Eternal India Encyclopedia

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A - PROFILE

PROFILE

Eternal India encyclopedia

REPUBLIC OF INDIA

Official Name

World's largest democracy.

Second-most populous country.

(Stands for Courage

& Sacrifice)

7th largest country in land area.

(Stands for Faith & Chivalry)

(Stands for Peace & Truth)

One of the oldest continuously inhabited regions.

4th largest coal reserves in the world.

Emblem : Navy blue wheel representing the Charkha (spinning wheel) with 24 spokes.

 World's largest producer of Bananas, Groundnuts, Oilseed, Millet, Mangoes and Tea.

' ABBREV IATION ‘

Independence

: 15th August 1947 (from UK) : Indian : Mahatma Gandhi : "Jana-Gana-Mana “

ALP2

IN

Renowned for its rich cultural heritage.

Citizen National Hero National Anthem

ALP3

IND

 Birth place of four great religions - Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism & Sikhism.

NC

356

(Thou Art the Ruler of the Minds of All People)

NEW DELHI

LATITUDE

28.36N

LONGITUDE 77.12E

*

NEW DELHI

1 . Agra 2. Ahmedabad 3. Aizawl 4. Bangalore 5. Bhopal 6. Bhubaneshwar

7. Bombay 8. Calcutta 9. Calicut

10. Chandigarh 11. Darjeeling 12. Dispur 13. Gangtok 14. Hyderabad 15. Imphal 16. Itanagar 17. Jaipur 18. Kohima 19. Lucknow 20. Madras 21. Panaji 22. Patna 23. Pondicherry 24. Shimla 25. Shillong 26. Srinagar 27. Tiruvanan - thapuram

BORDERS & LAND BOUNDARIES (Kms)

15th August 1 Rupee (Rs.) = 100 Paise Saka Calendar Tiger Peacock English, Hindi & 17 other Official languages New Delhi 32,87,590 sq.kms 1.22 billion Federal Republic

National Day Monetary Unit

LAND USE

Forests

Meadows/Pastures

Agriculture

Others

Bangladesh

4,053

National Calendar, National Animal National Bird Languages

China

3,380 2,912

23%

14%

46%

17%

Pakistan

TERRAIN The Himalayan mountain belt in North; the Desert in the West; the Deccan Plateau in South; Naga-Lushai mountains in East and the Indo Ganga flat to rolling plains along river Ganges. MINERAL WEALTH Bauxite, Chromite, Coal, Crude Oil, Diamonds, Iron ore, Limestone, Manga- nese, Mica, Natural gas & Titanium ore.

Nepal

1,690

Myanmar

1,463

Bhutan

605

Capital Area Population Type of Govt.

14,103

Total

7,516.6

Coastline

PROFILE

Eternal India encyclopedia

AREA & POPULATION (2015)

HISTORICAL & POLITICAL 1500 B.C.... .Aryan tribes invaded from North-West. 3 c. B.C.. …..Ashoka ruled most of Indian subcontinent. 4-6 C. AD ... Gupta reign - Golden Age. 1200............ Turkish Moslems gain control over North India. 1498 ........... Vasco Da Gama arrived in Calicut. 1526-1857 .. Mughal rule. 1600..... ...... East India Company formed.

States

Capitals

Sq.mi

Sq.km Pop.(M)

Andhra Pradesh .......

.. Hyderabad .................

... 106,195 ...... ... 275,045 .

.......84.66

Arunachal Pradesh .

.. Itanagar ......................

.... 32,333 ....

..... 83,743 .

......... 1.38

Assam ......................

.. Dispur .......................... ....30,318....

... 78,523 .

...... 31.16

Bihar ........................

.. Patna ........................... .... 67,134....

... 173,877 .

...... 103.8

Goa ..........................

.. Panaji ......................... ...... 1,429....

....... 3,702 .

........ 1.45

Gujarat ..................

.. Gandhinagar .............

.... 75,685 ....

... 196,024 .

...... 60.38

1857 ....... ...Indian Sepoy Mutiny. 1858 .......... British Parliament rule.

Haryana .......... ..... ;... .. Chandigarh .................. .... 17,070....

... 44,212 .

.......25.35

Himachal Pr ..............

.. Shimla.......................... .... 21,495 ....

... 55,673 .

........ 6.85

1885 .......... Indian National Congress founded. 1905 ........... Partition of Bengal under Lord Curzon.

Jammu & Kashmir .

.. Srinagar ...................... .... 85,806....

... 222,236 .

........ 12.54

Karnataka ................

.. Bangalore..................... .... 74,051 ....

... 191,791 .

...... 61.30

Kerala ......................

.. Thiruvananthapuram

.... 15,005 ....

... 38,863 .

.......33.38

1920 .......... Gandhi launched Civil Disobedience Movement. 1929 .......... Resolution on complete independence passed. 1942............ Quit India Movement. 1947 ......... India's partition; Indian independence. 1948 .......... Mahatma Gandhiji assassinated. 1950 .......... India became Republic on 26th January. 1951…........ First general election; first Amendment to the Constitutiom; first 5 year plan. 1952 .......... Dr. Rajendra Prasad elected President. 1956 ........... Reorganization of Indian States. 1962 ......... War with China. 1954…....... Jawaharlal Nehru passed away. 1965 ......... Indo-Pakistan war in Kashmir. 1971........... Pakistan attacked India in the west. 1975 ........... Aryabhata — first Indian Satellite launched; Emergency declared; 1984........... Indira Gandhi assassinated; Rajiv Gandhi becomes Prime Minister 1991............ Rajiv Gandhi assassinated; P.V.Narasimha Rao becomes Prime Minister

Madhya Pradesh .......

.. Bhopal ......................... .. 171,125 ....

... 443,446 .

...... 72.59

Maharashtra ............

.. Bombay ....................... .. 118,809....

... 307,713 .

.......112.37

Manipur ................

.. Imphal ......................... ..... 8,620....

... 22,327 .

........ 2.72

Meghalaya.................

.. Shillong ....................... ..... 8,660....

... 22,429 ..

........ 2.96

Mizoram ..................

.. Aizawal ............. ......... .....8,139 ....

... 21,081 ..

........ 1.09

......... 1.98

Nagaland ....:..........

.. Kohima ........................ .....6,401 ....

... 16,579 .

Orissa .......................

.. Bhubaneshwar ............ .... 60,118 ....

... 155,707 .

...... 41.97

Punjab ............. ; ......

.. Chandigarh .................. .... 19,445 ....

... 50,362 .

...... 27.70

.. Jaipur ......................... .. 132,139 ....

... 342,239 ..

...... 68.62

Rajasthan

Sikkim ........... .

........

.. Gangtok ...................... ..... 2,740....

....... 7,096 ..

........ 0.60

Tamil Nadu ...............

.. Madras ........................ .... 50,261 ....

... 130,058 ..

.......72.13

Tripura .....................

.. Agartala ............... ..... .....4,051 ....

... 10,491 ..

........ 3.67

Uttar Pradesh ...........

.. Lucknow ...................... .. 113,673 ....

... 294,411 ..

... 119.58

West Bengal .............

.. Calcutta ....................... .... 34,267 ....

... 88,752 ..

..... 91.34

Union Territories

And. & Nic. Is ............ .. Port Blair .................... .....3,185 ....

....... 8,249 ..

....... 0.37

Chandigarh ............... .. Chandigarh .................. ...........44....

......... 114 ..

....... 25.35

D&NHaveli ............

.. Silvassa ........................ ..... 189.6....

......... 491 ..

....... 0.34

.......... 112 ..

Daman & Diu ............ .. Daman ......................... ...........43 ....

........0.24

Delhi ....................

.. Delhi ...........................

....... 573....

....... 1,483 ..

..... ;. 9.37

........... 12 ....

Lakshadweep ............ .. Kavaratti ....................

........... 32 ..

....... 0.05

Pondicherry ............

.. Pondicherry ................ ....... 190....

......... 492 ..

0.81

Dialling Code India - ISD - 91 Delhi - STD - 011

WEATHER CHART

o C Min C = Humidity % am E = Precipitation o C Max D = Humidity % pm (inches)

A = Temp B = Temp

Telex-031 Electricity supply : 220V-AC Weights &Measures : Metric system Fiscal Year : 1 Apr-31Mar

DELHI BEST TIME (NOV - APR)

Apr

May

Aug

Sep

Mar

Dec

Jan

Feb

Jun

Jul

Oct

Nov

11

8

14

27

24

A

7

20

26

28

26

18

9

TIMINGS

23

29

31

36

34

B

21

24

36

41

39

34

34

69

51

67

49

75

72

C

72

35

35

53

80

56

Govt. Office

Mon-Fri

9.00 - 13.00, 13.30 - 17.30

42

31

35

23

59

51

D

41

19

20

36

64

32

1.8

1.0

0.3

18

1.3

11.7

0.8

E

2.3

1.3

7.4

17.3

1.0

Banks

Mon-Fri

10.00 - 14.00; Sat - 10.00 - 12.00

.0

VISA : Required except for the citizens of Bhutan, Nepal, S.Africa (Indian origin) and Maldives

Commerce

Mon-Fri

10.00 - 18.00

* Some States work on Saturdays full except 2nd Saturdays.

NATIONAL HOLIDAYS

SEAPORTS v Kandla vi Madras

26th January 15th August 2nd October

- National Day

ix Paradip x Port Blair (A&N. Is.) xi Tuticorin xii Vishakapatnam

i Bombay ii Calcutta iii Cochin iv Jawaharlal.Nehru Port (Bombay)

- Independence day

- Birthday of Mahatma Gandhi

vii New Mangalore viii Mormugao

LONGEST RIVERS

River

Length

Outflow

AIRPORTS

Km 2,840 2,510 1,530 1,460

:Bombay, Madras :Agartala, Amritsar, Bangalore, Bhopal, Calicut, Coimbatore, Cochin, Gauhati, Goa, Hyderabad, In- dore, Kanpur, Madurai, Mangalore, Trivandrum, :Air-India, Continental, Damania, Indian-Airlines, Modi Luft. Calcutta, Delhi,

Mi 1,770 1,560

1) International 2) Others

Brahmaputra Ganges Yamuna Godavari

Bay of Bengal Bay of Bengal Ganges Bay of Bengal

950 910

3) Airlines

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PROFILE

EXPORTS (2015)

IMPORTS (2015)

BASIC INDICATORS (2015)

DATA FOR

$303.7 billion Chemicals, Clothing, Coffee, Engineering goods, Fish pro- ducts, Gems, Jewellery, Leather manufactures, Tea, Textiles.

$28.2 billion Capital goods, Chemicals, Edible oils, Fertilisers, Gems, Iron ore, Jewellery, Petroleum Products, Uncut gems.

INDIA

Area in sq.km ........... ............. Pop. (billion) ................... ........ Density (per sq.km) ..... ............. Birth rate per thousand ............... Infant mortality per thousand ... Death rate per thousand .............. Natural increase per thousand . Life expectancy Male ................. (Years) Female ....... Pop. under 15 yrs (%) ................ Pop. eco active 16-64 yrs (%) . Pop. above 60 yrs (%) ............... Pop. per doctor ................. ........ Drinking water access (% pop.) Calorie supply per capita ....... . Literacy (% pop.) ....................... Energy cons, per capita (kwh) . Primary enrolment ratio (%) ... Teacher - student ratio................ Urban pop. (%)........................... Labour force (million) ............... GNP per capita (US.$)................ Inflation rate (2015- %) ............. Phones per thousand .................. TVs per thousand .......................

32,87,5

1.22

954

212

TRADE PARTNERS

41

Imports

Exports

Countries

80.0

13.97

13.5%

US USSR & E. Europe Japan W. Germany

24.8% 25.6%

63.8

12.8% 18%

67.3

7.8%

29

36.0

60.7

TOURISM EARNINGS (1992): US $ 1,540,000,000

7.1

MAJOR CITIES & THEIR POPULATION (in M)

2,337

Agra

1.4

Chandigarh

0.96 Madras

4.32

86

Allahabad

1.07

Delhi

10.9 Madurai

0.9

74

Ahmedabad

3.28

Hyderabad

3.59 Nagpur

2.22

52

Bangalore

5.10

Indore

1.83 Patna

1.5

340

Bhopal

1.59

Jaipur

2.71 Pune

2.93

100

Bombay

12.65 Kanpur

2.82 Surat

2.89

1/60.

Calcutta

46.3

Kochi

6.04 Vadodara

1.40

6

Coimbatore

95.98

Lucknow

2.47 Vishakapatnam

1.06

32

PEOPLE : RATIOS RELIGIOUS

4.81

ETHNIC

URBAN/RURAL

5350

8.79

203

65.26

COMMUNICATIONS Railroads - 61,850 ; Road length - 19,70,000 km; Pipelines: Crude oil - 3,497km; Petroleum Products - 1,703 km; Natural gas - 902 km; Buses- 19,173,168; Trucks - 1,289,250; Ports : Major - 11, Minor- 79 ; Civil air - Major transport aircraft - 93; Airfields -336 Usable- 285; Telephones - 4.7 million ; TV Stations - 274 Newspaper - 2,856 dailies; Broadcast stations - 125 AGRICULTURE Coffee, Cotton, Oilseeds, Potatoes, Rice, Sugarcane, Tea, Wheat; Livestock-Buffaloes, Cattle, Goats & Poultry, Sheep. FLORA AND FAUNA FLORA : Alder & Birch, Blue Pine Spruce, Bamboo, Chir, Conifers, Deodar, Dwarf Willows, Junifers, Lau- rels, Maple, Mangroves, Oak, Pine, Rhododendrons, Silver Fir, Silver Birch. FAUNA : Black Buck, Chousingha, Clouded Leopards, Croco-

72 %

Indo-Aryan

Hindu

82.6% Buddhist 0.7%

Urban

25.7%

Dravidian 25% Mongoloid & Others 3%

Muslim

11.4% Jains 0.5%

Rural

74.3%

Christian

2.4% Others 0.4%

Sikh

2%

POPULATION DOUBLING TIME In years (at current rate)

1991 886.3M

MEMBERSHIP OF INTERNATIONAL _________ ORGANISATIONS

diles, Deer, Ducks, Elephants, Geese, Ghor-Khur, Indian Bison, Langurs, Leopards, Monkeys, My- nahs, Musk Deer, Parakeets, Pigeons, Rare Kashmir Stag, Spotted Deer, Snow leopard, Wild Sheep & Goats.

AfDB, AsDB, IBRD, IDA, IMF

MONETARY

POLITICAL

C, NAM, PCA, IOM (Obs), SAARC

TRADE

AG(obs), CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-6, G-15, G-19. G-24, G-77, GATT, ICC, ICFTU, WFTU IAEA, ICAO, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMO, ONUSAL, UN, UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNOMOZ, UNTAC, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

UN

INDUSTRIES Cement, Food processing, Jute industry, Machinery, Mining, Petroleum, Textiles.

INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, WFTU, WTO

RESEARCH

INMARSAT, INTELSAT __________________________ J

Eternal India encyclopedia

PROFILE

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

MILITARY

There are 42 central, 285 state universities in the country. In addition, there are 130 institutions which are classified as "Deemed to be universities". The number of affiliated and constituent colleges is 35,539

Active duty personnel 1,265,000

Military Expenditure (1993-94) $8,174 billion

MAJOR POLITICAL PARTIES Congress (I); Congress (S); Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP); Akali Dal; Janata Dal ; All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazagham (AIADMK); Dravida Munnetra Kazagham; Communist Party of India (CPI); Communist Party of India/Marxist (CPI/M); Communist Party of India/Marxist-Leninist (CPI/ ML); Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP); Bahujan Samaj Party(BSP); Tel- ugu Desam, Shiv Sena. STRUCTURE OF LEGAL SYSTEM Based on English Common Law, judicial review of legislative acts, accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations. SUFFRAGE : Universal at age 18 ELECTION : National and state elections ordinarily held every 5 years, may be postponed in emergency and may be held more frequently if government loses confidence vote; last general election held in 2014. EMBASSIES IN CAPITAL Afghanistan, Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bhutan, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, China, Colombia, Cuba, Cyprus, Denmark, Dominica, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gambia, Germany, Georgia, Ghana, Greece, Guyana, Hungary, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Korea North. Korea South, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Myanmar, Paraguay, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Namibia, Nauru, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russian Federation, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singapore, Somalia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad & Tobago, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, UK, Ukraine, USA, Uzbekistan, Vatican, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe. NATIONAL TOURIST AGENCY Indian Tourisim Development Corporation, 88, Janpath, N. Delhi; Tel: 320005 UNITED NATIONS MEMBER Year of Membership -1945.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore

1)

Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bombay

2)

3) Indian Institutes of Technology at New Delhi, Bombay, Madras, Kanpur, Kharagpur & Guwahati 4) Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore 5) Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay

PLACES OF INTEREST

i) Delhi - Red Fort, Parliament House, Jantar Mantar, India Gate ii) Agra - Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Moti Masjid, Jehangir's Palace (Uttar Pradesh) iii) Maharashtra - Ajanta & Ellora Caves in Aurangabad . iv) Sanchi - Buddhist Stupas (Madhya Pradesh) v) Konark - Sun Temple (Orissa) vi) Jaipur- Jantar Mantar, Hawa Mahal, Ram Niwas Gardens & Museum. vii) Hyderabad - Salar Jung Museum, Charminar, Golconda Fort.

MEDIA

Circulation 308,834 261,554 217,905 204,617 172,774 109,696 Circulation 218,075 164,975 164,141

Top Dailies Malayala Manorama (Mai.) The Times of India(Eng.) Indian Express (Eng.) Gujarat Samachar (Guj.) Ananda Bazar Patrika(Ben.) Punjab (Hindi) Dina Tanthi (Tamil) Top Weeklies Malayala Manorama (Mai.) Kumudam (Tamil)

Circulation Top Dailies 647,095 Eenadu (Telugu) 606,450 Lok

Satta

(Marathi)

573,614

Prajavani

(Kannada)

478,760 Kesari (Hindi) 441, 685 Ajit (Punjabi) 334,776 Samaj (Oriya) 326,262 Circulation Top Weeklies 1,126,541 Ananda Vikatan (Tamil) 481,485 Sudha (Kannada) 304,819 Mayapuri (Hindi) 269,690 Swati Sapari Vara Patrika (Telugu) TOP MAGAZINES Circulation 386,358 Tughlak (Tamil) 380,537 Vanitha(Malayalam) 3,56,363 Jee (Gujarati) 323,775

Chitralekha (Gujarati) Rani Weekly (Tamil)

124,549

Circulation 149,112 250,851 102,597

India Today (Eng.) Reader's Digest (Eng.) Manohar Kahaniyan (Hindi) Grih Shobha (Hindi)

GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT (2015) - US $1.877 trillion

BANKS Indian Overseas Bank

State Bank of Saurashtra

Allahabad Bank Andhra Bank Bank of Baroda Bank of India Bank of Maharashtra Canara Bank Central Bank of India Corporation Bank Dena Bank Indian Bank

ENTERTAINMENT Music, dance and drama, films, horse racing, golf, swimming, hiking, trek- king, skiing etc.

Karur Vysya Bank Laxmi Vilas Bank Oriental Bank of Commerce Punjab National Bank Punjab & Sind Bank State Bank of Bikaner & Jaipur State Bank of India

State Bank of Travancore

State Bank of Hyderabad

Syndicate Bank

Union Bank

SHOPPING GUIDE Shopping centres : Bombay, Calcutta, Delhi, Madras

UCO Bank

Best Buys : Sandalwood & rosewood articles, incense sticks, silk fabrics, sil- verware, jewellery, handicrafts, handlooms, textiles, leather goods, hosiery, ivory, carpets, Indian musical instruments, metalware, etc.

Vijaya Bank

Vysya Bank

State Bank of Mysore State Bank of Patiala

MUSEUMS

Foreign Banks ANZ Grindlays Bank City Bank Bank of America Deutsche Bank

i)

Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad

Hongkong Bank Standard Chartered Bank

ii)

Nehru Memorial Museum, New Delhi

iii) Baroda Museum, Baroda iv) Visveshwariah Industrial and Technological Museum, Bangalore.

ENERGY AND POWER

i Installed Capacity - 82,000 MW (1992) ii Power Generated - 310,000 M units

LUMINARIES

i) Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869-1948) - Father of the nation. ii) Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964) - Builder of Modern India. iii) Smt. Indira Gandhi (1917-1984) - First Woman PM of India. iv) Sir C.V. Raman (1888-1970) - Nobel Prize Winner -Scientist. v) Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) - Nobel Prize winner - Poet. vi) Sir M. Visvesvaraya (1861 - 1962) - Engineer & statesman. vii) Srinivas Ramanajan (1887-1920) - Mathematician

TAXATION (2015) Individuals / HUF – upto 2,00,000 – NILL ; above 2,00,000 below 5,00,000-10%; Above 5,00,000 below 10,00,000-20%;above 10,00,000-30%

B - PERCEPTION

Events in the nature's folder Myths are always ancient and bolder Perceptions lie in the eyes of the beholder.

Translated by "Trikenu" (inspired by Tulsidas)

Eternal India encyclopedia

PERCEPTIONS

OM (THE COSMIC SOUND)

A compound of the three letters, a, u, m, (A stands for Brahma, U for Vishnu and M stands for Rudra, also Surya the Sun) OM is declared in the Upanishads where it first appears to have a mystic power and to be worthy of the deepest meditation. The Mundaka Upanishad teaches a Upasana (meditation) based on OM. “Taking as a bow the great weapon presented in the Upanishads, fix on it an arrow that has been sharpened by meditation . Then stretching the bow fully, with a mind wholly absorbed in its thought (i.e. of Brahman) do thou hit the target which is the imperishable reality. The Om is the bow, the mind is the arrow. Brahman is the target. It is to be hit with concentration, and one should become unified with the target just like the arrow.” To merge oneself in the Absolute, the one without a second, is the goal of Advaitic spiritual practice. With a view to attaining this unity, a spiritual seeker may practise a method of worship in which the worshipper may identify himself with the object of his worship — God or Brahman or any particular deity. To those who find this process difficult, worship with the help of some appropriate symbol is prescribed. The deity is worshipped through the symbol. The Upanishadic formula of Om as the mystic syllable proved attractive because its continuous repetition had the effect of bringing about concentration of thought. So it was made the subject of meditation and was also regarded as the most natural expression for Ishwara (God). The earliest form of Om has a point above its crescent. This symbolises the immensity, Brahman. The crescent symbolises air while the circles denote sound. The semi-circle below the circle symbolises the first wave of energy. The wave lines at the bottom indicate the primordial waters.

OM : Original Mantra In this new symbolism of ‘OM’ , 'O' indicates the origin, as well as the 'point of singularity' or shunya from which this world began. The letter 'M' represents the ‘matter’ that emerged from this point. It also is a simultaneous representation of particle and wave, indicating an underlying unity. OM is the Original Mantra, which contains life's tantra,

It is only when the sound 'A' joins 'U' and the sound 'U' joins 'M', that, we get the complete sound of AUM. If the three sounds do not join with each other, we do not get the complete sound of Aumkar

OM is the Original Mystery, which contains life’s history,

OM is that Original Moment,

which witnessed the ‘big bang’ event,

OM is the Original Matter,

which is now widely scattered,

OM is the Original Miracle,

manifested both as the wave and the particle,

OM is the Original Music,

whose vibrations are cosmic,

OM is Omnipotent Mother,

representing all goddesses together,

OM is the Original Manas, which has no distortions, in it one can see self-reflection, and measure the degree of one's distortion,

OM is peace and peace is OM It is human's ultimate home.

— "Trikenu"

PERCEPTIONS

Eternal India encyclopedia

PANCHA MAHAABHUTA (FIVE ELEMENTS)

“Earth, Water, Fire, Air and the Sky, Human body is made from five elements"

- Kabir

There are five basic elements, Which are life's main ingredients, 'Earth', 'Water', 'Fire', 'Sky' and the 'Air', Their combinations determine life's fare, Factoral five is one hundred and twenty, For the periodic table, this is quite plenty. "Trikenu”

Pancha Mahaabhutas arranged in the order of increasing “Lightness’

The ether, air, fire, water, and earth are the subtle elements. Combining with the parts of one another and becoming gross, they are the cause of the gross body. Their subtle essences form sense-objects — the groups of five such as sound, which are conducive to the happiness of the enjoyer. The parallels in science to these Pancha mahaabhutas are : 'Ether' for Aakasha, 'Air' for Praana, 'Fire' for Agni, 'Water' for Aapaha and 'Earth' for Prithvi. In the Pancha Mahaabhutas the symbol square represents the element 'earth', circle represents the 'water', triangle represents the 'fire', crescent represents the 'Air' and bindu (point) represents the 'ether'. These elements are arranged in the order of their increasing "Lightness".

The properties of the five elements are sound, touch, colour, taste and smell. In Aakasha ('ether'), 'air', 'fire', 'water' and 'earth', the number of properties successively are one, two, three, four and five. A 'fire' feels hot, and its colour is red. 'Water' makes a characteristic rippling sound; it is cold to the touch; its colour is white, and it is sweet to taste. The 'earth' makes a characteristic rattling sound; it is hard to the touch; its variegated colours are blue, red and so forth; it is sweet, sour and so forth in t a s t e . T h e 'earth' emits smells, both pleasant and unpleasant. Thus the characteristic properties of the five elements are well classified. The five senses (which perceive them) are hearing, touch, sight, taste and smell.

SPACE "The traditional example : Space within a pitcher is not really separate from the space outside. It was not distinct before the pitcher was made; it will not be distinct once the pitcher is broken and is not therefore really distinct while the pitcher exists. All the divisions of space into atoms and heavenly spheres is illusory. Space within the atom can be as immense as that within a solar system, and there can be no limit to the number of possible worlds contained in another system, (Hindu Polytheism: Alain Danielou).

PERCEPTIONS

Eternal India encyclopedia

SAMUDRA MANTHANA (CHURNING OF OCEAN)

QUANTUM ROPE

Matter and anti-matter create the quantum chatter, Action and counter action make vectors change directions, Forces and counter forces influence the event's courses, Letter and counter letter are needed to settle the matter, Thesis and anti thesis you look for the synthesis, You wonder at the basis of the manthan and oasis, You reach for new solutions

After the venomous poison had been effectively consumed, the Devas and the Asuras resumed the churning of the ocean till the elixir emerged : the Amrit Kalasa. Though this parable occurred thousands of years ago, yet it can be symbolically interpreted in today's materialistic world. The Devas are exemplified as our good qualities, thoughts, words and deeds. The Asuras are reflected in our bad qualities, thoughts, words and deeds. The churning of the ocean is occurring in our mind — it is the churning of our intelligence. Mount Meru — the churning rod is our viveka — our power of discrimination. Vasuki is symbolically represented by our endless trail of thoughts which come and go.. Whenever a thought process occurs there is a churning taking place. If our inherent tendencies ( vasanas and gunas) are predominantly good, then our thought — flow process creates good thoughts. As a result good deeds are a natural outcome and vice versa. Awareness of the constant processes of the Samudra Manthana taking place in our minds is the first step. Very often, we make decisions unconsciously, we act in ignorance. We get tossed on the waves of sorrow and joy, pleasure and pain. We have to learn from the Samudra Manthana to throw out all evil tendencies, bad qualities so that only Amrit remains. - (H.M.S.)

The Puranas narrate this educative parable which occurred thousands of years ago. The Devas (Gods) were in search of Amrit — that ambrosial nectar which would make them immortal so that they could reign forever. To assist them in their search for this elixir, they took the help of the Asuras (demons). They used Mount Meru as the churning rod and the king of serpents, Vasuki, as the rope. They churned the ocean for years and then the gifts began to appear : Uccaihsrava, the divine horse; Kamadhenu, the divine cow, Kalpavruksha, the wish-fulfilling tree; Airavata, the six-tusked elephant. Suddenly the ocean began to simmer and erupt with a terrible poison — the Garla. The Devas and Asuras fled since neither of them had any earlier knowledge of this venomous poison, which was spreading rapidly and threatening to annhiliate creation. However due to Lord Shiva's divine in- tervention the poison was effectively consumed and integrated into His being. His throat turned blue when the poison reached there (Lord Shiva is also worshipped as Neelkanth ...the black- throated Lord). At that glorious moment, He began His Tandav Nritya ....so that the poison would remain in His throat and not reach His heart where Lord Vishnu resided (In this form Lord Shiva is worshipped as Nataraja : the Lord of the Dance).

and ways of resolution, many long for revolution from manthan's evolution, Churning of the ocean By the quantum rope Poison shows its motion And nectar is the hope.

— "Trikenu" 'Quantum"Rop e'

Shanka or the Conch : Vishnu is depicted as holding the Conch in one of his four arms as he sleeps in the primeval ocean on the thousand- headed snake Shesha. From the conch issued the primordial creative sound OM, which is the Word made manifest. The Conch is not only in the upper be- nevolent left hand of Lord Mahavishnu, but it is a child of the Ocean, like his consort Lakshmi. The Conch is such a marvel, that the higher octaves of all the notes of Shankar-abharana and Harikambhoji figure in various degrees. The Conch is amazing, because it is built in the form of an equiangular spiral, a mathematical figure which shows up on its top or head, as you look vertically down over its head. Many seashells have this spiral shape too. The Conch is also an essential part of ritualistic pooja.

Atom and the Aatman : A New Samudra Manthana "It seems to me that science and technology have similarly caused this great churning of human consciousness. We have remarkable gifts; we can fly beyond the moon to the planets, beyond the planets to the stars. There are marvellous miracles of technology ...at the same time the poison is there and it is beginning to emerge, ... In the final analysis, the power of the atom and the power of the Aatman are pitted against each other. If in the heart of the atom such tremendous destructive power can be found, cannot we find in the heart of the Aatman an equally great and beneficent power which would help us to meet this tremendous challenge?"

— Dr. Karan Singh "Essays on Hinduism"

PERCEPTIONS

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DASHAAVATHAARA (TEN INCARNATIONS OF VISHNU)

ARRIVAL OF INCARNATIONS Mathsyaavathaara or 'fish incarnation' refers to the ancient legend of the fish and the deluge wherein Manu embarked in a ship with, the rishis with the seeds of all existing things. Kurmaavathaara or the 'tortoise incar- nation' arrived to support the mount Mandara that had started sinking during the Samudra- manthana or churning of the ocean. Varaahaavathaara or the 'boar incarnation' arrived to kill the demon Hiranyaksha and it lifted the earth out of the flood waters in which it had been submerged. It is also a symbolic representation of saving the world from the 'deluge of sin'. Narasimhaavathaara or the 'man-lion incarnation', is a combination of man (the best of higher creatures) and the lion (the best of lower creatures) representing the embodiment of valour. He saved Prahlad the great child devotee from the oppression and torture by his father, the demon Hiranyakasipu. Vaamanavathaara or the 'dwarf incarnation' is connected to the legend of Bali. He approached Bali for gift of land and covered the three worlds with three big steps. The next five incarnations are in the human form. Parasuraama exterminated the tyrannical among the kshatriyas who were oppressing the people. The story of Raamaavathaara has now become an immortal epic — Ramayana. Refer Sec. F-Religions Page F-40, F-44. Krishnaavathaara is considered Poor- naavathaara— the incarnation in total as Krishna is the supreme statesman, warrior, hero, philosopher and teacher, God himself. He is the expounder of the 'Bhagavad Gita'. Buddhaavathaara or the incarnation of Buddha though "originally foreign to the cycle of the Avataras" was however incorporated as the ninth avatara as Buddha represented the enlightenment of the humans. Kalkiavataara has yet to come to 'inau- gurate a reign of universal goodness, peace and prosperity. At the end of the Kali Yuga this incarnation bearing the name of Kalki will arrive 'to put an end to wickedness, and establish a kingdom of righteousness'. This avathaara represents the hope for wiping out the suppression, oppression and evil and establish the 'kingdom of truth.'

“Whenever, O descendent of Bharat, there is decline of Dharma and rise of Adharma, then I incarnate Myself.”

GOD BECAME MAN SO THAT MAN COULD BECOME GOD.

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PERCEPTIONS

AGNI (THE PRIMEVAL FIRE)

Agni, god of Fire, promi- nent deity of the Vedas. Shown as a red man, having 2 heads, 3 legs

In Yasna 34:4, Zarathushtra says, ‘Thine Inner Fire Ahura, to see

‘We yearn, - He blazes mightily through truth; ‘He has thy strength, our hope and Goal is He, ‘He lights the faithful clearly through life; ‘But O Mazda, in the hearts of the unfaithful; ‘He sees the evil at a glance.’

and 7 arms, dark eyes, eyebrows and hair. He rides on a ram, wears a Brah- manical thread, and a garland of fruit. Flames of fire issue from his mouth and seven streams of glory radiate from the body. The very first word of the very first verse of the very first hymn in the very first Mandala of the Rig Veda invokes Agni. And who or what is Agni? O Agni, warm coldest dust of the gods, Life and Light of Existence; Infinite energy of consciousness, destroyer and preserver! Agni is “the divine force which builds the cosmos, the destructive energy which shat- ters unwanted forms, ...also the great puri- fying agency hidden in all things and the 'sacrificial priest' and 'invoker', the 'guest' in the human tabernacle, the 'immortal in mor- tals' which makes the gods manifest” Jeanine Miller Agni is behind and beyond, at once centre and circumference, charging, enveloping and sustaining everything. There are so many transactions, so many variations of stasis and flux, but Agni is the root and sap of all, the alpha and the omega: and from the Mys- tic Fire, the fundamental Agni, issue Jada- Agni (ordinary fire), Vaidyuta-Agni (elec- tric fire) and Saura-Agni (solar or nuclear fire), the great God Agni who is the Divine Master of things : 'Agni (as Daksha ) entered into Aditi (the Sun) to produce the Aditya ...and they gave LIGHT to the world'. "All things on earth and in heaven are, therefore, the handiwork of Agni, and the climax of them all is reached in LIFE'. 'The manifested World of Sound is noth- ing but Agni'. 'Agni is Shakthi -Power too, deus ex machina in the Universe, life-giver, life- sustainer, and life-destroyer'.

The physical fire is merely an out- ward symbol of this Inner fire. God is formless in Essence, and so is fire. When a Zarathushti worships fire, he is worshipping this Inner Fire contained within the symbolic outer physical fire. In Zoroastrian temples sacred fire is kept constantly burning. The highest of these is the Atash-Behram, where the fire is tended by an ordained priest, who has undergone certain disciplines and has at- tained such competence in his work, as to be able to perform all the higher religious cere- monies. He alone can enter the inner sanc- tum sanctorum in which the fire is installed. The sources from which the fire is col- lected, range in variety from fire produced by lightning, fire from a cremation pyre, fire from a priest’s hearth, to other fires ob- tained from ovens and furnaces. The holiest Shrine of the Fire of Iran, is situated at Udvada, about 100 miles from Bombay. It was established in A.D. 721 and has been blazing ever since. At that time Dastur Nariosang Dhaval, invoked and created lightning for the consecration of the fire. The external physical fire in the temple is fed with sandalwood. The vegetable king- dom is considered a fit offering for the Con- secrated Fire. Similarly the body is the temple of the sitting friend, and it should also be fed with pure sathwic food, and not animal matter. If it is imperative that the Consecrated Fire is to be fed with sathwic offerings, then it stands to reason that it is equally important for the body to consume only pure sathwic food. Animal food is tinged with rajas, and it arouses passionate rajasic qualities in the mind, which are not very conducive to spiritual progress or ac- quiring peace. The sacred fire is to be utilised for puri- fying the body, mind and soul, through vari- ous rituals and practices, so that the Son of God, ATAR, may be installed on His throne, the pure heart. (Eruch B. Fanibunda) “Vision of the Divine”

The Universe without (the macrocosm) and the Universe within (the microcosm) are alike peopled with Powers and Personali- ties, perils and possibilities, purposings and perversions, but Agni is the womb of all, the home of all, the tomb of all - and the seed- cell of resurrection as well. Sacred Fire : In the Atarsh Niyaesh, the symbol of Fire is personified as the son of Ahura Mazda, and in Yasna Haptanghaiti 36:6 as the most beautiful Body of God. These references are not to the actual physical Fire, but the Divine Spark or the Inner Fire in man, and therefore the Fire is our inner teacher or Guru. ‘Gu’ means dark- ness and ‘Ru’ means remover or destroyer. The word means, He who destroys the Darkness of Ignorance. The fire or Agni, de- stroys, and burns agnyana or ignorance through its self-effulgent illumination, within the heart. Fire in its latent aspect is contained within all forms manifest in the universe. It is the Divine energy, the Shakthi aspect which lies at the root of all creation, and is derived from Mazda. Therefore, in Yasna 62, Fire is called ‘Atar’, the Son of Ahura Mazda and throughout the Avesta texts, he is always conceived as the Inner Spark. The vital fire of the sun and that which perme- ates all creation is called USHATANA. When the manifest form is destroyed and returned to its elements the Ushatana re- turns to the Sun. The Fire, present in the vegetable king- dom is described as URVAZISHTA and the one in the animal kingdom as ATAR SPEN- ISHTA. Here, they are equated with the life force contained in the seed and the sperm.

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PERCEPTIONS

SURYA (SUN - THE SOURCE OF LIFE)

The solar energy is life and the food. It is all that has a form and also is formless. Therefore, form means its energy. The sun pours life into his rays and whatever they light. The sun is the universal fire (energy) in its original and all forms.

Surya,

usually

represented

in

a

chariot by seven horses — (also by a seven-headed horse, surrounded with rays). drawn

The Sixteen Rays of Knowledge The sun has thousands of rays but in popular belief it emits rays in multiples of 4, i.e 8, 12, 16, 32. The sixteen rays of knowledge are :

The Sun is teaching us that when one is oneself, there will be no exhaustion or elation, no disgust or pride. The task of Surya is not something imposed from outside and taken up under compulsion. That is why it is performed systematically, and smoothly. He is also exhorting mankind to use the time that He creates and allots, fully and fruitfully; not merely for living comfortably and safely, but for living a moral and elevating life, worthy of the destiny that is man’s. Now you can realise why the Gita was first taught by the Lord to the Sun. He is the great Karma Yogi, the great Nishkaama Karma Yogi. Has there ever been a day in your life when the Sun HAS NOT RISEN?? The rising and setting of the Sun is something which we have taken for granted. How many of us have ever thanked the Sun for providing us with His Divine Light and Radiant Heat? How many of us have ever thanked the Sun for keeping us alive and for sus- taining the world? Does He not work ceaselessly, without any threat of a strike or lockout?? Has He ever threat- ened to take leave?? Has He ever come too near to us or gone too far away?? technique of drawing in the solar energy. He circumambulates around the offerings, chanting the hymns glorifying the twelve names of the sun and prostrates, more than a hundred times everyday. May that Sun ever prosper at whose appear- ance the meritorious and Lakshmi (presiding deity of all graces); begin to prosper. - (H.M.S) — “The Eternal Ocean of Brahma”

Kripa (Mercy)

Ekaagratha (Concentration)

Mrudutha (Gentleness)

Audaarya (Magnanimity)

Dhairya (Courage)

Akshobha (Emotionless) 14 Udyama (Enterprise)

Vairaagya (Dispassion)

Gaambheerya (Gravity of 12 demeanour)

Dhruti (Constancy)

Swasthirat 11 (Restfulness)

6 Sampath

(Prosperity)

Haasya (Cheerfulness)

Dhyaana

10

(Meditation)

Vinaya (Humility)

Romancha (Thrill)

There are sun temples where the sun is

The sun has always been considered the source of all energy. The Sanskrit verse quoted above testifies to the importance given to it by Indian sages from the earliest times. Irrespective of the variously differing perceptions of the Universe and the Cosmos the primacy of the sun remained through centuries, an undisputed central law of liv- ing. Modern science has underlined the cen- tral position of the sun. We know that en- ergy in any form — heat, light and electro- magnetic waves — has its origin in solar energy generated by nuclear fusion reac- tions at the sun's core. The sun represents the limit, the point where the manifest and the unmanifest worlds unite. The sun thus represents the Supreme Principles.

duly

worshipped.

Several

names

are

attributed e.g. Loka-Chakshush,

'eye of the

Graha-Raja,

world',

'king

of

the

constellation', Gabhastimaan,

'possessed of

rays', Sahasrakirana,

'Having a thousand

Visawat,

Bhaskara,

rays',

'the brilliant',

'light maker', Dina-Kara,

'Day maker', Arha-

Pathi, 'Lord of day'. Surya namaskaara* or worship of the sun as a visible symbol of the supreme is also performed during the Yagna. A pandit with an athletic build and a lot of stamina, usually undertakes to perform this physi- cally taxing ritual. A small oil lamp and various offerings are laid out in an appropri- ate manner, for this worship. The pandit while chanting Vedic hymns, carries out elaborate prostrations according to a certain

“Look to the blazing Sun and bathe in its light. When you bring in light, the darkness vanishes.” — Prabhushri.

* For more details refer sec. K Pg. K-50

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PERCEPTIONS

SOMA (MOON - LOVE & HAPPINESS)

SOMA PLANT The Soma plant of the Rig Veda is a creeper (Asclepius acida), almost destitute of leaves, which had small, white fragrant flowers around the ex- tremities of the branches. The plant yielded a milky juice which extracted and fermented formed

Soma, the moon god, who performed the Rajasuya sacrifice and acquired a vast dominion. He is believed to have carried off Tara, wife of Brihaspati. His son was Budha (planet mercury)

a beverage offered in libations to the deities and drunk by the Brahmans. It had exhila- rating qualities. The gods were represented as being equally fond of it. When Soma was brought to the gods, a dispute arose as to who should have the first draught. At length, this was decided by a race. Vayu first reached the goal, Indra being second. Indra tried hard to win, and when near the winning post proposed that they should reach it together, Vayu taking two-thirds of the drink. Vayu said, "Not so! I will be the winner alone." Then Indra said, "Let us come in together, and give me one-fourth of the draught divine!" Vayu consented to this, and so the juice was shared between them. Soma was personified as a god who rep- resented and animated the soma juice. All the 114 hymns of the ninth book of the Rig Veda are dedicated to him. In later years the name Soma was, and still is, given to the moon. In the verses descriptive and songs in praise of Soma, the actual juice, and the god supposed to dwell in and manifested by it, are not at all distinct. All the gods drink of it; and Soma, the god in the juice, is said to clothe the naked and heal the sick. Many divine attributes are ascribed to him "This Soma is a god; he cures

The Sanskrit verse and its translation reflecting the ancient Hindus' knowledge of astronomy is similar to the modern scientific explanation of the waxing and waning of the moon. The moon has no light of its own and shines by reflecting the light of the sun. The new moon occurs when the moon on its revolution round the earth passes below the sun as seen from the earth. Then its entire dark hemisphere faces the earth and it is therefore invisible. As the moon moves away from the sun, from east to west, part of the sunlit hemisphere becomes visible. This increases in size till the full moon is visible. After full moon less and less of the sunlit hemisphere becomes visible till the new moon is reached. The growth of plants was connected with the moon with which Soma, the King of plants, was later identified. Soma was the god who represented-the potent Soma juice, which had exhilarating qualities. In later times the name Soma was given to the moon. The waning and waxing of the moon is explained as due to a curse of the Rishi Daksha, whose twenty-seven daughters he had married. These daughters are really personifications of the twenty-seven lunar asterisms. He paid so much attention to Rohini, the fourth of them, that the others became jealous and appealed to their father. Daksha’s intervention made no difference. He cursed his son-in-law so that he re- mained childless and became affected with consumption. This moved his wives to pity and they interceded with their father. He could not recall his curse but he modified it so that the decay became peri- odical not permanent. Hence the waning and waxing of the moon.

Names : Indu, Shashi (marked like a hare); Mrigaanka (marked like a deer), Soma : (Moon) produced from the churning of the oceans. Nishaakara (maker of night). Nakshatra-Nautha (Lord of the scintillation), Sheeta-Marichi (Having cool rays), Sheethaanshu (possessing white rays), Shiva-Shekhara (Crest of Shiva). Somanaatha (Someswara), 'Lord of the moon' Chandra-Vamsha (Lunar race) Yadavas and Pauravas claim descent from moon. Chandra-Kaantha (the moon stone) gem supposed to be formed by the concen- tration of the moon’s rays and has a cooling influence. Eclipses are caused by Asura Rahu (Svarbhaanu) seeking to seize Sun and Moon. The sage Atri speaks : ‘O Surya, when the asura's descendant, Svarbhaanu, pierced thee through and through with darkness, All creatures looked like one who is bewildered, who knoweth not the place where he is standing. What time thou smotest down Svarbhaanu's magic that spread itself beneath the sky, O Indra, by his fourth sacred-prayer Atri discovered Surya concealed in gloom that stayed his function.’ — A.C. Clayton

The sharpest ills that man endures. He heals the sick, the sad he cheers, He nerves the weak, dispels their fears; The faint with martial ardour fires, with lofty thoughts the bard inspires; The soul from earth to heaven he lifts; So great and wondrous are his gifts, Men feel the god within their veins, And cry in loud exulting strains;

'We've quaffed the Soma bright And are immortal grown: We've entered into light, And all the gods have known. What mortal now can harm, Or foeman vex us more? Through thee, beyond alarm, Immortal god, we soar.'

- W. J. Wilkins

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