Rajasthani Bhaasha ........................Our Language and Dialects

The Rajasthani language is a Western Indo-Aryan language although some classify it as a part of the Central Indo-Aryan family.In India, Rajasthani is written in the Devanagari script, an abugida which is written from left to right. Besides, Muriya script was also in use for business purposes only. In Pakistan, where Rajasthani is considered a minor language, a variant of the Sindhi script is used to write Rajasthani dialects.

In the past, the language spoken in Rajasthan was regarded as a dialect of western Hindi (Kellogg, 1873). George Abraham Grierson (1908) was the first scholar who gave the designation ‘Rajasthani’ to the language, which was earlier known through its various dialects. Today, however, Sahitya Akademi, National Academy of Letters and University Grants Commission recognize it as a distinct language. It is also taught as such in the Universities of Jodhpur and Udaipur. The Board of Secondary Education, Rajasthan included Rajasthani in the course of studies and it has been an optional subject since 1973. Since 1947, several movements have been going on in Rajasthan for its recognition, but it is still considered a ‘dialect’ of Hindi. Recently, the Rajasthan Government has recognized it as a state language, but there is still a long way for the language to go towards national status. It still lacks a comprehensive reference grammar and contemporary dictionary based on a thoroughlinguistic survey of Rajasthan. Currently an extensive descriptive grammar of Rajasthani is being recorded.

Some major dialects or languages (when you label Rajasthani as a cluster) are:

• Bagri: about five million speakers in Hanumangarh and Sriganganagar districts of Rajasthan, Sirsa and Hissar districts of Haryana, Firozepur and Muktsar districts of Punjab of India and Bahawalpur and Bahawalnagar areas of Punjab of Pakistan.
• Shekhawati: about three million speakers in Churu, Jhunjhunu and Sikar districts of Rajasthan.
• Ahirwati: spoken in Mahendragarh and Rewari districts of Haryana.
• Marwari:about thirteen million speakers in western Rajasthan comprising Jodhpur, Pali, Sirohi, Jalore, Jaisalmer, Churu, Bikaner, Nagaur, Ajmer, and Barmer districts of Rajasthan. It is also spoken in eastern parts of upper Sindh province of Pakistan.
• Dhundhari: about nine million persons in Jaipur, Dausa, Tonk, Ajmer, Karauli and Sawai Madhopur districts of Rajasthan. It was first surveyed upon by G. Macliester who published specimens of fifteen varieties of Dhundhari spoken in the territory of the former state of Jaipur in 1898.
• Harauti: about four million speakers in Kota, Bundi, Baran, and Jhalawar districts of Rajasthan state of India. Interestingly, it has a nominative marker /nE/ which is absent in other dialects of Rajasthani.
• Mewari: about five million speakers in Rajsamand, Bhilwara, Udaipur, and Chittorgarh districts of Rajasthan state of India.
• Mewati: about five million speakers in Mewat region of Haryana(Gurgaon and Mewat districts) and adjoining Alwar district of Rajasthan.
• Other major dialects/languages are: Dhatki, Goaria, Godwari, Loarki, Merwari, Gade Lohar, Gujari, Gurgula, Lambadi, Malvi, Nimadi

Kumbhalgarh Fort

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Kumbhalgarh Fort is the second most important fort in Rajasthan after Chittaurgarh. Built in 1458 by Maharana Kumbha, a Mewar king, the fort derived its name from the same factor. Later, Maharana Fateh Singh renovated the fort in the 19th century. Encircled by thirteen elevated mountain peaks, Kumbhalgarh fort stands on the site of an ancient citadel which is ascribed to Samprati, a Jaina prince of the second century BC. History says that he built around 300 temples at this place. Later Rana Kumbha, added to this. At present, few of these are left, fewer with idols inside.Covering over 12 sq km, the walls of the fort stretch about 36 km and stands about 1,087m high from the sea level. Located amidst the hills of Aravali, the fort offers a marvelous view of the surrounding areas and sandy dessert of Marwar for miles around. The fort is commanding a great strategic location on the border between the Rajput Kingdoms of Udaipur and Jodhpur. There is a folklore behind the construction of this fort that, Maharana of Kumbhalgarh failed to build the fort's wall for several times so he consulted a sage about this problem. And on the advice of this sage, the sage came up with a bizarre proposition — he was to stand at a point and chop off his own head, and the place where his body fell would be the main entrance of the fort and the point where his head fell would be the second main entrance. The perimeter of the fort's wall is assumed to be the longest in the world after the Great Wall Of China.  the fort encloses royal apartments, temples - dedicated to different gods, 252 palaces - great and small, seven massive gates or pol (Arait Pol, Hanuman Pol, Ram Pol, Bhairava Pol, Paghra Pol, Top Khana Pol, Nimboo Pol), seven ramparts and huge watch towers, storerooms, houses and water tanks. The wall of fortress is wide enough to take eight horsemen one at a time. The main buildings inside this magnificent citadel are Badal Mahal, Kumbha Palace, Brahmanical and Jain Temples, baoris, chhattris etc.  Located close to the Pagda Pol, this palace is one of the finest examples of Rajput architecture. It is a two storeyed building with a beautiful blue durbar hall. A corridor separated the mardana (men's ) palace from the zanana (women's) palace. Some of the rooms in the zenana have an attractive painted frieze with elephants, crocodiles and camels. A circular Ganesh temple is in the corner of the zenana courtyard. The most noted feature is the toilets, which has a ventilation system that allowed fresh air into the room while the toilet was in use.  Badal Mahal  Built by Rana Fateh Singh (AD 1885-1930), it is the highest point of fortress. Once have to climb up to terrace through narrow stairs to reach this palace. It is a two storeyed building with the interior painted in pastel colours. Like Palace of Rana Kumbha, this palace is also divided into two interconnected distinct portions - Zanana and the Mardana palace. This palace is profusely decorated with wall paintings of 19th century style and some have attractive friezes. The stone jali screens in Zanana mahal was facilitated the queens to see the court proceedings and other events in privacy. From here one can get the view the jungle covered hillsides and across the deserts of Marwar towards Jodhpur.

       

Corruption in our Society

With materialistic values as topmost priority, moral and ethical values at the lowest span of ladder, every fibre of society indulged in-self aggrandizement, where not only credibility of politicians and bureaucrats but also of the judiciary is at stake, it is ridiculous to dream of a corruption-free society.

In this scene, an honest man is like a drop in the ocean which loses identity as soon as it mingles virtually in the salt water of the ocean. Corruption is a common practice and has become a way of life.

It is a matter of shame that even after 63 years of independence, India figures among the thirty most corrupt countries. The virus of corruption has crept into all walks of life and it can endanger the body politic of our nation.

Corruption always existed in human society in one or the other form. In primitive period, the scope of public administration was minimum; as a result, the scope of corruption was limited. After independence, with the scope of welfare state coming into existence the scope of being corrupt widened. Corruption has crept into every fabric of the society in such a way that it was the theme of speeches made by the President, the Prime Minister, the Speaker of Lok Sabha, during the golden jubilee celebrations of our independence. Every Chief Election Commissioner since Mr. Sheshan held the office has advocated the dire necessity of electoral reforms to strike at corruption at grass root level.

Corruption is regarded as a low risk and highly profitable way of making a quick buck and whoever is caught, often knows how to go scot-free. The country which is known for moral and ethical values, where truism is adored, fair means were advocated to achieve anything, has now accounted among the most thirty nations of the world. If everyone from Panch to Prime Minister, from Peon to Chief Secretary has been found involved and charged for many acts of commission and omission, how can we imagine to eradicate corruption in toto?

A peculiar face of corruption on our Country is that it goes upstream not downstream. So most of the fundamental policies and decisions about big purchases, contracts, projects, etc are distorted at the top level. The delay in disposing of the cases of corruption is one of the most important causes of flourishing of corruption. Corrupt officials even if caught can manage to go scot-free in due course of time by manipulations or otherwise.

The basic question is whether corruption can be eradicated? “Nothing is impossible”, can be said by an enthusiastic social leader but eradication of corruption is a next to impossible thing given the present spectrum of affairs. When the whole body of the politics is affected by the virus of corruption, eradicating it in toto is a Herculean task. Corruption is a multi-faceted, hydraheaded colossus problem to be dealt with several measures simultaneously.

The bodies like CVC, CBI, Lok Ayukta etc must be headed by the persons of high integrity and must be made autonomous truly with exceptional powers. The budgetary allocation to these bodies should be liberal and no hindrance of any kind should be allowed in their functioning. Election expenses must not be allowed to cross the limits. The loopholes like extraneous expenses by other party workers that are not included in party expenses must be plugged. The political parties have to be sincere and honest to fight the cancer of corruption. The chief hurdle is the unwillingness and lack of determination and will of politicians etc to eradicate corruption. All the policies, rules and regulations are approved by the leaders, they do not wish to claim themselves are entangled and so the eradication or corruption does not seem to be possible.

The youth of the society has a very important role in fighting the gigantic wild animal of corruption. General awakening can make the politicians and bureaucrats use their discretion carefully. The common men must cast their vote on the basis of values and character of the candidates. To eradicate corruption from the society, all have to fight it. It is the most powerful and the most dangerous monstrous evil, which rises to manifold itself stronger with the passage of time.

Movitation.

The important thing to remember when reading any inspiring stories is that when we get that feeling of motivation, where we want to do something, do something. Nothing is more of a waste than to be inspired and motivated and not take any action.
Life is full of challenges, but it is only the tough ones who can get through these phases of difficulties. The run to the finishing line is never all that simple. It is rather tough and full of thorns. After all, the beauty of a rose is with its thorns. And every pathway of rose petals would have its thorns that have to simply be removed. This is life. This is in fact an exciting life.
Sometimes it is difficult to see the guiding stars because of the dark clouds of pessimism. Well, then the best thing to do is to immerse the self into all that is motivational. These could be books, posters, songs, stories, people, movies, speeches… almost anything that stirs the mind to wakefulness and fills the being with the positive energy needed to fuel one towards their goal

Be Happy

Happiness is a mental state of well-being characterized by positive emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. A variety of biological,psychological,religious,philosophical approaches have striven to define happiness and identify its sources.

While direct measurement of happiness presents challenges, tools have been developed by researchers. Positive psychology researchers use theoretical models that include describing happiness as consisting of positive emotions and positive activities, or that describe three kinds of happiness: pleasure (positive sensory experience), engagement (involvement with one’s family, work, romance and hobbies), and meaning (using personal strengths to serve some larger end).

A review of more than 160 studies of human and animal subjects has found that happy people tend to live longer and experience better health than their unhappy peers.

isn't that the thing that all of us strive to find and keep? Nobody is happy all of the time, but some people are definitely more fulfilled than others. Studies on what makes people happy reveal that it doesn't have much to do with material goods or high achievement; it seems to whittle down to your outlook on life, and the quality of your relationships with the people around you.Happiness is the undying quest of life, the unquenchable thirst and the insatiable hunger of all human kind.Happiness is what we all seek for, what we long for.

Shivratri.............The Night Of Lord Shiva

                                                                                                              
                                                                                                        
Lord Shiva is worshipped on the day of Krishna Chathurdasi that falls on the 14th night of the new moon. The Hindus offer their prayers to the the third deity of the Hindu trinity or the God of destruction- Lord Shiva who is also called by these alternate names- "Bholenath", "Neelakanth", "Shankar", Kailasheshwar", ‘Shambhu’, "Umanath", "Nataraj" and so on. 

 The ceremonies take place chiefly at night. This is a festival observed in honor of Lord Shiva. Shiva was married to Parvati on this day. This is the night when Shiva is said to have performed the Tandava or the dance of primordial creation, preservation and destruction.

People repeat the Panchakshara Mantra  as it is said he who utters the Names of Shiva during Shivaratri, with perfect devotion and concentration, is freed from all sins. He reaches the abode of Shiva and lives there happily. He is liberated from the wheel of births and deaths. Many pilgrims flock to the places where there are Shiva temples. 

 The Puranas vociferously sing the praises of the greatness of the Jyotirlingas. By reciting the name of this, one can eliminate all the sins. The Sadhaka becomes calm, chaste and pure. He becomes illuminated and enlightened with supreme and divine knowledge. The names mentioned for the benefits of all:

SAURASHTRA SOMNATHAM CHA SHRISHAILE MALLIKARJUNAM ||
UJJAINYAM MAHAKALOMKARE MAMMALESHWARAM ||
PARLYAM VAIJNATHAM CHA DAKINYAM BHEEM SHANKARAM ||
SETU BANDHE TU RAMESHAM NAGESHAM DARUKA VANE ||
VARANASYA TU VISHWESHAM TRIBAKAM GAUTAMITATE ||
HIMALAYE TU KEDARAM GHURMESHAM CHA SHIVALAYE ||
AETANI JYOTIRLINGANI SAYAM PRATAHA PATHENNARAHA ||
SAPTA JANMA KRITAM PAPAM SMARANEN VINASHYATI ||

One who recites these 12 names regularly in the morning and evening he washes all the sins committed in the previous 7 births and attains all the powers 

What is meant by entrepreneurship?

The concept of entrepreneurship was first established in the 1700s, and the meaning has evolved ever since. Many simply equate it with starting one's own business. Most economists believe it is more than that.

To some economists, the entrepreneur is one who is willing to bear the risk of a new venture if there is a significant chance for profit. Others emphasize the entrepreneur's role as an innovator who markets his innovation. Still other economists say that entrepreneurs develop new goods or processes that the market demands and are not currently being supplied.

In the 20th century, economist Joseph Schumpeter (1883-1950) focused on how the entrepreneur's drive for innovation and improvement creates upheaval and change. Schumpeter viewed entrepreneurship as a force of "creative destruction." The entrepreneur carries out "new combinations," thereby helping render old industries obsolete. Established ways of doing business are destroyed by the creation of new and better ways to do them.

Business expert Peter Drucker (1909-2005) took this idea further, describing the entrepreneur as someone who actually searches for change, responds to it, and exploits change as an opportunity. A quick look at changes in communications – from typewriters to personal computers to the Internet – illustrates these ideas.

Most economists today agree that entrepreneurship is a necessary ingredient for stimulating economic growth and employment opportunities in all societies. In the developing world, successful small businesses are the primary engines of job creation, income growth, and poverty reduction. Therefore, government support for entrepreneurship is a crucial strategy for economic development.

As the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said in 2003, "Policies to foster entrepreneurship are essential to job creation and economic growth." Government officials can provide incentives that encourage entrepreneurs to risk attempting new ventures. Among these are laws to enforce property rights and to encourage a competitive market system.

The culture of a community also may influence how much entrepreneurship there is within it. Different levels of entrepreneurship may stem from cultural differences that make entrepreneurship more or less rewarding personally. A community that accords the highest status to those at the top of hierarchical organizations or those with professional expertise may discourage entrepreneurship. A culture or policy that accords high status to the "self-made" individual is more likely to encourage entrepreneurship.