Our Eco-friendly Ganeshotsav 2016

Dear friends,
                      Here's our eco-friendly Ganapati decoration's snap. The laminated props were prepared by me after making a collage from newspaper and greeting-card clippings, stuck on a black art paper. These laminated sheets can be reused as wall-hangings later on or gifted away. The props were supported by hair clips. 
                     
                      The base is of my neighbor's discarded wooden shelf, (which I usually use to make rangolis on),

Lord Ganesh - Our revered guest.

covered by a blouse piece. The small stand is also covered with a blouse piece. 
                     The Ganesh idol is of shadu clay, which is immersed in a bucket on our terrace. The water is then poured into our potted plants and plants in our Society's premises. We ensure that we buy a small idol.
                     The nirmalya, that is the waste offerings generated daily, is strewn into our potted plants, thereby acting as humus which prevents soil erosion and formation of weeds.
                                                                                                                                 Priya

Ganapati Bappa Moraya!

      We are eagerly looking forward to welcoming the Lord of Wisdom into our home today. He always resides in our hearts, but this occasion is special! He is our most revered guest and will enjoy our hospitality for the entire duration of the festival.

                              Ganapati Bappa Moraya, Mangal Moorti Moraya!

       Wish you all a Very Happy Ganesh Chaturthi! May the Lord shower his abundant blessings on all of us! Let's celebrate this festival in a spirit of unity, devotion, peace and camaraderie.

Lord Ganesha - My friend, philosopher and guide!

 

 

 

 

Here's my interview published in the Times of India. It pertains to my Ganapati idols' collection. 

 A life -long endeavor!

Sadhu J.P.Vaswani - The Spiritual Healer

Dear Dada,
                   Wish you a Very Happy 98th Birthday! May you have many more, so that you could continue to guide people to walk on the right path in life. Your words are like an elixir and your calm presence is like a beacon to those who cherish your teachings and strive to adhere to your principles and values in all their worldly dealings. Your speeches instill faith in humanity and the goodness of the human spirit. Like the holy river Ganga, your words wash away all feelings of sin, hatred and vengeance that obstruct a pious and meaningful life.You are the embodiment of simplicity and purity!Your whole being radiates with a Divine illumination that inspires and provokes a chain reaction of good deeds. 
                   May you be blessed with good health and a long life!
                                          With warm regards,
                                                                                                                     Priya Swaminathan
                                                                                                     Ex-student of St. Mira's High School

Here's a poem dedicated to you:

         BEACON OF LOVE

With your innocent smile

Without any guile,

You spread the gospel of love, harmony and peace

Far and wide,

With friends and supporters by your side!

         You are the light-house that guides many

          In the stormy sea of life.

Your life you live, one of service and sacrifice

Without hatred or malice.

Your sincerity of purpose

We admire, appreciate and try to emulate!

          On this pious day, your birthday,

          We felicitate and wish you, Dada J.P.Vaswani,

          The harbinger of universal brotherhood,

          Who follows his Guru, Sadhu T.L.Vaswanis’s teachings,

          More than anyone could!

May you have many more,

To guide us as always

From your heart’s core!

The copyright of this write-up and poem is with Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan.

 

Connecting with the Creator

      The 'wari' has culminated after a long and arduous trek. The devotees have reached Pandharpur, where they will get 'darshan' of the Supreme Lord Panduranga Vitthala and His Divine consort Goddess Rakhumai. They will connect with the Creator and thank him for his support and guidance throughout their annual pilgrimage. Just as parents care for their offspring, so do the Divine couple, hence they are affectionately referred to as Panduranga and Rakhumai. One can sense the proximity between the devout and their object of affection. There's no fear, only pure, eternal love! And infinite faith!
       Herein lies a lesson for all of us. Love our Creator. Surrender ourselves to Him and nothing will ever go wrong in our lives! Let's surround ourselves with positive vibes and immerse ourselves in piety. Let's experience supreme bliss.

The Incredible Journey of Faith!

                   The annual 'wari' i.e. the pilgrimage from Alandi to Pandharpur has begun its journey this week. As the Sant Tukaram Maharaj and Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj 'palkhis' (palanquins) bearing the 'padukas' (foot imprints cast in silver) wind their way through the long and torturous route to their final destination, Pandharpur, the divine abode of Lord Pandurang (Lord Vitthal) and his consort Goddess Rukmini; the aura is one of infinite patience, perseverance, devotion and faith. Nothing daunts the 'warkaris', the pilgrims in their annual trek. Neither rain nor scorching heat, nor sores on their feet nor worldly troubles; as they have dedicated these 15-20 days to the Supreme Lord who will take care of them!
                  They sing 'abhangs', religious hymns and songs, chant  verses from divine scriptures, play traditional instruments, perform folk-dances, enact street-plays with socioeconomically relevant themes and walk on in a blissful trance, (some even with 'tulsi vrindavans, padukas' or the idols atop their heads) till they reach their destination on the auspicious 'Ashadhi Ekadashi' day. When they are at last in the temple in front of their beloved God, nothing matters except the 'Darshan'. They will pray fervently and return year after year.
                  They are helped in their onward journey by the devout who feed them, provide free medicines, footwear, mobile recharge vouchers and other necessities; in turns, at their various halting places. Thus these Good Samaritans earn Divine benediction too!
                  The 'palkhis' arrived in Pune on Wednesday and started on their onward journey today. On both Wednesday and Thursday, our house was blessed too! The buds of the Divine Brahmakamal plant that  flowers only once a year, blossomed and spread their lovely fragrance, albeit for a few hours at night. We prayed for the well-being of everyone.
                 Here are some snaps of the unique flowers.

Divine gift!

Ethereal beauty!

Lord Vithoba and Goddess Rakhumai's blessings!

My entry to a short-story contest

Dear friends,
Kindly peruse my short story titled 'The Baby-doll' which is an entry to a contest organized by www.penfactor.com. Just click on the 'Leadership Board' tab on the site. Then select 'Paranormal Fiction/Magic Realism' category and access my story on page 2. I look forward to your invaluable feedback.
Thanks. Have a nice day!
                                                                               Priya

My contest entry - The Love-addict

Dear friends,

                             Kindly read my story titled 'The Love-addict' which is an entry to a Long-short story contest organized by https://freeditorial.com. You may download the story or read it online, for FREE, by clicking on 'Read current Freeditorial Contest Submissions, therein. My entry number is 62, on page 7.

                            Happy reading!(The more the number of downloads, the higher the rank in the contest!)

                                            Thanks for downloading the story book and for your support!

                                                                                                       Priya