Sethusamudram project is illegal, arbitrary and unacceptable: Subramanian Swamy

Lashing out at the UPA Government over its decision to go ahead with Sethusamudram Project despite the R. K. Pachauri Committee report suggesting it is unviable, Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy on Monday said the mega project is illegal, arbitrary and unacceptable.

“The important thing is that the project is not acceptable. It is illegal, arbitrary, unreasonable and extremely expensive,” said Swamy, while talking to reporters here.

“They (government) also clamed in their affidavit that Rs.860 crore have already been spent and therefore we want to go ahead with the project. Well if you have spent Rs.860 crore for a project which was illegal, arbitrary and unreasonable, malafide and extraordinarily expensive then according to the Supreme Court judgments, those who cleared the project they are responsible and this amount must be taken out of their wealth,” he added.

Swamy further stated that cutting of the Ram Setu (Adam’s Bridge) for this project would be a violation of section 295 (malicious of the religious sentiments of the citizen irrespective of any class) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Sethusamudram project was started in 2005 but was suspended following the Supreme Court order and R. K. Pachauri Committee was constituted to look in to the matter.

The committee has submitted its report on Friday last week, suggesting the entire Sethusamudram project unviable on two fronts – economically as ecologically.

However, the government has rejected the Pachauri Committee report and submitted an affidavit in the Supreme Court with and intention to pursue the project cutting through the Adam’s Bridge, popularly known as Ram Setu.

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Eight Exclusive Yoga poses for Kids

Yoga is form of exercise that affects both your body and mind. In fact, some yoga asanas have the capacity to cure chronic diseases like asthma and diabetes. So making your kids do yoga from early ages might reap benefits for them later. Some yoga poses help kids in their general body growth and development too. Take the mountain pose for example. This pose of yoga helps kids correct standing posture problems.

There are some other yoga asanas that are specifically meant for kids. Yoga Poses For Kids To Try

1. Hands To Feet Pose:

Make your kid sit with their legs stretched straight in front of them. Ask them to hold their toes without bending their knees. This yoga asana is an excellent stretching exercise that helps your kids grow taller and improves their blood circulation in the body too.

2. Butterfly Pose:

Allow the child to sit on the floor mat with outstretched legs. Then fold the legs in and join the two feet facing each other.

The butterfly pose is a fun-filled asana that is a great stretching exercise for the thigh muscles.

3. Mountain Pose:

Make your child stand straight and join his/her hands over the head. This yoga pose increases kids concentration, body balance and also corrects their posture defects.

4. Cobra Pose:

Ask your kid to lie flat on the stomach and then lift the upper body by supporting his/her weight on arms. This yoga asana strengthen the spinal cord of the child and also increases flexibility. Apart from that, it helps digest food faster.

5. Swan Pose:

Yours kids would love to imitate a swan and fly away. So make the child lie flat on the belly. Fold his/her legs at the knees and let them raise their upper body by supporting the weight on the arms. Ask the child to look up towards the skies. This pose improves blood circulation in the nervous system making your child more alert.

6. Downward Facing Dog Pose:

Make the child stand on all fours like a dog and bend his/her head downwards. This yoga pose is great for role playing a dog. Apart from the fun, it improves the child’s blood circulation and also strengthens his/her limbs.

7. Triangle Pose:

You too can try this pose along with your kid. Stand with your feet apart. Place your arms up horizontally and then bend down on one side to touch your ankles. This pose of yoga helps the kid’s chest to expand and also stimulates the abdominal organs to function properly.

8. Wood Chopper Pose:

Ask the child to stand with his/her legs apart. Then they can raise their hands over their head and join palms into a ‘namaste’. This pose releases stress from your little one’s system. These are some of the best yoga poses for kids. What else have your kids tried?

Selfishness v/s. selflessness

One day I, still in my teens, was quite hungry and was about to start eating when my master said, “an old swami has come. He’s hungry and you must give him your food.” I denied. He said, “You won’t die. Give it to him. But don’t give it just because I am ordering you. Give it as an offering of love.” The swami came in. My master said, “I am so glad you have come. Will you bless this child for me?” But I said, “I don’t need your blessings. I need food. I am hungry.”

My master said, “If you loose control in this weak moment you will lose the battle of life.” I helped him wash hid feet and gave my food. Later I found that he had not eaten for four days.

He took the food and said, “God bless you! You will never feel hunger unless food comes to you. This is my blessings to you.”

There is a narrow barrier between Selfishness and selflessness, love and hatred. After crossing it one enjoys doing things for others, without seeking anything in return. This is highest of all joys, and an essential step in the path of enlightenment. A selfish man can never imagine this state of realization, for he remains within the limited boundaries built by his ego. A selfless man trains his ego and uses it for higher purposes.

 Selflessness is the common characteristic that we find among all great men and women of the world. Nothing would be achieved without selfless service.

All the rituals and knowledge of the scriptures are in vain if actions are performed without selflessness.

SOURCE : Living with the Himalayan Masters – SWAMI RAMA

Ganeshani – Female Form Of Lord Ganesh

Ganeshani Art By Sala Warin Chaichantueg

Vyaghrapada Ganeshani – Enigma Of Lord Ganesha’s Female Form:

Perhaps the most famous Ganesha temple in India is the Uchi Pillaiyar Koyil at Trichy. Uchi means “at the top”. This large temple (also known as the Rock Fort Temple) is built on a hilltop and commands a breathtaking view of the city and of the river Kaveri. Another large Ganesha temple is the Pillaiyarpatti Temple near Karaikudi in Ramanathapuram District, also in Tamil Nadu. In New Delhi there is the Siddhi Buddhi Vinayagar temple situated in Vinayanagar. The Mukkuruni Pillaiyar inside the huge Meenakshi Temple complex in Madurai, India, is also quite famous. This murti is ten to twelve feet tall. Mukkuruni refers to a large measure of rice (about forty pounds). Here the priests cook a huge modaka ball for Ganesha using this measure. Hence the name Mukkuruni Pillaiyar.

Also in Madurai, Lord Ganesha is worshiped as Vyaghrapada Ganeshani, in female form with tiger feet. Some say that this form belongs to the Rudra Ganas. We also see the description of the female form of Ganapati in the Mantra Shastras. This form is called as Vallabha Ganeshaani. This form has not gained much popularity. The Ganeshaani murti in sukhasana pose resides at Suchindram. There are two other temples in India with the female Ganesha form. One is at a tenth-century temple dedicated to sixty-four yoginis in Bheraghat, a village near Jabalpur. The other is the Tanumalaya Swami Temple in Suchindrum, Kerala. In Tibet She is worshiped as Gajanani.

Vainayaki or Ganesani, the Sakti of Vanayaka or Ganesa, is a comparatively less known goddess in Indian iconography. Even as the female energy of Vinayaka, one of the five major gods of the Hindu pantheon, her worship was not much popular in ancient India. It was probably due to the rise of the Ganapatya cult, Yogini worship and Tantricism that Vainayaki also came to be regarded as an important female deity during the early mediaeval period. Some Puranas and other scriptures mention Vainayaki in the list of the Yoginis and other goddess. Several Jaina and Buddhist literary works also enumerate interesting details about the goddess.

The well-known Chaunsatha-Yogini temples at Rikhian, Bheraghat, Hirapur and Ranipur-Jhariyal enshrine the images of Vainayaki along with other Yoginis. A few sculptures and bronzes discovered in various parts of India prove beyond doubt that she was also worshipped as a cult divinity by her devotees. Besides these, Vainayaki as a Buddhist Tantric goddess Ganapatihrdya has also been found represented in the Tantric paintings from Nepal.

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