Podcast appearances and mentions of Durga Puja

"The original field recording was from Hotel Shadab, Hyderabad India. The recording was so humanly rich, with lots of voices, and activities which gave me an aural sense of a city in a busy day. Although I have never been to Hyderabad, the recording presented information about a generic day but of a particular time.  "So the recording inspired me in a way, that I wanted to illustrate my city, which is Kolkata sonically, but the time, the incidents which I tried to capture with my illustration were not generic, but of a particular period. "For the past few months, the city has been ablaze regarding the protests for a horrific incident in RG Kar Hospital, and parallelly the biggest festival of the city, which is Durga Puja, was also coming in. There were two narratives of thought, floating around.  "The government was trying their best to push the term 'festival' in such a way that it directly opposed the term 'Protest', however, the people were hell-bent on the idea, that a protest against atrocities is a festival.  "I tried to capture this particular turbulent time of this city, and its gradual shifts during the Durga Puja festivities while parallelly drawing a line with all those familiar sounds with the protest and festivities.  "I have used the original recording from Hyderabad, in a way where it symbolizes the vocalization of the most mundane human beings, who become not so mundane when they gather in for a collective voice and the voices blend in. " Hotel Shadab, Hyderabad reimagined by Prabuddha Mukhopadhyay.

In this episode, Monika reflects on the Durga Puja week, sharing her joy in visiting pandals while noting the limited news that led to her changing the episode format by addressing five listener questions instead of the usual 3. Anonymous from Bengaluru, nearing retirement, faces the dilemma of paying his sisters Rs 1.2 crore for an inherited home, with suggestions like selling his rental flat or staggering payments over five years. Sachin Gupta from NOIDA, recently laid off at 40, wonders about withdrawing from his EPF for investments; the advice is to continue the job search for 6-12 months. Saurab Roy seeks guidance on increasing SIP contributions with 12 mutual funds, and consolidation to one platform while reducing funds to 8-10 is encouraged. Nayan Paliwal plans to use a windfall bonus for a home down payment in 1.5-2 years, and fixed deposits are recommended for safety. Finally, Amit Kohly, an NRI considering a switch from regular to direct mutual fund plans, is advised on potential tax implications and a gradual transition. This episode emphasizes the importance of informed financial decision-making in balancing family obligations and investment strategies. Chapters: (0:34 - 0:53) Introduction and Format Change (0:55 - 3:47) Dilemma of Paying Sisters for Inherited Property (3:55 - 6:57) Advice on EPF Withdrawal After Job Loss (7:05 - 9:11) Increasing SIP Contributions and Managing Mutual Funds (9:14 - 10:52) Investing a Windfall Bonus for Future Home Purchase (10:54 - 13:0) Switching from Regular to Direct Mutual Fund Plans https://www.epfindia.gov.in/site_en/FAQ.php  If you have financial questions that you'd like answers for, please email us at ⁠mailme@monikahalan.com⁠  Monika's book on basic money management www.monikahalan.com/lets-talk-money-english/⁠ Monika's book on mutual funds ⁠www.monikahalan.com/lets-talk-mutual-funds/⁠ ⁠-funds/⁠ Monika's workbook on recording your financial life ⁠www.monikahalan.com/lets-talk-legacy/⁠ Calculators ⁠investor.sebi.gov.in/calculators/index.html⁠ You can find Monika on her social media @monikahalan.  Twitter ⁠⁠⁠@MonikaHalan⁠⁠⁠ Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@MonikaHalan⁠⁠⁠ Facebook ⁠⁠⁠@MonikaHalan⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn ⁠⁠@MonikaHalan⁠ Production House:⁠ www.inoutcreatives.com⁠ Production Assistant: ⁠⁠Anshika Gogoi

Durga Puja, Kolkata's biggest festival comes face to face with the biggest protests the city has seen in recent years.

The bhakti journey 5 - | Durga puja youth camp | Newtown, Kolkata by Exploring mindfulness, yoga and spirituality

The bhakti journey 6 - | Durga puja youth camp | Newtown, Kolkata by Exploring mindfulness, yoga and spirituality

The bhakti journey 1 - Understanding the mind | Durga puja youth camp | Newtown, Kolkata by Exploring mindfulness, yoga and spirituality

The bhakti journey 2 - Sraddha & Sadhu-sanga | Durga puja youth camp | Newtown, Kolkata by Exploring mindfulness, yoga and spirituality

The bhakti journey 3 - Bhajan-kriya & Vishaya-sangara | Durga puja youth camp | Newtown, Kolkata by Exploring mindfulness, yoga and spirituality

Fluent Fiction - Hindi: Chandni Chowk Chronicles: A Culinary and Photographic Journey Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.org/chandni-chowk-chronicles-a-culinary-and-photographic-journey Story Transcript:Hi: चांदनी चौक की चमकदार रोशनी में, दुकानों के रंग-बिरंगे पर्दों के बीच, एक भीड़ भरी मंडी थी।En: In the sparkling lights of Chandni Chowk, amidst the colorful curtains of the shops, there was a bustling market.Hi: वहाँ दुर्गा पूजा की हलचल थी और हर तरफ खुशियों की गूँज सुनाई दे रही थी।En: The excitement of Durga Puja was in the air, and happiness echoed all around.Hi: लोग रंग-बिरंगी साड़ियाँ पहने, खिलखिलाते हुए खरीदारी में मशगूल थे।En: People, dressed in vibrant saris, were joyfully engaged in shopping.Hi: उन सब के बीच, नेहा अपनी नई कैमरा लिए, इस अद्भुत त्योहार की आत्मा को अपनी तस्वीरों में कैद करने की कोशिश कर रही थी।En: Among them, Neha, with her new camera, was attempting to capture the essence of this wonderful festival in her photographs.Hi: नेहा एक युवा मार्केटिंग प्रोफेशनल थी, हाल ही में फोटोग्राफी में रुचि लेने लगी थी।En: Neha, a young marketing professional, had recently developed an interest in photography.Hi: वह यहाँ के चेहरों की सजीवता और खुशियों को छुपाना चाहती थी।En: She wanted to unveil the vividness and joy on the faces here.Hi: दूसरी तरफ, आकाश में पतंगों को काट कर खा लेते हैं, जिससे उनकी चित्कार सुनाई देती थी, और इसी नजारे के बीच अराव था। एक युवा शेफ, जो भारतीय स्ट्रीट फूड के नए जायके खोजने में लगा था।En: Meanwhile, in the sky, kites clashed and were cut, their cries audible amidst the scene, and there was Aarav, a young chef who was eager to discover new flavors of Indian street food.Hi: भीड़ में खोए हुए, नेहा ने निश्चय किया कि वह लोगों की कैंडिड शॉट्स लेगी।En: Lost in the crowd, Neha decided she would take candid shots of the people.Hi: इस आशा में, वह एक अनजाने स्टॉल की ओर बढ़ी।En: With that hope, she moved towards an unknown stall.Hi: इसी स्टॉल पर अराव ने भी कुछ अनोखा खोजने का मन बनाया था।En: Aarav, too, was inclined to discover something unique at that same stall.Hi: इसी बीच, नेहा ने अपने कैमरे की लेंस के पीछे से देखा कि अराव एक नए पकवान का आनंद ले रहा था।En: As Neha peeked through her camera lens, she saw Aarav relishing a new dish.Hi: नेहा ने तत्काल उस पल को कैमरे में कैद कर लिया।En: Neha instantly captured the moment with her camera.Hi: अराव ने तस्वीर क्लिक होने की आवाज सुनी और नेहा की ओर देखा।En: Aarav heard the click of the camera and looked towards Neha.Hi: उनकी नजरें मिलते ही, उनके बीच बातचीत शुरू हो गई।En: Their eyes met, and a conversation sparked between them.Hi: नेहा ने अपनी फोटोग्राफी के प्रति अपने जुनून का वर्णन किया और अराव ने बताया कि वह कैसे नई-नई रेसिपी खोज रहा है।En: Neha described her passion for photography, and Aarav shared how he was exploring new recipes.Hi: उस शाम उन्होंने एक साथ समय बिताया, नेहा ने अराव को अपनी तस्वीरें दिखाईं।En: They spent the evening together, as Neha showed Aarav her photographs.Hi: अराव उन फोटो को देख कर प्रभावित हुआ।En: Aarav was impressed by the pictures.Hi: उसने महसूस किया कि नेहा का नज़रिया और फोटोग्राफी, कुकिंग में कला का अनोखा मेल कर सकती है।En: He realized that Neha's perspective and photography could uniquely blend with the art of cooking.Hi: वे साथ में एकजुट हो गए।En: They decided to join forces.Hi: अराव ने नेहा को अपने कुकिंग जर्नल में फोटोग्राफी का हिस्सा बनाने के लिए आमंत्रित किया।En: Aarav invited Neha to incorporate photography into his culinary journal.Hi: इस काम को करते हुए, उनके बीच एक गहरा नाता बन गया।En: Through this collaboration, a deep connection formed between them.Hi: नेहा ने समझा कि फोटोग्राफी सिर्फ शौक नहीं, एक नया रिश्ता बनाने का माध्यम बन सकता है।En: Neha understood that photography was not just a hobby but a medium to forge new relationships.Hi: अराव ने कला और व्यंजन में नई संभावना देखी और नेहा के दृष्टिकोण की सराहना की।En: Aarav saw new potential at the intersection of art and cuisine and appreciated Neha's viewpoint.Hi: कार्तिक मास की पूर्णिमा की रात में, चांदनी चौक के उस भीड़ भरे बाजार से, नेहा और अराव अपने जीवन की एक नई यात्रा पर निकल पड़े, नई संभावनाओं की जुगलबंदी के साथ।En: On the full moon night of Kartik month, from that crowded market of Chandni Chowk, Neha and Aarav embarked on a new journey in their lives, harmonizing new possibilities. Vocabulary Words:sparkling: चमकदारamidst: बीचbustling: भीड़ भरीexcitement: हलचलechoed: गूँजvibrant: रंग-बिरंगीengaged: मशगूलessence: आत्माunveil: छुपानाvividness: सजीवताaudible: सुनाईinclined: मन बनायाrelishing: आनंद ले रहाcandid: कैंडिडpeeked: देखाcaptured: कैदsparked: शुरूperspective: नज़रियाuniquely: अनोखाculinary: व्यंजनharmony: जुगलबंदीpossibilities: संभावनाओंmedium: माध्यमforge: नया बनानाjourney: यात्राharmonizing: जुगलबंदीcurtains: पर्दोंcries: चित्कारeager: उत्सुकcollaboration: सहयोग

Fluent Fiction - Hindi: Dancing with the Winds: A Festival Tale of Love and Art Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.org/dancing-with-the-winds-a-festival-tale-of-love-and-art Story Transcript:Hi: गंगा नदी के घाट पर शरद ऋतु की हवाएँ बह रही थीं।En: On the ghats of the Ganga river, the autumn winds were blowing.Hi: दुर्गा पूजा का माहौल था।En: There was an atmosphere of Durga Puja.Hi: हर जगह रंग-बिरंगी सजावटें थीं और ढोल की थाप से सारा वातावरण गूंज रहा था।En: Everywhere, colorful decorations adorned the scene, and the sound of drums reverberated through the surroundings.Hi: आरव वहां के दृश्य को अपने कैमरे में कैद कर रहा था।En: Aarav was capturing the scene with his camera.Hi: वह हमेशा से चाहता था कि उसकी तस्वीरें दुर्गा पूजा की वास्तविक भावना को दर्शाएं।En: He had always wanted his photos to reflect the true essence of Durga Puja.Hi: आरव की मुलाकात काव्या से उस समय हुई जब वह मुख्य मंच के पास तस्वीरें खींच रहा था।En: Aarav met Kavya while he was taking photos near the main stage.Hi: काव्या एक शास्त्रीय नृत्यांगना थी जो यहाँ अपनी प्रस्तुति देने आई थी।En: Kavya was a classical dancer who had come to perform here.Hi: इस मौके पर प्रदर्शन करना उसका सपना था, लेकिन वह घबराई हुई थी।En: Performing on this occasion was her dream, but she was nervous.Hi: आरव ने काव्या की ओर ध्यान दिया।En: Aarav noticed Kavya.Hi: उसके चेहरे पर हल्की शिकायत और उत्साह एक साथ दिख रहे थे।En: Her face simultaneously showed slight apprehension and excitement.Hi: उसने तय किया कि उसे एक ऐसा कोण खोजना होगा जहाँ वह काव्या के नृत्य की भावना को पकड़ सके।En: He decided he needed to find an angle that could capture the spirit of Kavya's dance.Hi: इसी प्रयास में वह धीरे-धीरे मंच के करीब चला गया।En: In this endeavor, he slowly moved nearer to the stage.Hi: समय के साथ काफी लोग इकट्ठा हो गए थे।En: Over time, a crowd had gathered.Hi: काव्या आगे आई और उसने अपने गुरु की शिक्षाओं को याद किया।En: Kavya stepped forward and recalled her guru's teachings.Hi: उसने अपनी शंकाओं को किनारे कर, आत्मविश्वास के साथ नृत्य शुरू कर दिया।En: She set aside her doubts and began to dance with confidence.Hi: उसकी अदाकारी ने सबको मोहित कर दिया।En: Her performance mesmerized everyone.Hi: आरव ने अपने कैमरे के लेंस में देखा, वह नृत्य के हर पल को बारीकी से पकड़ रहा था।En: Aarav looked through his camera lens, capturing every moment of the dance with precision.Hi: एक क्षण आया जब काव्या की हरकतें और भावनाएँ पूरी तरह से त्योहार की आत्मा के साथ जुड़ गई।En: There came a moment when Kavya's movements and expressions perfectly intertwined with the spirit of the festival.Hi: आरव के कैमरे ने इससे बेहतरीन तस्वीर कभी नहीं खींची थी।En: Aarav had never captured a better photograph.Hi: प्रदर्शन के बाद, आरव काव्या के पास गया।En: After the performance, Aarav approached Kavya.Hi: उसने उसकी तारीफ की और वह तस्वीर दिखाई।En: He praised her and showed her the photo.Hi: काव्या को देखकर खुशी हुई।En: Kavya was delighted to see it.Hi: उसने पहले कभी सोचा नहीं था कि उसका नृत्य इस तरह से कैमरे में कैद होगा।En: She had never imagined her dance being captured on camera in such a profound way.Hi: इस मुलाकात ने दोनों के जीवन में नया मोड़ ला दिया।En: This meeting brought a new turn in both their lives.Hi: आरव को अब जीवन और कला की अनिश्चितताओं से ख़ुशी मिलने लगी थी।En: Aarav began to find joy in the uncertainties of life and art.Hi: वहीं, काव्या ने आत्मविश्वास पाया कि जब वह अपने जुनून को अपनाती है, तो वह किसी भी मंच को जीत सकती है।En: Meanwhile, Kavya gained the confidence that when she embraced her passion, she could conquer any stage.Hi: गंगा के किनारे, दीपों की रोशनी में, आरव और काव्या ने कला और सृजनशीलता के नए आयामों में डूबकर एक नये रिश्ते का आरंभ किया।En: By the banks of the Ganga, amidst the light of lamps, Aarav and Kavya embarked on a new relationship, immersed in new dimensions of art and creativity.Hi: दोनों के दिलों में दुर्गा पूजा की रौनक बस गई थी।En: The glow of Durga Puja filled their hearts. Vocabulary Words:ghats: घाटautumn: शरद ऋतुadorned: सजावटेंreverberated: गूंज रहा थाapprehension: शिकायतrecall: याद कियाguru: गुरुteachings: शिक्षाओंmesmerized: मोहितintertwined: जुड़ गईprofound: गहरीuncertainties: अनिश्चितताओंembraced: अपनाती हैimmersed: डूबकरdimensions: आयामोंessence: भावनाclassical: शास्त्रीयperform: प्रस्तुतिslight: हल्कीendeavor: प्रयासconfidence: आत्मविश्वासcapturing: कैद कर रहाconquer: जीत सकती हैglow: रौनकstage: मंचdrums: ढोलmovements: हरकतेंpraise: तारीफdeepen: गहरीbanks: किनारे

Fluent Fiction - Hindi: Secrets of Amer Fort: A Tale of History and Discovery Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.org/secrets-of-amer-fort-a-tale-of-history-and-discovery Story Transcript:Hi: जयपुर के शानदार आमेर किले की प्राचीरें, खुशी और उत्सव के मौसम में थिरक रही थीं।En: The majestic walls of the Amer Fort in Jaipur were pulsating with joy and festive spirit.Hi: शरद ऋतु का मौसम था, और चारों ओर दुर्गा पूजा की लहरें हवा में गूँज रहीं थीं।En: It was the autumn season, and the air was resonating with waves of Durga Puja celebrations.Hi: इसी माहौल में, इतिहासकार रोहित, पुरातत्वविद कविता और स्थानीय गाइड समीर एक विशेष मिशन पर थे।En: In this atmosphere, historian Rohit, archaeologist Kavita, and local guide Sameer were on a special mission.Hi: उन्हें आमेर किले में छुपे हुए रहस्यों को उजागर करना था, जो एक नए संग्रहालय प्रदर्शनी के लिए अद्वितीय हों।En: They were tasked with uncovering hidden secrets within the Amer Fort that would be unique for a new museum exhibition.Hi: रोहित एक समर्पित इतिहासकार था। उसका हमेशा से यह सपना रहा कि वह अद्वितीय कलाकृतियों की खोज करे और उनकी कहानियों को दुनिया के सामने लाए।En: Rohit was a dedicated historian whose lifelong dream was to discover unique artifacts and share their stories with the world.Hi: उसके साथी, कविता, इस मिशन में सही तथ्यों और संरक्षण पर जोर देने वाली पुरातत्वविद थी।En: His partner, Kavita, was an archaeologist focused on accurate facts and preservation.Hi: वहीं, समीर अपनी सांस्कृतिक विरासत को खास बनाकर पेश करने में विश्वास रखता था।En: Meanwhile, Sameer believed in presenting his cultural heritage in a unique way.Hi: कभी-कभी वह लोककथाओं और इतिहास को मिलाकर बताता था, जो एक रहस्यमयी व रोमांचक मिश्रण बना देता था।En: He often mixed folklore with history, creating a mysterious and exciting blend.Hi: आमेर किला, अपनी मीनारों और बंद दीवारों के साथ, एक बड़ा रहस्य था।En: Amer Fort, with its towers and enclosed walls, held great mystery.Hi: अंदर दाखिल होते ही रोहित ने किले की पुरानी पट्टियों को, जिन पर इतिहास गुदा हुआ था, ध्यान से देखा।En: As soon as they entered, Rohit carefully examined the ancient plaques in the fort, etched with history.Hi: कविता उसकी एक-एक बातों को ध्यान से सुन रही थी।En: Kavita was attentively listening to his every word.Hi: समीर ने बताया, "इस किले के भीतर कई ऐसी जगहें हैं, जहां लोग अब नहीं जा सकते।En: Sameer mentioned, "There are many places inside this fort where people can no longer go.Hi: वहां कभी-कभी अद्भुत चीजें मिल सकती हैं।"En: Sometimes incredible things can be found there."Hi: दुर्गा पूजा की रस्में जारी थीं, और यह मौके की नजाकत का प्रश्न था कि किले के कुछ हिस्से पूजा के कारण बंद हो सकते थे।En: Durga Puja rituals were ongoing, and it was a delicate matter as parts of the fort could be closed due to the festival.Hi: समय की कमी भी थी फिक्र का कारण।En: The time constraints were also a concern.Hi: अंतिम चिह्न खोजने के लिए रोहित ने और गहरे में जाने का निर्णय लिया।En: Determined to find the final clue, Rohit decided to delve deeper.Hi: यह एक जोखिम भरा कदम था।En: It was a risky move.Hi: अगर कुछ खास नहीं मिलता तो उसका सम्मान खतरे में पड़ सकता था।En: If nothing significant was found, his reputation could be at stake.Hi: उसी रात, जब किले में दुर्गा पूजा की धूम थी, रोहित ने एक छुपा हुआ दरवाजा खोज लिया।En: That night, amidst the Durga Puja festivities in the fort, Rohit discovered a hidden door.Hi: दरवाजे के पीछे एक छोटा चेम्बर था, जो आमतौर पर दिखाई नहीं देता था।En: Behind the door was a small chamber, usually unnoticed.Hi: रोहित ने सांस रोकते हुए भीतर झांका और उसका चेहरा चमक उठा।En: Holding his breath, Rohit peeked inside, and his face lit up.Hi: चेम्बर में कुछ प्राचीन वस्तुएँ रखी हुई थीं, जिनका इतिहास में विशेष मूल्य हो सकता था।En: The chamber housed some ancient objects that could hold significant historical value.Hi: कविता और समीर तुरंत वहां पहुंचे।En: Kavita and Sameer arrived immediately.Hi: उन्होंने उन कलाकृतियों को देखा और मान्यता दी कि ये थीं तो असली।En: They observed the artifacts and confirmed their authenticity.Hi: उनके वर्षों के मेहनत का असली फल सामने था।En: The true reward of their years of hard work lay before them.Hi: यह किला समस्त दुनिया के सामने गौरव के साथ खड़ा हो सकता था।En: This fort could stand proudly before the entire world.Hi: कहानी के अंतिम चरण में, उन कलाकृतियों का सही तरीके से विश्लेषण किया गया और रोहित के द्वारा प्रदर्शनी के लिए प्रस्तुत किया गया।En: In the final phase of the story, those artifacts were carefully analyzed and presented by Rohit for the exhibition.Hi: यह आमेर किला को विश्व इतिहास में एक नया स्थान दिलाने वाला कदम था।En: This was a step that could grant Amer Fort a new place in world history.Hi: रोहित ने सीखा कि इतिहास और संस्कृति की कहानियाँ अक्सर आपस में लिपटी रहती हैं।En: Rohit learned that history and cultural stories are often intertwined.Hi: उसने लोककथाएं और इतिहास को गहराई से समझने का निश्चय किया।En: He resolved to deeply understand folklore and history together.Hi: इस तरह, आमेर किले की ये रात एक लंबे समय के लिए यादगार बन गई।En: Thus, that night at Amer Fort became memorable for a long time.Hi: उन्होंने दिखाया कि इतिहास और लोककथाएँ एक साथ मिल सकती हैं, और नई कहानियों को जन्म दे सकती हैं।En: They demonstrated that history and folklore could merge and give birth to new stories. Vocabulary Words:majestic: शानदारfort: किलाpulsating: थिरक रहीresonating: गूँज रहीarchaeologist: पुरातत्वविदuncovering: उजागरartifacts: कलाकृतियोंpreservation: संरक्षणfolklore: लोककथाएँetched: गुदा हुआplaque: पट्टीrituals: रस्मेंdelve: गहराईchamber: चेम्बरauthenticity: मान्यताanalyzed: विश्लेषणexhibition: प्रदर्शनीintertwined: लिपटीmerge: मिल सकतीdedicated: समर्पितmystery: रहस्यtower: मीनारconcealed: छुपा हुआintegrate: मिलाकरblend: मिश्रणembark: दाखिलunearthed: खोज लियाreward: फलesteem: सम्मानfolklore: लोककथाएँ

Durga Puja is a season of homecoming, but this year artists turned protesters in Kolkata cannot shake off the image of the Durga who did not get to go home.

Welcome to Top of the Morning by Mint, your weekday newscast that  brings you five major stories from the world of business. It's Friday, May 10, 2024, and I'm Nelson John. Let's dive in:The Indian benchmark indices ended deep in the red on Thursday, marking their third consecutive session of losses, weighed down by a raft of weak March quarter results and uncertainty surrounding the ongoing 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The Sensex, which had opened higher, tumbled more than a thousand points to close 1.45 percent lower than its previous close. The Nifty also ended in the red, down 1.55 percent.Spices and Indian masalas are an integral part of the subcontinent's history and global identity. The spice trade in medieval times shaped India's colonial history. However, Indian spices are now facing a crisis of confidence. It all began early last month when regulatory authorities in Hong Kong and Singapore suspended the sale of MDH and Everest spice mixes due to alleged chemical contamination. The regulators found high levels of ethylene oxide, a carcinogen, in the spice mixes. The Maldives has also banned both brands, while regulators in the US, Bangladesh, and Australia have initiated investigations. Indian spice exports are substantial, estimated at $4.25 billion in FY24, constituting 12% of the global spice trade valued at $35 billion. Mint's senior editor, N Madhavan, explains how the regulatory action against these Indian spice companies could impact the $4 billion spice export sector.India's largest public sector bank, the State Bank of India, announced stellar fiscal fourth-quarter results on Thursday. Profit for the quarter ended in March rose to more than Rs 20 thousand crores. Rising 24 percent year-on-year, the profit was the highest quarterly number it has ever reported. For the whole of FY24, SBI's income stood at more than Rs 61 thousand crores, yet another record for the lender. SBI chairman Dinesh Khara expressed confidence in the bank's growth prospects, saying that the lender aims to expand its credit book by 14-16%. Despite the positive outlook, SBI's projected deposit growth for FY25 is expected to lag its credit growth, a trend playing out across the banking industry. Khara remains optimistic, citing broad-based growth across various loan segments, including retail, corporate, small businesses, and agriculture. Mint's banking correspondent Shayan Ghosh writes on SBI's results and examines what the current fiscal year has in store for the bank.In 2023, Tesla chief Elon Musk conceptualized the Hyperloop—a revolution in mobility. The Hyperloop is envisioned as a low-pressure tube for high-speed transportation of cargo and passengers using magnetically levitated pod-like vehicles. Despite skepticism about its viability, Satyanarayan Chakravarthy, a faculty member at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, believes in its potential. Speaking with Mint's senior editor Leslie D'Monte, Chakravarthy revealed plans for Avishkar Hyperloop, a project at IIT-Madras, to demonstrate a Hyperloop stack, including a vacuum tube, at their new campus. This demonstration will take place during the 'Global Hyperloop Competition' hosted by IIT-Madras next January. Despite challenges, Chakravarthy remains optimistic, highlighting Avishkar Hyperloop's progress in developing Hyperloop technology since 2017. The initiative has garnered support from the Ministry of Railways and various research institutions.Russian companies have utilized nearly $4 billion from their rupee vostro accounts in Indian banks over the past 6-8 months. These funds have been allocated toward purchasing various items, including locally manufactured arms. This spending surge follows a period where these accounts saw a significant influx of rupees due to India's heightened purchases of Russian crude oil. But wait, let's back up a bit. What exactly are vostro accounts? A vostro account is managed by a domestic bank on behalf of a foreign bank. The foreign lender can use the account for transactions, including forex settlements, cross-border payments, and investments in the domestic market. Notably, these vostro accounts also facilitate settlements for Indian exports to Russia. This arrangement serves as a workaround for Russian banks, which face limitations in interbank payment transactions following their exclusion from the SWIFT payment system due to Western sanctions. Mint's foreign affairs correspondent, Rhik Kundu, reports on how Russia is exploiting all its resources—including money in its vostro accounts—to fund its war in Ukraine.Until recently, West Bengal's Chief Minister and All India Trinamool Congress leader, Mamata Banerjee, was notably uncomfortable with overt displays of political Hinduism. She even expressed disdain for the politicisation of religious sentiments, evident when she dismissed the grand spectacle of the Ram Temple consecration in Ayodhya as a political manoeuvre by the BJP before the Lok Sabha polls. However, Banerjee's stance has gradually softened in response to political dynamics. For instance, she surprised many by declaring a state holiday on Ram Navami, albeit under the guise of celebrating the Maha Navami of the Chaitra Durga Puja, avoiding explicit acknowledgment of Ram's birthday. Her party leaders, meanwhile, enthusiastically embraced Ram Navami celebrations, with TMC candidates actively participating in festivities. This subtle shift in TMC's approach is part of a broader strategy to consolidate support among Hindu voters in West Bengal, a response to the BJP's growing influence in the state. The TMC has been quietly bolstering its Hindu credentials through measures such as stipends for priests, allowances for Durga Puja celebrations, and temple construction and restoration projects. By embracing a lighter shade of saffron, the TMC aims to counter the BJP's Hindutva narrative and prevent further erosion of its Hindu vote base. Mint invited West Bengal-based journalist Romita Dutta to examine the steady saffronization of TMC's politics in the state.We'd love to hear your feedback on this podcast. Let us know by writing to us at feedback@livemint.com. You may send us feedback, tips or anything that you feel we should be covering from your vantage point in the world of business and finance. Are Indian spices facing a crisis of confidence? After stellar FY24, SBI aims at better show in next fiscalCan India leapfrog the high-speed rail story with Hyperloop?Russian exporters ramp up spending from rupee funds on defence equipment, armsHindutva-lite: Behind Didi's new formula to boost Trinamool in Bengal

The Mohua Show is a weekly podcast about everything from business, technology to art and lifestyle, But done and spoken ईमानदारी सेConnect with UsMohua Chinappa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohua-chinappa/The Mohua Show: https://www.themohuashow.com/Connect with the GuestDeep Haldar: linkedin.com/in/deep-halder-56b4bb98Follow UsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMohuaShowInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/themohuashow/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/themohuashow/For any other queries EMAILhello@themohuashow.comMohua's BookIf Only It Were Spring Everyday: https://amzn.eu/d/ieUSuDYEpisode SummaryJoin us as we welcome Deep Haldar, an acclaimed journalist and author who takes us on a journey into the heart of Hindu identity in Bangladesh. Together with co-author Abhishek Biswas, Deep paints an evocative portrait of a community grappling with the dualities of existence—thriving yet suppressing their identity amidst a backdrop of secular and religious tension. Their book, "Being Hindu in Bangladesh," chronicles not just historical events but breathes life into the stories of resilience and adaptation against a tapestry of cultural change. We discuss the inspirations behind the narrative, the significance of two Octobers that changed the course of Hindu lives in Bangladesh, and the delicate tightrope walk between flourishing and fading identities.Wrapping up, we acknowledge the profound emotional ties to Bangladesh that fuel our dedication to capturing and sharing these multifaceted stories with the world.Chapters00:00 - Introduction02:30 - Inspiration Behind the Book04:26 - Refugee Blood Inspires Book06:03 - Challenges of Hindus in Bangladesh09:11 - The Unextinguished Idea of East Pakistan 12:00 - Bangladesh, a complex society13:38 - Navigating Secularism and Hardline Islam17:03 - The Untold Stories of the Marichjhapi massacre22:14 - Addressing the Uncertain Future of Hindus in Bangladesh26:11 - The Imperative of Preserving Oral Histories29:38 - The Role of Journalism in Highlighting Marginalized Voices 33:27 - Deep Haldar's Continued Journey Through BangladeshDisclaimerThe views expressed by our guests are their own. We do not endorse and are not responsible for any views expressed by our guests on our podcast and its associated platforms.#Hindu Identity #Bangladesh #Hindu Minority #Hindu Experience #Secularism #Hardline Islam #Durga Puja #Religious Coexistence #Tension #Reporting #Oral Histories #Political Landscape #Non-Awami League Government #Partition #Historical Narratives #Foreign Correspondent #Immersive Understanding #Multifaceted Nature #Emotional Connection #Writing ProjectsThanks for Listening!

Podcast Series: The Literature LoungeThe Literature Lounge stands out as a unique podcast series devoted to authors whose books captivate readers and serve as catalysts for stimulating conversations. In partnership with Rupa Publications, one of the leading publishing companies in India, we will host authors from diverse backgrounds to explore their literary works, delve into their creative journeys, and uncover the inspirations behind their achievements. So, let's dive into the world of books.Episode SummaryVenture into the vibrant heart of Kolkata's Durga Puja festival with Prasun Roy, whose pen has birthed the crime thriller "Devi," a novel that stitches together the city's fervor with a narrative pulsating with human emotion. Prasun's literary canvas is vivid and vast, painting tales from horror to biographies, a testament to his philosophy of chasing stories that ignite excitement. Amidst the clash of good versus evil in "Devi," we navigate the intricate labyrinth of power and societal critique. Prasun masterfully crafts Devi's persona as an emblem of modern womanhood and the formidable power of the goddess Durga, challenging tradition and myth. Through the intertwining of a fugitive's pursuit and a series of chilling murders, we're transported into a realm where the might of the everyday is pitted against the elite.Chapters00:00 - Introduction03:11 - Mystery of Devi, a tapestry of crime, love, and exploring cultural heritage05:45 - Weaving crime into festivity and the extradition plot in Devi09:07 - Uniqueness of Devi, in the world of OTTs and crime thrillers, exploring the concept of universal love12:00 - A non-psychological, non-violent event in the heart of Kolkata13:45 - Unveiling the Complexities of Power and Struggle17:17 - Devi symbolizes modern woman and mythical strength19:08 - Excerpts from the book23:11 - Advice to young writersConnect with UsMohua Chinappa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohua-chinappa/The Mohua Show: https://www.themohuashow.com/Connect with the GuestPrasun Roy: linkedin.com/in/prasun-roy1981Follow UsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMohuaShowInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/themohuashow/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/themohuashow/For any other queries EMAILhello@themohuashow.comDisclaimerThe views expressed by our guests are their own. We do not endorse and are not responsible for any views expressed by our guests on our podcast and its associated platforms.#Kolkata #Durga Puja #Prasun Roy #Crime Thriller #Power Dynamics Thanks for Listening!

Urmila Mohan is an anthropologist who established the Jugaad Project, an open platform for publishing articles on material culture. Here are some of the topics covered in our conversation: The meaning of jugaad as everyday innovation The need for an open global platform to share articles in material culture How published articles benefit their subjects Prayer beads as spiritual technology that is only partly replaced by fidget spinners Articles on bamboo weaving in Java and the infrastructure of Durga Puja in India The new book publication https://www.thejugaadproject.pub http://www.urmilamohan.com/ https://www.thejugaadproject.pub/home/likhai-wood-carving

It's December 10, 2023. Paxton is back with kidlines from around the world. We learn about neonazis in Brazil and Brazil's hurricane truck of happiness. We also learn about the South African Springboks winning the World Cup of Rugby again and women fighting traditional roles in China. And we learn about the Durga Puja festival in India.

It's December 10, 2023. Paxton is back with kidlines from around the world. We learn about neonazis in Brazil and Brazil's hurricane truck of happiness. We also learn about the South African Springboks winning the World Cup of Rugby again and women fighting traditional roles in China. And we learn about the Durga Puja festival in India.

Kolkata's biggest festival Durga Puja has earned a UNESCO tag for intangible cultural heritage. This has led to a lot of interest among art fans in what is a religious and cultural festival in Kolkata. This year a group of Vassar students and alumni and faculty got a preview of the festival thanks to a tour organized by Vassar Club South Asia. Sandip tagged along to find out what they made of it.

Horn, Charlottewww.deutschlandfunk.de, Tag für TagDirekter Link zur Audiodatei

As Autumn kicks in, so does the festive season with Navratri, Durga Puja and Dussehra. In this episode Shabby And Man attend the Pujo"s and talk all things festive. Shabby recently hosted the Bengal's Pride Awards in the House of Commons and talks about being Bengali and as usual Bollywood gets discussed in-depth. All this and much more.. Thanks for tuning in . Partners, parents and broadcasters Shabby and Man. He started in London She started in Delhi, somewhere on the way their paths crossed. From hosting the weekend breakfast show on the radio together in India to their life now in London, everything's on the menu! Currently Shabby (Shabnam Dutta Sahi) is one of the most listened to Asian radio presenters in the UK, while Man has been mostly drinking copious amounts of Artisan coffee and contemplating life. ( In English with a smattering of Hindi ) all eps approx 20 mins. Follow us on socials and don't forget to rate/review & subscribe Thanks. Twitter https://twitter.com/shabbyandman?lang=en-GB https://twitter.com/mansahi Instagram https://www.instagram.com/shabbymanpodcast/?hl=en-gb Facebook https://en-gb.facebook.com/shabnam.sahi/ https://www.facebook.com/ShabbyandMan/  

Listen to news from and about the Church in Asia in a capsule around 10 minutes.Fear of possible violence by hardliners gripped minority Hindus in Muslim-majority Bangladesh at the start of five-day Durga Puja, the biggest annual Hindu religious festival. This story and more in this week's podcast.Filed by UCA News reporters, compiled by Rock Ronald Rozario, edited by Anosh Malekar, presented by John Laurenson, background score by Andre Louis and produced by Binu Alex for ucanews.comFor news in and about the Church in Asia, visit www.ucanews.comTo contribute please visit www.ucanews.com/donateOn Twitter Follow Or Connet through DM at : twitter.com/ucanews

In this episode on Hindu festivals, we converse with Monidipa Bose about Durga Puja as it is celebrated in Bengal. Monidipa Bose writes about history and heritage. She traces the history of Matrika worship and the rituals followed in Bengal.Listen to this podcast for everything you wanted to know about Durga Puja, including the different forms of the Devi worshipped each day, the colours associated with each deity, the traditions specific to Bengal and the great tradition of worshipping the Divine Feminine in Bharat.You can find more about Monidipa Bose here.General Information:Subscribers are requested to look for The Hindu Parenting notification emails for new podcasts/posts in their email promotions/spam tab and personally move these into the main inbox. Thereafter all posts will be delivered to their main inbox. Thank you!For questions that you'd like us to address, please use the form below:Hindu Parenting QuestionsFor comments and suggestions, please use the comments tab or write to us at contact@hinduparenting.orgPlease note that questions will not be answered on email.Do subscribe to our substack and follow us on our social media handlesTwitter: hinduparentingInstagram: hinduparentingTelegram: t.me/hinduparentingThreads: hinduparentingFacebook: facebook.com/hinduparentingFacebook group: facebook.com/groups/hinduparentingKoo: hinduparentingThe opinions expressed by guests on The Hindu Parenting Podcast are their personal opinions and Hindu Parenting does not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, completeness, suitability or validity of anything shared on our platform by them.Copyright belongs to Hindu Parenting. Get full access to Hindu Parenting at hinduparenting.substack.com/subscribe

Like all big festivals, Kolkata's biggest festival Durga Puja is big big business. Now a Durga Puja organizer wants the actual art installation to reflect the economy of DUrga Puja so visitors understand it's more than a carnival.

El bien por encima del alma. La humildad de Rama y el alegre festival de Durga. Película de Rama disponible en Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81519291 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nectardelbg/message

Subrato Chatterjee welcomes a Canadian citizen Lara in Kolkata. They had met online and she's on her first visit to India specially for Durga Puja festivities. Through the course of these festivities Subrato is conscious of protecting her. On the last day,some hooligans try to eve-tease her but Lara being an avatar of Maa Durga teaches them a fitting lesson.

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Please watch: "पैसो की प्रॉब्लम अब होगी दूर | Vastu For Money Saving | Money Saving Vastu | Dr Puneet Chawla" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0HH2jg5yHA --~-- #navratri #vastu #drpuneetchawla Video by Dr. Puneet Chawla describes beautifully how to do Navratri Puja in a better way. Navratri is the sacred battle between Goddess Durga against the supreme Demon for 9 consecutive days. The tenth day celebrates her victory, which is the dominance of good over evil. If you are looking for vastu tips on how to do Navratri Puja/Durga Puja at home the video by Dr. Puneet Chawla will definitely help you. Vaasthu or Vastu Shashtra is an ancient science that connects the material existence of man with the divine, simultaneously enhancing sheer positivity. Vastu remedies provided by Dr. Chawla states that one needs to use cow-dung cake or coal along with vastu dhuni and after having burnt it on a metal cup, he/she needs to roam around the home carrying it so as to spread the fragrance. Vaastu tips for home recommends you to use red or yellow coloured flowers for home decor purposes. Also, Vaastu for home requires a clean environment. One should properly clean the entire home before worship so that intimacy with society may improve and negativity may fade away. God pictures should be used with great precision. It is important to follow calendar vastu to pin-point the right time for worship and set up the praying spot in accordance to the fundamentals of North Vastu, South Vastu, East Vastu and West Vastu. Vastu for home also eradicates the vastu dosh present within the area. For such vastu upai to work one needs to sprinkle Ganga Jal with an Ashok Leaf at the front door of the house. Similarly, Bedroom Vastu requires immense cleaning and one should consider cleaning the study table, work table and so on before worship. Just for knowledge, there is a live vastu liquid mixed with the natural essence of herbs and organic extracts that serve the same purposes of cleansing the main doorway of the home. Let us conclude by saying that vaastu helps in bringing positivity and without it one's worshipping ceremony may seldom seem complete. ============================ Dr. Puneet Chawla is a Life Guru, guiding and mentoring the followers to solve their life problems and make a easy living. He corrects the reasons of troublesome life by way of Vastu, Mantra and Tantra Mandalas. Being an intuitive personality he senses the negative energies, the reasons of problems and rarely predicts the life decisions too. He is a Shiv and Shakti Sadhak and guides people through Shivpath. ============================ Like, Share, and Subscribe!!! Our YouTube Channel: https://goo.gl/5T9FBN ========Connect with us======= Android App: https://goo.gl/7yrFjc ============================ iOS App for iPhone: https://itunes.apple.com/in/app/live-... ============================ iOS App for iPad: https://itunes.apple.com/in/app/live-... ============================ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drpuneetchawla Twitter: https://twitter.com/PuneetVaastu G+: https://goo.gl/m4CQAu Linkedin: https://goo.gl/yat644 ============================ Websites: https://www.livevaastu.com Profile Website : http://drpuneetchawla.com Email us: contact@livevaastu.com Call Us @ 9555666667 | 9873333108 | 9899777806 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ecom-live-vaastu/message

#bengal #folklore In this story, a faithful brahman makes a plea to the goddess Durga to help him make a good life for his wife and kids. He is gifted a magic bowl that gives unending food. He loses it to a shop keeper, but Durga gives him a back up that gives unlimited demons. Can he make things right? Source: Folk-Tales of Bengal by Lal Behari Day Narrator: Dustin Steichmann Music: রয় যে কাঙাল শূন্য হাতে । Roy Je Kangal Sunya Haate - Rezwana Choudhury Bannya Rabindra Sangeet Sound Effects: XC324155 · Black-rumped Flameback · Dinopium benghalense, XC642138 · Jerdon's Nightjar · Caprimulgus atripennis, Crickets by Dustin Steichmann Podcast Shoutout: Because Language- A PODCAST ABOUT LINGUISTICS, THE SCIENCE OF LANGUAGE. Listener Shoutout: Detroit, Michigan Much love to the 313 248 586 and 734 Photo Credit: "Durga Puja" by Matthias Rosenkranz is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Video by Headliner Music Suggestion: Otyken - Legend --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sandman-stories/message

In the 2nd part of our Holi episode, we talk about the colours, issues, the images and the misconceptions with our guest Neha who is the founder of Shaktitva.org.General InformationSubscribers are requested to look for The Hindu Parenting notification emails for new podcasts/posts in their email promotions/spam tab and personally move these into the main inbox. Thereafter all posts will be delivered to their main inbox. Thank you!For questions that you'd like us to address, please use the form below:Hindu Parenting QuestionsFor comments and suggestions, please use the comments tab or write to us at contact@hinduparenting.orgPlease note that questions will not be answered on email.Do subscribe to our substack and follow us on our social media handlesTwitter: hinduparentingInstagram: hinduparentingTelegram: t.me/hinduparentingFacebook: facebook.com/groups/hinduparentingTranscriptRekha: Namaste! Welcome to the Hindu Parenting Podcast, Part 2 of the Holi Episode. Please join us as we continue the fascinating discussion about the Festival of Holi with some more stories from Neha ji, founder of Shaktitva and a Devi Upasaka.Neha: So, just to complete the story, eventually when all of these attempts to, you know, to kill Prahlad fail, and Hiranyakashipu decides to take the matters into his own hands and he finds this unarmed child. In a fit of rage, he tries to strike a sword with. So, he, you know, the child ducks and the sword hits a pillar. And from that pillar, Narsimha Avatar appears. And now Narsimha Avatar is the half-man, half-animal. So, it's not either, the boon was either animal or man. But this avatar is half-man, half-animal. And this is the most, you know, interesting element of the story.So, this Narsimha Avatar, Sri Vishnu takes him to the, at the, what we call dehleez , like the corner of the house. Yeah, the threshold of the house, exactly. He stands on the threshold of the house, takes this demon, puts him on his thigh, so that he's not on the ground or on the sky. He's on Sri Vishnu's thigh. And then he claws his heart out with his claws. So, it's not a known weapon. Yeah. And he does this at exactly a dusk when it is neither morning, day or night. Shalini: Sandhyakaal!Neha: Yeah, sandhyakaal, like the mixing when it's neither day nor night. So, he finds that exact combination that will defeat that very ingenious boon. And that's how, you know, Hiranyakashipu is defeated. Finally, Prahlad gets to witness his Ishta in the raw form, and he is blessed. And then Prahlad takes over the throne and continues the lineage of Sage Kashyap going forward. So, that Holika moment. Shalini: You said the story so beautifully.Neha: Awww! Thank you!Rekha: Nehaji, I love the part where the puzzle gets solved. I can see how kids can get absolutely fascinated by this, you know, if parents can just tell their kids, you give this puzzle; even if your kid doesn't know the story but tries to solve this puzzle.“Neither during the day nor night”. I mean, it's just too beautiful.Neha: It's ingenious. Yeah, absolutely. And see, the moral of the story is right, like you can, first of all, like I always wonder these people, they put hundreds of years of sadhana or many lifetimes of sadhana to get a boon from their Ishta, right? Like imagine, you're sitting in extreme penance, like Ravana's penance and then Hiranyakashipu's penance is not ordinary. This is like almost hundreds of years of extreme penance, even thousands of years by some accounts. They sit and you ask for such a stupid thing. I mean, your Ishta is standing in front of you deviate and you ask that you should not be killed. Why is that? I think that shows the nature of who we call demon is not by birth or lineage, you know, these are Kashyap rishi's sons, like these are the most exalted lineage you can find in all of Bharat Varsha. And that is evident because they have the capability to do this penance for eons. This is not ordinary feat in itself and the lineage is definitely blessed. So it's not by birth or by previous or whatever is the other ways of people understanding it. It's not about descent, it's not about race, it's not about caste, it's not about all of these things. It's about what you do with your abilities, right? What are your desires? Shalini:Yeah, absolutely. That is true.Neha: Yeah, as a Devi upasaka, when Ma comes to me and I ask something so stupid, I think like, you know, I should be banned from sadhana… do that if somebody does things like this. But you know, devatas are when they're happy, they're happy, they will give you what they want as long as it's within - as long as it doesn't defy the laws of nature. And so you can find several stories where Brahma is giving boons or Ma is giving boons or you know, Shiva is giving boons and these, depending on who is getting the boons, people do different things.Rekha: I'd like to bring up one point here. You live in the US. And I know that about three years ago, just pre-COVID, there was this thing in US universities about Holi against Hindutva, where Holika was painted as a Dalit woman. And you know, many people tried to spread this rumor in colleges that there's something very bad going on when Holika is burnt because she is an oppressed woman and she's a Dalit. And so I know that a lot of Indian children got swayed by this. I'd like you to weigh in on this because..Neha: yeah, absolutely. So actually, with the exact incident you're talking about, led me to write a two-part article on Holi on Shaktitva blog. The part where I explain what Holi is and the many colors of Holi is one article. And then there is a second article called “Let the Subaltern Speak”, in which I kind of explore exactly this point. So first of all, like logically speaking, you know, a lot of these claims are absurd to the point of ignorance. Like they, they rely on the fact that a lot of people don't know about these stories and the legends or all the meanings behind what we do as a culture. And that's part of colonialism, you know, just detaching us from our roots is definitely part of the colonial projects.So that now that, you know, the urban audience has already detached very few know the story of Holika or why we do this, you can twist the argument in your favor.So there are two main articles that led to this Equality Labs protest that were challenged by it. So basically this Equality Labs organization cited two main articles in their write up for Holi against Hindutva. One of them was from Pradnya Waghule, which said ‘Reading caste in Holi- the burning of Holika, a Bahujan woman'. And the second one is the Equality Labs, its own article, ‘why do we say no to Holi' In both of them, you know, I am not going to critique the whole blog, because it's ridiculous. But you can see a very clear indication that this is nothing but Hinduphobia. So Waghule herself says that she's only only ever lived in cities all her life. Right. So the what I'm trying the reason I'm trying to highlight that is because she has no in-first person knowledge of these traditions. Right. Whereas, you know, most of our families are just two generations ago, we were living in villages. So that's number one. Now this reading of Bahujan woman of Holika - Holika's existence comes from this story that I told you about. She is Hiranyakashipu's sister. Hiranya Kashyapu and Hiranyaksha are very clearly Kashyap Rishi's sons. So Kashyap Rishi is like, you know, one of the Saptarishis. So obviously he's the ultra ultra Brahmin, not even ordinary normal Shukla chukla or, you know, Pandya Brahmin is the ultra Brahmin, like he has an entire Gotra named after him.And he these are the first one, not first one, but he is like, yeah, these two are sons from Kashyap Rishi. So by caste, essentially, because it's a paternalistic tradition, it happens, they have become Brahmin. And so Holika is a sister. So that means she's a Brahmin woman, you know, by legend, which is where she's mentioned. Now, what the reality is, these people when they're mentioning these instances of Holika being worshipped in tribal areas, they are confusing Holika and Holi Mata. Now, Holi Mata is indeed worshipped in many parts of the country in many, many tribal traditions, including my hometown. Now, Holi Mata has nothing to do with Holika.What happens is many of us, many of our tribes are traditionally like the Kula Devi is a Devi, right? The Kula devatha is a Devi. And so usually anything auspicious, Devi has to be worshipped. So when you do that, and usually what the tradition goes that in specific instances, for example, if you're doing the Gauri Pooja, a specific form of Ma is being worshipped, that's why it's called Gauri Pooja. So in the same way, during Holi Mata, a specific form of Ma is being worshipped and a specific type of worship is being done, that ritual only happens around Holi. And that includes your offering, the same colors are offered, new clothes are offered, when the dahan is done, that bonfire is done, a part of that bonfire, ashes are brought to the Mata and so on. So like in the Prasad, this Naivedyam is first created. So that's why we make gujiya after the dahan, and then gujiya is first offered to the god. So if we were in the villages, we would offer it to the Kula Devi. And then eventually it will be distributed. So for that particular purpose, a Murti or a makeshift clay idol is created. And all of the village will gather around and offer the blessings over there, like they'll put the offerings in that on the clay idol.So that is that clay idol is called Holi Mata. So now confusing Holimata with Holika is silly because the same people also do the bonfire. So why would they do the bonfire if they were worshipping Holika later? Then why would you celebrate her death? Just two minutes before! They are not related. Now in other parts of India, you can actually see that Holimata, that makeshift idol, is also taken on a Yatra like Ganesh Chaturthi. So they also, the Visarjan happens and so on, like the same process, which is typical for us, like whenever we have a makeshift idol like in Ganesh Chaturthi or in Durga Puja, once the process is completed, it is done - Visarjan into some form of water body. So that also happens. So those processions will chant Holi Mata Ki Jai or something like that. And that's what these urbanites who actually want to speak for the subaltern without getting to know them, without getting to live their lives or understanding their tradition and faith systems, this is how they confuse people. So in this imagination, because she is the goddess of the tribal people, she becomes a tribal deity because they've already confused it and they're not familiar with these ideas of how Holi Mata is constructed, like on a makeshift thing and all of those nuances are not known. And so they will do this confusion and then they will suddenly Holika, the daughter of Kashyap rishi becomes the Dalit woman all of a sudden. And now nobody from the Bahujan parts of India is coming to read this English language article meant to be circulated in USA to correct it, right? Nobody's going to do that. And so and the rest of you are saying we hardly know anything about why things are happening. So we are not also correcting it. So that's how you get to circulate these, you know, false narratives. And it was actually very offensive, because targeting Holi like that. And here is the thing, you know, if you are, let's say, even if I were to imagine this concept of Brahminical Hinduism versus non-Brahminical, Brahminical tribal Hinduism, Holi is the least Brahminical of all, you know, celebrations of Hindus. Like, you know, if you see the typical hallmarks of what is what, how these people define Brahminism is - at least a Brahmin needs to be present, no? Usually all some festivals you require a priest to come and do some puja, but Holi requires the presence of no priest. Right. As I mentioned, in fact, it's a challenging of social norms and mores.Then the tradition inquires, like it requires no particular, like you usually offer it to your own gods, your own deities and a Kula Devi. But it does not require any elaborate temple visit or anything like that. Right. So how, why would, you know, if this were to be confused, check, if we were to put it in these two arbitrary criteria of Brahminical versus non-Brahminical, this is very fundamentally indigenous tribal and adivasi in origins. Right. So, so the entire basis of attacking an indigenous authentic tribal festival, which is like, in fact, one of the biggest festival for many tribes in India as a, you know, fascist thing and trying to disparage it this way and especially targeting American universities is insidious to say the least.Now, are we saying that Vedic traditions are not uninhibited? They are not, you know, connected to Mata or they are not connected to Kula Devi? No, it's a beautiful spectrum. Right.How, what happens now in a traditional, let's say, let's find a simple example in a traditional homa. Right. If you're doing Rudrabhishekam in your home and you are the Yajman and pundits have come and they're conducting it for you. What happens? Right. The starting is you'll do the cleaning of your hands. You'll remember Sri Vishnu for that. Right. Then you will start by remembering your Guru, your ancestors, your Kula Devi and Sri Ganesha. Right. Not, I messed up the order, but basically this is the, like, start with Sri Ganesha, then your Kula Devi, then your ancestors, your Guru. This is the beginning of every homa, every puja, everywhere.Right. Now, if you had, if you were in living in a place where you had access to your Kula Devi's murti, maybe you put it in your temple or maybe you are living in a place where your Kula Devi temple is nearby and that's where you're conducting it. When you are remembering them, it will involve an offering to them immediately. And this will be guided to you by the priest himself. Right. So he's not, there is no distinction between vedic gods and these gods, right.It's a beautiful spectrum. One cannot exist without the other. So the, now, whether you're reading it from the Shastras or the Puranas or you're telling folk stories, it does not matter. Right. That's just the ritual or how should I say levels of ritualism. If you were to do it at your home by yourself, you probably don't know all the Sanskrit verses. So you do it in your mind. Right. You remember the deity and you have, maybe you have a mantra or maybe you don't have a mantra. Maybe you have a Chalisa. For example, in North India, we have these avadhi verses, which serve as the mantras. So Chalisa is our collection of 40 verses or you have sometimes, you know, these, these arathis, for example, these songs that we have constructed for the singing the legends of our gods, Om Jai Jagdish hare being the most prominent one. So we have all of these different levels and ways of worship. Now, some people do it in a very elaborate way where sometimes you need a priest because it's actually too elaborate and it's not possible for some unless somebody is trained in that ritual for tens of years, which is what often priests do. It's hard for a normal householder to start doing it without training. And also it's not recommended to do it without training either. So depending on the level you're doing, for example, in Shivaratri that just passed, most people will do it in their homes. Right. If they have a lingam at home, they will do a simple Abhishekam at home. If they have, if they're going to a temple, then they'll, you know, put money for a Rudrabhishekam for the temple priests to conduct it. Or sometimes people will arrange for a priest to come and do a homa at their home. It's different levels of the same festival. All of them are valid. All of them are common.Rekha: So Neha Ji, you brought up this very, very important point of two traditions coexisting harmoniously. The universal story, the Pauranic story of Holika dahan, the Hiranyakashipu story, and also the Holi Mata Kuladevi local traditions, which are typically known as the Desi and the Margi traditions within Sanatana Dharma. So the interesting thing is that there is really no conflict. And this thing happens over and over again in our tradition, right, with the festivals, with customs, dance, music, and so many things. And I'd like to say here that I think this is not a bug, but a feature of Sanatana Dharma. Any thoughts on this?Neha: Thank you for that software engineering reference. And you're absolutely right. No, so exactly right. So I think, you know, sometimes I find myself browsing through an article that some colonial, you know, neo-colonial Indologist wrote, and they seem so confused, right? If you read the research papers that get published in Indology journals, they are just, you know, it's like it's impossible for them to parse the continuity of this tradition. So sometimes they will be looking at, you know, let's say they'll go to a rural Kuladevi Mandir, right? And they'll see, let's take for an extreme example, let's say they'll see a Bali ritual, right? And then a few, even in Tamil Nadu, let's just take the example of Tamil Nadu. If you go to the rural villages, there are still like some Kuladevi Kuladevata temples where Bali happens, you know, now with the colonial government banning it and then our modern government continuing colonial traditions, you know, officially it's banned, but still happens. Then you cross- Shalini: I think there is a temple in Kerala also, no? The Muthappan temple. Neha: Not just one, not just one temple. Shalini: Yeah, many, many temples.Neha: A lot of places where you have to secretly do this because, you know, our own government has turned against our traditions or, you know, some places where it's relatively open, but it happens. And then you cross a few kilometers and you come to the heart of, you know, say Chennai and you go to a Vaishnava temple or a Shaiva temple, like, you know, Iyengar temple or an Iyer temple and you're suddenly like, this is like very organized, you know, we have a lot of learned gurus who have given like volumes and volumes of very detailed documentary, like documented evidence of everything that they found. And, you know, somehow for these people who come from the West, it looks like these two traditions cannot coexist each other with each other. And the reason they think that is because they're bound with this Christian mentality, where paganism, which was a pre-Christian tradition of their lands, was considered or labeled as backward and, you know, not civilized by the Christians who came to dominate the space later on. So they see, you know, nature worship as uncouth, uncivilized or, you know, the thing that uneducated people do. And this has also been indoctrinated to us in our education, right? Because our education is also colonial. So every time like you have, I'm sure you have read somewhere that, you know, even in our own books that the people, ancient people worshiped Sun because they did not understand its power, right? And so the idea is that the only reason you worship something is because you don't understand it. And so it becomes a myth. And so therefore science becomes a way to dispelling that myth. And, you know, Christianity brought us to the light. And so the old gods lost the power. This is all very, very standard European Christian commentary. This is how they understand their own past. And their present, which is Christian and then eventually post-Christian. So now they use that same..Shalini: So they project that on our system.Neha: Exactly, exactly. So they project that on our system. Because for them, when they look at, say, Kanchi matham, right, it looks very organized. It looks a little bit centralized. The priests over there are learned. They talk in, you know, high philosophy. And so on, and they can, you know, hold themselves up to any debate. They are, you know, they're experts in science, math, whatever you want them to be. And so this is like, you know, high philosophy is revered, revered as, exalted culture, more civil. And so they see reflections of their Orthodox church in this. And then they look, few villages down, they look at the common villager, who is, you know, just showing pure Bhakti to the Devi. He is also following Tantra. Here is the thing, right, even these temples, the Kula Devi temples are also established as per Agama Tantra. So these, these are still very much rituals that have been told to us, passed down generations of generations through sadhakas, through practical, practical knowledge, right? But because in, in these, to these external observers, it does not appear connected, you know, because unless you are completely disconnected and you're doing some high-falutin philosophy, you're not like, you know, learned enough. So you have to talk in abstract. Suddenly, when you translate that to actual rituals, it becomes old and childish and, and, you know, superstitious and what not. So this dichotomy from their own society, they project on ours. And that's exactly what happens when they look at these traditions.So when they look at the grama traditions, and here is the thing, Dharma clearly says there are many, many acharams, right? There is Vedachar and there is Lokachar, right? And there is not, it is not like a hierarchy. It is not like Vedachar is better than Lokachar. Both are absolutely important. And it is the context that defines which, you know, acharam has to be used and in which circumstance. And so this is, you know, these, all of these interconnectedness is only understood, a lot of this, like even you and I, a lot of us understand this implicitly because we've grown up in this tradition. And, you know, one basic requirement of Indology is that if you've grown up in the tradition, then you're not qualified to speak on it. Because that's the, again, the colonial lens, right? Like, if you're a brown person, you can't possibly be objective in to look at your tradition correctly. Of course, white people can look at white, white culture correctly, but brown people, you know, we have some racial defect. And that's why we can never be objective about our culture unless we prove it to them by proving our atheism first.So all of this, you know, this is a very clever structure created so that their lens remains dominant. So even when a brown person enters these, you know, these academic institutions, you have to prove that your way of thinking has been whitened enough. And that is why they are completely unable to understand these traditions and the beauty of this, this continuity of this tradition, right? Like tantra, whether it's Agama Tantra or Dakshinacharya Tantra or whatever kind of Tantra is learned knowledge. It's practical learned knowledge, like some, you know, great upasaka did years and years and decades of sadhana, found like a point where equally in fact, it is said that there are many Tantric upasakas who have reached a stage where they can access their past lives upasana also. So all of the things that they learned in their past lives, they can collect, remember all of those memories, right? And then they have a bigger picture. And then they try to bring that bigger picture and they try to give you the rules of how to do that for yourself, right? Like they can't just disseminate the secret, you won't understand. So you have to kind of just, they can only show you a path that doing these things in this particular order through this method will lead you somewhere where you can see the truth for yourself.That's Tantra, right? So that's the marg, that's the path that has been given to you. Now it may or may not, Tantra basically distills all of this down to a process. Whereas the Vedanta and other Darshanas, they are more focused on the philosophical end goal. So there is a little bit more philosophy associated with these other paths and less with Tantra, but that does not make these local understanding that we have learned over and built up over generations and generations less valuable, right? And that is exactly how every Indigenous culture has it, right? There is a reason why North American Indigenous people and even Africans, they had so much importance to the elders, right? To the ancient ones, the wisdom of the elders.Why was it valued? It wasn't just a quality of age, that wisdom followed from generation to generation. It was imparted by the ancestors to their future generations when the people felt ready.Rekha: Now this dichotomy, maybe you can analyze the visuals of Holi using this dichotomy too, right? Because Holi being so colorful and so visually appealing, I do know that a lot of photographers converge on Vrindavan just to take photographs of this spectacle and then publish it across the world. But I think a lot of this dichotomy comes into play there also and it has been commercialized quite a bit is what I hear. Neha: Oh absolutely. So you know, the dominant image in the mind of the West is when you are civilized, when you are wise, you are not, you behave a certain way, right? Like, you know, how British were, you were all stuck up and then you know, you behave like you have to act proper and whatever. And so if you're not doing that, right? If you're literally just having fun, that's lack of civilization, right? Lack of civility. And we've learned that even in our minds, we have at some point integrated that.So if somebody is behaving like they're just very, you know, acting very demure and very, you know, quiet and not letting their emotions out, all of that is a mark of manners or civility. And every time you let your hair down and like if you're angry, you're yelling, if you're, you know, happy, you're laughing boldly, all of that is, is, you know, lack of, you know, decorum. So we've learned those behaviors. Rekha: Nehaji, we often see pictures from Mathura and Vrindavan for Holi. Yeah. So is this like the center where it all started and what kind of celebrations are usually done in these places? Neha: Oh, actually, I mean, I don't know if it started there, but it's definitely a very important focal point of the Holi traditions in North India. And the part of the reason is because all of when you, when you listen to Shri Krishna's Rasleela stories, Holi actually plays a very interesting part there. In fact, it comes, the reference comes from his Balakanda to the time he is doing the Rasleela. Yeah. So in fact, because Krishna's birthplace and place where he grew up, are so central to the areas around Mathura, so Mathura, Vrindavan and NandGaon and all of these, they are very, you know, they celebrate the Krishna connection also during those Holi celebrations. So, in fact, when Vrindavan Holi is so very, very famous, in fact, if you just Google it as a most, you know, the most of the Westerners are fascinated by this particular Holi celebration. And I even know of people who try to visit Mathura specifically just to witness the Holi. And so it's actually fairly elaborate. And one of the, this is actually worth mentioning, Vrindavan's Holi lasts for seven days. And just the color playing part. So like the playing part lasts seven days. Everywhere else, we have one day of Holika Dahan, which is the bonfire ritual, and the next day is the playing colors part. But Vrindavan, the thing goes on for a week. And the first Holi in that day is called Laatmaar Holi, right, and translates to being beaten by a stick Holi. And there is, there is actually a legend behind it. So what happened is, it's part of Rasleela stories of Sri Krishna. So Sri Krishna, who hailed it from Nandgaon, he was visiting Radha in Barsana, which is where she used to live. So he was visiting her. Radha and her friends in Barsana on Holi. And he teased Radha and the other gopis so much, right, that they got really annoyed and they started hitting him, him and his friends with a stick and they chased him out of the city. So it's part of the whole like the Rasleela, the play, and he used to be like a notorious prankster, right. So you would run away with the clothes and whatnot. So he was here teasing them and playing pranks on them a lot. And so they got very annoyed. And so they chased him out of the city. So in sync with that legend, now men from Nandgaon will visit Barsana every year, you know, being acting like their Krishna story. And then the Barsana women will basically beat them up with lathis.Shalini: It happens to this day? It happens to this day?Neha: Exactly. So in fact, now this tradition has spread outside Barsana also, in many places they do this. But that is the, that is the role play that's happening, right. So they are Krishna's friends, the men act like Krishna's friends visiting the gopis and the women act like the women of Barsana act like they are the gopis. And so they basically, you know, reenact that scene. And this especially happens outside the Radharani temple in Barsana, like that's the specific part. And this is one of the most famous temples dedicated to Radha Ma in India. And then obviously you sing and dance and you know, we are very happy people. We drink thandai and all sorts of sweets are eaten and nuts and all of that fun stuff happens. But then one of the other days is Phoolon wali Holi where you play with flowers. Then there is another day where the people play with mud. It's not pleasant but it happens. And then the actual colors Holi. And in fact, Shalini: That makes it for three more. Three, four, one is flowers, one is the mud. Neha: Yeah. And one is colors four and I think the three more. Yeah, I don't remember exactly.Shalini: But these are very interesting, very interesting. Rekha: But but at the same time, there is a lot of shock value or, you know, some kind of an intrinsic value in all these visuals, right? You do see international media using a lot of the Holi and then, you know, coming to something like the widows of Vrindavan. You see that every year the media puts these very nice colorful pictures which I believe are actually sold by the international media. INeha: In fact, it's big, it's big money. Like a right picture can the copyrights can be translated throughout the world and it can actually make like quite a decent sum. So photographers from around the world gather around and then the, you know, they will just take captionless photos. And then the caption is added by the whoever is looking at the picture. So actually, you brought the brought up widows of Vrindavan. I actually have a Twitter thread where I analyze this! Ever since I joined Twitter. This was 2009. I've been noticing these headlines, right? “Widows of Vrindavan break taboo, break tradition and celebrate Holi!”. Now I actually did an analysis. I just take this phrase “widows of Vrindavan play Holi” and I append a year to it, right? And you can see these stories coming back from all the way up to 2012. So it's been 10 years and every year apparently, those widows break tradition and celebrate Holi and, you know, they break taboo and celebrate Holi. Every year they will announce it as if it's a new thing. So that just makes you question, was that ever a taboo in the first place or is just a myth that media has created that they just like to break because it's a catchy headline? Well, so this is absolutely like it makes a lot of money and from you can find those articles from, you know, they get sent through those news agencies like ANI and then they republished internationally. It's big money. Some of those photos can actually fetch you a very pretty penny, especially like there's so many aerial shots of those of Vrindavan Holi too these days, a lot of them like so. In fact, if you go to during Holi time, if you go to Vrindavan, you'll see a flock of international photographers over there just trying to get those pictures. Rekha: No concerns of privacy? I mean, I'm just wondering for the western world is so big on privacy, but is there no compunction in you know, preying on somebody's personal space. Neha: I very much doubt that they get these contracts like the privacy waiver signed. Exactly.Rekha: You know, let's talk a little bit about the colors. So these colors, there are some typical colors that are used predominantly. I see most of the people using a kind of a magenta color. Neha: So yes, so that pink is very common. The most common probably is pink. And then yellow is very common. Then nowadays, so almost every color on the spectrum, you can find you can find like light blue, powder blues. And even these days, pastels have come into fad. Also organic colors are appearing nowadays. This is interesting.Rekha: This is an interesting variation. So initially, I think we didn't need an organic color because because obviously all color was organic. Flowers and herbs is what I hear. And that specific bright colors that were made from the powder of certain dried flowers. Is that right?Neha: Yes, exactly. So the yellow was actually a mix of turmeric and marigold. And I don't remember the pink came also from a flower. But these days, so they could become a much brighter pink, at least that's what my nani used to say. But yeah, the definitely some colors are more predominant. Although nowadays, again, most of it is made being manufactured in factories. So you get pretty much every color there is. Shalini: Yeah, there's so much of talk about these being chemical colors and not very good for the skin and all. How much truth is there in that?Neha: growing up, I did have at least some like at least for a couple of years, there definitely was some sort of adulterated color coming into the market that was harsh on the skin. But these days, people are like too aware and especially depending on, but here is the thing, you can't control what color gets put on you. You can buy good colors. But then if somebody else buys whatever colors, then you're at the mercy of that person. But again, I think like cheaper colors as usual, you'll find some adulteration there. But mostly nowadays, there are big companies, just like the fireworks for Diwali, there are big companies dedicated to doing this. So if you buy like those brands or if you make at home, sometimes I've seen people starting to make themselves by grinding flowers. So those options are also there. But you find like very easy to find safe colors, to be honest.Shalini: Okay, so now you play with these colors, what do you do to take them off?Neha: That is this mystery thing called Ubtan. Yeah, I'm glad that you asked about removing the colors. So that's a whole entire exercise in itself. So basically, we make this very gooey paste made of all organic elements found at home. So you take either besan, which is ground chickpea flour, or you take wheat flour, your regular aata, and you mix haldi in it. And you put like turmeric, and you put oil, and you put water. Now, it should be a little bit more on the watery side, because you want it to be sticky. But the oil is there so that it removes well also, like when it comes up, all of it should come off. But if you have less oil, then it won't stick long enough. So the point is that you stick, and it's also used during the wedding ceremonies, by the way, after Haldi. So when you do the Haldi ceremony, it's actually Haldi and oil ceremony. So one round is done with Haldi, one round is done with oil, and then Ubtan is applied. And so the Haldi is, etc., is taken off by the Ubtan. And the idea is that obviously, it's very good for your skin, because putting turmeric is very, very nourishing for the skin. But also that consistency of the Ubtan, it brings out all the impurities of the skin. So in this case, that being colors. So colors come off very nicely with Ubtan, for the most part, unless you're, I'm talking about those my naughty cousins who actually pour that nasty chemical thing on my head, those ones don't come out easily. But the powder ones come off very easily, like with Ubtan, you know, between Ubtan and shower are fully covered, like you won't even, people won't even realize that you played Holi. Shalini: Okay, so I was just going to ask about that, you know, does it go in one day or it takes a few days to get rid of these colors? Again, powder? I can work with remnants of the color, you know, at the next day, it's not all good. Rekha: I call it a post-Holi glow, you know, you can always pick that on people. Neha: 100% there is a post-Holi glow, because you're so tired and you're so happy and you're so well fed by the end of this all, that you know, there's a post-Holi glow. But, but jokes aside, honestly, if you're playing only with powder or even with like, you know, diluted colors mixed in water, all of it comes out in one day for the most part. Unless you've been pranked with the thing on your head, then it will take a while. But I actually remember one of my best friends in school, she had like, you know, normal brown hair, but it's a slightly lighter color than the complete black hair that we usually have. So her hair was slightly brownish. And one time she came back after playing Holi and I kid you not, when she stood in the sunlight, her hair looked pink. This when we were not allowed to color our hair, because we were young children back then. So I think you got like a free hair color when there's not a lot of costs involved. But just things like that happen. Again, it completely depends on like the kind of Holi you play and you know, the type of people that, you know, come to your place to play with you. But for the most part, like, powder color 100% comes off with Ubtan. And it's also very good for your skin. So any kind of this harsh chemical or whatever, right? Like if you do the Ubtan treatment afterwards, it also kind of takes care of that. Like, and as I said early on, you have to be careful and put oil before you go out. And that way it will stain on your skin less if you have oil on your skin. Yeah, so for the most part, it comes out. Rekha: This is insider information.Neha: Absolutely. Shalini: So what a rollicking time we've had, you know, but I think now, I think you should speak about your foundation, Nehaji. What prompted you to start the foundation? What do you do? What are your projects, please? Neha: Yeah, absolutely. You know, that's a Shaktitva Foundation is a labor of love. It started around 2018, had to slow it down a couple for the last couple of years because of COVID and, you know, bereavement and family. But essentially, the original idea behind it, it's a decolonial, indigenous, feminist organization. And what I mean by that and this decoloniality and indigeneity approach from a Hindu perspective. So what essentially that means is this actually started around the same time when Shalini Ji you and I met for the first time. This was like the aftermath of Sabarimala. And, you know, we, I'm sure like all three of us were part of it in some way or the other. But one thing that became very obvious in the aftermath or during the Sabarimala protest for all of us Hindu women was that somehow our voice was being erased, right? This entire war was being fought in our name, right? Suddenly it was a Hindus versus women, you know, and the Hindu women were the least heard of all people. If you remember, like we were not allowed on TV debate, we were not, our opinions were considered, you know, fringe by some exactly some miracle, like, you know, majority of women were suddenly fringe. Anybody who basically did not agree with the five feminists of Delhi was fringe, right? So that that erasure is what led to the frustration that eventually led to the inspiration from my calling this Shaktitva Foundation. So the idea was that, you know, our voices need to have a place and not just the voice of a Hindu woman in India, but also this, the immigrant Hindu woman in growing up in America, right, or living in America. And the same thing that you know, because what happens is if we don't speak up, somebody else takes the mic and starts speaking for us, right? Whether we are the subaltern and whether we are an unrepresented group, if people don't speak up for their own groups, their names are misused and, you know, activists kind of take up that mantle of speaking on behalf of us, even if that is not the majority opinion, or even they forget the majority opinion, even if it is not even a minority opinion, then this will happen. And so we wanted to kind of set up a space where we can bring forth the lived experiences of a Hindu woman from the point of view of what we just did, right? Like we were talking about Holi from the lived experience of a person who has participated in it. And not just that, it's not just isolated to my personal experience, but also I try to kind of dive into the, when we do the research. If you see, a lot of people actually write for us, the articles and the work that we do focuses on bringing forth the original, authentic, indigenous meaning behind the things. And the reason is India and by extension, the South Asian activism circles is full of people who almost are kind of like the people who have been left behind by the colonialists, right? It's almost that they wanted to be taken with them, you know, ‘why did you leave us behind' sort of frustration that you see in these activists. And so they look at every time they sort of create this, you know, unnecessary rift in the society, it's because they're looking at things from a colonial lens, whether it is they're getting angry at Sabarimala tradition or it's not a concern for women that led to the creation of that controversy, right? It was that, you know, it is a colonial view. We must so that the colonial white man saviourism has appointed these brown saviours. And so they're now going to save Hinduism from Hindus, essentially. That's what's happening. So they're taking up for that, that colonial mantle of reform, and they're imposing all of these ideas on us in order to get some name and fame and they become those these heroes of who saved the women from oppressive Hinduism and so on. So whether it's the Sabarimala question, whether it is the Jallikattu again, no concern for actual animals or anything like that, whether it's the elephant controversy or whether it's in North India, the Kavadia controversy. Now they'll say these are rowdy men. Kavadiya men in Kavadia is the same when they become rowdy. 10 minutes later when farm laws happened, the same men who were actually doing Kavadia minutes before these are the oppressed category of farmers.So there is no rhyme or reason to it. So exactly that the point was that, you know, we wanted to create a space where Hindu women could find their voice and essentially take up that narrative and clear it up from their side. So we do a whole host of things. There's one is very important aspect is research driven articles like this one on Holi. I've done another one on Rakshabandhan and there's many more that are coming, not just on festivals, we also do on general issues and so on. And there is the other aspect of on-the-ground activism where we sort of try to help groups. So for example, we did a workshop with Bhutanese Hindu refugees who are living in America, especially the kids. And we did a workshop there about Dharma and specifically with the girls, about menstruation because menstruation is - like the menstrual restrictions are very strictly followed in Nepali and Bhutanese communities. And that becomes a very important propaganda point for missionaries to try to convert these kids. So we wanted to present the honest truth of why these rituals exist, like why are these menstrual restrictions are at all present in the culture and what are the significance, not prescribing them or, you know, or denying them, just presenting the truth of it. After that, it's up to you. Like as is always the case in Dharma. And similarly, we also did a project for to focus on the domestic violence survivors, Indian origin domestic violence survivors in America.That so we're trying to sort of create a space where we can dispel the fake issues and focus on the real issues and essentially, you know, move forward with that mindset.Shalini: So is this an initiative only driven only by you or is are you a team of a few people?Neha: No, we are a team of we're a team of a few people. We have few directors and after that, there is an advisory board. So the details can be found that also volunteers that work at different levels. Some of them are, for example, interested in conducting those workshops that I spoke about in their areas for a specific group. So we sort of arm them with the content and we help them and train those volunteers for those spaces. There's also like several other projects that are in the works just COVID kind of, you know, through a wrench and all of them. But but we're trying to sort of bring it up again. Hopefully this year, you should see a lot more action.Shalini: Sure. This sounds very empowering and well, such a misused word, but for lack of a better word, empowering our own women, you know, Neha: So we'll actually, I'll actually end with the quote. somehow it dawned on me while I was sitting in Sadhana. You know, I said, Hindu women are embodiments of Shakti and you do not empower Shakti, you bow before it. So that's why the name is Shaktitva, which is the essence of being Shakti. Now, this is not to be construed with this modern new agey idea of, you know, I am princess, I am a goddess type, you know, the wrong notions. No, we are talking about like a very sacred channeling of the divine energy that can happen when you are you know, when you are really devoted to your gods and your faith and to your culture and the indigeneity of it all. Like it's not, these terms almost seem to have become like negative terms, honestly, in the western space. But for, you know, as an indigenous person, it's all the same. It's a spectrum. These words are not disconnected at all. Rekha: Nehaji, I'm looking at your website. And there is a scheme, there is something called the Gayatri grants. Is that still operational? Is that something that can be used to encourage young people to write for you?Neha: Oh, absolutely. Yes. So Gayatri grants are not just even for writing. Even if there was a proposal that like that somebody wants to take up like a more elaborate research project towards anything, you know, towards something that brings together that aligns with the mission of Shaktitva. We are more than happy to sort of sponsor that activity because research itself, you know, is expensive. And, you know, so we want to encourage through this grant system, we want to encourage people to apply for, you know, proposals and come up with ideas because, as I said, like it's very difficult for one person to or a few people to cover the breadth of this issue. So if there is even if there's something very simple as you notice that there is a tradition that is unexplored, and it aligns with our mission, and you want to research it, you know, please submit a grant to us, grant proposal to us, the template is provided on the website. So you just have to fill that template up and send us a proposal and we'll evaluate it. And hopefully, like we can come up with a collaboration.Rekha: Can you tell us the name of the website for all the listeners? We will also be providing links to the website on our transcript. But can you just mention the name please?Neha: Yeah, it's Shaktitva.org. S-H-A-K-T-I, Shakti. And then, Shaktitva.org.Shalini: Great. Yeah, so I think we've had a one hell of a ride with you, Nehaji. It's been absolutely exhilarating, I would say. And I think this episode will not stay at 35, 40 minutes, but that's okay. But I think even our listeners will find it extremely engaging and beautiful too. So I think I'm absolutely floored by your quote. I would like you to end once more with the quote that you just mentioned and then we'll call it wraps. Neha: Absolutely. So the way we mentioned it is that Hindu women are embodiments of Shakti. You do not empower Shakti, you bow before it.Shalini: And with that, I think we come to the end of this edition of our podcast, and we will connect with our listeners in a fortnight's time. Thank you. Thank you, Nehaji. Thank you very much for spending so much time with us and giving us one grand experience of Holi. Thank you so much and thank you, Rekha, and we will meet with our listeners soon. Namaste. Get full access to Hindu Parenting at hinduparenting.substack.com/subscribe

Joi Baba Felunath: The Elephant God: Movie Review from the Ray Taylor ShowShow topic: In this episode Ray reviews the movie “Joi Baba Felunath: The Elephant God”. "Joi Baba Felunath" is a 1979 Indian Bengali-language mystery film directed and written by Satyajit Ray. The film features an ensemble cast of Soumitra Chatterjee, Santosh Dutta, Siddartha Chatterjee, Utpal Dutt, among others. It is an adaptation of the eponymous Feluda novel and serves as the sequel to "Sonar Kella." The story follows private investigator, Pradosh C. Mitter (a.k.a. Feluda), his cousin Tapesh (a.k.a. Topshe) and thriller writer Lalmohan Ganguly (a.k.a. Jatayu) as they vacation in Varanasi during the Durga Puja and become embroiled in a mystery involving a valuable golden Ganesh statue and a wealthy Marwari businessman.JOIN Inspired Disorder +PLUS Today! InspiredDisorder.com/plus Membership Includes:Ray Taylor Show - Full Week Ad Free (Audio+Video)Live Painting ArchiveEarly Access to The Many FacesMember Only Discounts and DealsPodcast Back Catalogue (14 Shows - 618 Episodes)Ray Taylor's Personal BlogCreative WritingAsk Me AnythingDaily Podcast: Ray Taylor Show - InspiredDisorder.com/rts Daily Painting: The Many Faces - InspiredDisorder.com/tmf ALL links: InspiredDisorder.com/links Genres: Indian - Adventure - Crime

Joi Baba Felunath: The Elephant God: Movie Review from the Ray Taylor ShowShow topic: In this episode Ray reviews the movie “Joi Baba Felunath: The Elephant God”. "Joi Baba Felunath" is a 1979 Indian Bengali-language mystery film directed and written by Satyajit Ray. The film features an ensemble cast of Soumitra Chatterjee, Santosh Dutta, Siddartha Chatterjee, Utpal Dutt, among others. It is an adaptation of the eponymous Feluda novel and serves as the sequel to "Sonar Kella." The story follows private investigator, Pradosh C. Mitter (a.k.a. Feluda), his cousin Tapesh (a.k.a. Topshe) and thriller writer Lalmohan Ganguly (a.k.a. Jatayu) as they vacation in Varanasi during the Durga Puja and become embroiled in a mystery involving a valuable golden Ganesh statue and a wealthy Marwari businessman.JOIN Inspired Disorder +PLUS Today! InspiredDisorder.com/plus Membership Includes:Ray Taylor Show - Full Week Ad Free (Audio+Video)Live Painting ArchiveEarly Access to The Many FacesMember Only Discounts and DealsPodcast Back Catalogue (14 Shows - 618 Episodes)Ray Taylor's Personal BlogCreative WritingAsk Me AnythingDaily Podcast: Ray Taylor Show - InspiredDisorder.com/rts Daily Painting: The Many Faces - InspiredDisorder.com/tmf ALL links: InspiredDisorder.com/links Genres: Indian - Adventure - Crime

With Diwali around the corner, columnist and host of the Awful and Awesome podcast Rajyasree Sen joins Sandip Roy to talk about her latest book, The Sweet Kitchen, which includes tales and recipes of India's favourite desserts — from Daulat ki Chaat in Old Delhi to Black Rice Kheer from Manipur, to Sawdust pudding from Goa and sweet hot debates like who does the Rasgulla really belong to.Listen till the end as Rajyasree takes part in a rapid fire, and Sandip brings you an audio postcard about the economic and environmental impact of Durga Puja.

On the auspicious occasion of Durga Puja, Swami Sarvapriyananda speaks on the significance of the Divine Mother.

Last year, Bengal's Durga Puja became 1st in Asia to get UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage tag. After 2 yrs of low-key celebrations due to Covid, revellers went all out this year.

In this episode, Sadaf is chatting with food photographers and the founders of Pikturenama, Madhushree Roy and Anindya Basu. Together they discuss:- What defines Bengali food?- The difference between Bengal and Ghoti cuisine- Common myths and misconceptions about Bengali food?- Utsav and Durga Puja foods- Customs and rituals around food in BengalSo sit back, and relax like you're bengali, while you hear about the food of a community thatis obsessed with food.Important links to geek out more:1. Website: https://pikturenama.com/2. Twitter: @anindya0909 | Instagram: @pikturenamaYou can follow Sadaf Hussain & Archit Puri on their Instagram handle:@sadaf_hussain @thehustlinggluttonSubscribe & listen to the podcast on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Castbox, AudioBoom, YouTube, Spotify or any other podcast app.You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcasts app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.You can check out our website at http://www.ivmpodcasts.com/

Jude Weston brings you the news from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Sweden, and Brazil. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This program is recorded in my Discord group "NihonGO Japanese Language School", we offer group lessons for free, almost every day! Feel free to join the server and our lesson anytime ;) "NihonGO Japanese Language School" https://discord.gg/WEMKCAGhxA === #nihongopodcast #japanese #日本語 #giapponese #日文 #日语 #일본어 #ญี่ปุ่น #japonais #japonés #japonês #nihongo #hiragana #katakana #studyjapanese #learnjapanese #japanesephrases #japantrip #japantravel #jlpt #日本語能力試験 #kanji #japaneselanguage #japanesepodcast #にほんご #ひらがな #カタカナ #japan

In 2014, after pro-Russian forces took control of the Crimea peninsula, Kremlin-backed officials there oversaw a chaotic referendum without credible international observers. This week, we're seeing a page from that same playbook in Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine. And Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen from Maryland has been leading an effort for accountability on the death of Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu-Akleh, who was shot by Israeli security forces while reporting in the West Bank. Also, in Iran, a mapping app called Gershad allows users, mostly women, to mark the location of the country's morality police, so others can avoid them. Now, the app has been updated to include the location of riot police and tens of thousands of people have downloaded it. Plus, Kolkata's biggest religious festival, Durga Puja, gets reframed as an international art experience.

The five-day Durga Puja festival brings the city of Kolkata, India, to a standstill as throngs of people visit elaborate temples to the Goddess Durga that spring up everywhere.

'If Durga can be worshipped with Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartik, Ganesh, why can't a street dog be allowed to coexist peacefully with her children?' asks a puja club member.----more----Read the article here: https://theprint.in/features/pet-friendly-durga-puja-pandals-in-west-bengal-set-to-redefine-faith-and-family/1144477/

In this episode Deepali Kulkarni speaks with Soumyadip and Mohua from Stories of Bengali Hindus about the attacks the Hindu population in Bangladesh faced during Durga Puja 2021, getting banned on Twitter for sharing the truth about these attacks, and the legacy of the 1971 Bengali Hindu genocide, when some 3 million Bangladeshis, mostly Hindus, were killed.

In this episode Deepali Kulkarni speaks with Soumyadip and Mohua from Stories of Bengali Hindus about the attacks the Hindu population in Bangladesh faced during Durga Puja 2021, getting banned on Twitter for sharing the truth about these attacks, and the legacy of the 1971 Bengali Hindu genocide, when some 3 million Bangladeshis, mostly Hindus, were killed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

TOI's diplomatic editor Indrani Bagchi and Dhaka Tribune's Asif Islam weigh in on the rise in incidents of majoritarian violence against the minority community in Bangladesh during Durga Puja and how it affects ties between both countries.

In this episode Deepali Kulkarni gets a report from one of HAF's contacts in Bangladesh on the attacks directed and Hindus and Hindu temples in the past week, stemming from a social media post on Durga Puja. NOTE: This episode contains graphic recounting of physical and sexual violence experienced by Hindus in Bangladesh. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, FACT OF THE MATTER, celebrates the festival season of Durga Puja and Dussehra by taking off in style!!. In Main Course, listen to Joy and Rathin talk about Air India and its connection with the surrealist genius, Salvador Dali, how airlines sometime lay out a special offer for casino lovers and a Broadway musical about a small town called Gander in Newfoundland and its special position in the 9-11 aftermath!! In Believe It or Not, learn why bars in Rwanda may surprise you with its "special" fare and then enjoy Joy's special story about a man who married a rice cooker!!!! Plus all the regular sections like Cute Words and Phrases, Bare Naked Lies and audience questions!! Stories and anecdotes from the world of aviation and airlines will keep you flying high for sure! We love to hear from you!! So write to us at factofthematterindia@gmail.com. Rate us and berate us!! Follow us on Twitter - @joybhattacharj and @rathindrabasu. Find us on all leading podcast platforms like Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Amazon Music. Visit our website - https://anchor.fm/factofthematter --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/factofthematter/message

Dussehra, also known as Vijayadashami, is a Hindu festival that commemorates the triumph of good over evil.  Dusshera is celebrated on the tenth day of Ashvin, the seventh month of the Hindu Luni-Solar Calendar, which occurs between September and October in the Gregorian calendar. In different parts of the India, Vijayadashami or Dusshera is commemorated and celebrated for different reasons. Vijayadashami is the end of Durga Puja in India's southern, eastern, northeastern, and some northern states. The event is known as Dussehra in the northern, central, and western states, and it commemorates lord Rama's victory over Ravan at the end of Ramlila. In the famous Hindu epic Ramayana, Ravana kidnaps Rama's wife Sita in the Ramayana to take revenge on Rama and Lakshmana for cutting off Surpanakha's nose. In the end, Rama triumphs over Ravana and saves Sita. The triumph is then commemorated by the burning of the effigies of Ravana. The tenth day, Dussehra, is the end of Navratri's nine-day celebrations. According to another legend, Goddess Durga battled and killed Mahishasura on this day. The day is known as Vijayadashmi. The nine days leading up to Vijayadashami are dedicated to a different powerful manifestation of Goddess Durga. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/chimesradio See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.