ABOUT MYSELF

MY HOME PAGE

Hey, this is my homepage, so I have to say something about myself. Sometimes it is hard to introduce yourself because you know yourself so well that you do not know where to start with. Let me give a try to see what kind of image you have about me through my self-description. I hope that my impression about myself and your impression about me are not so different. Here it goes.

I am a person who is positive about every aspect of life. There are many things I like to do, to see, and to experience. I like to read, I like to write; I like to think, I like to dream; I like to talk, I like to listen. I like to see the sunrise in the morning, I like to see the moonlight at night; I like to feel the music flowing on my face, I like to smell the wind coming from the ocean. I like to look at the clouds in the sky with a blank mind, I like to do thought experiment when I cannot sleep in the middle of the night. I like flowers in spring, rain in summer, leaves in autumn, and snow in winter. I like to sleep early, I like to get up late; I like to be alone, I like to be surrounded by people. I like country’s peace, I like metropolis’ noise; I like the beautiful west lake in Hangzhou, I like the flat cornfield in Champaign. I like delicious food and comfortable shoes; I like good books and romantic movies. I like the land and the nature, I like people. And, I like to laugh.

I always wanted to be a great writer, like Victor Hugo who wrote "Les Miserable", or like Roman Roland who wrote "John Christopher". They have influenced millions of people through their books. I also wanted to be a great psychologist, like William James or Sigmund Freud, who could read people’s mind. Of course, I am nowhere close to these people, yet. I am just someone who does some teaching, some research, and some writing. But my dream is still alive.

This is a brief introduction of myself. If you are interested in knowing more, read my Blog or take a look at my pictures do not expect too much, and keep your sense of humor.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

SWAMY VIVEKANATHA - CHICAGO SPEECH

         SWAMI VIVEKANADA CHICAGO SPEECH


Swami Vivekananda, known in his pre-monastic life as Narendra Nath Datta, was born in an affluent family in Kolkata on 12 January 1863. His father, Vishwanath Datta, was a successful attorney with interests in a wide range of subjects, and his mother, Bhuvaneshwari Devi, was endowed with deep devotion, strong character and other qualities. A precocious boy, Narendra excelled in music, gymnastics and studies. By the time he graduated from Calcutta University, he had acquired a vast knowledge of different subjects, especially Western philosophy and history. Born with a yogic temperament, he used to practise meditation even from his boyhood, and was associated with Brahmo Movement for some time.

With Sri Ramakrishna
At the threshold of youth Narendra had to pass through a period of spiritual crisis when he was assailed by doubts about the existence of God. It was at that time he first heard about Sri Ramakrishna from one of his English professors at college. One day in November 1881, Narendra went to meet Sri Ramakrishna who was staying at the Kali Temple in Dakshineshwar. He straightaway asked the Master a question which he had put to several others but had received no satisfactory answer: “Sir, have you seen God?” Without a moment’s hesitation, Sri Ramakrishna replied: “Yes, I have. I see Him as clearly as I see you, only in a much intenser sense.”

Apart from removing doubts from the mind of Narendra, Sri Ramakrishna won him over through his pure, unselfish love. Thus began a guru-disciple relationship which is quite unique in the history of spiritual masters. Narendra now became a frequent visitor to Dakshineshwar and, under the guidance of the Master, made rapid strides on the spiritual path. At Dakshineshwar, Narendra also met several young men who were devoted to Sri Ramakrishna, and they all became close friends.

Difficult Situations
After a few years two events took place which caused Narendra considerable distress. One was the sudden death of his father in 1884. This left the family penniless, and Narendra had to bear the burden of supporting his mother, brothers and sisters. The second event was the illness of Sri Ramakrishna which was diagnosed to be cancer of the throat. In September 1885 Sri Ramakrishna was moved to a house at Shyampukur, and a few months later to a rented villa at Cossipore. In these two places the young disciples nursed the Master with devoted care. In spite of poverty at home and inability to find a job for himself, Narendra joined the group as its leader.

Beginnings of a Monastic Brotherhood
Sri Ramakrishna instilled in these young men the spirit of renunciation and brotherly love for one another. One day he distributed ochre robes among them and sent them out to beg food. In this way he himself laid the foundation for a new monastic order. He gave specific instructions to Narendra about the formation of the new monastic Order. In the small hours of 16 August 1886 Sri Ramakrishna gave up his mortal body.

After the Master’s passing, fifteen of his young disciples (one more joined them later) began to live together in a dilapidated building at Baranagar in North Kolkata. Under the leadership of Narendra, they formed a new monastic brotherhood, and in 1887 they took the formal vows of sannyasa, thereby assuming new names. Narendra now became Swami Vivekananda (although this name was actually assumed much later.)

Awareness of Life’s Mission
After establishing the new monastic order, Vivekananda heard the inner call for a greater mission in his life. While most of the followers of Sri Ramakrishna thought of him in relation to their own personal lives, Vivekananda thought of the Master in relation to India and the rest of the world. As the prophet of the present age, what was Sri Ramakrishna’s message to the modern world and to India in particular? This question and the awareness of his own inherent powers urged Swamiji to go out alone into the wide world. So in the middle of 1890, after receiving the blessings of Sri Sarada Devi, the divine consort of Sri Ramakrishna, known to the world as Holy Mother, who was then staying in Kolkata, Swamiji left Baranagar Math and embarked on a long journey of exploration and discovery of India.

Discovery of Real India
During his travels all over India, Swami Vivekananda was deeply moved to see the appalling poverty and backwardness of the masses. He was the first religious leader in India to understand and openly declare that the real cause of India’s downfall was the neglect of the masses. The immediate need was to provide food and other bare necessities of life to the hungry millions. For this they should be taught improved methods of agriculture, village industries, etc. It was in this context that Vivekananda grasped the crux of the problem of poverty in India (which had escaped the attention of social reformers of his days): owing to centuries of oppression, the downtrodden masses had lost faith in their capacity to improve their lot. It was first of all necessary to infuse into their minds faith in themselves. For this they needed a life-giving, inspiring message. Swamiji found this message in the principle of the Atman, the doctrine of the potential divinity of the soul, taught in Vedanta, the ancient system of religious philosophy of India. He saw that, in spite of poverty, the masses clung to religion, but they had never been taught the life-giving, ennobling principles of Vedanta and how to apply them in practical life.
Thus the masses needed two kinds of knowledge: secular knowledge to improve their economic condition, and spiritual knowledge to infuse in them faith in themselves and strengthen their moral sense. The next question was, how to spread these two kinds of knowledge among the masses? Through education – this was the answer that Swamiji found.

Need for an Organization
One thing became clear to Swamiji: to carry out his plans for the spread of education and for the uplift of the poor masses, and also of women, an efficient organization of dedicated people was needed. As he said later on, he wanted “to set in motion a machinery which will bring noblest ideas to the doorstep of even the poorest and the meanest.” It was to serve as this ‘machinery’ that Swamiji founded the Ramakrishna Mission a few years later.

Decision to attend the Parliament of Religions
It was when these ideas were taking shape in his mind in the course of his wanderings that Swami Vivekananda heard about the World’s Parliament of Religions to be held in Chicago in 1893. His friends and admirers in India wanted him to attend the Parliament. He too felt that the Parliament would provide the right forum to present his Master’s message to the world, and so he decided to go to America. Another reason which prompted Swamiji to go to America was to seek financial help for his project of uplifting the masses.

Swamiji, however, wanted to have an inner certitude and divine call regarding his mission. Both of these he got while he sat in deep meditation on the rock-island at Kanyakumari. With the funds partly collected by his Chennai disciples and partly provided by the Raja of Khetri, Swami Vivekananda left for America from Mumbai on 31 May 1893.


The Parliament of Religions and After
His speeches at the World’s Parliament of Religions held in September 1893 made him famous as an ‘orator by divine right’ and as a ‘Messenger of Indian wisdom to the Western world’. After the Parliament, Swamiji spent nearly three and a half years spreading Vedanta as lived and taught by Sri Ramakrishna, mostly in the eastern parts of USA and also in London.

Awakening His Countrymen
He returned to India in January 1897. In response to the enthusiastic welcome that he received everywhere, he delivered a series of lectures in different parts of India, which created a great stir all over the country. Through these inspiring and profoundly significant lectures Swamiji attempted to do the following:

http://www.belurmath.org/style_script/site_images/star.gifto rouse the religious consciousness of the people and create in them pride in their cultural heritage;
http://www.belurmath.org/style_script/site_images/star.gifto bring about unification of Hinduism by pointing out the common bases of its sects;
http://www.belurmath.org/style_script/site_images/star.gifto focus the attention of educated people on the plight of the downtrodden masses, and to expound his plan for their uplift by the application of the principles of Practical Vedanta.

Founding of Ramakrishna Mission
Soon after his return to Kolkata, Swami Vivekananda accomplished another important task of his mission on earth. He founded on 1 May 1897 a unique type of organization known as Ramakrishna Mission, in which monks and lay people would jointly undertake propagation of Practical Vedanta, and various forms of social service, such as running hospitals, schools, colleges, hostels, rural development centres etc, and conducting massive relief and rehabilitation work for victims of earthquakes, cyclones and other calamities, in different parts of India and other countries.

Belur Math
In early 1898 Swami Vivekananda acquired a big plot of land on the western bank of the Ganga at a place called Belur to have a permanent abode for the monastery and monastic Order originally started at Baranagar, and got it registered as Ramakrishna Math after a couple of years. Here Swamiji established a new, universal pattern of monastic life which adapts ancient monastic ideals to the conditions of modern life, which gives equal importance to personal illumination and social service, and which is open to all men without any distinction of religion, race or caste.

Disciples
It may be mentioned here that in the West many people were influenced by Swami Vivekananda’s life and message. Some of them became his disciples or devoted friends. Among them the names of Margaret Noble (later known as Sister Nivedita), Captain and Mrs Sevier, Josephine McLeod and Sara Ole Bull, deserve special mention. Nivedita dedicated her life to educating girls in Kolkata. Swamiji had many Indian disciples also, some of whom joined Ramakrishna Math and became sannyasins.

Last Days
In June 1899 he went to the West on a second visit. This time he spent most of his time in the West coast of USA. After delivering many lectures there, he returned to Belur Math in December 1900. The rest of his life was spent in India, inspiring and guiding people, both monastic and lay. Incessant work, especially giving lectures and inspiring people, told upon Swamiji’s health. His health deteriorated and the end came quietly on the night of 4 July 1902. Before his Mahasamadhi he had written to a Western follower: “It may be that I shall find it good to get outside my body, to cast it off like a worn out garment. But I shall not cease to work. I shall inspire men everywhere until the whole world shall know that it is one with God.”
Chronology of Main Events related to Swami Vivekananda
1863
January 12
Birth in Kolkata
1879
Enters Presidency College
1880
Transfers to General Assembly Institution
1881
November
First meeting with Sri Ramakrishna
1882-1886
Association with Sri Ramakrishna
1884
Passes B. A. Examination
Father passes away
1885
Sri Ramakrishna’s last illness
1886
August 16
Sri Ramakrishna passes away
Fall
Establishes Baranagar Math
December 24
Informal vow of sannyasa at Antpur
1887
January
Formal vows of sannyasa at Baranagar Monastery
1890-1893
Travels all over India as itinerant monk
1892
December 24
At Kanyakumari, South India
1893
February 13
First public lecture, Secunderabad, South India
May 31
Sails for America from Mumbai
July 25
Lands at Vancouver, Canada
July 30
Arrives in Chicago
August
Meets Professor John Ft. Wright of Harvard University
September 11
First address at Parliament of Religions, Chicago
September 27
Final address at Parliament of Religions
November 20
Begins mid-western lecture tour
1894
April 14
Begins lectures and classes on East Coast
May 16
Speaks at Harvard University
July-August
At Green Acre Religious Conference
November
Founds Vedanta Society of New York
1895
January
Begins classes in New York
June 4-18
At Camp Percy, New Hampshire
June-August
At Thousand Island Park on St. Lawrence river, N.Y.
August-September
In Paris
October-November
Lectures in London
December 6
Sails for New York
1896
March 22-25
Speaks at Harvard University, offered Eastern Philosophy chair
April 15
Returns to London
May-July
Gives classes in London
May 28
Meets Max Muller in Oxford
August-September
In the Europe for six weeks
October-November
Gives classes in London
December 30
Leaves Naples for India
1897
January 15
Arrives in Colombo, Sri Lanka
February 6-15
In Chennai
February 19
Arrives in Kolkata
May 1
Establishes Ramakrishna Mission Association, Kolkata
May-December
Tours northwest India
1898
January
Returns to Kolkata
May
Begins North India pilgrimage with Western devotees
August 2
At Amarnath, Kashmir
December 9
Consecrates Belur Math
1899
March 19
Establishes Advaita Ashrama at Mayavati
June 20
Leaves India for second visit to the West
July 31
Arrives in London
August 28
Arrives in New York City
August-November
At Ridgely Manor, New York
December 3
Arrives in Los Angeles
1900
February 22
Arrives in San Francisco
April 14
Founds Vedanta Society in San Francisco
June
Final classes in New York City
July 26
Leaves for Europe
August 3
Arrives in Paris for International Exposition
September 7
Speaks at Congress of History of Religions at Exposition
October 24
Begins tour of Vienna, Constantinople, Greece and Cairo
November 26
Leaves for India
December 9
Arrives at Belur Math
1901
January
Visits Mayavati
March-May
Pilgrimage in East Bengal and Assam
1902
January-February
Visits Bodh Gaya and Varanasi
March
Returns to Belur Math
July 4
Mahasamadhi
Vivekananda’s contributions to World Culture
Making an objective assessment of Swami Vivekananda’s contributions to world culture, the eminent British historian A L Basham stated that “in centuries to come, he will be remembered as one of the main moulders of the modern world…” Some of the main contributions that Swamiji made to the modern world are mentioned below:

1. New Understanding of Religion: One of the most significant contributions of Swami Vivekananda to the modern world is his interpretation of religion as a universal experience of transcendent Reality, common to all humanity. Swamiji met the challenge of modern science by showing that religion is as scientific as science itself; religion is the ‘science of consciousness’. As such, religion and science are not contradictory to each other but are complementary.
This universal conception frees religion from the hold of superstitions, dogmatism, priestcraft and intolerance, and makes religion the highest and noblest pursuit – the pursuit of supreme Freedom, supreme Knowledge, supreme Happiness.

2. New View of Man: Vivekananda’s concept of ‘potential divinity of the soul’ gives a new, ennobling concept of man. The present age is the age of humanism which holds that man should be the chief concern and centre of all activities and thinking. Through science and technology man has attained great prosperity and power, and modern methods of communication and travel have converted human society into a ‘global village’. But the degradation of man has also been going on apace, as witnessed by the enormous increase in broken homes, immorality, violence, crime, etc. in modern society. Vivekananda’s concept of potential divinity of the soul prevents this degradation, divinizes human relationships, and makes life meaningful and worth living. Swamiji has laid the foundation for ‘spiritual humanism’, which is manifesting itself through several neo-humanistic movements and the current interest in meditation, Zen etc all over the world.

3. New Principle of Morality and Ethics: The prevalent morality, in both individual life and social life, is mostly based on fear – fear of the police, fear of public ridicule, fear of God’s punishment, fear of Karma, and so on. The current theories of ethics also do not explain why a person should be moral and be good to others. Vivekananda has given a new theory of ethics and new principle of morality based on the intrinsic purity and oneness of the Atman. We should be pure because purity is our real nature, our true divine Self or Atman. Similarly, we should love and serve our neighbours because we are all one in the Supreme Spirit known as Paramatman or Brahman.

4. Bridge between the East and the West: Another great contribution of Swami Vivekananda was to build a bridge between Indian culture and Western culture. He did it by interpreting Hindu scriptures and philosophy and the Hindu way of life and institutions to the Western people in an idiom which they could understand. He made the Western people realize that they had to learn much from Indian spirituality for their own well-being. He showed that, in spite of her poverty and backwardness, India had a great contribution to make to world culture. In this way he was instrumental in ending India’s cultural isolation from the rest of the world. He was India’s first great cultural ambassador to the West.
On the other hand, Swamiji’s interpretation of ancient Hindu scriptures, philosophy, institutions, etc prepared the mind of Indians to accept and apply in practical life two best elements of Western culture, namely science and technology and humanism. Swamiji has taught Indians how to master Western science and technology and at the same time develop spiritually. Swamiji has also taught Indians how to adapt Western humanism (especially the ideas of individual freedom, social equality and justice and respect for women) to Indian ethos.
Swamiji’s Contributions to India
In spite of her innumerable linguistic, ethnic, historical and regional diversities, India has had from time immemorial a strong sense of cultural unity. It was, however, Swami Vivekananda who revealed the true foundations of this culture and thus clearly defined and strengthened the sense of unity as a nation.
Swamiji gave Indians proper understanding of their country’s great spiritual heritage and thus gave them pride in their past. Furthermore, he pointed out to Indians the drawbacks of Western culture and the need for India’s contribution to overcome these drawbacks. In this way Swamiji made India a nation with a global mission.
Sense of unity, pride in the past, sense of mission – these were the factors which gave real strength and purpose to India’s nationalist movement. Several eminent leaders of India’s freedom movement have acknowledged their indebtedness to Swamiji. Free India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru wrote: “Rooted in the past, full of pride in India’s prestige, Vivekananda was yet modern in his approach to life’s problems, and was a kind of bridge between the past of India and her present … he came as a tonic to the depressed and demoralized Hindu mind and gave it self-reliance and some roots in the past.” Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose wrote: “Swamiji harmonized the East and the West, religion and science, past and present. And that is why he is great. Our countrymen have gained unprecedented self-respect, self-reliance and self-assertion from his teachings.”
Swamiji’s most unique contribution to the creation of new India was to open the minds of Indians to their duty to the downtrodden masses. Long before the ideas of Karl Marx were known in India, Swamiji spoke about the role of the labouring classes in the production of the country’s wealth. Swamiji was the first religious leader in India to speak for the masses, formulate a definite philosophy of service, and organize large-scale social service.
Swamiji’s Contributions to Hinduism
1. Identity: It was Swami Vivekananda who gave to Hinduism as a whole a clear-cut identity, a distinct profile. Before Swamiji came Hinduism was a loose confederation of many different sects. Swamiji was the first religious leader to speak about the common bases of Hinduism and the common ground of all sects. He was the first person, as guided by his Master Sri Ramakrishna, to accept all Hindu doctrines and the views of all Hindu philosophers and sects as different aspects of one total view of Reality and way of life known as Hinduism. Speaking about Swamiji’s role in giving Hinduism its distinct identity, Sister Nivedita wrote: “… it may be said that when he began to speak it was of ‘the religious ideas of the Hindus’, but when he ended, Hinduism had been created.”

2.Unification: Before Swamiji came, there was a lot of quarrel and competition among the various sects of Hinduism. Similarly, the protagonists of different systems and schools of philosophy were claiming their views to be the only true and valid ones. By applying Sri Ramakrishna’s doctrine of Harmony (Samanvaya) Swamiji brought about an overall unification of Hinduism on the basis of the principle of unity in diversity. Speaking about Swamiji’s role in this field K M Pannikar, the eminent historian and diplomat, wrote: “This new Shankaracharya may well be claimed to be a unifier of Hindu ideology.”

3. Defence: Another important service rendered by Swamiji was to raise his voice in defence of Hinduism. In fact, this was one of the main types of work he did in the West. Christian missionary propaganda had given a wrong understanding of Hinduism and India in Western minds. Swamiji had to face a lot of opposition in his attempts to defend Hinduism.

4. Meeting the Challenges: At the end of the 19th century, India in general, and Hinduism in particular, faced grave challenges from Western materialistic life, the ideas of Western free society, and the proselytizing activities of Christians. Vivekananda met these challenges by integrating the best elements of Western culture in Hindu culture.

5. New Ideal of Monasticism: A major contribution of Vivekananda to Hinduism is the rejuvenation and modernization of monasticism. In this new monastic ideal, followed in the Ramakrishna Order, the ancient principles of renunciation and God realization are combined with service to God in man (Shiva jnane jiva seva). Vivekananda elevated social service to the status of divine service.

6. Refurbishing of Hindu Philosophy and Religious Doctrines: Vivekananda did not merely interpret ancient Hindu scriptures and philosophical ideas in terms of modern thought. He also added several illuminating original concepts based on his own transcendental experiences and vision of the future. This, however, needs a detailed study of Hindu philosophy which cannot be attempted here.
Selected Teachings of Swami Vivekananda:
http://www.belurmath.org/style_script/site_images/check_mark.gifMy ideal, indeed, can be put into a few words, and that is: to preach unto mankind their divinity, and how to make it manifest in every movement of life.

http://www.belurmath.org/style_script/site_images/check_mark.gifEducation is the manifestation of the perfection already in man.

http://www.belurmath.org/style_script/site_images/check_mark.gifWe want that education by which character is formed, strength of mind is increased, the intellect is expanded, and by which one can stand on one's own feet.

http://www.belurmath.org/style_script/site_images/check_mark.gifSo long as the millions live in hunger and ignorance, I hold every man a traitor who, having been educated at their expense, pays not the least heed to them.

http://www.belurmath.org/style_script/site_images/check_mark.gifWhatever you think, that you will be. If you think yourselves weak, weak you will be; if you think yourselves strong, strong you will be.

http://www.belurmath.org/style_script/site_images/check_mark.gifIf you have faith in all the three hundred and thirty millions of your mythological gods, … and still have no faith in yourselves, there is no salvation for you. Have faith in yourselves, and stand up on that faith and be strong; that is what we need.

http://www.belurmath.org/style_script/site_images/check_mark.gifStrength, strength it is that we want so much in this life, for what we call sin and sorrow have all one cause, and that is our weakness. With weakness comes ignorance, and with ignorance comes misery.

http://www.belurmath.org/style_script/site_images/check_mark.gifThe older I grow, the more everything seems to me to lie in manliness. This is my new Gospel.

http://www.belurmath.org/style_script/site_images/check_mark.gifPurity, patience, and perseverance are the three essentials to success, and above all, love.

http://www.belurmath.org/style_script/site_images/check_mark.gifReligion is realization; not talk, not doctrine, nor theories, however beautiful they may be. It is being and becoming, not hearing or acknowledging; it is the whole soul becoming changed into what it believes.

http://www.belurmath.org/style_script/site_images/check_mark.gifReligion is the manifestation of the Divinity already in man.

http://www.belurmath.org/style_script/site_images/check_mark.gifTeach yourselves, teach everyone his real nature, call uon the sleeping soul and see how it awakes. Power will come, glory will come, goodness will come, purity will come, and everything that is excellent will come when this sleeping soul is roused to self-conscious activity.

http://www.belurmath.org/style_script/site_images/check_mark.gifThey alone live who live for others, the rest are more dead than alive.

http://www.belurmath.org/style_script/site_images/check_mark.gifThis is the gist of all worship – to be pure and to do good to others.

http://www.belurmath.org/style_script/site_images/check_mark.gifIt is love and love alone that I preach, and I base my teaching on the great Vedantic truth of the sameness and omnipresence of the Soul of the Universe.

NARRATION MY HOME LAND


I am glad to introduce my Home Land MyKerala, blessed with some of the most ideal landforms like backwaters, 900 km long coastline on the west and almost equally long hills called Western Ghats with only three passes to connect with neighboring states Tamil Nadu and Karnataka in the east. Kerala houseboat journey through Kerala backwaters from southern Kollam district through Venice of the East, Alappuzha to commercial capital Ernakulam is the most tranquilizing experience for any Kerala traveler. In that journey one can enjoy the soothing effect of nature.

My Kerala is also home to three National Parks, among them Eravikulam National Park, located in Anamudi, the tallest mountain in India after the Himalayas, where the rare Nilgiri Tahr is protected is the most special treat for travelers. Other National Parks are Thekkady and Silent Valley.
No other place in the world exhibits as much diversity as My-Kerala. Food, costumes, festivals, and even language are different at two places separated by just 30 kms. Although Malayalam is the language of Kerala, there are more than a handful of dialects in the 600 km stretch.

Colorful Kathakali a dance form of Kerala and Kalari Payattu, the martial art form of Kerala boast world acclaim. Another ritual dance form, Koodiyattam is recognized as Human Heritage Art. There are also various dance forms yet to be recognized- Arjuna dance, Nangyar Koothu are two among them.

Kerala Temple festivals and rituals are also much diverse- from the biggest gathering of women at Attukal for Pongala, Garudan Thookkam, a special ritual in which little children are taken around the temples on a vehicle called 'Villu', Nareepooja means worshiping women on a special occasion and much more special rituals are worth the seeing. Thrissur Pooram is one occasion where you can see 100 elephants in two rows with an ocean of people between the two rows, with colourful umbrella transit, thousands of percussionists performing the same tune and full-night display of fireworks.

Apart from the various seafood delicacies, the daily food items like Poottu, Appam, Dosa, Vada, Pathiri, Upmav and side dishes like sambar are also diverse in various parts of my Kerala.

Among this endless diversity there is something common also. They include the lush greenery, and coconut palms shadowing almost the whole land of Kerala and the pleasant faces and the most literate people of India.

GLOBAL WARMING THREAT TO HUMAN

The world is currently witnessing an ecological threat called global warming. It is mainly caused due to the overall imbalance in nature. Global warming is most commonly referred to as the rise in temperature that is occurring everywhere around us and it is drastically causing changes in the climatic conditions. Almost every organism on the earth will be affected by the abnormal weather conditions.

Human beings conduct many activities that release gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, nitrous oxide etc in excessive quantities. These gases, which are present in the atmosphere, absorb the sun's heat and radiate the same thus keeping the atmosphere warm. There are innumerable sources that contribute to this problem. Chlorofluorocarbons are extremely harmful to the ozone layer and it mainly results due to the refrigeration and air conditioning that we use in our homes. The ozone layer encompasses the earth and it regulates the atmospheric temperature by entrapping the harmful ultraviolet rays.

One of the comprehensive effects of global warming is the quickening of the hydrogen cycle. It gives rise to many natural calamities such as droughts, floods or hurricanes. When the climatic condition turns intense, the microorganisms, insects or other harmful molds gradually multiply and therefore spread various diseases all over the landmasses. The crops wither out in the early stages due to the absence of essential minerals. Most of the living creatures will sooner or later be extinct if the hydrogen cycle continues to accelerate. Due to the acceleration, the marine life is deeply affected and the fishing industries may undergo crisis in the coming future.

Global warming is undoubtedly a hazard for mankind if not curbed within a reasonable period. Everybody should sincerely admit that he/she is accountable for the increased pollution in the atmosphere and reduce the usage of unnecessary gadgets that cause these significant changes. Even the scientists should actively take a step and invent more substitutes. Let our earth always remain the best place to live in.




INNOCENT BLOOD SPILLED IN SYRIYA SOCIAL REFORMATION

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NNOCENT BLOOD SPILLED IN SYRIYA

SOCIAL REFORMATION

Again news hits top of the Media the unrest in Syria. Tanks roll over the Ten thousand marchers march across the country, protesters many of them were brutally murdered by shooting, the news came out from Syria on April 22, 2011 give the clear inexcusable and inhuman activities happening widely, and the casualties are mounting across the hospitals.

An incomplete democratic government leads Syria into the level of third world country president Mr. Bashar al-Assad lifted the decades-old emergency rule, reveals now the country is isolated with economic crisis, poverty, unemployment, increase in barbarian activities more over government is a total devastate for the social secures and human rights.

The frustrated Syrian people marches road dialogues the abolition of Baath Party’s monopoly on power and the establishment of a democratic political system in the country. At least 1000s of people were reportedly killed by government security forces in what appears to be the bloodiest day in the on-going anti-government protest in Syria. The most tragic day was this happened a two year old boy was shot dead by the government force. Reporters reporting enough blood spilled around in Syria of innocent people those fighting for democracy. The unintelligible activities by this government invites lot of disputes from worldwide, NATO force warned to halt this Barbarian activities otherwise get ready for an another confrontation as same happened in Libya against President Gaddafi. Meanwhile united state secretary Hilary Clinton declared an open war with Bashar al-Assad until flee his tyranny from Syrian Democracy.

The news reporting from Syria is life under thread of trespass orders of President peeking fire against Protesters. In no manner Syrian protesters took over the street again, highlighted their opposition to the government. Security forces used tear gas and fired in the air to disperse protesters. The government has placed severe restrictions on news coverage and many journalists have been ordered to leave the country. Protests erupted in Syria weeks ago and have been growing steadily every day, with ten thousands of people calling for sweeping reforms in President Bashar Assad's authoritarian regime.If the condition is heading President Bashar al- Assad have to take chance against NATO.

Sunil Abdul Latheef

ARTICLE ABOUT KERALA TOURISM

NEWS

Kerala tourism explores Scandinavian markets

November 9, 2009 | Joe A Scaria , ET Bureau

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Taking a cue from the increased arrivals of tourists from Scandinavian countries to the state, Kerala tourism has ventured to tap the tourism markets in those countries. A team from the state held road shows at Oslo, Copenhagen, Helsinki and Stockholm last week to tap the markets of Norway, Denmark, Finland and Sweden. Tourism department officials said tourists to Kerala from Sweden and Denmark had shown a 103% and 46% growth respectively in 2008, and that...