Special status sought for cow

Spiritual heads of various mutts demanded that the government identify cow as national animal in the place of tiger while addressing a national conference on glory of Gomatha known as Vande Gomataram at Mahati Auditorium in Tirupati on Saturday.

Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams’ (TTD) Sri Venkateswara Gosamrakshana Trust is holding the three-day seminar in association with Sri Bhashyakara Charitable Trust, Chennai. Head of Peshawar mutt, Udipi, Sri Viswesh Theertha Swamiji, who inaugurated the conference, said that cow is secular while reminding that it has no caste or religious reservations while giving its milk.

The swamiji pointed to the special bond between lord of Seven hills, Lord Venkateswara and Kamadhenu (celestial cow) which used to provide milk the lord everyday when the lord took the incarnation as Srinivasa. Sri Prasanna Venkatachariar Chaturvedi swamiji of Ramanuja mission Chennai questioned the rational behind selecting tiger as national animal while stressing the need to replace it with cow. "We have peacock as national bird instead of vulture and lotus as national flower instead of cactus why cow not cow in the place of tiger," the seer questioned. Taking strong objection towards cow slaughter, he lamented that there are 350 legal and over 30,000 illegal slaughter houses in the country. "It is not slaughter of cow it is slaughter of our culture and heritage," the seer asserted. He advocated the need for a cow policy and a Panch Sheel to protect the cows. Adopt a cow, establish vigilance committees after providing communication equipment and place them on the way to slaughter houses to prevent the cattle reach the place. Make documentaries to send the message across on the holiness of the cow to create awareness against the menace, the seer said. He donated Rs 1 lakh to the TTD towards cow welfare scheme out of Rs 5 lakh he promised before.

From Deccan Chronicle

By Samachar Bharati
Andhra Pradesh

Hindus, Celebrate New Year On Gudhipadwa

Celebrate Gudhipadwa and not 31^st December as New Year's day!

The celebrations of 31st December are a part of the Western culture. However, now even Hindus consider it as one of the different festivals of India. Thus, they have begun celebrating this day in large numbers. There are well-planned preparations for this day with respect to what should be done, what should be purchased, which restaurant to visit and which place to party. This day is celebrated everywhere from big cities to remote villages; which do not even have regular water and power supply. Hindus do not realise that by following the western culture blindly, not only are they ruining their own culture but also leading their future generations into hedonism by making them imbibe western cultural values. This article focuses on these very points.

Conversion of faith for a day

When a person converts his faith, he celebrates the customs and festivals of that faith and follows it. Likewise, if we do not follow our faith and celebrate 31st December and Christmas, which are rituals of another faith, it is similar to getting converted to that faith for a day! However, Hindus are not aware that by setting aside their own religion and celebrating days such as 31st December, etc. they are committing a sin of betraying their religion. Today, there is an urge to impart religious education to Hindus to awaken their religious pride.

Hindus give more importance to 31st December night than to Gudhipadwa!

Nowadays, on the night of 31st December; right from kids to old, every person is seen exchanging New Year greetings and wishes. In the real sense, Gudhipadwa is the New Year of Hindus. However, they seek greatness in celebrating the night of 31st December. The sight of Hindus exchanging New Year wishes on the Hindu New Year Day of Gudhipadwa has become rare.

Passive parents of the hedonist youth

According to Hindu Dharma, any auspicious occasion is celebrated by arising at 'Brahmamuhurta' i.e., the period between dawn and sunrise, having a bath, wearing clean clothes, ornaments and performing a holy ritual. This results in creation of good impressions on the mind due to the pious frequencies present in the atmosphere at that time. On the contrary, acts such as consuming liquor on the night of 31st December, creating nuisance and spending the night in a hedonic manner; results in creation of negative impressions on the mind. Also, at night, the atmosphere is charged with negative frequencies, which exert a negative influence on the person. The youth who are ignorant of these facts due to lack of religious education fall prey to such practices and develop a hedonist attitude, a fact about which even their parents are unaware.

Let us combat aggression of the Ravan-like western culture and hoist New Year's Gudhi on Gudhipadwa day!

Today Hindu Dharma is being attacked from all directions and the greatest threat is from the western culture. Counter-attacking this aggression is the duty of every Hindu. On the day of Gudhipadwa, Lord Ramachandra celebrated victory after slaying Ravana, by hoisting Gudhis at Ayodhya. Similarly, Hindus should combat the Ravan-like aggression of the western culture and fulfill their religious duty by hoisting the New Year Gudhi on Gudhipadwa day.

Oh Hindus! Live as Hindus with pride at least for a day!

On this day you can do the following acts -

1. On the night of 31st December or on 1st of January do not exchange New Year greetings with any Hindu.

2. If any Hindu gives you New Year greetings on that day then make him realise this mistake and emphatically tell him that Gudhipadva is the beginning of our Hindu New Year.

3. Send New Year greeting cards to relatives and friends on Gudhipadva day.

4. Pass on this information to maximum people in your contact and prevent them from committing a probable sin.

5. Remember! Celebrating New Year on Gudhipadva instead of 31st December is akin to creating pride for our own religion, nation and language.

Importance of Gudhipadva

Gudhipadva is the first day of the Hindu Calendar Year. The Hindu New Year begins on the first day of the month of Chaitra from the Hindu lunar calendar. The natural, historical and spiritual reasons to mark the commencement of the year on the first day of the month of Chaitra are discussed in the following sections.

Natural: The spring season commences, the trees bear new foliage and appear fresh. In the Shrimadbhagvadgita the Lord says, 'Among the seasons, the exhilarating Vasant season (spring) is My manifestation', thus signifying the importance of this season. In this season the weather is pleasant and exhilarating.

Historical: Lord Rama, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, returned to Ayodhya after slaying the demons and Ravan, an evil king of the demons who had kidnapped Lord Rama's queen, Sita on this day. Also, he slayed Vali, a powerful and evil king of Kishkindha on the same day.

Spiritual:

1. Since on this day Lord Brahma created the universe and the Satyayug began, it marks the commencement of the New Year.

2. It is one of the three-and-a-half auspicious days (sade teen muhurtas). There is a special feature of the three and a half auspicious days. Unlike other days when one has to choose an auspicious moment to perform a ritual, on these days one does not need to do the same; as every moment of these days is auspicious.

3. The higher incidence of prajapati sanyukta (conjoint) frequencies on the earth: The Hindu Holy text Ganeshyamal tantra states that in total 108 subtle frequencies reach the earth. These stem from the four parts (charans) of each of the twenty-seven lunar asterisms from the Nakshtralok. They disintegrate further into four type of frequencies : yama, surya, prajapati and sanyukta (conjoint), and strike the earth in varying proportions throughout the year. On the first day of the month of Chaitra, the prajapati sanyukta and surya sanyukta frequencies, which have the potential to increase the spiritual/subtle purity (sattva) component, descend in larger quantities. Also on this day, the maximum number of the purity-predominant prajapati sanyukta frequencies descends upon the earth.

Why Ram Setu (Sethu) should not be damaged

Ram Setu (Sethu) prevented the tsunami from advancing from Rameshwaram to Kerala.

Spiritual Significance

1. This is a divine bridge.

2. Lord Rama and his vaanar sena had built it 17 lacs 25 thousands years ago.

3. In Puranas, the importance of Setu is explained in great details, especially in Skanda Purana, Vishnu Purana, Agni Purana, and Brahma Purana.

Physical Significance

1. Ram Setu (Sethu) a natural barrier to Tsunami: During the last tsunami, the Ramar Bridge (at a high elevation) from the rest of the shoal accumulations acted as a natural barrier preventing the direct devastation of the entire Bharatam coastline south and southwest of Nagapattanam. - Dr. Murthy, Chief editor of the reputed International Tsunami Journal "Science of Tsunami Hazards"

2. Threat of Tsunami: Many geologists, earth scientists, and oceanographers have commented critically, against the disastrous consequences of constructing SSCP. Amongst these is the impending devastation of Kerala, which will suck in after implementation of SSCP, after next Tsunami hits it.
   Read details: Sethusamudram project and impending Tsunami devastation

3. Many Naval officials are saying that even after the completion of SSCP, the depth of the canal shall be only 12 meters (about 36 feet ), and only small and medium sized vessels shall be able to pass. Large sized vessels and carriers shall not be able to pass.

Social Significance

1. The construction of SSCP is trampling upon the feelings and emotions of millions and millions of Hindus.

2. Besides, this bridge is world's oldest man-made structure. It is much much older than the pyramids of Egypt, and the Great Wall of China.

3. Ram Setu has sentimental, religious and historic value.

4. People have crossed the sea using the Rama-Setu, for many thousand years, until the 15th century.

Better alternative solutions are also available !

According to the specialists, a sea route may be prepared for navigation without damaging Sri Ram Setu, by removing the barren sand heaps near village Mandapam between Rameshwaram and Dhanushkoti railway. This will not only give a shorter route for navigation but also protect the oldest man-made heritage.

Why the Ram Setu must not be destroyed? - Tarun Vijay

Sethusamudram, a project to create alternative shorter route for ships to cross the Gulf of Mannar, is a wonderful idea -- one which is more than 150 years old. The channel, originally an idea of a British commander named A D Taylor was put forth in 1860. In 1955, the Government of India set up the Sethusamudram project committee to look into the feasibility of the project and five routes were discussed till 2001 but nothing happened. The National Democratic Alliance government sanctioned a few crore rupees to study the project but before a final decision on the route could be taken, the government lost power.

The official web site of the project says, 'Ships originating from the west of India and destined for Chennai, Ennore, Vishakapatnam, Paradeep, Haldia and Kolkata have to travel around the Sri Lankan coast resulting in increase of travel distance and time. Apart from this ships belonging to Indian Navy and Coast Guard need also to traverse around Sri Lanka. In order to reduce the steaming distances between the east and west coast of India and to improve the navigation within territorial waters of India, a navigation channel connecting the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay through Adam's Bridge has been envisaged so that the ships moving between the east and west coasts of India need not go around Sri Lanka.' The total cost of the project is Rs 2,427 crores (Rs 24.27 billion).

But due to political expediency and a pathetic problem of a 'secular amnesia' about heritage matters, it has got a controversial hue, which could have been avoided if some transparency was maintained and points of collective sensitivities and faith were not ignored. The project is fine, but the present route is not, as it involves destruction of a bridge believed to have been built by Lord Rama and Muslims and Christians believe it to be Adam's creation.

Foreigners and Indians alike have described it as Rama's bridge since ancient times in their maps and travelogues. The first time someone called it Adam's Bridge was in 1804 by James Rennell, the first surveyor general of the East India Company. Even if the Government of India prefers to use the name Adam's Bridge, it simply proves that not only Hindus but Muslims and Christians too have a reverence for the bridge it is going to destroy.

Now when the media and political leaders are busy with the Uttar Pradesh election and exit polls, the Sethusamudram dredgers are busy destroying a great world heritage site India has.

The Ram Setu or Adam's Bridge connects India's Rameshwaram to Sri Lanka's Talaimannar. A movement has begun to safeguard it at the shores of Rameshwaram on April 18. Two former judges of the Supreme Court, Justice K T Thomas and Justice V R Krishna Iyer, none of them close to the saffron side, have warned the government against destroying the Ram Setu.

It is ironical that a government which changes the metro rail route to protect the Qutub Minar, built with the material of destroyed temples, stops a corridor to protect the Taj Mahal's surroundings and spends crores of rupees to showcase ancient potteries and jewellery in heavily guarded museums, is destroying a unique symbol of national identity and an icon well preserved in our minds since ages. Even a child knows that a bridge was built by the friends of Lord Rama using floating stones and Rama's army marched over it to Lanka to rescue Sita and destroy the evil regime of Ravana.

Hence during Dussehra every year and in dance dramas depicting Rama's life enacted across the globe, specially in East Asia, they never ever fail to mention the Setu Bandhan or the construction of Rama's bridge. Apart from the Ramayana, the Mahabharata also refers to the continued protection of Nala Setu following Sri Rama's command. Kalidasa's Raghuvamsham also refers to the Setu. So does the Skanda Purana (III 1.2.1-114), the Vishnu Purana (IV 4.40-49), the Agni Purana (V-XI), the Brahma Purana (138.1-40).

That is the memory so beautifully adopted by the Geological Survey of India in its logo, which describes India in this line etched at the bottom of its insignia -- Aasetu Himachal, meaning India is spread between the Bridge and the Himalayas. That is the Ram Setu Bridge on the southern tip of our motherland, an identity of the nation, under destruction now.

The credit of digging up material regarding the Ram Setu and providing impeccable factual content goes to Kalyan Raman, a former senior executive of the Asian Development Bank. He astounded even the government with his material on the entire project. His findings have stirred up protests from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha. Ashok Singhal of the VHP is spearheading a movement to protect the Ram Setu. He addressed a big public meeting in Rameshwaram with religious heads and Dr Subramanian Swamy. BJP leader and former Union human resources development minister Dr Murli Manohar Joshi has written to the prime minister, urging him to stop the destruction of the great heritage site.

The government, very 'secular and fair' indeed, tries not to remember or give any credence to what Hindus, Muslims and Christians believe, But this is what NASA says about the bridge, 'Exploring space with a camera by NASA's [193] Gemini XI, this photograph from an altitude of 410 miles encompasses all of India, an area of 1,250 000 square miles,' George M Low, then the deputy director, Manned Spacecraft Center, NASA, notes. 'Bombay is on the west coast, directly left of the spacecraft's can-shaped antenna, New Delhi is just below the horizon near the upper left. Adam's Bridge between India and Ceylon, at the right, is clearly visible...' We can see the picture dramatically resembles the description given in Kalidasa's Raghuvamsham. Kalidasa wrote, (sarga 13): 'Rama, while returning from Sri Lanka in Pushpaka Vimaana told Sita: "Behold, Sita, My Setu of mountains dividing this frothy ocean is like the milky way dividing the sky into two parts".'

The Encyclopedia Britannica describes the bridge thus, 'Adam's Bridge also called Rama's Bridge, chain of shoals, between the islands of Mannar, near northwestern Sri Lanka, and Rameswaram, off the southeastern coast of India.'

Apart from such issues of heritage and belief, there are genuine concerns regarding security and the tsunamis' impact increasing in case the Ram Setu is destroyed. If the new channel is created through the present Rama's bridge, international ships would pass through it making a de facto international boundary between India and Sri Lanka, facilitating an increased alien presence, burdening our navy to a great extent.

So far the sea between India and Sri Lanka has been recognised as historic waters, though the United States has been pressurising to have it declared as international waters and said in a naval notification in 2005 that it does not accept the sea between India and Sri Lanka as 'historic'. The US declaration and the role of the Tuticorin Port Trust, the nodal agency to implement the Sethu Samudram Canal Project coupled with the haste with which the project was inaugurated, has given rise to many unanswered questions.

The US Navy operational directive refusing to accept the sea between India and Sri Lanka as 'historic' was made on June 23, 2005. The Prime Minister's Office sent some queries in March 2005 to N K Raghupathy, chief of the Tuticorin Port Trust. He sent answers to the PMO's queries on June 30, 2005 and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with United Progressive Alliance Chairperson Sonia Gandhi inaugurated the project on July 2, 2005. Why were the queries sent to the TPT and not to an agency which had scientific authority to look into the geological and maritime aspects of the project? Why did the prime minister and the UPA chairperson rush to inaugurate the project without, prima facie, having the time to look into the answers given by the TPT chief? Why was the present route okayed which essentially requires the destruction of the Ram Setu, while other options, closer to Dhanushkodi, which did not touch the Ram Setu were ignored?

Local fishermen, Hindus, Muslims and Christians alike oppose the present route and are demanding alternative channels, which are available. They say the present channel would destroy marine life and corals. This will kill the trade in shankas (shells) that has a turnover in excess of Rs 150 crore (Rs 1.5 billion) per annum. Invaluable thorium deposits would be affected, which are too important for our nuclear fuel requirements.

Professor Tad Murthy, the world renowned tsunami expert, who advised the Government of India on the tsunami warning system and edited the Tsunami Journal for over 20 years, has also warned that the present Setu Samudram route may result in tsunami waves hitting Kerala more fiercely. In a reply to a query regarding the Sethusanmudram's impact, he wrote, 'During the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 26, 2004, the southern part of Kerala was generally spared from a major tsunami, mainly because the tsunami waves from Sumatra region travelling south of the Sri Lankan island, partially diffracted northward and affected the central part of the Kerala coast. Since the tsunami is a long gravity wave (similar to tides and storm surges) during the diffraction process, the rather wide turn it has to take spared the south Kerala coast. On the other hand, deepening the Sethu Canal might provide a more direct route for the tsunami and this could impact south Kerala.'

The issue concerns us all, and should be taken up as Indians, without getting entangled in party lines and political games. The Ram Setu or Adam's Bridge belongs to all humanity, being an important heritage site; hence the government should not allow it to become another issue affecting Hindu sensitivities. Nobody is opposing the Sethu Samudram Project, only a realignment of the route is being asked, as the present one destroys the Ram Setu.