Tattva Magazine, December 2009

[Sudharsan D.]

 

Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. December 2009 In this Edition Devotees of Amar Nath: Revolutionary Pioneers of a People’s Movement, by Bhagyashree Chanda Sathaye Draupadi: The Heroic Princess of the Mahabharat, by Aparna Garg It is India, not South Asia, by Ramesh Rao Jnaneshwari, by V.N. Gopalakrishnan News and Events The January 2010 edition of Tattva Magazine will be printed and distributed around the United States. Please take a few minutes to follow the link below and respond to one or more of the prompts. We may publish several responses to the prompts. PLEASE SUBMIT BY WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2009, 11:59 PM PST. Click here to complete the survey. Hindu YUVA organized Speaker on Campus, a lecture series to raise awareness about Hindu Dharma, at 24 universities around the US this fall. This program brought eminent speakers to university campuses to speak on topics such as Vedic Math, Yoga, Ayurveda, etc. Stay tuned for a full report of SOC in the next edition of Tattva. Tony Blair spoke for a conference held by the National Hindu Students Forum, UK. Check out his video message here. Hindu YUVA at UNC Chapel Hill held its 4th annual Divaali Nite celebration last month. The event started off with a short puja, followed by the cultural performances of students as well as children from the local Bhutanese-Hindu community, and finally Raas with the music of live band. Dinner catered by a local restaurant was also served. This was a great experience for all involved and a great way to outreach to all members of the campus community. This has become the highlight of the fall semester and many look forward to it during this time of the year. From the Editor's Desk   Namaste, So this is it, the last edition of Tattva Magazine for this decade. On this unique occasion, I suppose I can send the strongest message to our readers by letting the articles do the talking. Take it easy, Tattva Team   Devotees of Amar Nath: Revolutionary Pioneers of a People’s Movement, by Bhagyashree Chanda Sathaye (Part 1 of 2) Part 1/2 of a first person account of the Epic 62-day struggle to get a land grant for the Lord Amar Nath (Shiva) Shrine located near Jammu city, India. Unfortunately, on August 15, 2008, due to threats from jihadist terrorists, the Tricolor could be hoisted only for 2 hours in Jammu and Kashmir.  J&K is an integral part of India. This incident triggered several questions.  Are Indians truly free? What do the ominous burnings of the Tricolor mean? Read the rest of this article Draupadi: The Heroic Princess of the Mahabharat, by Aparna Garg A personification of shakti (strength) and bhakti (devotion), Draupadi was one of the bravest and strongest characters in the Mahabharat. Despite being both born and wed into powerful royal families, Draupadi went through countless hardships. She nevertheless emerged victorious and will always be remembered as a valiant woman who stood for the protection of Dharma....Read the rest of this article   It is India, not South Asia, by Ramesh Rao Avowal is how I portray myself: I am Ramesh, an Indian-American, a Hindu, an associate professor, a husband and son and father. In contrast, ascription is how others attribute identities to a person. I am a South Asian for some, a Hindutvavadi for some others, a discriminated brown for yet others, and an oppressor Brahmin for my politically inclined detractors....Read the rest of this article Jnaneshwari, by V.N. Gopalakrishnan Jnaneshwari is the commentary on Bhagavad Gita written by the Marathi saint and mystical poet Jnanadeva. The commentary on Bhagavad Gita has been praised not only for its scholarly excellence, but also for its aesthetic value. He has explained the Gita not by recourse to rational arguments but by the profuse use of similes, metaphors and illustrations. In Jnaneshwari, he calls the Gita the literary image of Lord Krishna....Read the rest of this article Tattva is an online magazine, published by Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh’s Hindu YUVA. Tattva, which means “essence” in Sanskrit, draws inspiration from the roots of Hindu Dharma. It aims to present inspiring aspects of ancient Hindu culture and history along with related current day issues. It is an avenue to gain a better understanding and appreciate the most ancient culture thriving on this planet. It also offers us an opportunity to share our ideas and inspire others. To join our mailing list, please send an e-mail once to subscrib...@hinduyuva.org. Contact the editor at tattva...@hinduyuva.org.