Why kites fly on Sankrant!?!

The first festival of the calendar year 2020 is here!!

So, here is a question that I asked my mumma and the answer to which amazed me!! On to the early morning walks, which were more of a reason to talk about life to Mom I asked her… Maa, why do we fly kites on this festival and what is the significance? Like we could have even thought of some other ways to celebrate the festival as we traditionally do! Either just making sweet, taking a bath early morning, going to a temple and then having sweet in the dish!!

And then, we just took a seat on the bench where the senior citizens had made their early morning news reporting spot, what she answered was like, it made me realize that our ancestors who had the concept of these festivals were actually genius. Their thought process was much far sighted then ours and sorted enough to have good reasons for everything!! They thought better than the best computerised planners in the generation where even simple machines were not a routine!

She continued saying as I was making myself comfortable on the bench!! Makar Sankranti marks the end of winter season and start of the spring season! The sun starts moving and the chilly mornings now change to warmer ones!! Winters are seasons where we usually have an unhealthy lifestyle, most of the times we tend getting up late because of cold floor that gets us goose bumps to walk upon and now that the festival marks end of the freezing mornings, flying kites not only gets the sky go colourful and kids cheerful it also gives us an good exposure to the morning sunlight which is rich source of Vitamin D making our bones stronger! (and I was like, now I get the reason as to why our brains are so much in demand!! Because we think way ahead and way smart!! Though the festival is not only celebrated in India!!) The next answer was why sesame sweets (til papdi) is that sesame seeds have a property which helps the body keeping warm and also provides enough oil to moisture the skin which has been dry due to the chills of winter!!

So, this Sankranti celebrate the festival knowing the reason behind every small thing you do!! And let your friends and kids know why and how of everything!!

Take Sweet and Talk Sweet – HAPPY SANKRANTI TO YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES

Advertisement

Diwali!!!

Households light dozens of little clay oil lamps, called diyas, to symbolize the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance.

The word “Diwali,” or “Deepawali” in Sanskrit, means “a row of lamps” in Sanskrit.

So in literal sense Diwali means “Festival of Diyas” and not festival of crackers!!!

This diwali let us all pledge to make the beautiful festival meaningful!!!

Let us try making an attempt to light someone’s life, let us try wiping off few bad habits in our own selves, let us just initiate a change and let us hold the torch of love and peace !!!!

Let us pledge that we will make this festival memorable than simply blowing it off in smoke and pollution!!!!!

Be the change!!!! Start a change

Say no to crackers!! Say no to pollution!!

Illumination of 60,000 diyas at Shaniwar Wada, Pune, India on first day of the 5-day festival – Diwali!!!

Dassera…

Just read something very beautiful and thought of sharing it!!!!

अजीब बात है….रावण जलाने के लिये पहले उसे बनाना पडता है।

Meaning:

It actually is such an weird or strange sort of thing that to burn the Ravan we first need to make it

(PS – Ravan is an evil character in Indian mythology who was killed by Lord Rama on Eve of Dassera. And as an age old tradition even today people burn huge statutes of Ravan on this day)

Just a feed to your soul today – Burn the Ravan inside you then burning things outside…The world will gradually be in peace once you find peace for yourself

Dassera 2K18

Happy and prosperous Dassera to all of you!!!

Bappa… Evda aik na….!!!

With all Ganesha going back to their homes here’s a small request placed!!!

बप्पांचा निरोप घेताना दरवर्षीच डोळे अगदीच पाणावतात, १० दिवस पूर्ण घरात एक वेगळीच ऊर्जा पसरवणारा विघ्नहर्ता लाडका गणेश अखेर चालला आपल्या घरी!!!

बप्पा जाता-जाता तुला एकच मागावसं वाटतं….
तु इथे १० दिवस राहीलास, घरातल्या TV वर लागणारी news ऐकलीस, रोज बाबा पेपर वाचत असतानाही तु तिथेच होता!!! म्हणजे जगातलं वातावरण तुला माहीतच आहे!!

इथे ह्याचा accident, तिथे त्याचा murder, इथे हिंदू आणि मुस्लिम वाद, तिथे त्या दंगली….सगळंच सांगावं असं वाटत नाही कारण तुला माहीत आहेच
एक छोटीशी request, बप्पा आम्ही सगळे ना खुपच tech-savvy, sophisticated आणि अगदीच smart झाले आहोत (मुळात आमचे फोन smart झाले आणि आम्ही extra smart), globalization and असले काय काय भारी झालय पण ह्या सगळ्यात एक गोष्टीचा विसर पडलाय आणि तो म्हणजे “मी माणुस आहे, आणि माणुसकी हा माझा पहिला धर्म आहे”
हिंदू आणि मुस्लिम, Higher आणि lower caste ह्या गुंत्यात एवढे अडकलोय की आम्हाला हेच कळत नाही सगळ्यांचं रक्त लालच आहे, जगायला सगळेच श्वास घेतात, म्हणजे तिथे नाही ना आपण बघत की मी हिंदू आहे तर भगवा श्वास आणि मुस्लिम असेल तर हिरवा श्वास – असं काही नसताच ना!
बाप्पा आम्हा सगळ्या मुलांना ही सद्बुद्धि दे की आम्ही ह्या गोष्टीला समझु आणि माणुसकी हा धर्म पाळु, म्हणजे पुढच्या वर्षी तुझ्या स्वागतासाठी आम्ही सगळेच फक्त मंडप न सजवता आमची मन पण चांगल्यी विचारांनी सजवु!

गणपती बाप्पा मोरया. पुढच्या वर्षी लवकर या. !!!

Visarjan!!!

Well, Visarjan day has arrived, most of us still might be in the memory of Bappa coming home and that grandeur because 10 days just fly off with so much energy due to “Aagman”

Anant Chaturdashi! Everyone with a happy -sad face getting ready to bide a farewell to “Ladka Bappa”. 10 days of joy, celebration, happiness and enjoyment finally take a leave.

Just a story to narrate today, visualize it if you can!

A small boy named Tanush was as excited as everyone of us is to welcome Bappa to his place as this was his first year where he decorated the house for HIS welcome! In this lovely mood along with his Dad and younger sister he also made a beautiful idol of Lord Ganesha which was painted in all bright colours which he liked. Next day, the idol was installed with all traditions and rituals done properly, every morning Tanush was excited for new Prasad made by his Mom for his Ganesha! One fine day out of excitement, Tanush asks his Granny, “Naani, where is Ganesha’s home? I want to know his story and the innocent mind had a thousand questions popping up!

Q1. Naani, Tell me Ganesha’s story!
A1. Ganesha is Lord Shiva’s Son, who made all of us. He has come to stay with us for 10 days and see whether we do all our work properly, whether we follow good principles of life, whether we stay happily. He comes to solve all our problems and take away all our sadness! He fills our heart with new hopes and dreams!

Q2. Naani, If I don’t be a good boy will he complain about me to Shiva?
A2. Ganesha is here to be with you and teach you all good things of life. He is present everyday and every minute near you, but these 10 days he is specially here with you to make you feel that every new day is a new chance for you to improve and those who don’t learn from their mistakes, Ganesha doesn’t shower his love on them. He won’t complain to Shiva but he also won’t tell Shiva to give you special gifts!

Q3. Naani, What should I do to make Ganesha my Friend?
A3. Tanush, be good to everyone you meet, help everyone you can. In case you can not be of help, make it a point you don’t become hindrance in anyone’s way. Doing good does not mean ignoring the bad, if there is anything wrong around you take an action against it. Like your teacher gives you homework, Ganesha has given us a homework too, to spread positive vibrations in the world, spread vibes of love, trust and understanding. The one who does this homework becomes his favorite.

Q4. Naani, If I become his favorite what will he gift me?
A4, Tanush, If you become Bappa’s favourite, he will grant you success, you will clear all your exams well. He will give you all happiness and bless you with good health.

And the innocence had no end, he had so many questions and all the answers could be connected to life teachings if they were deeply thought.

When he comes in our homes he gets along with him tons of happiness and smiles, health and prosperity, good wishes and blessings. It is believed that “HE” is Sukhakarta i.e. creator of happiness and Dukharta i.e. destroyer of sadness comes to our homes for 10 days to spread the divine vibes and make our homes pure (not in terms of just dusting the old racks and clearing the clutter on the tables, he comes to clean our impure hearts which have so much of ill thoughts making us sick mentally!).

With his Visarjan today, lets all make a promise to ourselves to give up one bad habit of ours and adopt one new good habit and follow it religiously.
Be it as simple as giving up a bad habit of cribbing for everything that happens or giving up anger and adopting a new smallest habit like may be getting up early everyday or as simple as not hurting my own self by expecting from others!
The habit might be small but this act of yours will truly make the festival a celebration, it will indeed make Bappa much happier tha n those huge DJ’s playing his songs and aartis do!! Try it once at least!
Bappa che ladki mula apan, Evda tar karuch shakto na tyacha sathi!?

Eco-friendly visarjan

Punyacha Bappa Morya

A few snaps of the beautiful Ganeshotsav at Pune

And the most grand….

आमचा लाडका श्रीमंत दगडूशेठ हलवाई गणपती!!!!

गणपती बाप्पा मोरया… मंगलमूर्ती मोरया…’ च्या जयघोषात संपूर्ण पुणे 10 दिवस अगदीच रमून जातं.

अजूनतर पुणेकरांचा अस्सल नाद – ढोल-ताशा सुरू व्हायचा आहे!!!

Bappa Morya!!!!!!

Smile and spread smiles

(PC – Sameeksha😘😘)