lamb or mutton braised with a gravy flavoured with garlic, ginger and aromatic spices (cloves, bay leaves, cardamom, and cinnamon), and in some versions incorporating onions or yogurt. After initial braising, the dish may be finished using the dampokhtak slow cooking technique.
Ingredients
1 Kg Meat, 1 Cup Mustard/refined oil, 3 tsp Red chili powder, 3 tsp Fennel powder, 2 tsp Ginger powder, 2 tsp Cumin powder, 3 tsp Brown cardamom powder, 1 tsp Asafoetida, 4 Pieces Green cardamom, 2 Cinnamon sticks, 2 Bay leaves, 2 Cloves, 1/3 tsp Saffron (optional), 1 Cup Curd, A pinch of Salt.
Method
– Wash the meat properly. Heat oil in a pressure cooker.
– Put cinnamon, bay leaves, green cardamom, cloves, a teaspoon of salt, asafoetida, and meat together.
– Fry meat till it turns brown. Once browned, pour a cup of water. Add the red chili powder and saffron into the meat. Keep stirring for about a minute.
– Mix the curd nicely in the mixer and pour it into the pressure cooker. Keep on stirring till you get a reddish tinge.
– Add 2 cups of water, fennel powder, ginger powder, and pressure cook for 2 minutes.
– Check if the meat is tender. Peel and grind green and brown cardamom and add to the meat dish.
– Finally sprinkle cumin powder and simmer for a minute and serve.
By Astro Friend Chirag – Son of Astrologer Bejan Daruwalla
Aries (March 21 to April 19)
Ganesha says this month you will have all the answers to confusions and doubts you have regarding your career. This month is going to challenge you creatively and test your versatility. You will have to leave things behind and take new steps and make efforts towards enhancing your career. If you are planning to move, this month might be the good time to do it and even if you are thinking about choosing a new state you must start it this month. You are going to experience self-affirmation about you being your own boss and hence will walk forward in terms of career.
Taurus (April 20 to May 20)
This month may bring you a truckload of challenges. You will have a lot of confidence today that’ll guide you to a lot of success and appreciation from your colleagues. Although this confidence won’t be appreciated by your partner as till the end of the month your behavior might change into being quite egoistic and borderline rude. You will get what you want this month, but only if you work for it. You need to do the hard work to achieve great success in your professional life. If you chose to work hard this month, the financial profit you will make today will last you a long time. Your quality of work will significantly improve if you invest a lot of time in learning new things.
Gemini (May 21 to June 20)
This month will have you thinking about your priorities and how to align what you do for a living with what you’re truly passionate about. You have been having this argument internally with yourself for quite a while now. You’re now likely to confront your parents and let them know how you truly feel trapped in your current career and that you won’t be able to sustain long enough in this field. You’re most likely to find a newfound fire and confidence inside of you that you could and you should use to stand your ground. Your sign is known for tolerating other people’s domination even though you are silently suffering. This month will put an end to your people pleasing behavior and at the end of the month you’ll find yourself emotionally independent.
Cancer (June 21 to July 22)
You will learn a lot through your experiences and interactions with an important business prospect today. Focus on implementing those pieces of advice and working immediately in accordance with them. As this knowledge will take your business to a new steppingstone of success. Avoid overeating of junk and try to keep your surroundings clean and hygienic. It is not the right time to take a risk in any case. Therefore, even if you feel a little bit unhealthy, you are advised to consult a doctor as soon as possible.
Leo (July 23 – August 22)
This is the month it all starts getting better as you will have a month full of doing things you love and spending time with your friends, family and almost everyone you admire. The transition of Saturn will provide the positive energy that you need. Spend your month being as joyful as you can and you will enjoy a lot this month. This month will be beneficial in various ways for you. You just have to be determined to forge ahead with dedication and keep your eyes on the promotion at work this month. Don’t forget to continue with your hard work and efforts. This month is the best time to make investments for you.
Virgo (August 23 to September 22)
You will spend this month feeling content and grateful. Things, where you felt stuck before, will start clearing up. Your mental health is doing well, and you will be in a good mood throughout this month this month. Work will be quite slow and stagnant. This month some loss in the business will frustrate you and make you contemplate your past business decisions. You won’t be very productive in a direct manner this month as you will spend your time searching and picking out loopholes in your business. If you’re single no new love interests are likely to arise this month. If you’re in a relationship, your love life is going at a good paceand exactly how you would like to be. You feel at ease and in a settled place with your partner this month. No need to hurry or rush up things. You will not feel insecure at all regarding your love life this month.
Libra (September 23 to October 22)
Your professional and personal life will all work out quite well for you this month. You will enjoy this month a lot. Make sure you take time to relax. You’ll feel a vague restlessness that will move you to consider new career options. You won’t be tempted to chuck it all away, but you’ll definitely want to make a move of some kind in a completely different direction. Although the differences between you and your partner are minor, they also make you a well-rounded couple if you work them right. In this month you will understand that you and your partner have similar likes and dislikes and you will still need to make minor compromises and mutually working things out.
Scorpio (October 23 to November 21)
This month is going to be full of excitement and unique experiences for you. You will go through a positive shift when it comes to your mental and physical health. This positive shift will help you to take part and indulge more in social events. Love planet Venus is determined to work some magic in your sign. But Venus could also shift your focus to love life circumstances you’ve deliberately ignored you will experience an abundance of love, warmth, and comfort this month. But to make the most of this, a love connection, either existing or budding, you may need to achieve new levels of trust and openness first. You need to pay attention to your digestion this month to avoid any complications to your health. Eat only home cooked food with less oil and salt and focus on your health the most this month
Sagittarius (November 22 to December 21)
You will experience new feelings and emotions this month as you work on breaking down your own walls to be emotionally available for someone that you love. You might find it difficult to do so in the beginning, but you’ll soon realize that this was for the best as your relationship has been stuck at the same stage for a while now and it will move forward this month.
Capricorn (December 22 to January 19)
Work on being disciplined and diligent this month, it will save you from a lot of losses in the future. Your business has been pretty down lately. This month can be different, do not over think and spend your time dwelling on spilt milk, instead pick yourself up and make the most of the funds and the clients you have today. Make sure you ask for help and support from trustworthy people as you will need people to help you start making profits again and keep your business alive, you will be able to achieve financial success by the end of this month only if you work hard, manage well and do not let your ego come in the way of seeking help or taking other people’s advice. Make sure you have a health care routine this month as well.
Aquarius (January 20 to February 18)
Your business is the positive highlight of this month. You will experience a positive shift in your finances which will ease up your entire month. This success is well earned by you hence enjoy it to the fullest this month. Financial abundance is in your cards this month which will keep you satisfied and happy. You need to be more analytical about making investments now as managing the funds that you receive this month will make a significant difference in your life.
Pisces (February 19 to March 20)
You need to do the hard work to achieve great success in your professional life. If you chose to work hard this month, the financial profit you will make today will last you a long time. Your quality of work will significantly improve if you invest a lot of time in learning new things. Your focus towards your goal as well as your patience is very commendable. You have worked hard and done everything right for your business hence you will bear the fruit of your handwork this month. You won’t have to work that hard now but you will have to find the correct people to outsource as well as hire. Your love life will flourish greatly this month as well. Taking a further step in your relationship will be highly fruitful. This is the perfect time for you to focus on your love life as your business is in a stable state. Things are working out for you the way you wanted. You will come across a lot of people whose company you will thoroughly enjoy.
By Astro Friend Chirag – Son of Astrologer Bejan Daruwalla
Aries
You will have a very hectic week hence make sure you have your priorities straight this week. You will need to work on your health and your finances very diligently this week because you will have a lot of workloads as well as face some health issues. You need to stay calm and composed as you will have to face a lot of unhappy people this week. Something crucial will take place in your business this week that will keep you occupied throughout this week.
Taurus
You will be a lot smarter and disciplined than you have been in the past few days this week. This is a tough week in a very positive way for you because learning and growth occur the most through uncomfortable times. You will experience self-doubt and the feeling that something bad will happen this week. The stars are aligned in your favor this week and nothing significant bad will happen this week. Your loved ones will be safe and sound which is the major thing you will be concerned about this week.
Gemini
You will be able to make some huge investments this week. You’re likely to rush the process and skip the analyzing and strategizing part, which can ruin all the profit you have made from the new prospect. You need to listen to your financial advisor and take your time.Your love life will be better than it’s ever been this week. If you have been trying to get a specific someone’s attention for a while now, luck will be your cupid this week. Live in the moment and try not to rush things. You have an ample amount of time.
Cancer
Your health is doing so much better than in the last few days. You will feel like a new person this week as you go through the week full of energy and enthusiasm. Your health has finally healed from the consequences of all the bad habits you’ve had for the last few years. A lot of growth will happen this week, in your professional as well as personal life. This will take you very far in life and your career as well.
Leo
You’ll feel a vague restlessness that will move you to consider new career options this week. You won’t be tempted to chuck it all away, but you’ll want to make a move of some kind in a completely different direction. Your business will work out great for you this week. You will take a lot of pride in your decisions and hard work. Your loved ones will shower you with praises and appreciation for all that you have done to get to this point.
Virgo
You may be attracting partners this week who are more concerned with freedom than with pairing, or who seem to be quite extravagant. Make sure that these partners are useful to your company before making a decision. Your mind will be at its creative best this week. New ideas, opportunities, solutions developed by you will be appreciated at your workplace this week.
Libra
You will look at the world with a unique new insight this week. You will notice that if you lookout for the little good things that keep happening throughout this week you won’t be bothered by all the negativity you face this week. Your business will make you happy this week. This week you have the time to improve yourself and work on the things you’ve been meaning to do to improve your skillet. Updating your knowledge during this time will help you a lot in the future. Trust the timing and practice patience. Do not waste this week worrying about the lack of new opportunities.
Scorpio
Expect some arguments with colleagues who are jealous of you due to the fame you gain this week. It is because you have been over sharing in the past, you need to focus more on your work and not on the people who drag you down in life, at the same time you need to be extremely careful about the information you publicly share at your workplace as it might be used against you to pull you down from the position that you are currently at. You will need to push through these people by making a conscious effort to not let them ruin your week.
Sagittarius
You will be annoyed with the lack of attention and support you are getting from your partner. Your love life will feel very upset earlier this week. But as the days go by you and your partner are likely to get along much better and understand each other by the end of the week. You will be a force to reckon with this week when it comes to working. Your leadership skills will help you move past any hurdles without much effort. This will be a good week to retrospect and think about your progress.
Capricorn
Your partner may have a good attitude towards you which will lead to solutions to misunderstandings this week. You will do your best when it comes to your love life and show your patient approach to maintain a tranquil life this week. Things will be easier for you this week as your luck will be lending you strength and creating a niche of favorable opportunities for you. These opportunities will take your life far and you will realize that this week itself.
Aquarius
You will give the expected results when it comes to speculations you made in your business this week. You just have to make sure that you are determined to tread ahead without making any impulsive decisions because it can seriously harm you this week. This week you will be provided with ample opportunities to prove yourself at work as well, which, in turn, may also lead to your promotion. If you’re single, you may have some profound realizations this week which will lead to you becoming more confident and outgoing. Prioritize yourself this week and try to find things that you’re passionate about and people who make you happy this week. If you’re looking to find a new partner, Venus is dominant in your sign this week and will help you in all matters related to love and relationships.
Pisces
You will experience a lot of beauty in your life this week, you might get what you’re trying to accomplish in this week itself. A feeling of serenity guides you throughout the week. Your health is doing great; this week is the week you should decide to make it even better. Do lots of dancing, physical activity and drink lots of water and increase your intake of fruits and vegetables. Also exercise regularly and go for a long walk this week because you require physical activity to improve your physical and mental health this week. Professionally you have a lot of work piled up this week that you need to finish and hence you need to be ready and capable of it, physically, mentally and emotionally.
By Astro Friend Chirag – Son of Astrologer Bejan Daruwalla
Nov 1
You will notice that you’re overly excited today if you look out for the little good things that keep happening throughout the day. it is advised to not get into heated arguments with them as it may negatively impact the relationship which in turn will negatively impact your health as well. You are the leader of today for your work project as well as in your relationships today. A fun and adventurous day has been planned out by your partner for you.
Nov 2
You will realize how fulfilling and wholesome today was for you as the day goes on. You will soak in all the love and attention that is being thrown at you today. Your leadership skills will help you move past any hurdles without much effort. You will end the day feeling content and grateful. You will have a day full of doing things you love and spending time with your favorite person.
Nov 3
You will have a lot of work to do for a new prospect which has been pending for quite a while now. Take each step with caution as you move forward with this huge business opportunity. Expressing your feelings will help you better your love life and help mark clear boundaries today so that you can enjoy your time with your partner as well as your alone time together.
Nov 4
Your health will be better than it’s ever been today. You will experience only positivity in your life today. There are people around you that will make you feel a lot better about yourself as everyone you love comes together to throw you a surprise party you will feel overwhelmed with love and joy. Make sure to dress to impress today.
Nov 5
Your work life will be the most positive part of your day. A very productive day is on its way for you today. You will have a lot of work to do, which you will thoroughly enjoy.As you have been working really hard since the past few days you will see exponential growth today. Being the down to earth person that you are, you will continue to work hard despite it being your birthday. You will like it this way as your work has always been a celebration to you.
Nov 6
You will be showered with a lot of love and appreciation from your friends today. They have been quite distant and doing their own thing for a while now but today you will feel like they have all gathered to make you feel really great about yourself and your relationships. You will have a fun day reuniting and reminiscing the beautiful memories you have had.
7 Nov
Today you will realize the importance of your family as they will make sure that you have everything you have wanted and desired today. Those who are already in a relationship, you will have a fun day with your partner today. Today is a great day for you to go on an outing with your partner, child or a friend.
Dhanteras, also known as Dhantrayodashi, is the first day of the five-day-long Diwali festivities. Dhanteras 2021 Date: November 2 (Tuesday). It is celebrated on the thirteenth lunar day of Krishna Paksha (dark fortnight) in the Hindu calendar month of Ashvin. Dhanvantari, who is also worshipped on the occasion of Dhanteras, is considered the God of Ayurveda who imparted the wisdom of Ayurveda for the betterment of mankind, and to help rid it of the suffering of disease.
On Dhanteras, homes that have not yet been cleaned in preparation for Diwali are thoroughly cleansed and whitewashed, and Lord Dhanvantari, the god of health and Ayurveda, is worshiped in the evening.
Hindus consider this an extremely auspicious day for making new purchases, especially of gold or silver articles and new utensils. It is believed that new “Dhan” (wealth) or some item made of precious metal is a sign of good luck. In modern times, Dhanteras has come to be known as the most auspicious occasion for buying gold, silver, and other metals, especially kitchenware. The day also sees heavy purchases of appliances and automobiles.
In the villages, cattle are adorned and worshiped by farmers as their main source of income.
How Dhanteras is celebrated?
At this great occasion people generally repair their home, white washing, thorough cleaning, decorate house interiorly and exteriorly, make Rangolis, light clay diyas and many more traditions to follow.
They stick readymade footprints of the Goddess Lakshmi to come wealth and prosperity to their home.
After sunset, people offer puja to the Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesh to prosperity, wisdom and well being by offering rose or marigold garland, sweets, ghee diyas, dhoop deep, agarbatti, camphor and etc.
People chant mantras, bhakti songs and arti for Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesh. People wear new clothes and jewellery and play the game of gambling.
Legends of Dhanteras
The legend behind celebrating the Dhanteras is the story of 16 years old son of the King Hima. He was forecasted his death by the snake biting at the 4th day of his marriage. His wife was very clever and searched the way to save the life of her husband. She had not allowed his husband to sleep on that special day. She had collected lots of her own ornaments and coins of gold and silver and made a heap at the doorway of his bed room and lit lamps everywhere in the room. She recited the stories in order to keep her husband awaken.
The god of Death, Yama had arrived there in the form of Serpent. Suddenly his eyes were started dazzling because of the lighting lamps and jewellery. He was unable to enter the room that’s why he tried to go through the climbing over the heap of coins. But after listening the song of prince’s wife he sat down there for whole night. And slowly it became morning and he went away without taking her husband. In this way she had saved the life of her husband, from then the day was started celebrating as Dhanteras.
Another legend behind celebrating Diwali, the ocean was churned by Gods and demons to get Amrita or nectar. Dhanvantari (known as physician of Gods and an embodiment of Lord Vishnu) had emerged out (having jar of elixir) from the ocean churning. The same day is celebrated as the Dhanteras.
Traditions
According to the Hindu mythology there are variety of customs and traditions followed by the Hindus at this festival. People consider it is good to buy things such as gold or silver coins, jewelery articles, new utensils or other new things. People consider that bringing new things at home is the sign of Lakshmi coming home whole year. Lakshmi Puja is carried out in the evenings and people lit various diyas in order to drive out the evil spirits shadow. People sing bhakti songs, aarti and mantras as well to drive out the evil powers.
People in villages decorate their cattle and worship as they understand them their major source of income. South Indians offer decorated cows as an embodiment of the Goddess Lakshmi.
Importance
Bringing new things at home is considered as very auspicious event at the Dhanteras. People perform Lakshmi puja during the subh muhurta according to the calendar. At some places seven cereals (wheat, gram, barley, Urad, Moong, Masoor) are worshipped while performing puja. Golden flower and sweets are offered during puja to the Mata Lakshmi. This festival plays a great role in the life of every people. It brings a lot happiness, wealth, prosperity, wisdom and good destiny for all. People clean up everything at this day in order to remove all the bad energy and idleness from their surroundings. People take bath and wear new clothes in order to clean up their body, mind and soul before performing puja. As this day is the birth day Dev Dhanwantri, all the new innovations related to medical science are established at this day.
Diwali is India’s most important festival of the year—a time to celebrate the triumph of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, and good over evil. Widely observed among more than a billion people from a variety of faiths across India and its diaspora, the five days of Diwali are marked by prayer, feasts, fireworks, family gatherings, and charitable giving. For some, Diwali is also the beginning of a new year.
But Diwali is perhaps best known as a festival of lights. Derived from the Sanskrit dipavali, which means “row of lights,” Diwali is known for the brightly burning clay lamps that celebrants line up outside their homes.
In some regions of the country, Diwali is marked as the day when Lord Ram, along with wife Sita and brother Lakshman, returned to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile. Diwali also coincides with Kali Pujo, celebrated across Bengal. Deepavali basically symbolizes the victory of “good over evil, light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance”. And people celebrate this day with much fun and fervor.
Every year, Diwali falls in the month of Kartika, as per the Hindu lunisolar calendar (which is between mid-October and mid-November).
Deepavali 2021: Date and time: This year, Diwali will be celebrated on 4th November.
Diwali celebrations take place over 5 days with each day typically having different rituals and traditions. Below we have listed all the days of Diwali along with their calendar dates and a short description of what happens on each day:
– Day 1 — Dhanteras: November 2, 2021 (Tuesday) Dwadashi
This is the first day of the festival when people clean their homes and prepare for the events ahead. This is also a busy shopping day, when it is considered lucky to go to markets and buy gold or new kitchen items.
– Day 2 — Choti Diwali: November 3, 2021 (Wednesday) Trayodashi
The second day is when people start decorating their homes. Many families will put up string lights and start creating their rangoli, which are intricate designs placed on the floors of homes.
Check more details about Diwali traditional decorations here.
– Day 3 — Diwali and Lakshmi Puja: November 4, 2021 (Thursday) Amavasya
The most important part of the celebration is the ritual that takes place on this day.
Clay oil lamps or diyas are lit and rituals worshipping the goddess Lakshmi are performed. The most auspicious time for worship (Puja) is from 6:09pm to 8:04pm. The worshipping can be done at temples or at home by placing a red cloth on the puja chowki (‘worship table’), putting the idol on it, and then offering flowers, fruits (water chestnuts, pomegranate, quince, and coconut) and sweets (notably kesari bhaat — semolina pudding with saffron, nuts, and sugar) to Goddess Lakshmi, then prostrating in front of the idol and joining your palms for prayers.
On the day of Diwali, families get together to exchange gifts and have a large meal. Many people wear their nicest clothes on this day and say “Happy Diwali” to each other.
– Day 4 — Padwa: November 5, 2021 (Friday) Pratipada
The fourth day of celebrations is dedicated to the love between husband and wife, and men will often buy gifts for their wives. Many businesses open new accounts on this day as it is considered auspicious.
– Day 5 — Bhai Duj: November 6, 2021 (Saturday) Dwitiya
Bhai Duj (Bhaubeej), the last day of celebrations is dedicated to brothers and sisters. To celebrate their bond, sisters perform a special ceremony for their brothers for their protection. Brothers give presents to their sisters.
The Origin of Diwali
Historically, the origin of Diwali can be traced back to ancient India, when it was probably an important harvest festival. However, there are various legends pointing to the origin of Diwali or ‘Deepawali.’ Some believe it to be the celebration of the marriage of Lakshmi with Lord Vishnu. Whereas in Bengal the festival is dedicated to the worship of Mother Kali, the dark goddess of strength.
Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed God, the symbol of auspiciousness and wisdom, is also worshiped in most Hindu homes on this day.
In Jainism, Deepawali has an added significance to the great event of Lord Mahavira attaining the eternal bliss of nirvana.
The return of Lord Rama
Diwali also commemorates the return of Lord Rama along with Sita and Lakshman from his fourteen year long exile and vanquishing the demon-king Ravana. In joyous celebration of the return of their king, the people of Ayodhya, the Capital of Rama, illuminated the kingdom with earthen diyas (oil lamps) and burst crackers. These Four Days Each day of Diwali has its own tale, legend and myth to tell. The first day of the festival Naraka Chaturdasi marks the vanquishing of the demon Naraka by Lord Krishna and his wife Satyabhama. Amavasya, the second day of Deepawali, marks the worship of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth in her most benevolent mood, fulfilling the wishes of her devotees.
The story of Lord Vishnu
Amavasya also tells the story of Lord Vishnu, who in his dwarf incarnation vanquished the tyrant Bali, and banished him to hell. Bali was allowed to return to earth once a year, to light millions of lamps to dispel the darkness and ignorance, and spread the radiance of love and wisdom. It is on the third day of Deepawali – Kartika Shudda Padyami that Bali steps out of hell and rules the earth according to the boon given by Lord Vishnu. The fourth day is referred to as Yama Dvitiya (also called Bhai Dooj) and on this day sisters invite their brothers to their homes.
All the simple rituals of Diwali have a significance and a story to tell. The illumination of homes with lights and the skies with firecrackers is an expression of obeisance to the heavens for the attainment of health, wealth, knowledge, peace and prosperity.
According to one belief, the sound of fire-crackers are an indication of the joy of the people living on earth, making the gods aware of their plentiful state. Still another possible reason has a more scientific basis: the fumes produced by the crackers kill a lot of insects and mosquitoes, found in plenty after the rains.
The tradition of gambling on Diwali also has a legend behind it. It is believed that on this day, Goddess Parvati played dice with her husband Lord Shiva, and she decreed that whosoever gambled on Diwali night would prosper throughout the ensuing year. Diwali is associated with wealth and prosperity in many ways, and the festival of ‘Dhanteras’ (‘dhan’ = wealth; ‘teras’ = 13th) is celebrated two days before the festival of lights.
In each legend, myth and story of Deepawali lies the significance of the victory of good over evil; and it is with each Deepawali and the lights that illuminate our homes and hearts, that this simple truth finds new reason and hope.
From darkness unto light – the light that empowers us to commit ourselves to good deeds, that which brings us closer to divinity. During Diwali, lights illuminate every corner of India and the scent of incense sticks hangs in the air, mingled with the sounds of fire-crackers, joy, togetherness and hope. Diwali is celebrated around the globe. Outside India, it is more than a Hindu festival, it’s a celebration of South-Asian identities.
If you are away from the sights and sounds of Diwali, light a diya, sit quietly, shut your eyes, withdraw the senses, concentrate on this supreme light and illuminate the soul.
Significance
With all the lights and diyas eradicating dark shadows and evil, and all the prayers and love among people create a wonderful atmosphere full of goodness and purity. The festival of Diwali fills everyone’s hearts with an aura of purity and a happy, compassionate mood.
Diwali is not just the lights, gambling, and fun-filled surprises and gifts; Diwali is also a time to reflect on one’s life, past deeds and making the right changes for the upcoming year.
Diwali is also a celebration to give and forgive. It is a common practice in Diwali for people to forget and forgive the injustices and grudges. People celebrate with an air of freedom, festivity, and friendliness everywhere.
Diwali marks the birth of a new and rejuvenated soul. A happy and refreshed mind during Diwali charges up a person to make changes as a healthy, ethical individual, who will be more efficient in their work, and will also be spiritually advanced.
Diwali is a celebration that unites people from every corner, religion and caste. The simple smile and a kind, accommodating heart melt even the hardest of hearts. It is a time when people mingle about in joy and embrace one another.
A celebration of prosperity, Diwali gives us the strength and the zeal to carry on with our work and goodwill for the rest of the year and thus, promising us success and prosperity. Thus, people give gifts to employees, family, and friends.
Most importantly, Diwali illuminates our inner self. The lights of Diwali also signify a time to destroy all our dark desires, dark thoughts, and have a deeper, inner illumination and self-reflection.
The history of Diwali can be traced back to ancient India, when it most likely began as an important harvest festival. However, there are several legends pointing to the origins of Diwali.
There are many who believe Diwali to be the celebration to mark the wedding of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, with Lord Vishnu. Diwali is probably the commemoration of their blissful marriage. Others think it to be a celebration of Lakshmi’s birthday, as Lakshmi is said to have been born on the new-moon day of Kartik.
In Bengal, the Deepavali, or Deepabali, is dedicated to the worship of the powerful goddess Kali, the dark goddess of strength. the elephant god Lord Ganesha is also worshipped in some homes on Diwali, because he is a symbol of auspiciousness and wisdom. In certain Jain homes, Diwali has the added significance of marking the great event of Lord Mahavira attaining the eternal bliss called nirvana.
Diwali is not only important to Hindus, but, has is also celebrated among Jains, Buddhists, and Sikhs. For Hindus, it often signifies the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya, after his 14 years of exile and victory over Ravana.
Ram, on that special day, was welcomed to the kingdom of Ayodhya with rows of diyas, lightened throughout the kingdom. Thus, the tradition of lighting oil lamps on Diwali symbolizes the victory of good over evil and freedom from spiritual darkness.
Diwali is undoubtedly the favorite time of the year for most of us. Diwali traditions such as annual cleaning of the house, bursting of crackers and exchanging gifts make the festival special. In this ever-changing world, Diwali celebrations have also changed and have become modernized. While all of us respect the festival with the same feelings, here some ways celebrating Diwali has changed in past few years:
Updating everything on social media
No matter what people do, they want everything to be documented on social media. From eating, shopping, bursting crackers to doing Diwali Pooja, everything gets uploaded with proper hashtags now.
Shopping stores have changed
Earlier, people used to spend hours in markets trying to find the best gifts for their special ones and now, most of us just go online, type the keywords and order the gifts for our loved ones.
Eco-Conscious Diwali
Bursting crackers has become less popular. Today’s generation has become more aware of the harm that firecrackers cause. Things such as ‘green crackers’ are gaining popularity now.
Celebrating together
With busy lifestyles, people have found alternatives to coming home on Diwali as video calls have become easier to join in on the family in prayers and all the rituals.
Changing countdown
Remember the time when you started counting down the days to Diwali at the end of Dussehra – 20 days away from Vijaya Dashmi was the easy way to remember. Now, we don’t bother with all that, as Diwali countdown begins from the day Flipkart, Amazon or Snapdeal take over your newspaper’s front pages in screaming fonts. Each year, the big billion day online festive sale seems to start earlier than usual. The way things are going, don’t be too surprised if one day Diwali sales start smack in the middle of summer.
Shrinking bonuses, bloating baksheesh
Wherever did that big fat bonus that took care of one EMI or helped you plan an extravagant purchase vanish? “Honey, I shrank the bonus,” is the tune corporates sing today, while others do away with cash and give you coupons (which are bound to be lost), or offer to pick up house painting tabs (in a year when you wanted to skip the whitewashing ritual!). Meanwhile, the tribe of ‘baksheesh’ seekers bloats as even random temping helps turn up with bright smiles. The one face you miss, however, is the postman.
WhatsApp wellwishers
As telcos smartly hike SMS tariffs on festival days, India seems to en masse move to WhatsApp. On Diwali morning you wake up with 104 alerts – many from unknown souls who blithely assume you know who they are – wishing you Diwali in myriad ways, mainly unoriginal and forwarded. From animated videos, memes, selfies, to inspiring quotes, it’s a day’s job and more to get through the messages, which now start before Dhanteras and drag on through Govardhan Pooja and Bhai Dhooj. Your office gives you one measly day off for the festival, but the well wishers – who more often than not marketers – stalk you all five days, laying out an array of tempting suggestions to part with your money.
The detox bug
In the old days you spent hours scrubbing your home and ridding it of junk. Today, you get cleaning services to do that job for you. But wait, it’s not that easy. Once your house is sparkling, you need to detox your mind, body and soul, of course. From spas to spiritual retreats, the SMS offers chase you. But, hello, there is still the online clutter to be attacked – be it on your phone, your laptop, or your social media network (deweeding friends list is an annual Diwali ritual now).
All wired up
In the age of convenience, it’s the electric bulb, fairy lights and paper chandeliers that light up Diwali rather than the mud lamps with oil and wicks. From heart shaped bulbs to fruity illuminations, the lights strung over walls balconies make a flashy statement even as flowers vanish from Rangolis replaced by gaudy baubles and stars. Good may still triumph over evil, but good taste too has been vanquished.
The day marks the release of Guru Hargobind Singh, the sixth Sikh Guru, who was held captive by the Mughals
As the country celebrates Diwali, for the Sikhs, the day holds significance for another reason. It marks the release of the sixth Guru of Sikhs, Guru Hargobind Singh, from incarceration by the Mughals in the 17th century — and is celebrated as “Bandi Chhor” Diwas across Punjab.
This coincidence has resulted in similarity of celebration amongst Sikhs and Hindus. The Sikhs celebrate this day as Bandi Chhor Divas i.e., “the day of release of detainees”, because the sixth Nanak had agreed to his release on the condition that the other fifty-two detainees would also be released. These other fifty-two detainees were the vassal kings who had done something to annoy the emperor.
Emperor Jahangir had imprisoned the sixth Nanak because he was afraid of the Guru’s growing following and power. The Sikhs on this day, which generally falls in october-November, hold a one-day celebrations in the Gurdwaras. So in the evening, illuminations are done with Deewé (earthen oil lamps) or candles and fireworks. The celebrations are held both in the Gurdwaras and in homes.
The story of Diwali for the Sikhs is a story of the Sikh struggle for freedom. From the time of Guru Nanak (1469 – 1539), the founder of Sikhism, popular seasonal or folk festivals like the harvest festival of Vaisakhi, or ancient mythological festivals like Holi and Divali, or worship rituals like Aarti, began to take on a new significance for the Guru’s students, the Sikhs.
The Guru used these festivals and special days e.g. first day of each lunar month, as symbols or pegs for his teaching themes. And so the Sikhs were slowly diverted from darkness of superstitious ritualism based on fear and ignorance to an enlightened ideology based on reason and belief in One Creator. The enlightened ideology of Guru Nanak gave new significance to ancient festivals like Divali and Vaisakhi So what about Divali, the festival of lights when, according to Indian lore, Lord Rama returned home after destroying the demon god Ravana who had taken away Rama’s wife, Sita?
The story, of course, has no significance in the Sikh tradition. However, in the Sikh struggle for freedom from the oppressive Mughal regime, the festival of Divali did become the second most important day after the Vaisakhi festival in April. The Sixth Guru Hargobind, was freed from imprisonment in the famous fort of Gwalior by Emperor Jahangir in October, 1619.
The reason for the young Guru’s imprisonment was no more than religious bigotry. The Guru’s father, Guru Arjan, had been martyred for the same reason. According to Sikh tradition, the Guru agreed to be freed only if the other Indian chiefs (rajahs) imprisoned with him were freed. Jahangir was under pressure from moderate but influential Muslim religious leaders like Hajrat Mian Mir, a friend of the Guru. So he relented grudgingly and ordained, Let those rajahs be freed who can hold on to the Guru’s coat tails and walk out of prison. He had in mind no more than four or five being freed with the Guru.
However, the Guru was not to be outmanoeuvred in this way. He asked for a special coat to be made with 52 coat tails – same number as the rajahs in prison with him! And so the rajahs were freed and the Guru became known popularly as the Bandi Chhor (Deliverer from prison). He arrived at Amritsar on the Divali day and the Har Mandar (now known as the Golden Temple) was lit with hundreds of lamps i.e. he was received in the same way as the Lord Rama and the day came to be known as the Bandi Chhor Divas (the day of freedom). Guru Hargobind reached Amritsar on the eve of Diwali, after his release from Gwalior fort, during the reign of Jahangir.
The People illuminated the Golden Temple and the city splendidly to celebrate the return of their Guru to the city.
Thereafter, Diwali is being celebrated at Amritsar with great pump and show, and also with a lot of religious fervour. During the fair, religious congregations are held at Manji Sahib, Akal Takhat and Baba Atal which continue for three days. A large number of poets and singers also participate. Recitation of Granth Sahib is done at Darbar Sahib, Akal Takhat and various gurudwaras in the vicinity of Golden Tample.
Early in the morning, pilgrims take a holy dip in the scared tank, while reciting Japji Sahib and thereafter, they go to the Golden Temple for paying their obeisance. They make offerings of various kinds both in cash and kind, such as flowers, candy-drops and parched-rice grains, but mostly the offerings are of karah parshad. which is prepared and sold to the pilgrims by the management. Circumambulation of the tank is considered sacred by the pilgrims. Illuminations and pyrotechnic display are the unique features of the Diwali celebrations.
A mammoth gathering in the parikarma and on the adjoining buildings witness to their great delight the multicolored lights thrown up in the sky and their reflections in the water of the tank. Chain of the electric lights hang along the causeway and on the Darshani Deorhi.
Small earthen lamps lighted and fed with sarson oil are arranged in lines all around the tank. All buildings in the compound are bedecked with coloured lights. Candles and small earthen lamps fed with pure ghee are floated in the tank. This fair is attended by people in the large numbers who come from far and near.
A large number of visitors take shelter in the verandahs of the various buildings in the premises. All local inns, rest houses and other common places are packed to capacity. The free mess, called Guru Ram Dass Langar, remains open for all. The whole function is organised by Shiromani Gurudwara Parbhandhak Committee. During the fair, qualified doctors render free medical service to the pilgrims. Thenceforth, the Sikh struggle for freedom, which intensified in the 18th Century, came to be centred around this day. In addition to the Vaisakhi day (now in April), when Khalsa, the Sikh nation was formally established by the Tenth Guru Gobind Singh, Divali became the second day in the years when the Khalsa met and planned their freedom strategy.
On the occassion of Bandi Chhor Divas, Sikhs observe a one-day celebrations in the Gurdwaras. In the evening, illuminations are lighted with Deewé (earthen oil lamps) or candles and fireworks are also bursted. Such celebrations are held both in the Gurdwaras and in homes.
Another important Sikh event associated with Diwali is the martyrdom in 1734 of the elderly Sikh scholar and strategist Bhai Mani Singh, the Granthi (priest) of Harmandar Sahib (Golden Temple). He had refused to pay a special tax on a religious meeting of the Khalsa on the Divali day. This and other Sikh martyrdoms gave further momentum to the Khalsa struggle for freedom and eventually success in establishing the Khalsa rule north of Delhi Bhai Mani Singh was a great scholar and he transcripted the final version of Guru Granth Sahib upon dictation from Guru Govind Singh ji in 1704. He took charge of Harmandir Sahib’s management on 1708. Diwali was not celebrated in Golden Temple at that time.
In 1737, he received permission from Mogul emperor of Punjab, Zakaria Khan for celebrating Diwali at Golden Temple for a massive tax of Rs. 5,000 (some authors say it was Rs10,000). Invitations were sent to the Sikhs all over India to join Bandi Chhorh Diwas celebrations at Harmandir Sahib. Bhai Singh thought he would collect the tax-money from the Sikhs as subscriptions who would assemble for the purpose of Diwali Celebrations.
But Bhai Mani Singh Ji later discovered the secret plan of Zakariya Khan to kill the Sikhs during the gathering. Bhai Mani Singh Ji immediately sent message to all the Sikhs not to turn up for celebrations. Bhai Mani Singh could not manage to arrange the money to be paid for tax.
Zakariya Khan was not happy about the situation and he ordered Bhai Mani Singh’s assassination at Lahore by ruthlessly cutting him limbby-limb to death. Ever since, the great sacrifice & devotion of martyr Bhai Mani Singh Ji is remembered on the Bandi Chhor Diwas (Diwali) celebration.
Bhumi Pednekar has come on board with Rajkummar Rao for a movie titled Bheed. The film will be directed by Anubhav Sinha, and will be Bhumi and Rajkummar’s second movie together. They will be seen for the first time in Badhaai Do, which is currently in the making. Bhumi and Raj will join Anubhav Sinha in Lucknow soon after Diwali to begin the shoot. The filmmaker is currently busy with the post-production work on Ayushmann Khurrana-starrer Anek and pre-production of Bheed. The film is jointly produced by Bhushan Kumar’s T-Series and Anubhav Sinha, and is said to be a hard-hitting social drama. As for Badhaai Do, the movie has been directed by Harshavardhan Kulkarni. It is a sequel of Ayushmann’s 2018 film Badhaai Ho.
Fans of Vicky Kaushal’s latest Sardar Udham have expressed their displeasure on the film not being selected as India’s official entry for the 94th Academy Awards. But the film’s director, Shoojit Sircar feels the jury’s decision to not select the film is “very subjective”. Interacting with the media recently, Sircar said, “It is a personal opinion, it is very subjective, I have no comment on that. I respect the jury and their decision. The film that was finally selected, I know about it, and I am glad that it was chosen. I go by the jury’s decision.” Sardar Udham is based on the Indian revolutionary Sardar Udham Singh who assassinated Michael O’Dwyer, the lieutenant governor of Punjab at the time of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar. The film stars Vicky Kaushal in the titular role. Stating why the film was not sent for the Oscars, one of the jury members, Indraadip Dasgupta said the film “portrays our hatred towards the British”. He also gave the length of the movie as one of the reasons for it losing out to Tamil drama Koozhangal (Pebbles) which has been announced as India’s official entry for the Oscars this year.
Star Australian opener David Warner did a Cristiano Ronaldo during the ongoing T20 World Cup here as he removed Coca Cola bottles placed in front of him during a press conference for a brief while.
Just before the start of the press conference after he guided Australia to a seven-wicket win over Sri Lanka here on Thursday, Warner grabbed the two soft drink bottles lying in front of him and said with a smile, “Can I remove these? Though I have to put it there.” “If it’s good enough for Cristiano, it’s good enough for me. That’s right,” he added while putting the two bottles back.
Ronaldo’s act of removing the soft drink during a European Championships press conference reportedly cost the global beverage giant a whopping US$ 4 billion.
The footage of Warner removing the bottles attracted considerable social media attention but any financial fallout is not known yet.
Di Maria shines, Messi injured as PSG beat Lille to go 10 points clear
Angel Di Maria showed his worth as he set up the first and scored the winner to give Paris St Germain a 2-1 win against champions Lille in Ligue 1 after Lionel Messi limped off injured on Friday, Oct 29.
In the absence of Kylian Mbappe, who is suffering from an infection, Di Maria shone throughout the game, providing captain Marquinhos with the equaliser after Jonathan David’s opener before finding the back of the net two minutes from time.
After Messi left the pitch with a muscle problem, the Argentine winger found his range to put leaders PSG on 31 points from 12 games, 10 ahead of second-placed RC Lens.
Lille, who deserved better after a convincing first half, are 11th with 15 points. Both teams went end-to-end in an entertaining opening half but Lille showed more poise and it took a superb save from Gianluigi Donnarumma to deny Burak Yilmaz in the first minute.
Lille, looking more like the team that dominated the league last season, were rewarded in the 31st minute when David opened his right foot to deflect Yilmaz’s powerful cross into the roof of the net from point-blank range.
Bhai Dooj celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters and is a festival similar to Raksha Bandhan. It is observed on the Dwitiya Tithi, Kartik, Shukla Paksha (the second day of the waxing phase of the Moon in Kartik month as per the Purnimant calendar). In most regions, Diwali festivities conclude with Bhai Dooj and is often included as a part of the five-day-long festival of lights. On this day, siblings get together for the traditional ceremony, have a sumptuous feast and reminisce memories. Read on to know the Bhai Dooj 2021 date and other important details.
This year, Bhai Dooj will be celebrated on November 6.
The most important ritual of the celebration of Bhai Dooj is the aarti and tika ceremony. On the day of Bhai Dooj sister firstly puts does the aarti of her brother with the holy flame and does the tika on her forehead and then she prays to God for his long and healthy life. This is the way of expressing care and love to brother by a sister. In this return, sisters get a token of love from brothers. It’s a Bhai Dooj gift.
Nowhere is the bond of brotherly-sisterly love glorified with such grandeur as in India. Hindus celebrate this special relationship twice every year, with the festivals of Raksha Bandhan and Bhai Dooj.
After the high voltage celebrations of Diwali, the festival of lights and fire-crackers, sisters all over India get ready for ‘Bhai Dooj’ – when sisters ceremonize their love by putting an auspicious tilak or a vermilion mark on the forehead of their brothers and perform an aarti of him by showing him the light of the holy flame as a mark of love and protection from evil forces. Sisters are lavished with gifts, goodies and blessings from their brothers. Bhai Dooj comes every year on the fifth and last day of Diwali, which falls on a new moon night. The name ‘Dooj’ means the second day after the new moon, the day of the festival, and ‘Bhai’ means brother.
Legends
Bhai Dooj is also called ‘Yama Dwiteeya’ as it’s believed that on this day, Yamaraj, the Lord of Death and the Custodian of Hell, visits his sister Yami, who puts the auspicious mark on his forehead and prays for his well being. So it’s held that anyone who receives a tilak from his sister on this day would never be hurled into hell. According to one legend, on this day, Lord Krishna, after slaying the Narakasura demon, goes to his sister Subhadra who welcomes him the lamp, flowers and sweets, and puts the holy protective spot on her brother’s forehead. Yet another story behind the origin of Bhai Dooj says that when Mahavir, the founder of Jainism, attained nirvana, his brother King Nandivardhan was distressed because he missed him and was comforted by his sister Sudarshana. Since then, women have been revered during Bhai Dooj.
In Bengal this event is called ‘Bhai Phota’, which is performed by the sister who religiously fasts until she applies a ‘phota’ or mark with sandal wood paste on her brother’s forehead, offers him sweets and gifts and prays for his long and healthy life. Every brother eagerly awaits this occasion that reinforces the bond between brothers and sisters and their affectionate relationship. It’s an opportunity for a good feast at the sister’s place, coupled with an enthusiastic exchange of gifts, and merriment amid the resounding of conch shells in every Bengali household.
Significance
Like all other Hindu festivals , Bhai Dooj too has got a lot to do with family ties and social attachments. It serves as a good time, especially for a married girl, to get together with her own family, and share the postDiwali glee. Nowadays, sisters who are unable to meet their brothers send their tika – the spot of protection – in an envelope by post. Virtual tilaks and Bhai Dooj e-cards have made it even easier for brothers and sisters, who’re far away from each other, specially remember their siblings on this propitious occasion.
Uttar Pradesh
In Uttar Pradesh, at first, sisters give a piece of cloth, knotted into a circular shape, full of batashas (sugar balls) to their brothers. This piece of cloth is called as ‘aabf’. For each brother, there are two aabf. After all the rituals, sisters apply a tika of roli and rice on the forehead of the brothers and then perform aarti, praying for the long and happy life of their brothers. At last, they offer sweets to them and then the story of Bhai Dooj is narrated.
Bengal
In Bengal this festival is called Bhai Phota. On this day, sisters observe fast till the time all the traditional customs have been performed. After this, they apply tika made of sandalwood paste, ghee and kohl (kajal) on their brothers’ forehead. Then the aarti is performed and sisters give sweets to their brothers to eat. Kheer and coconut laddus are the traditional sweets which are prepared on this day.
Bihar
In the Bihar, the festival of Bhai Dooj is celebrated in the most unique way. The sisters curse their brothers in order to keep the evil spirits and dangers away from them. At first, they say very bad things to their brothers and then prick their own tongue with a wild prickly fruit as a punishment. By doing this, they ask their brothers to forgive them for the ill behaviour and mistakes which they have done till the date. Besides this, there is a unique custom in which brothers eat grains of bajri with water, from the hands of their sisters.
Punjab
In Punjab, the day after Diwali is celebrated as tika and on this day, sisters make a paste with saffron and rice and apply tika on their brothers’ forehead to keep away all the difficulties and dangers from them. After this, they exchange gifts and sweets among each other.
Gujarat
Bhai Dooj in Gujarat is known as Bhai Beej and on this auspicious occasion, sisters get up early in the morning and then the traditional tilak ceremony is held. After this, they perform aarti of their brothers and pray for their good fortune and life. Then they offer sweets to their brothers and in return the brothers bless them and exchange gifts.
Maharashtra & Goa
Marathi communities call this festival as Bhav Bij. On this day, sisters draw a square on the floor in within the boundaries of which the brothers have to sit. After they are seated, it is a custom for to have a bitter fruit named Karith. After this, the rituals and applying the Tilak, traditional sweets such as Shrikhand Puri and Basundi Puri are served.
WASHINGTON (TIP): The US economic expansion slowed dramatically in the third quarter to an annual rate of just two percent as consumer spending moderated amid resurgent Covid-19 infections, the government said on Thursday. The spread of the Delta variant of Covid-19 over the summer combined with renewed restrictions and global supply snags including a shortage of workers took a toll on the economy, slowing growth from the 6.7 per cent annual rate in the prior quarter.
The impact was most notable in the more than 26 per cent collapse in purchases of big-ticket manufactured goods in the latest three months, the commerce department reported.
That drop was partly offset by the 7.9 per cent increase in spending on services, though that was slower than the gain in the prior quarter, according to the data.
The report said the “resurgence of Covid-19 cases resulted in new restrictions and delays in the reopening of establishments in some parts of the country.”
In addition, “Government assistance payments in the form of forgivable loans to businesses, grants to state and local governments, and social benefits to households all decreased.”
But there was some good news as inflation as measured by the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index retreated in the July-September period to show a 5.3 per cent increase compared to 6.5 per cent in the second quarter. Excluding the volatile food and energy prices that have been spiking amid surging demand and supply bottlenecks, the closely watched inflation gauge fell to 4.5 per cent.
GDP growth compared to the second quarter edged up 0.5 per cent, less than one-third the pace of the prior three months, the report said. Source: AFP
WASHINGTON (TIP): US regulators are expelling a unit of China Telecom Ltd., one of the country’s three major state-owned carriers, from the American market as a national security threat amid rising tension with Beijing.
China Telecom (Americas) Corp. is required to stop providing domestic interstate and international service in the United States within 60 days, under an order approved Tuesday by the Federal Communications Commission. The FCC cited the danger that Beijing might use the company eavesdrop or disrupt U.S. communications and “engage in espionage and other harmful activities against the United States.
The Biden administration has extended efforts begun under then-President Donald Trump to limit access to U.S. technology and markets for state-owned Chinese companies due to concern they were security risks or helping with military development. China Telecom is among companies that were expelled from U.S. stock exchanges under an order by Trump barring Americans from investing in them.
The FCC said in 2019 that due to security concerns it planned to revoke licenses granted nearly two decades ago to China Telecom and another state-owned carrier, China Unicom Ltd. It rejected a license application by the third carrier, China Mobile Ltd.
China Telecom Americas’ ownership and control by the Chinese government raise significant national security and law enforcement risks, said an FCC announcement.
The company’s conduct and communications to U.S. government agencies demonstrate a lack of candor, trustworthiness and reliability, the FCC said, without giving details.
The Chinese government has said it would take steps to protect its companies but has yet to announce any retaliation over their status in the U.S. market.
The telecom companies are on a U.S. government blacklist of entities deemed by the Pentagon to be involved in military development. Others include state-owned oil companies, suppliers of processor chips and video technology and construction, aerospace, rocketry, shipbuilding and nuclear power equipment companies.
China condemned the US’s latest overture toward Taiwan, warning that ties between the two countries faced “huge risks” just weeks after Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping agreed to hold a video summit. Source: AP
One97 Communications, which operates under Paytm brand name, will come out with the country’s biggest initial public offer on November 8 in the price band of Rs 2,080-2,150 per share, implying a valuation of around Rs 1.48 lakh crore. The Rs 18,300-crore offer will be the biggest in the country after Coal India’s IPO in 2010 wherein it had garnered Rs 15,200 crore. In a pre-IPO conference on Thursday, October 28, One97 Communications MD and CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma said he has received personal messages from investors who want to invest for the first time in the country and asserted that “this is the age of India”.
The IPO — which will close for subscription on November 10 — comprises issuance of fresh equity shares worth Rs 8,300 crore and Offer for Sale (OFS) by existing shareholders to the tune of Rs 10,000 crore.
“The price band that is set at Rs 2,080 to Rs 2,150 per share implies an enterprise value of $19.3 to $19.9 billion,” Sudarshan Ramakrishna, Managing Director of Goldman Sachs India Securities said during the IPO presentation.
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1966 India’s famous swimmer Mihir Sen floated and crossed the Panama Canal.
Diwali is undoubtedly the favorite time of the year for most of us. Diwali traditions such as annual cleaning of the house, bursting of crackers and exchanging gifts make the festival special. In this ever-changing world, Diwali celebrations have also changed and have become modernized. While all of us respect the festival with the same feelings, here some ways celebrating Diwali has changed in past few years:
