Cricket, IPL, Pakistan and Looking Beyond

I am sure cricket fans at home and office would search to hit me for writing this post and I need to get bailed out from their arms.... But when is that we would learn to look beyond??... Cricket in India is not just another sport or game...it is a fervent addiction... a ever living fever with no vaccines.
Cricket has become a part of Average Indian's life and people discuss, debate, devote, dedicate themselves to the love of the matches, players, and the very essence of Modern Day Commercialized Cricket and what else. Even cost of living, corruption, movies, will take a back seat when compared to Cricket Mania in the country.
But the fact is that Cricketers are also human beings and no demi-gods, there is absolutely no necessity to devote so much attention and energies to the game which is supposed to be entertainment and a good sport. Today it has become a worse addiction, money minting industry, fully commercialized and above all, killing other fields of sports. I just wonder why our text books still say Hockey is our National Game.... It should be Cricket now right...
IPL Is a classic example of how 1% of the population can control and absorb the wealth from the 99% of the society... Today, television channels and movies are just copying the events and shows of the west in their regional languages. IPL also did the same trick..instead of foot ball, there emerged cricket deals.....The craziness, the frenzies and the boundless amusement of the game is no doubt a well planned business option ....same time, this addiction had broken the barriers in the name of countries or continents..... IPL succeeded in its endeavour...and we the average Indian made them rich....!
Now comes to my hot topic, Pakistan... Masha Allah! Why Me! Pakistan players not included in the IPL 3rd season... Yeah... let me tell u the story of my neighbour who was once my brother...we fought, we broke, we don't talk, we don't meet, and now slowly we grudge, we hurt, we hate, we destroy, we end. In such a situation, how can I let my children play with his children...doesn't it not sound ridiculous... this hatred is genuine and need to be ongoing process...don't I want it... Huh! its the same story...It is this destroying attitude that is causing a friction everywhere between India and Pakistan...Today we have reached to such a situation where we cant appreciate any bridges between two countries how every peaceful they aim to be at....we always suspect every peace move, we are always threatened by their existence, we are restless with the neighbours... this is not going to change even after 60 years of a havocing partition... gone is gone...RIP the brotherhood! At least let live as sensible neighbours... or else we are making each other's area a harvesting ground not just for terror but for the developed nations to aim at each other, in the time of next world war...which is not so very far! God bless this Planet not just from climatic destruction but a nuclear warfare! Now we Indians, should learn to look beyond cricket, for cricket is no more just a game, but a culture, predominantly changing the way we think and act!!!!

Law of Attraction

From my childhood, I used to be so fond of guessing things, and getting glad when they happen....slowly this syndrome became a sixth sense and an intuition kind.. and what ever I strongly thought or dreamt started to happen...sometimes, negative things also started to show up startling me endlessly.... but everytime, there was also a courage that emerged, a confidence that is built within and a faith that surmounted all difficulties...Last 3 years, I have been thinking alot about the goals, the larger than life dreams and ambitions that sometime astround my ownself, and unbelievably, some where some thing supported to make these proportion less ambitions also materialize.... some happened just as I kept thinking, some happened slowly over the years...but the end result, it happen...
Yesterday watching the video on the SECRET of SUCCESS...and the Law of Attraction, I discovered what I had been going through all these years...I have been attracting my own circumstances and situations. I have been attracting negatives things giving it lot of thinking of not wanting it... I have been slowly ignoring unnecessary things and keep them away from my thought process and slowly all unpleasantness started to fade away............lot of positive energy, lot of goodness, lot of confidence started to grow from this positive thinking. I do look back on the past, the history, but I stopped carrying the baggage forward....it like leaving the garbage at the door, and just taking with me the most important lessons learnt in the hardest way possible.
As I started to be positive, good to people, I gained lot of good people in my life, I dreamt big, and started to slowly feel that happening.... I started to give back to the world simple little things that made me feel contented and fulfilled. I have learned immense knowledge and gained unmeasurable wealth of understanding the universe.... Yes, the fact that Universe says "Your Wish is My Command" is very true. What you think, you perceive. What you ask, you believe is what you get. How truthful... 1% of the world's populations who are successful and possess the 90% of this world's wealth are the people who know this secret for success. Transforming difficulties as opportunities, learnings as stepping stones, failures as lessons learned and move forward are the people who succeed...

Temples in Nanganallur

I wanted the first topic of the year to be something really positive and motivating..and hence waited for 10 long days but much of the current affairs do not seem to be encouraging me to do so... Hence I thought its time to dive deep into whats best around me in the neighbourhood...and Yes...Being in the suburbs of Chennai, what best could I begin with than the beautiful temples and music festivals:

Here is my quick list of temples in and around Nanganallur, for those of you, who have two things in common- one ardent devotion towards idol worship and second is interest in the beautiful architectural excellence from our good old days and sculptures that speak volumes of human history.

1. Nanganallur Means Anjaneya Temple. Vishwaroop Anjaneya stands tall as the testimony of courage, beliefs and happiness in the great idol worship, its around 2 miles from the Palavanthangal/ Nanganallur Railway Station. You can visit the site
http://www.anjaneyaswami.com/index.asp for full details

2. Varasidhi Vinayagar Temple:- Located at Ram Nagar 2nd Street,. is said to be one of the oldest temples which had Kanchi Periyavar staying in the temple during his visits to Nanganallur.

3. Sri Lakshmi Haygreevar Temple:- Hayagreevar said to be the Lord of Knowledge and Learning, this temple which is very close to Varasidhi Vinayagar temple is one of rarest Haygreevar temples in Tamil Nadu

4. Sri Guruvayur appan temple:- Beautiful temple in Kerala style and very close to the above two temples having the main deity Guruvayurappan almost similar to the Lord in Guruvayoor. Goddess Bhagavathi is a beautiful part of this temple along with sanidanams for Ayyapan and Prasanna Vinayaka along with Navagrahas. This temple is also famous for "Anna Prasanam" functions to the little children

5. Sri Raghavendra Temple:- Temple is reknowned as Dakshina Mantralayam and is an abode of peace and simpleness and the beautiful image of Lord Raghavendra in the mandap opposite to the temple is also a must see. This temple is very close to Anjaneyar temple

6. Sri Satya Sai Baba Temple:- This temple is just at the end of the road of Raghavendra temple and the temple is developed by local devotees who join to sing Baba bhajans and spread the message of Dharma. Thursdays 7 pm is the best time one can really enjoy the fullness of this temple

7. Sri Ayyappan Temple:- To me personally, this temple is very close to my heart. Lord Ayyappan here look almost like in Sabarimala, uncrowded and peaceful temple just on the back side of the Anjaneyar temple. It is said that no where in the world, there are two powerful Bharmachari swami's standing back to back and giving blessing to devotees in the world. It is said that visiting both Ayyappan and Anjaneyar temples for 9 weeks on saturdays will ward of any kind of evil and unpleasantnesses in life.. trust me, it is truth.

8. Sri Lakshmi Narasimhan Temple:- Walkable distance from Ayyapan and Ajaneyar temples is the beautiful new temple of Lord Lakshmi Narasimhan. The pleasant Narasimhan with his consort on the lap gives you all blessings and its is believed that Lakshmi Narasimha always blesses for Runa Vimochanam. Means, we get rid of our loans, here the great context of our bondages with people, materialistic things and life I guess. Real beautiful temple that you should not miss seeing. It is in 24th Street of TillagangaNagar.

9. Karumani Amman Temple:- This is the old temple which is on the adjacent side of Lakshmi Narasimhan temple and facing the new bridge connecting velacheri..The goddess is beautiful here and adjacently we have Lord Balaji blessing as you enter the temple

10. Sri Raja Rajeshwari Temple and sri Lakshmi satyanarayana perumal temple:- Nanganallur Raja rajeshwari is famous since old days and because of this temple's goddess "Nangai"..the area got its name as Nanganallur. The approach roads are bad but plan to park your vehicles at distance and walk to the beauty of the godess with Kumkumam in the first floor of the temple. 16 steps and every step is adored with one form of the goddess and its nice to visit Perumal after Amman darshan in the ground floor adjascent Satyanarayan swami temple,.where goddess Lakshmi who is present on the chest of Satyanarayan swami.

11. Sri Ardhanadeeswaran and Durgai Temple:- This temple is located in the main market place of Nanganallur. This temple is called as KethuStalam and the near by temple tank is said to be where the idol of Ardhanadeeswarar was found by Paramcharya. Durgai amman is beautiful and pleasant in this temple and called as "Sarvapalla Nayaki" means the goddess who gives everything.

12. Dharmlingeswaran Temple:- This temple is located in south Nanganallur and is said to be the oldest temple in the area. Build during Pallava dynasty, more than 1000 years old, this temple is an indication of a established civilization during good olden days as well in Nanganallur,. Lord Dhanmeswar was discovered during a construction and the temple was later renovated and worshiped.

13. Navaneetha Krishnan and Lakshmi Narasimhar temple - This temple is an old one dated to 8th century and beautiful for its architecture. The main sanctum, facing east enshrines the imposing image of the principal Deity, Lord Lakshmi Narasimha. The other murtis, which adorned the beautiful main sanctum are those of Lord Pradosha Narasimha, for whom special worship is performed during every pradosha and Sri Chakrattazhvar (Sudarsana). Also seen here are images of Sri Vishvaksena, Svami Nammazhvar, Sri Ramanuja and Sri Vedanta Desika. An interesting and rare architectural feature of this sanctum is a circular shaped pillar which resembles a stambha from which Lord Narisimha emerged to protect His child-devotee Prahlada.


14. Oppliappan Temple:- This temple is the oldest temple for Oppliappan in Madipakkam and the main deity is Lord Rama in Pattabishekam rupam.

15. Sri Gayathri Devi Temple and Mother and Aurobindo Centre:- Gayathri devi temple is in the complex of the Mother Centre for Meditation and with Vinayagar and Gayathri devi.

Close to Puzhithivakam late is the beautiful meditation centre of Mother of Pondicherry. Similar to Pondy, the serenity of the silence, flowers and incense smell, makes the place vibrate in a silence where only our inner consciousness emerges with peace and contentment.

16. Visa Anjaneyar:- This is the small Anjaneyar temple very close to Modern school in Nanganallur, where people believe that prayers at this temple brings them opportunties abroad :-) Sounds funny, but its again , believes and thats turn true I guess...so try your luck.

Past weekend was amazing with visits to some of these temples taking my mom on her spiritual tour of Nanganallur and same time trying to imbide values of worship, faith and rituals in my little one... Enjoy your temple visits. There can be many more that I am not aware of and would like readers to share information on them with me in comments.

Why is Diwali Celebrated? Be a Light Unto Yourself

 Be a Light Unto Yourself

Swami Chaitanya Keerti

For Osho-lovers around the world, the celebration is not confined to any particular day such as Holi or Diwali. Osho teaches us to live each moment of our life with a spirit of celebration, as it is a non-ending phenomenon of timeless dimension. But at the same time we welcome each festival celebrated by different people of different cultures, as our basic approach is positive. What really matters is positive and celebrative approach. We welcome Diwali and all other festivals with this spirit.

This festival of lights is very significant for all of us, as it can function as a reminder that we need to bring light into our life. Though there are historical reasons to celebrate Diwali - to remember Lord Rama's victory over Ravana, victory of Good over Evil, and celebrate with lighting the lamps and enjoying the firecrackers but that's not the main purpose of celebrating Diwali. People need to meditate and transform their lives, enlighten themselves and spread light all around.

Osho says: Two religions in India, Hindus and Jains, celebrate the festival of lights. They have different reasons; it is just a coincidence that something has happened on the same day in the history of both religions. Hindus celebrate it because Rama, one of the Hindu incarnations of God, was victorious over Ravana. He came back after fourteen years of wandering in the forests and the mountains to his capital, Ayodhya. And because he was coming back after fourteen years, the capital rejoiced with lights and firecrackers.

That is the Hindu reason. For Jains this is not the reason. Mahavira became enlightened on the same day, and Mahavira is the most important individual in the history of Jainism. Jainas are celebrating because Mahavira attained liberation. And he attained liberation in a unique way - Gautam Buddha became enlightened on a full-moon night. And except for Mahavira, anybody who has become enlightened has done so either on a full-moon night or close to it. Mahavira is unique in that he became enlightened on the night of amawas , no moon, and complete darkness. He is alone; there is nobody else who has become enlightened on the night of amawas.

  Osho adds: Mahavira became enlightened on the no-moon night, amawas . The full moon night is called purnima - the moon has become perfect, purna. And the no-moon night is when there is no moon at all, absolute darkness. Except Mahavira, nobody has become enlightened on amawas, no-moon night. Mahavira's name was not Mahavira - Mahavira means a great warrior. His name was Vardhaman. But because he became enlightened on amawas , no-moon night, he proved that he could go against the current. It was natural for everybody to become enlightened on the full moon night, but this fellow Mahavira tried to go against the normal order of things, and still managed to become enlightened.

In India, people have completely forgotten why every year on a particular amawas , no-moon night, they celebrate Diwali, a festival of lights. You must have seen people putting all kinds of candles, lamps, lights in their houses. This is the night when Mahavira became enlightened. Those firecrackers are in celebration of Mahavira. He certainly did something unique which never happened before and never happened afterwards. So it is perfectly right to call him Mahavira, a great warrior. A very strong man...otherwise it is almost impossible for anyone to become enlightened on the no-moon night.

Diwali simply means moving from darkness to light - Tamso Ma Jyotirgamaya . And that's the message of Upanishads, the sages and all the enlightened Beings. Buddha says: Appo Deepo Bhav . Be a light unto yourself.