Happy(Hindu) New Year!  

Posted by maverick in ,

"भारत" or "India" of today has an array of cultures spread accross a range of regions from Kashmir in the North to Kanyakumari in the South, from Kutch in the West to Kibithu in the East. Along with the language, outlook, wardrobe .... what also differs is the beginning of the new year for these clans.


India's numerous calendars count the days by the sun, the moon, a combination of the two, or by the Indian Zodiac of rashis, and beginning from several different Eras.

Some of the new calendar year day observed by the Hindus are,

January 1st
This is celebrated as the common beginning of the new year accross the globe.

Pongal
The Government of Tamil Nadu made Pongal day as the Tamil New Year in 2008. But majority of the calendars of the various Tamil communities continue to mark Tamil New Year on Chithira 1 (Mid-April).

Saka New Year
This New Year is based on the calendar followed by the Government of India. The New Year day in Saka calendar falls on March 21 or March 22. This calendar was adopted by the government in 1957 and continues to be based on the lunisolar calendar where each month is for 30 or 31 days.

Nyepi
Nyepi is the New Year in Bali Island in Indonesia. This calendar is also based on the Saka Era but with major regional variations. Nyepi is based on lunar calendar and therefore the date varies yearly.

Ugadi
Yugadi or Ugadhi is the New Year in Telugu and Kannada culture. The New Year day is observed on the first day of the month of Chaitra (March – April). This is a major event in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Ugadi is based on lunar calendar and therefore the date changes yearly.

Gudi Padwa
Gudi Padva is the Marathi New Year and is observed on the first day of the Chaitra month (March – April). It is a major celebration in Maharashtra and is also known as Shalivahan Shaka New Year. Gudi Padwa is based on lunar calendar and therefore the date changes yearly.

Nav Varsh Samvat or Hindi New Year
This New Year is observed in major states in North India and it is also known as Chaitra Shukladi. It is celebrated on Chaitra Shukala Pratipada (March – April) – the first day after the No Moon (Amavasi) in Chaitra Month. The Hindi New Year is based on lunar calendar and therefore the date changes yearly.

Cheti Chand
The New Year day of Sindhis is known as Cheti Chand. The New Year day is observed on the first day of the month of Chait (March – April). It is based on lunar calendar and the date changes yearly.

Varsha Pirappu or Puthandu
This is the Tamil New Year and it falls on the first day of the Chitirai month (April – May). The Tamil calendar is a solar calendar and the New Year date falls during Mid April mostly on April 13 or 14.

Vishu
Vishu is the Zodiac New Year observed in Kerala by Malayalis. It falls on the first day of Malayalam month Medam (April - May). The calendar followed in Kerala is a solar calendar and the New Year date is constant mostly – April 14.

Naba Barsha or Poila Baisakh
This is the New Year in Eastern parts of India, especially in Bengal. The Bengali New Year is observed on the first day in Baisakh month (April – May). This calendar is also a solar calendar and therefore the New Year day falls on April 14 or April 15.

Rongali Bihu or Bohag Bihu
It is the New Year in Assam. This is based on Assamese solar calendar and is observed on the first day in Baisakh month (April – May). The celebration is for three days and is constantly observed in Mid-April.

Chingam 1
This is the New Year according to Malayalam Calendar. Chingam (August – September) is the first month in the Malayalam Calendar. But Malayalis popularly celebrate Vishu as the New Year.

Annakut or Hindu Vikram New Year
This is the New Year observed in Gujarat, the day after Diwali (October). The Gujarati New Year is also known as Vikram Calendar or Vikram Samvat.


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Chanakya - An Exemplary Emissary  

Posted by maverick in , ,


Chanakya (Sanskrit: चाणक्य 350-283 BCE)was an adviser to the first Maurya Emperor Chandragupta (340-293 BCE), and architect of his rise to power. Kautilya and Vishnugupta, the names by which the ancient Indian political treatise called the Arthaśāstra identifies its author, are traditionally identified with Chanakya. Chanakya has been considered as the pioneer of the field of economics, having first writen about the subject a millennium and a half before Ibn Khaldun's birth time. He is known as "The Indian Machiavelli" in the Western world. Chanakya was a professor at Takshashila University and is widely believed to be responsible for the creation of Mauryan empire, the first of its kind on the Indian subcontinent.


He is generally called Chanakya but, in his capacity as author of the Arthaśhāstra, is generally referred to as Kautilya which means kautil niti. He was the master of shrewd act of diplomacy. He believed in four ways Enticement, Sowing dession, Punishment or War. The Arthaśhāstra identifies its author by the name Kautilya, except for one verse which refers to him by the name Vishnugupta. One of the earliest Sanskrit literature to explicitly identify Chanakya with Vishnugupta was Vishnu Sarma's Panchatantra in the 3rd century BC.

Chanakya's Works
Two books are attributed to Chanakya: Arthashastra and Nitishastra which is also known as Chanakya Niti. The Arthashastra discusses monetary and fiscal policies, welfare, international relations, and war strategies in detail. Nitishastra is a treatise on the ideal way of life, and shows Chanakya's in depth study of the Indian way of life.

Some brass tacks from Chanakya's jeevan chakra

  • Chanakya was born with a complete set of teeth, a sign that he would become king, which is inappropriate for a Brahmin like Chanakya. Chāṇakya's teeth were therefore broken and it was prophesied that he will rule through another.

  • The Nanda King throws Chānakya out of his court, prompting Chānakya to swear revenge.

  • Chānakya searches for one worthy for him to rule through. Chānakya encounters a young Chandragupta Maurya who is a born leader even as a child.

  • Chānakya's initial attempt to overthrow Nanda fails, whereupon he comes across a mother scolding her child for burning himself by eating from the middle of a bun or bowl of porridge rather than the cooler edge. Chāṇakya realizes his initial strategic error and, instead of attacking the heart of Nanda territory, slowly chips away at its edges.

  • Chānakya changed his alliance with the mountain king Parvata due to his obstinacy and non-adherence to the principles of the treaty as agreed.

  • Chānakya enlists the services of a fanatical weaver to rid the kingdom of rebels.

  • Chānakya adds poison to the food eaten by Chandragupta Maurya, now king, in order to make him immune. Unaware, Chandragupta feeds some of his food to his queen, who is in her ninth month of pregnancy. In order to save the heir to the throne, Chānakya cuts the queen open and extracts the fetus, who is named Bindusara because he was touched by a drop (bindu) of blood of poison.

  • Chānakya's political rivalry with Subandhu leads to his death.

Chanakya was an intelligent saint. Once, it is said that Mauryan forces had to hide in a cave. There was no food. Soldiers were starving.They could not come out of the cave either, as there was a threat to their lives. Chanakya saw an ant taking a grain of rice, Whereas, there was no sign of food or grain anywhere. Moreover, the rice grain was cooked. He ordered the soldiers to search and they found that their enemies had been dining under the cave. Somewhat like, at the ground floor. As soon as they saw this, they escaped and thus were saved.

Kautilya was educated at Taxila or Takshashila, in present day Pakistan. The new states (in present-day Bihar and Uttar Pradesh) by the northern high road of commerce along the base of the Himalayas maintained contact with Takshasilâ and at the eastern end of the northern high road (uttarapatha) was the kingdom of Magadha with its capital city, Pataliputra, now known as Patna. Chanakya's life was connected to these two cities, Pataliputra and Takshasilâ.

In his early years he was tutored extensively in the Vedas - Chanakya memorized them completely at a very early age. He was also taught mathematics, geography and science along with religion. Later he travelled to Takshasilâ, where he became a teacher of politics. Chanakya taught subjects using the best of practical knowledge acquired by the teachers. The age of entering the University was sixteen. The branches of study most sought after around India at that time ranged from law, medicine, warfare and other disciplines. Two of his more famous students were Bhadrabhatta and Purushdutta.

Chanakya's Demise
Chanakya lived to a ripe old age and died around 283 BC and was cremated by his grandson/disciple Radhagupta who succeeded Rakshasa Katyayan (great-grand son of Prabuddha Katyayan, who attained Nirvana during the same period as Gautam Budhha) as Prime Minister of the Maurya Empire and was instrumental in backing Ashoka to the throne. There were three non-traditional belief paths in society those days, Jaina, Buddhist and Ajivaka. Ajivaka practising Chanakya brought about the downfall of the Jaina Nandas and their coterie of Jaina ministers. (Chanakya 's uncle was Jain, too, and a group of Jains backed Chanakya in his political machinations). Later on, Chandragupta Maurya took Jainism on abdicating his throne which passed to his Son Bindusara who was an Ajivaka. Even Ashoka was practising Ajivaka who before accession to throne became Buddhist.

Later on, Ajivikism which was the official religion of the empire since the Kalinga War (261 BC) and for 14 years afterwards, declined and merged into traditional Hinduism. What has been left are a mish mash of contradictory Buddhist and Jaina legends.

According to a legend which is a later jaina invention, while Chanakya served as the Prime Minister of Chandragupta Maurya, he started adding small amounts of poison in Chandragupta's food so that he would get used to it. The aim of this was to prevent the Emperor from being poisoned by enemies. One day the queen, Durdha, shared the food with the Emperor while she was pregnant. Since she was not used to eating poisoned food, she died. Chanakya decided that the baby should not die; hence he cut open the belly of the queen and took out the baby. A drop (bindu in Sanskrit) of poison had passed to the baby's head, and hence Chanakya named him Bindusara. Bindusara would go on to become a great king and to father the greatest Mauryan Emperor since Chandragupta - Asoka.

When Bindusara became a youth, Chandragupta gave up the throne and followed the Jain saint Bhadrabahu to present day Karnataka and settled in a place known as Shravana Belagola. He lived as an ascetic for some years and died of voluntary starvation according to Jain tradition.

Chanakya meanwhile stayed as the Prime Minister of Bindusara. Bindusara also had a minister named Subandhu who did not like Chanakya. One day he told Bindusara that Chanakya was responsible for the murder of his mother. Bindusara asked the nurses who confirmed this story and he became very angry with Chanakya.

It is said that Chanakya, on hearing that the Emperor was angry with him, thought that anyway he was at the end of his life. He donated all his wealth to the poor, widows and orphans and sat on a dung heap, prepared to die by total abstinence from food and drink. Bindusara meanwhile heard the full story of his birth from the nurses and rushed to beg forgiveness of Chanakya. But Chanakya would not relent. Bindusara went back and vent his fury on Subandhu, who asked for time to beg for forgiveness from Chanakya.

Subandhu, who still hated Chanakya, wanted to make sure that Chanakya did not return to the city. So he arranged for a ceremony of respect, but unnoticed by anyone, slipped a smoldering charcoal ember inside the dung heap. Aided by the wind, the dung heap swiftly caught fire, and the man behind the Mauryan Empire and the author of Arthashastra was burned to death.

His main philosophy was "A debt should be paid off till the last penny; An enemy should be destroyed without a trace." Ironically, Subandhu followed his main philosophy and destroyed him without a trace.

Chanakya - You may call him a selfish and callous person or you may call him a practical pursuer of politics, but its a white fact that he is a legend who made an impact over the ways to rule with his well-acclaimed "Chanakya Niti"

Hand picked Quotes from Chanakya Niti Shaastra"
  • A human being should strive for four things in life — dharma (duty), artha (money), kama (pleasure) and moksha (salvation). A person who hasn't striven for even one of these things has wasted life.

  • A debt should be paid off till the last penny, and an enemy should be destroyed till last trace.

  • A man is great by deeds, not by birth.

  • A person should not be too honest. Just as straight trees are chopped-down first, honest people are taken advantage of first.

  • A rich man has many friends.

  • A woman is four times as shy, six times as brave and eight times as lusty as a man.

  • An egoist can be won over by being respected, a crazy person can be won over by allowing him to behave in an insane manner and a wise person can be won over by truth.

  • As centesimal droppings will fill a pot so also are knowledge, virtue and wealth gradually obtained.

  • As soon as the fear approaches near, attack it and destroy it.

  • Avoid him who talks sweetly before you but tries to ruin you behind your back, for he is like a pitcher of poison with milk on top.

  • Before you start any work, always ask yourself three questions — Why am I doing it? What the results might be? And Will I be successful? Only when you think deeply and find satisfactory answers to these questions, go ahead.

  • Books are as useless to a stupid person as a mirror is useless to a blind person.

  • Education is the best friend. An educated person is respected everywhere. Education surpasses the beauty and the youth.

  • Even if a snake is not venomous, it should pretend to be.

  • God is not present in idols. Your feelings are your god. The soul is your temple.

  • He who befriends a man whose conduct is vicious, whose vision impure, and who is notoriously crooked, is rapidly ruined.

  • Don't hesitate to learn something even from the most lowly of creatures.

  • In a state where the ruler lives like a common man, the citizens live like kings. And in the state where the ruler lives like a king, the citizens live like beggars.

  • Jealousy is another name for failure.

  • Never go on a long journey alone.

  • Never make friends with people who are above or below you in status. Such friendships will never give you any happiness.

  • Once you start working on something, don't be afraid of failure and don't abandon it. People who work sincerely are the happiest.

  • One who is in search of knowledge should give up the search of pleasure and the one who is in search of pleasure should give up the search of knowledge.

  • The biggest guru-mantra is: Never share your secrets with anybody. It will destroy you.

  • The four greatest enemies of a man are — the father who has taken a loan, the characterless mother, the beautiful but promiscuous wife and the stupid child.

  • The fragrance of flowers spreads only in the direction of the wind. But the goodness of a person spreads in all directions.

  • The world's biggest power is the youth and beauty of a woman.

  • There is some self-interest behind every friendship. There is no friendship without self-interests. This is a bitter truth.

  • Whores don't live in company of poor men, birds don't build nests on a tree that doesn't bear fruits and citizens never support a weak administration.

  • Wise men should never go into a country where there are no means of earning one's livelihood, where the people have no dread of anybody, have no sense of shame, no intelligence, or a charitable disposition.


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References and other citations


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2012 - A new Beginning  

Posted by maverick in , ,



What does the year 2012(MMXII) holds for us - another economic recession or some new inventions & discoveries? While you check out a few known upcomings(2012 events), let me ensemble a bouquet of the most popular myths behind the biggest anticipated "Doomsday" of our lives.

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~Mayan Calendar

Mayan Civilization (a mesoamerican civilization that existed in the 10th Millennium BC), a bloodthirsty race that were good at two things: Building highly accurate astrological equipment out of stone and Sacrificing Virgins. Mayan people used more than one calendar - not just to keep track of dates but to lead a life in harmony with the Creation. And recent findings indicate that their most important calendar called Tzolkin (which started as far back as 2114 BC (4000 years ago) suddenly comes to an end on 21st Dec 2012. The Mayan believed that there were 9 Patterns of Creation (each with a Day and Night). The road to Creation is like a pyramid with 9 levels. (in fact most of the pyramids around the world including Egypt are of 9 levels!) . Each of these 9 levels represent an immensely long period of time, with each level above of shorter duration.
What this means is that the rate of Creation has been accelerating! What took a million years to create at one level would take only 50,000 years at the next level and 2500 years in the next… Have you ever wondered why the world around us and our life seems to be moving faster and faster?

9 Patterns and the period they represent:
1. Cellular - 1.26 Billion years - began 16.4 Billion years ago
2. Mammalian - 63.1 Million years - began 840Million years ago
3. Family - 3.1 Million years - began 41 Million years ago
4. Tribal - 180,000 years - began 2 Million years ago
5. Cultural - 7900 years - began 102,000 years ago
6. National - 396 years - began 5,116 years ago
7. Planetary - 19.7 years - began 1755 AD
8. Galactic - 360 days - began 4th Jan 1999
9. Universal - 20 days - 10th Feb 2011

Actually, the Mayan calendar doesn’t actually end on 21 DEC 2012. It simply marks the end of an Age. The calendar is made up of a series of three calendar “circles”. They all just begin again, as they have in the past.


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~Nostradamus Phrophecy

Nostradamus was born on 14th December 1503 in Saint-Remy-de-Province in the south of France. Michel de Nostredame was one of at least nine children of Reyniere de St-Remy and grain dealer and notary Jaume de Nostredame.
Nostradamus predicted some events in his book "Les Propheties" such as the Great Fire of London in 1666, the invention of the guillotine, the deaths of several monarchs, details of the French Revolution, the rise of Napoleon and Hitler, World War II, submarine warfare, military incursions by helicopters and supersonic bombers, twentieth century earthquakes, nuclear holocausts, John F. Kennedy's assassination, man's landing on the moon and the advent of AIDS, proved true.
He wrote his prophecies in a poetic style, in “quatrains.”
He seems to have predicted the end of the world more closely a World War III for which the base would be laid down somewhere close to year 2000(we saw attack on twin towers in 2001). He also seems to mention in his quatrains about chemical warfare being used in World War III for which the impacts will last on the world for nearly 27 years.
With the present tension as we see accross the globe, 2012 could prove to be an year of World War III.

Quatrains from his books could be read here "http://www.crystalinks.com/nostradamus.html"

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~Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein as we all know about him was a German-born theoretical physicist. He is best known for his theory of relativity and specifically mass–energy equivalence, expressed by the equation E = mc2. He made a strange statement once that is recalled till date. Here's what he said,
"I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones."

This could be very true if at all a World War III occurs, and the checmical warfare destroys everything and puts us back to the stone age.
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~Planet X(Nibiru)

There is a planet that orbits our sun every 3600 years. This planet has been referred to as Planet X. It gets its name from being an elusive planet. The first real pictures Planet X were photographed shortly after January 26, 1983, when NASA launched the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS). The astronomers calculated that Planet X was over 50 million miles away from us at that time. In 2004 Planet X was determined to be only 7 million miles away. It's moving closer. Confirmation of the tenth planet "Planet X" was photographed n in Japan on February 28, 2008. Planet X exists, and it will be here by the end of 2012. Planet X will appear as two suns in the sky to us, no later than 2011.

Planet X Bible Passages

"From a far away land they came, from the end-point of Heaven do the Lord and his weapons of wrath come to destroy the whole Earth. Therefore will I agitate the Heaven and Earth shall be shaken out of its place. When the Lord of Hosts shall be crossing, the day of his burning wrath." Isaiah 13:1
"I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains." Rev 6:12-15
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~I Ching

The date December 22, 2012 is the End of the I Ching. Ethnobotanists and fractal time experts Terrence and Dennis McKenna believe it is, and they present their ideas in Invisible Landscape: Mind Hallucinogens and the I Ching (1993).

Their studies began with the I Ching, which is composed of 64 hexagrams, or six-line figures. It struck them that 6 x 64 = 384, which is exceptionally close to the number of days in 13 lunar months (29.5306 x 13 = 383.8978), and that maybe the I Ching was originally an ancient Chinese calendar. Further multiples had astronomical significance:

1 day x 64 x 6 = 384 days = 13 lunar months

384 days x 64 = 67 years, 104.25 days = 6 minor sunspot cycles (11.2 years each)

67 years, 104.25 days x 64 = 4306+ years = 2 Zodiacal ages

4306+ years x 6 = 25836 years = 1 precession of the equinoxes

The McKenna brothers, by matching the levels of the pattern with key periods in history, they determined it would fit best if the end of the time scale was December 22, 2012. This is the only point in which the level of novelty reaches its maximum, and everything that happens is new. Change feeds upon itself like nano-machines converting every atom in the universe into gold.

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~The Lady of Emmitsburg To the World

The message you are about to read is from the Blessed Mother, through Gianna Talone Sullivan.

June 1, 2008
"My dear little children, praised be Jesus!

Little ones, thank you for coming to pray. Know how much God loves you. He has given you tremendous gifts.

Children, for the last 20 years I have oftentimes spoken of “change.” I have told you that there is no time for fear; there is only time for change. You must know by now that I have recently spoken of an arising of two suns. When you see the two suns on the horizon, you must know that this is a time of change, a time of this new beginning about which I have spoken to you before. After you see the two suns, there is only a short time before you will see a tremendous change in weather. After this, as you know, there are more changes to come.

Children, God did not create only the Earth. God is the Creator of the cosmos, with its many galaxies, many orbits, different stars and different planets. God is the Creator! There are other planets like earth, far beyond your understanding.

I can tell you this: Even your governments and the Church authorities already have knowledge of the stars aligning and its implications upon you. You must not fear but must be prepared, primarily spiritually.

After awhile, you will see a time when there is another body in orbit around your solar system, coming between Earth and the Sun and leading to tremendous devastation. Approximately 60-70% of the world’s population, as you know it, will cease. Of those who survive, 60% of them could die of disease and starvation.

Prayer is the answer! Prayer can mitigate much of anything to come. Love and unity must be at the forefront, not survival of the fittest. But I can assure you that secretly those in governmental positions around the world and Church authorities all know. As your Mother and with you as children of God, it is my duty to forewarn you and to draw you to my Son for protection.
Look not too far before you will see two suns. Make my words known to all people: Life is important because God loves you. Those who are in control of the financial world think differently. But I your Mother know what true Life is!

So prepare, spiritually prepare. You will always be with my Son if you trust. God has a special plan, a new beginning! Look to Him; and do not fear, but love with all your heart.

I look to you, and I answer your prayers. Even if you are a sinner, and even if you were wrong, I come for your intercession. Now you must remove your “self” from your desires and look to help all people.

Peace to you (fading whisper)."

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~Native American Prophecy

American Indians are a diverse ethnic group. Their languages, customs, social systems varied greatly. One common characteristic found in many Indian nations was an affinity to the spiritual side of life. Out of this came man prophecies.

One of the most fascinating set of prophecies comes out of the Hopi nation located in the Southwestern United States. Many prophecies foretold by the Hopi appear to have come true. Some of these are:

"The Fourth World shall end soon, and the Fifth World will begin. This the elders everywhere know. The Signs over many years have been fulfilled, and so few are left.

"This is the First Sign: We are told of the coming of the white-skinned men, like Pahana, but not living like Pahana men who took the land that was not theirs. And men who struck their enemies with thunder.

"This is the Second Sign: Our lands will see the coming of spinning wheels filled with voices. In his youth, my father saw this prophecy come true with his eyes -- the white men bringing their families in wagons across the prairies."

"This is the Third Sign: A strange beast like a buffalo but with great long horns, will overrun the land in large numbers. These White Feather saw with his eyes -- the coming of the white men's cattle."

"This is the Fourth Sign: The land will be crossed by snakes of iron."

"This is the Fifth Sign: The land shall be criss-crossed by a giant spider's web."

"This is the Sixth sign: The land shall be criss-crossed with rivers of stone that make pictures in the sun."

"This is the Seventh Sign: You will hear of the sea turning black, and many living things dying because of it."

"This is the Eight Sign: You will see many youth, who wear their hair long like my people, come and join the tribal nations, to learn their ways and wisdom.

"And this is the Ninth and Last Sign: You will hear of a dwelling-place in the heavens, above the earth, that shall fall with a great crash. It will appear as a blue star. Very soon after this, the ceremonies of my people will cease.

"These are the Signs that great destruction is coming. The world shall rock to and fro. The white man will battle against other people in other lands -- with those who possessed the first light of wisdom. There will be many columns of smoke and fire such as White Feather has seen the white man make in the deserts not far from here. Only those which come will cause disease and a great dying.

Overall, the theme of Hopi prophecy is that the Earth is going to soon go through a great purification and that humanity can make the decision as to how extreme this purification will be. Their belief is that the world goes through a period of destruction and renewal and that we are about to enter into a new age, the 5th world (or 6th depending upon the source).

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~600 Earthquakes in 10 days

This is a recent event validating the earth changes to come. 600 earthquakes is a huge amount of earthquakes for such a short period of time (10 days). The second video "RECORD LEVEL EARTHQUAKES" (below), has all the records of earthquakes and their magnitudes, going back 200 years. Recently there has been a drastic increase in earthquake activity all around the world. You will see more catastrophic earthquakes as time draws closer to 2012. You will see that the earth changes have begun, and they are happening before all the eyes of the world.

600 Earthquakes in 10 Days Off Oregon Coast April 7, 2008


Scientists at Oregon State University’s Hatfield Marine Science Center have recorded more than 600 earthquakes in the last 10 days off the central Oregon coast in an area not typically known for a high degree of seismic activity.

This earthquake “swarm” is unique, according to OSU marine geologist Robert Dziak, because it is occurring within the middle of the Juan de Fuca plate – away from the major, regional tectonic boundaries.

“In the 17 years we’ve been monitoring the ocean through hydrophone recordings, we’ve never seen a swarm of earthquakes in an area such as this,” Dziak said. “We’re not certain what it means. But we hope to have a ship divert to the site and take some water samples that may help us learn more.” The water samples may indicate whether the process causing the earthquakes is tectonic or hydrothermal, he added.

At least three of the earthquakes have been of a magnitude of 5.0 or higher, Dziak said, which also is unusual. On Monday (April 7), the largest event took place, which was a 5.4 quake. Seismic activity has continued through the week and a 5.0 tremor hit on Thursday. Numerous small quakes have continued in between the periodic larger events.

Few, if any, of these earthquakes would be felt on shore, Dziak said, because they originate offshore and deep within the ocean.

The earthquakes are located about 150 nautical miles southwest of Newport, Ore., in a basin between two subsurface “faulted” geologic features rising out of the deep abyssal sediments. The hill closest to the swarm location appears to be on a curved structure edging out in a northwestern direction from the Blanco Transform Fault toward the Juan de Fuca ridge, Dziak said.

Analysis of seismic “decay” rates, which look at the decreasing intensity of the tremors as they radiate outward, suggest that the earthquakes are not the usual sequence of a primary event followed by a series of aftershocks, Dziak said.

“Some process going on down there is sustaining a high stress rate in the crust,” he pointed out.

Dziak and his colleagues are monitoring the earthquakes through a system of hydrophones located on the ocean floor. The network – called the Sound Surveillance System, or SOSUS – was used during the decades of the Cold War to monitor submarine activity in the northern Pacific Ocean. As the Cold War ebbed, these and other unique military assets were offered to civilian researchers performing environmental studies, Dziak said.

Hatfield Marine Science Center researchers also have created their own portable hydrophones, which Dziak has deployed in Antarctica to listen for seismic activity in that region. The sensitive hydrophones also have recorded a symphony of sounds revealing not only undersea earthquakes, but the movement of massive icebergs, and vocalizations of whales, penguins, elephant seals and other marine species.

This isn’t the first time the researchers have recorded earthquake swarms off the Oregon coast, Dziak said. In 2005, they recorded thousands of small quakes within a couple of weeks along the Juan de Fuca Ridge northwest of Astoria. Those earthquakes were smaller, he pointed out, and located along the tectonic plate boundary.

This is the eighth such swarm over the past dozen years, Dziak said, and the first seven were likely because of volcanic activity on the Juan de Fuca ridge. The plate doesn't move in a continuous manner and some parts move faster than others. Movement generally occurs when magma is injected into the ocean crust and pushes the plates apart.

“When it does, these swarms occur and sometimes lava breaks through onto the seafloor,” Dziak pointed out. “Usually, the plate moves at about the rate a fingernail might grow – say three centimeters a year. But when these swarms take place, the movement may be more like a meter in a two-week period."

But this eighth swarm may be different.

“The fact that it’s taking place in the middle of the plate, and not a boundary, is puzzling,” Dziak admitted. “It’s something worth keeping an eye on.”

Source: Science News Section of Science Daily, adapted from materials provided by Oregon State University. (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080413184801.htm)

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~Flooding Hits Historic 500-Year Levels in Iowa
Thursday, June 12, 2008

The National Weather Service called flooding in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, a "historic hydrologic event" Thursday as the swollen river poured over its banks at 500-year flood levels, forcing the evacuation of nearly 4,000 homes.

The National Weather Service issued a flood warning for the Cedar River in east central Iowa Thursday, saying residents should expect "unprecedented river crests" and calling the situation serious. One of the Cedar Rapids, Iowa, levees already has broken.

"The rest of the levees in the city have not broken down but what the problem is is the water went way up over the top — well over a foot over the top of the levees," Dave Koch, the city's public information officer, told FOX News, adding "it's a 500-year flood and it just overwhelmed us."

Another extraordinary event here hints of potential big changes in nature.

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~Phrophecies by Anton Johansson

The listing below is more from a perspective of the third world war. First a quatrain from Nostradamus,
II.57 Before the conflict the Great Wall will fall, the great one to death, death too sudden and lamented, born imperfect: the greater part will swim: Near the river the land stained with blood.

By the own admission of Nostradamus, his prophecies too mostly describe the events in and around Europe. A few other prophecies, however, indicate that China will conquer much of Asia before facing the western alliance. Here are a few such prophecies :

"The events taking place in Europe are a deception. Russia will be the scourge for all nations, because it was not converted. Russia attacks the West, and China invades in Asia."

- Lucia, the last living seer from Fatima, April 7, 1990


The prophecies made by Anton Johansson, Sweden, (1858 - 1909) also specifically mention Chinese attack on India. Johansson successfully predicted the sinking of the Titanic and named one of its victims, millionaire John Jacob Astor VI, foresaw the events of World War I, accurately predicted San Francisco's earthquake of 1906 and a volcanic eruption in 1902 that demolished the city of St. Pierre, Martinique. He said the Third World War would break out at "the end of July, beginning of August." adding, "I do not know the year." (the "Calamitous War" under Cancer mentioned by Nostradamus) -

- India will be occupied by China.
- New diseases used as weapons will cause 25 million people to die.
- Persia and Turkey will be conquered apparently by Russian troops.
- Revolutionaries will instigate unrest and war in India and Egypt to facilitate
the occupation of India and Europe.
- The Russians will conquer the Balkans.
- There will be great destruction in Italy.
- The "red storm" will approach France through Hungary, Austria, northern
Italy and Switzerland. France will be conquered from inside and outside.
- American supply depots will fall into Russian hands.
- Germany will be attacked from the east.
- There will be a civil war, Germans will fight against Germans.
- The Eastern Bloc will cause a civil war in England.
- Russia will lead a mass attack against the United States, so U.S. forces will
be prevented from reinforcing Europe.
- New weapons will cause huge hurricanes and firestorms in the USA where
the largest cities will be destroyed.


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~Hindu Phrophecy: The avtar of Kalki

The Hindu texts called Puranas tell the story of various Avatars of Vishnu, including his last avatar Buddha. The texts also prophesize of a future Avatar of Vishnu called Kalki who will appear at the end of the present age called the Age of Kali (untruth) or Kali Yug. Hindus believe that time revolves in a cyclical manner beginning with Satya Yug or the Age of Truth. Then comes Treta Yug, Dwapar Yug and finally Kali Yug. After that comes annihilation and re-initiation of the Satya Yug or Kritya Yug - the age of purity. Thus, the Hindus do not believe in the End of the World but in the cyclical nature of Time. The perspective of the Hindu religion is, thus, much wider than the Semitic religions and it automatically implies the fact that there were other human civilizations before the great flood, which is also mentioned in the Hindu texts.

The next Avtar of Vishnu as Kalki is certainly predicted who would be mostly involved into fighting wars to establish peace in the society thereby reinstating the age of truth or the Sat Yug, but the time seems far off from as close to 2012, so probably it could be a World War III in 2012, but the end of Kali Yug is still years away. Some of our upcoming posts will talk more about the avtar of Kalki. So stay connected.

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Sources:
http://www.liveindia.com/mayacalendar/
http://www.december212012.com/
http://www.indiaprwire.com/pressrelease/internet/200802147358.htm
http://www.2012warning.com/
http://ww-iii.tripod.com/hindu.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/
http://www.nostradamusquatrains.com/




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Char Dhams - A Hindu Pilgrimage  

Posted by maverick in , ,

The Char Dhams consists of the most important Hindu pilgrimage sites and has not been constant but changes based on the actual pilgrimage practice.
In the 8th century, the famous reformer and philosopher, Shankaracharya grouped the Hindu pilgrimage circuit into 4 sites namely the Char Dhams which originally consisted of four important temples,


>> Puri (in Orissa) - the place where Lord Krishna took an avtar as Jagannatha.

>> Rameshwaram (in Tamil Nadu) - place where Lord Rama built a bridge accross to Lanka.

>> Dwarika (in Gujrat) - was the dwelling place of Lord Krishna.

>> Badrinath (in Uttrakhand) - Goddess Lakshmi took the form of the berries to provide sustenance to Lord Vishnu during his long penance in the harsh Himalayan climate.

So these were the original Char Dhams stated by Shankaracharya. But with the changing times and developments around the intractable inclines of Himalayas, new paths opened up and it became easy to go to places that were once sought impossible. This altogether changed the Hindu pilgrimage culture and the new Char Dhams were recognized which are all located in the Gharwal section of Uttrakhand ---


>> Yamunotri (Uttarkashi district) - the source of the Yamuna River and the seat of the goddess Yamuna.

>> Gangotri (Uttarkashi district) - the source of the Ganga River and seat of the goddess Ganga.

>> Kedarnath (Rudraprayad district) - where a form of the Hindu god Shiva is venerated as one of the twelve jyotirling(linga of light).

>> Badrinath (Chamoli district, Uttrakhand) - the seat of the Hindu god Vishnu in his aspect of Badrinarayan.

So Badrinath has always been there in the Char Dhams and also is the most vital of all the others.

Who knows the Char Dhams may switch again tomorrow? A new era brings in a new life!


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Modern Version of Vande Matram::Maa Tujhe Salaam  

Posted by maverick in ,

A.R. Rahman composed a modern version of India's National song, "Vande Matram" as "Maa Tujhe Salaam". The composition invokes you from within to respect your motherland & rise and stand for her just as much as the original National Song does.

Check out the video & lyrics,








"Maa Tujhe Salaam"


Yahan vahan saara jahan dekh liya Ab tak bhi tere jaisa koi nahin Main assi nahin, sau din duniya
ghooma hai Naahi kaahe tere jaisa koi nahin Main gaya jahan bhi, bas teri yaad thi Jo mere saath
thi mujhko tadpaati rulaati Sab se pyaari teri soorat Pyaar hai bas tera, pyaar hi Maa tujhe
salaam, maa tujhe salaam Amma tujhe salaam Vande maataram, vande maataram Vande maataram, vande
maataram Vande maataram, vande maataram Janam janam tera hoon deewana main Jhoomoon naachoon
gaaoon tere pyaar ka taraana Main jeena nahin soch nahin duniya ki daulat nahin Bas lootunga tere
pyaar ka khazaana Ek nazar jab teri hoti hai pyaar ki Duniya tab to meri chamke damke maheke
re Tera chehra sooraj jaisa chaand si thand hai pyaar mein Vande maataram, vande maataram Vande
maataram, vande maataram Vande maataram, vande maataram Tere paas hi main aa raha hoon Apni
baahein khol de Zor se mujhko gale laga le Mujhko phir voh pyaar de Tu hi zindagi hai, tu hi meri
mohabbat hai Tere hi pairon mein jannat hai Tu hi dil, tu jaan, amma Maa tujhe salaam, maa tujhe
salaam Amma tujhe salaam, maa tujhe salaam Vande maataram, vande maataram Vande maataram, vande
maataram Vande maataram, vande maataram Vande maataram, vande maataram


Once again, the maestro proved his extraordinary talent!


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