Wednesday 5 December 2012

Guyana Project

---------- Forwarded Message ----------
From: Ramattee Charan [mailto:raymcharan@gmail.com


Opportunity for devotees interested in community-building and
self-sufficiency/organic farming:

Looking for sincere, loyal, forward-thinking devotees of Srila Prabhupada to
help us use our 200 acres of prime farmland for spreading the Hare Krishna
movement in Guyana.
Details:
" 200 acres
" Modern, adequate facility concrete block house suitable for a
family with children
" running water
" electricity
" phone and internet services available
At the moment 53 acres are fully developed. 43 acres are rice fields and
currently being rented out to nondevotee farmers (we would make this land
available to devotees interested in organic rice farming). On 8 acres we're
growing fruit trees - mangoes guavas, chicoos, cherries, soursop, avocado,
and several other varieties. The land is paid off. Our only expenses are
property taxes and utilities, which are minimal depending on usage, so this
project is not burdened by debt.
There are many initiated devotees in the area and three large, newly built
temples not far from our property. There are also a handful of devotees
currently living on the property, using it, at the moment, for their own
projects.
My husband, Ranchor Prabhu, and I would like to live here and work alongside
likeminded devotees who are serious about their Krsna consciousness and
dedicated to pushing on Srila Prabhupada's movement. Guyana is a wonderful
place - similar to India. The weather is conducive for growing year round.
People are receptive to the Hare Krsna philosophy, simple-minded, and very
attracted to foreign devotees. Even the politicians are favorably disposed
to the Hare Krsna Movement.
We have been unable to find local devotees interested in what we're
offering. This is not a large-scale farming project but focused on growing
our own food, practicing self-sufficiency, sharing harmonious Krsna
consciousness, and reaching out to the local people and sharing our
devotional and green culture. There is so much potential here.
So whether you'd like to help or even lead this project, please contact us.
We're willing to facilitate you in any way we can.
If we cannot find devotees who would like to live and serve in Guyana, we
are willing to consider donating the proceeds from the sale of our property
to devotees with a worthy project elsewhere. Of course, that would be our
last resort.
For more detailed information please contact: Rama devi at raymcharan@
gmail.com
Telephone # 011-592-221-2818 or 386 462 5869

Friday 26 October 2012

>60% of milk is synthetic!

http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/more-than-60-per-cent-milk-in-country-unsa
fe-adulterated-with-paint-detergent-government-282439?pfrom=home-otherstorie

s

More than 60 per cent milk in country unsafe, adulterated with paint,
detergent: Government

New Delhi: Over 68 per cent of milk in the country does not conform to the
standards set by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI),
the Centre has told the Supreme Court on a plea for checking sale of
synthetic and adulterated milk and various dairy products.

The submission has been made by the Centre in its affidavit which referred
to a survey conducted by the FSSAI, which had found that over 68 per cent of
the "non-conforming" milk was found in urban areas, 66 per cent of which was
loose milk.

According to the FSSAI's 2011 survey, the most common adulterant was found
to be the addition of water, and the main reason for deviation from the
standards was addition of glucose and skimmed milk powder. It also found
that in some samples, detergent was mixed.

The affidavit was filed in response to the notice issued on a Public
Interest Litigation (PIL) by a group of citizens, led by Swami Achyutanand
Tirth of Uttarakhand, seeking a check on sale of synthetic and adulterated
milk and various dairy products.

Notices had also been issued to Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh,
Uttarakhand and Delhi governments on a PIL alleging that synthetic and
adulterated milk and milk products are prepared using urea, detergent,
refined oil, caustic soda and white paint which, according to studies, are
"very hazardous" to human life and can cause serious diseases like cancer.

The petitioners' advocate Anurag Tomar said that the affidavit is silent on
many aspects which allegedly refer to adulteration of milk and its products.

The affidavit said that over 83 per cent of the non-conforming milk in rural
areas was found to be loose milk.


The FSSAI had analysed 1791 samples of milk randomly collected from 33
states and Union territories to identify the common adulterant in milk, both
loose and packaged.

It had gathered samples from rural and urban areas and after analysing them
at five different public sector laboratories, it had found that 68.4 per
cent of the samples were non-conforming (adulterated) to its standards.

"Total of 1791 samples of milk were randomly collected from 33 states with a
good mix of rural and urban areas as well as packaged and loose milk....
After analysis 565 (31.5 per cent) samples were found to be conforming to
the FSSAI standards whereas 1226 (68.4 per cent) samples of milk were found
to be non-conforming.

"The non-conforming of samples in rural areas were 381 (31 per cent) out of
which 64 (16.7 per cent) were packet samples and 317 (83.2 per cent) were
loose sample respectively and in urban areas the total non-conforming
samples were 845 (68.9 per cent) out of which 282 (33 per cent) were packed
and 563 (66.6 per cent) were loose samples," the Centre said.

The PIL said that the alarming situation and imminent danger to public
health requires immediate action on the part of the central government and
the state governments to ensure supply of healthy, hygienic and natural milk
to the citizens of India.
(Text PAMHO:24231692) --------------------------------------

------- End of Forwarded Message ------

Thursday 11 October 2012

Power from bullock cart wheels

Great thanks to Sridhari Madhav Prabhu for this post.

---------- Forwarded Message ----------
From: TARIKERE SRIDHAR
---------------------------------------
Hare Krishna Prabhu,
Dandavat pranam

Interesting report:
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/284508/power-bullock-cart-wheels.html

------- End of Forwarded Message ------


Power from bullock cart wheels

Chikodi (Belgaum dist), Oct 10, 2012, DHNS

This farmer is no engineering student who has undertaken a project as part
of his course. Yet, his innovation is in no less an achievement, in that he
has converted mechanical energy that would have otherwise gone waste into
electricity, something that is becoming more precious by the day.

highlight: The hitech bullock cart developed by farmer Shankar Badigera run
on power generated by the cart wheels.DH photosThe initiative of Shankar
Badigera, hailing from Karoshi village in the taluk, has made journeys in
his humble cart an enjoyable experience, without spending the lakhs that
high-end cars cost.

His bullock cart is not just a multi-utility vehicle, it is also a visual
treat with the bullocks and the cart tastefully decorated.

The colour clothing on the bullocks and the lights on the cart give it the
rustic look.
The family of Badigera, who has studied only up to class V, undertakes the
annual pilgrimage to Yellammana Gudda and it is spared the monotony of the
weeklong journey, thanks to the tape recorder, the TV and the fun that run
on the power produced every time the wheels turn. Dynamos are attached to
the wheels and a battery is connected to the dynamo. The power generated by
the dynamo charges the battery which runs the electrical devices.

Badigera's never say die spirit has often landed him in financial trouble,
whenever the spare parts had to be replaced.

Economical

The farmer, but, has never cut short his tryst with his wonder creation. It
cost him Rs 70,000 to Rs 80,000 to build the cart.

His family looks forward to the trip, complete with the luxuries, the
disarming jingle of the bells tied to the bullocks' necks and cool breeze of
the night. Badigera's family travels mostly in the night as the blazing sun
of the day can make the pair of bullocks tired.

That is the reason why the vehicle has headlights and indicators. Badigera
has a mirror fixed in front of the driver's seat, so that he too can watch
the TV reflected in the mirror.
That's what you call making most of life.

Wednesday 26 September 2012

Short film on Global Village Initiative Committee

Dear Vaisnavas,

Please accept my humble obeisances,
All glories to Srila Prabhupada,

Kindly watch the film on "Global Village Initiative Committee" at ISKCON
Leadership Sangha at the following link.

http://youtu.be/MwcbrvwvwI8

Kindly give me your valuable feedback.

your servant,
Bharat Chandra Dasa

Wednesday 22 August 2012

Sikkim aims to become 'fully organic' by 2015

---------- Forwarded Message ----------
From: narasimham l mantha
Date: 21-Aug-12 10:10
To: Bharat Chandra (das) BRS (NC VAD Ministry - IN) [21172]
------------------------------------------------------------
Hare Krishna
Dandavats Prabhuji

All Glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga,
All Glories to Srila Prabhupada,


http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/the-good-earth/Sikkim-ai
ms-
to-become-fully-organic-by-2015/articleshow/15575320.cms


Sikkim aims to become 'fully organic' by 2015
Sikkim, which started eco-friendly farming from a small area of land about a
decade ago, is set to become a fully organic state by 2015.
GANGTOK: Sikkim, which started eco-friendly farming from a small area of
land
about a decade ago, is set to become a fully organic state by 2015, a senior
state official has said.

"The entire state will be converted into a certified organic state by 2015.
Our
schemes and policies are well tuned to realize that goal," Sikkim
Agriculture
Secretary Vishal Chauhan said.

According to him, structured organic farming started in the state in 2003
when
the government set up the dedicated Sikkim State Organic Board to promote
farm
techniques that prohibit the use of manufactured synthetic fertilizers and
pesticides.

"Our chief ,minister, Pawan Chamling, had also introduced a resolution in
the
assembly seeking to convert entire farming in the state to organic. Now, our
farming relies on techniques such as green manure, compost, biological pest
control and crop rotation."

Over 8,000 hectares of land was covered under organic farming between 2003
to
2009. In a bid to make the state fully organic, various state government
agencies have been working in coordination.

The state government has completely stopped lifting of quota of chemical
fertilizers extended by the Government of India since 2006-07 and all sales
points for chemical fertilizers in public and private sector have been shut.

Sikkim government has also promoted large-scale use of bio-fertilisers and
provides certified manufactured organic manure to farmers as an alternative
to
their chemical substitures, Chauhan said.

In order to provide alternatives to farmers, 24,536 rural compost units and
14,487 vermi-compost units were constructed in farmers' fields till 2009.

The bio-village programme was also adopted in 2003 and around 400 villages
were
adopted by the state government till 2009 to benefit some 14,000 farmers and
14,000 acres of land in four districts of the state.

"We have also launched the comprehensive 'Sikkim Organic Mission' as a nodal
agency to implement and monitor the programme in time-bound manner. A
state-level apex body with the chief minister as its chair oversees the
implementation," the official said.

"Under the new initiative, the government has set a target to implement
fully-organic farming technique by 2015. Organic products sell at a premium,
which will benefit over 50,000 families in the state and promote organic
agro-tourism."

According to latest data, Sikkim produces some 80,000 million tonnes of farm
products, including 45,890 million tonnes of ginger, 3,510 million tonnes of
large cardamom, 2,790 million tonnes of turmeric, 4,100 million tonnes of
buckwheat, 3,210 million tonnes of urad daal and 20,110 million tonnes of
mandarin oranges. Significant portion of these products are already organic.

Your Eternal Servant
Lala Krishna Das.
(Text PAMHO:23931651) --------------------------------------

------- End of Forwarded Message ------

Revolutionary Organic farming

Thanks to Gajanand Agarwalji for this article!...


---------- Forwarded Message ----------
From: Gajanand Agarwal
Subject: 23 August 2012:- Revolutionary Organic farming
------------------------------------------------------------

*My Serious Request To Your self .Below Information is intended for
education purpose and has no underlying motives to do any Business with
yourself or Do any Kind of financial transaction.
Kindly Please Do not misunderstand me

**Below Information is valid for all the people living on this planet
earth,and if you do a right choice of the land by checking whether reports
, soil reports , you can benefit more then Sadananda,
I have Proofs with Organic farming , there are many rich farmers in every
city ! which has basic things required for farming (cow dung ,Land which
floodless & Snowless,atleast few months a year ! with sun shine )*

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Srila Prabhupada Said if you have 1 Acre & 1 cow Then you can Live
happily and with The email article and i have proved that it is really
more then sufficient for a family !
,
i began my research on 19 july 2012 during my Visit to Govardhan eco village
, managed by iskcon chowpatty . in just 1 month i have gained full
confidence that Srila Prabhupada exactly gave the best Vision for our
society (ISKCON) Varnasharam Dharm , Farming community etc since ultimately
in the Coming Future Farmers will be Richest People or i would people who
own most amount of organic agricultural land !

You can Forward this Information to your friends who may have the highest
interest in reading this article!


*Article :- Revolutionary organic Farming !*

Hare Krishna
All Glories To Shrila Prabhupada
Please Accept My Humble Obeisiences
Dandavat Pranam

Respected Guruji ,
Since last 12 Years i have been into Various Businesses Like Information
technology ( website & software ) ,Telecom ,Finance & Cloth Businesses
(manufacturing, our 40 year old family business).

Recently i was attracted by Agricultural Business in india Especially
Organic Farming ,

Since i am Born Marwari ,We Marwaris When we Try to Research on any
Business , We First try to find out who has made Maximum profit from the
Same Business ,
So i did as well and i found out information about Mr Sadanandaji from
karnataka ,Gauribidanur

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gauribidanur

Using Smart Techniques/Brains , Sadanandji has been able to achieve a
Profit of $21000/ per acre that is total approx $42,000 dollars in his 2
acre Farm by doing Organic farming


http://www.hindu.com/2010/04/19/stories/2010041956350500.htm

http://farmnest.com/forum/natural-farming-organic-farming/this-farmer-earns-
rs-
22-lakh-a-year-from-2-1-acres-of-land/

More to it, as per the indias Soil Conditions are Considered , He is not
even having the best Soil of india which is in Karnataka as compared to
other best soil in the country
Karnataka is not even considered among top 8 States accounted for
agriculture contributions in the country

as per my research as below link , maharashtra is a best destination for
agriculture in india ,

http://www.mapsofindia.com/indiaagriculture/

more over ,the type of soil good for agriculture is also called loamy soil
which is also found on the coast of maharashtra

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loam

http://www.mapsofindia.com/maps/india/soilsofindia.htm you can see the map
it shows Loam soil found in Coastal region of Maharashtra

So My Logic was normally a business which gives a Profit return on
investment upto 25% year is Considered Good
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loam>
Now Agricultural Land with Loamy Soil near river in maharashtra is
available for only $1200 /acre onwards ,
So by using Sadanandjis Technique of Organic farming
We can Make 30 times Profit every year on our investment

Moreover land prices of your owned asset increases in time and You can have
1000 times appreciation on your land investment in time
So Technically no risk ! only gain !

My priority is to buy something near a river /dam with Loam soil for
organic farming

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is a intense website of people who are serious about farming ,

www.agricultureinformation.com

i am also in talking terms with agriculture scientist and we are discussing
how we can maximise return with any agriculture land so even the land which
are not considered good for particular crops , can be considered ,

as per my research i shall choose organic Herbal medicine plantation since
, it is the most profitable.

Fruits Like Noni are in Great demand and even our devotee friend owner of
Lupin group Desh bandhuji has also started noni drink manufacturing on a
large scale

another supported fact about profiting with noni :)

http://www.nonifamily.net/incc/cultivationnews.htm


as per the land offers i have received from various villages /farmers in
maharashtra from price of range of $900/acre to $ 5000/acre , i am
thinking hard about chiplun which also means Abode of Lord Parshuram

There is 100 thousand acres of land available for sale /400 sq kilomteres
(size of Mumbai ) in this coastal areas of Maharashtra and if we all
devotees can buy this land and use it for organic farming , we can later
convert this area into Worlds First Vedic city

This is just for your info , may be we can do more better then this farmer
Sadanandaji at ANY ISKCON FARM COMMUNITY in the world


My Vision is ISKCON should become a independent fund sufficient community
which may not need funds from outside to survive and grow at 25% to 50%
per year

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
*
Very interesting documentaries

Bhaskar Save International award winner *

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xp17XH9uSx8&feature=related

*Deepak Suchde*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_Z-1unEcjs
*
Alexander Petroff !! a Famous Talk at Ted *

Alexander Petroff -- Building a sustainable village in the Congo -
YouTube<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-cdsOuJjAI>

TEDxEast - Alex Petroff - Farming Peace and Ending Poverty, Eastern Congo's
Hidden Gem -
YouTube<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrRcA2kWoVA&feature=player_embedded>

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

A full fledged City Farmer my friend vipul

<https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjViSsAmx7Jqnte7nofdIeHYHgO9fvIaH_Jxn35mHC8aDo36u-HbJU_Q7Rq5lCOr2zts4jsUE6vKSr-OlluZTS6iSirNMrKKRKRjkNxbk-_QktuFhEkX1Z_Wm7DG7s_682uuLLZcLYn_MQ//
160
0/Cover.jpg>
"Vipul
Sanghavi" vips982@gmail.com

Who says one needs land to grow vegetables?
And who feels that Organic farming practices do not give sufficient yields?

A visit to our enthusiastic member Vipul Sanghvi's terrace will put to rest
any such doubts.

After dedicatedly making Amrut Mitti for a year
<https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2U0Fmcoy9h-_RIXWfWB-V_BaO0GKwLPBDtFLIH0R-tryL453s0U3NqLF_jlxxMjyOOcwdabZi3l77RTB-uPTf74v7b1RaXp3fmUOI2nY9VDmhmeiwLhZ8YTymVrXaMrP4rC-5hrwiESk//
1600/IMG_0725.JPG
>

the roof top garden in a span of six months resembles a food forest.
<https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDVVB603bj7FTG8MEUv7E1DEO42ZWqzg7MsQ5rBSEUe15w8aVViW3gcDikj2G0mTqgxmtcTh9iSzNT87xsmIhVBzqAHcrFQvtK7qpi5vgGMFs3bOK__GYtPtqztpmhVN5Fq3tPZwXOlxk//
1600/KV.jpg
>

Renamed as the 'Kasturi Vaatika', this space of about 1000 sft. has been
consistently yielding vegetables – enough to sustain 3 or 4 families' daily
requirements.

<https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisOcQWqI9WeEZ0ADe9Gj1Jkc9wVa9gaqtBTDewoZN-ftl1aVBqoPxWqf74OKgTrtr8yudN879Hs6w7avPKlrSCUdYhtkmpz6WvN6nsUzEU9qwUSWqLd83ikZdqfd_Q-mDmn6oLbZahgIE//
1600/Harvest+2.jpg
>

So deep is Vipul's love for the plants
<https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHpw1KXXRsnHrGsorop5fatYfGt6PMGL_ciX5-T59QwMb2PP33onMzE7pvTk6bMTgXrQrpWwKc4Tm-ENw7tX9PMjmNq-m2iBhaA6kTQ5PJtx98NpJBLSOurk6WvclknvhYEWeSQXPIsgg//
1600/Vipul.jpg
>

that he often refuses to undertake trimming of his plants. This creates
such dense & shaded patches, it almost resembles a forest.

<https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyGwxtFnUZIaBdKQcZhZdYMjtuoEc7qGrbrd0ggWKISCsn18Q0lKv1m9wFjQPfOdv7hpfsUCNem4ZOSCsDTE0He3N7zyOyf6H9N76PP0cybBWq9qVzh3BXN3FHksDRODQjhDsTDE_gVdE//
1600/Forest.jpg
>
And the terrace is utilised not just for growing Fruits & Vegetables..
<https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKNL70K60XE31RhfBQxL_I5MhlIP5fztmfesXCnxpZ4SwY_rjtolALvq0Z9Q1VUzTLB_L1f_4vV6_d6MkbCH44DmglyzUphq_EiWdaNToZZPFE_2xzRkaTUJOD8oyDloboUEcDdPJbCv0//
1600/Veggies.jpg
>

......, but also for flowering plants.

<https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHwpebSP75bORmHz4ANctkwV9ZxttOtqyAS4-WnGAhMdwiUYJyxL5T08qnZCQ-QEuQJg-8MYcHzPbh6j3J8q3JbY_TMpVDgmTDcCDRkjvGwBCvpHlO0b541xuKSBmUMOBvWVvO8NyWx5w//
1600/Flower+1.jpg
>

<https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiHvFXwd7oyUAJQsbBIaqEMbA9pBV-yFibwEeXtOJ2diOJvTxs95NsDXK3HHUpigeRVDFquE6Rkl6pDrNA9veam3fHI0WKyiaeKxyTtTw2L4fi62AsmPOkrRBGeEPnYyOoZtesjFtyk6Y//
1600/Flower+2.jpg
>
These flowers attract bees and other insects which effectively pollinate
the plants, thereby providing such bounty of fruits.
<https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjH7vb7vfJW3aDpDrY3BwJpxpS2jdcCvauE_eYbv46yQmbXNpIRKt22b-zkB1yZ-6ZQA0LYIGeIOcc5zyhqHDlX9j7wlALOuyBrlRrKMmL6ScQ59exKSI031TskZSAgsATBqEcev3hJMY//
1600/insects.jpg
>

And of course there are some star attractions as well - the fiery tabasco
peppers, the corn and the young pomegranate.
<https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs5Yp2UNK6UMnUD4-PAymkQN4rBsP5h3aZ-1IQseznWeTg1v1q-xBHMcJDlTDA7BxFVVZkezskgN24ad4rtXdMI98ac15xlMEhqoO-0MjLeFWhMIVRgy120tfbxXjE9MI9VW1r9yksvAc//
1600/Star.jpg
>
All in all, he has managed to recreate a paradise in the concrete city.

<https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaYQazWPcXKuZecrfbqH87BpXrxqq2OlxmJz5nHBpRz-ATKk8oV7kadN5En4-ZfpWahdLLR5FMtZQwUV0r-4wGNfuULF5hiRqK33PT6_DTkzirTXCVzz54F5WjsNRSW2pNDipTBZOlXTQ//
1600/Paradise.jpg
>

A star student, a dedicated sincere volunteer Vipul has set an example.
Are you motivated to follow?

A few blow up of the photographs, as suggested by our readers

<https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSq1F87kk367ISaHpuM2HxJyRU-fhtZusJCM0qNp7YWvLmdZjFaQqVE3j-1Ryl5YsY8ifz0wKjndyhtKoBp3L8Yi5iqf4i7nANu0geBMchsuUj2w0AZGfE6jMtbwsETsuKlfw0F7b_2Xg//
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>
<https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_nJPrrmRrZ_lgKU33TYrQeSx8t-dvj1XI3of5SOYlkt97c_ox1YQJgZbTOxLe3O8fFVL7xAlPQV7tqM_TqV-0UcgbsO-4NOgrpBkp44U5RVZtqTOS57H7MzunLhc3SWNuS3BaZP993cs/
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>
<https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeqaPjEK6wAa3fTt0fjovTqfW38OiGFvjBA2K0rWsokIO_wd22M7DlicobDgtrcZyqGpN-PQnzzsKdduHRcz378ayZ7qmoXHkovECihr0C_4PwR7W-oCGiaQPSl_krbhoD_V00y4UPpUg//
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>
<https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilnVXkkuxJKIu1ufLBNYRsCiOinSRaERERwkU8slBcaob4YUr3IbjqpD091nBcv8xCdK90xWnLyzb93hU1Z8Sv5EDZNJnG5DAg0Zmtt8JmOJqHD56g8BRNwORSBa0d5ZtYC9y_5xxq1nc//
1600/DSC09334.JPG
>

------- End of Forwarded Message ------

Monday 20 August 2012

Rare Spectacle of Complex a Joint Family

Karnataka: 135 members of 750-year-old dynasty live under one roof

Mangalore: In an era of nuclear families, the complex joint family at Vittal
Aramane's (palace) is a rare spectacle. The size of this extended family,
which consists of 135 members, ensures that there is never a dull moment in
the 30-room building. The families, who have separate kitchens, get together
on festive occasions. The practice of a matrilineal system in the family
where a girl marries her mother's brother has prevented descendants from
leaving the fold.

Besides, an adoption process started by Ravivarma Narasimha Raja, that left
10 children as his successors between 1873-1934, was another reason for the
descendants residing together and becoming a unique example of a complex
joint family. Further, owing to a genetic trait, most of the family members
are less than five feet tall. This has made them shy and reluctant to mingle
with the outside world.

The inmates of the one-storey Vittal Aramane, living as commoners, are
actually descendants of the royal Arasu dynasty, which has a history of 750
years, making it more ancient than Wodeyar dynasty. Descendants of the
dynasty, Janardana Varma Arasa (79) the oldest living member of the family,
and Nanda Varma Arasa said the dynasty was known not for its wars but for
charity.
Karnataka: 135 members of 750-year-old dynasty live under one roof

Historians like the late Ganapathi Rao Aigal, B A Salethore and Gururaja
Bhat had highlighted the wars waged by Hyder Ali against Vittal in 1768 and
Tipu Sultan in 1784 but there is not a single instance of Vittal kings
declaring war.

Two stone pillars are the only relics of a magnificent palace burnt down by
Tipu's army. The present Vittal Aramane, located 150 metres from these
remains, was built in 1800.

Tuesday 14 August 2012

Forum for Research in Oriental Sciences & Technologies (FROST)

Congratulations and Thanks to Dr.Vijay Bhat for this good news about
formation of FROST!

"FROST" stands for Forum for Research in Oriental Sciences & Technologies.
This is an invitation to the inauguration event of formation of FROST in
PUNE, India.

*******************************************

Date: August 12, 2012

INVITATION
Time has come to reinvent the natural science and wisdom in the ancient
Indian texts,through modern science perspectives. This will help us to
develop new nature friendly, cost effective technologies for the future.

With this as a major objective, some prestigious academic and research
institutions in Pune have joined hands to form 'Forum for Research in
Oriental Sciences & Technologies (F.R.O.S.T.). The inaugural function of the
forum is scheduled on August 20, 2012.

Dr. Vijay Bhatkar, eminent computer scientist shall preside over and Mr.
Anil M. Datar, Director - A.R.D.E., is chief guest of this function. You are
cordially invited to attend.

Venue: A.V. Hall, Abasaheb Garware College, Pune
Timing: 9.30 am to 12.30 pm.


Organizers:
Shri. Visubhau Gurjar (Dyan Prabodhini),
Dr. V. Gholap (Vidnyan Bharati),
Dr. Girish Pathade (Ferguson College),
Dr. Pravin Deshpande (C.O.E.P.),
Dr. Pramod Moghe (Retd. Senior Scientist, N.C.L.),
Dr. Jayashree Sathe (Deccan College),
Mr. Arun Barve (B.O.R.I.), Dr. Saroja Bhate (Anandashram)
Dr. Bhagyalata Pataskar (Vedic Sanshodhan Mandal)
Mr. Satish B. Kulkarni (Pradnya Vikas Shikshan Sanstha)

Monday 6 August 2012

In their homes, Sanskrit is not lost in translation

 

 

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_in-their-homes-sanskrit-is-not-lost-in-translation_1718648
 

In the Gajjar household, the day begins with a suprahbatam and ends with a shubhratri. To the uninitiated, the two italicised words may sound like Hindi but are in fact Sanskrit version of good morning and good night.
The Gajjar’s are just a handful of families (48) in the city and state trying to keep alive Sanskrit through regular use in everyday conversation. In fact, Satish Gajjar and his family converse only in Sanskrit. The 38-year-old resident of Surendranagar said he took to the practice eight years ago.
“When I married, my wife Gayatri did not know the language. But as I insisted on only speaking in it she too learned it. The first year was difficult but then she took picked it up,” said Gajjar. Incidentally, he speaks to his parents in Gujarati.
His 8-year-old daughter Devki and 3-year-old son Vidit also converse with their parents in Sanskrit. “Vidit is too young to converse but whatever words he has learned so far all are in Sanskrit and hence follows it brilliantly,” said Gajjar.
When asked if he doesn’t worry about his children being affected by the use of a language that majority don’t use, he said, “They study in Gujarati medium and are fluent in it as well. Sanskrit is like any other language, the only difference being it is not much in vogue but I don’t think speaking it puts my children at any disadvantage whatsoever,” said Gajjar.
Mihir Upadhyay, a Sanskrit teacher, is another man who uses the language to converse at home. “At times, we do take to speaking in Gujarati but Sanskrit remains the dominant language at home. My wife is a Sanskrit teacher as well and hence it is easy for us,” said Upadhyay. He said, in all, there are around 48 families in the state trying to keep alive the language through regular use.
“My mother learned the language from me and now we often converse in it,” said Upadhyay.

Wednesday 25 July 2012

Go green - get started!

A very nice article and very nice effort by Shyamagopala Das.
Congratulations!

I remember H.H.Bhakti Rasamrta Maharaj had initiated Green temple project
for sub-continent. Might be good to make a database of green temples of
ISKCON worldwide and encourage others to catch on.

ys, BCD
_______________________________________________________

D.C. Gardener Encourages City Temples to Go Green

By Madhava Smullen for ISKCON News on 19 Jul 2012

As environmentally-friendly living becomes more and more of a concern in a
modern society where Earth's resources are fast running out, ISKCON has an
increasing responsibility to set a good example.

After all, our philosophy is based upon our founder's oft-quoted aphorism
"Simple Living, High Thinking"—the practice of living naturally from the
land while focusing on solving life's mysteries.

This responsibility doesn't fall solely on the shoulders of ISKCON's rural
communities—it's also something city temples can join in on, thus lending
our society much greater credibility in the eyes of the public.

One of those stepping up to the plate is Shyam Gopal, gardener at ISKCON of
Washington D.C.

As well as offering good advice for other temples interested in going green,
Shyam is walking the walk himself. That's something U.S. First Lady Michelle
Obama—
who encourages home gardens and planted one on the White House's South Lawn
just 17 miles from the ISKCON temple—would appreciate.

Shyam, 34, comes with quite a pedigree. The son of a gardener and a forester
in Berkeley, California, he studied environmental science at UC Santa
Barbara, worked as a park ranger and an eco-tourist guide, and served at the
ISKCON farm in Mauritius before moving to D.C. in March of this year.

On only one third of an acre at the temple in Potomac, Maryland—a D.C.
suburb—Shyam has already coaxed an impressive bounty from the earth.

"We have heirloom and lauki squash, golden and green zucchini, hybrid and
cherry tomatoes, red and green bell peppers, and Thai, serrano, habanero,
and cow-horn chilis," he says. "We also grow eggplant, cabbage, okra,
bitter-melon, cucumber, cantelopes, pole beans and bush beans, beats,
carrots, mixed lettuce, various pumpkins, and two-foot long watermelons."

He has to pause for breath, before reeling off a spiel that sounds like a
Simon and Garfunkel song. "Then there are all the herbs: basil, sage,
rosemary, thyme, oregano, marjoram, dill, fennel, fenugreek, and cilantro."

With all these, the garden is ISKCON D.C.'s main source of organic
vegetables, its sole source of herbs, and a considerable supplement to its
overall food purchases.

And that's not all: the temple doesn't have to buy any flowers for its
presiding Deities in the summer time, when rows upon rows of African,
Mexican hybrid and double bloom marigolds, as well as red roses, white Tuber
roses, and even seven-foot-tall sunflowers are available to make beautiful
garlands with.

All this abundance is no accident. Shyam Gopal cares so much about the
plants, which he calls his "children," that he's often spotted talking or
singing to them. In the future, he'd like to set up some outdoor speakers to
play them Srila Prabhupada's kirtan.

This is nothing to laugh at. Shyam's holistic, natural gardening techniques
are no conconction— they're embedded in both scientific and Krishna
conscious principles.

"In trying to debunk the old research done on playing music for plants to
improve their growth, researchers, for instance on the TV show Mythbusters,
have only found that they couldn't disprove it," Shyam says. "It actually
works."

Plants, he explains, respond to music of all types—classical, ragas, heavy
metal, and poetry— as well as simply being spoken to, with vigorous growth,
more flowers and larger fruit development. They don't have favorite genres;
they simply like the interaction and are stimulated by the vibration.

"As I'm checking the plants for fungus, damage and pests every day by hand,
I talk to them," says Shyam. "I just say, 'How are you doing?' or 'Oh, you
have a problem here.' And when I harvest from them I say 'Thank you, we
appreciate what you're giving us for the Deities. You're doing a great
service.' After all, they're souls, just like me. I was a plant before. It
was a rough life. So although they may not understand my words, I want them
to feel on some level that they're not living in vain."

Shyam, following the best practices in permaculture, organic gardening, and
biodynamics,

is considerate in all areas of his work. Seeing the soil as a living system
full of complex, interdependent relationships, he avoids tilling once his
garden beds have been made so as not to destroy this infrastructure.
Instead, worms, which are carefully protected, do the tilling for him.

He also avoids walking on the beds in order to let the roots breathe. And
rather than feeding the plants directly, he feeds the soil—considered to be
"the stomach" in natural organic farming— with "Actively Aerated Compost
Tea."

This is made by blowing a household air pump, such as those used for an
aquarium or air mattress, into a tank of water holding a "tea bag" made from
cheese-cloth. The "tea bag" is filled with worm castings, a high quality
compost created by feeding worms vegetable scraps and manure. This liquid
compost mixture is aerated for 24 hours, then molasses and seaweed are
added.

"Molasses increases good bacteria, and seaweed has natural plant growth
hormones, which helps plants to uilize sunlight and photosynthesize better,"
says Shyam. "It also acts like a B complex vitamin, boosting their immune
system and reducing stress when you transplant."

As he develops his garden, Shyam Gopal will also add Rishi-Krishi, the
ancient farming techniques of sages described in the Vedas, to his
practices.

Some of these techniques, written about by the great Parashara Muni in
Krishi-Parashara and by Kashyapa in Kashyapiyakrishisukti, coincide with
biodynamic principles, and thus are already being practiced in the ISKCON
D.C. garden.

For instance, Shyam Gopal works by the lunar calendar, planting seeds as the
moon is waxing, and pruning, transplanting and composting as it is waning.
He also plants different items on the days the waxing moon goes through
different constellations: for vegetables it's the fire sign; for leaf crops,
the water sign; for flowers, the air sign; and for roots, the earth sign.
This, amongst all his other practices, makes for tastier and healthier
crops.

Shyam encourages other devotees, at any level of experience, to start their
own natural organic gardens at their temples or homes.

For beginners, he advises, "Start small. Don't get overwhelmed by giving
yourself way too much work. Start organic—there may be a pest or problem you
can't control organically at some point, but at least start organic and
learn that way. And start with things that are easy to grow: herbs,
tomatoes, a few flowers for your Deities."

Specific local knowledge is key in gardening, Shyam says, so get advice from
local gardeners in your area who know the local conditions. Your nearest
university's agriculture extension office or its website can also be an
excellent resource for this.

Another key to gardening is awareness. "Observe how your plants are growing
in different conditions," Shyam says. "Go outside and check the weather
every day. Get to know how reliable your local weather report is, compared
to the actual weather. Get a simple rain guage and measure the rain. Get in
touch with the cycles of the sun, moon, and seasons."

Finally, Shyam encourages ISKCON temples to go green by purchasing
biodegradable silverware and plates, since so many are used at every Sunday
Feast and festival. He also suggests using shredded paper and cardboard
boxes in the garden as mulch, and using all rotten vegetables as compost,
not allowing anything to go to waste.

"Once you get started and build your knowledge base, it only gets better and
better," he says.

Shyam Gopal is happy to help other ISKCON temples go green and increase
their fruit, flower and vegetable production. To speak with him and receive
educational resources which he says have benefitted him greatly, please
contact him at syamagopaldasa@gmail.com.

Tuesday 24 July 2012

Srila Prabhupada on the "Green Revolution"


Great thanks to His Holiness for this post!

---------- Forwarded Message ----------
Letter PAMHO:23805528 (9 lines)
From: Bhakti Vikasa Swami
Date: 25-Jul-12 05:41 (09:41 +0400)
To: BVKS Sanga [9315]
To: (Krsna) Katha [15851]
To: (ISKCON) Lipa Dalmacija [6228]
To: Prabhupada Said [6777]
To: Bharat Chandra (das) BRS (NC VAD Ministry - IN) [20684]
Subject: Srila Prabhupada on the "Green Revolution"
------------------------------------------------------------
Many may claim that in the modern age material scientists have helped
increase agricultural yield. But we fearlessly proclaim that it is precisely
such atheistic views that have brought the world to the present acute food
crisis. If we are not careful, the day will soon come when fruits will be
reduced to just skin and seed, cows' udders will dry up, and paddy fields
will grow only grass. The scriptures predict that these things will come to
pass in the Kali-yuga.

>>> Ref. VedaBase => RTW 2.10: The Supreme Lord: Lover of His Devotees
(Text PAMHO:23805528) --------------------------------------

------- End of Forwarded Message ------

Sunday 22 July 2012

Gandhi on cow protection


Thanks to Harish for this post.
_____________________________________________________________________
http://www.internationalpeaceandconflict.org/profiles/blogs/cows-protection-
and-mahatma-gandhi


Dr. Yogendra Yadav
Gandhian Scholar
Gandhi Research Foundation, Jalgaon, M.S.
Gandhi Teerth, Jain Hills PO Box 118,
Jalgaon - 425 001 (Maharashtra), India

Cows Protection and Mahatma Gandhi

Cows are a common domestic animal. She is referred to as the foster mother
of human being because it produces most of the milk that people drink. Every
produce of cows are used in India. The people of India worship her as
mother. So they loved her very much. But the people of other community do
not worship. So they killed her and use her flesh and skin. So they fight
each other. Mahatma Gandhi gave permanent solution for this struggle.

Mahatma Gandhi asked, "I am thankful to the Gaurakshini Sabha and to you all
for inviting me to lay the foundation-stone of the gaushala in this town.
For the Hindus, this is sacred work. Protection of the cow is a primary duty
for every Indian. It has been my experience, however, that the way we set
about this important work leaves much to be desired. I have given some
thought to this serious problem and wish to place before you the conclusions
I have formed.

We do not go the right way to work for protecting the cows against our
Muslim brethren. The result has been that these two great communities of
India are always at odds with each other and cherish mutual distrust.
Occasionally, they even fight.

As long as we do not get this terrible slaughter stopped, I think it is
impossible that we can produce any effect on the hearts of Muslims or
protect the cows against them. Our second task, therefore, is to carry on
agitation among our British friends. We are in no position to use brute
strength against them. They also should be won over by tapascharya and
gentleness. For them eating of beef is no religious act. It should be easier
to that extent to persuade them. It is only after we have rid ourselves of
the taint of violence which I mentioned earlier and have succeeded in
persuading our British friends not to eat beef and kill cows and bullocks;
it is only then that we shall be entitled to say something to our Muslim
friends. I can assure you that, when we have won over the British, our
Muslim brethren will also have more sympathy for us and perform their
religious rites with some other kind of offering. Once we admit that we are
also guilty of violence, the working of our gaushalas will change. We shall
not reserve them merely for decrepit cows but maintain their well-nourished
cows and bullocks as well. We shall endeavour to improve the breed of cattle
and will also be able to produce pure milk, ghee, etc. This is not merely a
religious issue. It is an issue on which hinges the economic progress of
India. Economists have furnished irrefutable figures to prove that the
quality of cattle in India is so poor that the income from their milk is
much less than the cost of their maintenance. We can turn our gaushalas into
centres for the study of economics and for the solution of this big problem.
Gaushalas cost a great deal and at present we have to provide the expenses.
The gaushalas of my conception will become self-supporting in future. They
will not be located in the midst of cities. We may buy land in the
neighborhood of a city to the tune of hundreds of acres and locate these
gaushalas there. We can raise on this land crops to serve as fodder for the
cows and every variety of grass."1

"Cow protection is an article of faith in Hinduism. Apart from its religious
sanctity, it is an ennobling creed. But we, Hindus, have today little regard
for the cow and her progeny. In no country in the world are cattle so
ill-fed and ill-kept as in India. In beef-eating England it would be
difficult to find cattle with bones sticking out of their flesh. Most of our
pinjrapoles1 are ill-managed and ill-kept. Instead of being a real blessing
to the animal world, they are perhaps simply receiving-depots for dying
animals. We say nothing to the English in India for whose sake hundreds of
cows are slaughtered daily. Our rajas do not hesitate to provide beef for
their English guests. Our protection of the cow, therefore, extends to
rescuing her from Mussulman hands. This reverse method of cow protection has
led to endless feuds and bad blood between Hindus and Mussulmans. It has
probably caused greater slaughter of cows than otherwise would have been the
case if we had begun the propaganda in the right order. We should have
commenced, as we ought now to commence, with ourselves and cover the land
with useful propaganda leading to kindness in the treatment of cattle and
scientific knowledge in the management of cattle farms, dairies and
pinjrapoles. We should devote our attention to propaganda among Englishmen
in the shape of inducing them voluntarily to abandon beef, or, if they will
not do so, at least be satisfied with imported beef. We should secure
prohibition of export of cattle from India and we should adopt means of
increasing and purifying our milk supply. I have not a shadow of doubt that
if we proceed along these sane lines, we would secure voluntary Mussulman
support, and when we have ceased to compel them to stop killing cows on
their festival days, we would find that they have no occasion for insisting
on killing them. Any show of force on our part must lead to retaliation and
exacerbation of feeling."2

Mahatma Gandhi told, "Cow-protection is the outward form of Hinduism. I
refuse to call anyone a Hindu if he is not willing to lay down his life in
this cause. It is dearer to me than my very life. If cow-slaughter were for
the Muslims a religious duty, like saying namaz, I would have had to tell
them that I must fight against them. But it is not a religious duty for
them. We have made it one by our attitude to them.

What is really needed for protecting the cow is that the Hindus themselves
should care for her, since they, too, kill her. The barbaric practice of
blowing for extracting milk to the last drop, of tormenting oxen, which are
the progeny of the cow, by using the goad, and of making them draw loads
beyond their strength —these things amount to killing the cow. If we are
serious about cow-protection, we must put our own house in order.

Mahatma Gandhi described that "Goshalas of this kind cannot protect the cow.
Real goshalas should supply fresh milk to the towns. This will be possible
only when they have thousands of milch cows and thousands of bighas of land.
Only when we look after cows with the utmost care, shall we raise kamadhenus
from among them. Then alone will the misery, the hunger, the nakedness and
the spiritual abjectness of the country disappear. What I have said has come
of itself. Never before have I spoken so earnestly about cow-protection.
Protect mother cow, and mother cow will protect you."3

Gandhi advised, "The issue of cow-protection is intimately connected with
the problem of Hindu-Muslim unity. But we will not consider it today from
this point of view. There is much that I want to write about Hindu-Muslim
unity and its bearing on the issue of cow-protection. But that can wait. Nor
will we consider the question from the religious point of view. We shall
discuss it exclusively from the economic standpoint. I wish only to place
before my readers some of my experiences during my stay here in the quiet of
Juhu and the old ideas of mine that they revived. I have invited some
persons who live with me or have been brought up by me or have been close to
me, persons who have been ill for some time, to share with me the benefits
of change of air. Their diet is mainly cow's milk. We found it rather
difficult to obtain it here. There are in the vicinity three suburbs of
Bombay, viz., Vile Parle, Andheri and Santa Cruz. Cow's milk was very
difficult to obtain from any of these places. Buffalo's milk was plentiful.
But even that could be had without adulteration only because of friends in
the neighborhood who are solicitous about my needs. Otherwise, pure milk of
even buffaloes would be hard to come by. Ultimately, through God's grace and
the kindness of friends, I could even get cow's milk.

There are goshalas in every part of the country and they are all in a
pitiable state. Here, too, the cause is simple inefficiency. Enormous sums
are spent on these goshalas or pinjrapoles. Some people say that this stream
is also drying up. Be it so. I am convinced nonetheless that, if these
institutions are established on a sound footing, devoted Hindus will pour
out money to help them. I am sure that the task is not impossible.
Pinjrapoles should be located on extensive grounds outside the city. They
should house not only aged animals but milch cattle as well, so that pure
milk needed by the city could be supplied from them." 4

The father of nation described, "For, it is this special feature that has
given to Hinduism it's inclusive and assimilative character and made its
gradual, silent evolution possible. Go to any Hindu child and he would tell
you that cow-protection is the supreme duty of every Hindu and that anyone
who does not believe in it deserves the name of a Hindu. But while I am a
firm believer in the necessity and importance of cow-protection, I do not at
all endorse the current methods adopted for that purpose. Some of the
practices followed in the name of cow-protection cause me extreme anguish.
My heart aches within me. Several year ago I wrote in Hind Swaraj that our
cow-protection societies were in fact so many cow-killing societies.

Once, while in Champaran, I was asked to expound my views regarding
cow-protection. I told my Champaran friends then that if anybody was really
anxious to save the cow, he ought to once for all to disabuse his mind of
the notion that he has to make the Christians and Mussalmans to desist from
cow-killing. Unfortunately today we seem to believe that the problem of
cow-protection consists merely in preventing non-Hindus, especially
Mussalmans from beef-eating and cow-killing. That seems to me to be absurd.
Let no one, however, conclude from this that I am indifferent when a
non-Hindu kills a cow or that I can bear the practice of cow-killing. On the
contrary, no one probably experiences a greater agony of the soul when a cow
is killed. But what am I to do? Am I to fulfil my dharma myself or am I to
get it fulfilled by proxy? Of what avail would be my preaching brahmacharya
to others if I am at the same time steeped in vice myself? How can I ask
Mussalmans to desist from eating beef when I eat it myself? But supposing
even that I myself do not kill the cow, is it any part of my duty to make
the Mussalman, against his will, to do likewise? Mussalmans claim that Islam
permits them to kill the cow. To make a Mussalman, therefore, to abstain
from cow-killing under compulsion would amount in my opinion to converting
him to Hinduism by force. Even in India under swaraj, in my opinion, it
would be for a Hindu majority unwise and improper to coerce by legislation a
Mussalman minority into submission to statutory prohibition of
cow-slaughter. When I pledge myself to save the cow, I do not mean merely
the Indian cow, but the cow all the world over. My religion teaches me that
I should by my personal conduct instill into the minds of those who might
hold different views, the conviction that cow-killing is a sin and that
therefore it ought to be abandoned. My ambition is no less than to see the
principle of cow-protection established throughout the world. But that
requires that I should set my own house thoroughly in order first."5

"It will be remembered that at the Cow-Protection Conference held at Belgaum
a committee was appointed to frame a constitution for the founding of a
permanent All-India Cow-Protection Organization. In consequence of the
resolution, the Committee met in January at Delhi and framed a draft
constitution in Hindi which will be submitted to a general meeting to be
held in due course."6

Mahatma Gandhi wrote, "The work of cow-protection has been going on at a
snail's pace. I can assure the gosevaks that the movement does not come to a
standstill even for a single moment. I keep all the time thinking of it and
also discuss it. And, as there are many people in Kutch who wish to serve
this cause and also because it does not seem likely that I shall be able to
come to Kutch again, I have explained my scheme and collected some funds."7

Bapu advised to Goraksha Mandal, "The All-India Goraksha Mandal has been
established just for this purpose. But as I get more experience I realize
the difficulties in the way of bringing all such societies together under
one body and a common set of rules. I have asked for full details from as
many societies as have sent their names and addresses. But very few of them
have supplied the information asked for. It is not that they do not wish to
send particulars, but probably lethargy or indifference or a feeling of
shame prevents them from replying. The shame is on the score of lack of
proper management, for I have seen institutions which were not properly
managed and did not maintain proper accounts.

Various bodies in the country for the protection of weak and infirm cattle
should unite to form an all-India body and formulate a plan whereby they
would maintain healthy cattle, supply pure milk to the people and from the
income so derived look after weak and infirm cattle. there are some 1,500
goshalas is India. If they are all properly managed and turned into dairies,
there is no doubt at all that the problem of protecting the cows will be
then very easy to solve. But what is the way to bring this about? Who will
bell the cat? I will only say this, that it is necessary to infuse life into
all these institutions. It is difficult to frame rules for them unless they
work as model dairies and leather work-shops. The All-India Goraksha Mandal
has not been indifferent to this task."8

"The motive that actuates cow-protection is not 'purely selfish', though
selfish consideration undoubtedly enters into it. If it was purely selfish,
the cow would be killed as in other countries after it had ceased to give
full use. The Hindus will not kill the cow even though she may be a heavy
burden. The numberless goshalas that have been established by
charitably-minded people for tending disabled and useless cows is in a way
an eloquent testimony of the effort that is being made in the direction.
Though they are today very poor institutions for the object to be achieved,
the fact does not detract from the value of the motive behind the act. The
philosophy of cow-protection therefore is, in my opinion, sublime. It
immediately puts the animal creation on the same level with man so far as
the right to live is concerned. But it is no part of

Hinduism to prevent by force cow-slaughter by those who do not believe in
cow-protection. Hindus will bring the Mussalmans and the rest of the world
to their way of thinking only by living the religion of ahimsa as fully as
it is humanly possible. They must rely upon the working of the great
principle in their own lives and making its effective appeal to the outer
world."9

Mahatma Gandhi told, "In matters of religion I am against any State
interference, and the cow question is in India a mixed matter of religion
and economy. So far as economy is concerned, I have no doubt that it is the
concern of every State, whether Hindu or Mussalman, to conserve the cattle
supply. But, if I have understood your questionnaire rightly, the underlying
note is whether the State would be justified in interposing itself between
Hindus and Mussalmans and regulating cow slaughter even for purposes which
Mussalmans consider to be religious. In India which I consider to be as much
the land of Hindus born in it as of Mussalmans, Christians and others born
in it, even a Hindu State may not prohibit cow slaughter for purposes
considered to be religious by any of its subjects without the consent of the
intelligent majority of such subjects so long as such slaughter is conducted
in private and without any intention of provoking or giving offence to
Hindus. That the very knowledge of any such slaughter would give offence to
Hindus is inevitable. But unfortunately we know that in India cow slaughter
is often resorted to defy and wound Hindu sentiment."10

Mahatma Gandhi suggested, "The suggestion in regard to bones needs some
modification. Burying bones as they are does not produce manure; they have
to be ground into powder. The flesh and intestines need not be buried.
Intestines are used even now for making leather strips, strings for musical
instruments and catguts, and the fat obtained from flesh is used in great
quantities for lubricating machinery. So there remains very little to be
buried in its natural form. But this concerns the future.

If we accept in principle that by making in goshalas and pinjrapoles all
those things against the use of which we have no religious objection, we can
save the maximum number of cattle, other discoveries will follow.

The reproach to cow-protection workers implied in the last suggestion
deserves attention. Every such worker should bear in mind that there is a
greater need for workers who will devote themselves to active work of
service and make themselves proficient in their field of work than for
preachers who go round exhorting others.

The suggestion obviously seems to be that the methods of cow-protection
advocated by me are not consistent with my profession of Hinduism. For in
his introductory remarks to his questions the writer has tried to make light
of the basic principle of cow-protection that I have formulated, viz., that
what is economically wrong cannot be religiously right. In other words, if a
religion cuts at the very fundamentals of economics it is not a true
religion but only a delusion. My critic on the other hand believes that this
view is opposed to the teachings of our ancient scriptures. I, at least, am
not aware of a single text in opposition to this view nor do I know of any
religious institution that is being maintained in any part of the world
today in antagonism to the elementary principles of economics. As for
Nature, anyone who has eyes can see, that it always observes the principle
that I have stated. For instance, if it has implanted in its creation the
instinct for food it also produces enough food to satisfy that instinct from
day to day. But it does not produce a jot more. That is Nature's way. But
man, blinded by his selfish greed, grabs and consumes more than his
requirements in defiance of Nature's principle, in defiance of the
elementary and immutable moralities of non-stealing and non-possession of
other's property and thus brings down no end of misery upon himself and his
fellow-creatures. To turn to another illustration, our Shastras have
enjoined that the Brahmin should give knowledge as charity without expecting
any material reward for it for him. But they have at the same time conferred
upon him the privilege of asking for and receiving alms and have laid upon
the other sections of the community the duty of giving alms, thus uniting
religion and economics in a common bond of harmony. I need hardly say that
the humanitarian tanneries that I have suggested would also be utilizing the
bones and other useful parts of the dead cattle. In fact it is more
necessary than ever."11

Mahatma Gandhi described, "We find that many of the things we do are
contrary to our beliefs or our religion. We believe that we should speak the
truth, yet we practice untruth; we believe that we should not indulge in
immoral activities but we do indulge in them; we believe that we should
refrain from violence, yet we practice it at every moment; we believe that
we should win swaraj, yet do much which is contrary to this belief. We do
not even do khadi work which will promote swaraj. The human race would
perish if it always acted against its beliefs in all matters. Innumerable
persons thoughtlessly do what should not be done. The foregoing describes
the plight of those who have formed the habit of thinking.

Mahatma Gandhi told about its failure, "Failure to serve the cow is an
instance of conduct contrary to religion. Every Hindu believes that it is
his special dharma to serve the cow. But only a handful of Hindus will be
found to observe the basic rules of goseva. Many persons believe that they
have done their duty once they have put a couple of pice into the
cow-protection fund."12

Mahatma Gandhi told, "The pity is that most of our cow-protection
associations will keep cows and buffaloes both and try to run them and make
them paying concerns by selling buffalo's milk. The cow, they think, is
uneconomic, not knowing that if the cow was exclusively taken care of, and
all attention concentrated on increasing her yield of milk, in making her a
good breeder, and on making use of every bit of her carcass after she is
dead, she would be more than an economic proposition. If someone could
convince me that both the cow and the buffalo could be protected, without
our having to feed on them or slaughtering them, I should be only too
willing to include both in my scheme. The fact, however, is that the
buffalo, apart from her milk, is an uneconomic animal. Except in a few wet
regions of India the buffalo is useless for agricultural purposes, and so we
either starve or kill the male progeny. Some of the best known dairies
priding themselves on the wonderful milk-yield of their cows have been found
to be doing away with the male calves. We have to make them good milkers and
good mothers of fine plough-bullocks. It is no use saying that there is no
demand for cow's milk. If we refused to supply any other milk, and if we
ensured a supply of the richest and purest and safest milk, everyone would
enlist himself as our regular customer.

But the first thing is to eliminate the buffalo. It is like the exclusive
emphasis on khadi. You cannot promote khadi by dividing your attention
between khadi and mill-cloth. But we have not given the necessary attention
to her feed and her upkeep. Show the best results and I tell you you will
not have to complain of lack of patronage. Why is there such a mad run on a
certain company's shares? Because people know that it is going to be a
highly paying concern. If you could make people believe that yours also
would be a paying concern, they would rush to offer their patronage to you.
Concentrate on one. Take a city like Bombay, take a census of the children,
enlist the names of people who will buy only cow's milk for their children,
and make your dairy an exclusive cow's milk supplier for children. Don't you
know how they popularize an article like tea? They distribute free packets
of tea; they run free tea-houses. You can do likewise and popularize cow's
milk. Your ambition should be to cater to the needs of the whole of Bombay.
There is a demand for cow's milk in a city like Calcutta. The best Haryana
breeds are imported to Calcutta, but as soon as the cows go dry they go to
the butcher. The result is that the Haryana cow is getting scarce in the
Punjab. No, the cow need not go to the butcher at all. She will have more
than paid for her upkeep for her dry years by her rich yield of milk and
progeny, and after death, she would fetch the same value as she did when
alive. The cow can either be protected by the State or by those who are
really religiously inclined. The State we may leave aside for the moment, it
is the religiously inclined who should rise to the occasion and bring to
bear knowledge and industry to the task. Humanitarianism without knowledge
is futile and may even be harmful."13 I have called cow-protection goseva,
i. e., service of the cow. Legislation hardly serves the cow, much less
protects it. If we follow the given solution by Mahatma Gandhi, struggle
will stop.





1. SPEECH ON COW PROTECTION, BETTIAH; About October 9, 1917

2. COW PROTECTION

3. SPEECH AT BETTIAH GOSHALA; December 8, 1920

4. COW-PROTECTION

5. Young India, 29-1-1925

6. Young India, 9-4-1925

7. Navajivan, 1-11-1925

8. Navajivan, 23-5-1926

9. Young India, 11-11-1926

10. LETTER TO COW-PROTECTION COMMITTEE, January 11, 1927

11. Navajivan, 29-5-1927

12. Harijanbandhu, 17-1-1937

13. Harijan, 19-6-1937

14. LETTER TO SWAMI KARAPATRI;July 24, 1947

Saturday 21 July 2012

Cow protection program in India should be example to the whole world!


Letter to Devakinandana -- Mayapur 8 April, 1975:

I have heard that you are a very good man with cows. Your service would be
very valuable here in India. I think that you could travel to the centers
here where we keep cows and try to establish a very high cow-protection
standard. Our cow-protection program in India should be the exemplary
standard for the whole world. So, if you like, come to India as soon as
possible. You may come directly to Calcutta and from there you can easily go
to Sri Mayapur-candra-daya Mandira. I want to improve our Gosala here in
Mayapur first.

Monday 16 July 2012

Beat any recession with Cow urine!

http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-07-12/news/32648877_1_cow-
urine-organic-farming-panchagavya



Cow urine aids treatment of cancer, asthma?
ET Bureau Jul 12, 2012, 03.47AM IST

KOCHI: It is a coup of sorts as far as innovation and product branding is
concerned! A veterinary science college in Wayand has opened up a world of
opportunities for business by packaging and branding cow urine.

The College of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, Pookot in Wayand district, has
launched two products in the market - 'Cow Urine' and 'Panchagavya' -
targeted at the organic farming sector.

"Cow's urine is meant to improve the plant resistance while Panchagavya will
help the growth of favourable soil bacteria and thereby improve soil
fertility," said Dr Joseph Mathew, who is in charge of the instructional
farm in Pookot. According to him, the two products can help reduce the use
of pesticides and chemical fertilisers to a great extent.

The college, which has found a direct use for cow urine in organic farming,
markets the neatly packed product for 5 per litre. Panchagavya, which is a
cocktail of milk, ghee, curd, cow urine and cow dung, is sold for 50 per
litre.

Interestingly, the product quality is ensured by collecting the first urine
of the cow everyday. "The production is as per requirement," said Dr Mathew,
adding that only local varieties of cows are used in the production of the
two organic farming aids.

Apart from its application in organic farming, cow pee is an important
ingredient in many ayurvedic medicines. "It is used in the treatment of
several major ailments like peptic ulcer, certain type of cancer, liver
ailments, asthma etc," said Dr Satish Namboodiri, director, Dhanwanthari
Vaidyasala, Thodupuzha.

However, the cow urine produced by College of Veterinary & Animal Sciences
cannot be used for pharmaceutical applications, said Dr Mathew. "For
pharmaceutical use it has to be produced under the supervision of an
ayurvedic doctor, he pointed out.

The initiative by the Wayand veterinary college has major significance in a
country like India, which has a large bovine population. If cow pee actually
emerges as a natural resource with farm and pharma application, its
harnessing and marketing would end up as an economic activity that can beat
any recession!

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