ON GOOD AND BAD NEIGHBOURS

One cannot choose everything in life....It is simply a matter in the hands of god.If one is lucky enough,one may be blessed with neighbours who are ready to help and share problems and can be depended upon in times of need..On the other hand,some of us have to put up with a bunch of troublemakers-neighbours who have nothing better to do than to be too interested in what is going on at the house next door and who are always eager to create an unpleasant scene..As our neighbour are the people closest to us,we cannot naturally avoid communicating and socializing with them.

The flat system has brought people closer to each other especially as they are required to share public facilities like the car parking space,the elevators and the garbage disposal arrangement.In such cases,people cannot help bump into each other while going to and fro.

But what makes neighbour’s good and bad anyway??

Good neighbour arte those that are ready to lend you a hand when you are faced with a problem .Good neighbours also make life much more easy.

On the contrary,uncooperative and selfish neighbours can directlymake the neighbourhood an worst place to live in...You often find them peeping from their windows or loitering by their front doors with a hungry gleam in their eyes,keeping a lookout for everything that might be happening next door..

One cannot do away with one's neighbours however bad they may be.At the same time,one cannot live without trustworthy neighbours who would be concerned enough to help in times of distress.

EACH ONE OF US MUST ENSURE THAT WE ACT AS GOOD NEIGHBOURS.

Sleeping Beauty

This morning I visited “Manjusa”- The West Bengal State Emporium. The traditional richness of the fascinating culture of the state came out in the form of the innumerable traditional handicrafts, sculpture and clothing. I, not being one who has ever been interested in this ‘cultural’ stuff, preferred to roam about the area a bit. As soon as I moved out of the building to the State emporium’s filthy pavements, the down-side of life in a metro which had just hosted the 70k rupees CWG was not going to be unnoticed.

Children, who I don’t think would be more than 8-10 years of age, in tattered clothes were ‘begging’ for money to have a square meal for lunch. Being considerate to them is something I have never felt since the time I saw Madhur Bhandarkar’s “Traffic Signal” some two years back. But then, I saw a scene which I don’t know why moved me so much. A person, I guess she was a middle-age lady (I am not sure), in a badly worn out salwar suit, was ‘resting’ on the pavement near a wall that connected the emporiums of two states, with a tattered piece of dupatta covering her battered face. I guess there is nothing new for something like this being spotted in India- they are found in every other railway station. But the thing that left blood in my heart rushing was the fact that hundreds of ‘house-flies’ had also found a nice, cosy place to rest on the whole body of the ‘sleeping beauty’ and our hostess didn’t even mind to shoo away these little guests! She slept coolly, unmindful of what was going around her.

For a few minutes, I was surely left bewildered and I noticed that only when a friend enquired why I had grown so silent and was not talking. I had no answer to his question, but surely somewhere this visual had made a deep impact on me, otherwise I don’t think I would have ever thought of making a blog entry of this kind on such an un-noticed topic!

Do leave your comments and let me know what you think about this…

Post-Diwali Dhamaka

After a long wait, Diwali comes. People celebrate in their own ways. Apart from the Lakshmi Puja, and the bursting of crackers, people celebrate the day for with various other purposes as well.  Some take it as a festival to rejoice and restart a new year, some take it as a nice chance to give their homes a fresh look, some take it as a chance to re-establish long lost contacts and some just think it’s a nice day off from the busy schedule of their routine lives.

The day comes and passes by. People celebrate, rejuvenate and enjoy. Hawans and Pujas take place in every home and the evenings are dedicated to the most beloved part of the festival of lights: Burning crackers. Probably that is the most beloved part for every child.

Post Diwali day, the Pollution Control Board is not far behind in establishing the air pollution levels of the previous night at different locations in the city. Although the estimates seem to be going down with each passing day, but are the levels actually decreasing? With the rise of the number of asthma and other heart and lungs related disease patients, is the slight dip in the pollution level of any significance?

The mess that is created on the roads where the crackers are burnt is another site to observe! The Municipal Corporation must be hiring more employees for this special “cleanliness drive” day!

But whatever might be said, there are not the only negative side of things that one should look at. Are we, here in Delhi, not observing a dip in the number of mosquitoes after Diwali? May be there actually will be a huge dip in the number of dengue cases now post-diwali!

This is one festival that has been celebrated in the country since time immemorial in exactly the same way as it is done today. This year the festival has now passed and our wait for this time of next year seems to be long. But surely the wait is worth it.

And with this we, here at Creative Call, come to an end of our Diwali-special fortnight. We hope you had an awesome time in going through the complete details of everything related to Diwali that our young budding creative writers have blogged about here.

Awaiting your views and comments. Have a nice time.

I remember when i was in class 2nd i used to write essays on diwali..DIWALI-afestival of lights and colours.We decorate our houses and exchange best wishes.But are we really spreading light and happiness all around..???to be honest,its answer is NO..Today for most of us diwali is just a synonym of burning crackers,noise and smoke.......

The preparations for diwali celebrations generally begins one month before its arrival...people start painting their houses,decorations are done,and there is cleanliness all around..along with puja of ganesh ji and lakshmi ji..but the most wrong part is burning crackers..we usually spend thousands of rupees on crackers..which just turns into ashes in the name of ceremonies..and also which results in death of birds,shortening of lives of children working in cracker factories,troubling heart and hospitalised patients..and sometimes even lead to serious accidents....but thinking deeply..are we doing justice..does God really expects this from us to whom we pray on diwali.....???

Diwali is a very nice festival and it should be celebrated in a better manner..we can buy new clothes,gifts for each other...and many things but reduce burning of crackers as much as we can and instead spend the same money on charity,so that even a poor can also be happy.....always remember if u make a poor person happy,it means you are making God happy...

Now summing up i would just like to say that we must pledge that we shall be making this diwali a pollution free so that we can save our environment. wishing everyone a HAPPY,PROSPEROUS and SAFE DIWALI..

..just BE HAPPY and MAKE OTHERS HAPPY.....and GIVE YOUR BEST,GOD WILL DO THE REST............HAPPY DIWALI

Diwali Crackers

Crackers hold a fascination for both young and old alike. When the rocket flies high and burst opens into an umbrella of colourful embers, people from the ground watch this spectacular in awe, the beauty raining down towards them. The children quickly light up a fire wheel which dances on the floor. Every year Diwali arrive in all its sound and sparkle.

Each year on the dark night of Diwali, Crackers of varied colors and sounds fill the skies heralding India's favourite festival. They form a big part of the Diwali budget in households.

Firecrackers come in different varieties from the delightfully visual ones to the ear deafening noisy ones. Tradition says that the illumination of homes with lights and the skies with firecrackers is an expression of obeisance to the heavens for the attainment of health, wealth, knowledge, peace and prosperity. The standard varities of firecrackers include the mild flower pots, the electric crackers, the popular ground wheel (commonly called as charka), the high flying rockets, the favourite sparklers and of course the explosive and ear deafening bombs. The colourful twin angles, a new entrant in the cracker market has caught the fancy of many customers. A combination of all the above makes an exclusive festive package which delights young and old alike.

Diwali symbolising the triumph of the good over evil continues to be grandiose in spirit and celebrated throughout the country. Firecrackers add to the festivities and as the rows of lamps glow one can hear the crackers go off and see the sparklers being waved by children and adults alike.

DIYAS............

Diya is a small earthen lamp primarily lit during Diwali, the festival of lights. Also, known as 'deep', diya is traditionally made of clay. Lighting a deep during aarti is a custom in the Hindu culture. During Diwali, the earthen lamps are used for illuminating the entire home and premises, apart from aarti. The diya is filled with ghee or oil, which work as fuel for it. A wick, usually made of cotton, is inserted into the diya. Today, with the increasing competition and due to the popularity of candles, diya is now available in a variety of material, the most common being those made of metals and blue pottery. Designer diyas have also been introduced in the stores.
Diwali Diya Decoration Ideas

• To make the ordinary earthen diya look more beautiful, you may color it with different colors. You may make use of bright acrylic colors for the purpose. You can also paint some portion of the diya, instead of whole of it, draw various shapes on it with paint, to give it a traditional look. Do not forget to leave the diya to dry completely, after painting.
• Bring some small decorative glass pieces and stick them on the edge of the diya. When you light the earthen lamp, the flame would be reflected by the small mirrors, which would add to the beauty of the lamp. This type of decoration is especially suitable for metal diya, because glass can easily adhere to their surface.
• Take wheat flour in a bowl and prepare its dough, with the help of water. The dough should be made thick, which can be rolled into balls. Now, rolls the balls of the dough and make diya out of them. With this dough, you can make diya of any shape and size of your choice. After shaping the lamps, color them using acrylic or poster colors. Set them aside to dry completely and use them.
• Another way to make diya and decorate them is to use the dough of wheat flour and mix it with fresh petals of rose. It will not only add some natural color to your diya, but also the particles of petals attached here and there on the diya will also make it look stunning.
• You may make use of ceramic clay to decorate the diyas. Make beautiful shapes of flowers, using the ceramic clay. Before it dries, stick it to the diya. Now, paint the lamp with acrylic color and allow it to dry completely. This would give your earthen lamp a cool look.

PRIME INGREDIENTS OF THE FESTIVAL:SWEETS

With the advent of the festive season the prime importance after all the shopping,decoration shift over to fooding..Most important in the food list is SWEETS.Sweets of any size,types,colors can be seen on the stalls making the youth and the old feeling the urge to buy them.There are so many sweets are there in the sweets list..some ofspecial sweets are milk cake,barfi,rasgulla,ras malai,doda barfi...

During the festival the sweets are distribute to let the relationship be alike as sweet itself...TODAY choclates are being used as sweets which is giving benefit to children..Different brands hoard the market with different varieties of packages..just for diwali celebrtaion..i.e.namkeen packages,biscuits packages..cold drink packages,kurkure packages...

One should be choosy about the quality of the sweets and various reports show thet there are synthetic khoyas or synthetic materials are being used as prepators item for the sweets....

WISH YOU ALL A VERY VERY HAPPY DIWALI AND MAY GOD MAKE YOUR RELATIONS SWEETER THAN THE SWEETS ITSELF...

diwali shopping

Jingle bell Jingle bell  DIWALI is on its way we have to go we have to go so that shopping dont get delay.....
OCTOBER-NOVEMBER month  of  festivals where festivals are @ their peak with major celebration of DIWALI  and we all know that diwali is incomplete without shopping...
AT  the time of diwali markets glitters like anything we see galaxy of people buying one r another thing to celebrate festival-whether the purpose is for self consumption or for giving gift ....
At this time shopping exist with the package of  sale through which it becomes easier for buyers to shopm their favourite thing @ the lowest possible price.In diwali melas we see lot of stalls in which people are selling candles, diyas with with different design on them....@ the festival time whereever we go we find that shopping becomes magnet for the people....I even personally feel that shopping adds more happiness in  any celebration.... 

Sale: think before you buy…

Its festive season. Celebrations with friends and family.time to party hard.

exchange of lavish gift.

Bursting plentiful crackers…in short, a time to spend your

money generously.Being the biggest festival in India,

diwali is celebrated with all the more enthusiasm here.

People don’t give a second thought before spending

on different commodities in festive season…for them,

it’s a time for enjoyment and they do it whole

heartedly.In diwali, people who enjoy the most are

the business class people…who own

different retail shops…electronics shop…

Automobile showrooms…apparel outlets…

furniture…and from anything to everything

associated with one’s own daily living.

From biggest brands to street market there is

sale and sale everywhere.The offers that are

put up are so alluring, that being a festive

season, one just cannot resist and give into

buying each and every kind of stuff they

come across. Flat 50% off on all garments….

buy 2 get 1 free…Buy so and so car and win

an exclusive trip abroad.who can actually

refrain oneself from not buying them?

Kids demand toys….teenagers crave for fashion

nable attire…newly married couples wish to

decorate their homes with best of the things available.

The demands are endless but this sale season has

the potential to fulfill all your desires.All the time

these sale items are not in favor of the user, because

mostly the old stock which is minutely dilapidated

or which is not being sold out is displayed in sale.

Generally the mass is taken away by the seller’s words

and they buy such items which are not profitable for them.

Small electronic items such as cell phones and laptops

are very risky because sometimes stolen items are sold

which leads the consumer into trouble; people who

shop from streets come cross such problems often

because they don’t get actual bills.

So this diwali season party hard…celebrate

more…eat a lot, don’t worry about the

calories…shop extravagantly…no harm in

being a spendthrift in festivals…but do it

smartly…use your brain while shopping.

and give a second thought before buying anything.

Happy diwali to all!!!

Festival and Assignments

The Festival Diwali is awaited the most by kids.They are highly anxious about it, right from making plans on, how to celebrate Diwali this time; to what should be brought home for them on Diwali about a month before it.
Festivals and Assignments are two integral part of each other.A festival around means great time for trainer to give assignments so that the students remain in connection with their text.

Festival is the time for children to enjoy and be with friends over their fun and frolic.The need of time then is to make them sit and realize the importance of study but then the burden over the child should not be more as portrayed in the image.He/She should not all time busy doing assignments and missing out the fun in festival. One must not be a book worm.The submission of assignments,next day, the holidays ends are more than apeing game for all as many of them have not done the work during holidays and did all the fun around.

The practice of homework giving is good but that should be done to teach the students about the motive behind the festival they are to celebrate, how it has turned in front of them and how do their elders see them to be at par with changing trends. The art of work and practice of working at any point is not bad or futile but then the overall development of the child is what we talk about these days and that can be done as of suggesting a new trend of the pattern of homework for the child.At times these homework tend to be a hole in pocket as the festivity is on and expenses are no less.In a general report from a local daily shows that half the parents are not able to leave their work place just because their children don’t have holidays or the assignments are so much for them to carry.The problem of assignments/homework is not with just kids and teenagers but also with the people working in any private enterprise as and the deadlines are not more the very day they join back.The homework according to a teacher helps avoid the students to get involved in the evil practices that are considered illegal and help them remain entact on ground.

According to me the practice of homework giving should be done in a way that the fun and the frolic is not disturbed and the grounds of children are also intact…

significance..................

Diwali falls, the Indian festival of lights, falls on the day of 'Amavasyaa', when the moon does not rise and there is darkness all around. Light, being symbol of hope and positive energy, indicates the victory of good over evil. By spreading light in every corner of our premises, we try to destroy the reign of darkness, on the night of Diwali. People decorate their premises with diyas, electric bulbs and other decorative electric lighting fixtures, to make their surroundings filled with colorful light and to make it bright .
What Is Diwali
Deepavali - the very name of this festival reveals its meaning. The festival is all about the lighting diyas. Later the term 'Deepawali' became 'Diwali'. Deepawali or Diwali is also known as 'the festival of lights', because on this day, people illuminate their home and premises with diyas and colorful lights. Celebrated usually in the month of October or November, Diwali bears significance in the Hindu culture as well as among Buddhists, Sikhs and Jains. The legends connected to the festival are different for different religions.
Diwali is the Indian festival that brings a series of festivals with it. One after another, we get a chance to celebrate five ceremonious occasions. The people of all age groups and classes with equal zeal and enthusiasm celebrate Diwali throughout India. They put on new apparels and participate in the various activities that are related to Diwali celebrations. It is a festival of celebrations such as lightings, crackers, cleanliness, colorful rangoli making, social gatherings to exchange greetings and sharing sweets with your loved ones. Diwali is a festival filled with spiritualism and religious activities, such as worship of Goddess Lakshmi, worship of Lord Ganesha, worship of Ma Kali, worship of Lord Chitragupta and worship of Govardhan Parvat.

The celebration of the five-day long festival, Diwali, begins on Aswayuja Bahula Chaturdashi and concludes on Kartika Shudha Vijaya. The first day of this festival begins with 'Dhan Trayodashi' or 'Dhanteras'. After the Dhanvantari Trayodashi the second day of Diwali is 'Narak Chaturdashi', which is popular as 'Chhoti Diwali'. The third day of Diwali, which is also called 'Badi Diwali' is the main day of celebrations of the festival of Diwali. People perform Lakshmi Pujan on this day and offer prayers to her to bless them with wealth and prosperity. The fourth day of Diwali is devoted to Govardhan Pooja .The fifth day of the Diwali is Bhai Dooj, the time to honor the brother-sister relationship..

RANGOLI.............

Rangoli is the art of drawing images and figures on the floor, at the doorstep of one's home. With the beautiful combination of colors, rangoli makes a magnificent piece of art. It has been a tradition in culturally rich India, to draw rangoli on festivals and other auspicious occasions, as it is considered a holy ritual. It makes a part of Diwali celebrations too. The main purpose of making rangoli at the doorstep, on Diwali, is to welcome Goddess Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth.
The art of rangoli is known by different names in different regions of the country. In Maharashtra, it is called 'rangoli', while it is known as 'kolam' in South India and 'alpana' in Bengal. While most of the Rangoli designs are made with the use of dry colors, the patterns can also be done by using the paste of rice grains, turmeric paste, vermilion powder or chalk. 
Decoration Ideas
There are myriad ways to add to the overall appeal of rangoli. The designs of rangoli are created by a combination of different colors. It could be decorated either by colored powders or by colored pastes such as painting colors. You can enhance the beauty of your rangoli pattern by adding some decorative pieces to it, such as the lighted diyas, colorful flower petals and leaves, colored rice grains, colorful pulses, and colored sand. You may place a diya at the center of the rangoli.
Designs
Originated from Maharashtra, the art of rangoli is popular all over the country and therefore, different designs of rangoli have come into existence. The rangoli designs for Diwali have been passed on from one generation to the other, some of them being as old as hundred years. Although the designs vary largely, in different regions of India, the basic approach of the people is common - to please Goddess Lakshmi, so that she enters the home and brings in health, wealth and prosperity. Generally, the rangoli designs are geometrical shapes, proportioned in a balanced way. Geometrical figures such as circles, triangles, squares, ovals and rectangles dominate. Apart from geometrical figures, images of flowers, their petals, trees and creepers are also drawn.
Themes
The common rangoli themes are the holy symbols like mangal kalash, leaves of Ashoka tree, Om, Swastik symbol, a lighted Deepak, Shree, lotus and other flowers, creepers, trees, rising sun, moon, stars, chakra, fish, birds, elephants, dancing figures, trident, human figures and geometrical figures such as circles, semi-circles, curves, triangles, squares, ovals and rectangles. The footsteps of Goddess Lakshmi entering into the home are designed at the main entrance of the home or near the place of worship, which indicates the entrance of prosperity in the home.

Diwali celebrations around the world

With more and more Indians now migrating to various parts of the world, the number of countries where Diwali is celebrated has been gradually increasing. While in some countries it is celebrated mainly by the Indian migrants, in others it has become part of the general local culture. The following text sourced from various websites provides an in-depth knowledge about how this celebration goes about in some major countries of the world:

In Nepal, family gathering is more significant during Diwali. People in the community play "Deusi and Bhailo" which is a kind of singing and dancing forming a group. People go to all the houses in the community and play songs and dance, and give blessing to the visited house, whereas the home owner gives some food like rice grains, Roti, fruits and money. After the festival, people donate some part of collected money and food to the charity or welfare groups and rest of the money and food, they go for picnic. People also play swing called Dore Ping made out of thick ropes and Pirke Ping or Rangate Ping made out of woods.

In Trinidad and Tobago, communities all over the islands get together and celebrate the festival. One major celebration that stands out is the Diwali Nagar, or Village of the Festival of Lights. It features stage performances by the east Indian cultural practitioners, a folk theatre featuring skits and plays, an exhibition on some aspect of Hinduism, displays by various Hindu religious sects and social organizations, nightly worship of Goddess Lakshmi, lighting of deeyas, performances by various schools related to Indian culture, and a food court with Indian and non-Indian vegetarian delicacies.

In Malaysia, Diwali is known as "Hari Deepavali," and is celebrated during the seventh month of the Hindu solar calendar. It is a federal public holiday throughout Malaysia. 'Open houses' are held where Hindu Malaysians welcome fellow Malaysians of different races and religions to their house for a scrumptious meal.

In Britain, Hindus and Sikhs celebrate Diwali with great enthusiasm and in most ways very similarly to as in India. Leicester plays host to one of the biggest Diwali celebrations outside India.

In the United States, with increasing Indian population, Diwali is assuming significant importance year after year. Diwali was first celebrated in the White House in 2003 and was given official status by the United States Congress in 2007. Barack Obama became the first president to personally attend Diwali at the White House in 2009.

While the manner of celebration varies from region to region (festive fireworks, worship, lights, sharing of sweets), the essence is the same – to rejoice in the Inner Light or the underlying reality of all things.

The Origins of Diwali Celebrations

Diwali, the festival of lights, is a major festival in the Hindu Calendar. The festival marks the end of the Ashvin month of the Hindu calendar and the beginning of the Kartik month. According to the Ramayana, Diwali marks the home-coming of Lord Rama to his kingdom of Ayodhya after defeating Ravana, the ruler of Lanka after an exile of 14 years. A quick Google search reveals that this is not the only accepted belief for the origin of the festival. Hindus have several other significant events associated with Diwali. Based on these, Diwali celebrations are spread over five days:

1. Dhanatrayodashi or Dhan teras: Dhan means wealth and Trayodashi means 13th day. It is considered an auspicious day for buying utensils and gold. This day is regarded as the Jayanti of God Dhanvantri who came out during the churning of the great ocean by the gods and the demons.
2. Naraka Chaturdashi: Chaturdashi is the 14th day on which the demon Narakasura was killed by Krishna – an incarnation of Vishnu. It signifies the victory of good over evil and light over darkness.
3. Lakshmi Puja: Lakshmi Puja marks the most important day of Diwali celebrations in North India. Hindu homes worship Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, and Ganesh, the God of auspicious beginnings, and then light lamps in the streets and homes to welcome prosperity and well-being.
4. Bali Pratipada and Govardhan Puja : In North India, this day is celebrated as Govardhan Puja, also called Annakut, and is celebrated as the day Krishna – an incarnation of god Vishnu – defeated Indra and by the lifting of Govardhana hill to save his kinsmen and cattle from rain and floods.
5. Bhaiduj: on this day, brothers and sisters meet to express love and affection for each other. It is based on a story when Yama, lord of Death, visited his sister Yami. Yami welcomed Yama with an Aarti and they had a feast together. Yama gave a gift to Yami while leaving as a token of his appreciation. So, the day is also called 'Yam Dwitiya'.

There are still many other accepted beliefs about the origins of Diwali. The festival, not being a Hindu-alone festival, also brings to light the various other origin related beliefs that members of other religious groups like Sikhism and Jainism have. However in every religion, Diwali in its true spirit is celebrated as a day to mark the victory of good over evil and the uplifting of spiritual darkness.