Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Is He One Of Ours ,....


looking at me
camera in hand
said the
panch dasham
naga guru
to my naga guru
is he one of ours
replied my teacher
to his host he
is a malang
from bandra
bazar sadhus
maybe from venus
he is from mars
a beggar poet
he dresses
film stars

The Film Roll Photographer - Marc De Clercq

Made In India

Made In India ..

Maharashtra Day ..



Maharashtra Day, commonly known as Maharashtra Diwas in Marathi and Maharashtra Din in Hindi, is a state holiday in Maharashtra, India commemorating the formation of the state of Maharashtra from the division of the Bombay State on 1 May 1960. Maharashtra Day is commonly associated with parades and political speeches and ceremonies, in addition to various other public and private events celebrating the history and traditions of Maharashtra.

Background

The States Reorganisation Act, 1956 defined boundaries for the states within India on the basis of languages.[1] The Bombay State that was formed as a consequence of this act, however, was composed of different areas where different languages were spoken; Marathi, Gujarati, Kutchi and Konkani. The Samyukta Maharashtra Samiti was at the forefront of the movement to divide the Bombay State into two states; one composed of areas where people primarily spoke Gujarati and Kutchhi and the other where people primarily spoke Marathi and Konkani.[2][3]
The state of Maharashtra and Gujarat were formed as a result of this movement according to the Bombay Reorganisation Act, 1960 enacted by the Parliament of India on 25 April 1960. The act came into effect on 1 May 1960.[4]
[edit]Observance

Every year the Government of Maharashtra issues a notification declaring 1 May to be a public holiday to be celebrated as Maharashtra Day.[5]
[edit]Customs

Every year a parade is held at Shivaji Park where the Governor of Maharashtra makes a speech.
Liquor sales are prohibited on this day across Maharashtra.[6]
[edit]Unique or historical celebrations

The Golden Jubilee celebrations for Maharashtra Day were conducted on 11 May 2011 across Maharashtra.[7][

Pitru Paksha at Banganga Tank Walkeshwar



From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pitru Paksha (Sanskrit: पितृ पक्ष), also spelt as Pitr paksha or Pitri paksha, (literally "fortnight of the ancestors") is a 16–lunar day period when Hindus pay homage to their ancestors (Pitrs), especially through food offerings. The period is also known as Pitru Pakshya, Pitri Pokkho, Sola Shraddha ("sixteen shraddhas"), Kanagat, Jitiya, Mahalaya Paksha and Apara paksha.[1][2][3]
Pitru Paksha is considered by Hindus to be inauspicious, given the death rite performed during the ceremony, known as Shraddha or tarpan. In southern and western India, it falls in the Hindu lunar month of Bhadrapada (September–October), beginning with the full moon day (Purnima) that occurs immediately after the Ganesh festival and ending with the new moon day known as Sarvapitri amavasya, Mahalaya amavasya or simply Mahalaya. The autumnal equinox falls within this period, i.e. the Sun transitions from the northern to the southern hemisphere during this period. In North India and Nepal, this period corresponds to the dark fortnight of the month Ashvin, instead of Bhadrapada.


Legend

According to Hindu mythology, the souls of three preceding generations of one's ancestor reside in Pitru–loka, a realm between heaven and earth. This realm is governed by Yama, the god of death, who takes the soul of a dying man from earth to Pitru–loka. When a person of the next generation dies, the first generation shifts to heaven and unites with God, so Shraddha offerings are not given. Thus, only the three generations in Pitru–loka are given Shraddha rites, in which Yama plays a significant role.[4] According to the sacred Hindu epics (Itihasa), at the beginning of Pitru Paksha, the sun enters the zodiac sign of Libra (Thula). Coinciding with this moment, it is believed that the spirits leave Pitru–loka and reside in their descendants' homes for a month until the sun enters the next zodiac—Scorpio (Vrichchhika)—and there is a full moon. Hindus are expected to propitiate the ancestors in the first half, during the dark fortnight.[2][5]
When the legendary donor Karna died in the epic Mahabharata war, his soul transcended to heaven, where he was offered gold and jewels as food. However, Karna needed real food to eat and asked Indra, the lord of heaven, the reason for serving gold as food. Indra told Karna that he had donated gold all his life, but had never donated food to his ancestors in Shraddha. Karna said that since he was unaware of his ancestors, he never donated anything in their memory. To make amends, Karna was permitted to return to earth for a 15–day period, so that he could perform Shraddha and donate food and water in their memory. This period is now known as Pitru Paksha.[6] In some legends, Yama replaces Indra.[7]
[edit]Importance


Annadaana or giving food to the hungry is a central part of the rituals during these 16 days. On all these days, offerings are made to the departed, including those whose names or manner of death are not known. On these days tarpan, shraaddha and pinda daan are performed daily according to the procedures under the guidance of a priest. Although these rites are to be carried out daily in this fortnight, it is considered that to perform them on the last day i.e. on Mahalaya Amavasya or Sarva Pitru Amavasya is extremely important and sacred. The performance of Shraddha by a son during Pitru Paksha is regarded as a compulsory by Hindus, to ensure that the soul of the ancestor goes to heaven. In this context, the scripture Garuda Purana says, "there is no salvation for a man without a son".[4] The scriptures preach that a householder should propitiate ancestors (Pitris), along with the gods (devas), ghosts (bhutas) and guests.[1] The scripture Markandeya Purana says that if the ancestors are content with the shraddhas, they will bestow health, wealth, knowledge and longevity, and ultimately heaven and salvation (moksha) upon the performer.[2]
The performance of Sarvapitri amavasya rites can also compensate a forgotten or neglected annual shraddha ceremony, which should ideally coincide with the death anniversary of the deceased. According to Sharma, the ceremony is central to the concept of lineages. Shraddha involves oblations to three preceding generations—by reciting their names—as well as to the mythical lineage ancestor (gotra). A person thus gets to know the names of six generations (three preceding generation, his own and two succeeding generations—his sons and grandsons) in his life, reaffirming lineage ties.[1] Anthropologist Usha Menon of Drexel University presents a similar idea—that Pitru Paksha emphasises the fact that the ancestors and the current generation and their next unborn generation are connected by blood ties. The current generation repays their debt to the ancestors in the Pitru Paksha. This debt is considered of utmost importance along with a person's debt to his gurus and his parents.[8]
[edit]Rules of Shraddha


When and Where
The shraddha is performed on the specific lunar day during the Pitru Paksha, when the ancestor—usually a parent or paternal grandparent—died. There are exceptions to the lunar day rule; special days are allotted for people who died in a particular manner or had a certain status in life. Chautha Bharani and Bharani Panchami, the fourth and fifth lunar day respectively, are allocated for people deceased in the past year. Avidhava navami ("Unwidowed ninth"), the ninth lunar day, is for married women who died before their husband. Widowers invite Brahmin women as guests for their wife's shraddha. The twelfth lunar day is for children and ascetics who had renounced the worldly pleasures. The fourteenth day is known as Ghata chaturdashi or Ghayala chaturdashi, and is reserved for those people killed by arms, in war or suffered a violent death.[2][4]


Mahalaya marks the formal beginning of the Durga Puja festival
Sarvapitri amavasya ("all fathers' new moon day") is intended for all ancestors, irrespective of the lunar day they died. It is the most important day of the Pitru Paksha.[2][4] Those who have forgotten to perform shraddha can do so on this day. A shraddha ritual performed on this day is considered as fruitful as one conducted in the holy city of Gaya, which is seen as a special place to perform the rite, and hosts a fair during the Pitru Paksha period.[3] In Bengal, Mahalaya (Bengali: মহালয়া) marks the beginning of Durga Puja festivities. Mahalaya is the day when the goddess Durga is believed to have descended to Earth. Bengali people traditionally wake up early in the morning on Mahalaya to recite hymns from the Devi Mahatmyam (Chandi) scripture. Offerings to the ancestors are made in homes and at puja mandaps (temporary shrines).[9][10] Matamaha ("Mother's father") or Dauhitra ("Daughter's son") also marks the first day of the month of Ashvin and beginning of the bright fortnight. It is assigned for the grandson of the deceased maternal grandfather.[2][4]
The ritual is also held on the death anniversary of the ancestor. The shraddha is performed only at noon, usually on the bank of a river or lake or at one's own house.[4] Families may also make a pilgrimage to places like Varanasi and Gaya to perform Shraddha.[2][3][11]
[edit]Who and for whom
It is essential that Shraddha is performed by the son—usually the eldest—or male relative of the paternal branch of the family, limited to the preceding three generations. However, on Sarvapitri amavasya or matamaha, the daughter's son can offer Shraddha for the maternal side of his family if a male heir is absent in his mother's family.[2][4] Some castes only perform the shraddha for one generation.[2] Prior to performing the rite, the male should have experienced a sacred thread ceremony. Since the ceremony is considered inauspicious due to its association with death, the royal family of Kutch, the king or heirs of the throne are prohibited from conducting Shraddha.[4]
[edit]Food
The food offerings made to the ancestors are usually cooked in silver or copper vessels and typically placed on a banana leaf or cups made of dried leaves. The food must include Kheer (a type of sweet rice and milk), lapsi (a sweet porridge made of wheat grains), rice, dal (lentils), the vegetable of spring bean (guar) and a yellow gourd (pumpkin).[4]
[edit]Rites of Shraddha


Pinda Daan is being done at the Jagannath Ghat, Kolkata, at end of the Pitru Paksha.
The male who performs the shraddha should take a purifying bath beforehand and is expected to wear a dhoti. He wears a ring of kush grass. Then the ancestors are invoked to reside in the ring. The shraddha is usually performed bare-chested, as the position of the sacred thread worn by him needs to be changed multiple times during the ceremony. The shraddha involves pinda-daan, which is an offering to the ancestors of pindas (cooked rice and barley flour balls mixed with ghee and black sesame seeds), accompanying the release of water from the hand. It is followed by the worship of Vishnu in form of the darbha grass, a gold image or Shaligram stone and Yama. The food offering is then made, cooked especially for the ceremony on the roof. The offering is considered to be accepted if a crow arrives and devours the food; the bird is believed to be a messenger from Yama or the spirit of the ancestors.[2] A cow and a dog are also fed, and Brahmin priests are also offered food. Once the ancestors (crow) and Brahmins have eaten, the family members can begin lunch.[4]
[edit]Other practices

Some families also conduct ritual recitals of scriptures such the Bhagavata Purana and the Bhagavad Gita.[4][12] Others may be charitable and present gifts to the priests or pay them to recite prayers for the ancestor's well-being.[12]


en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitru_Paksha

“MAHARASHTRA DINACHA HARDIK SUBHECHA.”

Our Backyard .. And Heritage Shot By Marziya Shakir 5 Year Old

Bazar Road Garbage Queen Of Bandra - Shot By Nerjis Asif Shakir 18 Month Old

Bandra Bazar Road Misses Mr Sunil Dutt Who Loved The Gaothans

230,528 items / 1,937,513 views

Late Mr Sunil Dutt each time he won the elections would come hand folded to thank the residents of the fishing villages known as Gaothan.. Bandra Bazar Road Chimbai Chapel Road Waroda Road Chium , and other sea facing areas with sparsely populated East Indians... most who lost their properties cheated conned and moved away to distant suburbs.


Late Mr Sunil Dutt did not play the religion card he touched everyone, cycling his way into their lanes , bylanes backyards of Bazar Road into their hearts .. this rural Bandra that was once paddy fields up to Pali Hill.


But after his sad demise Bandra Bazar road , the gaothans have gone to the dogs, old bungalows turned into monstrous concrete edifice, cheated by the politician small time builder nexus , through repair permission , channel erected houses , top floors mostly illegal in some cases..aided in this corrupt activity by allegedly municipal apathy and a Nelsons eye ... to anything illegal.. only the removal of CRZ might in some way help proper planning and method infrastructure to future makeover of Bandra Bazar Road .. the other side of Midnight .. the garbage Queen of Bandra West.

Even those politicians big shots who live at Bandra Bazar Road build their dreams of the people but never really cared for Bandra Bazar Road.

Those who got elected , come here during Independence day post a smile hoist the tiranga for Bandra local newspapers and than rush away in their glitzy cars .. they will come again when election time draws near.. provided they get the ticket or fight as Independent candidates ..ghost supported by other parties ..trying to cut in to another candidates winning streak or success .. call it what you may, I am a blogger not a scribe..

Shoddy repairs to the pock marked road of Bandra Bazar , open garbage open gutters is the fate of the road that hides behind the Bandra Reclamation leading to Rajiv Gandhi Bandra Worli sea link.

At the Lucky hotel end and JJ Colony the mess is sever as the poor Muslim , takes everything in his stride.. without complaining.

Further ahead of Bandra Bazar road , the eponymous Nargis Dutt Slums must be making Nargis ji writhe in her grave , adding her illustrious name to this area is the most unpardonable sin of our times .

The slum kids running around , illegal proliferation of more slums apathy and dispassionate survival of the homeless.

I have shot Bandra Bazar road times upheavals change but have now give up shooting all this circle of confusion... now my two grand daughter Marziya Shakir 5 Year old and Nerjis Asif Shakir 21 month old document Bandra Bazar Road .. the beggars the winding lanes of woe and despair.

Kisi badi khushi ke intezaar mein … hum yeh chote chote khushiyoon ke mauke kho dete hain - Bawarchi

Tamatar Jaise Gal Hai Unke

Mr Yusuf Lakdawala My Patron - a Great Human Being

Mr Yusuf Lakdawala My Patron - a Great Human Being

One Person Who Loved Marziya The Most Was Jeff Lamb Ann Arbor

210,035 items / 1,734,850 views


Late Jeff Lamb Flickr photographer dear friend , was a person who loved Marziyas pictures her photography skills , and he would send me messages , we kept in touch , he was a fighter he fought all odds but Death did not scare him or bother him , his pictures were his strength , and though I never met him it seemed he was connected to me from some distant cosmic past..

And this picture of Marziya Shakir my grand daughter and Lucky the neigbors Labrador is my tribute to our everlasting friendship.

The Internet gave me some fabulous friends , and the one regret I have leaving Facebook , was not informing my friends I was shutting my account , I miss Leyla Lamb , Jeffs wife and so many who I know wont come to Google





www.flickr.com/people/fej/

jeff lamb counts you as family.

Good Friday

Naga Sadhus Shahi Snan Maha Kumbh

Naga Sadhus Shahi Snan Maha Kumbh

Swami Avdeshananadji Shahi Snan Maha Kumbh

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