Tuesday, November 15, 2011

ISKCON - International Society for Krishna Consciousness

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), known colloquially as the Hare Krishna movement, is a Gaudiya Vaishnava religious organization.[1] It was founded in 1966 in New York City by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.[2] Its core beliefs are based on traditional Hindu scriptures such as the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam and the Bhagavad-gītā,[3] both of which, according to the traditional Hindu view, date back more than 5,000 years. The distinctive appearance of the movement and its culture come from the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition, which has had adherents in India since the late 15th century and Western converts since the early 1930s.[4]
Krishna and Radha with Gopis, image at ISKCON Mayapur temple
ISKCON's Bhajan during Navratri Golu at Coimbatore, India

ISKCON was formed to spread the practice of bhakti yoga, in which aspirant devotees (bhaktas) dedicate their thoughts and actions towards pleasing the Supreme Lord, Krishna.[5][6] ISKCON today is a worldwide confederation of more than 400 centers, including 60 farm communities, some aiming for self-sufficiency, 50 schools and 90 restaurants.[7] In recent decades the movement's most rapid expansions in terms of numbers of membership have been within Eastern Europe (especially since the collapse of the Soviet Union) and India.[8]

ISKCON devotees follow a disciplic line of Gaudiya Bhagavata Vaishnavas and are the largest branch of Gaudiya Vaishnavism.[9] Vaishnavism means 'worship of Vishnu', and Gauḍa refers to the area where this particular branch of Vaishnavism originated, in the Gauda region of West Bengal. Gaudiya Vaishnavism has had a following in India, especially West Bengal and Orissa, for the past five hundred years. A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada disseminated Gaudiya Vaishnava Theology in the Western world through extensive writings and translations,[10] including the Bhagavad Gita, Srimad Bhagavatam (Bhagavata Purana), Chaitanya Charitamrita and other scriptures. These works are now available in more than seventy languages and serve as the canon of ISKCON. Many are available online from a number of websites.[11][12]

Early western conversions to monotheistic Krishna Vaisnavism or the Bhagavata Vaishnava line which forms the basis of the ISKCON philosophy were recorded by the Greeks and are reflected in the archaeological record.[13][14]

Krishna is described as the source of all the avatars.[15] Thus ISKCON devotees worship Krishna as the highest form of God, svayam bhagavan, and often refer to Him as "the Supreme Personality of Godhead" in writing, which was a phrase coined by Prabhupada in his books on the subject. To devotees, Radha represents Krishna's divine female counterpart, the original spiritual potency, and the embodiment of divine love. The individual soul is an eternal personal identity which does not ultimately merge into any formless light or void as suggested by the monistic (Advaita) schools of Hinduism; Prabhupada never declared ISKCON to be a Hindu organisation, because he considered it to be a 'material designation', not an appropriate name. Prabhupada most frequently offers Sanatana-dharma and Varnashrama dharma as more accurate names for the religious system which accepts Vedic authority.[16] It is a monotheistic tradition which has its roots in the theistic Vedanta traditions.[17]

Hare Krishna mantra
Main article: Hare Krishna (mantra)

The popular nickname of "Hare Krishnas" for devotees of this movement comes from the mantra that devotees sing aloud (kirtan) or chant quietly (japa) on tulsi mala. This mantra, known also as the Maha Mantra, contains the names of God Krishna and Rama.

The Maha Mantra:

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare

Seven purposes of ISKCON
Public street festivals are a significant part of ISKCONs outreach programmes. Seen here is a Ratha Yatra festival in central London.

When Srila Prabhupada first incorporated ISKCON in 1966, he gave it seven purposes:[18]

To systematically propagate spiritual knowledge to society at large and to educate all people in the techniques of spiritual life in order to check the imbalance of values in life and to achieve real unity and peace in the world.
To propagate a consciousness of Krishna, as it is revealed in the Bhagavad-gita and the Srimad-Bhagavatam.
To bring the members of the Society together with each other and nearer to Krishna, the prime entity, thus to develop the idea within the members, and humanity at large, that each soul is part and parcel of the quality of Godhead (Krishna).
To teach and encourage the sankirtana movement, congregational chanting of the holy names of God as revealed in the teachings of Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
To erect for the members, and for society at large, a holy place of transcendental pastimes, dedicated to the personality of Krishna.
To bring the members closer together for the purpose of teaching a simpler and more natural way of life.
With a view towards achieving the aforementioned purposes, to publish and distribute periodicals, magazines, books and other writings.

[edit] Four regulative principles

Srila Prabhupada prescribed four regulative principles, in relation to the four legs of dharma,[19] as the basis of the spiritual life:

No eating of meat, fish or eggs (lacto-vegetarianism)
No illicit sex
No gambling
No intoxication (including alcohol, caffeine, tobacco and other recreational drugs).

The four legs of Dharma are:[19]

Daya: Mercy
Tapas: Self-Control or Austerity
Satyam: Truthfulness
Śaucam: Cleanliness of body and mind

[edit] Preaching activities

ISKCON is known for their energetic active preaching. Members try to spread Krishna consciousness, primarily by singing the Hare Krishna mantra in public places and by selling books written by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.[20] Both of these activities are known within the movement as Sankirtan. A study conducted by E. Burke Rochford Jr. at the University of California found that there are four types of contact between those in ISKCON and prospective members. Those include: individually motivated contact, contact made with members in public arenas, contact made through personal connections, and contact with sympathizers of the movement who strongly sway people to join.[21] According to the doctrine of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, one does not need to be born in a Hindu family to take up the practice of Vaishnavism. There are ISKCON communities around the world with schools, restaurants and farms. In general, funds collected by ISKCON are treated as communal property and used to support the community as a whole and to promote the preaching mission.[22] Many temples also have programs (like Food for Life) to provide meals for the needy. Also, ISKCON has recently brought the academic study of Krishna into western academia as Krishnology.
[edit] Food for Life
Main article: Hare Krishna Food for Life

ISKCON has inspired, and sometimes sponsored, a project called Food for Life. The goal of the project is to "liberally distribute pure vegetarian meals (prasadam) throughout the world", as inspired by Prabhupada's instruction, given to his disciples in 1973, "No one within ten miles of a temple should go hungry . . . I want you to immediately begin serving food".[23] A global charity, directed by Paul Turner and Mukunda Goswami,[24] coordinates the project. Food for Life is currently active in over sixty countries and serves over 700,000 meals every day.[24] Its welfare achievements have been noted by The New York Times and other media worldwide.[25][26][27][28]
[edit] Management structure

Srila Prabhupada spent much of the last decade of his life setting up the institution of ISKCON. As a charismatic leader, Srila Prabhupada's personality and management had been responsible for much of the growth of ISKCON and the reach of his mission.[29][30]

The Governing Body Commission (or GBC) was created by Prabhupada in 1970.[31] In a document Direction of Management written on 28 July 1970 Prabhupada appointed the following members to the commission, all of them non sannyasi:[29]

Sriman Rupanuga Das Adhikary
Sriman Bhagavan Das Adhikary
Sriman Syamsundar Das Adhikary
Sriman Satsvarupa Das Adhikary
Sriman Karandhar Das Adhikary
Sriman Hansadutta Das Adhikary
Sriman Tamala Krsna Das Adhikary
Sriman Sudama Das Adhikary
Sriman Bali Mardan Das Brahmacary
Sriman Jagadisa Das Adhikary
Sriman Hayagriva Das Adhikary
Sriman Kṛṣṇadas Adhikary

The letter outlined the following purposes of the commission: 1) improving the standard of temple management, 2) the spread of Krishna consciousness, 3) the distribution of books and literature, 4) the opening of new centers, 5) the education of the devotees. GBC has since grown in size to include 48 senior members from the movement who make decisions based on consensus of opinion rather than any one person having ultimate authority.[29][32] It has continued to manage affairs since Prabhupada's passing in 1977 although it is currently a self-elected organization and does not follow the provision where Srila Prabhupada instructs that members be elected by temple presidents.
[edit] Influential leaders since 1977

See also: Principle disciples of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami.

Before his death, Prabhupada "deputed"[33] or appointed the following eleven of his disciples to serve as gurus[34][35] or to continue to direct the organization:[36] Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami,[37][38] Jayapataka Swami,[39] Hridayananda Dasa Goswami, Tamal Krishna Goswami,[40] Bhavananda Goswami, Hansadutta Swami, Ramesvara Swami, Harikesa Swami, Bhagavan Dasa, Kirtanananda Swami, and Jayatirtha Dasa. These eleven "Western Gurus were selected as spiritual heads" of the ISKCON after 1977, however "many problems followed from their appointment and the movement had since veered away from investing absolute authority in a few, fallible, human teachers",[41] however of these eleven, the first three have remained prominent leaders within the movement, as was Tamal Krishna Goswami until his death in a car accident in March 2002. Bhavananda no longer holds the post of an initiating guru. Ramesvara, Bhagavan and Harikesa resigned as spiritual leaders in 1985, 1987 and 1999 respectively and the remaining three were all expelled from the movement by the Governing Body Commission during the 1980s.[42][not in citation given] Of Prabhupada's disciples, who number 4,734 in total,[43] approximately 70 are now acting as diksha gurus within ISKCON. As of April 2011, ISKCON had a total of 100 sannyasis, most of whom were acting as gurus (see List of International Society for Krishna Consciousness sannyasis).
[edit] Internal problems and controversy

In the years following Prabhupada's death in November 1977, a number of theological controversies arose:[44]
[edit] Origin of the soul

Srila Prabhupada explains that the soul falls from the spiritual world to this material world and that the supreme objective of the human life is to become Krishna conscious to be able to return "Back to Godhead" (also the title of the official ISKCON magazine). However when translations of important Vaishnava texts began to appear that seemed at variance with these teachings[clarification needed], controversy arose.[44][45]
[edit] Rasika-bhakti

The elder sannyasi Bhaktivedanta Narayana Goswami was a disciple of Prabhupada's sannyasa guru and was long a well-wisher of ISKCON. A small group of prominent ISKCON leaders were closer to his association and Bhaktivedanta Narayana made no effort to conceal his relationship with them, which as time went on became increasingly intimate. His emphasis on gopi-bhava, the mood of Krishna's cowherd lovers, particularly disturbed his ISKCON audiences since Prabhupada had stressed that the path of spontaneous devotion was only for liberated souls. At the annual GBC meeting in 1993, members questioned their affiliation with Bhaktivedanta Narayana. Those involved minimised the seriousness of the relationship, though for some it had been going on for as long as five years. By the next annual meeting, the GBC forced the involved members to promise to greatly restrict further association with their new teacher. Though adhering externally, their sympathies for Bhaktivedanta Narayana's teachings were unabated. In 1995 GBC position was firm and the controversy was first on the 1995 annual meeting's agenda. A week of thorough investigation brought the implicated members in line. Asked to suggest what they might do to make amends, the leaders involved with the controversy tendered their resignations, which the GBC promptly refused. They further volunteered to refrain from initiating new disciples or visiting Vrindavana until their case could be reassessed the following year and at the March 1996 meeting GBC insisted on maintaining most of the restrictions.[44]

While the capitulation of the GBC members previously following Bhaktivedanta Narayana has certainly demonstrated GBC solidarity it was insufficient to prevent a continued exodus of devotees who feel unable to repose full faith in the ISKCON Governing Body Commission authority.[44]
[edit] The Guru and the Parampara

ISKCON adheres to the traditional system of paramparā, or disciplic succession, in which teachings upheld by scriptures are handed down from master to disciple, generation after generation.[46] A minority of people who express faith in Srila Prabhupada's teachings say that Srila Prabhupada, in contrast to the tradition, intended that after his physical demise he would continue to initiate disciples through ceremonial priests, called ritviks. One version of this idea is espoused by a group calling itself the ISKCON Revival Movement.[47] ISKCON's Governing Body Commission has rejected all such ideas. [48]
[edit] Issues within the society

ISKCON also experienced a number of significant internal problems, the majority of which occurred from the late seventies onwards, and especially within the decade following Prabhupada's death.[49]

In 1976 a case involving allegations of "brainwashing" involving a minor named Robin George and her parents went all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States. In 1983, a California jury awarded the family more than $32 million in damages for false imprisonment and other charges, which was reduced to $485,000 in 1993.[50][51]

Also ISKCON has been subject matter of discussion in some anti-cult movements.[52][53][54] The ISKCON was described by academics[vague] as "the most genuinely Hindu of all the many Indian movements in the West",[55] and as to its fortieth anniversary in America, as "having being successful on the basis of longevity", having "undergone changes to its goals and identity".[56]

Stories of child abuse at the society's boarding schools in India and America began to emerge in the 1980s, with cases dating back from the mid-1970s onwards.[57] Some of these cases later appeared in print, such as in John Hubner and Lindsay Gruson's 1988 book Monkey on a Stick. In 1998 an official publication produced by ISKCON detailed the physical, emotional, and sexual abuse of children at the society's boarding schools in both India and the U.S. during the 1970s and 1980s.[58] Later ISKCON was sued by 95 people who had attended the schools. Facing the fiscal drain likely to ensue from this legal action, the ISKCON centers involved declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy. This allowed them to work out a settlement of US$9.5 million, meant to compensate not only the former students who had brought the suit but also any others who had undergone abuse but had not sued.[59]

To guard against further abuses, ISKCON has established a child protection office with teams worldwide, meant to screen out actual or potential abusers, educate children and adults on child abuse, and encourage due vigilance.[60] A petition circulating (as of July 2006) among ISKCON members calls for "zero tolerance" for past offenders.

In response to the need to establish transparency and accountability among its members, ISKCON encouraged the establishment of an ombudsman organization, ISKCON Resolve.[61]

There have been also allegations in relation to murders and fraud linked to the ISKCON movement, with ex-member and guru Kirtanananda Swami convicted.[62]
[edit] Rath Yatra controversy
An ISKCON Rath Yatra festival in New York City, USA

ISKCON organises Rath Yatra festivals in different countries around the world, including India. Although held once annually in each location, these festivals occur on different dates throughout the summertime, which is marked difference from the Rath Yatra as held at the Jagannatha temple in Puri (where the festival originates). At this temple, the Rath Yatra festival is held once each year on a specific date in July, and complaints have recently been made regarding ISKCON's having their international festivals at significantly different times to this.[63]

On December 20, 2007 the Puri priests held a demonstration alleging "a number of non-Hindus foreigners under the cover of ISKCON were trying to enter the temple", which is not allowed by that temple's tradition (only Hindus, whether Indian or foreigners are traditionally allowed in that temple).[64] In two incidents, the priests drove out nine Indonesian men who were allegedly tourists with no link to Hindu beliefs. The validity of this temple policy has been questioned in the media on a number of occasions,[65] especially since this ban was imposed by a British collector in 1805.[66]
[edit] In popular culture
Main article: Hare Krishna in popular culture

The Hare Krishna mantra appears in a number of famous songs, notably those sung by The Beatles (and solo works of John Lennon, George Harrison, notably on his hit "My Sweet Lord", and Ringo Starr). There is a reference to singing kirtan of Hare Krishna mantra in The Beatles' "I Am The Walrus" (the line "Elementary penguins singing Hare Krishna"). Ringo Starr's song "It Don't Come Easy" contains the words "Hare Krishna!" and was written with the help of George Harrison. Later Paul McCartney produced a single with a picture of Krishna riding on a swan on the cover, although there was not any chanting of Krishna's names inside. Of the four Beatles members, only Harrison was actually a member of ISKCON, and after he posthumously received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2009, his son Dhani Harrison uttered the phrase "Hare Krishna" during the ceremony.[67]

In one of Aerosmith's songs off of their 1997 album, Nine Lives, whose original cover caused some controversy with Hindus, a line in the song, 'The Farm', says, "I wanna be a Hare Krishna, tattoo a dot right on my head, and the prozac is my fixer, I am the living dead". The mantra also appears in The Pretenders' Boots of Chinese Plastic.[68] One song from 1969 by the Radha Krsna Temple, simply entitled Hare Krsna Mantra reached no. 12 in the UK music chart and appeared on the music show Top of the Pops. It also made the no.1 slot in both German and Czechoslovakian music charts. Less well-known but equally relevant to fans of pop music culture are recordings of the Hare Krishna mantra by The Fugs on their 1968 album Tenderness Junction (featuring poet Allen Ginsberg) and by Nina Hagen.[69]

The 1980 film Airplane! features several Hare Krishnas, led by the infamous actor David Leisure (Joe Isuzu). In the 1978 movie Dawn of the Dead, a Hare Krishna zombie can be seen. In the 1981 movie Stripes, the character of Russell Ziskey played by Harold Ramis is seen dancing around and chanting 'Hare Krishna! Hare Krishna!' after having his head shaved upon entering basic training for the U.S. Army. Also, in the 2001 television series Scrubs, the character JD is seen dancing, chanting and playing the tambourine with a group of Hare Krishnas after having his head shaved to support a patient with Leukaemia.

Dev Anand in 1971 directed movie "Hare Rama Hare Krishna". Although the movie talked about the hippie culture, the movie has a famous song based on the words "Hare Rama Hare Krishna".
[edit] Notes

Aj Hamara Imam Ham Se Juda Ho Gaya

Sar Shae Mazloom ka Tan Se Juda Hogaya

ay karbala walon khudahafiz

khudahafiz hai ruqsat ki ghadi
ay karbala walon khudahafiz
salaame aakhri ay karbala walon khudahafiz

na hum se ho saka kuch bhi ada haq mezbani ka
hai ye sharmindagi
ay karbala walon khudahafiz

tumhare saath zehra bhi yahan tashreef laayi thi
ye izzat bhi mili
ay karbala walon khudahafiz

hamare ghar ki raunaq bhi tumhare saath jaati hai
udaasi cha gayi
ay karbala walon khudahafiz

tumhare gham may rote rote mar jaate to acha tha
ye hasrat reh gayi
ay karbala walon khudahafiz

kisi soorat behelta hi nahi dil kaise behlaye
ajab hai bekali
ay karbala walon khudahafiz

phir aglay saal hum yuhin safe matam bichayenge
rahi gar zindagi
ay karbala walon khudahafiz

sachey bhai

Hai Karbala Walon Wai Karbala Walon

Haq Ke Parcham Ki Kasam Shae Ke Matam Ki Kasam

Ham Hain Zehra Ki Dua Pad Ke Dekho To Zara

Taziadar Hain Ham Shae Ke Ghamkar Hain Ham

Humse Mut Puchiye Maulah Ke Azadar Hain Ham Shae Ke Ghamkar Hain Ham

Sar Pe Sajde Ke Nishan Seene Pe Matam Ke Nishan

Kulo yomin Ashura kulo ardhin Karbala

Sometimes I Wonder What Is My Purpose In LIfe

married
three kids
grand children
a single wife
a shia hindu
beyond
sectarian strife
who cuts his head
each moharam
with a bleeding knife
showcasing the
angst of the hijras
the naga sadhus rafaees
malangs in overdrive 
lost worlds i try
to revive in a world
of hate i find
it hard to survive
i cannot shoot sunsets
landscapes macro
or African wild life
blogging my way
into darkness
a candle as night life

Behind every great man....lies the Androgynous Soul of Another Man



I sent a message to Flickr moderators Flickr moral Police ,a simple letter envisaging my pain as a poet as blogger and as a human being.

As a photographer I moderate my pictures according to Flickr guidelines terms and regulation , my account is marked safe.. I dont shoot or showcase porn I shoot hijra tits only to show you that hijras too can grow fruits on a barren tree .. I have had hijra stripping in front  of me to shoot them raw I simply politely refused their request.. shooting nudes human body form creatively as study of Fine Art cannot be a crime if is done aesthetically but I have never ventured that far.

My late Guru shot nudes but I did not participate he shot some of the best nudes , I kept away from this genre of photography.

I shoot Naga Sadhus during the Kumbh, I  shot my Naga Guru Shri Vijay Giri Maharaj but my pictures of the ling kriya and the entire Naga Sadhu set is moderated by Flickr Moral Police for showing frontal nudity , and it shocks me , Naga Sadhus dont titillate , it is culture and their way of chosen life.

I have lived with the Naga Sadhus perhaps the only Muslim who begged with them at the Kumbh ate left overs to be a part of them , and thus paved my way of gaining their trust to shoot pictures .. the ling kriya and the night before the Shahi Snan.

As a circumcised Muslim I could not be like them though I had the trust of my Guru who considers me his own , I am his disciple and I promote Hinduism as the inheritance of my Birth , it does not dent my belief as a Shia Muslim.. I give respect I get respect.. from all of you too.

So this unnecessary censorship really aggravates me , this picture cannot be viewed by public Why?  What is wrong I dont know..is it the title ..Behind every great man....lies the Androgynous Soul of Another Man I dont think so...The cross dresser behind me is a Muslim he wanted to be treated as a Woman he made his choice he performs on stage he made money for his family bought a house a shop but he does not want to be a Hijra .. and I documented his angst, he along with Ritu Hijra came home dressed as men to meet my wife daughter , and were surprised that they were shown the same respect as we show to our guests.. Hospitality is the fundamental birthright of the Indian.

I have promoted my Flickr blogs I refuse to call them pictures all over cyberspace , be it Facebook an account I have deleted , or Google+ that is my new samovar on the net .

I have 20000+visitors to my Flickr photostream every day I say this in humility and I blog everyday, I link my Flickr blogs at Indiblogger forum to on Indi Vine..

I am a member at Flickr since June 2007..

I taught my 3 year old grand daughter photography so that she too will be a blogger one day showcase Gods world , the world beyond sunsets , mountains insects the world infested by human beings who are treated worse than insects ..

So I have requested Flickr moderators to review my moderated pictures in a new light and not to be regressive like people living in a monolithic age ..

http://www.flickr.com/photos/firozeshakir/2735014091/in/photostream/

Some Hijras Find Bloggers Human Too

bloggers like me
who shoot hijra pictures
but hijras they dont screw
through a poetry of pain
give the hijra his due
neither man nor woman
just a wee bit human
it is true hijra
a racist
biased society
as untouchables
it slew as the hijra
pain on my poets soul
grew why i shoot hijras
i still have no clue
what god could not create
man created the hijra
from his blood flesh sinew
from the inner soul
of my camera as blogs
their painful life
you can view
the hijra waits one day
a messiah will come
release them from
their pain rescue

Heena Hijra The Sultry Siren

124,635 items / 877,431 views

domesticated
like a pigeon
locked in
a wired pen
a life
of hijra pain
intense
makes
no sense
the future
bleak bare
dark and dense
captured
by my
camera lens
the first time
i came to
peela houese
the hijra whore
house den
a long time then
heena the hybrid
wild orchid
pursued
by all men
for her love
for her friendship
her zeal and zen
pillow talk
all the way
to heaven
amen
embedded
as ecstasy
joy zenitude
as they come
again and again
for a sequence
lighting a fire
that even time
cant extinguish
is her defense
adding
to her
mysteriousness
her mystique
sensuality
suspense
heena hijra
who lies
as unfulfilled
dream
beyond
a barricaded
fence

to love or not to love
says my poets soul
of heena the sultry siren

FACEBOOKED

the world
online is a
satta bazar
a shop window
where human
values 'human dignity
is put up for sale
be it a hijda
homosexual lesbian
male or female
each one has a tag
on his tail
every person
living a fake life
behind
a thumbnail
dressed up
in finery
or minimalistic
each covering
his true identity
under a veil
the internet
a fraudulent
community
large scale
locked up
pent up frustrations
in a cybernetic jail
once sold at a loss
bought back
on a profit
ready for resale
facebook
a book
with a billion
false faces
minus detail

Heena Hijra The Queen of Hearts

124,636 items / 877,488 views

no woman can compete her, as shes most gorgeous of them all

now i believe that even god makes mistakes......
she should have been a beautiful lady enjoying the world of femininity ........nevertheless she's one of the most seductive woman i have ever seen....


braving all odds
a crest of hope
she rides
once
kidnapped by
a mafia don
she refused
to be his bride
she stuck
to her guns
courageously
she
out smarted him
free as a bird
in flight
well known
famous
hijra celebrity
in her own right
heena queen
of hearts
queen of night
a blossom
in spectral light
she is generous
she is kind
she is a poetic
delight
for the rights
of the hijras
the peela house whores
she puts up a fight
even those
who take her
for granted
die of fright
during ramazan
she fasts
reads the
scriptures
avoids
commerce
for iftar
all the poor
she invites
a believer
of khawajah
gharib nawaz
heena hijra
always
in the lime light
biologically born male
but a woman
like reality
her woman's angst
her inherited
birth right
she has it
she flaunts it
she is extremely
polite my muse
my inspiration
heena hijra
queen of the hijras
on my homesite
a barefeet blogger
a street photographer
a pedestrian poet
also a shiite


I have shot the most beautiful hijras in the world ..raveena khushi naina balan megha simran puja but heena who works in the red light area has been my muse, her raw beauty her humility her humanness is what I showcase to the world..did god make mistake in making her a man..she rectified the error..yet paying tribute to god every ramzan ..as a devout Muslim..she fasts .. follows the tenets and yes hijras are endearingly human..

Google+Page


CREATING, USING & PROMOTING GOOGLE+ PAGES PROPERLY
(The Ultimate Tutorial - updated) by Gabriel Vasile



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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Things you need to know about Google+ Pages
2. How To Create a Google+ Page
3. Customizing a Google+ Page
4. Sharing as a Google+ Page
5. Promoting your Google+ Page
6. Targeting your audience with your Google+ Page
7. Using hangouts for your Google+ Page
8. Optimizing your Google+ page for SEO
9. Measuring statistics for your Google+ Page
10. Cool examples of Google+ pages.


I. THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GOOGLE+ PAGES

Pages can be made for a variety of different entities whereas profiles can only be made for people.
Businesses can have multiple pages, so your product manager, for example, could run a Google+ Page just for his or her product line, while someone else runs the corporate brand. You could also do pages for particular events, though right now, there’s no event-specific type of support
For smaller companies and brands, there is no verification process that certifies your Google+ Page as yours currently. However, when you verify your email that you added in the contact info, it will show you a small verification badge in the contact info section proving that you are the owner of that email.
Pages can’t add people to circles until the page is added first or mentioned.
Google+ Pages automatically unfollow the users that unfollowed the page.
The default privacy setting for elements on your page profile is public.
Pages have the +1 button.
Pages can’t +1 other pages, nor can they +1 stuff on the Web.
Pages can’t play games.
Pages don’t have the option to share to ‘Extended circles’.
Pages don’t receive notifications via email, text, or in the Google bar.
Pages can’t hangout on a mobile device.
Local pages have special fields that help people find the business’ physical location.

II. HOW TO CREATE A GOOGLE+ PAGE

1. Choose an Accessible Gmail Account (optional)
Set up a new gmail account to make it accessible to multiple members of your marketing team (because multiple admins and ownership transfer are not supported yet, however the Google+ team said they're working on it)

2. Click Create a page or go to plus.google.com/pages/create

3. Pick a categoryur business fits into. The categories are as follows:
Local Business or Place
Suitable for: hotels, restaurants, places, stores, services. Requires the primary phone number of the local business, so it can be located on Google Places.
Local businesses get special listings, and it all starts after you choose the “Local” option by entering a phone number.

Product or Brand
Suitable for: apparel, cars, electronics, financial services

Company, Institution or Organization
Suitable for: companies, institutions, organizations, non-profits

Arts, Entertainments or Sports
Suitable for: films, TV, music, books, sports, shows

Other
Suitable if your business doesn't fit into another category

4. Add Info
Next step is entering your business name and website. After this, you have to select an additional category that suits your business. These sub-categories are dependent on the main category you choose.

For example, for "product or brand" you can choose from the likes of food and drink, arts and entertainment, fashion and beauty, home and garden, etc.

You then need to select who can view your Google+ profile. The default is any Google user, or you can restrict this to 18 and older or 21 and older.

5. Tagline and Photo
You have 10 words to summarize your business in the tagline. After you've done this, you can add an image.

6. Get the Word Out
In the next step Google offers you the ability to tell your personal Google+ circles about your new business page. However, you will not do this right now.

Customize your page even further and start sharing a few updates before you begin telling the world about it. Promoting a blank page isn't a great way to convince people that your Page is valuable enough to add to their Circles. So invest some time into optimizing your page and sharing a few links to valuable content before you start promoting it to the masses.

III. CUSTOMIZING A GOOGLE+ PAGE

To go from your personal profile to one of your page, click on the small down arrow under your name.

Edit your page profile by adding an ‘introduction’, contact info and website. To do this simply click on the blue ‘edit profile’ button.

Your bio allows you to put in your entire service offering. Make it count. It even has a full rich text editor so you can bold, underline and italicize your text, input hyperlinks, bulleting and numbers.

Add Scrapbook Photos. To add images to create a ‘photostrip’ effect, click on the blue ‘edit profile’ button and then click ‘Add some photos here’. See how to make the photostrip effect here: www.siliconbeachtraining.co.uk/blog/how-to-customise-your...

If you want to show geo location information in newly uploaded albums and photos, be sure to check the box under the ‘Photo’s’ tab when editing your page.

Set up a short URL or redirect of some kind that’s memorable. For example for my +Creative Web Design page, I will create www.creativewebdesign.ro/+. That will be easier for everybody to share.

IV. SHARING AS A GOOGLE+ PAGE

Make sure you pre-populate your page with content before announcing it to your fans on other networks. That way, they’re more likely to add you to their Google+ Circles when they get to your page.

You can do many of the same things that a personal account can do, including: share photos, share videos, share links, conduct hangouts.

There are currently 2 calls to action for your potential followers, have them ‘circle’ you (or add your brand page to their circles) and +1 your page.

It doesn’t appear that there’s any support for automatically posting to a page. That’s likely to come as part of a future Google+ API release. Google gave no further update on when this is coming.

Unlike Facebook, Google+ Pages is a little more forgiving if you make a typo in a post or suddenly decide you don’t want people to leave comments or share with others – you can edit the post or change that setting AFTER you’ve posted.

Regularly share fresh content, react and respond to your fans, be engaging, and optimize for lead generation. Then measure, adapt your strategy, and optimize your presence based on your own individual results and goals.

You can disable comments on posts you share via your Brand page. When you disable comments on a post, other people will no longer be able to leave comments (but they can still +1 and reshare it). You can also delete a post or disable resharing if that's what you want.

What NOT to do. Don’t spam. Don’t leave comments in other people’s posts asking them to follow your page. Don’t share to often. You will get your page deleted. And probably your personal account as well. I warned you.

V. PROMOTING YOUR GOOGLE+ PAGE

Link up your Google+ Pages on your website using the Badge Maker so that you get the benefit of the rel=publisher tag and make yourself eligible for Google Direct Connect. To get the custom code, click on the ‘Get started’ link on your brand page profile and then go to the ‘Connect your website’ section.

Cross promote on all your other networks. Post a link to your new Google+ page on your other social media, email newsletters, and on your site, inviting followers there to add your page to their circles on Google+.

Post interesting, relevant content; ask questions that get people to comment and engage; and don’t be shy about asking followers to share your posts with their friends.

Post a variety of content. Make use of Google+’s rich display of photos and videos. Google+ displays media in follower’s streams more prominently and pleasingly than Facebook, so it’s a big “plus” here to call attention to your posts.

Engage with followers. Encourage and participate in conversations about your posts.

Ask your employee base to promote your Google+ Page to their networks. This is doubly easy if your employees are using Google+ for Apps, since you can just send an all-system email. If they’re already on Google+, they should circle the company page first.

Display the +1 button everywhere.

Use your mailing list

Make sure that you promote your page off of Google+ with links, drive users to add you to circles and post regularly on your Google+ page and you may have a better chance of accessing Google+ Direct Connect.

VI. TARGETING YOUR AUDIENCE WITH YOUR GOOGLE+ PAGE

Google Plus makes it pretty easy to sort followers into groups (they call them Circles) and send targeted, relevant messages to these smaller audiences. Brands can create robust content calendars with posts intended just for certain cities, ages, gender and languages.

You get to separate your VIPs, Customers, Following, and Team Members into circles. Meaning you can market to just your VIP customers, just your Team members (think “collaboration” or team updates), your Customers, and then anyone you are Following (think prospect customers).

These are just the default circles, but you can target your audience the way you want it. Just ask your followers where they’re from, what they like and so on. The opportunities are limitless. And free of charge.

VII. USING HANGOUTS FOR YOUR GOOGLE+ PAGE

As previously suspected, they’ve recently integrated Google Docs for brand pages (Hangouts with extras)

As a brand page you have the ability to create Hangouts which can be huge to create that community and collaborate with your partners. It’s also a great way, especially for celebrities, to make that connection to their fans.

The “Hangouts with extras” feature has integrated Google Docs, allows you to name your Hangout, share notes and sketchpad, and allows screen sharing for total collaboration.

VIII. OPTIMIZING YOUR GOOGLE+ PAGE FOR SEO

1. Page name, tagline, introduction, keywords
If you are branding your business, put that as your page name. Then add your tagline and about info using keywords you normally use. Your page name will be the title (see the name in the browser tab).Your page name + tagline will be the META description of the page which are important ranking factors

That means you should use keyword rich descriptions. That doesn’t mean you should use keyword stuffing, just name the page so it matches your site/business and write the tagline and introduction as you would write a description for your site – use keywords but write for people telling them what your page is about.

Fill out the “About” section completely. Be sure to mention your keywords in this section when you can. Like other SEO initiatives, be sure to focus on creating useful, engaging content first, then gently inserting keywords when appropriate as a secondary priority.

Be sure to add a link to your website (and other online assets) in your Recommended Links section. Because you can customize the anchor text, you can make these links extra SEO-friendly by including a keyword in the anchor text when appropriate.

Fill out as many of the fields as you can, and be sure to include various types of media (text, photos, video, etc.) so that search engines see a rich experience when they crawl your page.

2. Tag images
You can tag images you add to your page, so for example, if you have a photo with some famous person in your industry, you can tag that person in your page’s photo.

3. Cross promoting. Link to all of the social networks your brand has a presence. You can customize the name of the link as well.

Include a link to your Google+ Page from your corporate website and other assets such as your LinkedIn profile, your blog, and any other websites you have. Building links to your Google+ Page will help it rank on the first page for your brand name and possibly other keywords as well.

Additionally, your website itself should have +1 buttons. Make sure it is easy for people to “+1″ content and share it with their Circles on Google+.

4. Consider creating multiple pages. You can create a page for each individual stores/franchises or line of products, as appropriate.

5. Once your Page is ready to share, start building an audience. Search engines will recognize your popularity as a sign of authority. That authority will translate in to better rankings as well.

6. When sharing photos. Upload photos, and include descriptions for each photo. Where feasible, add a link to a page on your website with more information on the product or item featured in the photo.

7. When sharing videos. You can do the same for videos: upload videos and include transcripts or summaries of the video content for SEO purposes. Link back to your website for more information where you can.

8. When sharing content. Unlike Twitter or Facebook, Google+ gives you the possibility to write very long messages if you want to. Publish content that your fans will find useful and engaging. When a long-form message is appropriate, try to optimize this content like you might optimize a blog post. Individual posts do get their own URL. So if a post goes viral, it is entirely possible that the post itself ranks well in the search engines.

IX. MEASURING STATISTICS FOR YOUR GOOGLE+ PAGE

1. Using Ripples

Ripples show you:
* Number of public and total reshares
* Names of each follower that reshared your post
* Number of direct public reshares from each follower
* Names with links, comments and relative time of most recent followers with reshares
* A timeline to show the progression of the shares

Things to look for:
* Time of day that most reshares occur
* Time of day that your biggest resharers repost. For example, if we were to look at several ripples and see that +Someone to post or repost around the same time each day, we could almost figure out the best times to get him to reshare stuff he likes (assuming he's following you).
* How influential is your topic?
- to which followers?
- at what time of day?
- to how many people?
* Do resharers comments make a difference? Take a look at the right side and see if they added their own comments to the reshare or did the post stand on its own.
* Were most of your reshares a result of a direct share from you or from reshares from other people?

2. Using third-party websites

CircleCount.com allows you to list your Google+ Business Page in the CircleCount directory. They will show you a nice chart, track the number of new followers you get every day and show you the average numbers for your latest postings (comments, +1es, reshares per posting).

They will also show your CircleRank, a nice follower growth simulation on your profile and the most followed Google+ Pages at www.circlecount.com/pages/

Adding yourself to the SocialStatistics.com directory allows you to track your own Google+ profile or page, giving you follower’s statistics and chart. You can see the most followed Google+ Pages at socialstatistics.com/top/pages

10. COOL EXAMPLES OF GOOGLE PLUS PAGES

+adidas Originals
+Google Chrome
+Pepsi
+Mashable
+Android
+TOYOTA
+Fox News
+HootSuite
+Angry Birds

ARTICLES THAT INSPIRED ME:

How to Set Up a Google+ Brand Page
mashable.com/2011/11/08/how-to-google-plus-brand-page/

How to Get Started With Google+ Pages for Business
www.christopherspenn.com/2011/11/how-to-get-started-with-...

How to Create a Google+ Business Page in 5 Simple Steps
blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/28624/How-to-Create-...

Google+ Pages, 11 Tips To Get You Started
socialfresh.com/google-pages-11-tips-to-get-you-started/

HOW TO MAKE YOUR GOOGLE+ BRAND PAGE MORE VISIBLE
greatfinds.icrossing.com/how-to-make-your-google-brand-pa...

Complete Guide to Optimizing Your Google+ Brand Page
www.virante.com/blog/2011/11/09/complete-guide-to-optimiz...

Digging Into Ripples by +Dan Soto
plus.google.com/u/0/114122960748905067938/posts/CWpuKNuDQ1g

13 Cool Examples of Google+ Brand Pages
www.dreamgrow.com/13-cool-examples-of-google-brand-pages/

Link to original post:https://plus.google.com/106393478695568433143/posts/HrEJHUA6ECt
Other useful posts: #gvgpUseful

The Hijra Novice

young
brave
bold daring
you cant miss
joining the
ranks of
the eunuchs
the hijda novice
article 377
an insult to injury
to a human orifice
threatened by society
that plays culture police
let him live like a hijda
he is what he is
his sexuality
you should
not take amiss

says the erstwhile
court to malhotra
give scientific facts or
mind your business
dont quote the bible
hindu holy scriptures
but bare facts as it exists

ps
case not yet dismissed

Laxmi Narayan Tripathi The Greatest Hijra Superstar

210,613 items / 1,744,155 views

evicted from big boss
fought for the rights
of the hijra cause
a rolling hijra
always gathers moss
each time she takes
a poetic pause
neither man nor woman
but still all woman
pointed nails as claws
life clinging to a
drowning straw
on the boulevard
nubile lethal
the hijra superstar
a bungalow
chauffeur driven car
unread film scripts
producers directors
studio heads pleading
to sign her with open jaws
laxmi narayan triparthi
toast of thane stalked
by horny libidinous
grand pas including
bengali tantric
eye rolling babas

The Common Man..Will Soon Be Extinct In India

210,613 items / 1,743,524 views

only the rich the super rich
will inhabit the metro cities
no middle class no beggars
no homeless poor
you will ever see
robots doing domestic work
in villas bungalows
condominiums for free
no pay hike
not getting raped
by actors
good looking
colored eyes beefy
no peeing on the roads
no shitting on the streets
street life cool and crispy
the common man
will soon be extinct in India
end of pain and misery
scams corruption
no jan lok pal bill surely
no suburbs just SOBO
that will extend till worli






Street poetry pain of the living dead.. the homeless the dreamless unfed forgive us for our trespasses dont rob us of our daily bread.. take my picture dickhead move ahead ...

dedicated to a dear friend nabila khanam for las vegas

The Common Man..Will Soon Be Extinct In India

210,613 items / 1,743,524 views

only the rich the super rich
will inhabit the metro cities
no middle class no beggars
no homeless poor
you will ever see
robots doing domestic work
in villas bungalows
condominiums for free
no pay hike
not getting raped
by actors
good looking
colored eyes beefy
no peeing on the roads
no shitting on the streets
street life cool and crispy
the common man
will soon be extinct in India
end of pain and misery
scams corruption
no jan lok pal bill surely
no suburbs just SOBO
that will extend till worli



to nabila khanam dear friend

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