Will the earth black-out in 2013 - From NASA report to astrological report.

A NASA report on Space weather monitor says that a terrific solar flare can be expected in May 2013 that is likely to strike the earth.With our lives becoming more dependent on electronic gadgets and satellite aided technologies, a terrible solar storm could damage these gadgets and paralyse our lives - though temporarily. But the loss through such damage could be too phenomenal that we have to make correctives to lessen the damage.

This 'prediction' by NASA is more or less like what we say from astrology. Astrology is a space weather monitoring technique and it is primarily  concerned about how the 'space weather' could affect our lives.

The foremost thing that strikes me on reading the report (produced at the end of this post) is that the period coincides with what we call as Agni nakshathra days or dog days. Every year when the sun crosses the two stars, bharani and krittika, lorded by Yama and Agni, there will be intense heat felt on the earth. The northern hemisphere receives direct sun rays during this time. This time starts from the day the sun crosses Bharani 3rd pada and moves through Krittikai (lorded by Agni) and ends with the 1st pada of Rohini.This happens in the month of May every year. This period will be intensely hot.This is from astrological perspective. Now with lot of scientific inputs coming, we have to see if this period also marks intense activity on the solar surface.

There have been times in the past when solar flares had brushed past the earth. But the impact had been felt as heat waves in those occasions. Today with more gadgets dominating our lives, the vulnerability to a solar flare means more than just a heat wave. Astrologically speaking this means that a vulnerability to moon must be there in the sky map designed for the time of solar flares.

When I checked the sky maps for the intense solar flares of the past, I can see a pattern. The flares have occurred either during agni nakshathra days or when the sun and or mars (the two fiery planets) were in fiery signs. Additionally the inner planets namely Mercury and Venus were in the same sign with the sun.

For instance in the worst ever recorded instance of solar flare (Sep 1, 1859), the focus was in Leo, a fiery sign whose lord is the Sun itself. Sun was present in Leo along with Venus, Mercury and Mars.

In Dec 5, 2006 solar flare also a similar planetary combination was present in the Martian sign of Scorpio.

In March 13, 1989 solar flare, a similar combination occurred in Aquarius (opposite to Leo) with Mars missing in this combination, but present in Taurus transiting the star of Agni, Krittika.

In August 4, 1972, a similar combination occurred in  Cancer with Venus trailing behind in Gemini.

It is also seen that in the worst kind of solar flares, the combination of planets is focused in Martian and solar signs and stars (Aries, Scorpio and Leo and among stars - Krittika).
Whenever moon is left 'alone' as in Kema druma yoga without any planet accompanying it, human suffering had been there, caused by the damage to gadgets and satellite equipments. Applying these parameters to May 2013 solar flare predicted by NASA, we can see a similar combination occurring in the month of May.

Particularly on May 15th, 16th and 17th the moon will be alone when the Sun crosses the fiery star of Krittika (Pleiades). Mars will be closely behind though it will be in Aries and the sun with others will be there in Taurus. If the sun belches out on any of these 3 days, the damage to equipments will be certain.  The moon continues its solitary sojourn for the next 3 days also with the sun still continuing its transit in the agni star. So the days from 15th to 20th of May 2013 do show vulnerability to heat and magnetic storms from the sun.

From other perspectives, that month also looks vulnerable for natural calamities such as earthquakes and internal turmoil in India.

The places to be affected by the solar flare can be gauged by using Varahamihira's wisdom. Yes, Varahamihira  and ancient Indian sages have spoken about solar flares, sun spots and such disasters from space. The part of earth affected by that will be gauged from the part of the sun from which the flare emerges or where the sun spots are seen. Once NASA comes out with more details, we will be apply Varahamihira's guidelines to locate the places likely to bear the brunt of damage to gadgets.


************

From

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/04jun_swef/

As the Sun Awakens, NASA Keeps a Wary Eye on Space Weather

June 4, 2010: Earth and space are about to come into contact in a way that's new to human history. To make preparations, authorities in Washington DC are holding a meeting: The Space Weather Enterprise Forum at the National Press Club on June 8th.

Many technologies of the 21st century are vulnerable to solar storms. [more]

Richard Fisher, head of NASA's Heliophysics Division, explains what it's all about:

"The sun is waking up from a deep slumber, and in the next few years we expect to see much higher levels of solar activity. At the same time, our technological society has developed an unprecedented sensitivity to solar storms. The intersection of these two issues is what we're getting together to discuss."

The National Academy of Sciences framed the problem two years ago in a landmark report entitled "Severe Space Weather Events—Societal and Economic Impacts." It noted how people of the 21st-century rely on high-tech systems for the basics of daily life. Smart power grids, GPS navigation, air travel, financial services and emergency radio communications can all be knocked out by intense solar activity. A century-class solar storm, the Academy warned, could cause twenty times more economic damage than Hurricane Katrina.

Much of the damage can be mitigated if managers know a storm is coming. Putting satellites in 'safe mode' and disconnecting transformers can protect these assets from damaging electrical surges. Preventative action, however, requires accurate forecasting—a job that has been assigned to NOAA.

"Space weather forecasting is still in its infancy, but we're making rapid progress," says Thomas Bogdan, director of NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colorado.

Bogdan sees the collaboration between NASA and NOAA as key. "NASA's fleet of heliophysics research spacecraft provides us with up-to-the-minute information about what's happening on the sun. They are an important complement to our own GOES and POES satellites, which focus more on the near-Earth environment."

Click on the image to play a 39 MB movie about space weather and NASA's heliophysics fleet. [more]

Among dozens of NASA spacecraft, he notes three of special significance: STEREO, SDO and ACE.

STEREO (Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory) is a pair of spacecraft stationed on opposite sides of the sun with a combined view of 90% of the stellar surface. In the past, active sunspots could hide out on the sun's farside, invisible from Earth, and then suddenly emerge over the limb spitting flares and CMEs. STEREO makes such surprise attacks impossible.

SDO (the Solar Dynamics Observatory) is the newest addition to NASA's fleet. Just launched in February, it is able to photograph solar active regions with unprecedented spectral, temporal and spatial resolution. Researchers can now study eruptions in exquisite detail, raising hopes that they will learn how flares work and how to predict them. SDO also monitors the sun's extreme UV output, which controls the response of Earth's atmosphere to solar variability.

On April 19, 2010, SDO observed one of the most massive eruptions in years. Earth was not in the line of fire ... this time. [full story]

Bogdan's favorite NASA satellite, however, is an old one: the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) launched in 1997. "Where would we be without it?" he wonders. ACE is a solar wind monitor. It sits upstream between the sun and Earth, detecting solar wind gusts, billion-ton CMEs, and radiation storms as much as 30 minutes before they hit our planet.

"ACE is our best early warning system," says Bogdan. "It allows us to notify utility and satellite operators when a storm is about to hit."

NASA spacecraft were not originally intended for operational forecasting—"but it turns out that our data have practical economic and civil uses," notes Fisher. "This is a good example of space science supporting modern society."

2010 marks the 4th year in a row that policymakers, researchers, legislators and reporters have gathered in Washington DC to share ideas about space weather. This year, forum organizers plan to sharpen the focus on critical infrastructure protection. The ultimate goal is to improve the nation's ability to prepare, mitigate, and respond to potentially devastating space weather events.

"I believe we're on the threshold of a new era in which space weather can be as influential in our daily lives as ordinary terrestrial weather." Fisher concludes. "We take this very seriously indeed."

For more information about the meeting, please visit the Space Weather Enterprise Forum home page at  http://www.nswp.gov/swef/swef_2010.html.

Author: Dr. Tony Phillips | Credit: Science@NASA

Abolition of EVMs needed to save democracy.

Democracy will be at peril in India as long as EVMs are in use. In spite of proof of unreliability of the EVMs given by experts from around the world and the use of ballot papers in all scientifically advanced countries, the Indian Government continues to turn a deaf ear to the case against the EVMs. This casts aspersions on the genuineness of the government in respecting the very basis of democracy. This also shows that the government is bent on winning future elections (too) by misusing the EVMs. Already the way the Home Minister Mr P.Chidambaram won the elections has raised suspicions about probable tampering of the EVMs.

The Government seems to have no inclination to safeguard the voter's right at the polling booth. Additionally the government under Sonia has no respect for the election system in Tamilnadu. Tamilnadu has been sold out to Karunanidhi like G2 Spectrum. There is no segment of Tamilnadu that has not been bought by Karunanidhi. Unless Sonia cuts off the alliance with Karunanidhi, his dubious ways can not be checked. I really wonder if there is any democracy in Tamilnadu. Not a long way to say the same about India if EVMs are not banned.

- jayasree


Article on how the spreadsheets showing election results were seen in ECI website, 13 days before the announcement of poll results. Read http://government.wikia.com/wiki/Review_the_2009_Lok_Sabha_Election_Process:_Promises_and_Reality

http://www.ukwirednews.com/articles.php/60784-US-scientists-hack-India-electronic-voting-machines

http://itindia.wi1projects.com/node/36

Should our tryst with EVMs end?

Electronic Voting Machines EVM

A. Surya Prakash
Senior Fellow, VIF, May 2010

Many Indians, who are now used to electronic voting, are surprised to note that voters in the United Kingdom, who recently exercised their franchise in the parliamentary election, had to stamp their preference on ballot papers.They wonder why an advanced nation like the UK prefers this staid old method of voting when a nation like India has switched to electronic voting many years ago.But the UK is not the only western democracy to prefer the paper ballot to an Electronic Voting machines (EVM).Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and a majority of the states in the USA have either banned the use of EVMs or imposed stringent safeguards for their use.

The rejection of EVMs by these nations is prompted by concerns about the integrity of the election process when these machines are deployed. The inability of election authorities to convince courts and public opinion that these machines are tamper-proof has led governments to fall back on paper ballots. A notable instance is that of Germany, where, after much deliberation, the Federal Constitutional Court, banned the use of EVMs.

Given these developments in other countries, leaders of 13 political parties in India have recently written to the Election Commission (EC) and sought an all-party meeting to discuss whether EVMs are vulnerable to manipulation. This demand for a proper review of the deployment of EVMs came about after a group of international experts raised serious concerns about the credibility of the electoral process in India which is now wholly dependent on Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). These experts, who had traveled to India some months ago, laid their hands on an EVM used in the country and demonstrated the ways in which these machines could be hacked. This demonstration, which is now available on u-tube shows the vulnerability of EVMs and the easy ways in which electronic engineers can replace chips or alter programs to manipulate election results. Mr.Rop Gonggrijp, a computer hacker from Netherlands who hacked a machine on a live television show and became instrumental in the banning EVMs in his country, Dr.Alex Halderman, Professor of Computer Science, University of Michigan and an authority on electronic voting security and Mr.Hari K.Prasad, a noted "hactivist" from Hyderabad, who conducted the demonstration in front of a video camera have
also put together a research paper on the unreliability of voting machines.

These experts have demonstrated two ways in which the machine can be manipulated. In the first instance, they replace a small electronic component with another which is programmed to steal votes from other candidates and add them to the count of a particular candidate. This manoeuvre is carried out via a signal from a mobile phone.
In the second instance a pocket-sized electronic device is used to change the votes stored in the EVM after polling is over and before the counting of votes.

According to Mr.Gonggrijp and Dr.Halderman, EVMs can be tampered with either at the manufacturing stage or when they are stored in state capitals for deployment in elections or at the polling booths. They are convinced that Indian EVMs are no different from those that were deployed in Netherlands, Germany or Ireland, before they were discarded in those countries. One of the ways to rig an election is to introduce a Trojan in the display section of the control unit. This chip would give "fixed" results on the EVM screen. In other words, whatever the voters' preference, the control unit would display numbers as per the hacker's plan. Mr.Gonggrijp is a prominent campaigner for election transparency and verifiability and his technical opinion appears to have clinched the issue against electronic voting in Germany as well. "When the vote count happens inside a machine and there is no way in which the result can be cross-checked, the election ceases to be transparent" he says. The lack of transparency appears to be the Achilles heel of electronic voting. Nobody knows what goes on inside those machines.

Dr.Till Jaeger, the attorney who argued against the use of EVMs before the German Federal Constitutional Court leading to the court order banning EVMs in Germany was another expert who was in India recently to share his views on the legal and constitutional issues that crop up when EVMs are used. The German Constitutional Court, he said, had held the deployment of machines as unconstitutional. It said the Constitution emphasizes the public nature of elections "and requires all essential steps of an election to be open to public scrutiny".

While all these experts are categorical in their rejection of electronic voting devices, EVMs enjoy a great deal of credibility and public trust in India. This is so because the campaign about the unreliability of these machines is yet to get off the ground. However, politicians of various hues appear to be wary of these machines and have even accused rivals of "manipulating" them, albeit without a shred of evidence to establish mischief.

These concerns have now come to the fore following the demonstration to prove the "hackability" of these machines. Leaders of 13 political parties have written to the Election Commission on April 24, 2010 and sought an all-party meeting to discuss the efficacy of EVMs. They have said that EVMs have been banned by many democracies as storing voting data only electronically is considered non-transparent, unsafe, unreliable and prone to manipulations. "The gold standard throughout the world today is that there must be a verifiable physical record of voting for all concerned to repose confidence in the election results". The leaders said there were fears of the possibility of tampering with the software embedded in the machine and "some experts have demonstrated how such tampering can be done". Among the signatories to this letter are leaders of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Community Party of India, Telugu Desam, Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Janata Dal (United) and the AIADMK.

This move by political parties comes after unsuccessful attempts by some citizens to get the Electon Commission to have an open mind in regard to EVMs. Citizens like Mr.Hari Prasad have been demanding that the Election Commission (EC) offer opportunities for persons like him to demonstrate the vulnerability of EVMs. According to him, the commission initially went along with the idea but developed cold feet and abruptly stopped one such exercise by him and his colleagues last September.

Two other Indians who have plunged into this campaign are Dr.Subramanian Swamy, whose petition against EVMs is currently before the Delhi High Court and Mr.G.V.L.Narasimha Rao, noted election analyst and author of Democracy at Risk – Can We Trust Our Electronic Voting Machines?. This book outlines the story of EVMs in India, Europe and the USA and describes how the non-response of the EC to questions raised by Mr.Gonggrijp and Mr.Hariprasad has contributed in no small measure to the growing concern in political parties about the reliability of voting machines.

After talking to experts, Rao lists eight situations in which EVMs can be rigged. The EC has sought to counter these arguments by saying that the Indian EVMs are standalone machines which are not part of any network. Therefore, any surmise based on operating system based EVMs would be completely erroneous. These arguments have been countered by Dr.Ulrich Wiesner, a physicist and software engineer, who was the petitioner before the Constitutional Court in Germany. In a statement that is part of the rejoinder affidavit filed by Dr.Swamy in the Delhi High Court, Dr.Wiesner has said that EVMs in Netherlands, Germany and Ireland were also standalone machines with no connection to the internet. He says "it is common sense that someone who has sufficient access to open the machines and replace the software or hardware can implement virtually any functionality ……that would not be spotted by tests".

Given these developments and the body of evidence produced by experts, it is now up to the Election Commission to respond to the doubts that are raised in regard to the efficacy of EVMs. Since the Election Commission is a public body, it will have to function in a transparent manner and satisfactorily answer the questions raised by these citizens, experts and political leaders so that all stake holders retain their confidence in the democratic process.

http://vif.org.in/

Related posts:-

Indian elections – a mega rigging with EVMs??

EVM hackers can steal ballots

Scrap EVMs & introduce paper ballots: Save Democracy Org. writes to ECI.

EVMs are not tamper-proof -- Dr. Subramanian Swamy

From

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2010/05/31/stories/2010053150300900.htm

Is the Nation in a coma?
By

Mohan Murti

A few days ago I was in a panel discussion on mergers and acquisitions in Frankfurt, Germany, organised by Euroforum and The Handelsblatt, one of the most prestigious newspapers in German-speaking Europe.

The other panellists were senior officials of two of the largest carmakers and two top insurance companies — all German multinationals operating in India.

The panel discussion was moderated by a professor from the esteemed European Business School. The hall had an audience that exceeded a hundred well-known European CEOs. I was the only Indian.

After the panel discussion, the floor was open for questions. That was when my “moment of truth” turned into an hour of shame, embarrassment — when the participants fired questions and made remarks on their experiences with the evil of corruption in India.

The awkwardness and humiliation I went through reminded of The Moment of Truth, the popular Anglo-American game. The more questions I answered truthfully, the more the questions get tougher. Tougher here means more embarrassing.

European disquiet

Questions ranged from “Is your nation in a coma?”, the corruption in judiciary, the possible impeachment of a judge, the 2G scam and to the money parked illegally in tax havens.

It is a fact that the problem of corruption in India has assumed enormous and embarrassing proportions in recent years, although it has been with us for decades. The questions and the debate that followed in the panel discussion was indicative of the European disquiet. At the end of the Q&A session, I surmised Europeans perceive India to be at one of those junctures where tripping over the precipice cannot be ruled out.

Let me substantiate this further with what the European media has to say in recent days.

In a popular prime-time television discussion in Germany, the panellist, a member of the German Parliament quoting a blog said: “If all the scams of the last five years are added up, they are likely to rival and exceed the British colonial loot of India of about a trillion dollars.”

Banana Republic

One German business daily which wrote an editorial on India said: “India is becoming a Banana Republic instead of being an economic superpower. To get the cut motion designated out, assurances are made to political allays. Special treatment is promised at the expense of the people. So, Ms Mayawati who is Chief Minister of the most densely inhabited state, is calmed when an intelligence agency probe is scrapped. The multi-million dollars fodder scam by another former chief minister wielding enormous power is put in cold storage. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh chairs over this kind of unparalleled loot.”

An article in a French newspaper titled “Playing the Game, Indian Style” wrote: “Investigations into the shadowy financial deals of the Indian cricket league have revealed a web of transactions across tax havens like Switzerland, the Virgin Islands, Mauritius and Cyprus.” In the same article, the name of one Hassan Ali of Pune is mentioned as operating with his wife a one-billion-dollar illegal Swiss account with “sanction of the Indian regime”.

A third story narrated in the damaging article is that of the former chief minister of Jharkhand, Madhu Koda, who was reported to have funds in various tax havens that were partly used to buy mines in Liberia. “Unfortunately, the Indian public do not know the status of that enquiry,” the article concluded.

“In the nastiest business scam in Indian records (Satyam) the government adroitly covered up the political aspects of the swindle — predominantly involving real estate,” wrote an Austrian newspaper. “If the Indian Prime Minister knows nothing about these scandals, he is ignorant of ground realities and does not deserve to be Prime Minister. If he does, is he a collaborator in crime?”

The Telegraph of the UK reported the 2G scam saying: “Naturally, India's elephantine legal system will ensure culpability, is delayed.”

Blinded by wealth

This seems true. In the European mind, caricature of a typical Indian encompasses qualities of falsification, telling lies, being fraudulent, dishonest, corrupt, arrogant, boastful, speaking loudly and bothering others in public places or, while travelling, swindling when the slightest of opportunity arises and spreading rumours about others. The list is truly incessant.

My father, who is 81 years old, is utterly frustrated, shocked and disgruntled with whatever is happening and said in a recent discussion that our country's motto should truly be Asatyameva Jayete.

Europeans believe that Indian leaders in politics and business are so blissfully blinded by the new, sometimes ill-gotten, wealth and deceit that they are living in defiance, insolence and denial to comprehend that the day will come, sooner than later, when the have-nots would hit the streets.

In a way, it seems to have already started with the monstrous and grotesque acts of the Maoists. And, when that rot occurs, not one political turncoat will escape being lynched.

The drumbeats for these rebellions are going to get louder and louder as our leaders refuse to listen to the voices of the people. Eventually, it will lead to a revolution that will spill to streets across the whole of India, I fear.

Perhaps we are the architects of our own misfortune. It is our sab chalta hai (everything goes) attitude that has allowed people to mislead us with impunity. No wonder Aesop said. “We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to high office.”

(The author is former Europe Director, CII, and lives in Cologne, Germany. blfeedback@thehindu.co.in.)

Rajagopuram of SriKalahasthi temple collapsed - what it tells astrologically?

The collapse of the Rajagopuram of the famous Kalahasthi temple has created worries in the minds of devotees. This post is aimed at setting at rest unnecessary worries.


Astrologically we can look at this from 2 angles - from the point of view of nimittha sastra (omens) and vaastu sastra.


As an omen, this is categorized as 'stable omen' denoting losses or something bad. (In contrast unstable omens bring gains). Any firm structure in stone crumbling down and any structure of the temple crumbling down with a noise is a stable omen for something bad. The nature of the trouble has to be ascertained from sky map at the time of occurrence of the omen.

From newspaper reports it is known that the time of collapse was 8-05 pm on Wednesday (26-05-2010). The chart is given here.

According to Varahamihira we have to see the rising sign, the star of the day and the direction.
The rising sign is Sagittarius in Moola lorded by Nirirthi. It is a fiery sign and occupied by Rahu. Note that lagna falls within the 3rd aspect of Saturn from U-Phalguni. The lagna lord is the 4th in own house (watery sign). The moon is transiting in Vishaka (Jup) in a movable and windy sign. The moon is nearing fullness.


In omen sastra, the lagna and moon positions are important. The upagrahas also are to be seen. Gulika, Dhooma, Vyatipata and Upaketu are not well posited. The cumulative result is fear from fire and wind. The direction is North West and East of the place where the temple is situated.


Upaketu (upagraha of Ketu) in Aswini also foretells fear from fire. It is in the 5th house joining the 10th lord and aspecting the 11th. Gulika in the star of Andhra (Revathy) adds to this and shows that the capital city of Andhra will undergo turmoil in the coming months. Some fire accident is not ruled out.


Jupiter in watery sign and moon in Jupiter’s asterism in a windy and movable sign shows fear from cyclones and waters. It is significant to note that the collapse has happened in Vaayu sthalam important for Rahu. The direction of the lagna has Rahu as a sub-deity. Some defect or disrespect with reference to Rahu is noted by this. Rahu stands for land and digging. It is probable that some unauthorized digging is / has happened in and around the temple or some landed property of the temple had been defaced or looted.


The lagna however is in benefic Drekkana. So the impact will not be that bad. Jovian connection shows some low for spiritual people or vaideeha community. Some spiritual leader or sect or some Hinduism oriented interests will face troubles. But the impact will be at a minimum level as Jupiter is in own house and aspects 8th, 10th and 12th places from lagna (Dhanur)

From another angle the collapse time indicates trouble in political stability which is also indicated in the chart of Andhra pradesh. Moon in the 11th (Assembly / parliament) and Saturn in retrogression in a friendly sign in 10th in the asterism of Sun shows that political troubles are in store. Andhra Pradesh is anyway heading for a period of turmoil which will peak in 2013. The Gopuram collapse is one of the omens showing that eventuality.



From the point of view of vaastu, any structure - be it a house or a temple come under the purview of vaastu principles and the kind of planetary combinations at the time of starting the construction. The life of the Gopuram is defined by such combinations. For a structure to last for more than 1000 years Venus or Jupiter must be exalted in the lagna or Saturn must be exalted in the 11th house. No planet must be in enmity. When this gopuram was built some 500 years ago not all the planets would have been there in auspicious places. Particularly some airy sign (Ge orLi or Aq) and Saturn would have been afflicted to create this kind of collapse with the above astrological factors.


There need not be any fear of 'wrath' of the deity. The rising drekkana at the time of collapse was a benefic with Jupiter as the lord. Jupiter has positional strength and not weak in shadbala. Sun and the Moon are high in naisargika bala. So the temple is safe and the main deities are powerful. In Drekkana Jupiter is opposed by sun and Saturn from the 10th. Worship and appeasement of Rudran (pratyadhi devatha of sun) will do. Let people do Soorya upasana (Surya is ati devatha for Jupiter) and recite slokas for Adhithya to ward off fear and suffering to themselves.

Updated on 31-05-2010:-

Spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravishankar today escaped bid on his life when an unidentified gunman shot at his car when he was returning after delivering a discourse

http://in.news.yahoo.com/32/20100531/1053/tnl-sri-sri-ravishankar-escapes-unhurt-a.html

PVC pipes stored in the open in suburban Thirumullaivoyal caught fire on Sunday morning engulfing the area in thick smoke.It took fire fighters over three hours to put out the fire; no one was injured in the fire.http://www.hindu.com/2010/05/31/stories/2010053159160100.htm

At least 30 people, including 10 children, were burnt to death early Sunday when the state-run bus they were travelling in fell off a bridge into a ditch and caught fire in Karnataka's Chitradurga district

http://www.hindustantimes.com/audio-news-video/30-killed-in-K-taka-accident-100-000-compensation-announced/Article2-550885.aspx

Bhumi Puja for Sita Mata temple in Sri Lanka: June 26, 2010

Bhumi Puja for Sita Mata temple in Sri Lanka: June 26, 2010

http://www.scribd.com/doc/31936921/Seetatemplesrilanka

The letter of invitation included in the above URL is from India Foundation to participate in a historic event in Sri Lanka on June 26-27, 2010.

A Buddhist Monastery stands at the exact spot where Sita performed Agni Pravesh. It is in a village called Divurumpola near Nuwara Iliya, about three hours drive from Kandy town. The Buddhist leadership of Sri Lanka has offered to allot space within the premises of the Monastery to build a temple for Sita Mata.

Bhumi Puja for the proposed temple will be performed at this site on 26 June 2010.

Pujya Shankaracharya of Kanchi Mutt Swami Jayendra Saraswati Maharaj will grace the occasion and guide the ceremony. Shri Shivraj Singh Chauhan, the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, leaders of the Sri Lankan Government and the Buddhist leadership of Sri Lanka will also be present on the occasion.

There are many pilgrimage sites in Sri Lanka associated with Ramayana, within a trekking distance from the spot.

An annual festival of the arrival of Bauddham to Sri Lanka (about 2300 years ago) from India will be held on 25 June. This will be held at Mihintala near Anuradhapura. Sri Shivraj Singh Chauhan will be the Chief Guest in this year’s festival.

The URL also contains the following:

Seetha in Sri Lanka – Article by Anuradha Shankar (May, 2010)

Write-up about the Pilgrimage site: Divurumpola – Welimada, Sri Lanka.

Divurumpola means ‘a place of oath’. This is the place where Sita underwent the ‘Agni’ test. She came unscathed and proved her innocence and purity. Read on…

http://www.scribd.com/doc/31936921/Seetatemplesrilanka

Related posts:-

Rama- a true son of the soil!

Temple where Ravana’s wife worshipped.

Ramayan sites in Srilanka.

Rama Setu: Mahendra, son of Asoka, crossed by road to Lanka (Prof. Kariyawasam)

Lost land of Tamils

Mangalore air crash – some thoughts, astrologically.

It is extremely saddening to hear about the loss of life in the accident caused by the run-way overshoot of the Air India Express plane in Mangalore. The otherwise picturesque Mangalore airport gives a streak of fear and awe at the short runway on top of the hill surrounded by deep gorges. We always hear friends telling us to take a smaller plane if planning to go to Mangalore.


I first came to know about this airport when my son won an essay competition on the Millennium year as a primary school student and bagged free air tickets to a destination in South India. We chose a trip to Mangalore as we thought it would be a fascinating landing area that he would enjoy very much. It was his first trip by air. He was addicted to simulation games on piloting and he continues to be so even now as a college student. The first thing he did on hearing about the accident was to see if he can safely land in Mangalore strip in the simulation game! And he gave me a lot of inputs on the probable causes of the piloting error and about the difficulties faced in this air-strip.


What I understand was that the length of the runway and the experience of the pilot are not at all the issues. The surrounding terrain matters. The abrupt end of the airstrip is an issue and the slightly lifted strip in contrast to the adjacent area is another issue that can cause a visual misjudgment. There is always one percent chance of something going amiss with the machine, the weather or the judgment of the pilot. In the case of Mangalore airport, that one percent chance means nothing but doom. Such doom had descended on the innocent travelers on the Saturday mishap.


If we compare the mishaps in the past in various airstrips due to overshooting the runway, we can see that Mangalore type death trap is absent in those cases. And the chances of a mishap of the scale seen in Mangalore had been less. There had been sufficient time for passengers to escape or there had been chances for more passengers to escape, as it normally takes some time for fire to play havoc on a greater scale. In Mangalore the primary reason for the havoc was the fall into the gorge. This must be taken into consideration and the correctives must be done – if it means abandoning this airstrip for passenger travel. The safety of the passenger is supreme and can not be compromised.


From astrological point of view, I have collected info on most major air accidents of the world and drawn the horoscopes in 2 ways depending on the information I could get.

I have drawn horoscopes for the starting time of the flight journey (where it is available – but not available in many accidents) and for the exact moment of the accident (which is available in most cases). I have not exactly made an in-depth study of these horoscopes though I have noted down some common features in all accidents. I have segregated them based on the causes, such as runway overshoots, those struck by lightening, bird-hit ones, mid-air collisions, pilot errors, bad weather, bombs etc.


The astrological features differ in these categories, though some basic features are seen in all. The affliction to moon determines the extent of the fatalities. In freak accidents involving less or no fatalities, the basic astrological features are not predominant. A positive influence by aspect or association of Jupiter on moon reduces the fatality rate. But Jupiter must be in own or exalted house with no retrograde motion. The positive strength of Jupiter is determined by the sign where it is posited.


Let me list down the most common features seen in all air accidents. These were deduced by me based on basic astrological tenets.

• Mercury stands for transportation. The affliction to mercury is a basic feature.

• The 3rd house in the Natural zodiac stands for short trips. This is Gemini. Gemini also signifies airy sign. Affliction to Gemini is another primary feature in all air accidents.

• The 3rd from Mercury is afflicted in most air accidents.

• The afflicting planet in most cases is Mars signifying explosion and fire.

• Saturn as airy planet also has a role in air mishaps.

• If moon is transiting in the stars associated with the above points and is devoid of positive Jovian influence at the time of mishap, the fatalities are certain.

• Saturnine connection to Mercury or moon is also seen in most air mishaps denoting a hazard in the air.


If we look at the runway mishaps of the past, the crash at N'Dolo Airport in Kinshasa, DR Congo, on January 8th, 1996 claimed highest number of fatalities due to runway overshoot. The aircraft overshot the runway and ploughed into Kinshasha’s market killing 350 and injuring 500 people All but 2 were non-passengers. The dead were the common people in market place. Accordingly we can see a different astrological pattern in that mishap.


The 2nd highest fatality (199) occurred on 17-07-2007 in Brazil when the Airbus-320 skidded off the runway and crashed into a warehouse next to a petrol station and caught fire.
We find a parallel to this in the Mangalore air crash.
The chart for the crash time of Mangalore accident is given here.


Look at Mercury in the fiery sign, in the star of Ketu that stands for gory death. Ketu is aspected by retro Saturn. Saturn turning retro in a friendly sign becomes unfriendly! In addition it is in the star of fiery sun.


The 3rd from Mercury is Gemini. It is occupied by Ketu which is aspected by Rahu and Saturn. Venus also is posited there in the star of Rahu which signifies sky. Venus is afflicted.
Important point is that moon was transiting the star of Venus at the time of mishap. In addition, moon suffers papa karthari being hemmed in between malefics – mars in the star of mercury and Saturn in the star of sun. So the fiery element was the cause of fatalities. Jupiter in own house was helpless as it did not cast any aspect on moon or mercury or Gemini.


In comparison look at the Brazil crash (17-07-2007)


Mercury was in the 3rd house of the zodiac (Gemini) in the star of Rahu.

Look at the heavily afflicted 3rd house from mercury which happens to be a fiery sign. Saturn, moon and Venus were transiting the star of Ketu and Ketu was in the star of Venus. The affliction to moon is further aggravated by Mars (22 degrees Aries ) within whose 4th aspect falls moon (12 degrees Leo)


Jupiter in retro in a friendly sign makes it unfriendly and it could not cast its aspect on any major sign or planets involved in the malefic combination.


I am preparing a detailed analysis of air crashes for publication. I intend to add upagraha impact also. Utility of Upagrahas is a forgotten knowledge today. Upagrahas were looked into for determining the safety and success of a travel. Upagraha also plays a role in prasna because the position of the upagrahas is indicative of good or bad of a given time. It was in that sense sage Vyasa mentioned their position while recounting the bad omens before the start of Kuruskshetra war.


I will do a separate post on upagrahas. Let the astro-enthusiasts keep checking my scribd pages. I will be uploading articles on astrological issues every now and then. Recently I uploaded the completed series on prediction of earthquakes published in The astrological magazine.

Related post:-

The astrology of the Air France crash

"Was Ancient India really scientifically challenged?" – write an essay and win

Students Essay competition for World Assn. for Vedic Studies: "Was Ancient India really scientifically challenged?"

World Association for Vedic Studies (WAVES), Inc.

(http://www.umassd.edu/indic/waves2010.cfm)

(A Multidisciplinary Academic Society - Tax Exempt in USA)

In Collaboration with Center for Indic Studies, UMass Dartmouth, USA 

Invites original Essays for ESSAY-WRITING COMPETITION on

Topic: "Was Ancient India really scientifically challenged?"

(Word Limit: - 2500-3000)

as part of

Eighth International Conference on

"Vedic knowledge for Civilizational Harmony" 

August 4-7, 2010

University of West Indies, St Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago 

Eligibility: Students from High School to Post Graduate levels

Note on Essay Topic: The common belief among western scholars today is that other than brief stints by Ancient Greeks and Egyptians, Europe (after the enlightenment period) was the only source of scientific development for the world. Though this has been the traditional belief, facts are now emerging about Ancient India's great achievements in the fields of Astronomy, Mathematics, Irrigation, Architecture, Town Planning, Medicine and other areas.

The essay must focus on areas that are verifiable or relatively easy to claim. Areas like those in science that just occupy a mention in Ancient texts like 'missile technology' in the Mahabharata' , but are hard to verify should not be the highlight of any submission.

Rules:-

1} All essays must be typed in double spacing. Font size 12 – Times New Roman

3} Writers/participants can be up to 27 years of age

4} Marks will be awarded for originality, content, layout and presentation.

4} The closing date for submission is June 30, 2010……No late entries accepted.

5} One entry per participant is permitted

6} Essays or questions prior to Essay submission can be emailed directly to:

      Amitabh Sharma, <aaam@bellsouth.net>

7} Results may be available at least two weeks prior to the conference.

8} The winner may present the essay at the conference or alternately it may be published in the souvenir covering the event. Winner also gets a $1000 cash prize + commendation certificate.  

If 2 entries are found equally good in each category- High School and College- then two awards of $500 each would be given (discretion of Board of Directors- WAVES)

kalyanaraman

 

Hinduism Summit in Chicago on 5 June 2010

The Forum for Hindu Awakening, a nonprofit, tax exempt, budding Hindu organization in USA (www.HinduAwakening.org).is organizing the first ever Hinduism Summit (Hindu Dharma Sabha) in the Greater Chicago Area. This event will be held by the Forum for Hindu Awakening (FHA) with support from noteworthy Hindu and spiritual organizations. The Hinduism Summit aims to promote an understanding about the unique science behind Hinduism concepts and practices, and provide practical guidance on living Hinduism through recitation of Holy mantras, speeches by Hindu leaders, a novel exhibition of posters, books and spiritual products

The Hinduism Summit will be held on

Nija Vaishakh Krushna Ashtami,

5112 ((Saturday, 5 June 2010)

at Hindu Temple Of Lake County,

Chicago, IL, USA.

It is receiving blessings and support from Hindus around the world,

the latest being the blessings from

Jagadguru Sri Shankaracharya Swami Jayendra Saraswati of Kanchi Kamkoti Peeth,

P.P. Pande Maharaj of Sanatan Sanstha.

H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar of The Art of Living Foundation and

Swami Sarvadevananda from Vedanta Society of Southern California, Hollywood Temple

The link below leads to the latest item about this event:

http://www.forumforhinduawakening.org/events/event.php?id=81

This will be a free, interactive event for anyone who is interested in understanding, living or preserving Hinduism. It will also be webcast live from FHA website.

Is Tamil’s calendar out of sync with the calendars followed in the rest of India?

Given below is an article from Organiser.org on how 'mind-set' or 'scripted mind' becomes the cause for many mis- interpretations in such a way that the core theme gets lost in due course. In the process the author has lamented that Tamils have deviated from adopting the lunar calendar which is actually the Hindu calendar followed by the rest of India. He thinks that there is nothing called Tamil's New Year or Tamil's calendar because what the Tamils follow are the festivals of the lunar calendar. Without realizing it the Tamils think that they are following a calendar 'exclusive' to themselves which in due course became an object for manipulation and was twisted by political bigwigs.

There are some factual errors in the understanding of Tamil's calendar. The otherwise well written article needs to be read by all and that is why I am reproducing it here with a note on what exactly is this issue about Tamil's calendar.

The calendar followed by Tamils is a combination of Solar and Lunar calendars. You may call it as Luni-Solar calendar or Soli-Lunar calendar. The solar calendar is the basis for computing Deva years (calendar of Gods) and the lunar calendar is the basis for identifying auspicious time for prayers to the Gods. In addition we take into consideration the stars, (nakshthra mana / sidereal day ) and savanna mana (terrestrial day which begins with sun rise everyday) Even in the lunar calendar followed in the rest of India the star and terrestrial reckoning are part of deciding the important times. So a day of importance, say, a day of festival or vratham (austerity) are decided on solar, lunar, nakshathra and savanna considerations.

In deciding auspicious timings (muhurthas), both solar and lunar systems play an useful role. In other words, they are fused and used in unison in Soli-Lunar calendar. This has more practical benefits. For instance, the adhik masa of Lunar system is not suitable for auspicious events. But this kind of an issue is absent in Solar calendar. In effect we find that auspicious timings occurring in the solar month that corresponds to the adhik masa. According to muhurtha astrology, one can conduct a function in adhik masa or in an inauspicious lunar month if the solar month running at that time is auspicious. So astrologically speaking, the combined Luni-solar is useful and is accepted.

For instance in grahaarambha (starting construction) and grahapravesa (entry into newly built house), a combined calendar is used. Only 4 (corner / ubhaya rasi month) months are inauspicious in a solar year, whereas there is restriction on more months in lunar calendar. Adhering to them restricts the number of good muhurthas. So it is advised by sages to combine both lunar and solar months. Even if the lunar month is unfavorable, one can accept a muhurtha if the solar month is favorable. Particularly in deciding the month (maasa) for an auspicious event, solar month is acceptable.

For austerities and vrathams, the lunar thithis are relevant. Lunar calendar itself is based on Pithru's cycle. So Thithi -based austerities are decided on the basis of Lunar thithis.

For festivals and auspicious events, the star also must be considered. In that case, the solar month is given precedence. Only in the case of birthdays of Rama and Krishna we follow thithis – as they are times for vratham also. Otherwise auspicious events such as temple festivals, mundane festivals, marriages etc are decided on the basis of stars.

Therefore we can not say that Tamil's calendar is out of sync with other calendars. The Luni-solar calendar of Tamils is far utilitarian than an exclusive lunar -calendar -based system.

It is said by almost all astrological texts on selection of an auspicious time that you can not get a day that fulfills all the requisites of a good muhurtha. Such days will be less than 5 in a year. So the best way is to choose a day having more positives and less negatives than to harp on all-positives day. Combined Luni-Solar calendar helps in identifying such days.

On Tamil New Year day falling on the first day of Chithirai, it must be said that it was the right time. The Chathur Maha yugas started when sun entered 0 degree Aries. At that time moon joined the sun and the other planets (nodes excepting) were also close to the sun. That marks the birth of man kind and yugas. That was the original lagna of the world. That point determines the events of the world. That is why it is considered as the New Year.

In subsequent rounds, moon did not join the sun at the entry point of Aries (Chitthirai). That led to the development of 5-year Yuga (Pancha varshathmaka yuga). The adhik masa is part of this yuga to carry out the correction so that the sun and the moon join together at Aries. This also shows that primary importance was given to Sun's entry in deciding the New Year.

Related posts:-

Rama Navami – why celebrate Rama's birthday on thithi and not on birth star?

http://www.tamilhindu.com/2010/01/tamil-new-year-starts-in-chithirai-1/

http://www.tamilhindu.com/2010/01/tamil-new-year-starts-in-chithirai-2/

- jayasree

*******

From

http://www.organiser.org/dynamic/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=345&page=29

Open Forum

The annual ritual of greeting on the new year
How many new years do we have?

By Ram Gopal Ratnam

EVERY year we witness a ritual of the political leaders right from the Prime Minister down to city Mayor wishing the people for a happy new year. The Tamils for a Tamil new year, the Bengalis for a Bengali new year, the Malayalies for a Malayali new year, the Assamese for an Assami new year. and believe me, all fall on the same day. Simple logic tells me that if it is new year for so many regions, it has to be a single, common new year and not different new years. Yet, thanks to Goebbels, this falsehood has percolated down and now newspapers, teachers, temples and social organisations have joined senseless chorus. The effect? A common Tamilian has started to believe that it is Tamil's new year. Now, it has gone beyond mere belief. He firmly knows that it is Tamil's new year. Is it so? Is it Tamil new year or a Bengali new year or an Assami new year or would you call January 1st as American new year, British new year, French new year, Australian new year? No. It is just Christian new year and is the new year wherever the Christians live.

What is a new year day? It is the first day of a calendar. There are many calendars, the Christian or Gregorian calendar, the Muslim calendar, the Chinese calendar, etc. Basically, there are two types of calendars, the solar and the lunar. The solar one is based on the Earth's rotation around the Sun and the lunar is based on the Moon's rotation around the Earth. These two calendars are different as these have different basis for calculation. The Christian calendar is solar and the Muslim one is lunar and we, the Hindus have both. This so-called 'Tamil' new year is a Hindu solar calendar and the other one, which is ignorantly called Telugu new year by all the 'great' leaders in Tamil Nadu and a Marathi new year by the same catagory of leaders in the North, is actually Hindu lunar calendar.

Let me elaborate. Why do you need a calendar? To know your festivals. When is the Christmas? December 25th. Where did you find it? In the Christian calendar of course. You can not find it in the Muslim calendar. This year it is on the 13th of the month called Moharram. Next year, it will fall in the month of Julhej. It will be a different month every year. Can you locate the Deepavali day in the Christian calendar? You can not? It may fall in October or November. It was in October last year and this year it will be in November. You have to refer to the lunar calendar to know the Deepavali date. It falls on Ashwin Amavasya day.

Which are the festivals celebrated in Tamil Nadu? The same as those celebrated in other parts of our nation. The Deepavali, Vijayadashami, Navaratri, Ramnavami, Skanda Sasti, Gokulashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi, Maha Shivaratri, Vaikuntha Ekadashi, Shravan Poornima, etc. etc. I challange you to locate any of these festival days in the so-called 'Tamil' calendar. You can not, because this calendar is solar based and all these festivals fall on lunar days like Sashti, Ashtami, Navami, Amavasya, Poornima. How sad that a community has a calendar of its own, but all its major festivals have to be located from the calendar of a different community, the Telugu calendar in this instance?

It is not Tamil calendar or Telugu calendar. It is a Hindu solar calendar and a Hindu lunar calendar. Most of our festivals are lunar based and are located in lunar calendar. The Earth's movement around the Sun is not cognizable for a common man. We can infer the same by observing the climatic changes. We can merely know it is winter or summer or rainy season. All these are solar phenomenons. It is a matter for the scientist or the Astro mathematician who computes the Panchang. The solar calendar can be called a scientist's calendar. Festivals are common man's domain. You need a more 'user-friendly' calendar. The lunar movement is visible. Even a lay man can observe and understand the lunar movement. You have to just observe the sky and do some simple calculations and you can arrive at the festival days. So, you can call this common man's calendar.

Both are Hindu calendars. Both are referred to and used in all parts of our nation. All the major festivals are to be found in the lunar calendar, except Makara Sankranti. This is an important festival for all Hindus and is found in the solar calendar. The 'Kumbh', Uttarayana and Dakshinayana Punya Kala, and monthly Pitru Tarpanam on every Sankranti day (Sankranti is the 1st of a solar month and makara sankranti is the 1st of the month called Makara.) are the other special days in the solar calendar. These are special not only to the Tamils, but to all the Hindus, throughout the length and breadth of Bharat. Is not Makara Sankranti an important festival for the Marathis? How is it that they do not have it in their calendar and have to reach out to the 'Tamil calendar' for finding it? It is neither Marathi calendar nor Tamil calendar, but just lunar and solar calendars.

Our formal education system does not teach these subjects which help us to know who we are. Long after Independance in 1947, we continue to churn out Mc'Caulay-putras from our schools. In my school days, Avani Avittam fell in the month of Aadi. Aavani Avittam is Shravan Poornima and Aavani and Aadi are names of fourth and fifth solar months. How can Aavani Avittam fall in the month of Aadi? It is like celebrating October revolution in November or Good Friday falling on a Thursday. This simple question arose in my childish mind and I used to ask many of my teachers, the social leaders in Tamil community. Unfortunately, none were able to give me a convincing answer. I had three options before me. I could have concluded that our ancestors were ignorant. I could have ignored and forgotten the question and concentrated on more practical things like career building, money making, etc. I could have pondered over the question spending restless moments till I found an answer. I chose the third option and was awestruck by the genius of our ancestors. The western mind wants to standardise everything. Uni-sex clothing, Uniform (American) breakfasts, uniform way of worship, uniform structures. It can not comprehend variety. It is not mature enough to appreciate more complex things. It wants to simplify everything. Many of our own English-educated are in the same mind frame. Nature is full of variety and is very complex. It requires a more mature mind and higher intelligence to understand, even appreciate complexities.

Our nation has nourished variety in every walk of life. We have so many ways of wearing our Dhoti and saree. (I've found 28 ways of wearing a saree in Tamil Nadu.) We have so many languages and dialects. Recipes? We do not have an Indian food. These words south Indian food and north Indian food are misnomers. There is no Tamil food either. The food system varies from community to community and region to region within Tamil Nadu and is very different from food in Andhra or Kerala or Karnataka. The same is the case in Maharashtra. The Warhadi is different from Konkani, which is again different from Khandeshi. That which is known as south Indian food is more a Tamil Brahmin food type. This vast variety flourishing in Bharat was exploited by the British, to drive a wedge, sorry, drive many wedges in the Hindu community.

There was one GU Pope in Tamil Nadu in the 15th century. He was a European Christian Pastor. He learnt Tamil and interpreted, rather misinterpreted the Tamil literature and sowed the seeds of separatism. Karunanidhi and other Tamil 'scholars' quote him for all their separatist ideologies. The British, under the chairmanship of Macaulay, laid the trap (and it is a well laid trap) and all our leaders, administrators, teachers and other 'intellectuals' have innocently, ignorantly, foolishly or willfully fallen in the trap. There is a Panchtantra story of a monkey fooling a crocodile wanting to kill and devour it, by saying that it has removed its heart and left the same in the tree. Now, it seems, all our intellectuals have removed and thrown their brains and thinking capacity and have decided never to use it again.

Let me conclude by narrating an encounter with a school principal. Shri Narayanan is MGR's brother-in-law and runs many schools and colleges in and around Chennai. His daughter, Smt Latha Rajendran was the principal of Janaki Ramachandran School in Chennai in the eighties. She is double MA, MPhil, and PhD. I used to go to these schools once a week to teach 'patriotism', as they called it.

On one occasion, I was invited to be the chief guest in their annual social gathering. There was the usual tamasha of filmy dances and filmy dialogues. There was one group dance with Bharat Mata, holding the tricolour, in the centre and girls and boys in pairs dancing around Bharat Mata. The Principal turned to me and proudly said, "We also instill patriotism through such programmes". "Who are these pairs dancing around Bharat Mata?" I asked her. "You don't know. I can't believe it. The third pair is a Marathi pair. That one is a Bengali pair. This a Manipuri, the next a Punjabi. These are all pairs from various parts of Bharat and the message is "We are One". said the principal. "The last pair on this side and the last one on that side. Which state do they belong to?" I asked her innocently. "That is a Muslim pair and this a Christian pair", she replied. One was dressed in lungi and purdah and the other in coat-suit and skirt.

"So you are teaching the Muslim and Christian students in your school that they are not Tamils, but Muslims or Christians. Are you teaching patriotism or separatism?", I asked her.

You should have been there to see her face and know the intensity of shock she got. She was so much disturbed that she came out of the pandal. She was dumb-struck for a few moments and then she said, "I have gone to so many institutions and got so many degrees. I have been the Principal here since last eighteen years. I have always heard the same thing everywhere and have been talking the same thing to students all these years. Now, this was the first time I have heard something different. I feel I have done injustice to thousands of my students all these years." She was so much disturbed that she went on talking, no, blabbering for the next half an hour.

The incident is not connected to calendar issue, but reveals the trapped mind set. So, what do you intend to do when someone accosts you with 'Happy Tamil New Year' wish next time?

(The writer can be contacted at 133, Nagmani, Abhyankar Nagar, Nagpur-440 010 and his e-mail address is akhila1961@gmail.com)