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NIMAI T O CHAITANYA MAHAPRABHU* FROM
SADHU VASWANI
The boyhood of Chaitanya has a charm of its own. He is no ordinary boy. The other boys look up to him as their ‘leader,’ men and women love him, his vibrations are beautiful; he has energy, he has fun! The stories of his boyhood remind one of some of the puranic stories of child Krishna. Chaitanya’s neighbours look at him and marvel. They call him ‘Gaur,’ ‘fair.’ They call him ‘Gauranga,’ ‘of beautiful body.’ His father now sends him to school. A preliminary ceremony is essential. The boy who goes to a school has to study the Veda, none may study the Veda who has not gone through the ‘ceremony of the sacred thread.’ The Veda is the voice of the Hindu Race. One of its symbols is the triple cord, the ‘sacred thread.’ This must the student put on. The ‘Thread Ceremony’ is performed in our days, too, but very few know what its symbolic meaning is. The ‘sacred thread’ is a symbol of the teaching given by the guru to every student in the ashrama of old: “See that the thread of the Race is not broken!” *March 28 is Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s Jayanti & Holi.
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In Nimai’s house they have erected a mandap. Learned brahmins sit there, behind them sit the relatives of Pandit Mishra – Nimai’s father, in front are seated women: they are singing sweet songs and invoking blessings on Nimai, musicians sit at the door playing on stringed instruments. Pandit Mishra is in the mandap to do havan. Nimai is called in, he wears the yellow dress of the brahmachari and in his hand is a club (symbol of shakti, strength). Nimai looks beautiful. He pours ahuti in the fire, he puts on the sacred thread! A brahmin now whispers the Gayatri mantra in Nimai’s ears when, lo and behold! Nimai enters into bhava, the dawn of the highest love or prema; in bhava, emotion flows on and Nimai is ‘absorbed.’ Nimai utters a loud cry and falls on the ground, ‘unconscious’ and a stream of tears flows from his eyes. Nimai’s breath begins to be slow, his eyes – half-closed, are red! Nimai’s father pours water in his mouth, some fan Nimai and slowly, Nimai wakes to consciousness again and exclaims, “Father! What am I to do next?” Nimai is told: “Hold this bag and bow to the people here and ask everyone for a gift (bhiksha).”
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Nimai’s face is lit up with a strange light. Nimai holds the bag in one hand and in the other, he holds a club. And first he goes to his mother and asks for a gift, then he goes to others, asking everyone for a gift! Women look at his face and say: “How beautiful!” They gaze at the beauty of his eyes, again and again and give several gifts – fruits, sweets, coins. An old brahmin puts a nut (supari) in Nimai’s bag. Nimai picks up the nut from the bag and quickly eats it. Nimai falls into a ‘fit’! Then, he turns to his mother and says, in a voice so musical, so ethereal – it seems it springs from the unknown mystery of the Eternal, “Mother, from this day forth, fast every Ekadashi day.” And the mother says: “I shall do as ordered!” After a while, Nimai says: “Very well, I go! Guard your son!” Then, Nimai gets into the ‘unconscious’ again. In a few minutes, he wakes up as though from a deep sleep and looks round about with his large, lustrous, blood-red eyes! Pandit Mishra asks, “Nimai! my boy! What was the matter? What were you doing?” Nimai says, “Nothing, father! I know nothing! I was a bit sleepy and dreamy!” Nimai, even as a boy, was a gifted psychic! Contd. on page 9
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DADA ANSWERS QUESTIONS – BY WOMEN, ON WOMEN, FOR WOMEN DADA J. P. VASWANI
1. Why are women the oppressed class in most parts of the world? The world functions by very different yardsticks at different times
in history. There was a time when in India, women were worshipped as Goddesses. Today, the three things people value most are money, pleasure, and power. In many parts of the world, women are still
comparatively less educated and are unable to occupy powerful
positions and draw fat salaries. This probably explains the oppression and neglect. However, times are changing. One to one, women are capable of handling authority, responsibility, leadership and administrations and also capable of earning more money than men, if
they set their hearts to it. Women who make it to the Forbes Fortune
500 are talked about! It is these things that matter in the eyes of the world! I believe the day is not far off when women will be held in high respect for all the right reasons. * March 8 is International Women’s Day.
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2. What attributes should a woman look for in a man while choosing a life partner? Many young women have their personal preferences and look for different attributes. If any of them were to ask me, I would recommend the following – z z
z
z
He should have love for God and fear of displeasing God. He should be courteous and civil and have respect for culture and values. He should have the capacity to earn enough and a little more to be able to bring up a family. He should be a man of understanding – humble, gentle, and full of the spirit of helpfulness, forgiveness.
z
He must have a sense of humour, otherwise life can be painful.
z
He should be able to control his temper and be quick to forgive.
3. What quality or qualities should women develop to become complete? Women are the repositories of several worthy qualities. Today, I feel they need to develop more courage, self-confidence, and self-esteem. They must also learn to count their blessings and cultivate the love of silence, patience, and punctuality; when necessary, they must also know how to shrug their shoulders and say firmly to themselves, “It is none of my business.” These are the qualities that all of us need to develop! 4. Why are women always expected to sacrifice? Sacrifice is a universal ideal that all of us must practice! But still, there are certain things that women can do more easily than men. One of them is selfless sacrifice. Obviously, it cannot happen under compulsion! They have a choice, like the rest of us! But I cannot help thinking that the role of a woman entails selflessness and sacrifice. 5. Are you saying that they have to keep on sacrificing? Why is it considered the duty of a girl to compromise and make sacrifices in her life as a daughter, as a wife, as a mother, as a homemaker and even as a career woman? Because it is a man-made world. Now, women will rise, and we will have a woman-made world, a woman-made civilisation. Then, things
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will change. But I appeal to my sisters, be kind to men. Kindness is your special quality – kindness, compassion, love, and sympathy. Don’t give up those qualities. 6. Do you think women should be trained in self-defense and martial arts? I think this is absolutely essential and should be taken up by our schools and colleges on a war footing. Most crimes against women happen because they are physically weaker and cannot stand up to the brute and animal force of the criminals. I would urge all women to develop physical and mental strength, so that they can escape the vicious clutches of fear and insecurity. 7. Dada, how can we change people’s mind towards the girl child? I think a period will come when people will realise that it is better to have a girl child than a boy child! When boys grow up, they don’t think of their parents. But as girls grow up, they like to serve their parents. So, I think gradually this change will come about in people’s hearts. 8. What is the one advice you would give a newly married couple? Avoid the next quarrel and perchance if you do quarrel, don’t let the sun set on your quarrel. FROM NIMAI TO CHAITANYA MAHAPRABHU Contd. from page 6 Near Mayapur – Nimai’s birthplace, was a village named Ganganagar. It has a school, presided over by Pandit Ganga Das. He was a great scholar. Admitted to his school, Nimai studied at the feet of the great pandit – Sanskrit grammar, Rhetoric, Logic and Smriti. Nimai was only 8 years of age. In a few years, Nimai came to be regarded as one of the best scholars of Navadvipa. Nimai had a massive intellect and his
memory was wonderful. He seldom forgot what he once heard. As the years advance, Nimai grows in knowledge and is recognised in Bengal as an intellectual giant. A change comes upon him in a few years. This ‘intellectual giant’ becomes humble as a blade of grass. Nimai becomes Mahaprabhu Chaitanya – a saint, a Master.
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Sri Ramakrishna*: Instrument of Love Divine SADHU VASWANI
The story of Sri Ramakrishna is a story of inner life. His adventures were in the inner realm of the spirit. A spiritual genius, Ramakrishna was a union of the mystic, prophet, poet, and saint. The central note of Ramakrishna’s music of the flute was this – All religions are true and all worship is an offering to God. Every worship, Ramakrishna taught in his own, simple, childlike way, was a note in the one symphony of life. So, when they asked Ramakrishna, “What is the way – the easiest, the simplest and the most effective, to God?” He answered, “Bhakti Yoga.” And when they asked him further, “What is Bhakti Yoga?” He said, “Union with the life divine, union with the Mother through love.” Ramakrishna became an instrument of love divine. Therefore, words of wisdom came out of his lips. And men, who listened to him, marvelled.
Ramakrishna’s Lotus Face was a picture of peace and love. His love went out to all. He realised that God moved in every form. “Yes,” said Ramakrishna, “God manifests Himself alike in the sage and in the sinner.” Ramakrishna’s teaching was an emanation of his life. Love all, he taught; pray for love, for pure love. And on even those, whom the world discards as sinners, pour love, nothing but
*March 15 is Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa’s Birthday.
Contd. on page 20
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IN QUEST OF THE
ETERNAL SHIVA* SADHU VASWANI
S
hiv Ratri! The night sacred to Shiva. And the devotees of Shiva are asked to keep awake the whole night. Astronomically to keep awake on this night is to have special opportunities to study the star, Sirius. Yogatara is its name in the ancient scripture. A significant name – the star of Yoga. Does not the Lord tell us in the Gita that the Yogi keeps awake in the dark of the night! The Yogi keeps awake and is richly blessed with illumination. One such Yogi kept awake – on the memorable Shivratri night of 1838. Dayanand was then, a boy of 14. And as a boy, he rejoiced in the kathas of Shiva. In 1838, on the Shivratri night, Dayanand followed his father to a Shiva temple, fasted and stayed awake the whole night. His father fell asleep in a short time. Other worshippers, too, went to sleep outside the temple. Alone, Dayanand kept awake! Thoughts upon thoughts crowded in his mind. Blessed are they who keep awake! That *March 11 is sacred Maha Shivratri.
night, Dayanand heard the very voice of the Atman: Arise, and go in search of the great solution! He renounced his home. He wandered in quest of the Eternal Shiva, the One God beyond all the gods. Dayanand became a fakir in the service of truth, in the service of his people! “Arise! Awake!” is the message of the Shivratri night. How many will listen to this ancient message? How many will shake off the slumber of the senses and awake to realities of the life that is life indeed,
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the life in the spirit – the life of love, the life of service that asks for no reward, but only the desireless desire to place actions and aspirations as an offering at the Lotus Feet of the Lord of love? Our life, with all its accumulations and gains of power and riches is poor, for lack of love. In the heart of Rishi Dayanand was love for God and love for the poor and
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downtrodden. And without such love we may not hope to build a new nation. Meetings and speeches will not help us. Knowledge itself without tapasya and love is empty. Young men! They are waiting for you – the peasants, the village folk, the poor and lowly! Go to them with love in your hearts and in the service of love, attain to the Immortal.
SRI RAMAKRISHNA: INSTRUMENT OF LOVE DIVINE Contd. from page 10 love! There is a passage gleaned from the saint’s conversation with a disciple, a passage penetrated with such pure beauty that I am tempted to quote it at length: To my Divine Mother, I prayed only for pure love. At Her Lotus Feet, I offered a few flowers and I prayed, “Mother! here is virtue and here is vice; Take them both from me. Grant me only love, pure love for Thee! Mother! here is knowledge and here is ignorance; Take them both from me. Grant me only love, pure love for Thee! Mother! here is purity and here is impurity; Take them both from me. Grant me only love, pure love for Thee!”
This God-intoxicated man was destined to thrill the hearts of men and women in many parts of East and West. Ramakrishna saw the one light in all religions. Therefore, he bowed in reverence to all prophets and saints. Therefore, were dear to him all religions, none was an exclusive revelation of Truth; none was the only path to God, each was but a few rays of the divine light. Therefore, let all religions live in harmony, one with the others; and let all nations live in peace, one with the other. Each is a flower in the garden of God; each is a note in the one music, the one symphony of the spirit.
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Laugh Your Way To Health “This is your great grandma and great grandpa,” Raj told his grandson as he showed him a photo of his parents. “Do you think I look like them?” He shook his head. “Not yet.” *** One night, a teenager took a shortcut home through the cemetery. Halfway across, he was startled by a tapping noise coming from the shadows. Trembling with fear, he spotted an old man with a hammer and chisel, chipping away at a headstone. “I thought you were a ghost,” said the relieved teen. “What are you doing working so late?” “Oh, those idiots,” grumbled the old man. “They misspelled my name!” *** Mihir’s father asked for the password to the Wi-Fi. “It’s taped under the modem,” Mihir told him. After three failed attempts to log on, he asked, “Am I spelling this right? T-A-P-E-D-U-N-D-ER-T-H-E-M-O-D-E-M?” ***
She is only in her 40s, but Meera had bounced back from cancer, heart problems, even a stroke. Through it all, she and her husband, Mahesh, had kept their sense of humor. One day she said, “You know what kills me?” Smiling, Mahesh “Apparently nothing.” ***
teased,
A little girl walked in while her father was getting ready for work. “What are you doing?” she asked. “Putting on my cream,” he answered.
wrinkle
“Oh,” she said, walking away. “I thought they were natural.” *** For her 40th birthday, a woman said, “I’d love to be ten again.” So, her husband made her favourite childhood breakfast and then took her to the amusement park.
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“So how did you enjoy being a kid for a day?” he asked. “Great,” she said. “But when I said I wanted to be ten again, I meant my dress size.” *** A man came at the billing counter with a bottle of wine and a bouquet of roses. But before paying, he set the two items aside and said, “I’ll be right back.” He ran off, only to return a minute later with a second bottle of wine and another bouquet of roses. “Two girlfriends?” the man behind the counter asked. “No,” he said. “Just one, who’s really angry.” *** Wife: “In my dream, I saw you in a jewelry store and you bought me a diamond ring.” Husband: “I had the same dream and I saw your dad paying the bill.” *** When people heard that Maya and her husband had just celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary, they wanted to know the secret to their long, successful marriage. In response, Maya’s husband smiled sweetly and explained, “We both love me.” *** Samir: I just burned 2000 calories in 20 minutes. Raj: How?
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Samir: I forgot to take my brownies out of the oven. *** You should never tell a secret on the farm because the potatoes have eyes, and the corn has ears. *** A mother complained to a schoolteacher that other students were stealing her daughter’s pencils. “It’s not the money — it’s the principle,” she insisted. “My husband took those pencils from work.” *** A professor congratulated a colleague on producing some superb student-guidance notes explaining how to combat plagiarism. “How long did it take you to write them?” he asked. “Not long,” he said. “I just copied them from another university’s website.” *** “Guess what?” yelled a student as he burst through the door. “I got a 100 on the Spanish quiz that I didn’t even know we were having.” “That’s great!” his friend said. “But why didn’t you know about the quiz?” “Because our teacher told us about it in Spanish.” ***
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Dada:
Rare Glimpses of a Precious Being KRISHNA KUMARI
To the world at large, Dada was a saint of great spiritual stature; a renowned master and teacher of great truths. But to those who knew him and loved him as their guru, Dada was a rare being who was blessed with large hearted magnanimity. His heart was a veritable treasurehouse of love, and he shared this treasure freely with one and all. Blessed with a gentle and kind temperament, his touch too, was soft, gentle and healing. His skin glowed like silk; his very voice was soft and sweet. He dwelt in peace, and was tranquil at all times; his serenity and inner harmony touched everyone around him. Everyone felt at peace within, when they were in his presence! One day, after a discourse by Dada, there was a long line of people, many of them highly educated professionals,
and well-known members of the public, eagerly waiting to greet Dada. As he approached them, his eyes fell on a girl, around 10 years old, standing at a distance, unable to walk, who was moving with difficulty on all fours through the crowd, to come and get a glimpse of him. Dada walked right up to her, by-passing all the others. He gently helped her to get up and supported her as she stood up, till her mother arrived. He lovingly patted her on her head, while tears of joy flowed from her eyes; only then did he turn back towards the others. So tender was his loving heart. He was a light-house, lit up with joy. Not only was he always joyous, but he also passed it on to others. In difficult and sticky situations, when things got tough, he would not become morose, nor would he let others
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don long faces. He would joke and lighten the atmosphere. His laughter was so infectious, that those around him had no choice, but to spontaneously join him in his mirth. The messages that he conveyed too, were never dull and didactic. His teachings, though filled with depth and meaning, were shared simply and easily. Often he would weave his philosophy together with stories, making it interesting and easy to absorb. Though Dada was unassuming, his charisma was overpowering. He often made the impossible possible, effortlessly. Several years ago, a video was being taken of Dada sharing one of his messages. In those days, technology was not advanced enough to create perfect effects of sound and light. The room in which the video was being shot was quite dark, and there were no special lights for the camera. Despite that, Dada continued to speak and the video continued to be shot. Many of us felt that the film would be far from perfect, due to the inadequate light. To our amazement, when the completed video was replayed, we saw that inexplicably, the picture was clear, bright and beautiful. Once, two of us, along with Dada, were on a flight travelling in economy class. One of Dada’s devotees happened to be on the
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same flight, travelling in First Class. When he saw Dada, he immediately went to the purser and requested him to move him from First Class to the Economy section. The purser was naturally perplexed by this unusual request. The man said that he wanted to be with Dada. When the purser realised that Dada Vaswani was on the flight with two other devotees, he at once offered the free seats that were available in Business class. He upgraded us, and asked the man from First Class to join us there! Such was the effect of Dada’s aura. There are several men of God who are holy. There are others who do a lot of good in this world. Dada was both. He was holy and also did a lot of good. But Dada’s special gift was that he inspired people and worked his magical grace on them, so that they too, became holy and began to do good to others. He transformed and uplifted them. He encouraged them and made them aspire towards perfection. Often, his messages were simple, easy to grasp and understand. Yet, his voice had an inexplicable magnetism, which mesmerised and drew people to him. They would look at him starry-eyed, and drink in his words eagerly and willingly. Dada was always buoyant and full of hope. He would always see the light at the
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end of the tunnel, even in the most hopeless of situations. He believed in the dictum — All for good. He never gave up. His faith and trust in the Almighty was indefatigable. Once, after recovering from a major illness, Dada stepped outdoors for the first time in several weeks. A young boy, on seeing Dada, come running to him and said, “Dada, when you were not well, I prayed for you every day.” With a smile Dada said, “I had almost gone back to bed, but you, your prayers and those of other dear ones brought me out of bed, and back to health. But I believe even this illness was a gift from God.” Dada was never casual or superficial in anything he did. When he met people, he would look deep into their eyes, and his gaze seemed to penetrate to their very souls. So attentive was he in his contact with each person, that he would remember each one’s name and a lot of their personal details as well. In the early days, an exhibition-cum-sale used to be held by devotees, teachers and volunteers, for three days, as a part of Sadhu Vaswani’s birthday celebrations. The proceeds went to service programmes and everyone worked with all their hearts and souls to make it a success. Many of the fabrics, bedcovers, cushions and pillow cases were
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exquisitely hand embroidered; the food stalls offered delicious home cooked food; and gadgets and kitchen implements were sold at very reasonable prices. There was always a huge rush. Whatever items were left over on the last day, were sold off to the highest bidders, with Dada himself officiating as the auctioneer. Dada’s joie de vivre was so infectious, his exuberance so catching that everyone got carried along in the flow. The adrenalin rush was high and the bidding on every item was fast and furious. On a small item, the bidding was going on, and one lady became so emotional, that she came and gave her handbag, with its entire contents to Dada. He immediately stopped the bidding on that item, saying that it should go to the lady, for she had given her all. He saw the heart of a person above all else. It is not merely through great discourses and grand actions that a saint’s soul is revealed to us. It is the small daily incidents, the minute, dayby-day accounts that show you how a saint is made. A saint like Dada revealed himself in the smallest details, in simple deeds of routine daily life, too. Being in his presence, watching him move and speak, you would feel as if a curtain had parted if only for a brief moment allowing us to have a glimpse of something precious and rare!
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Recipes
FOR THE MONTH
BEETROOT VADA Ingredients: Chana dal........................................................½ cup Toor dal...........................................................½ cup Dried red chilli....................................................... 2 Grated beetroot...............................................1 cup Finely chopped onion...........................................½ Finely chopped coriander...............................3 tbsp Finely chopped green chilli.................................... 2 Ginger paste................................................... ½ tsp Chopped curry leaves.......................................a few Jeera / cumin....................................................1 tsp Hing / asafetida............................................a pinch Salt................................................................. ¾ tsp Rice flour........................................................2 tbsp Oil............................................................. for frying Water..................................................... for soaking Method: 1. Take chana dal, toor dal and dried red chilli in a bowl. 2. Add enough water to soak it for 2 hours. 3. Drain off the water from the bowl. 4. Transfer the drained dal to the mixer and blend it to a coarse paste. 5. Add beetroot, onion, coriander, chilli, ginger paste, curry leaves, hing, jeera and salt. 6. Mix everything with the dal paste and make a soft dough. Add rice flour if the mixture is
watery. 7. Prepare small balls of the mixture and flatten the vada. 8. Deep fry the vada in hot oil. Stir occasionally until it turns golden and crisp. 9. You can also preheat the oven and bake the vadas at 180°C for 25 minutes. 10. Serve hot.
ALOO POHA FINGERS Ingredients: Poha.................................................................1 cup Boiled and mashed potatoes................................. 2 Finely chopped green chilli.................................... 1 Finely chopped garlic...................................2 cloves Mixed herbs.................................................... ½ tsp Chilli flakes..................................................... ½ tsp Pepper powder............................................... ¼ tsp Finely chopped coriander...............................2 tbsp Salt................................................................. ½ tsp Maida..............................................................¼ cup Oil............................................................. for frying Method: 1. Take the poha in a mixer and blend into a fine powder. 2. Add potatoes, chilli, garlic, mixed herbs, chilli flakes, pepper powder, coriander, and salt to
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the poha powder. 3. Mix well and make a soft dough. 4. Add maida and mix again. 5. Take a small ball-sized dough and roll it to the thickness of a rope. 6. Cut it into 4-inch length fingers or a size of your choice. 7. Deep fry in hot oil and keep stirring until the fingers turn golden brown and crisp. 8. Serve with tomato sauce.
IDLI DHOKLA
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3. Add eno fruit salt and mix until the mixture turns frothy. 4. Pour the batter into greased idli plate. 5. Place the idli plate in a steamer and steam for 12 minutes. 6. For the tempering, add mustard, cumin, sesame, hing, chilli and curry leaves in hot oil. 7. Stir and splutter the tempering. 8. Pour water, sugar, salt, and lemon juice and wait for it to splutter. 9. Pour the tempering over the idlis, making sure that it is absorbed by idli. 10. Garnish with coconut and coriander. 11. Serve with green chutney.
Ingredients: For the dhokla Besan...........................................................1 ½ cup Fine rava / suji...............................................2 tbsp Ginger paste................................................... ½ tsp Finely chopped chilli.............................................. 1 Turmeric.......................................................... ½ tsp Sugar................................................................1 tsp Hing / asafetida............................................a pinch Curd................................................................¼ cup Oil...................................................................2 tbsp Salt................................................................. ½ tsp Eno fruit salt................................................... ½ tsp Water...............................................................1 cup For tempering Oil...................................................................2 tbsp Mustard.............................................................1 tsp Cumin............................................................. ½ tsp Sesame...........................................................1 tbsp Hing / asafetida............................................a pinch Chilli..............................................................3 (slit) Curry leaves.....................................................a few Water..............................................................¼ cup Sugar..............................................................1 tbsp Salt................................................................ ¼ salt Lemon juice......................................................1 tsp Grated coconut................................................2 tbsp Finely chopped coriander...............................2 tbsp Method: 1. Take besan, rava, ginger paste and chilli in a large bowl. Add turmeric, sugar, hing and curd. Mix well. 2. Add oil, salt, and water. Whisk and mix well.
BREAD PIZZA POCKETS Ingredients Butter................................................................1 tsp Finely chopped garlic ................................... 1 clove Finely chopped onion...........................................½ Finely chopped carrot............................................ 1 Sweet corn......................................................3 tbsp Finely chopped capsicum......................................½ Salt................................................................. ¼ tsp Pizza sauce.....................................................3 tbsp Sliced olives........................................................... 4 Chopped jalapeno............................................1 tsp Grated mozzarella cheese..............................¼ cup White / brown bread.................................... 9 slices Water.............................................................to seal Oil............................................................. for frying Method: 1. Heat the butter and sauté garlic and onion in a kadhai. 2. Add carrot, sweet corn, capsicum and salt. 3. Keep stirring on a low flame until the vegetables are cooked well. 4. Add pizza sauce and mix well. 5. Transfer to a bowl and cool completely. 6. Add olives, jalapeno, and cheese. Mix well. 7. Take a bread slice and trim off the edges and roll thin. 8. Put some stuffing on the bread and seal tight. 9. Deep fry the bread pizza pockets or preheat the oven and bake at 180°C for 15-20 minutes. 10. Serve hot with tomato ketchup or green chutney.
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Children’s Corner WOMEN OF THE DECADE International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8, every year. This day celebrates women’s achievements in the social, economic, cultural, and political spheres. Here are some of the women who made headlines in the past decade. Muthayya Vanitha and Ritu Karidhal – Muthayya Vanitha was the first ever woman project director for ISRO’s Chandrayaan-2. She is wellknown for her problem-solving skills, which came handy while heading the Chandrayaan-2 project. She has won the Best Woman Scientist Award of the Astronautical Society of India in 2006. Also known as the ‘Rocket Woman,’ Ritu Karidhal was the deputy operations director for Mangalyaan. She worked with Muthayya Vanitha and played a significant role once the spacecraft took off from the earth. She is the recipient of ISRO Team Award for Mars Orbiter Mission and the ISRO Young Scientist Award. Emma Watson – Our very own Hermione Granger, Emma Watson is an advocate of women’s rights. A British actor, Emma was appointed UN Women Goodwill Ambassador in July 2014. She has been promoting girls’ education and visited Bangladesh and Zambia, for the same. Since 2014, she has been advocating UN’s ‘HeForShe’ campaign to end gender inequality. Malala Yousafzai – Malala Yousafzai was a brave, young girl, who decided to continue her education, and spoke actively for girls’ education in Pakistan. Due to this, she was shot thrice in the head. She was sent to England for her treatment. On her 16th birthday, she spoke at
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the United Nations. At the age of 17, she became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Hima Das – Having harboured dreams to play football, Hima Das switched to sprint running after realising the limited prospects the sports had in the country. Nicknamed ‘Dhing Express,’ Hima Das became the first Indian woman athlete to win a gold medal at IAAF World U20 Championships. She has also won 5 back-to-back gold medals in about a month in Czech Republic in July 2019. She was presented the Arjuna Award in 2018 by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India for her outstanding achievements in sports. Arunima Sinha – Became the first female amputee to climb Mount Everest. She achieved the feat in 2013, two years after she lost her leg when pushed from a running train by thieves. She is also the world’s first female amputee to conquer Mount Vinson, the highest peak in Antarctica. The 30-year-old has also summited Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, Mount Kosciuszko in Australia, Mount Elbrus in Europe, and Mount Aconcagua in South America. Arunima is a Padma Shri awardee. Flight Lieutenant Avani Chaturvedi – Became the first Indian woman fighter pilot to fly solo in a Mig21 in 2018. The MiG-21 aircraft is known to have the highest take off and landing speed in the world at 340 kmph, making her achievement even more inspiring. Along with her colleagues, Bhawana Kanth and Mohana Singh Jitarwal, the trio became the first women combat pilots of the Indian Air Force. They were inducted in the IAF Fighter Squadron in June 2016. These women are striving to make the world, a better place. As Sadhu Vaswani once said, “The woman-soul will lead us upward, on!”
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SIMPLE RULES OF HEALTH HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH? Binge eating is an eating disorder marked by repeated overeating. Some people tend to consume large quantities of food very quickly, often to the point of discomfort. Such people feel unable to stop as they are not in control during the binge episodes. Episodes of binge eating are followed by feelings of shame and lack of selfesteem. Left untreated, binge eating can develop into a lifethreatening disorder with severe psychological and psychiatric complications.
• Eating even when you are not hungry • Not being able to remember what you ate • Feeling guilty or depressed about your eating • Feeling no control over what or how much you are eating • Feeling to be in a “dazed state” during an eating episode, especially at night • Eating a large amount of food in a short period of time • Frequent episodes of dieting, possibly without losing weight.
Causes • Feelings of unhappiness and low self-esteem • Depression or anxiety • Stress, anger, boredom, or loneliness • Pressure to be thin • Past mental trauma • Family history of eating disorders • Following a strict diet • Skipping meals • Avoiding your favourite dishes for long
Complications • Depression • Bipolar disorder • Anxiety • Social isolation • Type 2 diabetes • Gastroesophageal disease (GERD) • Heart disease • Joint problems
Symptoms • Eating more quickly than usual • Eating alone or secretly • Eating until you feel uncomfortably full
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Diagnosis According to the American Psychiatric Association, the key diagnostic features of binge eating disorders are — • Binge eating episodes marked by at least three of the following symptoms — Eating much more rapidly than normal
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Eating until feeling uncomfortably full Eating large amounts of food when not feeling physically hungry Eating alone because of being embarrassed by how much one is eating Feeling disgusted with oneself, depressed or very guilty after overeating Recurrent and persistent episodes of binge eating Marked distress about binge eating Absence of regular compensatory behaviours (such as purging), which mark conditions like bulimia The doctor will also conduct a physical examination, blood and urine tests and a sleep disorder analysis to confirm the diagnosis and assess underlying medical conditions.
Treatment • Psychotherapy, behavioural therapy and weight-loss programmes form the mainstay of treatment. • Doctors also rely on lisdexamfetamine dimesylate, a drug used to treat attentiondeficit hyperactivity disorder and certain other anticonvulsants and antidepressants to treat binge eating disorders. These medications, however, should never be tried without medical supervision as they have serious side effects.
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• Binge eating can also be treated by electrically stimulating specific parts of the brain, according to a study by King’s College, London. Prevention and Home care • Never begin a diet plan without expert supervision • Never skip breakfast • Keep tempting food out of reach • Eat a nutritious, wellbalanced diet • Drink lots of fluids • Exercise only under expert guidance • Never skip therapy sessions • Get support from family and friends • Maintain a daily schedule and keep a diary Some facts about Binge eating • The condition first develops during early adulthood. • Binge eating disorder is slightly more common in women than men. • You have a 1 in 30 to 1 in 50 chance of developing binge eating disorder at some point in life, according to a study conducted by the NHS in the UK. • Binge eating disorder can occur in people of average body weight but is more common in people with obesity.