Volume 25 Pages 12

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1 Volume 25 Pages 12 - Vaastu Turnaround Mr. Madhusudan Sonthalia 1 Welcome to the September 2010 issue of Vaastuyogam. This month we speak to the Sunder group a leading industrial house of Hyderabad. The Sunder group has interests in steel, decorative laminates and are venturing into the infrastructure business by coming up with a five star hotel in IT-SEZ. We met Mr. Madhusudan Sonthalia chairman of the Sunder group and his two sons Mr. Dheeraj Sonthalia and Mr. Parag Sonthalia in their corporate headquarters at Hyderabad. Excerpts from the interview:- - Architect s Voice Galaxy Group 4 - Vaastu Alerts Doors and Windows - Vedic India Lord Shree Ganesha 7 10 Vaastuyogam aims to bring to its readers the fundamental principles of Vaastu and reveal it, not as fragmentary pieces of knowledge but as a coherent and complete program for architectural design and as a corpus of knowledge that forms a blueprint which has been adapting itself to the regional and social variations it has encountered and which is the very b a s i s o f i t s continuation and contemporary use. Vaastuyogam has taken up debate with a r c h i t e c t s a n d engineers. Interviews w i t h t h e m a r e published regularly in each issue. We now shift the theatre of enquiry to the builders community. September is the month of Ganesh Chaturthi-the famous a n d b e s t l o v e d festival of Maharashtra and on a lesser scale of the states of Gujarat, Orissa, Andhra, Tamil Nadu and also Nepal and Sri Lanka. In the south Lord Ganesha s younger brother Kartikeya is worshiped extensively as Lord Murugan. In an upcoming issue of Vaastuyogam, we shall discuss the various temples dedicated to these two sons of Shiva. Meanwhile, we join the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations with an essay on Lord Ganesh in our Vedic India series. Mr. Madhusudan Sonthalia Mr. Parag Sonthalia: We are into the business of manufacturing steel and decorative laminates. We started our sponge iron unit Sunder Steels Limited in1996. It was the first of its kind, mini-sponge iron unit in India. Now, of course, there are over 400 such plants all over India. Setting up that unit was a miracle of design and costing. Against the generally estimated cost of about Rs.100 crore for a 100 tonne plant, we were able to build our 50 tonne unit at a cost of only Rs. 5 crore. The whole project was the handiwork of my father and his handpicked team. SMS Steels Pvt. Ltd., our pig iron unit has been commissioned this year. Its blast furnace technology is currently the only one in South India of similar capacity. Dr Ravi Rao We were introduced to Dr. Rao around the year 2000 by Shri Ramakantji from Ahmedabad. At that time, our joint family had parted ways and we were staying temporarily in a rented house. When Ramakantji visited our house, he was appalled by the extent of its Vaastu faults. He advised that we

2 Vaastu works only if you implement it... I speak from experience September Mr. Madhusudan Sonthalia, Chairman-Sunder group meet one amazing Vaastu consultant who was actually from Andhra itself but had settled in Ahmedabad and had a sucessfull Vaastu practice. He also warned that we should make the Vaastu changes quickly or we might land ourselves in a spot. However, the main issue here was that we were total non-believers in Vaastu. We had not heard from any Vaastu consultant nor did we want to. Though it was true that our business and finances were passing through troubled times, it did not occur to us that we should attempt Vaastu intervention to improve our I would advise that people should not have fantasies that by reading a couple of books they will master Vaastu. Vaastu is a science and to grasp it is a long journey. They will be better served by putting faith in a consultant of stature like Dr. Rao. They should listen to him and implement the changes as advised. - Mr. Parag Sonthalia Sunder Group, Director Mr. Parag Sonthalia (Left) and Mr.Dheeraj Sonthalia (Right) with Dr. Ravi Rao fortunes. We respected Ramakantji s judgment and in deference to his suggestion we had Dr. Rao visit our works and advise us regarding the course of action. Even as we were calling him over, our fears started rising. Andhra is the home of Vaastu and Vaastu consultants are to be met in every nook and cranny. Most of the Vaastu consultants had earned a bad reputation for themselves by doing an over kill of breaking existing structures and putting the householder or factory owner to excessive expenditure and also by stoking fears of unresolved Vaastu doshas. As our joint family had just parted ways our morale had eroded. We were in no frame of mind to make costly alterations. Dr. Rao proved to be a total departure from the stereotypical Vaastu consultant. When he visited our plant, he said that we would take a step by step approach. We began with small but startlingly potent changes that did not involve any demolition. Even as the changes were being made, we started experiencing improvement in our business. In the beginning, some of the improvements came as a total surprise to us. We tried to link this happy change of fortunes to some strategy or actions of ours but then it occurred to us that we were refusing to acknowledge that a powerful ally had joined us and was re-engineering circumstances in our favor. That was when we became true Vaastu followers. Once, our resistance to Vaastu was dismantled, we went all out and sought-out the changes that needed to be done. Dr.Rao was always there matching our pace and enthusiasm. We undertook the more serious

3 changes involving relocation of walls etc., until we finally reached a near Vaastu perfect situation. Whenever we experienced reversals of some kind, we fell into the routine of checking out if some unknown Vaastu transgression from our side was behind it. We would call up Dr.Rao and tell him what was happening. It could be a problem with quality control, or a nagging labor issue refusing resolution or even a Whenever we experienced reversals of some kind or the other we fell into the routine of checking out if some unknown Vaastu transgression from our side was behind it. - Mr. Parag Sonthalia - Director roadblock to our cash flow. Dr Rao would ask about the role of events and then give us the specific solution to the problem. There were no generalities involved; no recourse to deflecting the blame. We would get from him a direct and straight forward instruction to do certain things and then wait for say 7 or 12 or x number of days for the solution to show results. On the dot, we would see our problem resolved. So, that is his style that has endeared him to us. State the problem specifically and get the specific solution. Efficiency of the solution would be related to the extent of implementation of Dr Rao s recommendations. Very often he admonishes us, I had mentioned that you were to shift this wall from here. You have still not done it. Then how can you expect results?. This brings us to a very crucial issue. Vaastu works only if you implement it. People spend too much time in discussion and doubt rather then get going with the implementation. Dheeraj Sonthalia: I remember one instance very clearly. In Sunder Steels, our sponge iron unit the raw material problems were crippling us. Even after making advance payments down the line to Singareni Collieries we never saw the coal reach us in time. Everybody, it seems, was teaming against us. Sometimes there would be a lorry strike, sometimes an unexpected accident on the road that blocked traffic for days, sometimes a heavy downpour that disrupted production in the mines. When I explained this to Dr Rao, he asked us to build a wall of specific length and height at a point on the plant. I wondered what a wall had to do with all these incidents which were, seemingly out of anyone s control. However, it came as a pleasant but unbelievable shock to me that once we constructed the wall as per Dr Rao s Mr. Sundermalji, founder of the Sunder Group instructions our Singareni Collieries related raw material problem all but evaporated once and for all. Mr. Madhusudan Sonthalia: When we made plans to build a new house, we did everything as per Vaastu because by then our faith in Vaastu was total. I can say that every nut and bolt in the house was used after Dr Rao s approval. When we set up our blast furnace recently, the whole of it was in accordance to Vaastu. Dr Rao approved the plot and plant design and involved himself with the supervision of the construction from time to time. Dr.Rao suggested that we should have a separate group logo which we could then use for all the companies. We went ahead because we had full faith in his judgement. We carried full confidence and trust in him and we knew that he would not put us to needless expense just for the heck of it. 6

4 6 Vaastuyogam September 2010 continued from page 3 Bringing coals to Newcastle: It may seem strange that being in Andhra, the citadel of Vaastu which has a Vaastu consultant at every street corner, our Vaastu consultant coms from Ahmedabad. As Parag told you earlier, we were no big fans of Vaastu. It was Dr Rao who introduced us to the subject and brought all the Vaastu benefits to our business. He is a great person with vast knowledge and experience. Also, he is from Andhra and has learnt the subject from the true gurus of this place; why should we then hunt for local alternatives? In fact, I know of many entrepreneurs in Hyderabad who have got stuck due to bad Vaastu advice and who would surely benefit from Dr Rao s Vaastu expertise. The trouble with Vaastu consultants is that they have only superficial knowledge and have become consultants to cash in on the Vaastu craze. They may make their money but the price is paid by the unfortunate people who put faith in them. Vaastu Today: Though I have full faith in Vaastu, I have never read any books on the subject because I never felt the need. In fact I would advise people not to carry the fantasy of mastering Vaastu by reading a couple of books on the subject. Vaastu is a science and grasping it is a long journey. They will be better served by putting faith in a consultant of stature like Dr Rao. They should listen to him and implement the changes as advised. I speak from experience. Sunder Group Logo The logo of the Sunder group was designed by an Ahmedabad based design group under Dr. Rao's direct supervision. It was designed keeping in mind the growth potential of the group and the fact that it was a multi product enterprise. After two months of intense experimentation and two switch overs of design agencies the logo finalized was modeled on an abstraction of the the mighty Amazon River as it meanders across the South American continent. Just as the Amazon river starts off as a tiny stream but is joined by tributaries on the way till it swells to a mighty river and progresses The Meandering Amazon river confidently onto its goal of meeting the Atlantic Ocean, so too the Sunder Group, though beginning modestly would gather strength from its various group companies and move ahead confidently to achieving it s goals. In its final form the river became the never ending road on which the ambitious group would travel, just as the traveler of Robert Frost's famous poem who refuses to be satisfied with the present status and is determined to move ahead.. The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep.

5 4 Vaastuyogam September 2010 The debate about Vaastu is unnecessary as it has now become a customer requirement which architects and builders must respect. ARCHITECT S VOICE emotional thing and a result of the vision of several personalities. It emerges from multiple but concurrent factors and is a creative way out of a whole bundle of constraints. But, we always strive to create Elegance and Simplicity. We have now taken up the design and execution of vast townships. To help us enhance our offerings we have entered into several tie-ups with leading entities in their fields. Two of such tie-ups are Mr. Luvkumar Khachar and the international design group Enmarcon. Design is a matter of constant up gradation and continuous dialogue with the customer. That s what we do day in and day out. Hailing from the Eastern part of Ahmedabad city, the Galaxy group has made a religion out of up-scaling the Naroda landscape, bringing to it a range of housing options, from basic low-cost housing to ultra-modern, sprawling townships comprising swank bungalows and posh flats. Along the way, they have added commercial complexes and now a high rise Galaxy Group Chairman, Mr. Uday Bhatt complex in eastern Ahmedabad s. The Galaxy Group is one of the rare builders with presence in all the verticals in the realty sphere, be it premium bungalows, high-rise apartments, row houses and 2 and 3 BHK flats or even small economy houses. They are present in the multiplex vertical too and are coming up with a swank top of the line mall. Praful Joshi on Design: After reaching a certain level, it is your grip on human engineering that matters. You need to know and understand human beings as much as you need to understand architecture. Design becomes part of the overall acumen of the builder. Praful Joshi on Vaastu: The customer is central to any business and meeting his/her The fact is that Vaastu compliant flats have a ready market as opposed to those that are anti-vaastu. In the case of flats, I have noticed that customers are willing to make small compromises but in bungalows the case is different. Vaastuyogam met Mr. Uday Bhatt, Chairman of Galaxy group and Mr.Praful Joshi, CEO of the group a t t h e i r N a r o d a o ff i c e i n Ahmedabad. Excerpts from the interview:- Uday Bhatt on Design: We are constantly working towards Galaxy Group CEO, Mr. Praful Joshi creating products that enhance consumer delight. It takes all kinds requirements is the first and the last step. to make the world. Different classes of people Today, when buying a house many a have differing requirements but we have customer wants it to conform to Vaastu basics. realized that the common thread of What the builder or architect believes is satisfaction is good and efficient design of irrelevant; the customer is king and it is he who buildings. That, and reasonable pricing with must be satisfied. The negative trend that I punctual delivery. For us, design is a very continued on page 5

6 Vaastuyogam 5 continued from page 4 ARCHITECT S VOICE NandanBaug Bilasiya see in Vaastu is the fear psychosis that some Vaastu consultants pump into the minds of the general public. These consultants are exploiting the blind faith people put in them. The public should be wary of this exploitation and combat it by broadening their understanding of Vaastu. As always, ignorance is the biggest enemy. Many books are available on the subject. Reading them won t make you an expert, but will surely help you be on your guard. The fact is that Vaastu compliant flats have a ready market as opposed to those that are anti-vaastu. In case of flats, I have noticed that customers are willing to make small compromises but in bungalows the case is different. Making houses as per Vaastu is a win win situation for both the builder and the buyer. By taking extra care at the design level, one can meet many of the Vaastu requirements without incurring serious additional expenditure. The fact that the house is not 100% as per Vaastu should not burden the builder with guilt. Making a house 60% to 80% as per Vaastu is a job well-done because making a 100% percent Vaastu house is chasing an impossible dream but that should not prevent him from doing the best he can. Some aspects of Vaastu have impact on religious belief, especially Vaastu provisions regarding where the pooja room should be where the kitchen should be and the direction in which one should sleep. Since these beliefs are interwoven with religion the general public absolutely insists on compliance with these Vaastu provisions. This talk that architects don t know about Vaastu is a myth that has been circulated by continued on page 9 For us, design is very emotional thing and a result of the vision of several personalities. It is a result of multiple but concurrent factors and a creative way out of a whole bundle of constraints. But we always strive towards Elegance and Simplicity. Grandeur and Luxury Redefined, Galaxy Heights

7 Vaastuyogam 9 continued from page 5 ARCHITECT S VOICE architects themselves. They know sufficient Vaastu to prevent elementary blunders. Accepting Vaastu as part of the design brief involves additional efforts that architects want to avoid. They are accustomed to re-issuing (as new) their few favorite designs. It is both a cost effective and time-saving strategy for them. It allows them easy escape from doing a piece of the homework. To protect their comfort zone they convince clients that Vaastu implementation is costly and interferes with aesthetics. At Galaxy, we believe in customer satisfaction and as part of our broader brief of enhancing customer delight, we do not deliberately construct an anti Vaastu house. We are committed to quality construction and commonsense in design and because of these two factors I think we should not fare badly on the Vaastu compliance record. The debate about Vaastu is unnecessary as it has now become a customer requirement which architects and builders must respect. At a personal level, both Udaybhai and I have faith in the goodness of Vaastu and have kept Vaastu provisions in mind during the design and construction of our homes. Uday Bhat on the Future: The group, has forged ahead, retaining the Galaxy identity whilst building upon it project upon project, Govind Galaxy Township brick by brick. Growth is a way of life at Galaxy. Forging new partnerships even as it renews old ones Galaxy Group has now set its sights on Patan, Nagpur and Vadodara. As we move ahead, I see managing change as a central piece of our strategy. Change is inevitable. Change is the process by which the future invades our lives. Rather than running away from it, it makes more sense to meet it head on, manage it and benefit from it. Our model for change is non-aggressive inclusion, like concentric circles that grow by building upon the strengths of its predecessors rather than engulfing them. Most importantly, they are driven by a vision centered on customer satisfaction and professional integrity. This talk that architects don t know about Vaastu is a myth that has been circulated by architects themselves. They know sufficient Vaastu to prevent elementary blunders. Accepting Vaastu as part of the design brief involves additional efforts that architects want to avoid. They are accustomed to re-issuing (as new) their few favorite designs. It is both a cost effective and time-saving strategy for them. It allows them easy escape from doing a piece of homework. To protect their comfort zone they convince clients that Vaastu implementation is costly and interferes with aesthetics. Vatrika - Plotted development on the river Vatrak, Ahmedabad - Dehgam Road

8 Vaastuyogam 7 Vaastu Alerts: Doors & Windows VAASTU ALERTS This essay delves into the placement of doors, windows for flats. Vaastu is a science of common understanding based on experiment and experience. Both theoretical and practical knowledge are blended together with a strong personal stamp of the consultant. Rather than resorting to individual and insulated practice, in the Vaastu Alert series I work out the theory behind the practice to support design efficient systems for flats and urban housing. I do this because I see phony scientific rational wiping out the validly of our traditional ethos. On the subject of doors and windows, I am sorry to admit that there are numerous confusions. The cause of the confusions is that, just because they want to sound smart various consultants have pronounced personal viewpoints that are at loggerheads with established injunctions. So, in their personal propaganda campaign many people have got mislead. Definitions A room is a structure that has a roof and partition walls. Wherever there is a partition a door will come in the picture. Openings in the walls through which one can see but cannot Vaastu And The Five Elements + W _ Positive and Negative locations for installing the main door of a flat. N S It is emphasized in Vaastu Shatrs that the location of the main door should be where the eye (drishti) of the Vaastupurusha is oriented and the Grihapravesh should be performed from that door where the Vaastupurusha s eye is exactly in the opposite direction. walk in or walk out are windows. Windows are for allowing in light and facilitating air circulation. Where you cannot see but only light and air can pass through are called Ventilators. The ventilators are at a height to provide for the exit of hot air that rises and can exit from here. In hot, dusty and desert areas there are only ventilators and no windows because of strong and hot winds but in tropical areas there will be huge windows and less of ventilators. It is emphasized in Vaastu Shatra that the location of the main door should be where the eye (drishti) of the Vaastupurusha is oriented and the Grihapravesh should be performed from that door where the Vaastupurusha s eye is exactly in the opposite direction. There should be an even number of doors and windows in the house. In the case of bungalows, many people ask me whether this provision is applicable on floor wise basis or + Entrance Of Building + + E _ + Positive location for installing main door Negative location for installing main door Ascertaining the position of the door has a special impact as it contributes significantly towards deciding the frontage of the house. Even if the site does not facilitate a favorable direction of the house, the door location chosen for the main entrance to the house could, as it would reorient the housed. continued on page 8

9 8 Vaastuyogam September 2010 continued from page 7 Difference between single and double door. A B A A is an example of 2 doors as there are two different openings in two different partition walls. B B is an example of one door even though it has two shutters. for the whole of the house. A house is a house, the talk of floor wise count in a house is irrelevant. The Main door is ways called Simha (Lion) Dwara. This door has to be always bigger than all the other doors. This applies to all its aspects like length, breadth, thickness etc. In all of its aspects the main door should be bigger than the rest of the doors. All the doors inside the Simha dwara have to be counted irrespective of the number of floors, annexure etc. Doors should be in multiples of 2 like 2 or 4 or 6 or 8 or 10 or 12 or 14 so on and so forth. The number of doors is immaterial. The rule is that the total should be a multiple of 2 but should not end at 0. For example, 10 or 20 or 30 so on, so forth. Supposing there is a two room house and it has one main door and two doors, there being one door for each room. This house is an anti- Vaastu house because it has a total of 3 doors. To make it a correct house on this count, one more door needs to be added. Often, especially in the case of a kitchen there may not be wooden shutters but a mere opening through which one may pass. Should such an opening be counted as a door? The answer is yes; it has to be counted as a door because as mentioned in the beginning a door is defined as an opening in a partition wall through which one can pass through. In early times there were no shutters, only openings in walls and theses openings were doors. In most cases there would be a wooden frame. Irrespective of the fact that there are shutters Rather than resorting to individual and insulated practice, in the Vaastu Alert series I work out the theory behind the practice to support design efficient systems for flats and urban housing. I do this because I see phony scientific rational wiping out the validly of our traditional ethos. or frames, an opening in a partition wall through which one can walk through is a door. By way of clarification let me add that if there are two or three or four shutters within one door frame to a single opening then the whole of it shall be counted as one door. This is a very common question, especially in the case of the main door where there are two doors for a single opening. The answer here, too, is that this is a single door. The best material for making doors, as prescribed by the shastras is natural wood. The provisions for windows are the same as for the doors. The windows should be in multiples of two. Further the total of the doors and windows combined should be an even number but should not end at 0. For example, 10 or 20 or 30 so on, so forth. In conclusion, ascertaining the position of the door has a special impact as it contributes significantly towards deciding the frontage of the house. Even if the site does not facilitate a favorable direction of the house, the door location chosen for the main entrance to the house could, as it would reorient the house.

10 Shree Ganesh (Part One) This article is a researched article and borrows heavily from printed and electronic encyclopedias as well as material provided by our panel of research scholars, astrologers, academics and pundits. Lord Ganesh is one of the five prime Hindu deities (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and Durga being the other four) whose worship is g l o r i f i e d a s t h e panchayatana puja. The p r i n c i p a l s c r i p t u r e s dedicated to Ganesh are the Ganesh Purana, the Mudgala Purana, and the Ganapati Atharvashirsa. The devotees of Ganesh a r e k n o w n a s 'Ganapatyas', and the festival to celebrate and glorify him is called Ganesh Chaturthi. Ganesh is the elder son of Lord Shiva and Parvati. The family includes his brother Skanda, who is also called Karttikeya, and Murugan. Ganesh is the Lord of success and destroyer of evils and obstacles. He is also worshiped as the g o d o f e d u c a t i o n, knowledge, wisdom and wealth. He is revered as the Remover of Obstacles and more often as the Lord of Good Beginning, a patron of arts and sciences, and the deva of intellect and wisdom. He is honored at the beginning of rituals and ceremonies and invoked as the Patron of Letters during writing sessions. He is also called Vinayak (knowledgeable) or Vighneshwar (god who removes obstacles). Ganesh has four hands, an elephant's head and a big belly. His vehicle is a tiny mouse. In his hands he carries a rope (to carry devotees to the truth), an axe Lord Shree Ganesh (to cut devotees' attachments), and a sweet ladoo- (to reward devotees for spiritual activity). His fourth hand's palm is always extended to bless people. A unique combination of his elephant head and a quick moving tiny mouse vehicle represents tremendous wisdom, intelligence, and presence of mind. Ganesh, being the most popular deity in India, is worshipped by almost all castes and in all parts of the country. Devotees believe that if Ganesh is propitiated, he grants success, prosperity and protection against adversity. Ganesh is worshipped on many religious and secular occasions; especially at t h e b e g i n n i n g o f ventures such as buying a vehicle or starting a business. Dancers and musicians, particularly in southern India, begin performances of arts s u c h a s t h e Bharatnatyam with a prayer to Ganesh. The story of the birth, as depicted in the Shiva Purana, is as under: Once, goddess Parvati, while bathing, created a boy out of the dirt of her body and assigned him the task of guarding the e n t r a n c e t o h e r bathroom. When Shiva, her husband returned, he was surprised to find a stranger denying him access, and struck off the boy's head in rage. Parvati broke down in utter grief and to soothe her, Shiva sent out his squad (gana) to fetch the head of any sleeping being who was sleeping with his head position in the north. The company

11 The Eight Incarnations Of Ganesh th The Mudgala Purâna, is an eminent scripture dating to the 16 century. It tells the story of the eight incarnations of Ganesh. We describe them in brief : Vakratunda, "the Lord with the curved trunk". He is seated on a lion. He came to struggle against the devil Matsara, who is the symbol of jealousy. Ekadanta, "the Lord who has only one tusk"; exterminated Mada, the demon of drunkenness. Mahodara, "the Lord who has a big belly"; battles with Moha, the demon of illusion. Gajânana, "the Lord with an elephant face": puts Lobha, the demon of greed, to death. Lambodara, "the Lord with a protuberant belly": masters Krodha, the demon of anger. Vikata, "the misshapen":subdued Kâma, the demon of desire. Ekadanta, Mahodara, Gajânana, Lambodara mounted on a rat. The Twelve Main Names of Ganesh The Ganesha Purâna, important text of the Gânapatya, gives a list of the twelve main names of the elephant-headed-god. These names must be used before any ritual. and are represented Vighnarâja, "the Lord King of obstacles": lying on Shasha, the Snake of Eternity, Ganesh destroyed Mama, the demon of ego. The last Ganesh incarnation is Dhûmravarna, "the Lord with a tawny color"; riding a mouse, who attained victory over Ahamkâra, the demon of self-infatuation. These mythic forms demonstrate that Ganesh has the capacity to reduce all the Lord Shree Ganesh human weaknesses, such as jealousy, drunkenness, illusion, greed, anger, desire, egotism, self-infatuation (arrogance), which take the devotee away from his path towards God. But, for all that, the demons are not definitely destroyed. They are only under control. They are the following : Sumukha : "The very graceful Lord" Ekadanta : "The Lord who has only one tusk" Kapila : "The Lord of a tawny color" Gajakarna : "The Lord with elephant ears" Lambodara : "The Lord with a prominent belly" Vikata : "The Misshapen" Vighnanâsaka : "The Destroyer of obstacles" Ganâdhipa : "The Protector of the Gana" Dhûmraketu : "The Lord of a smoky color" with two arms riding on a blue horse, Ruler of the Kali Yuga Ganâdhyaksha : "The Minister of the Gana" Bâlachandra : "The Lord who wears the moon crescent on his head" Gajânana : "The Lord with an elephant face There are upto 108 names while the Shri Ganesha Sahasra Nâma enumerates one-thousand-and-eight-names. Vikata found a sleeping elephant and brought back its severed head, which was then attached to the boy s body. Shiva restored his life and made him the leader (pati) of his troops. Hence his name 'Ganapati'. Shiva also bestowed a boon that people would worship him and invoke his name before undertaking any venture. Some rare and interesting aspects of Ganesh are found in some temples of India such as the image of Bala Ganapathi crawling on his hands like a baby at Vellore in Tamil Nadu, the image of Ganesh holding a flute just like Krishna at Madurai, a female aspect of Ganesh called Ganeshini at Suchindra and Madurai and a five headed Heramaba Ganapathi riding a lion at Nagapattinam. The female aspect of Ganesh is also called Vinayaki, Surpakarni and Lambamekhala. Lord Ganesh is worshiped in various forms. Of late, it has become a fashion to keep his images in drawing rooms and offices, as decorative pieces without offering true worship. This is not at all in line with our traditions which have strict instruction not to keep images of Ganesh in one s house unless one is willing to offer him daily worship. Disrespect to Ganesh may not disturb him, but will surely disrupt our spiritual progress.

12 continued from page 11 Ganesha Chaturthi Ganesh Chaturthi Ganesh Chaturthi is the birthday of Lord Ganesha. It is observed during the Hindu calendar month of Bhaadrapada, starting on the shukla chaturthi (fourth day of the waxing moon period). The date usually falls between 20 August and 15 September. The festival lasts for 10 days, ending on Anant Chaturdashi (fourteenth day of the waxing moon period). While celebrated all over India, it is most elaborate in Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat,Orissa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Outside India, it is celebrated widely in Nepal and among the Tamil Hindus in Sri Lanka. Two to three months prior to Ganesh Chaturthi, artistic clay models of Lord Ganesha are made and put up for sale by specially skilled artisans. They are beautifully decorated and depict Lord Ganesh in various poses. The size of these statues may go to over 25 feet. Ganesh Chaturthi starts with the installation of Ganesh statues in homes and specially erected temporary mandapas in every locality. For 10 days, from Bhadrapad Shudh Chaturthi to the Ananta th Chaturdashi, Ganesh is worshipped. On the 11 day, the statue is taken through the streets in a procession accompanied by dancing, singing, and fanfare, to be immersed in a river or the sea symbolizing a ritual see-off to the Lord in his journey towards his abode in Kailash while taking with him the misfortunes of his devotees. This is the ritual known as Ganesh Visarjan. rd th th From individual homes the Visarjan is also done on 3, 5 or 7 day as per family tradition. All join in this final procession shouting "Ganapathi Bappa Morya, Pudhachya Varshi Laukar ya" (O lord Ganesha, come again speedily n e x t y e a r ) I t i s forbidden to look at the moon on the day as the moon had laughed at Ganesha when he fell off his v e h i c l e, t h e r a t. Ganesh cursed moon stating that anyone who sees the moon on that day would face a false accusation. Bollywood star Nana Patekar is a stout devotee of Lord Ganesh Public celebrations of Ganesh Visarjan the festival are hugely popular, w i t h l o c a l c o m m u n i t i e s (mandalas) vying with each other to put up the biggest statue and the best pandal. The festival is also the time for cultural activities like singing and theater performances, orchestra and community activities like free medical checkup, blood donation camps, charity for the poor, etc. T h e p r a c t i c e o f p u b l i c celebration was started by the freedom fighter and social reformer Lokmanya Tilak who transformed the annual festival into a large, well-organized Freedom Fighter Lokmanya Tilak public event. He recognized the wide appeal of the deity Ganesh as "the god for everybody", and popularized Ganesh Chaturthi in order "to bridge the gap between Brahmins and 'non-brahmins' Tilak encouraged installation of large public images of Ganesh in pavilions, and also established the practice of submerging it in rivers, sea, or other pools of water on the tenth day after Ganesh Chaturthi. Today, the Ganesh Festival is not only a popular festival; it has become a very critical and important economic activity for Maharashtra. Many artists, industries, and businesses survive due to this mega-event. Ganesh Festival also provides a stage for budding artists to present their art to the public. (To be concluded in October 2010)