THE UNSAINTLY OBJECTS OF MY LIFE...MILK THAT BOILS OVER WHEN I TURN MY BACK,MILK PACKETS THAT ARE ABSOLUTELY FROZEN ,DONUTS THAT ONE DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO PREPARE,WATER BOTTLES THAT ONE FORGETS TO CHILL,JEERA THAT GETS BURNT,ALL THE KARCHIS AND KARHAIS THAT WANT TO SCALD ME THE MINUTE THAT I ENTER THE KITCHEN & THE PRESSURE GASKETS& WHISTLES THAT DON'T FIT, THE VEGETABLES THAT DONT GET CHOPPED ON THEIR OWN AND THE ONLY MOONBEAM IS THE FACT THAT vARUN SAYS..... THE FOOD TASTES SUPER AND i'M IN THE HEYDAYS OF MY EXISTENCE AS A COOK ....YIPEE!!!!!!!!

V] VINAYAKA , ANOTHER NAME OF LORD GANESHA ,

A GREAT TEACHER.

Lord Ganesha is considered as the Supreme Being and in no way inferior to the Vedic Gods like Indra,Varun,Prajapati,Agni,Surya or the Pauranic Gods...Shiva,Vishnu,Brahma or Shakti.He incarnated for the destruction of "daityas" and for rendering help to "devas" and "brahmanas"...'tavavataro daityanam vinsaya devanamaupakarartham dvijanam' and for the success of men and women ...'narinam naranam karma siddhaye'.

The earliest vahana of Ganesha is the lion.By the 10th century AD the rat became the vahana of Ganesha. It is believed that there was a fight between Ganapati and Gajasura. Ganapati pulled out his tusk,transfixed the asura and turned him into a rat,his mount or vahana.

The earliest text in which Lord Ganesha is referred to as Vinayaka is found in the "Manavgrhyasutra" (7th-5th century B.C.).This text names four Vinayakas.They are Salakatankata,Kusumandarajaputra,Usmita and Devayajana. In the "Yajnavalkayasmrti" the four Vinayakas are reduced to one Vinayaka."Balabharata" records that Vinayaka was appointed as the lekhaka(scribe) for the "Bharata Samhita"(Mahabharata).

Ganesha's different names: Ganapati,Gananatha, Ganadhipa and Gananam Adhipati(leader of the Ganas),Gajanana,Gajavaktram and Gajamukha(elephant-faced),Gajatunda(possessing the trunk of an elephant)Lambodara(pot-bellied),Ekadanta(one-tusked),Vakratunda(having a twisted trunk),Vighnesvara,Vighnaraja and Vighnaharta(remover of obstacles).




4.VIRA GANAPATI : Vira Ganapati is the valiant warrior.

5.SAKTI GANAPATI : Sakti Ganapati guards the householder.

6.DVIJA GANAPATI :Dvija Ganapati is the colour of the moon...he represents the disciplined life.

7.SIDDHI GANAPATI :Siddhi Ganapati represents achievement and self-mastery.

8.UCCHISHTA GANAPATI :Ucchista Ganapati is the guardian of culture and considered "Lord of blessed offerings".

9.VIGHNA GANAPATI :Vighna Ganapati is the Lord of the obstacles and is bedecked with jewels.

10.KSHIPRA GANAPATI :Kshipra Ganapati is the bestower of books.

11. HERAMBA GANAPATI :Heramba Ganapati is the five-faced,"protector of the weak".

12. LAKSHMI GANAPATI :Lakshmi Ganapati is considered the giver of success.

13. MAHA GANAPATI :Maha Ganapati blesses devotees with prosperity.

14. VIJAYA GANAPATI :Vijaya Ganapati is cosidered the bestower of success.

15. NRITYA GANAPATI :Nritya Ganapati is portrayed in a dancing pose under the kalpavriksha tree.

16. URDHVA GANAPATI : Urdhva Ganapati is gold complexioned and blesses devotees with intelligence.

17. EKAKSHARA GANAPATI :Ekakshara Ganapati is seated on his mushika in the lotus position.

18.VARADA GANAPATI :Varada Ganapati,the boon giver,has the third eye of wisdom.

19.TRYAKSHARA GANAPATI :Tryakakshara Ganapati is the Lord of three letters- (A-U-M).

20. KSHIPRA PRASADA GANAPATI :Kshipra Prasada sits on a kusha grass throne.His belly signifies the manifest universe.

21.HARIDRA GANAPATI

22.EKADANTA GANAPATI

23. SRISHTI GANAPATI

24. UDDANDA GANAPATI : Uddanda Ganapati is the bold enforcer of Dharma.

25. RINAMOCHANA GANAPATI :Rinamochana Ganapati is the remover of humanity's bondage.

26. DHUNDI GANAPATI : Dhundi Ganapati symbolises perfection and has a pot of precious gems in his hands.

27. DVIMUKHA GANAPATI

28. TRIMUKHA GANAPATI

29. DURGA GANAPATI

30. SANKATHARA GANAPATI

31. SINHA GANAPATI

32. YOGA GANAPATI

King Daksha insults Lord Shiva...Goddess Sati gives up her life...


IV GODDESS SATI

The Goddess Sati was the daughter of King Daksha and Queen Prastuti (the daughter of Manu). She was the youngest of sixteen sisters. She was a very quiet girl who spent all her time praying to Lord Shiva. King Daksh was not too happy about it especially when Naradamuni came to take his consent for the match between Lord Shiva and Goddess Sati. But seeing the devotion these two felt for each other he agreed to the marriage and the devatas blessed the couple.

SOME GANESHA TRIVIA

Ganesha is considered to be the son of Parvati.So he is called Parvati,Uma or Gauri putra or suta(son).He occupies a position at par with Parvati and Karttikeya-"devasenapati".

3.BHAKTI GANAPATI:

The Bhakti Ganapati is a pleasant faced Ganesha. He has a garland of flowers around his neck and his hands hold a banana,mango,coconut and a bowl of sweet pudding.

III] Shiv Shankar



"Om namah shivaya"

The Third Eye represents disdain for desire;the indifference for things that are desirable as well as things that are undesirable.

Lord Shiva is commonly known as the destroyer of evil.

SOME GANESH TRIVIA:
Ganapati appears for the first time in the Rig Veda where Brahmanaspati is given the title of Ganapati," The Lord of Ganas",'gananam tva ganapatim havamahe'.

Indian Scholars maintain, on the basis of mantras in the Rig Veda,Krishna Yajur Veda and Taittiriya Aranyaka,that in the Vedas Ganesha was known as Brahmanaspati.

2. TARUNA GANAPATI

The Taruna Ganapati is a youthful representation of Lord Ganesha and is eight-armed. His hands hold a modaka, wood apple, rose apple,His broken tusk, a sprig of paddy and a sugar cane stalk.He is red in colour, symbolising the youth.

II] MATA VAISHNO DEVI

A LONG LONG WHILE AGO THE THREE GODDESSES ,MAHA KAALI,MAHA LAKSHMI AND MAHA SARASWATI GOT TOGETHER AND A NEW GODDESS WAS BORN . SHE WAS MAA DURGA. SHE CAME TO BE KNOWN AS MAA VAISHNAVI.HER PINDI FORM IS SAFELY ENSHRINED IN A CAVE ...The holy cave is located at a height of 5300ft on the holy Trikuta hill of the Shivalik Hill Range at a distance of 13kms from the base camp at Katra.

JAI MATA DI...

SOME GANESHA TRIVIA:

The Ganesha Purana and the Mudgala Purana create their own cycle of incarnations,avataras,in imitation of the classical incarnations of Vishnu,to destroy demons,to protect Gods and the faithful to ensure the triumph of the good...

1.BALA GANAPATI:
Bala Ganapathi is considered the childlike Ganesha.He is golden in colour. His hands hold a banana,mango,sugarcane and jackfruit,which represent the earth's abundance and fertility.His trunk has the modaka,his favourite sweet.

DEVOTION : My favourite Hindu Dieties...

I] The Ganga:The Ganga is considered the holiest river in India.It is the symbol of purity.King Bhagirath brought the Ganga to the earth.So she is also known as Bhagirathi.





SOME GANESHA TRIVIA:

Ganesha is also called Gajatunda,Gajamukha,Gajanana,
Gajavaktra;Ekadanta,Musika vahana or Akhuga;Parvati or Uma or Gauri suta or putra;Heramba.

Just a thot(very brief)....By Varun Grover

Dance and theatre .... The two invigorating art forms

According to me, every satisfied human being gets different degrees of contentment from various activities;
But when a person is involved in either dance or theatre, he experiences boundless elation.
The feeling of being in somebody else's shoes, living somebody else's life is experienced when one participates in theatre. The finer the actor the better he enacts the character.

On the other hand while dancing, you don't step into somebody else's shoes but find yourself in a brand new pair of "dancing shoes" of your own. That is to say , a dancer steps out of his/her mundane and monotonous existence to have a physically and mentally exhilarating experience/ an extremely enriching experience that elevates him/her above the natural state of being.

JUST A THOT:-

The sports in my life have played a pivotal role in sculpting my personality. The better part of my character has been developed over the years only through my involvement in various sports .

On record the first sport or rather martial art that I took up was Taekwondo.

Taekwondo as a martial art not only helped increase my physical strength but also taught me the virtues of patience, tolerance, determination and meticulousness.

It created in me tenacity and perseverance and shaped much of my moral fibre.

My fondest memories however of that period of time in my life are of every single moment that I spent in my Taekwondo classes.

One feels a burst of passion, freedom and inner strengh unleashed within them on doing any martial art.Even as I reflect on those times I am infused with a great and inspiring warmth that helps me to deal with the battles of day-to-day life.

I was rarely injured while practising Taekwondo & I don't remember ever inflicting any serious injuries upon my opponent.
The best part of Taekwondo was that you usually had combats with full protective gear so you never actually hurt anyone ; The greatest you could do was perhaps throw your opponent off their feet with a powerful roundhouse kick and multiple punches.

Taekwondo has another very unique feature. The practioner doesn't learn how to fight one opponent at a time but two. The basic punch is carried out with an ingenious technique such that the other arm's elbow is thrust backwards simultaneously allowing self defence from both sides.

My favourite move was the flying kick. When I had started learning Taekwondo, it used to fascinate me , how human beings could gain enough strength and agility to be able to practically "fly" across distances around 4-5 metres
and even break collosal concrete or ice blocks with their bare hands!!
I was most enthusiastic when I started to learn the same & in my excitement jumped a fraction too high and fell just a few centimetres short of the target. But I did not give up for even a single moment.. Instead I sprung up after each failed attempt trying to improve on my technique. Finally after around fifteen attempts I managed to execute a fine kick that even sent my coach who was holding the target a few steps backwards. That was one of the happiest moments of my life... and it was this delight which came from finally mastering a difficult move that I can never forget from my Taekwondo days.
The same delight I feel now after doing an immensely difficult math problem or returning a nearly impossible serve in a game of tennis....
The exhiliharation of victory and the satisfaction that your effort has finally paid off was just one of the many enriching experiences I had during this vibrant phase of my life.Taekwondo is till date a sport that is closest to my heart which has created in me the spirit of a fighter.

Just a thot..... By Varun Grover

God is the innate spirit, the fountain of hope, the source of all positive energy and happiness, & the creator of a masterpiece, we call nature. He is the inner voice of a sane and conscientious man highlighting the fine line of difference between right and wrong in the materialistic world.

It is my opinion, that there are no exceptional people who attain a 'higher level' of spirituality as compared to others. The very belief that God has created all of mankind, empowers each individual to form their own personal spiritual bond with God.

There is no need of intermediaries in a person's relationship with God.

I feel that messengers of God are those few people who take time out from the ordinary business of their lives to make the world a better place to live in for those less fortunate than themselves; who see the misery of others even amidst a period of personal joy...

Beyond that it could not be more insignificant to me if that kind and charitable soul calls God by the name of Ram, Allah, Jesus , Buddha or Nanak. To me he/she is someone to be revered: someone who embodies the qualities of benevolence, charity, mercy and forebearance......the very purpose for which God created man.

A true devotee of God is not one who spends a good part of his time engaged in religious rites and ceremonies; but one who toils to earn his bread and then chooses to render a hand of love and support to someone in need.

The road to heaven is not paved by denying another human being the right to live or worship the supreme being but in living a harmonious and selfless life in which kindness towards others lies above all else.

If God could tell us what He felt, I believe He would have said " I love not that man who prays for himself, but I love that angel who prays for others."

Lastly I would like to say that God lies in your mind and soul. Your heart is your temple , your brain is your shrine.

THE Taekwondo YEARS..6yrs to 9yrs

TAEKWONDO is a Korean Martial art which was taught at Varun's School from Class I.

In the Annual Day function he broke a tile using his forehead..a bit of an anxious moment for me!!

Subsequently he learnt the sport for three more years at a Taekwondo Academy conducted by a BLACK BELT( DAN 7) instructor , affiliated to the World Taekwondo Federation.Taekwondo is the world's most popular martial art and is quite popular in Delhi .

The classes started with a physical exercise session and Varun unfailingly managed to cover half the track and quietly turn back when no one was looking!!Inspite of being a shirker at the daily initial workout phase, he actually packed in quite a punch and his flying kicks were very good.

At the annual competitions in Talkatora Stadium he won the Silver(2001) and Gold(2002) medals. I was a delighted "Taekwondo" mommy :).

Conclusion of SUNSHINE SERIES..

EPILOGUE: Varun's interests gradually shifted over the years :Drama(9yrs to 13yrs) ,Poetry writing(9yrs-) ,Drawing and Painting; and of course Tennis(12yrs-)and as far as the parenting bit goes well I've just been a good sounding board cum supportive(the works!) mom... all credit to the wonderful teachers and trainers.

Memorable Moments...@2yrs to 5yrs



Developing language skills is a major challenge for children during the toddler stage and preschool years.By 3 years of age ,however,most children can link several words together to form a fairly complete sentence.They can speak about 900 words...Varun holding the pencil and writing his name in Hindi helped by Mom and Panditji..!!

Preschoolers are highly active and constantly exploring the world around them...Varun with a cordless telephone; a few days later it was "accidentally" dropped by him into the bathtub after using it for a long conversation sitting in the bath!!

Varun's love for dancing begins early with a Bhangra dance atop a table..Nani's house in Delhi.

Our favourite haunt for Christmas Plum Pudding...outside the coffee shop at a Delhi hotel....Varun's sweater hand knitted by mami's mami!!

We're all dressed and good to go...wedding in the neighbourhood...dadi's house,Lajpat Nagar.

Restless all day.. little monkey..finally settled on the sofa at grandparents' Mumbai apartment.

Poldy and Varun bringing in the NewYear at a party at Vatika Resort.(Gurgaon Sohna Rd..)...family holiday!!

Varun's favourite haunt.......Essex Farms , New Delhi.

His very first notebook and first day of school ; starting the morning : writing, '' OM ".