Flower Show


Every year, flower shows are organized in January (Republic Day of India) and August (Independence Day of India), at Lalbagh, Bangalore. Have a look to last year photographs click here on Independence day of India 15th August 2010.






I suggest you to attend this show, this republic day, at Lalbagh. Enjoy MAADI ! 

We used to have such show at my native place Mithapur. More Garden. Sometime in February, every year. Once I saw nice flower rose with water drops. I liked it so much. I observed it with full attention, from all the angles. That day, I created a Gujarati poem. "A - GULAB" (means: that rose). To read it, click here

I wish you also get some inspiration to write some good poem from this Republic day flower show at Lalbagh, Bangalore.

Happy Shankranthi


Let me share, Shankranthi celebration snap. It has flower Rangoli and Sugarcanes. The venue is Landmark, Forum Mall, Bangalore. 

Enjoy the Shantranthi, Makara-Shantranthi, Pongal festival. 

Enjoy MAADI !

AkshayaPatra


Today, I will introduce you to a unique social project called "AkshayaPatra" by ISKON. You can google to know its details. Here, Let me Express MySelf ! My feelings and my experience, about "AkshayaPatra"...

Context 
Have you ever tolerated hunger? Have you ever observed fast? How precious the food can be after fast!! Today many kids are not getting food, so they start working or begging. Their future seems dark, with addictions like smoking, drinking liquor etc. When they grown up, they remain illiterate and counted as burden to the society, that bring down the economic growth of the nation. Few of them may become criminal too. 

Solution 
How about, a kid getting nice delicious SATVIK meal at the school itself! It will prevent child labor. He will perform well in his study. After growing up, he will become a responsible citizen and build a bright future for the nation. The educated child can save the family from poverty, superstition and unhealthy addictions. We can address the issue at grass root level and eliminate the poverty and illiteracy, if we provide nutritious food to the children. What do you say?

AkshayaPatra 
The Government already running schmes like mid-day meal. However many times NGOs are more effective than government. ISKON is one such NGO that feeding a meal everyday to school going, less privileged kids under "AkshayaPatra" project for last 10 years. ISKON started this with 1500 students at nearby schools. Today ISKON is feeding 1.3 million students daily. The "AkshayaPatra" project is still growing with ambition to feed 5 million children by year 2020.

We the people 
We Indians are used to keep food aside for animals and for less privileged people, before we start our meal. It is our tradition. The resources are not constraint. Someone just need to start with good intention and determination. ISKON is just channelizing our resources for a noble cause of food for school students for their better education. The project needs money, to sustain and to expand the reach. ISKON volunteers have faith in goodness at heart of people like us. Don't you think, we should support such project?  Providing food to school students covers (1) food donation and (2) knowledge donation together. 

How can we support this initiative?
  • By donating money(Click HERE to know more)
  • By spreading awareness by blogging (Click HERE to know more)
  • By volunteering (Click HERE to know more) 
Donation?
In fact, donation may not be a proper word, we are just performing our social duty. I transferred nominal amount online for this project, and very next day, I got scan copy of the receipt by e-mail. We can trust such orgnisation like ISKON, for proper utilization of our money. We are not helping anyone. We are just sharing our wealth, that the almighty has blessed us. ISKON is providing us the platform to serve the mankind. This activity gives us a tremendous pleasure and satisfaction, that shopping of luxury items cannot give.

Social Media
ISKON promoted the AkshayaPatra project with social media also like blogging, facebook, orkut, twitter. Today, many people are unaware about "AkshayaPatra". We all bloggers had IndiBlogger meeting on 9th Jan, 2011 at ISKON temple Bangalore. We almost 120 bloggers wrote about it and the AkshayaPatra website hits increase from 1500 per month to 4500 per day. Let’s all spread the words. 

Let me conlude with this nice poster at the venue.
 


Thanks for stopping at my blog and contributing for AkshayaPatra.We can make a big difference to the society at large. We heard in Ramayana a small squirrel was helping lord Rama to build bridge over the sea. That divine spirit can do wonders and it worth more than millions of rupees. 

Reference

Swaminarayan. Google gadgets


How are you all? After a long time I am back with more articles. I am sure, you all will find them useful, informative and entertaining as usual. 

Today I will share my IGoogle Gadgets with you. Today's gadgets have a common theme. Swaminarayan religion and Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha(BAPS). Most of these gadgets are fetching the content from BAPS website. This website has section for daily Satsang. Most of these gadgets fetch fresh content from this section. Have a look at today's screen-shot. 





Here is the list:


  1. Daily Murti Darshan: Have a look to the lord Swaminarayan. Daily a new picture from different temples. 
  2. Daily Guru Darshan: HDH Pramukh Swami Maharaj photographs
  3. Divine Inspiration: A short inspirational story.
  4. PreNa Parimal: A short inspirational story.
  5. Vachanamrut gems: The Vachanamrut of Swaminarayan is a foundational scripture of the Swaminarayan faith. You can read daily this holy scripture with this gadget.
  6. BAPS news.
  7. Daily ShikshaPatri (English) : You can read daily one quotation from the holy book ShikshaPatri written by the lord Swaminarayan. This book explains code of conduct for all people. 
  8. Likhat Hai SantSujaaN: Answer to our eternal quest. By HDH Pramukh Swami Maharaj. Source: Monthly calnder 'Likhat Hai SantSujaaN' printed by BAPS Swaminarayan Aksharpith, Amdavad. 
  9. Daily Quote: Daily inspirational quotes for kids. 'A new quote everyday to help you live and play, study and pray.' Source: KIDS.BAPS.ORG BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha
  10. Inspiring Incidents : Daily Indspiring Incidents about HDH Pramukh Swami Maharaj. Source: KIDS.BAPS.ORG BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha
  11. Atlanta Temple : Daily Murti Darshan from Atlanta BAPS SwamiNarayan Temple
  12. London Temple : Daily Murti Darshan from London BAPS SwamiNarayan Temple
 As I have wrote in my profile, I got introduced to this religion during my college days. I got blessings from HDH Pramukh Swami Maharaj. Such enlightened people are free from worldly desires. They only wish let all the people become happy. In Sanskrit LOKA SAMSTA SUKHINO BHAVANTU. In Gujarati BHAGWAN SAU NU BHALU KARO. These gadgets development is just my humble effort to spread His message.

I will update this page, whenever the list of my Swaminarayan IGoogle Gadgets will be get updated. So you can bookmark this page. You can add them at your iGoogle homepage, Google desktop and Windows Vista / Windows 7 sidebar. 


Share your comments/feedback. And yes, wait for more good articles at your own blog Express YourSelf !