Saathee Digital Raleigh October 09 by Shukla Entertainment

October 2009

In this issue:

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m on Facebook... Now What? Role of Leaders

BIG DIWA L sALe I

Friends Of Charlotte Present

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Hello Readers Happy Diwali! The legendary American motorcycle Harley Davidson is set to hit Indian highways in 2010. Read all about it in the story on pg. 10. Hampi is a historic site located in Karnataka. Read a wonderful travelogue about this region on pg. 12. What is the role of leaders in contemporary society? Read the essay on pg 44. Aneesh Chopra leads the US government efforts to reform the US tech economy. Go to pg 64 for further details. Visit the personal finance column on pg 60 for information on women business owners and retirement. A reader travels to Colorado. Read the story about hiking in the Rockies on pg. 86.

A features magazine for the South Asian Community of the Carolinas

Quote: "A true measure of your worth includes all the benefits others have gained from your success." Cullen Hightower

October 2009 – Issue # 138 Editor:Samir Shukla (saatheemag@hotmail.com) Publisher: Divakar Shukla (rakavid@aol.com) Community News Editor: Rajesh Ganatra Ad Design / Layout: Nate “Nageshwarlalji” Andrews Consultant: Himanshu Desai

Your saathees: Samir, Divakar, Raj, Nate & Himanshu

Contributors for this issue: Pradip Bulsara, Kirit Shukla, Rajesh Ganatra, Chandan Sen, Hena Sharma, Rushir Shah, Sardar Singh, Dr. Maha Gingrich, Wendy Wells, Narendra Dixit, Anand Shekhar, Gail Z. Martin, Anjana Agarwal, Judith L. Bergman, Deeksha, Anita Kulkarni, Jay Desai, Ron A. Virmani M.D., Jalendu Vaidya, Mark Moxon, and Dr. Meena Chelury.

In this issue: Coming War for Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 08 Harley Set to Hit Indian Roads . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 10 Hampi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 12 Bolly Bits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 16 Saathee Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 18 Music Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 22 Sangeet, Music of India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 24 Evergreen Film Lyrics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 26 Indian Classical Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 30 Book Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 32 Dances of India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 36 Children’s Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 40 Isha Yoga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 42 Role of Leaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 44 Mastering Meaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 46 Astride Three Continents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 48 Cary Diwali . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 50 Healthwise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 52 Stock Tickers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 56 Marketing Turnaround . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 58 Personal Finance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 60 Immigration Matters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 62 Reforming US Tech Economy . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 64 Social Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 68 The Chai Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 76 Cricket Forum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 78 Hiking Colorado . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 86 Community Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 90 Community News & Events . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 96 Pop’s Puzzles and Jokes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 120 Who Want’s to be a Scholar . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 122 Festivals and Holidays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 122 AstroScope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 124 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 126 Puzzle Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 128 Index of Advertisers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 128 October 2009

All contents © 2009 Shukla Entertainment, Inc. Opinions expressed herein are those of the writers and advertisers and not necessarily of the publisher or editor. Contact us prior to sending in articles or photographs for submissions. Saathee is published monthly. Deadlines for advertisement, submissions and events information is 15th of the previous month. Mission: Our goal is to be a valuable source of information for the Carolinas’ South Asian community and a vital advertising tool for businesses.

Saathee Magazine P.O. Box 11468 Charlotte, NC 28220 Phone: (704) 527-7570 Fax: (704) 527-7590 E-mail: saatheemag@hotmail.com

www.saathee.com Cover: Diwali diya

The diya, an oil lamp, is a symbol of Diwali, the biggest festival for Indians around the world and all over India.

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Photo: IStockPhoto

October 2009

In this issue:

I’m on Facebook... Now What? Role of Leaders

Saathee Magazine, USPS 021-116, is a free subscription magazine published monthly by Shukla Entertainment Inc. POSTMASTER: Send address corrections to Saathee, P.O. Box 11468 Charlotte, NC 28220-1468. Postage paid at Charlotte, NC. (ISSN: 1543-8147) saathee.com

katen@elegantdesignz.com October 2009

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article

The Coming War for Water By Jason Overdorf - globalpost.com SRINAGAR, Kashmir — Atop the disputed Baglihar Dam in the mountains of Kashmir, the Chenab River roars like a 747 as its silvery waters churn the dam’s massive turbines and boil out over the ravine in a tremendous, spiraling white waterfall. The air is moist, and a massive cloud of mist floats downstream toward the roadway, where moments ago a dozen busloads of soldiers headed for posts along India’s border with Pakistan have rumbled across a narrow bridge. “Even today, soldiers are moving up and down all the time,” says my translator and guide, Rashid Dangola, a white-haired houseboat owner from Srinagar who tells me that in the heyday of Indiaadministered Kashmir’s armed struggle for independence he would buy his booze from the army and his hashish from the militants. These troop movements are indeed a constant part of daily life in Indian-controlled Kashmir, where the Indian army stations 600,000 to 800,000 soldiers — more than double the number deployed for the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. A fragile cease-fire has held here since November 2003, but Kashmir remains one of the most dangerous places in the world. Anger over the bloody partition that divided India and Pakistan in 1947 and a bitter feud over the ownership of this majestic portion of the Himalayas have led the two subcontinental powers to three full-fledged wars and a perilous standoff in 2002, when many world powers feared the dispute would go nuclear. There are many reasons for the Kashmir conflict. But perhaps the most important of them is the water that spews into the sky at my feet. When the British drew the borders partitioning India and Pakistan, their cartographers failed to consider the run of the rivers that would feed the two countries. Kashmir’s accession to India granted New Delhi control over the headwaters of the Indus — the lifeline of civilization in what is now Pakistan since 2600 B.C. And although a treaty for sharing the water was worked out in 1960, its foundation has begun to crack under the pressure of the two countries rapidly growing populations and the specter of climate change. Shortly before he led Pakistan’s troops into the Kargil War, a then-unknown Pakistani general named Pervez

Musharraf wrote in his dissertation at the Royal College of Defense Studies in London that the issue of the distribution of the waters of Kashmir between India and Pakistan has “the germs of future conflict.” Because water is the one resource that neither India nor Pakistan can do without, many experts fear that one day the dispute over the Indus — already an incessant source of diplomatic skirmishes — will propel these two nuclear weapons states into an all-out war. Battles over water are already mounting in number around the world, according to Peter Gleick, an expert at the Pacific Institute. But Kashmir could be the most dangerous flash point. According to a recent United Nations report, Pakistan’s water supply has dropped from about 5,000 cubic meters per person in the 1950s to 1,420 cubic meters today — perilously close to the threshold at which water shortage becomes an impediment to economic development and a serious hazard to human health. India, at 1,750 cubic meters per person, is not much better off. Both countries’ huge populations are still growing, and because most of the available water comes from the disappearing glaciers of the Himalayas they are extremely vulnerable to climate change. “We already see evidence that the climate is changing water availability and water quality,” Gleick said. “Kashmir is a place where water may not be the worst of the problem, but like the Sudan, or like the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers or like the Nile, it’s a growing factor in what is already a conflict situation.” Perhaps worse still, it appears that hawks on both sides are attempting to use water to create an insurmountable impasse in the dispute over Kashmir, rather than acknowledging that the sharing of rivers forms a framework for the two enemies to cooperate. This unease was underscored recently, when India objected to a Pakistani proposal to build a new dam in Pakistancontrolled Kashmir, with the help of the Chinese. In Srinagar’s Cafe Arabica, I met with two Kashmiri journalists, Parvaiz Bukhari of the Mail Today and Muzamil Jaleel of the Indian Express. In most respects, the two seasoned reporters could not be more different. Bukhari, a former TV journalist, is a handsome, bearded man with a grave voice, and an eloquent turn of phrase. “In an abnormal situation, the normal becomes news,” he told me, referring to countless New Delhi newspaper articles that featured the cafe where we were meeting as evidence that Kashmir’s long-curfewed nightlife was picking up. Bukhari is also prone to grandiose statements that gives him something of the manner of the frustrated revolutionary. “You have to offer yourself to the judgment of history!” he exclaimed at some point about one politician or the other. Jaleel, by contrast, is ebullient and manic, and gushes with gossip. He stormed into our bull session shouting out his order to the barista across the room. Both of them, however, were united in their cynicism about the saber rattling over water in India and Pakistan. On the Indian side, Jaleel pointed out, rightwing politicians have sought to turn Kashmir into a Hindu holy land of sorts to make ceding any of its territory non-negotiable. This is the impulse behind the strong political support for the Amarnath Yatra, a new continued on page 116

October 2009

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SET TO HIT INDIAN HIGHWAYS Can an American motorcycle icon decode Indian culture?

By Saritha Rai - GlobalPost.com BANGALORE — Imagine a motorcycle designed for cruising on U.S. highways traversing through potholed roads while dodging quick-footed street vendors, assorted stray dogs and ambling cows. That is no incongruity. The iconic, heavyweight Harley-Davidson motorcycles will soon thunder through the traffic-clogged streets of India, one of the world’s largest motorcycle markets, where an estimated 100 million bikes are already on the roads. The American classic’s entry into India, long embroiled in diplomatic parleys about tariffs and emission regulations, was finally cleared in a 2007 trade negotiation famously termed the MangoMotorcycle deal. The quid pro quo agreement allowed the import of Harley-Davidsons into India, in return for the export of Indian mangoes to the U.S. Heralding the motorcycle brand’s arrival in India last month, two dozen

classic Harley-Davidsons roared through downtown New Delhi, in streets dominated by Japanese brands such as Suzuki, Honda, Yamaha and Kawasaki. Eager Indian bikers will be able to buy the first of the motorcycles from dealers in 2010. The bikes will be manufactured and assembled overseas and imported to India. For Harley-Davidson, which has battled flagging sales in Western markets and has attempted to boost revenues through events and aggressive brand licensing, India is attractive territory. The aspiration level of India’s middle class is rising. These consumers increasingly covet foreign brands in all product categories ranging from clothing to sports shoes, deodorants to, Harley hopes, HOGs (the porcine acronym for the company’s devoted members club, Harley Owners Group). “The strong Indian economy, the growing middle class and the government’s investment in infrastructure makes this the perfect time for our entry,” HarleyDavidson president and COO Matthew Levatich was quoted as saying at the New Delhi launch. India is indeed adding a network of fast highways, such as the so-called Golden Quadrilateral road network that October 2009

links Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata. Its younger population is traveling more for leisure. And the sizzling economic growth of recent years has boosted spending on lifestyle luxuries such as sporty motorcycles (the flashy Italian brand Ducati entered India last year). But for Harley-Davidson, based in Milwaukee, WI, there may be a sour mango in the basket. With India refusing to drop import tariffs, the price of an entry-level Harley-Davidson bike in India is expected to be $14,000, or twice the sticker price in the United States. So in India, the world’s second largest market for motorcycles after China, that pricing does not exactly compare favorably when Japanese motorcycles manufactured by their Indian joint venture partners in the country are selling for $2,500. These motorcycles are as popular a mode of transport in rural India’s uneven roads as they are in busy city streets. Additionally, Indian car manufacturers like Tata are trying to entice motorcycle owners into the car dealerships. Tata has recently launched a bargain-priced car called Nano for about $2,500, the same price as a motorcycle. So it is unlikely that the high-priced Harley-Davidson will become a hot seller motorcycle brand in India anytime soon. Still, for an affluent slice of the population including motorcycle buffs like Bangalore’s Girish Desikan who have been content riding souped-up versions of local bikes, the entry of Harley-Davidson could not have come a day too soon. “Bikers crave the HarleyDavidson experience,” said Desikan, an accountant, who frequently hits the highway in his Japanese bike to feel the wind in his hair. That there is room for marketing to the top layer has already been demonstrated by purveyors of luxury brands like Jimmy Choo shoes, Louis Vuitton luggage and BMW cars. Some Indians will want bragging rights as being part of India’s first HOGs. But most, like the dozens who chased the HarleyDavidson fleet through the streets of New Delhi on launch day, will have to be content with just looking. And, of course, listening to the roar.

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Hampi Timeless Wonder

Story and photos by Mark Moxon A night-train ride northwest of Bangalore, Hampi seems to exist in a sphere of its own, a self-contained combination of timeless natural wonder and historical human impact. Here the ruins of ancient civilizations pepper the rocky landscape while restaurants pander to the requirements of the tourist classes, and all the time the slow turbulence of the Tungabhadra River meanders along the valley floor, only months away from the raging tumescence of the monsoon. Describing the atmosphere of Hampi is as difficult a task as describing the allure of the city lights or the hypnotic attraction of dance music, but there is no doubt in every visitor’s mind that Hampi has a special something, even if putting your finger on that something is impossible. For some it is the stark beauty of the igneous rock formations that dominate the landscape as it shivers under the heat haze of the midday sun; for others it is the different sense of time, a disconnection from the hustle and bustle of modern India – indeed, the modern world – as cows ramble past the stone steps leading down to the water where colorfully dressed women beat the dirt out of their washing; for others it’s Hampi’s proximity to the beach state of Goa, resulting in the availability of luxuries like king-size cigarette papers and wonderful tourist trinkets while managing to remain an outpost of primitive culture. Because the little town of Hampi is surrounded by one of the most extensive and varied collections of ruined buildings this side of Delphi, I decided to employ the services of a guide, a young man called Chandra who turned out to be a particularly good find. Over two halfday tours he managed to transform a collection of dilapidated stone constructions into a living, breathing world of bazaars, incense, The Indo-Saracenic architecture of the eleven elerituals, royalty, engiphant stables neering genius and warring nations, a feat achieved by combining his encyclopedic knowledge of local history with an evocative delivery, a talent unusual in someone so young. As a one-on-one guide he brought Hampi alive, recreating the scenes from 500 years ago when the Europeans October 2009

were tentatively reaching out their colonial intentions towards the east, the Muslims were methodically invading India from the north, and the Vijayanagara Kingdom was thriving in the Hampi area. I normally scorn guides, but this time it turned out to be a good move. On the other hand, touring Hampi in the incredibly sweltering afternoon sun did make me think that if I saw another temple, I’d probably kick it. After a while lingams and gopurams begin to look exactly like all the other lingams and gopurams you’ve ever seen, and so it was with the temples of Hampi. However, this is where Hampi wins hands-down over other sites, because behind each ruined building is scenery that bewilders. In a geological pattern echoed by the rock sculptures of central Australia, Hampi’s landscape is volcanic in origin; as the volcanic exudate cooled it cracked along vaguely orthogonal lines which, when exposed to the vagaries of weathering, wore down into piles of rounded boulders the size of houses. The result is mountains of rocks stacked up in gravity-defying balancing acts, with boulders seemingly about to roll down onto the town while stone slabs look as if a slight push will slice them like bread off a loaf, taking with them banana trees, coconut palms and electric cables. Electric cables, indeed: for Hampi, while an historical tour de force, is an attraction that’s positively ripe for the milking. The number of visitors who flock to see the sights is on the increase, and simply looking at my twoyear-old guidebook’s description of accommodation and Hampi is surrounded by exquisite ruins of the ancient r e s t a u r a n t s Vijayanagara kingdom shows how much has already changed. But for once the onset of the clumsy boot-heels of tourism doesn’t concern me greatly: to destroy the unique atmosphere of Hampi you would have to defile a stunningly large area of inhospitable Martian landscape, and more buildings won’t manage that. And Hampi is hardly the place where the clubs of Goa or the high-rises of the hill stations would work: the people just don’t seem to have drunk from the cup of mammon that the Goans have drained. This is, without a doubt, a godsend.

The columns of the Vitthala Temple make music when they're struck

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As with all fairly long stays, I slipped into the lifestyle. In Hampi the mañana ethos is stronger than in most places, and yet again I found my plans slipping away into well-deserved oblivion. Highlights of my lounging in Hampi follow, in no particular order... continued on page 88 saathee.com

Wishing you a Happy Diwali!

October 2009

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October 2009

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s t i B y l l o B

Couples Retreat will blend American with Indianness

Film music composer A.R. Rahman wants to add a touch of Indianness to his first full-fledged Hollywood work for Couples Retreat. He wants to bridge the cultural divide. “Couples Retreat will have music that suits an American romantic comedy there’re no real Indian sound in it. But yes, there will be a touch of Indianness in the sound. Otherwise what is the point of bringing me into the picture?” Rahman said in an interview with Bollywood Hungama. He made it very clear to the people behind his first full-fledged Hollywood film that he’d compose exactly what he thought to be the most apt music for the show. Rahman wants to steer away from the Slumdog Millionaire sound. “There’s no point in doing something I’ve already done. I’ve reached a stage where I’ve to do new things. There’re so many avenues to be explored. So Couples Retreat will be their (read: American) kind of music with my touch, done in my way,“ he said in the same interview.

Ranbir Kapoor was the First Choice for Wake Up Sid Apparently, both director Ayan Mukherjee and producer Karan Johar felt that Ranbir was the best choice for the film Wake Up Sid and they had no hesitation in having him on board the moment film’s script was finalized. “Yes, Ranbir was always the first choice of Ayan”, says Johar in a recent interview. Johar is changing the direction of his company Dharma Productions by green lighting multiple projects, all of which belong to different genres and only one of them boasting has him sitting on the director’s chair. “Once Ayan conveyed this to me, I too was quite happy and gave him a go ahead. Another reason for being ecstatic with Ranbir on board is the fact that I am really very fond of Chintu uncle and Neetu aunty. So I just called Ranbir up and he was on board; it was as simple as that.“ Johar told India FM. The film also stars Konkona Sen Sharma and Anupam Kher. Music is composed by Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy along with Amit Trivedi. The film is currently showing.

Om Puri to Play Terror Mastermind Om Puri’s next role is that of an unapologetic hardcore terrorist in Rensil D’Silva’s Kurbaan. In the much talked-about film, Puri plays a hardcore terrorist who masterminds a massive terror attack in the United States. Irrfan Khan had turned the role down. Playing a terrorist puts the actor in the suspicious list on the international airports. And so what if it’s just a part? But Puri said in an online interview, “I’m aware of the repercussions. I’m also aware others October 2009

actors turn down parts of terrorists. But I’ve no such reservations. A role is a role. We cannot be moral and judgmental about the characters we play. In Kurbaan I play the terror mastermind, a fully committed jihadi who is ready to sacrifice everything including his wife (Kirron Kher) for the cause.” It’s a role with deep reverberations. But Puri is prepared for the backlash. “I played a radical mullah mouthing rabid dialogues in Shoot On Sight. It was just a role. I think our audiences are mature enough to understand this.” Puri has apparently started receiving warnings from fundamentalist organizations about playing an extremist. He’s not deterred. “I played a Pakistani in Charlie Wilson’s War and East Is East. And now, in October, I go into the sequel West Is West with the same cast. Is it dangerous to experiment with morality in your actors? Let it be,” said Puri in the same interview.

Sanjay Dutt in Vashu Bhagnani’s Faltu In the hit film Munnabhai MBBS, Sanjay Dutt poked fun at academic qualifications by fudging his way through a doctorate. Now in the upcoming movie Faltu, he questions the educational system in a less satirical far more serious tone. When Vashu Bhagnani wanted to re-launch his son, he needed a top star as box office support. Every leading man declined politely. Only Dutt came forward to work with Jackky Bhagnani in the film to be directed by choreographer Remo. Jackky’s second film is not an escapist entertainer says Vashu Bhagnani, “It’s a film about the lacuna in present-day education. When I heard Remo’s story, I was bowled over. It’s about the failure of today’s educational system to guide our youngsters into suitable careers. It’s about how there’s too much stress in and on academics and too little on actually tapping every child’s potential. Remo has earlier made an award-winning Bengali film (Lal Paharer Katha with Mithun Chakbraborty).” A film with a title like Faltu sounds like a departure from convention. “It is,” concedes Bhagnani. “But nothing conventional works any more. I want to bring new talent into the industry. And the title is an acronym. I can’t reveal the full form. It will give away the plot,“ he said in an interview with Bollywood Hungama.

Indian Animation Toasts Success at Anifest India The search of a viable business model is one of Indian animation industry’s biggest conundrums. The recently concluded Anifest India 2009 proved to be just the right platform for industry rookies and veterans to come together and share their doubts and insights. Recounting his experience in the animation industry, Ashish Kulkarni, CEO of BIG Animation, and the creator of 3D animation TV series Little Krishna said, “Animation is a process of self teaching. In the last 12 years of my career, recession has hit us every three years. I want you - the first generation animation professionals - to be prepared for that. It’s only because of the passion of few individuals that the industry has survived.” Kulkarni further addressed another of Indian animation’s never ending debates, that of two dimensional v/s three dimensional animation. “We are in the business of storytelling and filmmaking, where the key ingredient is creativity. Whether the medium is 2D or 3D doesn’t matter. We are entertainers and have to learn it on the by, set up self-sustaining units and then scale it up from there.” In a final word of advice for budding animation professionals, Kulkarni opined, “Animation is one medium where you can reedit, reconsider and redraw your concept at the storyboard and animatics stage. If you have the patience to see the project through the production cycle of two to three years, you are definitely creating something that will last a lifetime and have an impact,“ he told Bollywood Hungama in an interview.

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Upcoming Movie Releases

Top Five Movies - October 09

(Bollywood films slated to be released in the next 4-6 weeks) 1. Wanted Salman Khan, Ayesha Takia Azmi, Mahesh Manjrekar and Asseem Merchant

3 Nights 4 Days (Director: Devang Dholkia) Cast: Hrishita Bhatt, Anuj Sawhney, Farid Amiri, Madhuri Bhattacharya, Sameer Aftab, Pinky Harwani, and Sanda Caktas

2. Dil Bole Hadippa! Shahid Kapoor, Poonam Dhillon, Rani, Dalip Tahil, Anupam Kher & Rakhi Sawant

Love Ka Tadka (Dir: Gautam Adhikari) Cast: Nauheed Cyrusi, Sameer Dattani, Bakhtiyaar Irani, Satish Kaushik, Rakesh Bedi, Vrajesh Hirjee, and Dinyar Contractor

3. Wake Up Sid

Ranbir Kapoor, Rahul Khanna, Konkona Sen Sharma, and Aupam Kher

Acid Factory (Director: Suparn Verma) Cast: Fardeen Khan, Dia Mirza, Irrfan Khan, Manoj Bajpai, Dino Morea, and Aftab Shivdasani

4. Kaminey

Shahid Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Amol Gupte, Deb Mukherjee and Rajatabha Dutta 5. Life Partner Fardeen Khan, Tusshar Kapoor, Govinda, Genelia Dsouza and Anupam Kher

Shaabash! You Can Do It (Director: Shankar Mondal) Cast: Hitesh Agrawal, Mansi Dovhal, Sudesh Berry, Nasir Khan, Vivek Shauq, Charu Sharma, and Rajiv Verma

Top Five Songs - October 09

All the Best (Director: Rohit Shetty) Cast: Ajay Devgan, Asrani, Bipasha Basu, Fardeen Khan, Sanjay Dutt, Mugdha Godse, and Mukesh Tiwari

1. Wake Up Sid “Wake Up Sid” Music: Shankar Ehsaan Loy Singers: Shankar Mahadevan and Loy Mendonsa 2. Blue “Blue Theme” Music: A. R. Rahman Singers: Blaaze, Raqueeb Alam, Dilshad, Sonu Kakkar, Jaspreet Singh & Neha Kakkar

Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani (Director: Rajkumar Santoshi) Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Upen Patel, Darshan Jariwala, Asrani, and Govind Namdeo

3. Radio “Jaaneman” Music: Himesh Reshammiya Singers: Himesh Reshammiya & Shreya Ghoshal

Blue (Dir: Anthony D’Souza) Sanjay Dutt, Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Lara Dutta, Rahul Dev, and Zayed Khan

4. Acid Factory “Kone Kone Mein” Music: Bappa Lahiri Singer: Vasundhara Das

Main Aurr Mrs Khanna (Director: Prem R Soni) Cast: Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Sohail Khan, Govinda, Preity Zinta, and Bappi Lahiri

5. Ruslaan “Pyaar Ki Parsayee” Music: Raeess Jamal Khan Singers: Hariharan & Sadhna Sargam (Note: This top five is based on the following non-scientific research: your feedback, video rental, box office from India and United States, internet opinions & our opinion) October 2009

Aladin (Dir: Sujoy Ghosh) Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Ritesh Deshmukh, J. Fernandes, Saahil Khan, & Victor B.

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Indian Performing Arts Association of Charlotte (IPAAC) Upcoming Movie Releases Continued

presents

(Bollywood films slated to be released in the next 4-6 weeks)

Sujata Mohapatra India In an Odissi Dance Recital

London Dreams (Dir: Vipul Shah) Cast: Salman Khan, Om Puri Ajay Devgan, Asin, Rannvijay Singh & Adithya Roy Kapoor Chase (Dir: Jagmohan Mundhra) Cast: Udita Goswami, Caterina Murino, Rajesh Khattar, Shweta Menon, Anuj Saxena, and Samir Kochhar Jail (Dir: Madhur Bhandarkar) Cast: Neil Nitin Mukesh, Mugdha Godse, Manoj Bajpai, Arya Babbar & Chetan Pandit Phhir (Director: Girish Dhamija) Cast: Rajneesh Duggal, Adah Sharma, and Roshni Chopra Dulha Mil Gaya (Director: Muddassar Aziz) Cast: Shahrukh Khan, Sushmita Sen, Fardeen Khan, Mohit Chadha, Tara Sharma, Johny Lever, and Beena Kak

On Fri. Oct 23rd, 2009 8:00 PM At Pease Auditorium, CPCC College, Charlotte Directions: http://tix.cpcc.edu/parking-directions/parking-directions Tickets: $25 (first four rows), $15 for adults and $10 for children Members admitted Free of charge Additional Information: Please call 704-846-4423, 704-364-0984 Or visit our website: www.ipaac.org Sujata Mohapatra the daughter-in-law and disciple of the legendary Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra is an embodiment of grace and elegance. Her dance is renowned particularly for its unbending adherence to Gurujiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s style, known for its tranquil grace, intensity of expression and technical perfection. For a glimpse of the upcoming performance, please visit http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=sujata+mohapatra&search_type=&aq=f

Tum Mile (Dir: Kunal Deshmukh) Cast: Emraan Hashmi & Soha Ali Khan Pyaar Impossible (Director: Jugal Hansraj) Cast: Uday Chopra, Priyanka Chopra, Dino Morea, and Anupam Kher

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Right Yaaa Wrong (Dir: Neeraj Pathak) Cast: Sunny Deol, Irrfan Khan, Isha Koppikar, Aryan Vaid, Konkona Sen Sharma, Anjan Srivastava, and Kirron Kher Kurbaan (Dir: Rensil Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Silva) Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Vivek Oberoi, Dia Mirza, Kirron Kher & Om Puri

De Dana Dan (Director: Priyadarshan) Cast: Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Sunil Shetty, Paresh Rawal & Neha Dhupia

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Radio (Dir: Isshaan Trivedi) Cast: Himesh Reshammiya, Shenaz Treasurywala, Sonal Sehgal, and Zakir Hussain (Movie Release Dates Subject To Change.) October 2009

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Music Reviews By Samir Shukla

Vandana Vishwas Meera the Lover (vandanavishwas.com) Vandana Vishwas overcame physical challenges and, while still in her teens, earned a Sangeet Visharad, the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree in Indian classical vocal music. Born in Lucknow, she now lives in Toronto and works as an architect. But music has been in her blood since childhood and it’s that love that has resulted in this fine debut recording. In Indian history and traditions, the legendary love of Meera for Krishna is documented in stories and passed down through generations. On this recording Vishwas has chosen several Meera poems and composed songs that are moody, somber, and haunting. Vishwas has a wonderful voice and a keen ear for classical music as well as bhajans (religious devotional music). On Meera the Lover, she explores the story of Meera and her prem-bhakti poetry. Meera’s songs have often been recorded and sung as bhajans for Krishna, but here Vishwas is honing in on the romantic aspects of Meera’s poetry, hence the title of the recording. Vishwas specializes in Sugam Sangeet (bhajans, ghazals and contemporary songs) and was influenced and inspired by the legendary Lata Mangeshkar and Kishori Amonkar, both of whom also sang Meera bhajans. Meera lived and wrote her elegant poetry five hundred years ago, yet her poems are still sung and celebrated throughout contemporary South Asia. The songs on this recording are colored by different Ragas including Raga Des (“Badara Re”), Raga Durbari (“Rana Ji”), and Bhairav Thaat (“Chala Wahi Des”). The instrumentation includes tabla, sitar, dholak, acoustic guitars, iktara, and keyboards. There’s also of course the flute, representing the essence of Krishna. The album is available with or without spoken word narrative that tells the story of Meera between the music tracks. October 2009

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By Kirit Shukla A Tribute to Bollywood Lyricists

Sahir Ludhiyanvi: (1921– 1980) The famous lyrics “Allah Tero Naama, Ishwara Tero Naama,” propagating religious harmony, were written by Sahir Ludhiyanvi, born on March 8, 1921 in Ludhiana, Punjab. He added the name “Ludhiyanavi” because he loved his hometown. He shifted to Mumbai in 1949, where success started with the films Naujawan and Baazi in 1951 while working with music S.D. Burman, with whom he remained associated until the 1957 film Pyaasa. Ludhiyanvi also worked for many other music directors including Ravi, N. Dutta, Roshan, and Khayyam. He wrote many songs for 30 years in Hindi films. He remained unmarried for life. I have read that he failed in love affairs with two Hindu girls: Amrita Pritam, a journalist and Sudha Malhotra, a singer. The Hindu parents of both girls refused to let them marry a Muslim. That heartbrokenness led him to heavy drinking and smoking. So, his lyrics basically were romantic but tinged by sorrow and full of tragic emotions without any exaggerations. His style was simple and direct. The subjects of some of his lyrics were: the victims and the sensitive values of society, the stupidity of war and politics, and material domination over love. He died on Oct. 25, 1980 from a heart attack. A poem he wrote for the film Kabhi Kabhi rings true:

Award: Filmfare Best Lyricist Awards: 1964 - “Jo vaadaa kiyaa” (Film: Taj Mahal) 1977 - “Kabhi kabhi mere” (Film: Kabhi Kabhi) Some of his other all time hit songs: Yeh raata yeh chaandani fira kahaan (Jaal) Jaaye to jaaye kahaan (Taxi Driver) Teri duniyaan mein jine se (House No. 44) Jivanaki safara mein raahi (Munimji) Jaaane voh kaise; Yeh mahelon (Pyaasa) Jo wada Kiyaa, Jo baata tuza mein (Taj Mahal) Kabhi kabhi mere dil mein (Kabhi Kabhi) Chalo eka baara Phira se ajanabi (Gumraah) Tum na jaane kisa jahan me kho gaye (Sazaa) Woh subaha kabhi to aayegi (Phir Subah Hogi) Maine chaand Aur sitaaro ki (Chandrakantaa) Ai meri zoharaa-jabeen, (Waqt) Laagaa chunari mein daaga (Dil Hi To hai) His popular classical song: “Zindagee bhara naheen bhoolegee wo barasaat ki raat ..” is given in this issue of Saathee in Evergreen Classic Film Lyrics on page 26. October 2009

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Zindagee bhara naheen bhoolegi.. Zindagee bhara naheen bhoolegi wo barasaata ki raata, Eka anajaana musaafir se mulaakaata kee raata .. Haaya jisaq raata mere dila ne dhadakanaa sikhaa, Shaukha jajbaata ne seene mein bhadakanaa sikhaa, Meree takadeera se nikalee wahee, sadamaata kee raata, Zindagee bhara naheen bhoolegi .. Dila ne jaba pyaara ke rangeena fasaane chhede, Aankhon-aakhon mein wafaaon ke taraane chhede, Soga mein dooba gayee aaja wo, nagamaata kee raata , Ruthanewaalee meree baata se maayoosa naa ho, Bahake bahake se khayaalaata se maayoosa naa ho, khatma hogee naa kabhee tere mere, saatha kee raata, Zindagee bhara naheen bhoolegi wo barasaata ki raata. Meaning (Summary): Never will I forget that rainy night, all of life. The night of meeting with a stranger, yes, the night when my heart learned to beat, when the feelings of love started to provoke in this heart, the one I got thru my destiny, on the night of distribution. When the heart strummed the tunes of colorful romance, rendered the songs of promises in between the eyes itself. Today they got drown in the grieves, the night of dejection. Oh displeased, don’t be upset with my talks. Don’t be upset with the recklessly swinging thoughts. Never ever will end this night of our association.

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The Subcontinentalist: A South Asian Book Club By Rushir Shah To comprehend, cherish and celebrate the literature of the Indian Subcontinent, we at NetIP Charlotte have formed a book club dedicated to fiction and non-fiction of South Asia—books written by South Asian authors or those based there. Our mission is to spread cultural awareness, to be intellectually honest and stimulating, to emotionally enrich and spiritually awaken. Due to a lack of adequate and accurate translations of works based in the non-English languages of the Indian Subcontinent we shall initially focus on writings in the English language. But where such translations are widely available—critically acclaimed or popularly demanded—we will be reading literature of non-English languages (which is not to pejoratively say that the flourishing literatures in the non-English languages of the Indian Subcontinent are less relevant; indeed, it is our belief that they are probably more invigorating, experimental, and rewarding.) While we believe that the literature written—in the subcontinent—in the language of colonial masters lacks neither in depth, investigation, imagination and incisiveness of vision, we also know that English is the language of the urban, privileged, upper- and middle-classes whose experience and lifestyle is radically different from the vast majority of the masses. This literature then may run the risk of being non-representative and isolated. It may also unduly concern and privilege itself with life, dreams, ideas, aspirations and imaginations of the urban-privileged. The literature of South Asia in English language is a nascent experience, barely 100 years old; this then may inflict on us a further handicap, in that the traditions, structures and ideas of storytelling, of poetry and essay, have not gone through a long contested period of evolution and challenges. But this is also an opportunity for us as readers. It is our responsibility to see if this literature in English language, now increasingly localized, enriches our understanding of the cultural and geographical space we have lived or loved. Perhaps, it is appropriate to ask: Is this literature an index of “my” ideas and experiences of South Asia? We do not want literature to be self-congratulatory or content, confirming and validating our belief system. We want literature to awaken us from the slumbers of rigidly held beliefs; we want it take us near an experience we have neither endured nor imagined; we want it to assault us with a world that is both our life and not quite how we live. We go to literature not to increase our technical knowledge of “how to” live life, but to be attentive, sensitive and reflective to the details of life and language. In short, we go to literature to expand and deepen our capacity to understand and empathize. The book club’s purpose is not to conclude and ascertain ideas and practices of “subcontinental” literature (in English) but rather to give life to arguments, debates and discussions, to see how a South Asian book written in English can create a magnetic field and attract multiple, disparate, diverse, often opposing perspectives. It is our vision that The Subcontinentalist will not just be a South Asian book club that privileges story-telling. We October 2009

are not content with the satisfaction of the basic human curiosity to know “what happened next.” Novels, our dominant form of choice, are not just a string or chain of events in which the reader seeks resolution of mysteries and riddles. We believe that the novel is the psychological universe of the characters that inhabit it; the cultural milieu and the historical forces that, apart from the character, shape the events of story; the rhetorical devices that lend it a distinctive style and flair. We believe that novel has the unique capacity to blend the various forces that shape life and transform it into story. It is never quite like life and reality, dressed as it is in language, style, imagination, and intense attention to details, but it does concern itself with our understanding and imagination of life and reality. It brings to our attention the distant, the unattended, the ignored and avoided, snatching us from routines and habits, bringing to our consciousness the hidden objects of our ordinary life. It worships “The God of Small Things.” Above all, literature teaches us to be alone, to embrace solitude, so that we may better grapple with the story, events, characters and language that most often are not real or part of our daily lives. It detaches us from “real” life and immerses us in an alternate exploratory universe. Literature does not communicate or instruct in the customary vocabulary of our daily life, it avoids, even abhors corporate clichés and media-saturated jingles. Great literature always tends to reinvent language and probe its possibilities. It draws attention to the familiar through linguistic innovation and rhetorical experiments. Literature then not just to look and hear, read and listen; but literature as a medium of solitary meditation and linguistic celebration: that is what Subcontinentalist as a book club espouses, has faith in. Why restrict an experience and purpose of such literary significance and gravitas to South Asia? We think such an adventure is both intriguing and perhaps illogical. There is of course so much more to gain by not reducing literary experience to a geographical fate and a cultural pre-destination. But why not engage and give our allegiance to South Asian literature? Why not read 8 or 9 books about the Subcontinent every year? Is such an experience, pursued loyally and critically, not necessary to grasp the significance of literature and the life of South Asia? Besides, avid readers can and should read literature from across the world. We believe that the book club will be a platform to transform our collective curiosity into a hunger for greater understanding and deeper experiences. It will allow us to grow with the literature and imagination of a particular part of the world whose history is robust and evolving, teeming with a continental shelf of voices and customs. It will also enable us to transcend the boundaries of our inherently limiting beliefs; for we hope that the experience of South Asian literature is a “Universe in a nutshell.” Join us in this exploration, to put your faith, commitment and intellect to work, so that we may all collectively and individually realize the potential promise and possibilities of the Subcontinental literature. It is always a responsibility of readers; it is their, our, journey. The Subcontinetalist will meet on October 22, 2009 at Davidson College to discuss Michael Ondaatje’s Anil’s Ghost.

Rushir Shah is the Communications Chair for NetIP Charlotte. rushir@netipnc.org. subcontinentalist@gmail.com. Join The Subcontinentalist on Facebook.

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Khayaal Today’s most popular classical form of Hindustani vocal music is known as Khayaal or Khyaal, which was invented in sixteenth century. Khayaal means imagination or to think. This style of singing is purely Indian in origin is also called bandish or cheej. It has tremendous scope and the capacity to absorb various features of musical expression or improvisation such as aalap, sargam, boltaan, bol, behlaavaa, gamak, khatka, murkee. The Khyaal poetry is composed in Raag (the expression of imagination in poetry). It develops gradually into a musical form wider in concept. The compositions are in Hindi, Urdu, Braj, Punjabi, and Jodhpuri languages. Khyaal also means dhyaana or concentration, which is a musical requirement in rendering. Khyaal are sung in two parts - Ashaayee and Antara. First part of khyaal composition is asthaayee or intro and 2nd part is Antara or stanza. Asthaayee can be repeated. There are two types of khyaal singing – Vilambit or Badaa khyaal and Drut or Chota Khyaal. Vilambeet khyaal is sung in slow tempo usually in Taal Ektaal, Teentaal, Roopak, Jhoomra, Tilwada, Jhaptaal, or AdaChoutaal. It is sung steadily and patiently. Chota Khyaal is sung in medium or fast tempo in Teentaal, Ektaal, and Roopak. The vocalist has to highlight the Raag with a proper sense. The beauty or mood of the Raag is uncovered through aalap, taana, boltaan, and sargam. Vocalist has to elaborate the Raag in all three saptaks or scales with the sense of Taal. The performer impresses the audience with his skill and hard work. The great musicians named Sadaarang and Adarang have composed thousands of khyaals and taught to their disciples, those are sung even today. The distinctive attitude of khyaal rendering in general is known as khyaal gayakee. The following Khyaals are old but still very famous:

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In the above khyaal, Sadarang is giving a message about Indian tradition. October 2009

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The Marriage Bureau for Rich People By Farahad Zama (Putnam)

Book Reviews By Hena Sharma The Second Opinion By Michael Palmer (St. Martin’s Press) “The Second Opinion,” is a thrilling, medical mystery-drama, written by a doctor who is obviously a gifted writer. I had not read any of Palmer’s other novels and was not expecting the story to be as satisfying as it was. The story is about a famous internal medicine specialist, Petros Sperelakis, and his four highly intelligent children. Dimitri, the eldest, has an IQ of 180, yet is lost in his own world of computer games and software hacking. The twins, Niko and Selene, are both Harvard educated doctors. Thea, the youngest, also an internal medicine specialist, works with “Doctors Without Borders” in underprivileged countries. The story describes the events after an accident leaves Petros in a comatose condition in the Boston hospital that he founded. Thea returns from an assignment in Africa and finds the situation surrounding her father’s condition a bit suspicious, and is determined to find out why. Events start to happen and the action filled story takes the reader on a ride filled with unexpected twists, suspense, medical explanations, neurological abnormalities, and family relationships. Palmer describes Asperger’s syndrome, a type of autism, and how Thea is able to live and function despite being diagnosed with it. The insight into the thoughts of a person who has Asperger’s is expertly written and explored. The story contains a great deal of medical details and activities in and around a hospital. Every expert description was entirely believable and yet not tedious. I was reminded of a non-fiction book called “Complications” by Atul Gawande, whose account of being a doctor and his very real human feelings among all the technicalities of hospital life was similarly engrossing without the thriller aspect. Palmer’s fictional story progresses at action-film speed where you never know what to expect next. I enjoyed the switching back and forth between the different story lines and the way Palmer brings them neatly together. The story pulls the reader in with issues of having a parent on life-support and each child’s differing opinions on how to handle it, plus the suspense involved in solving the mystery. Issues of sibling rivalry, parent-child relationships, and unspoken feelings are common among all families, regardless of age or education level. Palmer intertwines these emotions in an engrossing thriller that is difficult to put down. October 2009

“The Marriage Bureau for Rich People,” is an easy to read and an interesting story about a retired teacher, Mr. Ali, who opens a matrimonial agency to keep himself busy. It takes place in the coastal Indian city of Visakhapatnam (the author’s birth city), in the state of Andhra Pradesh. What struck me about this story was the way Zama portrayed a truly multicultural, harmonious co-existence among people of different religions. The author did not assume that the reader was familiar with local, or cultural norms and took care to explain or detail them whenever possible, such as the offering of water to guests, or the details of Muslim and Hindu wedding rituals. It was apparent that the author drew upon his background in developing his characters, as they were very believable, and the descriptions of local temples very realistic. At first, the idea of a marriage bureau might seem very “old world,” but the individual stories illustrated universal, timeless emotions. The wealthy doctor, salesman, and divorcee were each seeking to find a life partner, and sought out Mr. Ali’s help. I enjoyed the different aspects and similarities of their stories. The idea of personal ads is not a new one, but some western readers may be surprised at the bluntness of matrimonial ads. In India, matchmaking for marriage is a huge business. There are very successful websites solely for this purpose. It was interesting to see Mr. Ali start his business without a list of clients, computer, or employees and turn it into a success. Mrs. Ali is glad at first to finally have something that occupies Mr. Ali during the days, but then wishes there wasn’t such a disruption to her day due to her husband’s home-based operation. Mr. and Mrs. Ali’s son Rehman is an unmarried engineer who leads protests against the government in support of villagers and farmers. Zama weaves in Rehman’s story of social conscience and responsibility in the face of mass corporate growth in Indian cities. However, this is not a political book, and the story does not preach. The story is also centered on Mr. Ali’s assistant Aruna, an unmarried Hindu Brahmin girl from a very simple, modest upbringing, who needed to abandon her Master’s degree in order to financially help her family. The story is simple, yet not overly sweet. Zama shows how communities of all faiths share the common values of love, duty, honor, and family. The most interesting, and refreshing aspect of this story is to read about regular neighbors of all different faiths, interacting and really co-existing together as a community while maintaining their culture. The story shows how caste and religion while important when selecting suitable marriage partners, become only personal qualities when looked at in terms of a larger community. This is a good, clean, funny, and uplifting story to read. It was nice to read such a novel for a change! Hena Sharma is a software developer living in Cary, who enjoys blogging about the books she’s reading on her website “www.henasgoodbooks.com”

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subside, after exhausting themselves in frantic selfexploitation to no avail, as mere idle entertainment or novelty. Rather, this movement must continue to enlarge our spheres of understanding and aesthetic experience, moving us toward a greater maturity and appreciation of the plurality and meaning of the worlds many cultures on their own terms.

Dances of India By Dr. Maha Gingrich

For questions or comments contact Dr. Maha Gingrich via e-mail at: msgingrich@juno.com

Transformation of Dances in India In the last few decades we have seen many transformations of the dance scene in India. The almost frantic period of the late 50’s and early 60’s saw the “new discoveries,” a revival of the nearly forgotten Mohiniyattam of Kerala, and Odissi, both of which are solo female dance forms. Then Sattriya of Assam State and Kuchipudi Bhagavata Mela Natakam of Andhra Pradesh, both dance Uday Shankar as Lord Shiva drama forms performed by male ensembles, became source material for solo excerpts by young female artists who competed the major urban areas for national acclaim. When I visited India in early 1990’s, I realized that a grand coup was to compose a “dance ballet” in one of these styles. The highest mark of achievement was to be chosen to take these choreographic creations or recreations abroad as part of cultural delegations. In a few instances attempts were made to depart from the universal Indian themes derived from the epics and puranas, and to adapt unusual thematic material. Dramatic themes were drawn from Christian, Persian, Buddhist, Western sources, or from the Vedas. The “new” plots were sometimes interpreted in terms of an established traditional technique or more daringly in a combination of traditional techniques. Occasionally the choreographer sought for a new contemporary concept of movement expression, these last rare and atypical experiments coming close to the internationalized dance format of what we would recognize as Euro-American modern dance. At the hands of Martha Graham or an Uday Shankar, the artistic maturity of East and West learning successfully from each other is self-evident. There is undoubtedly going to be a continuing, perhaps increasing, fascination with the possibilities of “EastWest fusion”; experiments in dance have been taking place, and also in dramatic theatre pieces. Some EastWest experiments have drawn upon the traditional Indian concept of theatre, resulting in plays in which the spoken word, dance movement, music and visual representation are integrated. In the large context, we find East–West design in architecture, high fashion, landscape, crafts, etc. A growing intellectual maturity will have to guide these movements. This is crucial, or they will soon October 2009

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Meanwhile, the hermit heard all the commotion and came down to the lake. When he saw the elephants he understood what had happened. He scolded the monkey for stealing the Magic Pepper and explained the whole thing to the elephants. He tried to make them see something good in long noses. “The effects of the Magic Pepper cannot wear off so you are stuck with these noses forever,” the hermit said. “But, look at it this way. You now have another limb, because you can move your nose about, and these noses are strong as tree trunks. Henceforth, they shall be called trunks,” concluded the hermit. On hearing this the elephants felt very happy. They were the only animals with noses that could move! They lifted their trunks and trumpeted in joy. They forgave the monkey for after all, they now had beautiful trunks. That is how the elephants came to have trunks.

Word World By Kirit Shukla

E T

The Blue Jackal A Panchatantra tale

Make words using 4 or more letters. The central letter must be used in each word. Use all letters for the subject word. 55+ words = Excellent; 40 to 55 words = Good; 40 or less needs to improve. (Solution at bottom of page)

The Elephants who Showed Off By Anand Shekhar (Pitara.com) A long time ago, elephants had small, shiny and beautiful noses. Vain that they were, they would always turn their noses up in the air when they passed by any other animal. They were plain show-offs. Naturally, the other animals did not like this. Finally, one clever monkey decided to do something about it. He went up to the wise hermit who lived on the mountain and asked him if there was some way to make the elephants’ noses long and ugly. “I do have some Magic Pepper with me. It can do just that,” said the hermit. But he refused to give it to the monkey saying that it would not be a very nice thing to do to the elephants, even though they always turned their noses up at everyone else. But the monkey was extremely clever. He waited till the hermit went to asleep and went into his hut. He looked around and finally found the Magic Pepper. He took a handful and ran back to the forest. There he saw the elephants drinking water from the lake. He sneaked up to the lake and emptied all the Magic Pepper into the water. The elephants continued drinking, blissfully unaware that they were drinking in the Magic Pepper along with the water. What the monkey didn’t know was that he had put too much of that Magic Pepper in the lake. Suddenly all at once, the elephants started sneezing. Every time they sneezed their noses grew a little longer! The whole jungle could hear them. The elephants tried their best to stop sneezing but the Magic Pepper was too strong. And they continued sneezing endlessly. Their noses grew longer and longer until they touched the earth. After a while the effect of the Magic Pepper wore off and their sneezing stopped. Looking at them, the monkey nearly burst his stomach laughing. The elephants looked at their long noses in despair and wondered what would happen to them now. October 2009

A jackal named Chandaraka lived in a forest. One day, Chandaraka went to a nearby village in search of food. Unfortunately, he met a group of dogs and they started chasing him. The jackal got frightened and fled in panic. He entered a washerman’s house in a hurry. While trying to hide himself, the jackal slipped and fell into a tub full of blue color, which the washerman had kept ready to dye the clothes. Soon the bark of the dogs ceased and jackal came out of the tub. There was a big mirror fixed on the wall of the house. Jackal saw himself in the mirror and was surprised to see his blue body. He ran back to the forest. When Chandraraka reached the forest, every animal failed to recognize this new creature. Infact they got frightened and ran in all directions. Taking advantage of the situation, the jackal planned to keep the situation in his favor. He asked, “Why are you running like this? There is no need to panic. I am a unique creation of God. He told me that the animals in this jungle had no ruler and he had nominated me as your king. He had named me, Kakudruma and told me to rule this forest. Therefore, all of you can live safely under the cover of my protection.” The animals believed him and accepted him as the king. The jackal appointed the lion as his minister, the tiger as his chamberlain and the wolf as the gatekeeper. After allotting positions to the animals, the new king Kakudruma banished all the jackals in the forest for the fear of being recognized. Now, the animals hunt food and brought it to the self-proclaimed king. After taking his share, the king would distribute the remaining food equally among his subjects. He led a luxurious life. One day a pack of jackals passed by howling. Suddenly blue jackal forgot that he was a king. Unable to control his natural instinct, he howled at the top of his voice. Soon, the animals realized that they had been fooled by a jackal. In a fit of anger, all the animals pounced on the blue jackal and killed him. Moral: The one who abandons one’s own folk will perish. Word World (Solution): ARES, ARETE, ARMS, ARSE, ASTER, EARS, EASE, EAST, EASTER, EATS, ERASE, ESTER, MARE, MARS, MART, MASER, MAST, MASTER, MATE, MATER, MEAT, MEET, MERE, METE, METER, RATE, REAM, RESET, REST, RETEM, SAME, SATEM, SEAM, SEAR, SEAT, SEER, SEME, SERE, SETA, SMEAR, STALE, STARE, STEAM, STEAMER, STERE, STREAM, TAME, TARE, TEAM, TEARS, TERM, TERSE, TREE

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Karma is in Your Volition Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev

Whatever nonsense people are doing in the world, if you keep talking about it, it’ll become yours, because karma is not in your action, karma is in your volition. Karma is in the intention with which you perform action. It is the certain way that you are, that you become a certain karma and not a particular action. For example, now you got very angry. You’re very hateful about somebody, so you planned. You kept a knife in your pocket. You waited for the right moment and stuck it into this man and killed him. This is one kind of karma. Or, let us say you want to become a knife thrower. You want to throw it properly right there under the target, but you’re a bad knife thrower. Just by mistake you threw it into this man and he died. This is another kind of karma, the karma of accident. Another thing is you were sitting and just playing with this knife, and just by chance you cut his throat and he died. This is another kind of karma, the karma of negligence. Or you’re a surgeon; you want to save this man’s life. With the same knife you tried to perform a surgery upon this man, but you make one wrong move and he dies. Same knife, same person dying, same you doing it, but not the same karma. So, it’s not the action which decides your karma, it’s the volition. Or, you hate this man; you want to kill him. Everyday you dream of killing him, but you never did anything to him. That is another kind of karma. In fact, that is the worst kind of karma. Every day you plotted to kill this man, but you did not kill this man. Everyday you imagined killing this man; that is the deepest karma. So, karma is not in what you have done or what you have not done. It is your volition. The way you are within yourself. Accordingly, the same situations, the same incidents may become different types of karmas in different people depending upon their receptivity and what they make out of it within themselves. Karma of fear is one kind of karma. Karma of guilt is another kind of karma. Karma of arrogance is yet another kind of karma. So this is not a question of right and wrong. Do not think in terms of there is somebody sitting up there punishing you for what you did. It is just that nature, because of all these inputs, develops certain tendencies. An amalgamation of all these inputs is you. They develop certain tendencies. Because of that tendency, sometimes you may damage your body; sometimes you may damage your mind; sometimes you may damage some other aspect of you. But this is because of certain tendencies that are a resultant factor of vast number of karmas. Somebody is ill. You say, okay he is ill because that’s his bad karma. Now, this is your karma. You never talk about somebody else’s karma. When you utter the word karma, it’s always about you and never about someone else. You have no business with somebody else’s karma. When you say karma, it’s always you and never someone else. If you talk about other’s karma, it’ll become your karma. October 2009

So don’t think on those lines. Then, it becomes like this. Somebody is suffering; you say it’s his karma. You’ll become inhuman, isn’t it? See, this has happened to the world. Somebody is suffering and people say, “Oh, it’s all his karma.” Never look at somebody else’s karma. You think about your karma; what you can do about your bondage. You never think of somebody else’s bondage. This has happened to the world in a big way. I happened to be in some international meeting. People were supposed to be doing things for making the world a better place. So they’re talking and discussing about the plight of people in Africa, especially Africa, and a little bit about Asia. And, suddenly one, very religiouskind of person stands up and says, “Is this not all divine play?” Is this not all divine plan that, you know somebody should be poor, somebody should be rich, somebody should die of hunger, somebody should be burnt here, somebody should be alive there. Is this not all a divine plan? Somebody else is hungry; somebody’s children are dying without food. It must be divine plan. Suppose you’re hungry; then you’ll have your own plan, won’t you? Yes or no? Once you’re hungry, you’re going to have your own plan how to fill this belly. Isn’t it so? Somebody else is hungry; now we can philosophize. It must be all divine plan. See, in the name of divinity, you’re even forsaking your humanity. Unfortunately, in the name of God people are becoming inhuman. At least if you saw, oh this is happening. I’m eating well; somebody is not eating well. Immediately your humanity at least overflows. But now if you think I’m eating, somebody else is not eating, this must be divine plan. Even your humanity is gone; forget about divinity, right? Let your humanity overflow to its brim. Divinity will anyway happen. If you deny yourself your humanity, where is the question of divinity? It doesn’t arise. So, never talk about somebody else’s karma. When we talk about somebody else’s karma, you forsake your humanity. Somebody’s suffering; it must be his karma. Good way to insulate yourself from life, but you didn’t come here to avoid life; you came here to experience life. Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev is a Yogi and mystic with profound mastery of the ancient science of yoga. For details on Isha Yoga Programs, call 1-866-ISHA-YOGA or 704-502-1904 or email to: charlotte@ishafoundation.org Visit www.ishafoundation.org for details on programs and non-profit humanitarian activities.

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Role of Leaders By Sardar Singh

In response to Joe Haskins comments, posted under my previous article “Man Made God,” I had stated that any action based on idea, belief or an ideology creates division. Thought cultivates prejudice, opinion and judgment and these create division. Joe feels that thought also has been used for the betterment of society. Leaders like Gandhi, Martin Luther King and Desmond Tutu produced results that were beneficial to the world as a whole. To better understand the role of leaders in solving human problems we need to carefully look at the total human situation. Generally we are accustomed to look at things partially through the medium of our beliefs, ideas and concepts that we have already formed. This way our perception gets distorted. The best thing would be to imagine that you are coming from a different planet. You have the power of observation but you are not a participant in the human drama. This way your attention is focused on the facts only. In order to keep the perception objective you should not form any opinion about the facts. It is a fact that human beings are endowed with the ability to think. Thinking ability has helped man to make tremendous progress in the field of science, technology and other areas. But thinking also is responsible for creating numerous problems. No one can deny this fact. It has been known to man that selfishness and self-centeredness are at the root of human conflict, misery and sorrow. Yet human beings remain in the same predicament as they were centuries ago. Basically, fundamentally, psychologically their thought process remains the same. The mechanism of thought by which they create, maintain and perpetuate differences remains the same. Although it is evident beyond a shadow of doubt that the process identification with ideas creates divisions on the basis of religion and nationality, yet attachment to beliefs remains at the core of their thinking process. People continue to operate on the basis of violence, greed and jealousy because of strong psychological reasons. What actually takes place in the mind has lot of energy and momentum behind it. Human beings talk of love, but their minds are not free from hate and prejudice. They proclaim that all human beings are born equal but each one feels to be more than equal. They know that hate is the root of violence and that violence perpetuates fear and antagonism, yet they continue to meet hate with hate, anger with anger and violence with violence. All over the world this process of thinking has created a chain of cause and effect. Cause produces effect and the effect becomes the cause of another effect. The roots of disorder in the world lie in the state of the human mind. What do humans do when problems arise? They use the same thinking ability to solve the problems.

Unfortunately when they try to solve the problems they do not look at the mechanism of thought that creates the problems in the first place. Even if they intellectually grasp the source of the problem they ignore it, avoid it or feel totally helpless about it. They rely on some outside authority who they think can take care of the mess. Leaders, like other human beings, have a framework of mind within which they operate. They too lack clarity of perception about the intricacy and the complexity of the problem. Leaders are intellectually brilliant and impressive speakers. They are very good organizers. Majority of these leaders exploit the situation for their own selfinterest in order to gain more power, position and prestige. But there are some who are driven by the desire to serve the society and make the world a better place to live. These leaders pursue great ideas in order to achieve positive results. They bring within their circle other great thinkers who are equally keen to make a difference. People applaud such leaders who are willing to make sacrifices in order to protect and safeguard their interests. Unfortunately leaders deal only with manifestations without perceiving the malady. They fail to realize that all problems are interrelated and spring from the same source. The source is the cultural composition of man. Attention is focused only on specific issues and solution of a particular problem becomes the goal of life. The desire to achieve results motivates their action. Gandhi appeared on the world stage when there was lot of resentment against the British occupation of India. Gandhi mobilized public opinion and started a non-violent struggle against the British rule. It was non-violent because the British army was equipped with sophisticated weapons. Violent struggle would lead to bloodshed without producing any results. Gandhi asked people to set aside differences and fight for the common cause. Struggle for India’s independence stretched for a long period of time. Ultimately the British decided to leave India. But they were still the puppeteers holding in their hands the strings of the puppets – leaders of India including Gandhi. They were planning to divide and weaken the country. The inner psychological demands and urges of the leaders and their followers came to the surface. Ideals like non-violence and peace, unity and brotherhood, equality and justice blew away in the wind. Mountbatten connived with Jinnah who readily agreed to the proposal to partition the country so that he could become the ruler of the country where Muslims would be in majority. He was, however, willing to oppose the partition if he was made the Prime Minister of undivided India. But Nehru too was an ambitious person. He was very anxious to become the Prime Minister. So he rejected Jinnah’s proposal and persuaded Gandhi to agree to the partition of the country. Although Gandhi had publicly declared many times that he would not accept the partition of the country, yet he succumbed to the pressure of his close associates who were eager to grab power. If Gandhi had insisted on doing the right thing there was no power on earth which could have stopped him from disassocontinued on page 118

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s. get out of one plane and into another to complete a journey. t. do something different, interesting and enjoyable.

Harnessing the Power of American English By Judith L. Bergman M.A. CCC Seasons take their time changing in North Carolina. I was born in Connecticut and lived in New York, New Jersey and Amherst Massachusetts until I moved here in 1994. “Up north,” summer is precious. School NEVER resumes until after Labor Day and the first frost follows soon after. In North Carolina, October may bring crisp mornings but by the afternoon it can feel like summer. We will consider meanings and idioms using season, change and time. Match each sentence with the phrase that correctly defines the usage of season1 and of change.2 __1. Fall is my favorite season in North Carolina. __2. He has season tickets. __3. The holiday season goes from Thanksgiving to New Years in the US. __4. When are blueberries in season? __5. Seasoning is very important in preparing that recipe. __6. September temperatures in the 80’s are actually seasonable in the South. __7. He’s a seasoned diplomat. __8. He was fined for hunting out of season. __9. Can we change the date of the meeting? __10. You’ve changed since you started meditating. __11. I’ve changed my mind about selling the house. __12. John went to get changed. __13. I have to change the baby. __14. Can you change a $20 bill? __15. We had to change planes in New York. __16. The business has changed hands. __17. Let’s go out for a change. __18. His health took a change for the worse. __19. I have a dollar in change. __20. Here’s your change, sir. Definitions: a. a specific period of time b. adding salt, pepper and spices c. having a lot of experience d. admissions pass for a specific period of time e. ready to be eaten f. one of the four main periods of the year g. at a time which is not legal h. typical weather for that locality and time of year i. money in the form of coins j. are behaving differently k. has new ownership l. put a clean diaper on the baby m. give me smaller denominations totaling the same amount n. reversed a decision o. choose a different date p. put on different clothes q. money returned when you’ve paid more than something cost r. became worse October 2009

Get to the root of words A root is the stem or base form of many words. If you know just a few roots you can decode the meaning of many words. The Greek root hydro(s) means “water.” Match these words with their definitions:3 1.___ hydrostat 2. dehydrate 3.__ hydrophobia 4.__ hydroplane 5.___hydroponics hydropower 6. 7. hydrate hydrangea 8. 9. hydrotherapy 10. hydrosphere a. power generated from water b. flower that needs much water c. water on earth d. rabies; literally, fear of water e. combine with water f. dry out g. water therapy h. boat that travels on water i. growing plants in water j. electrical device for detecting water Use context clues, dictionaries and special resources to learn idioms with “time.”4 Can you use these exact idioms correctly in sentences: by the time, take the time to, ahead of one’s time, to spend time, to take up time. Changing even one word will change the meaning. For the answers, follow us on twitter.com/trianglespeech Suggested strategies to increase your word power this month: 1. Look and listen for various ways seasons, change and time are used in newspapers, magazine articles and conversation. 2. Listen to conversations and check the newspapers for examples of all five idioms in the quiz above. References: 1

2 3

Longman Dictionary of American English, Pearson Education Limited, 2004, pp. 819 (season). Ibid. pp. 140-141 (change) . Every Day Vocabulary by Laurie Rozakis, Ph.D., 1998: Doubleday Direct, Inc., Chapter 3: Get To the Root of the Matter, p.41. MIAE CD Series: Mastering Idioms of American English, Vol 2 /r/ colored Vowels and Diphthongs, Marjorie FeinsteinWhittaker, M.S., Lorna D. Sikorski M.A., LDS Assoc. LLC, 2005. p. 72, 77.

Last, but not least: We welcome your questions and comments. (Contact information is below.) Answers (season, change) 1-f, 2-d, 3-a, 4-e, 5-b 6-h, 7-c, 8-g, 9-o, 10-j, 11-n, 12-p, 13-l, 14-m, 15-s, 16-k, 17-t , 18-r , 19-I, 20-q. (Roots) 1-j,2-f, 3-d, 4-h, 5-i, 6-a, 7-e, 8-b, 9-g,10-c

Mastering Meaning

Judith L. Bergman M.A CCC is the director of Triangle Speech Services specializing in foreign accent modification. Contact: jlbergman@mindspring.com or 919-489-5464 www.trianglespeech.com

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ASTRIDE

CONTINENTS

By Chandan Sen Of Creation, Preservation and Destruction Many years ago, my dad told me of the time when he went swimming in Bombay and wanted to test his mettle. As a Cadet Officer in the Royal Indian Navy he used to go swimming in the Bombay beach in his spare time. One day he decided to swim out a further than he normally did. He kept a brisk pace till he decided that enough was enough and it was time to head back. But when he looked around for the shoreline, it had vanished and all around him was the watery horizon. In a panic, he told himself that he would certainly drown if he did not reach the beach, so he set out blindly. Luckily for him, it turned out to be the right direction and he reached the shore exhausted, otherwise I wouldn’t be here to tell this story. I can relate to my dad’s experience because something similar happened to me in Bangalore around 1977. I used to go rock climbing with other members of the Karnataka Mountaineering Association. One day, I decided to go alone instead of with my fellow climbers. Equipped with a small rucksack, I started climbing up a relatively steep, boulder-laden slope. Without looking backwards or downwards, I told myself that I would climb higher than I usually did. When I looked back, vertigo seized me and I froze. The slope downwards seemed incredibly steep and I found that I could not bring myself to give up my perch atop a boulder. Minutes passed. Every time I tried to climb down fear gripped me and I could not stir. In desperation I told myself that I’d surely die if I stayed put where I was, so I forced myself to descend, hand over hand and feet over feet, all the time expecting to fall and roll downhill to certain injury, if not death. It is at moments like these that I wonder at the Trinity of Creator, Preserver and Destroyer. If my dad had died that day, I wouldn’t be here to tell this story, as I wrote before. To a lesser extent, my misadventure on the hills proved an important point to me—-that we are created, preserved till it pleases our maker, and then destroyed, and nothing can stop it. Devotion A well-respected Swami of Sri Ramkrishna Mission had passed away, and Calcutta was grieving. The Maharaja had written on spiritual matters for many decades, and we say that he had attained Mahasamadhi, or left his body - not just passed away as ordinary mortals do. I was in the vicinity of Gol Park, where one of the main centers of the Mission is situated. The vehicle carrying Maharaja’s body came out of the Mission compound and slowed down to turn right into Gariahat Road, on the way to the Garia crematorium. Suddenly a man dashed out from the sidewalk and touched the hearse with his hand. It was a brief contact and then the vehicle sped away. The man’s devotion October 2009

was so strong that I remember the scene to this day, even though the incident occurred over a decade ago. Many saints have written books to spread their messages. My father, although a believer in God, doubted that He governed day-to-day events. People mistakenly thought that he did not believe. But one day, when I’d told him about Sri Aurobindo, and left the pocket edition of Savitri on the table next to his bed, I saw him reach out and touch the book. My son, greatly influenced by his mother, is a devotee of Swami Muktananda. The laptop on his desk had books by Swamiji, along with other books. One day, I needed some space on his table to set up my own laptop so that I could connect to the Internet. (We share a common connection.) Well, I’d put the books on one pile and, inadvertently, placed a book - I think it was a science book - on top of a book by Swamiji. Later, when my son came into the room, he gently admonished me and said that he would rather that I did not place any other object on any of his spiritual books. Finally, the ancient tale of devotion is told of the man who approached Jesus and asked for his help in curing his son. If I recollect, he requested Jesus to just say the word and his son would be cured. The Master replied, “Go. Your faith will be rewarded.” Or words to that effect. Such is the nature of devotion. Survival Fear of loss drives us more than the lure of gain. I coined this saying after observation and experience. The secret to health care in America is not to fall sick! As if that’s in our hands!! But illness causes absenteeism, loss of production and all sorts of other ills. My wife keeps the thermostat at 67°F in winter. This is a trifle too cold for me, so I asked her to turn it up. But that costs more money, she said. Since that day on I’ve been contributing my mite to the family budget. The thermostat, I noticed, had been kept at 69°F, but only for a few days! Soon it was back at 67°F. I figured that my mite wasn’t enough, but I had no more money to give. Then I caught a cold and had to absent myself from work. That didn’t change things much at home because my wife earns five times what I do. Her hard work has had an adverse effect on her health. We’re all in the same boat, aren’t we? I’m happy that I occasionally fall sick. Robust health at my age can be viewed with suspicion. (Hey, he hasn’t been pulling his weight!) I’ve coined a saying here too, Your strength inspires me; your weakness reassures me. Shocked? Well, that’s the real world. Survival of the fittest according to Darwin. Will the poor eventually become extinct because of an inability to pay heating bills? All sorts of scenarios race through my mind. A sage once said, adaptable people survive, so I’ve decided to wear a woolly cap and sweater in the house. As for helping with the expenses, I’m about to send my sayings to the quotable quotes section of the Readers’ Digest, in the hope that they’ll publish at least one and pay me the princely sum of $300. That’s the lure driving me on. The lazy man finds an easy way.

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Chandan Sen Contact: chandansen33@hotmail.com

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Cary Diwali 2009 Padharo Mhare Des

Q. So, as you break into the movie business, who is your idol in the entertainment industry? A. I love Michael Jackson. I love his songs, especially “Earth Song” and “Childhood.” They really speak to me “Rajasthan is calling” and I get very emotional when I listen to them. I was shocked at his recent death. I had hoped to meet him By Deeksha Gupta some day, but now that hope has passed with him. Now The theme for Cary Diwali 2009, the annual celebra- my only wish is to walk in his footsteps and go as far in tion presented by Hum Sub and the town of Cary, is life. “Padharo Mhare Des.” The emphasis will be on the Indian state of Rajasthan. The day will be filled with Q. As an Indian Idol, do you see yourself as a role dance, food and music while the attendees are trans- model for younger generations of Indians? How ported to the “land of royalty” while taking part in the does that affect your actions? time-honored celebration of light and the triumph of A. Yes, I am often in the spotlight, and consulted - or good over evil as represented by Diwali. As the evening downright imitated - in my performance and style. descends, join the chorus of voices - the melding of all Reminds me to keep my work honest. I am overjoyed ages and languages - that fill the night with Indian that these younger generations look up to me, and conIdols Sandeep Acharya and Aditi Paul in their feature sider me a role model. There is no job better than that. performance. Later, watch in wonder as the sky over Koka Booth Amphitheatre fills with a grand fireworks Q. As you know, the 2009 theme for Cary Diwali display. Immerse yourself in the music and exhibitions, is “Padharo Mhare Des,” a direct reference to or indulge in the authentic cuisine and handicrafts your native state of Rajasthan. Does your upcombazaar, bring your five senses and be whisked away to ing performance at Cary Diwali carry any special the rich traditions of Rajasthan. Cary Diwali is an open- meaning for you? air festival, and has gained a large following since its A. Rajasthan’s language, dress, and hospitality are inception in 2001. Last year this popular Triangle event unbelievable. We treat guests like gods. I’m from pulled a crowd of over 12,000. This year, with double Bikaner, Rajasthan, so of course to be able to add to the celebrity performers and the addition of an infor- this celebration of my home state is a special experimational exhibit celebrating Rajasthan’s vivid history, ence for me. I’m very excited to be performing for the legends, architecture, and landscapes, the cultural pro- Cary audience! gram promises to be even better. Cary Diwali 2009 will take place on October 10, 2009. The event is free. In reply to the question of how he is going to preHere are chats with the featured performers. pare for his October 10 show, Acharya answered, “I usually put on some music and dance right before I go You may know Sandeep Acharya for onstage, or I might meditate.” Despite being a hard his various accomplishments as the worker, he sure knows how to unwind and have fun. Season two Indian Idol winner, as the Golden Voice of Rajasthan, Best New Talent 2006, and the recipient of an After a long day at work, Aditi Paul award from Amitabh Bachchan for his likes to put on soothing music and sit debut album Mere Saath Saara Jahaan. down to homemade maccher jhol What is not common knowledge, howbhath, the traditional Bengali meal. At ever, are the humble beginnings of his home, you would most likely find her music career, and the time and energy garbed in a comfortable kameez salhe has dedicated to building his success. In a talk with war, the informal women’s wear popuAcharya, Hum Sub set out to expose the relentless lar in India. Aditi Paul is also the season work ethic behind this Indian idol. one runner-up for Indian Idol, an internationally acclaimed artist, and a Q. How did you get involved in music, and what Bollywood singer whose voice embellishes the soundrole did your family play? tracks of such hit movies as Life Partner and Kisaan. A. No one in my family had any musical background, Seems contradictory? Paul claims that, despite the yet they were all very supportive when I expressed recognition she is blessed with today, she remains the interest in vocal training. They used to listen to me same “simple Bengali girl” who first auditioned for sing, and my father even encouraged me to participate Indian Idol in 2004. Hum Sub caught up with her in a school singing competition when I was 12 years before her October 10 Triangle performance at Cary old. I credit that they never tried to downplay or Diwali 2009 to discuss how she is staying true to her smother my dreams. They believed that if I worked roots. hard, I would succeed. Q. You have been working hard! You already have an Indian Idol title under your belt, what are you working on now? A. I have an album coming out in two months that I am very excited about. I am also acting in a movie in which I am playing a romantic role. It’s got drama, comedy, adventure- the kind of role you dream about. October 2009

Q. Has music always been a part of your life and plans? Is there a story behind your decision to audition for the first season of Indian Idol? A. Music has always been a part of my life in some form or other. When I was younger my mother was interest-

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released from the trading bands and allowed to do its own work, there was another major crash. The distance from all-time peak to the trough was over 10,000 points and the KSE-100 sank to a low in the 4900s during January 2009. In spite of all of the difficulties and challenges that Pakistan is experiencing on various fronts (economic and geopolitical), the markets have recovered aggressively from the panic-lows, especially during late By Rajesh Ganatra August-early September. The KSE-100 reclaimed the 9,000 level and continued even higher from there. Despite the recent positive action in the equity marHere are some important quotes as of 09/26/2009 kets, the Pakistani Rupee remained under pressure and it has depreciated significantly against the U.S. Mumbai (Bombay) Sensex: 16,222.62 Dollar in the past 18-20 months: $1 was approxiKarachi, Pakistan KSE-100 Index: 9,928.83 mately 68 PKR at the beginning of 2008, and at the Dow Jones Industrial Average (USA): 9,899.86 time of writing this article, the rate was $1 = 83 PKR. NASDAQ Composite (USA): 2,096.34 Inflation remains significantly elevated and prices for S & P 500 Index (USA): 1,096.94 essential foodstuffs such as Atta (wheat flour) are high despite good crops. Currency Exchange Rates: Indian Rs. 48.23 = $1.00, Pakistani Rs. 82.11 = $1.00 Looking back a year ago, the U.S. financial markets and economy were certainly on shaky ground during Gold Price: $942/ ounce (Mumbai) the latter part of 2008 but there was a series of events Silver Price: $15.58 / ounce (Mumbai) that literally shook the ground beneath everyone’s (Note —- Mumbai prices quoted in U.S. dollars were calcu- feet. Firstly, Lehman Brothers collapsed in midlated using the above exchange rate and the metric factor September 2008 and that vibrated throughout global of 28.6 grams equals 1 ounce. Generally speaking, there are slight variances in prices of precious metals between India financial markets. Secondly, Wells Fargo consummated an acquisition of Wachovia at “fire-sale” prices and & U.S.A. due to market conditions / exchange rates). this impacted the markets even further. Thirdly, the economy was losing in excess of 500,000 jobs per The Indian equity markets had a challenging start to month and all of the economic data was very poor, 2009 - the Sensex opened the year near 10,000 and especially regarding the housing market. The economthe index was smacked down hard immediately after ic stimulus package was stalled in Congress, and the the Satyam scandal came to light. For a few months, Dow plunged 777 points on September 29, 2008, investors shied away from the markets but gradually, which was the day the package did not pass. The negthey began to dip their toes back in and Satyam itself ativity and gloom then fed on itself and the markets rebuilt itself with new management, a new Board of experienced several 500-600 point down days. Directors and some new clients as well. In May 2009, Last month the eighth solemn observance of the Congress Party scored major victories in lengthy 9/11/2001 has gone by and we now embark on the elections and that ignited a huge rally on Dalal Street. one-year observances of Lehman, Wachovia buy-out The Sensex had a record-breaking gain the day after and the big plunge on the Dow. What has happened the results were announced and in the forthcoming since then? The markets were in a tailspin and the sessions, the index experienced some mild profit tak- Dow traded in the 6400s during March 2009, which ing but was able to retain the majority of the gains. represented levels not seen since 1996. Bank of In the months that followed the Congress victories, America (NYSE-BAC) traded below $3 per share and major mutual fund companies such as Fidelity and Citigroup (NYSE-C) traded below $1 per share due to Birla Sun indicated that they were bullish on India - fears of nationalization and wipe-out of shareholder and that helped to bring more money back into the equity. However, the markets pulled themselves out of markets. Even as the USA economy continued to their funk and within six months, the major indices struggle, several of the “Asian Tigers” started to show appreciated nearly 50 percent. positive signs and India is certainly a part of this The markets have pulled away from the worst levgroup. As of the writing of this column, the Sensex els, but has the economy? The answer seems to be a stood in the 16,400s, which is over 60 percent appre- “cautious” yes. Some of the figures on consumer conciation since the start of 2009 - and all of a sudden, fidence, spending, housing starts, etc. show a marked the records that were made in January 2008 above improvement from a few months prior. The economy 20,000 do not seem that far away anymore. is still losing jobs, but not at the pace of 600,000 per Pakistan has experienced tremendous volatility in all month at the start of 2009. The markets normally are regards over the past two years that has encom- 6-9 months ahead of the economy, so the comeback passed its geopolitical situation, economic situation on Wall Street hopefully portends a stronger Main and even the country’s standing in the cricket world. Street in the months to come. However, a few words The Karachi KSE-100 touched records in the 15,500s of caution: the Government has spent a lot of money during the first few months of 2008 and this was fol- on the economic stimulus plan, bailout of the auto lowed by a major crash. Subsequently, trading was industry, bailout of the financials, etc. and the overall virtually halted for several months and the index was deficit and national debt are staggering. The greenstuck between 9178-9184. When the market was continued on page 118 October 2009

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Marketing Turnaround By Gail Martin I’m on Facebook: Now What? It seems like I’ve been speaking a lot about social media, and that’s because people have a lot of questions! I’ve talked with a lot of small business owners and solo professionals who either aren’t sure why (or whether) they should be on social media, and with others who have set up accounts and aren’t sure what to do next. Social media, of course, refers to online communities such as Facebook, and MySpace, sharing sites like YouTube and Flickr and specialized sites like Shelfari. It also includes blogs and Twitter, the popular “micro blog.” Social media may be a new tool, but it works best when some basic marketing principles apply. First of all, social media will only work effectively when it’s part of a plan. Secondly, for social media to work, you have to understand who your audience is, where they are congregating and what message will resonate to move them to action. And thirdly, you need to have a good idea of what any tool actually does in order to use it effectively. Get a Plan Many companies fail to market effectively because they don’t have a marketing plan that’s based on their business plan goals. A surprising number of solo professionals don’t even have a business plan! As they say, failing to plan is really planning to fail. This is true for social media as with any type of communication. Marketing is only as good as its foundation, and if you aren’t clear on your business goals (“make more money” is not a business plan-level goal), then your marketing will be imprecise, your message will be muddled and your results will be unimpressive (but how would you know if you have no plan by which to measure them?). Social media works best when it is part of an overall marketing plan. It should be targeted to a specific segment of your target audience, and its message should reinforce and extend your overall marketing themes. Social media is a great way to deepen relationships with existing clients and prospects and to reach a whole new group of potential prospects whom you might never have otherwise had the chance to meet. It can also help you create and sustain a twoway dialogue and drive traffic to your other sites. You should know what you hope to gain from using a marketing tool, whether you’re using social media, traditional advertising, PR or direct mail. You should have a budget for time and money and some quantifiable idea of return. Your marketing actions should be linked directly to the business plan goal advanced by that action to keep you grounded in return-on-investment. Your plan should make it possible for you to October 2009

Know Your Audience Social media success requires that you understand your audience, their needs, their culture and the language that moves them. Different social media sites have very different primary audiences, who go to those sites for differing reasons. For example, Facebook is primarily a social site, where business takes on a more conversational, lowkey approach. Meeting new people on Facebook is easy and encouraged, and it’s ok to approach total strangers and invite them to become “friends” on the basis of shared interests or people you know in common. On the other hand, LinkedIn is a power networking site with very strict rules about who you should invite or accept into your network (only people you actually know in real life) and with penalties for breaking the rules. You will probably find many people on both Facebook and LinkedIn, but they will react differently depending on where you approach them. This isn’t so different from realizing that a business person may act differently at the office than when you encounter them after hours in a local pub. To use social media successfully, it’s important to know the rules for each community you join and watch how others interact before plunging into the action. Then adapt your approach for that community, making your site more social and casual on one site and allbusiness somewhere else. This also affects how much you share about what you’re doing and your personal life. Facebook tends to encourage showing more personality and even quirkiness, along with some insight into the person behind the suit. LinkedIn, on the other hand (using these two as polar examples), sticks to business. You’ll need to adapt your message for the particular site as well. Continuing with the examples of Facebook and LinkedIn, on Facebook, invitations abound to attend teleseminars, online groups and other real or virtual events. On LinkedIn, it’s up to the individual to find the groups and choose to join, and invitations to events tend to be more low-key and restricted to the one-line “what are you doing” box. Understand the Tool Facebook and MySpace are a lot like meeting people at a cocktail party, where conversation can range from serious to frivolous. LinkedIn is like a business networking luncheon. Your blog is like a short personal conversation about a given topic, while Twitter is more like a quick comment. Each of these social media tools (and the other sites like them) has strengths and weaknesses. For example, Twitter can be great for asking for continued on page 94 Gail Z. Martin owns DreamSpinner Communications. Contact her at dreamspinnercommunications@earthlink.net

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Personal Finance By Narendra Dixit

Women Business Owners – Planning for Retirement Business owners have a lot on their minds. There are all the administrative tasks a business entails – billing, collections, keeping accounts, payroll, taxes and so forth. There’s marketing and selling. Hiring and supervising employees. And a thousand more. As tough as it is to keep on top of all these matters, many women who own businesses have an additional set of responsibilities – caring for their homes and their families. So it’s no wonder that women often relegate the future to a back burner, saying “I’ll take care of it when I have the time.” If you’re a business owner and haven’t made provisions for your retirement, it’s time to move it off the back burner. The recent changes in the tax law have created several new opportunities to save money for retirement while saving on taxes now. The sooner you start saving for retirement, the more you’ll have when the day comes. After all, you work hard to make your business a success—make sure your business works just as hard to make your retirement a success. Retirement Planning Options for the Owner-Only Business The bad news about a one-person business is that it will support you only as long as you continue to work. The good news is that there are several excellent retirement options that make sense for a one-person business, including SEP-IRA, SIMPLE IRA, profitsharing and/or money purchase plans. With an Owners 401(k) you can put away far more for retirement than with other types of plans. Because it combines a profit-sharing and 401(k) plan, the Owners 401(k) allows you to save up to the combined limit for each of these types of plans. This means you can save up to $46,000 per year in 2008 ($51,000 if you are aged 50 or over) for yourself, plus additional savings for a spouse or certain family members who may work for you. It covers only the owner(s), their spouse, and their family, so it is not appropriate if there are common law employees. Example: Sara S. is 47 and made $145,000 in salary in her interior design business in 2008. Her business is an Scorporation and she is the only employee. By using an Owners 401(k), she can save an additional $15,500 towards her retirement and defer taxes on the total amount. See the calculations on the next column.

October 2009

Without Owners 401(k) Maximum profit-sharing contribution ($145,000 x 25%) =

$29,000

Total saved for retirement

$29,000

With Owners 401(k) Maximum profit sharing contribution = + Maximum 401(k) contribution = Total saved for retirement =

$29,000 $15,500 $44,500

Not only does the Owners 401(k) enable you to save more for retirement, but it also further reduces your taxable income, saving you money now. Choosing Among Different Types of Retirement Plans If you have employees and wish to save for your own retirement, you will generally need to cover your qualified employees, as well, although some types of plans permit you to specify whether part-time or new employees are eligible. There are advantages and disadvantages to each type of plan, so you should talk to a financial professional as to which type of plan is most suitable for your situation. Here are some questions you may want to consider when you consult with your advisor: • How complicated and/or expensive is this plan to set up and maintain? Some plans require more paperwork than others, including annual filings. The simplest plans to administer include the SEP-IRA, SIMPLE IRA and Owners 401(k). • Which plans allow me to contribute the most to my own retirement account? The plans that allow the largest contributions include SEP-IRA, combined profit-sharing and money purchase plans and Owners 401(k). • Can I borrow from my retirement account? Some plans permit borrowing, depending on the terms of the plan agreement and up to certain limits. These include profit-sharing and money purchase plans, Owners 401(k) and regular 401(k). Whatever the plan you establish, the important thing is to begin saving for retirement now. Put it at the top of your “to do” list and speak to your financial advisor today. AXA Advisors and AXA Network do not provide legal or tax advice. Consult your tax or legal advisor regarding your individual situation.

Narendra Dixit offers securities through AXA Advisors, LLC (member NASD, SIPC) and offers annuity and insurance products through an insurance general agency affiliate, AXA Network, LLC and its subsidiaries. 704-540-1509

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dous influence over the direction of technology through the $150 billion a year that it invests on research and development as well as the $76 billion that government agencies spend annually on hardware and software. Among the administration’s priorities, Chopra said In address to Indian-Americans, Obama wants to improve and open up the nation’s broadAneesh Chopra says the US is band infrastructure, while maintaining security; use techin danger of losing its competitive edge nology to help further education; and find ways to use in technology. data processing to lower costs and improve outcomes in the medical system. By Tom Abate - GlobalPost.com “Health care IT (information technology) happens to San Francisco — The speech began with a laugh be the No. 1 item on my personal agenda,” he said. In his remarks Chopra offered examples of efforts now when Aneesh Chopra, chief technology officer of the United States, fouled up his slide presentation before underway to improve the delivery of government services even while the administration works toward these 400 Silicon Valley executives. “Who’s the chief technology officer in this room,” joked higher goals. “It’s about what can we do in the here and now,” he Chopra, the first occupant of the office created by President Barack Obama to make the U.S. government, said. For instance, Chopra said Obama complained in and the country’s economy, more innovative. Chopra, 37, was born in New Jersey August that it took too long for the Veteran’s to parents who emigrated from India. Administration to process disability claims despite Together with his colleague, Vivek efforts over many years “by consultants out the yin Kundra, Obama’s chief information offi- yang” to expedite the process. So Chopra said the administration has already crecer, Chopra symbolizes the growing prominence of Indian-Americans in the ated an online system that is enlisting suggestions technology realm and the role they will from more than 12,000 VA workers — an example of a tech-inspired trend called “crowdsourcing” that is play in setting White House policy. The mainly Indian-American audi- the antithesis of bureaucracy. “The president is convinced that frontline workers ence at last month’s speech, which was sponsored by The Indus Entrepreneurs, a networking organization will figure out these things after a top-down approach has failed,” Chopra said. for Indian-Americans, welcomed him with pride. Another example that resonat“He is one of our own,” said TIE ed with his Indian-American audipresident Vish Mishra, a Silicon Chopra said the United States was the ence was a recent Obama manValley entrepreneur and venture to make the U.S. Customs capitalist. worst of 40 nation and regions surveyed date and Immigration Service website Mishra also quipped about the user-friendly by, for importance of Chopra’s appear- at adapting its policies and systems in 25 more instance, enabling people to learn ance in Silicon Valley, unofficial technology capital of the United areas - from education to investment to the status of their visa or citizenship paperwork. States, if not the world. “We have lived this problem,” said “If you’re Catholic, you’ve got to infrastructure - to encourage innovation Chopra, telling the story of one eldgo to Rome,” Mishra said. and competitiveness. erly Indian man he knew who had In his speech Chopra, who was died during the lengthy process of secretary for technology in the getting approved for immigration. state of Virginia before joining Chopra said USCIS is poised to unveil a new web-based Obama, said the United States was in danger of losing system that will let applicants get updates about their its competitive edge in technology. He cited a recent report titled “The Atlantic Century,” immigration status via email, text message or online query. “This is personal. This is real,” he said, adding, “We by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, that showed Singapore, Sweden, have to have government that works.” Good intentions aside, it remains to be seen whether Luxembourg, Denmark and South Korea ahead of the United States in overall competitiveness when it came to Obama’s efforts to open up and modernize the bureaucracy will yield more fruit than the “reinventing governknowledge-based industries. More worrisome, Chopra said the United States was ment” crusade that then Vice President Al Gore led under the worst of 40 nation and regions surveyed at adapting the Clinton administration. Beyond his natural supporters in the Indian-American its policies and systems in 25 areas — from education to investment to infrastructure — to encourage innovation community, Chopra has fans among tech leaders who believe that the web, and the culture of involvement that and competitiveness. “Ranking dead last around these 25 innovation metrics it enables, can reshape what is now being called “Government 2.0.” gives us a mandate for improvement,” he said. “Aneesh Chopra is a rock star,” web entrepreneur Tim Chopra said Obama’s charge to him and Kundra, with whom he works closely, was to “harness the power and O’Reilly blogged at the time of his appointment. “He’s a potential of technology and innovation to transform the brilliant, thoughtful change-maker. He knows technology. He knows government, and he knows how to put the two nation’s economy.” He said the federal government can exercise a tremen- together to solve real problems.”

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Social Media by Wendy D. Wells

Social Media is filled with tools to bring us closer and to make conversations possible, yet sometimes it seems as though we are further apart than ever. Maybe because of the impersonality of it all…how easy it is to become close to someone online and write things you would never say face-to-face. We have begun to verbalize thoughts to strangers in 140 characters that we might otherwise never have considered uttering in a whisper to an old friend. At a Tweetup luncheon one day, a colleague looked around at the lack of actual conversation taking place. He commented that most of the people there were not someone he normally would have struck up a friendship with. Yet, because of Twitter he talked more openly with the attendees when he tweeted than he did face-to-face with them. While I preach the gospel of Social Media and its many tools, I wonder if the backlash of the convenience and progression is a lack of morality and civility in this generation. Not only the kids but adults, too. Sometimes I feel as if our nation needs its mouth washed out with soap, and certain individuals should be made to stand in the corner. Insolent, childish behavior has put us in the spotlight showcasing our lack of civility toward one another. Recently, the worst breach of civil conduct came from James Wilson, the Senator from South Carolina. By shouting the words, “You lie!” at our President during his address, Senator Wilson disgraced his constituents, his family, his party, and his country. It was the mockery heard round the world. Even though a few people interviewed in South Carolina’s capitol city, Columbia were supportive of his actions, Wilson’s behavior has been seen as deplorable to every other country on the globe. The reaction of citizens of other nations are overwhelmingly against his behavior, and consider his outburst beyond disrespectful. Only children and those who suffer from turrets are excused from not being able to contain their explosive vocalizations. From what I can tell, Senator Wilson is neither. Days later, at the MTV video awards show, Kanye West jumped on stage, took the microphone out of Taylor Swift’s hands as she was making her acceptance speech for winning best female video. He completely ruined her moment in the spotlight as she was saying that she was a country singer, so she was grateful to win. Kanye practically said that she didn’t deserve the award by saying that Beyonce’s video was one of the best of all time. Taylor was frozen, microphone and Moonman award in hand, her chance to shine tarnished. The next night, Kanye went silent when Jay Leno asked what West’s late mother would have thought of his behavior toward Swift. He never answered the question. Surely, Kanye knows wherever his mother is, she’s frowning in disappointment, shaking her head, “this is not how I raised my boy.” Then, Serena Williams, who lost the U.S. Open semiOctober 2009

final threatened a line judge with bodily harm after the judge made a foot fault call on Williams. Now, Williams didn’t say just one little, flippant threat; she described in colorful detail how she would use a tennis ball to kill the line judge. Serena acted like a typical playground bully, who wasn’t getting her way. She took what used to be one of the most civilized, “gentlemen’s games” and turned it into back alley brawl. What we need is a good old fashioned dose of Ozzy and Harriett, Ward and June Cleaver, and Father Knows Best. Manners were taught at home because they were exhibited at home. Parents said, “good morning” to one another and their children. The word, “please” always accompanied the request of a favor, “thank you” was the immediate response when the favor was granted, and “you’re welcome” was replied in return. Yes, these were idyllic lives on TV, but when you watch these old shows, don’t they seem to express a sense of good will toward one another that we are lacking today? These were the post-war years, our nation was prospering, and perhaps like in the days following 9/11, we were more aware of how fragile life truly is. Maybe after all of the death and destruction that World War II had caused, hurting someone’s feelings was just as damaging as physically hurting them. It still is, yet somehow we’ve forgotten that. We have so many tools for Social Media and ways of keeping each other connected, but we’re standing further apart than ever before. Kanye West was right beside Taylor Swift the other night when he took the microphone from her hands, yet he was miles away – in his own world, where only he matters and he is King. However, it’s got to be a very lonely place. He doesn’t understand the power of the words, “I’m sorry.” He won’t energize them and make them real…he says the words, then backs up his original actions as if he were right to do what he did. Tim McGraw used the Kanye West moment as a lesson for his daughters to learn how not to behave. How many other parents did that? Senator Wilson says the President has accepted his “I’m sorry” over the phone, but refuses to publicly verbalize an apology to the House. There are more people than just the President he insulted. How about apologizing to America? He has embarrassed us across the world and now, by his refusal to apologize publicly, he’s only showing his lack of remorse. He is a petulant, stubborn child with his fingers tied behind his back as he makes an apology over the phone to a voice on the other end. Then, Serena Williams says she won’t change the way she is. She assures her fans that she will remain “passionate” and still plans to argue as she plays her game. Why can’t she set a better example instead by saying she plans to act like a lady and give the word Diva a more refined nuance? How do we find our way back to civility and better will toward one another? Can purity and chastity back

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Wendy D. Wells is President of WD Wells Writing and Editing, LLC. She is a Charlotte, NC based, Telecommuting Copywriter, Professional Blogger and Editor. wwells@wendywellswrites.com saathee.com

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Chai Table Contemporary God By Jay Desai Located at costal town of Mangalore, in the state of Karnataka, the Gandhi Temple attracts people who believe that Gandhi and his principles are meaningful even decades after his death. Gandhi is worshipped here thrice a day like any other God in temples. And, far away on the other side in the state of Orissa, stands a temple built in 1971, where Mahatma Gandhi is placed as a deity. The temple was established by once untouchable Abhimanyu Kumar, who believed Gandhi worked hard to earn them dignity and social status in the caste-driven society. Gandhi deserves more than having his own place of worship. There are several examples of such Gandhi temples, or such associated stories. Around the world, Gandhians will continue building temples for him, or continue worshiping him as God; it remains mind boggling why Gandhi could be perceived as a God, demigod or God-like Hero. Also, the larger is question here is does Gandhi deserve the stature of God? As it is abstract to many, God is difficult to perceive when it comes to realizing or understanding his own full spectrum. To some, God is a just holy divine thing whose shape, form and power is eternal, infinite or mystic; and they just want to stop right there and not think beyond, or they may simply be blinded by faith. Most of humanity likes to think about god in abstract form, since they want to remain glorified by his mystic existence and mystic power. To many it seems that once you define the God, once you finite its form, than God is merely an object not different than a tree, a house or your pet or pal, which than could be taken as granted by many. However, to the modern generation growing within constant scientific and technological inventions, “faith” is not the answer. Constantly puzzled with their logic and questioning attitudes of why, what and when, the concept of a mystic or abstract God may not be very buyable to this generation. And, by the same token, for those simple-minded, too, same is not acceptable, since they want to understand the God in simple ways with whom they can connect for their day to day life encounters, or where they can relate their day to day rituals to something. Merely in simplistic terms, they are looking for real life mentors and not something on a grand scale that took place ages ago or is described in mythology. Thinking about ages and mythology, Lord Jesus seems to be somewhat closer to reality, may be, since he appeared on the face of the earth lot later. However, it was still sometime ago, when cultural values and norms of society were quite different than October 2009

modern era. Also, many different interpretations can be made, without having all tangible references. Same you can say for Buddha. And now when we think about Lord Krishna or Lord Ram or Abraham of Jewish mythology, we have some layers of mystery shrouding the reality since it supposedly happened thousands of years ago. When an investigating mind tries to remove layers, more questions of why, what and when becomes unavoidable and undoubtedly daunting. An average being can be really lost or confused amongst all these, if not supported by strong inner faith. Hence that is when real-life heroes come so handy in our daily and average lives. Although, where do those “out of the box” thinkers find those “close to perfection” kind of heroes in modern history? It seems that Gandhi might fit the bill amongst all these. He seems easy to understand, follow or emulate, as he set his own life as an example for everything he presented or preached. He does make appeal to the “out of the box” thinker; Someone who just happened to be around the corner or around the century, someone who was surrounded by the similar if not the same challenges that most of us face today. He is not distances or eons away, yet someone who one can feel, touch and realize. To many of us, what Gandhi did during his lifetime feel like it just happened yesterday. Okay, so Gandhi may stand as real life idol for many, however, it will be nothing but idolizing, something that Gandhi would never have preferred. He was the most modest man on the earth so far that one can think of. A man who believed more in practicing than preaching who also said that all his writings should be burnt when he is gone. He also emphasized that what he had been saying is nothing new but as old as hills standing for centuries. To a larger extent, Islam and Judaism do not entertain the idea of idolizing unlike Christianity, and of course Hinduism. On the other hand, Hinduism accepts the existence of many other faiths, which was strongly manifested and practiced by Gandhi throughout his life. Gandhi’s life-long peaceful battle and personal sacrifice for humankind is very well comparable to Jesus’ life, and above that, his compassion for nonviolence and kindness for downtrodden seems to be adopted from Buddhism and Jainism. So Gandhi appears to manifest little bit from every faith with some proven results. That might make him tangible and more universal. Born in 1922, Abhimanyu Kumar probably could not get his answers from religious scripts, but he did see Gandhi in action, bringing desirable changes possibly for everyone in society during his life span, enough to convince him to make Gandhi a deity. Be it Abhimanyu Kumar or any other average Joe, he or she may not want to do endless research, or may not want to go thru Gita or Bible or Koran. He or she does not want to be bombarded with heavy scripts and deep preaching. He or she is simply searching for simple answers, and for that they might have found those answers in their contemporary god-like heroes, or for that matter God – Mahatma Gandhi.

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The Cricket Forum Australia ODI shifted from Jaipur to Vadodara

Pakistan. The board also announced that the players who took part in IPL 2009 will have their earnings taxed at 15 percent by the South African Revenue Service, though income earned by BCCI-IPL will not be taxed. The board also retained Sourav Ganguly, the former Indian captain, as a member of the technical committee, which is headed by Sunil Gavaskar. The panel also includes former Test umpire VK Ramaswamy and Kris Srikkanth, who was retained as the head of the senior selection committee for the 2009-10 season.

The first match of the seven-ODI series between Australia and India has been shifted from the Sawai Man Singh Stadium in Jaipur to the Reliance Stadium in Vadodara. The move, announced during the BCCI AGM, was prompted by the current power struggle within the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA). “We have shifted the first ODI from Jaipur to Vadodara,” BCCI president Shashank Manohar said at the board’s AGM in Mumbai. A controversy had arisen over control of the RCA with a group backed by Lalit Modi recently claiming to have removed the incumbent, Sanjay Dixit, through a no-confidence motion. Dixit - who defeated Modi in the election earlier this year - called the move unconstitutional and said he was still in charge. The series kicks off on October 25, 2009 and will run through till November 11, 2009. The Rajasthan players are reportedly irked by the state of affairs and the Cricket Players Association of Rajasthan (CPAR) have demanded the state government’s intervention to sort out the issues.

Courtesy of Cricinfo.com

BCCI announces new IMG deal The contract dispute between the BCCI and IMG has been formally laid to rest at the Indian board’s annual general meeting held in Mumbai last month. IMG will now be paid $5.5 million for managing the IPL for the remaining eight years of its ten-year deal, and $6.7 million for its work in 2009. The old contract between the BCCI and IMG had effectively fallen through last month because of IMG’s bill for services concerning the IPL 2009 in South Africa. N Srinivasan, the BCCI secretary, sent a termination letter to the company, which resulted in letters of protest from the franchises and, eventually, the intervention of former BCCI president Sharad Pawar. The board’s working committee subsequently authorized its president Shashank Manohar to act as a mediator and report back to the board at the AGM. Announcing the new deal at the AGM, Manohar also had a word for the IPL franchises. “There were reports about franchises having written letters to the board,” he said. “They have no right to interfere in the internal matters of the board. Such a thing will not be tolerated.” BCCI treasurer MP Pandove said the Mumbai terror attack and its fallout affected the board’s revenues by approximately $23 million. This was largely due to the loss of media rights and sponsorship money on account of cancellation of two one-day internationals during England’s tour of India, the cancellation of the ICC Champions Trophy 2008, the Champions League 2008 and India’s tour of October 2009

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NAVRANG RAS GARBA & BHANGRA COME & ENJOY A FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS FILLED WITH LIVE MUSIC, DANCE, FOOD & DJ General Admission $15 (Students with ID $10) - Buy tickets in advance at Indu Groceries - $12 For More Information Call Lucky - (336) 456-4178 / Jijar - (336) 596-3351 / Magan Patel - (336) 327-1290 EVENT AT THE GCAP - 127 LANDMARK DR. - GREENSBORO, NC - 27409

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Hiking the Highest Peak in Colorado By Ron A. Virmani, M.D. The state of Colorado is home to the American Rockies. Among them are 54 peaks that are more than 14,000 feet high. They are called “Fourteeners.” Then there are “Thirteeners” and so on. Each year, thousands of hikers challenge themselves to one or more of them. During summer, the mountains shed their blanket of snow and ice. They become very popular hiking destinations. During winter, only the advanced mountaineers attempt them because the mountains become formidable with snowmass. In October of 1998, I had climbed the Pike’s Peak, which is 14, 115 feet high. I did that alone, which was borderline foolish, like many other things I have attempted in life, anyway. It had taken me nine and a half hour to climb it. I was so lucky to catch the last cog train down. An opportunity arose on this past Fourth of July (2009) to climb another “Fourteener.” This was to be Mount Elbert, which is the highest peak in Colorado at 14,440 feet. It is the highest in the American Rockies, second highest in the contiguous U.S. It is situated next to a massive mountain, which is named oh so imaginatively Mount Massive. Mt. Massive is the second tallest peak in Colorado (14,421 feet). I belong to the Charlotte Outdoor Adventure Group (CHOA). Four men and two women from CHOA planned this expedition to Mount Elbert. Tito, an advanced and experienced hiker, became our leader. Anna, Susan, Joe, Carlton and me formed the rest of the group. Our ages ranged from 30 to 66! We flew to Denver on July 4th. We rented a van and drove to town of Leadville, which has an altitude of 10,200 feet. It is a quaint old mining town with majestic views of the Rockies. We checked into Delaware hotel, which is a very old and well-preserved hotel from the 19th century. On July 5, we had breakfast and checked out of the hotel with our backpacks. We chose to go up the La Plata trail for the purpose of acclimatization. La Plata is Spanish for “silver” and its peak is 14,361 feet. We were only able to go a couple of miles and about two thousand feet up when ominous clouds came on the mountain and it started raining. We were able to take in a four-hour hike, and then headed for Twin Lakes campgrounds. We spotted a deer and a fox on the way. We pitched our tents in this campground and marveled at the beautiful view of Twin Lakes. We went to the town of Twin Lakes and got something to eat. We joined in a luau in a bar. We did another small hike in the evening and admired the sunset. Not used to sleeping on hard campground and also because the temperature was close to freezing at night, I did not get much sleep. We got up next day and had breakfast. We drove to South Mt. Elbert trailhead (9560 feet). We parked our van and started our ascent up the mountain around 10 am. A jungle of beautiful Aspen trees surrounded us. Of course, we had our backpacks since we had to carry tents, sleeping bags and other necessities up the mounOctober 2009

tain. We gingerly crossed a creek via a precarious footbridge. We took the Colorado trail until it intersected with Mt. Elbert trail, which is the way we went. As we went up, the air got thinner and climb tougher. Our lungs and other body parts complained. Like zombies, we pressed on for four hours with gear on our backs. Tito brought us to a spot for campsite for the night. This was chosen for its proximity to a stream of water. We had gone four miles and 2000 feet up. The altitude here was 11,600 feet. We pitched our tents and fell to a nap in the afternoon. The campground, sloping and uneven, did not offer nearly as many comforts as a five star hotel. Some of us played cards. Finally, some of us decided to fetch water from the stream about half a mile away. I hauled up twenty pounds of water for the group. The campsite offered beautiful views of the twin lakes down below. It also afforded grand views of Mt. Elbert and Mt. Massive. The temperatures plummeted sharply with sunset. We ate dinner and crawled into our tents for sleep. Rolling around on the uneven floor of the tent, I could not get much sleep. A full moon shone through the night. By design, we awoke at 4 am on July 7 and performed morning chores using flashlights. At 5 am, we set off on the trail heading up the mountain. This time, we did not have backpacks, just the daypacks. We had left our tents at the campsite. Susan started getting altitude sickness so we slowed down a bit. We admired breathtaking views as we climbed. We took pictures of sunrise. The ascent was steep and full of switchbacks. Some fast hikers passed us by. We took frequent breaks and ate our trail food. We saw many chipmunks on the way. I did not think I was going to make it to the top, but around 9 am, as if by miracle, we all reached the summit of Mt. Elbert. It was partially covered with snow. This was our moment in history. Glory was upon us! All six of us stood together and took pictures. We spotted a few quizzical marmots checking us out, perhaps expecting an edible treat. After taking in the awe-inspiring panorama from the top of Colorado, we started to trek down and reached the campsite around noon. We were exhausted. But now we had to pack our tents and carry them in our backpacks all the way down to our van. This took a couple of hours. The total time of hiking that day was eight hours. We drove to Leadville for a quick bite and souvenir shopping. Then we drove to Denver. We checked into the Red Lion Hotel around 6 pm. First time in my life, I had not showered for two whole days! Afterwards, we went to a Mexican restaurant for drinks and a nice dinner. Pitchers of Fat Tire beer were ordered and Margaritas were had. We toasted our climb to the top of Colorado. This might as well have been Mt. Everest! Elbert, Everest, small difference! Next day, we flew back to Charlotte from Denver airport whose roof architecture is like snow-capped mountains. I had done my second “Fourteener” in Colorado. Thanks to Tito and wonderful fellow climbers, this was a very pleasant and enjoyable experience. Personally, I am headed for Mt. Fuji in Japan. As they say in Japan, “Everyone should climb Mount Fuji once; only a fool would climb it twice.”

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longs, culinary experiments and familial closeness. Maical, Lakshmi, Ali and countless others didn’t just continued from page 12 enliven Hampi, they personified it. And, as if I need to • Have you ever heard a musical temple? Neither had I mention it, people smiled back in Hampi. Not for the last before Chandra took me to the World Heritage Vitthala time I found myself hoping that I’d meet them all again, Temple. Here, tapping certain stone pillars produces some sunny day. harmonics that can only be described as ethereal, and • Belated but not diminished by its tardiness, another it’s something that’s quite impossible to imagine until bout of vomiting and diarrhea struck me down on you hear a tune being tapped out on a stone carving of Thursday, surprising me after a month and a half of reaa drum. Discovering this sort of architectural genius sonable health. I lay knocked out in my room, writhing really makes you really think about modern life; modern in a turmoil of half-remembered dreams, sweat-wrung man could probably build such a temple out of granite if sheets and subterranean homesick blues, hoping for he so desired, but it could only be achieved with the aid nothing more than a visit from somebody. Unfortunately of computers and science, systems that the builders of I twisted in solitude, feeling far more than just lonely: I Hampi couldn’t have dreamed of even in their most hal- felt forgotten. However, it turned out that there was no lucinogenic phases. The same goes for the Pyramids, reason to feel lonely, at least as far as illness went. Stonehenge, the statues of Easter Island, the palaces of During my eight-day stay absolutely everyone in the the Aztecs, the megaliths of the Bada Valley and so on. group went down with something, whether serious or Do you ever get the feeling that by learning so much, just mildly uncomfortable, but there’s definitely a we forget even more? hygiene problem in Hampi, especially at this time of • Other astounding architectural wonders pointed out to year when water is scarce. (And, just like in Puri, my illme by the vivacious Chandra were a comprehensive ness coincided with enforced vegetarianism, because aqueduct system for filling the city’s water tanks and Hampi is a no-meat zone on account of its religious sigbathing pools, underground temples used for secret nificance: bring on the chicken, I say.)

Hampi

meetings (and where bats inhabit the dank water-lined corridors while shafts of sunlight slice through the gloom), ancient water-based air conditioning on the first floor of the queen’s pad and a refractive light trick that reflected a gopuram’s image upside down on the wall inside the temple. I could describe the fascinating history of the area and all the quirky clashes of Jainism, Hinduism and Islam that are reflected in the architecture, but plenty of better-informed scholars have written on that topic. In the case of Hampi, it’s best just to go there and see for yourself.

• The sunsets in Hampi are indescribably beautiful, so I won’t even try. • Try crossing a river in a coracle and you’ll never again be scared by amusement park rides. Over the river from Hampi are more restaurants and hotels (where they serve alcohol, a temptation but not a practicality with my illness-provoked antibiotic regime), which you reach by entrusting your life to a wood and tar contraption that redefines the word “basic.“ At night these coracles are beached by the riverside, overturned to create a collection of giant turtle shapes that create circles of fertile grass in almost crop-circle-accurate patterns. On the other hand, entrusting your life to Charon isn’t as crazy as floating down the river in an inflatable rubber tube, a popular way of seeing the landscape. I would have gone, but I found watching the tourists float past from my vantage point in the riverside restaurants far more relaxing than the prospect of getting wet myself. Besides, I kept thinking that I could always do that tomorrow...

• The local tribeswomen have resurrected their traditional dress in a wonderful combination of aesthetic concern and wily tourist appeal. These women, normally fairly ancient, get around in costumes that look as if they’ve smothered themselves in glue and rolled around the floor of a pantomime seamstress’s sewing room. Chunks of mirrors offset the garish pinks and purples, monstrous nose studs clash with whole families of arm bands, and all the time they’re trying to persuade you to shell out for a handbag that would have made early Pink Floyd fans suck in their breath at the savage color • It seems that Hampi has every type of Indian weirdness available, all crammed into one small town. There’s schemes. an ashram being built on the hills overlooking the east• Also quite aware of the deep pockets of tourists, crazy ern end of the bazaar; there’s a crazy palmist down by sadhus roam the streets with their wild eyes and wilder the river with orange robes, a huge beard and a little claims, and herds of wonderful postcard-selling children hut, who can be seen wandering around the town with ply the restaurants with their excellent English and his portable radio on full blast; there’s a local homeosmiles that keep on shining well beyond their departure. pathic doctor who will cure all your ills for Rs50, asking If these little sprogs indicate the next generation of questions like “What qualities do you most admire in Indians, this country’s got a rosy future. your friends?“ instead of “Now, where exactly does it hurt?“; there are restaurants serving bhang lassi (a • Why is it that just as soon as you have met some of marijuana milkshake) by the river, and extremely strong the most warm-hearted and interesting people on your ones too, judging by the local populace; and there are whole trip, they have to disappear into the folds of the dogs, pigs, cows and chickens wandering around everytravelers’ trail, and always too soon? In Hampi I met where. Sounds just like everywhere else I’ve been, and waved goodbye to a whole group of great people doesn’t it? who instantly struck a chord. Kenny, Ross, Kirsten, Mark, Leslie, Mark and Sharon... and don’t forget the Read more of Mark Moxon’s travel writing at moxon.net. locals, a collection of coyly intelligent bundles of fun who turned the whole event into one long festival of singaOctober 2009

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Community Focus Events of Note: NC Eid Festival 2009 Eid, the festival of feast, marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. Over six million US Muslims celebrate Eid along with 1.2 billion people around the world in over 100 countries. The NC Eid festival will feature a bazaar, food, music, arts and dances from all over the world. This particular Eid Festival is all about integrating communities of various faiths, beliefs and practices, by embracing their cultural heritage of holiday celebrations. The NC Eid Festival is co-sponsored by the NC Eid Festival and the Town of Cary Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department. The event date is Sunday, October 11, 2009 from 11 am - 5 pm at Koka Booth Amphitheatre at Regency Park - Cary, NC. Tickets are free for 12 and under and $4 for all others. Info: www.nceidfestival.org Ramayana - A Dance Drama Ballet Nrithyanjali School Of Dance, a school dedicated to promoting Indian arts and culture, will present the dance drama “Ramayana” in Greenville, SC on Saturday, October 24, 2009 beginning at 5 pm at the McAlister Auditorium on the campus of Furman University. The dance drama will showcase the cultural and spiritual values of India. It will be a visual treat to both adults and children alike through the portrayal of characters from the historical era. The event is to be presented in a dance drama style setting and will be a continuous act for about two hours. The “Ramayana” ballet is a combination of song, drama and dance and heightens the dramatic moments of the narratives through inclusion of exciting elements of emotions, war and dances, and a visual treat of palaces, forests and battlefields. Ticket are $10 for 10 and above, $10 Furman staff and students, and $5 for children between 5 - 9. Proceeds from this event will benefit the Vedic Center of Greenville and UNICEF. Info: Sunitha Raj 864.376.1178, Raj Sundaram 864.234.9769. Tickets can also be purchased at all Indian stores in the Greenville / Spartanburg area. Diwali Dhamaka 2009 The Indo-Us Cultural Association presents Diwali Dhamaka 2009. The show will feature Bollywood fusion dances, classical and folk dances from India, a fashion show, skits, songs and much more. The event will take place on October 24, 2009 at Brendle Hall, Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, NC from 6- 10 pm. In addition, there will also be delectable Indian cuisine and appetizers. For more information: Madan Rangabasyam: 336.760.5885, Sachin Vaidya: 336.761.0973, Manjunath Shamanna: 336.760.1158, Aanchal Chopra: 336.766.6872 or visit www.indouswinston.org. George Harrison Festival The George Harrison Festival will take place on Saturday, November 07, 2009 between 11 am - 6 pm October 2009

at the Hare Krishna Temple Grounds located at 1283 Prabhupada Rd, Sandy Ridge, NC (about one Hour North of Greensboro). The guest speaker is Gurudas, a close friend to George Harrison from 1969 to the end. The fest features local musicians performing Harrison’s songs, a sitar performance and workshop, exploration of Harrison’s spiritual quest through yoga, classes, mantra meditation and kirtan. The final event will be a sing-a-long of “My Sweet Lord“ accompanied by 100 acoustic guitars. Bring your guitar to play along and get $5 off admission. The general admission of $20 includes an elegant vegetarian dinner. This is a family-friendly event so no drugs or drinking will be allowed. Info: mitradasa@gmail.com, 336.871.9606 or www.NCGeorgeFest.com. Pratham NC Gala 2009 Prathm NC presents an evening of classic and contemporary Hindi film music with Sureele Sapne featuring vocalists Sanjeev and Armeen Ramabhadran on Saturday, November 7, 2009 at Events at Newton Square located at 230 Newton Rd., Raleigh NC, 27615. The keynote speaker will be Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, an award-winning author and poet. She writes both for adults and children. Her books have been translated into 20 languages, including Dutch, Hebrew, Russian and Japanese. For details call 919.845.1802, 919.488.8975 or visit prathamusa.org.

Community reports: BAPS Walk 09 We often hear the saying “Our children are the future of our country,” but have we ever stopped to think what America’s future will be like if more and more children become homeless or do not have the means necessary to attend school or educate them self? What would happen to these children and the future of America if they grew up in unsafe neighborhoods, suffered through health issues, and lacked formal education? BAPS Charities firmly believes that the foundation of any society lies within each and every family. BAPS Charities and BAPS, its parent organization, are wholeheartedly committed to providing programs for today’s children that encourage child development into positive role models in today’s society. On September 12, 2009, BAPS Charities held WALK09, benefiting A Child’s Place (ACP) in Charlotte, NC. WALK09 was a 5K walk in Uptown Charlotte to create awareness throughout the local area about BAPS Charities and A Child’s Place.

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ACP consistently fights the needs of homelessness amongst children in Mecklenburg County. A Child’s Place works to provide stable and appropriate education for these students as well as basic necessities such as food, clothing, school supplies, and tutors. BAPS Charities’ WALK09 goal was to raise awareness for both organizations as well as funds from within the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community. The festivities began at noon with food, games, and activities for kids. At 2 pm, 380 individuals of all ages, from toddlers to 95-year-olds set out on a 5K walk through Uptown Charlotte. There were volunteers at every half-mile handing out water to walkers and volunteers at every intersection stopping traffic as walkers crossed the street. As the walk concluded at about 3pm, BAPS Charities and Ravi Patel, (SREE Hotels), presented A Child’s Place and Annabelle Suddreth, Executive Director with a check for $3,500. Following the check presentation was a raffle drawing of gift baskets. The lucky winners accepted their baskets with excitement as the event came to an ending with a colorful balloon release. Shri Mahendra Meghani Famous Indian author Shri Mahendra Meghani visited Carolinas during his “Vaanchan-yatra” (reading journey) in early September. Meghani is currently on a tour to promote his newly published book The Gandhi Story. It is an integrated abridgement of two books, which tell the story of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi in his own words. Gandhiji was the greatest freedom fighter in India who taught the world the power of non-violence and non-cooperation. The Gandhi Story is condensed from Gandhiji’s autobiography, My Experiments With Truth, and Satyagraha. A total of 1,000 pages of the original works have been condensed into about 250, and twenty-four pages of pictures have been added. Meghani attended Festival of India on September 6 and then went to Hindu Center. He introduced his book in two sessions, 45 minutes each in English and Gujarati. He attended similar book-reading session at Greenville, SC on September 8 at the Vedic Center. Both the events were attended by admirers of Indian literature and believers of Gandhian philosophy. He also inaugurated Indian section at the Asian Heritage Library in Charlotte on Tuesday, September 8, 2009 in the presence of Mr. Ki-Hyun Chun and Mr. John C. Chen of Carolina Asian American Chamber of Commerce. In addition to giving The Gandhi Story to the library, he also donated several books related to India and Hinduism, some published by Lok-Milap Trust, his non-profit book publishing firm. October 2009

Ganesh Festival The Ganesh festival celebration at Hindu Center of Charlotte took place on August 23, 2003. Large crowds attended the festival to worship and pay tribute to Lord Ganesha. Mahaprasad was served after the festivities.

Photos by Ch. Saibaba

Charlotte Invitational Shootout The greater Charlotte Leuva Patidar Samaj held the Charlotte Invitational Shoot Out Golf Tournament on Aug 29-30, 2009 in Rock Hill at the Waterford Golf Course. The event drew 110 golfers and raised $17,501 for the Hindu Center of Charlotte for its expansion projects. A reception was held in Charlotte at the Hilton Executive Park with door prizes and 200 people in attendance. The organizers Jay Patel, Virmal Hardev and Gary Patel said they hope to make this an annual event. Jeff Thomas of Metlife Insurance was the winner of the tournament. There was unique food on the menu with Caribbean (Trinidad) BBQ for Saturday lunch. Bombay Grille for Saturday evening at Hilton and Trinidad Curry for Sunday lunch. Over 40 Trophies was handed out with 110 golfers participating.

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ed in vocal music, but I preferred playing the sitar. As fate would have it, I fractured my right hand, ending my instrumental career prematurely. However, it worked out in the end because I ended up studying vocal music under Ajoy Chakrabarty, the renowned classical vocalist. I actually auditioned for Indian Idol right after I finished my studies at Visva-Bharati Shantiniketan, the university Nobel-prize winner Rabindranath Tagore founded. I even started work as a teacher. However, only a month into my career, I heard about this upcoming music competition - I took the opportunity when I saw it. I registered for an audition, and here I am now.

immediate feedback on a topic. I tweeted while I was live on a radio interview to ask my followers to call in, and got people calling on the studio line while we were on air because of it! Facebook and MySpace are great for sharing information and interacting with people in more than one way—by posting photos or video, integrating the RSS feed from your blog or podcast, creating and running your own discussion group, and having a relaxed, personal conversation about your area of interest. LinkedIn is fantastic for making connections to the friends of your (real) friends. YouTube and Flickr focus on sharing interesting visuals, while bookmarking sites like Digg, Delicious or StumbleUpon are like a global bulletin board where people can post links to articles or content they found interesting, useful or just truly bizarre. There is no one perfect social media site, just as there is no universal power tool. Sometimes you need a hammer and sometimes you need a saw. That’s why it’s so important to really understand the pros and cons of the social media sites you’re considering. You’ll avoid making embarrassing mistakes, be able to connect better with other users and get better results from your investment of time. Social media isn’t a short cut or a miracle cure. It requires a learning curve to understand how it works and which sites are best for you. Used correctly, it can be a powerful part of your marketing plan that can connect you with people around the world—including new prospects for your business.

Q. How would you describe your metamorphosis from a newcomer to the stage, to a polished performer over the course of Indian Idol? A. Frankly, before Indian Idol I didn’t even know what a show or performance meant, because I had never been to one. I remember my first show after Indian Idol was my first ever. I was literally shivering before I came onstage, I didn’t have the experience to sing in front of 15,000 people! But I heard them screaming my name and cheering. I started singing and they responded. I loved it. Performing has come very naturally to me since.

Q. Your life has changed dramatically over the last 5 years, what values have remained constant? A. Very basic. My mother used to say to me, “Don’t forget your roots, and where you have come from. Sing Social Media honestly, do your practice honestly, and you’ll achieve continued from page 68 what you want.” This is the motto of my life. Q. What do you know now that you wish you knew at the start of your music career? What words of advice do you have for aspiring artists? A. Before I went mainstream I sang primarily in my mother tongue, Bengali. This proved a bit of a rough transition when I was suddenly expected to sing in Hindi on the national stage. My advice would be to know as many languages as possible, at least be bilingual. A song is incomplete without the emotion that comes from knowing the meaning of the words. Q. As an internationally performing artist you are inherently a representative of your Indian heritage. What responsibilities and role do you think cultural icons shoulder in promoting their communities? A. Offshores, I try not to emphasize my celebrity status. I would like to be seen just as a responsible Indian citizen. But really, I don’t project myself as such - that is who I am. That in itself is enough to promote the Indian community.

pedal to our teens and cover their midriffs and make them pull up their pants? Will it ever be cool for teens to destroy CDs that don’t stand up to proper values? (Think back to when the Beatles’ records were burned.) If we can’t create a false idyllic time like the days of the post WWII TV shows, where is our civility headed? Parents are the only ones who can truly impress upon their children the difference between good behavior and bad. As adults, we have to monitor one another. Letting Kanye West know we won’t tolerate his infraction against Taylor Swift can take place simply by not buying his CDs, downloading his music, or attending his shows. Congress has already passed a resolution rebuking Joe Wilson’s behavior and Serena Williams was fined a large amount of money. In fact, we can use our tools of Social Media to speak out against all of these examples of bad behavior on blogs, twitter, etc. and state that you’re against what they did. Instead of letting technology push us apart, we can use it to keep us together. We have to be the ones acting like adults with the bar of soap in hand and one finger pointing to a corner. Otherwise, we are losing our battle against bad manners. Our civility is being lost to rudeness, ill will toward one another, and an overwhelming sense of nihilism.

True to her roots to the last, fame has only brought out the best in Paul. When asked if she has any requests for her October 10 performance, she replied, “maccher jhol bhath, if possible, and a riled up audi- Follow me on Twitter! @WendyWells ence. I am ready to rock!” October 2009

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Community News & Events Charlotte Art Of Living (Healing with the Breath) Art of Living is dedicated to serving society by strengthening the individual. This is done through self-development programs that recharge the body, mind and spirit and allow people to function at their optimum potential. People from all backgrounds, religions and cultural traditions come together in service and celebration. Info: 704.248.2647 charlotte@us.artofliving.org www.artofliving.org BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Regularly scheduled activities include a daily Aarti at 6:30 am and 7 pm. Darshan: Mon-Fri 6:30 am12:30 pm and 4 - 8:30 pm, Sat/Sun 6:30 am-8:30 pm. Gujarati classes are held every Sunday from 3 - 4 pm and “Satsang Sabha” is held every Sunday at 4:30 p.m. The Swaminarayan Temple is located at 4100 Margaret Wallace Road in Charlotte, N.C. Info: 704.573.0805 704.573.0820 (fax) Bhartiya Association of Lake Norman (BALKN) BALKN is arranges many events throughout the year. For more details call Mitesh Parikh- 704-8074485 and Ajay Patel - 704-450-6130 or visit www.balkn.org

“Fellowship” Every Sunday Morning in Gastonia, N.C. Info: 704.865.1428 (Jay) 704.824-8698 (Joe) 704.545.1465 (Dayakar) Charlotte Gita Study Group Info: Rajesh Venky and Savitha Mathur, 704.845.0464, rvenky@aol.com Shridhar and Kruti Dave, 704.844.9567, skdave@hotmail.com Charlotte Kannada Koota The Charlotte Kannada Koota is an organization that promotes understanding of Karnataka culture and provides a medium for people of Karnataka (Kannadigas) to get together. The activities include social get-togethers, music, and drama. Info: 704.526.9990 (Appan Patil), agm_patil@hotmail.com 704.281.8732 (Raj Kulgod), kraj7@yahoo.com Charlotte Table-Tennis Club Charlotte Table-tennis Club is located at 345 Hawthorne Lane, Charlotte, NC 28204 (Corner of East 7th St. & Hawthorne Lane). Hours: Tuesday & Thursday 6-10 pm, Saturday 2-6 PM, Sunday 1-5 pm. www.charlottetabletennis.org

Carolina Sanskritk Maharashta Mandal CSMM promotes Maharashtrian culture and language. Maharashtra mandal is committed to serve Carolina Marathi community with various cultural, social and traditional marathi programs and events. Info: Medha Tannu, mantannu@yahoo.com, 704.548.1570 Abhay Khanore, terasahara2000@yahoo.com, 803.554.1234 Pandurang Naik, psnaik@yahoo.com, 704.904.3636

Charlotte Vipassana Meditation Group Vipassana, which means to see things as they really are, is one of India’s most ancient techniques of meditation. It was taught in India more than 2500 years ago as a universal remedy for universal ills. The Charlotte Vipassana Meditation Group holds weekly group sits and monthly all day sits for established students (those who have taken at least one ten day course from S. N. Goenka or one of his assistant teachers). Ten-day courses are also available for all students. There is never a charge for a course. Info: 704.544.0790, rbddesai@yahoo.com 704.563.5440, dspranger@earthlink.net www.dhamma.org

Carolinas Prayer Fellowship Rev. Dr. Samuel Prabodh Talluri invites everyone living in the North and South Carolina to participate in

Classical Music Association of Charlotte (CMAC) CMAC sponsors many classical concerts during the year in Charlotte.

October 2009

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Membership forms are available at concerts. Info: 704.541.3361 (Rama Rachakonda), 704.814.9355 (Lakshmi Muthukrishnan), lakshmi7778@yahoo.com cmacmusic@yahoo.com www.onlinecmac.com Dada Bhagwan Group Satsang is conducted every Sunday at 7 pm at the Hindu Center in Charlotte and there is also a Satsang every Thursday. In addition, watch Satsang from Friday to Tuesday at 7 am on TV Asia. The present topics are “Pati-Patni ka Divya Vyahvar” and “Chovis Tirthankar.” The group has recently opened a library for spiritual books, audios and videos. Info: 704.287.3133 www.dadabhagwan.org Datta Yoga Center - Charlotte The group is dedicated to the service of SadGuru Sri Sri Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda Swamiji through SadGuru Seva, yoga and satsang (singing the glory of god). Regular Activities: Satsang every 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month, from 4 7pm. Bhajans composed by Sri Sri Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda Swamiji are chanted and occasionally video programs produced by Avadhoota Datta Peetham are viewed, including Sri Swamiji’s visit to Manasa Sarovaram, Music for Meditation and healing concerts and lectures. Info: 704.839.3256 (Ravi Anupindi) www.dattapeetham.com www.dycusa.org Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation of India (EVFI) was established to help in the overall development of the remote tribal and rural villages in India. Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation of USA along with EVFI is committed to the cause of eradicating illiteracy from tribal areas. Education is the key to selfesteem, self-sustenance, economic well-being and happiness. Ekal Vidyalya (One School One Teacher in one village) plans to establish 100,000 schools in tribal areas by 2012. This will cover all the villages in tribal areas where there are no schools today. The Carolinas Region of the EVFUSA conducts fund raising saathee.com

C P S M AT R I M O N I A L C O N V E N T I O N 2 0 0 9

MARK YOUR CALENDER NOW CPS Matrimonial Convention 2009 Hilton Charlotte Executive Park Charlotte, NC

October 30-November 1, 2009 email: info@patidar.net www.patidar.net Phone: 704.364.5255 • Fax: 704.364.6684 We welcome all participants for the 21st Annual Matrimonial Convention again in Charlotte, NC on October 30th & 31st, 2009. The convention will be held at the spacious Hilton Charlotte Executive park. All events will be at the hotel, and we request all attendees to register on the website, www.patidar.net, early at a negotiated room rate of $79 plus tax. Call 704-527-8000.

So Register Online, update your database, and SEE YOU IN CHARLOTTE, NC, AT THE HILTON EXECUTIVE PARK

CPS Charlotte 2009 Annual Convention Friday – October 30th 3.00 pm – 6.00 pm Registration 6.00 pm – 8.30 pm Social Hour and Dinner 9.00 pm – 1.00 am Entertainment

Saturday – October 31st 8.30 am – 10.00 am Breakfast 10.00 am – 12.30 pm Icebreakers 12.30 pm – 1.30 pm Lunch 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm Icebreakers 6.00 pm – 8.30 pm Social Hour & Dinner 9.00 pm – 1.00 am Halloween Themed Event

Charotar Patidar Samaj (CPS) is a private organization of people from the State of Gujarat, India. We have in common a rich history and culture unlike any other. We have settled our families, opened our businesses, and practice our professions all across the United States. CPS meets the challenges facing us today. We organize, we meet, we exchange ideas, we agree, and we take action. Since our group's inception in 1989, we meet at specific locations every Thanksgiving weekend with family members and friends from all parts of the country. As a result, our gathering has grown from 300 to over 3,000 attendees, and now concentrating only on Matrimonial. Our purpose is obvious:

Retain the rich heritage of Patidar, Integrate our younger generation, and Be a part of mainstream America. We believe strongly in education and independent entrepreneurs. Most of our youth have college degrees and successful careers. We are a family-oriented people, and through our annual gathering we strive to unite all Patel families, and to bridge the gap between the younger and older generations.

Step-by-step we strive to pave the way for our youngsters to carry on traditional values and lead our Samaj into the 21st century. To this end, we are providing these internet services.

Community News & Events and awareness programs in North and South Carolina. Seeking volunteers. www.ekalvidya.org Info: shuklas@carolina.rr.com Hindu Center of Charlotte The center is located at 7400 City View Drive, Charlotte, NC 28212. Info: 704.535.3440. www.hcclt.org The library is stocked with books, CDs, DVDs and other materials on varied genre such as religion, culture, history, philosophy, yoga and health. Library info: 704.554.0765. Children’s Religious Oriented Program (C.R.O.P.) is for children Kindergarten through 12th grade to educate them in culture and understand religious practices. A glimpse on understanding The Bhagvad Gita provides children with an opportunity to learn about the GITA with simplicity, ease and in an inclusive discussion format. Info on CROP 704.547.1676 (Chetna Patel) patel4260@bellsouth.net. The Senior Citizens Group meets on the 1st Sunday of every month at 4 pm and followed by Satyanarayan Katha at 5 pm. Future trips and activities are in the planning stages. Info on the group: 704.334.2462 (Gobind Bhojwani). The sloka class teaches children between the ages of 4 and 13 different Hindu hymns, their meaning and significance. The class meets Sundays at 9:30 am. Info on the class: 704.814.9355 (Lakshmi Muthukrishnan). Info on the Social Welfare Committee: 704.372.1265 (Narain Amar) or 704.948.5609 (Dhinakaran Pillai). The Vedic Havan is held at the vedant hall on second Sunday of every month at 10:30 am to 12:00 pm noon followed by Prasadam. Info: 704.825.9223 (Swadesh Sawhney). The Pranayam classes are held Saturdays from 9:30 - 11 am in the Vivek Hall. Info: 704.649.5374 (Kajal Jain), 704.554.0765 (Manisha Naik), or 281.304.5597 (Sanjay Vyas) pranayamclt@aol.com. Yoga classes are held Sundays at 9 am. Info: 704.864.8212 pradip_bulsara@hotmail.com. Indian Performing Arts Association of Charlotte (IPAAC) IPAAC (Indian Performing Arts Association of Charlotte) promotes classical Hindustani music by inviting well-known artists from India. October 2009

Upcoming programs: -Smt. Yogini Gandhi and her troupe, dance Odissi and Kathak Style, Saturday, October 31, 2009 at CPCC, Pease Auditorium. Info: Sarla Kumar 704.846.4423 Chaula Jain 704.364.0984 contact@ipaac.org www.ipaac.org Indian Visual Artists Association of Charlotte (IVAAC) IVAAC was founded by artists of Indian origin living in the Charlotte, NC area in their pursuit of a creative outlet, stemming from an urge to express the flow of their innate artistic moods and ideas. The vision is to promote the enigmatic and intriguing Indian culture into meaningful forms of expression that exposes the rich traditions and diversity of one of the most ancient civilizations on earth, in today’s fast blending global culture and to create an organization that provides planning and funding required to ensure and support a vibrant and culturally diverse Indian art community. Info: 704.540.8799 (Amit Shah), 704.688.5387 (Kinshuk Agarwal) www.ivaac.org Kiran KIRAN is a multi-cultural, non-religious, community based, South Asian organization. Promoting the self-reliance and empowerment of South Asian women who are in crisis through outreach, peer support, and referrals in a confidential manner. The group spreads awareness of South Asian women’s issues in the community and we cooperate and collaborate with organizations in the USA and elsewhere with similar objectives. Countries in South Asia include Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Though there are differences in language, customs, and religions across these countries, these regions share many basic cultural and historical similarities. KIRAN operates a crisis phone line Monday- Friday from 9:00 am – 9:00 pm. For help or information regarding domestic violence call an advocate. Services offered are confidential and free of charge: • Information in a culture- and context-sensitive manner Saathee 98

• Non-judgmental help and support to women who are experiencing oppressive/crisis situations • Emotional support • Referrals to professional and community services regarding legal issues, health care, short-term child care, psychological counseling, and temporary shelter and housing • KIRAN’s services are completely confidential. Translators and crisis counselors do not disclose any information provided by our clients. Info: Crisis Hotline: 1877- NC-KIRAN or 1-877-625-4726 Kiran@Kiraninc.org www.kiraninc.org MaGaReSa Club The MaGaReSa Club is a music outlet for SouthEast Asians who want to develop their musical abilities through regular Bollywood music sessions. Info: www.yahoogroups.com/group/magaresa-indianmusic, or http://magaresa.ning.com or http://www.meetup.com/Bollywood-Music-MeetupGroup/ Net IP Charlotte NetIP Charlotte is the only official Carolinas chapter of North America’s Largest Network of Indian Professionals. NetIP Charlotte provides a forum for on-going Career Developmental and Professional Networking activities. It arranges various events and maintains deeper ties with Businesses & the community. It provides various effective ways for Carolinas’ Indian Professionals to connect with other successful professionals. Info: hd@netipcharlotte.org (Hardik Shah) www.NetIPCharlotte.org Pratham - Charlotte Area Pratham is India’s largest non-profit organization with grass roots programs in the area of primary education. Pratham has made an impact on the learning levels of several million children through its Read India campaign that reached 31 million children across India. Pratham has developed an accelerated learning technique, which helps children to read & write in two months. With nearly half the children in India who attend schools are not learning to read and write at the required level, Pratham is trying to fill an important gap in the area of primary educasaathee.com

Community News & Events tion. Info: Anju Desai (ajdesai66@gmail.com or 980-6220125) and Shubhra Chakraborty (shubhra.chakraborty1@gmail.com) or 704-942-4798). www.prathamusa.org. Probasi of Charlotte Probasi is the Bengali community based in Charlotte and surrounding areas. The community’s goal is to organize cultural and educational program related to Bengal in the Greater Charlotte area, to increase Bengali cultural awareness, and to provide community service in the area. Info: www.probasi.org Sahaj Marg MeditationCharlotte Area Sahaj Marg , which means Simple or Natural path, is a Raj Yoga system of spiritual training based on the heart centered meditation. The unique features of this meditation include transmission of divine energy into the heart of the practitioner and cleaning of deep impressions, thereby regulating the mind. Regular practice of this system of meditation integrates the physical, mental and spiritual aspects of human being, while still encouraging people to maintain a normal family and working life. In the Charlotte area, group meditation is held at the Unity of Charlotte on Sundays and Wednesdays. Info: Arun and Promila Sehra 704.844.0147 Srikanth Katakam 704.496.4411 naturalpath.nc@gmail.com www.srcm.org Shree Swaminarayan Satsang Mandal Vadtal On the 1st Saturday of every month, Shree Swaminarayan Satsang Mandal Vadtal has kirtans and bhajans at the Hindu Center of Charlotte at 5 pm. After the bhajans, there is Aarti and Mahaprasad. In addition, on the 3rd Sunday of every month, an additional Satsang Sabha is held at sponsor’s house at 3 - 5 pm. Info: 704.392.4488 Ramesh Dhanani Shri Rang Avadhut Parivar (Parspar Devo Bhav) Soul devotees of Guru Dattatraya Rang Avadhut and Shri Prem Avadhut meet every Thursday evening in Charlotte, NC from 7:00 October 2009

p.m. to 8:00 p.m. for recital of “Datta-Bavani”, singing devotional Dattatraya Bhajans and reading “Guru-Lilamrut”. Detailed information about Charlotte meetings, literature, videos, Nareshwar Ashram and Shri Avadhut’s life is available. Info: Bharat Shah - 704.724.6247 Nagesh Patel - 704.399.7805 Sikh Heritage Society The Sikh Heritage Society strives to unite and enrich the lives of the Sikh & Punjabi communities of Charlotte and surrounding areas. “Gurdwara” address: 1760 Stoney Creek Lane, Charlotte, NC 28262. Info: 704.948.7664 (Roshan Attrey), rattrey@aol.com, 704.541.0350 (Sajjan Dhaliwal), sajjan@carolina.rr.com, 704.948.8091 (Inderjeet Rajpal), irajpal@aol.com www.gurdwaracharlotte.com SouthPark Cricket Club South Park Cricket Club is based in Charlotte, North Carolina and it has been an active member of the Mid Atlantic Cricket Conference since 2002. The club’s home ground is located at the Reedy Creek Park, 2900 Rocky River Road, Charlotte, NC. Info: 847.722.9865 (Baseet Ahmed), baseer_11@yahoo.com www.southparkcc.org Srishti of Charlotte Srishti has emerged to fulfill the community’s need for togetherness and the desire to showcase Bengali literature, theatre, music, cinema and popular arts. The word Srishti means an act of creation. Though established and coordinated by a group of Bengali families, Srishti welcomes and brings together people of varied cultures, languages, background and nationalities who are interested in East Indian traditions. Info: 704.321.1964 (Samiksha Bose) 704.541.3451 (Santanu Sarkar) 704.882.6115 (Manmatha Chakrovorty) Steele Creek Cricket Club Cricket is played every Sunday morning at the Steele Creek Athletic Association complex at 13530 Choate Circle, (weather permitting) from 8:00 am to 11:00 am. This group is dedicated to playing cricket with a hard tennis ball and/or soft Saathee 100

baseball (also known as T-Ball) for fun in the Steele Creek Area of Charlotte. If you would like to stay informed about this club or would like to play or watch cricket, feel free to join and share your ideas. For information on current hours of play, location, and contacts. Info: http://www.geocities.com/steelecreekcricketclub Tamil Catholics of Charlotte Tamil Catholics living in the Charlotte-Greensboro area interested in attending monthly mass in Tamil contact pravben@gmail.com. Telugu Association of Greater Charlotte Area (TAGCA) The organization’s mission is to bring together Telugu speaking people and to promote Telugu Culture. TAGCA and Hindu Center of Charlotte are conducting Telugu Classes. They are on every 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month from 10:30 - 11:30 am and are free for member and non-members alike. Telugu Classes: TAGCA in association with Hindu Center is organizing Telugu Classes at Hindu Center, which will be conducted alternate Sundays. Info: Sreedhar Manjigani 704.965.6704 education@tagca.org www.tagca.org United Cricket Club Forming a team this March of experienced as well as beginners that love cricket. Team will play in the Atlantic League. Practice is every Sunday at Reedy Creek Park (11 to 4pm). Sunday and Monday evenings for ages 15 and up. Join the fun. Info: 704.905.9127(Captain-Syed) 704.493.7629(Vice CaptainMohsan)

Greensboro Greensboro Cricket Club (GCC) Good news for cricket lovers! There are several teams that play cricket in Greensboro. The goals of GCC are fun, fitness, and friendship. For info on play and location contact below players. Info: 336.501.3566 (9:00 am - 9:00 pm, S&S)Dev, Greensboro Warriors, happy4mehta@yahoo.com; Venky, Triad Tigers, venkyhot@hotmail.com. saathee.com

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Community News & Events Gujarati Cultural Association of Piedmont (GCAP) The Gujarati Cultural Association of Piedmont serves the Asian Indian community through sponsored events, cultural, educational and social programs. GCAP, 127 Landmark Drive, Greensboro, NC 27410 Info: 336.420.7290 336.327.1235 www.gujaratisamajoftriad.org Hare Krishna Temple Sandy Ridge This rural Hare Krishna community is situated in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The community is based upon the teachings of Srila AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and the philosophy of the Bhagavad-Gita, becoming God conscious. Come and join in the kirtan, mantra meditation, and discourses on the top most yoga system. There are lots of regular festivities and events. Treat yourself to a free vegetarian meal on Sundays at 1 pm. Venue: 1283 Prabhupada Rd, Sandy Ridge, NC 27046. Info: 336.593.9888 www.prabhupadavillage.com Hindu Society of North Carolina at Greensboro The HSNC at Greensboro is located at 2424 Huffine Mill Road. Its mission is to serve the Hindu Community and promote Hindu Culture through religious, social and educational activities. Regularly scheduled events include Puja, bhajans, children’s programs, celebration of holidays & community service. Info: 336.621.5848 www.hsnc-triad.org India Association of the Triad The objective of the Association is to promote social, cultural and educational interests of its members, develop understanding between members of the Indian community and other residents of the Triad, and make the latter aware of issues of concern to the Indian community. Hindi Language classes are being taught by Mrs. Punjabi. Info: 336.656.0203 (Dhananjay Kumar) www.iatnc.org Indo-US Cultural Association of Winston-Salem The Indo-US Cultural Association’s October 2009

primary mission is to increase awareness of the cultural heritage of India, which is tremendously rich in its diversity and history. The Association seeks to reach out to the thriving Indian-American community within the Piedmont and Triad areas to share the vibrant Indian culture and promote crosscultural understanding. Sat Oct 24 - “Diwali Dhamaka 2009” Info: Madan Rangabasyam Phone : 336-760-5885 Life Bliss Foundation The NC Chapter, offers workshops, books, CD’s, and DVD’s on spirituality and enlightenment from living enlightened master Paramahamsa Nithyananda. Many videos are available on youtube. Satsangs in the Greensboro/Winston-Salem area include Life Bliss Meditation, video discourse, Q&A, and Nithya Spiritual Healing Prayer, a method of energy healing. Satsang Locations: Weekly Wednesdays, 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm, Integrative Therapies, 7-E Oak Branch Drive, Greensboro NC 27407. Weekly (starting June 5, 2009) - Fridays, 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm, 1143 Sequoia Drive, Lewisville, NC 27023. Meditation workshops are taught on a regular basis. Info: 336.644.1111 www.lifebliss.org Sri Sathya Sai Baba Center of Greensboro, NC The Center organizing regular Sai Bhajans, Study Circle , Balvikas class for students and Service Activities. All devotees are welcome to the Center. 1st Sunday of the Month 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM, all other Sundays 10:00AM – 12:15 PM. Info: 612.239.7529 (Deepak Deshpande at Winston Salem) 908.875.6964 (Swami Rajendran at Greensboro)

Raleigh Academic Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (AFICE) Interested in exploring the diverse cultures of the world? Become a host family for a high school exchange student! All the students will come from various countries around the world, and all students Saathee 102

speak fluent English. They are of high school age (15-18) and will attend local high school in their respective communities. Each student will live as member of their American host family, sharing household duties and responsibilities. AFICE is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to bringing cultural gaps by allowing foreign students the opportunity to live as part of an American community. www.afice.org Info: lathapamarthi@earthlink.net Association for India’s Development (AID)- Duke University Chapter AID’s mission is effect social change in India, by supporting projects with grassroots non-governmental organization in India in the areas of literacy, health care, rural credit, women’s empowerment etc. Info: www.duke.edu/web/aid/ Atlantic Coast Sikh Association This is one of the oldest Sikh associations in the Southeastern USA. It meets every Sunday from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM at its gurdwara, located at 3108 Sparger Road, Durham, NC 27705. Kirtan is done by Bhai Dyal Singh Jatha. Classes for Punjabi and religious studies are held for children at the same time. Info: 919.309.1045 - Bhai Dyal Singh 919.467.4856 - Mrs. Raj Dhillon www.acsagurdwara.org Balagokulam Gokulam is where Lord Krishna’s magical childhood days were spent. It was here that his divine powers came to light. Every child has that spark of divinity within. Balagokulam is a forum for children (4-15 years age) to discover and manifest that divinity. It will enable Hindu children in the US to appreciate their cultural roots and learn values. This is done through games, yoga, stories, songs, shlokas, arts/crafts, and Seva (selfless service) in the community. Balagokulam sessions are free for all and are held on Saturdays. Info: balagokulam.rtp@gmail.com hss.charlotte@hssus.org (Charlotte region) www.balagokulam.org

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Community News & Events BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir BAPS Shree Swaminarayan Hindu Mandir invites everyone to the regularly scheduled events: Ravi sabha - every Sunday at 4 - 6 pm followed by Aarti and Maha Prasad. Mahapuja – every Purnima at 7 pm. Many classes are conducted. Fresh Indian snacks and sweets available at Shayona. 1020 Aviation Parkway, Morrisville, NC 27560. Info: 919.469.6605 www.swaminarayan.org Bengali Association of North Carolina (BANC) BANC seeks to promote Bengali culture, language, music, arts and social activities by offering varieties of programs for members of INDOAmerican community within North Carolina and adjacent states. The association is organized exclusively for charitable, cultural, social and educational purposes. Info: 919.461.2386 (Ratan Ray), ratanray@hotmail.com 919.510.7943 (Swaty Sen), swaty_sen@yahoo.com banc_members@googlegroups.com www.banc-online.org Bharatiya Senior Citizens of North Carolina (BSCNC) BSCNC is a nonprofit organization for Senior Citizens of Indian origin who are of the age of 60 years and over. The members of the organization meets on the second Saturday of each month. Next meeting: Sat Oct 10. Info: President: Chandubhai Patel 919.467.7282 Secretary: Bhupendra Patel 919.647.9029 Child Relief and You (CRY) An organization in the Raleigh area working with the India-based charitable non-profit organization committed to encouraging and facilitating individuals and organizations to make a positive impact in the lives of underprivileged children since 1979. CRY America’s RDU Action Center has been active since 2001. CRY-RDU invites people to join the enthusiastic volunteer base to contribute ideas or any relevant skills. Info: 919.362.9591 (Sarav Arunachalam) rdu@cryamerica.org www.cryrdu.org October 2009

Chinmaya Mission The group hosts study groups/satsangs in Raleigh, Cary, Morrisville, and Chapel Hill. Chinmaya Mission offers an avenue for adults to acquire spiritual knowledge that can be applied to lead a successful and happy life. Study groups follows three disciplines - self-study, enlightened discussion, and finally, reflection on the knowledge gained in class. Info: 919.544.2815 CMRDU1@gmail.com www.chinmaya-rdu.org Datta Yoga Center - Raleigh Mission: Spread the teachings of Sadguru Sri Sri Sri Ganapathi Sachchidananda Swamiji of Mysore. Activities: Namasankeertana Bhajans written, composed and sung by Pujya Sri Swamiji. Future projects: Kriya yoga classes by Pujya Sri Swamiji-trained teachers from India. The group meets on the first Saturday of every month and every major festival day for Satsang and Namasankeertana (divine singing). Everyone is invited to attend the satsang with family and friends and receive divine blessings. Info: 919.484.1993 (Srinivas Chittineni) 919.461.0843 (Suresh Kota) YahooGroups: Dattasatsang_NC. Duke Diya Duke Diya is a Duke University student organization that is committed to providing a forum for interaction through political, cultural, community service, and social events relating to South Asian Americans. Info: 732.865.3173 www.dukediya.com Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation of India (EVFI) was established to help in the overall development of the remote tribal and rural villages in India. Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation of USA along with EVFI is committed to the cause of eradicating illiteracy from tribal areas. Education is the key to selfesteem, self-sustenance, economic well-being and happiness. Ekal Vidyalya (One School One Teacher in one village) plans to establish 100,000 schools in tribal areas by 2012.This will cover all the villages in tribal areas where there are no schools today. The Carolinas Region Saathee 104

of the EVFUSA conducts fund raising and awareness programs in North and South Carolina. Seeking volunteers. Info: 919.803.0478 (Hari H. Nath) hnath45@yahoo.com www.ekalvidya.org EKTAA South Asian Student Organization EKTAA (meaning unity) is the South Asian Student Organization at North Carolina State University (NCSU). The organization was founded in 1970. The motto is “unity within diversity.” EKTAA strives to spread culture and heritage of South Asia all over the campus as well as the local community and the organization works hand-in-hand with many organizations on and off the NCSU campus, as well as South Asian organizations from area universities. Info: www.ektaa.org Geet Bazaar Radio Program Every Sunday morning from 10 am - 12 noon on WKNC 88.1 FM, join hosts Afroz Taj and John Caldwell, for a wide variety of music from India, Pakistan, and other countries and languages of South Asia. Geet Bazaar will also publicize community events free of charge. Info: 919.851.1119 (Dr. Afroj Taj) taj@unity.ncsu.edu GEM - Raleigh Church of God Attend worship services, prayer meetings or Sunday School. Info: 919.395.6208 (Pastor Thankachan M.) globalem@gmail.com Heritage India Association of North Carolina (HIANC) HIAND aims at providing Indian cultural experience through performing arts, fine arts, cultural arts & crafts of India. Its mission is “to preserve and promote Indian heritage and culture.” It organizes three colorful events annually, and the 2009 celebrations are as follows: Gandhi Jayanti on October 4 at the Marbles Kids Museum. Children’s Day on November 14 at the HSNC Cultural Hall. Group performances by youth, children and adult artists from the Triangle community are welcomed for all events. Info: Yash Garg at 919-870-5222 Harsha Shah at 919-362-0520 chander@bellsouth.net saathee.com

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Community News & Events Hindi Vikas Mandal of NC Hindi Vikas Mandal (HVM), based in the RTP area, promotes study and appreciation of Hindi language and strives to foster Indian culture and traditions through Hindi. HVM has a special focus on the youths for the preservation of Indian Culture and heritage. Info: 919.851.0225 (Saroj Sharma) 919.461.0001 (Vinod Goel) vgoel2@nc.rr.com Hindu Society of North Carolina - Morrisville, NC The Hindu Society of North Carolina, located at 309 Aviation Parkway, Morrisville, N.C. serves the Indian community in the Triangle area and its vicinity. Temple timings are: Mon. - Fri. 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Sat. Sun. 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Daily Aarti and Puja is also conducted by the Priest. Other regular religious and cultural programs: Monthly Vedic Havan, Tuesday Hauman Chalisa recitation, Sri Ramakrishna Study Group, Sri Sai Baba Group, Gita Study Group, Devi Puja, Vaishnav Bhajan Group, Akhand Ramayana Recitation, Weeklend Language and Spiritual Knowledge Classes, and Sloka classes for Children. Yoga classes are also offered twice a week (Sunday at 8:00 a.m.and Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.) at the Cultural Hall. Priest services are available at your home and/or at the Temple at a nominal charge. Info: hsnc@hsncweb.org www.hsncweb.org Hindu Students Council (HSC) NC State University HSC-NCSU is a chapter of the national organization Hindu Students Council (HSC). HSC-NCSU is a cultural and religious student organization. It aims to provide opportunities to learn about Hindu philosophy, spirituality and cultural heritage through various activities, events and projects and is dedicated to provide â&#x20AC;&#x153;sevaâ&#x20AC;? (service) to the community. Info: 919.676.0298 (Mrinmoyee Sanyal) msanyal@ncsu.edu www.hsc-ncsu.org Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) October 2009

conducts weekly activities to develop character and leadership skills in participants, emphasizing values such as self-discipline, self-confidence and a spirit of selfless service (seva) for humanity while maintaining Hindu cultural identity in harmony with the larger society. HSS is inspired by the idea that the whole world is one family. HSS started in 1989 in the United States and currently has over 100 chapters (shakhas) across the country. The Research Triangle Park chapter meets every Saturday. Activities are tailored to include yoga, games, songs, lectures and discussions on Hindu dharma and culture. Info: hss.rtp@hssus.org Triangle area hss.charlotte@hssus.org Charlotte region. Hum Sub Hum Sub is dedicated to sharing the social and cultural traditions of India with the residents of the Research Triangle Park and North Carolina. Info: 919.468.3332 (Mamta Bisarya) 919.363.7339 (Latha Pamarthi) info@humsub.net www.humsub.net Indian American Forum for Political Education (IAFPE) IAFPE, known as the FORUM, is the oldest and largest Indian American organization for political education in the country. This is a non-profit organization with numerous chapters throughout the United States. The North Carolina Chapter is in Raleigh and has just established a new committee for a 2-year term. We are excited and motivated to educate the community on political issues and help the community with various services. Support is needed from the community and members to help us grow and provide relevant services and informative events. Info: Nilesh - 919.656.4361 www.forum-nc.org Indian Classical Music & Dance Society (ICMDS) ICMDS is dedicated to the task of promoting Indian classical music and dance in the Triangle area. ICMDS invites the top artists from all over the world to perform in the Triangle area. Sat Oct 3 @ 7:00 p.m.: Hindustani Saathee 106

Sitar Recital by Pt. Debi Prasad Venue: Duke University, Reynolds Theatre Info: www.icmds.org Indo-American Friendship Foundation Did you know that about 90 percent of rural orphans are female and most of them are abandoned at birth due to their gender? Not one of them gets the opportunity to become a doctor, engineer, or even receive basic education. Because they cannot live in the orphanage when they turn 18, many of them fall victim to different types of exploitation, including sex trade. IAFF has created an orphanage education fund to help qualified orphans to rise as high as they can climb in the educational/professional ladder. Info: 919.362.7653 (Dr. Subhas C. Mohapatra) www.iaff1.org Indus Foundation Indus Foundation was founded in NC by a group of professionals with the sole purpose of giving back to the community and the country that has helped members achieve success. Every dollar is wisely spent back into the community without any overheads. Current major projects: Indian Cancer Society rehabilitation Center in Mumbai, Mental Healthcare Center for socially rejected Women in Indore, and three Educational Centers in Gurgaon. Adopt an on-going project or launch a new project under specific guidelines. Make a commitment today to build a better tommorrow. Info: 919.461.0001 (Dr. Vinnie Goel, Chairman) 919.467.0598 (Dr. Shri Kulkarni, President) 919.319.7294 (Dr. Vijaya Bapat, Vice-President) www.indusfoundation.info International Community Church CC is a worship center for people from India and neighboring countries. The pastor is Joseph B. Jesudason and the church office is located at 1215 Franklin Jones Road, Suite #204, Raleigh, NC 27606. Info: 919.233.2900 w w w. i n t e r n a t i o n a l c o m m u n i t y church.org

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Community News & Events International Hindi Association International Hindi Association (IHA) promotes Hindi language and literature and has chapters all over the United States. The Raleigh Chapter periodically organizes Kavi Sammelans with local and indigenous talents. Open to those interested in listening to poetry or in reciting poetry. Info: 919.851.0225 (Sarojben Sharma) 919.362.5244 (Sudha Dhingra) www.hindi.org International Swaminarayan Satsang Organization (ISSO) Primary objective of ISSO is “To advance the Sanatan Dharma in accordance with the principles and teachings of Shree Swaminarayan Sampradaya, founded and ordained by Lord Shree Swaminarayan (Shree Sahajanand Swami),” enabling His devotees from both the Nar Narayan Dev Gadi (Ahmedabad) and Laxmi Narayan Dev Gadi (Vadtal) to practice their religious duties in harmony. The RaleighDurham chapter organizes a “Satsang Sabha” every two weeks, typically on Friday or Saturday evenings, which includes Kirtan bhakti, Katha, Aarti and Mahaprasad. Info: 919.363.2356 (Niraj Joshi) niraj_joshi@yahoo.com www.swaminarayan.info ISKCON of North Carolina The Sri-Sri Radha Golokananda Temple - Iskcon of NC is situated on 16 acres of field and forest with the historic Eno River flowing behind the temple property. The temple is just a few miles off of Routes I-40 & I-85 and located at 1032 Dimmocks Mill Road, Hillsborough, NC 27278. Daily aarti- 4:30 am, 7:15 am, 12:30 pm, 4:15 pm, 7 pm. Darsana: Monday through Friday 7:30-11:30 am and 4:15-5:45 pm, Saturday all day until 5:45 pm, Sunday all day until 7:30 pm. Sunday Festival begins at 4:00 p.m. and it includes kirtan, aarti, Bhagavad Gita discourse, vegetarian feast, and Sunday school for kids. Info: 919.593.6827, golokanandapriya@hotmail.com Yoga classes - Krishna Priya at krsnapriyahg@yahoo.com

October 2009

Kiran KIRAN is a multi-cultural, non-religious, community based, South Asian organization. Promoting the self-reliance and empowerment of South Asian women who are in crisis through outreach, peer support, and referrals in a confidential manner. The group spreads awareness of South Asian women’s issues in the community and we cooperate and collaborate with organizations in the USA and elsewhere with similar objectives. Countries in South Asia include Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Though there are differences in language, customs, and religions across these countries, these regions share many basic cultural and historical similarities. KIRAN operates a crisis phone line Monday- Friday from 9:00 am – 9:00 pm. For help or information regarding domestic violence call an advocate. Services offered are confidential and free of charge: • Information in a culture- and context-sensitive manner • Non-judgmental help and support to women who are experiencing oppressive/crisis situations • Emotional support • Referrals to professional and community services regarding legal issues, health care, short-term child care, psychological counseling, and temporary shelter and housing • KIRAN’s services are completely confidential. Translators and crisis counselors do not disclose any information provided by our clients. Info: Crisis Hotline: 1877- NC-KIRAN or 1-877-625-4726 Kiran@Kiraninc.org www.kiraninc.org Nuv Yug Nuv Yug is a cultural organization with a mission to promote awareness of Indian cultural arts and heritage. Striving to create synergy among various cultural groups from the South Asian region. Info: info@nuvyug.org www.nuvyug.org Pakistani American Association The Pakistani-American Association (NCPAA) is a non-political, non-sectarian, cultural and social organization that promotes Pakistani culture to all the communities living in the Saathee 108

Triangle Area of North Carolina. Several events are presented during the year. A family dinner is held on the second Friday of every month. Info: payamber@ncpaa.org www.ncpaa.org Pratham - Triangle Area Founded as a UNICEF initiative, Pratham is a grass-roots organization that works towards universalizing primary education in India. With a goal of reaching 20 million children, Pratham is one of the largest NGOs in field of literacy movement in India. Pratham continues to evolve, grow and works to meet the continually changing needs of the children it educates. Pratham’s North Carolina chapter actively aims to collaborate with individuals, local organizations and community associations and seeks ideas, volunteers and resources to deliver the vision of “Every Child in School and Learning Well.” Info: www.prathamnc.org Professional Indians’ Association (PIA) PIA is a meetup that serves young South Asian professionals in the Triangle Community. The group is made of Indian professionals and grad students interested in cultural events, socializing and meeting/making friends with likeminded people around the Triangle. Monthly events include meeting at bars/restaurants, Bollywood movie nights, potlucks, Indian concerts/performances, outdoor activities, community service and volunteering. This will also be an opportunity for professionals to share their thoughts on respective industries, social causes, the economy and politics. Info: www.meetup.com/PIATriangle/ Ramakrishna Vedanta Society of North Carolina The Ramakrishna Vedanta Society of NC draws inspiration from the timeless, philosophical wisdom of the Vedanta as practiced and preached in the modern day by Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda. Perhaps you know a great deal about Practical Vedanta and the message of the harmony of religions and the spiritual oneness of Existence - or perhaps you are just curious and want to saathee.com

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Community News & Events learn more. Regardless of background and/or knowledge the organization welcomes participants. Info: www.vedantanc.org RTP Maharashtra Mandal RTP Maharashtra Mandal promotes Maharashtrian culture and language. Maharashtra mandal is committed to serve RTP community with various cultural, social and traditional marathi programs and events. Info: 919.468.8824 (Jayant Yete) 919.757.7300 (Neeraj Shikarkhane) www.rtpmm.org S. V. Temple of North Carolina S.V. Temple of North Carolina is built on over nine acres of centrally connected triangle area. This grand tribute to Lord Venkateswara and his consorts is designed to exacting standards of shilpa shasthra and features the only shrine in North America to incorporate abodes to Lord Viswaksena and Lord Sudarshana/Lord Narasimha as part of Srinivasa Parivaram. The temple rituals are performed in accordance with Pancharathra Agama Shastra. Info: 919.468.0040 comm@svtemplenc.org www.svtemplenc.org Sahaj Marg Meditation Triangle Area Sahaj Marg translates to “The Natural Path.” It is a natural, simple system of Raja Yoga meditation and spiritual practice that helps one realize the ultimate potential within oneself. Regular spiritual practice under capable guidance enables aspirants to progressively experience the sublime presence of the divine in their daily lives. Sahaj Marg system of meditation is freely offered to seekers worldwide through Shri Ram Chandra Mission. In Triangle area, group meditations are held on Sundays and Wednesdays. Info: (919) 303-7447 (Raj Solanki) (919) 493-6180 (Devi Sekar) raleigh.center@gmail.com> www.srcm.org, www.sahajmarg.org SAMPIGE - Triangle Kannada Association The Triangle Kannada Association is a cultural association for people residing in the Triangle area from Karnataka, India. Sampige organizes Kannada (the language spoken in October 2009

the Karnataka area) activities in music, dance and drama as well as social activities. Info: sampigeeditor@yahoo.com www.sampige.org Share and Care Foundation (SCF) Share and Care Foundation (SCF), a charitable organization focused on several projects in India and the USA, is launching a new chapter for the Carolinas - this represents the first chapter outside the New Jersey headquarters of SCF. SCF has been working with the Triangle’s Indian community for more than 15 years. Info: 919.425.5299 (Manu Patel) 919.469.1258 (Rajeev Kamath) www.shareandcare.org Sikh Gurdwara of North Carolina The Sikh Gurudwara of North Carolina welcomes visitors of all backgrounds regardless of race, religion, ethnicity or gender. All peoples, regardless of their origin or orientation, are welcome to attend our services and share in the blessings of God. Religious services are held every Saturday evening and Sunday morning, followed by a community meal (langar). In addition to religious services, we offer educational programs for children and young adults. Adults participate in religious discourse during monthly study circles. Members of the Sangat (congregation) regularly participate in community service projects in the Triangle area. The Sikh Gurdwara at North Carolina is located at 3214 Banner Street in Durham, NC 27704. Info: 919.220.9917 www.sgncweb.org South Indian Fine Arts Academy (SIFAA) SIFAA is a non-profit organization that works to arrange and promote concerts and performances in the Triangle and Triad areas, concentrating on Carnatic music for the present. Info: 919.773.1580 www.sifaa.org St. Gregorios Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church Monthly Mass and regular services are held in Malayalam/English by Rev. Dr. M. K. Thomas at the Baptist Student Center, 2702 Hillsborough Saathee 110

Street, Raleigh, NC. Info: 919.461.1773 sec@stgregoriosnc.org www.stgregoriosnc.org Tamil Cultural Association of North Carolina (TCA NC) TCA NC is a non-profit organization formed for the purpose of providing youths with exposure to Tamil culture. Everyone is invited to join TCA and become part of a wonderful organization promoting Tamil culture in the Triangle area. Info: tca_nc@yahoo.com www.tcanc.org Tamil Sangam of Carolina The Tamil Sangam is an organization that promotes understanding of Tamil culture and provides a medium for people of Tamil culture to get together. The activities include music, drama, lectures, Tamil movies, etc. Info: (919)-465-1606 Ravi Shanmugam (President) http://members.fortunecity.com/ta milsangamofcarolina Triangle Area Telugu Association (TATA) The Triangle Area Telugu Association (TATA) is a non-profit organization (started in 1983) committed to building a vibrant Telugu Community and promoting Telugu culture and language in the Triangle area of North Carolina. Info: committee@tataonline.org www.tataonline.org Triangle Bangladesh Society (TBSNC) TBSNC strives to arrange musical programs by artists who have captured the hearts and minds of millions of Bengali-, Urdu- and Hindispeaking music fans all around the globe. Info: 919.741.9343 (Ishtiaque Mohiuddin) Ishtiaquem@gmail.com www.tbsnc.org Triangle Chapter-India Development & Relief Fund (IDRF) IDRF is a registered, tax-exempt non-profit organization that supports volunteer-based, honest and highly experienced non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in India in serving their populations’ critical saathee.com

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Community News & Events needs around education, childcare, healthcare, women empowerment and tribal welfare, as well as relief and rehabilitation in times of natural disasters. Info: www.idrf.org. Triangle Gujarati Association (TGA) TGA serves the Gujarati community in Raleigh, Cary, Durham, Chapel Hill and the surrounding areas, TGA sponsors musical programs, dramas and other cultural activities to help maintain the Gujarati culture and heritage. Info: Arvind Shah 919.233.7677 Harsha Shah 919.362.0520 Ravi Parikh 919.387.8808 Kanak Purohit 919.465.9856 Hemini Patel 919.387.2900 www.nctga.org Triangle Indian Youth Organization (TIYO) This organization has been created with the purpose of encouraging youths of Indian origin aged between 12-18 years to develop skills for leadership, to organize team-oriented efforts, understand and participate in community services, understand and develop individual potential. There will be activities that will fall into the broad categories of education, arts, cultural, charity, religious and community services. Info: 919.363.7339 (Latha Pamarthi [Director of TIYO]) triangleindianyouth@yahoo.com Triangle Rang Mandal Devotees of Pujya Sri Rang Avdhoot Maharaj meet every Saturday in Cary or Raleigh from 8:30 PM 10:30 PM to sing devotional Dattatreya Bhajans and DattaBavani in a spiritual atmosphere. Special programs organised on Guru Purnima and Rang Jayanti and on the occasion of Pujya Sri Prem Avdhoot Bapji’s annual visit to the US. Info: rangmandal@gmail.com Triangle Vegetarian Society (TVS) The mission of TVS is to build a sense of community between current vegetarians and people who are interested in vegetarianism and have a forum for a discussion of issues. October 2009

Info: Dilip Barman barman@cs.unc.edu www.trianglevegsociety.org

Two Cents of Hope (TCH) Two Cents of Hope (TCH) is a registered 501(c)(3) non– profit organization started by a group of Indian students at NC State University. We believe in empowering youth with education. We help to uplift the weaker sections of the society through the panacea - education. The foundation lies in the power of cents giving TCH its name. As J. Carney put it, “Little drops of water, little grains of sand, make the mighty ocean, and the pleasant land.” We use coin boxes to collect loose change. These individual cents together result in a collection that yields considerable amount of money, enough to give education to a poor student - indeed a firm footing for the rest of his or her life. Apart from the coin collection other sources of funding includes-Fund raising events (Trishna, Crescendo, Booth in Cary Diwali), Sponsors. Donations are not limited to loose change. In the last three years TCH funded $21,689, which includes 77 projects benefiting 270 students and 2 schools in India. To keep a coin box at your place or to know more about Two Cents of Hope, email coordinator@nc.twocentsofhope.com. www.twocentsofhope.com Urdu Majlis Urdu Majlis is a literary organization for the promotion of Urdu language and literature and has no political, national or religious affiliations. The group has regularly scheduled monthly meetings in which enthusiasts and scholars of Urdu literature meet to discuss the life and works of a selected literary figure. Info: 919.851.1119 (Dr. Afroz Taj) 919.962.1060 (Dr. Afroz Taj) 919.596.4792 (Ashraf and Seema Faruqi) taj@unity.ncsu.edu

Regional Cape Fear Cultural Association of India - Wilmington Cape Fear Cultural Association of India is an organization that promotes understanding of Indian culture and promotes a medium for Saathee 112

people of Indian culture to get together. Info: Shashin Patel, President. (910.790.9448) Sanjay Batish, Vice-President. (910.371.9860) Anjali Dashputre, Treasurer. (910.395.6633) Sukhbir Dhillon, Cultural Secretary (910.796.1965) Georgia Indo-American Chamber of Commerce The Georgia Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (GIACC) develops and promotes trade, business, commercial and professional relationships between India and the United States, especially within the state of Georgia. GIACC was formed recognizing the need for promoting bi-lateral activities among South Asian and mainstream communities in the United States and South Asia. Info: 678.762.7589 AniThirdM@aol.com, ani@giacc.org. 770.840.1925 - susan@giacc.org. www.giacc.org Hindu Society Of Eastern NC (Greenville, NC) Upcoming programs: Sun Oct 11 - 10:00 AM Balgokulam by Rajesh Verma Sat Oct 17 - 5:00 PM- 9:00 PM Dipavali Puja by Shuklaji, Annual Fund Rasing Auction, Dinner, & Fireworks Sun Oct 18 - 10:00 AM Balgokulam by Rajesh Verma, 11:00 AM Children’s Program by Sudha Srivatsa, 11:00 AM Adult Study by Mr. Srivatsa Sun Oct 25 - 10:00 AM Balgokulam by Rajesh Verma Sun Nov 1 - 10:00 AM Balgokulam by Rajesh Verma, 11:00 AM Children’s Program by Roopa Gandhi, 11:00 AM Adult Study by Mr. Srivatsa Sat Nov 7 - 10:00 AM-5:00 PM Sw. Yogatmananda ji (Lunch will be served) Sun Nov 8 - 10:00 AM-3:00 PM Sw. Yogatmananda ji (Lunch will be served) Info: 252.830.5177 (Dharam Vasnani) VasnaniD@aol.com Hindutempleenc@gmail.com

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October 2009

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Community News & Events South Carolina American South Asian Cultural Association of Columbia, SC The organization’s fundamental goal is to increase cultural awareness and develop cultural understanding among American South Asian Community in Columbia area. A monthly dinner will be held on the Second Sunday of every month between 6 to 9 PM. There will be $10.00 Per Person charge for dinner at India Palace, 110-A Columbia Northeast Drive, Columbia. Info: evenings 803.233.7042 or 803.233.3996 Carolina Buddhist Vihara (Greenville, SC) Regular beginner meditation program conducted by a Buddhist Monk. Activities are held Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings: 6:30 pm (puja), 7 pm (meditation), and 8 pm (“Dhamma” talk or discussion). A “youth program” is also held once a month. Info: dhammasc@hotmail.com Hindu Temple of South Carolina The Hindu Temple and Cultural Center of South Carolina was established with an objective to fill the need for thousands of Hindus in the State of South Carolina to worship and pray together, perform sacraments and rituals, to observe and celebrate festivals, and to perform and engage in humanitarian and educational activities. Info: www.hindutemplesc.org/index.php India Assoc. of Greater Charleston (IAGC) The IAGC was founded in Charleston to bring together people who were interested in India and to provide a forum to increase the understanding of the heritage of India in US. Info: 803.884.0859 iagcfolks@yahoo.com International Fellowship Church of Greenville, SC International Fellowship Church offers Sunday worship services and other weekly activities for people of Indian origin. Info: 864.234.1256 (Pastor Suhas Raiborde) internationalfellowshipchurch.org

October 2009

Kannada Association of Greater Greenville (KAGG) An organization devoted to the awareness and promotion of Kannada culture in the Greater Greenville area of South Carolina. KAGG is a primarily run by volunteers and invites Kannadigas living in and around Greater Greenville area to participate in the organization. Kannada classes for children are being organized to meet at the Vedic Center in Mauldin every other Sunday morning. Info: 864.430.4973 www.kagg-sc.org Masjid Noor-UL-Huda The Mosque is located at 517 Winmet Drive, Columbia, S.C. On the first Saturday and third Saturday of every month from 6 PM to 8 PM, Islamic session is held by Hafiz Mohammed Basheer. Quranic Reading classes are conducted daily, and everyone is encouraged to send their children to these sessions. Info: 803.749.0827 (Dr. Shami) 803.740.5127 (Qari Abdul Khader Multani) 803.754.2632 (Mosque number) Sirigannada Sirigannada is the Kannada Association of South Carolina (based in Columbia) is a non-profit organization created in 2004 by the interested Kannada speaking people of South Carolina. A voluntary organization primarily run by memberships and donations from Kannadigas of the State of South Carolina. President: Dr. H.N. Narayanaswamy Nadig. Vice President: Mrs. Radha Rajagopal. Secretary: Mrs. Usha Bilgi. Treasurer: Mrs. Malathi Nagaraj. Info: www.sirigannada.org Telugu Association of Greater Greenville,SC Telugu Association of Greater Greenville, SC, serves the Telugu community of the Greenville/Spartanburg area of South Carolina. The group sponsors several events throughout the year. Info: www.taggsc.org Triad Avatar Meher Baba Group The Meher Center is a spiritual retreat/ashram located on SC Highway 17 immediately North of the Highway 22 connection 8 miles Saathee 114

from Myrtle Beach, SC. Meher Baba visited this place 3 times and considered it His home in the West. A small brick house built especially for Him is open for “Darshan” on Fridays and Sunday (11:00 am.) / Meher Center: (843) 272-5777. Info: 336.299.9683 runderwood@webtv.net www.avatarmeherbaba.org Vedic Center of Greenville The Center is located on the Corner of Bethel Road and Bethel Drive in Mauldin, S.C. Daily Aarti is conducted Monday to Friday at 8 pm. Bal Vihar classes are conducted Sundays from 11:15 am - 12:30 pm. Sri Venkateshwara Suprabhatam is held on 2nd Sat of month at 9 am. Info: 864.967.2852

Send your organization’s events and info to saatheemag@hotmail.com

Writers Wanted We are looking for contributors to our monthly forum called ‘The Chai Table.’ If you have an interesting tale to tell, an opinionated opinion or just want to get something off your chest about local community dilemmas, write to us. We may publish your piece in a future issue of Saathee. Also, please encourage your children to submit poems, short stories or other original writings. Thank You. Please send an e-mail:

saatheemag@hotmail.com saathee.com

Water War continued from page 8

As to why this is so, conspiracy theories abound among the common people of Kashmir who I came across while traveling around Srinagar and its environs with Sajaad Hussain, an activist who chairs an NGO called the J&K Research Development Trust. A fairskinned Kashmiri with long, dirty-blond hair, Hussain, too, was outraged that India’s most water-rich state was struggling to meet its own needs. As cup after cup of salted tea flowed from the samovar in Hussain’s house in Srinagar’s politically volatile downtown region, an interesting picture emerged of the common Kashmiri’s perspective on India’s water dispute with Pakistan. Motivated in part by wishful thinking, the consensus here was that India uses the dispute with Pakistan as an excuse not to invest in Kashmir’s infrastructure, because it fears it may one day have to give up its claims on the territory. “They (India) say that Kashmir is an unbreakable part of India,” exclaimed one of the tea drinkers. “But they do not treat it that way.” The next day, Haseeb Drabu, who as chairman of the Jammu & Kashmir Bank has struggled to finance many hydroelectric power projects in the state, told me a somewhat different story. “There are all kinds of conspiracy theories, but the fact of the matter is that the state government doesn’t have any money.” Nevertheless, Drabu, too — however optimistic he is about the Indian-administered Kashmir’s ability to exploit its water resources — firmly believes that water will increasingly become a source of conflict. “Water will be the most potent political weapon by which India will screw Pakistan, because they have a huge problem as it is,” Drabu told me. “[Eventually] they will sign off on whatever we say, and say give it [water] to me, because they have such big problems.” Downstream from the Baglihar Dam, the executive engineer on the project explained over stacks of toast and mango chutney how serious the threat of conflict has already become. Not two weeks before, an alleged Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist captured near the border by the Indian army had reportedly revealed plans to attack the dam — which Pakistan has opposed from the outset, approaching the World Bank for arbitration in 2005. “Everything in this place is under threat,” the engineer said. “What can we do? We continue our work.” Most Kashmiris feel the same resignation. But in their mouths it leaves a bitter taste.

pilgrimage to a cave in the mountains above Srinagar where an ice formation resembles a lingam — a Hindu religious symbol representing the phallus of the god Shiva. The same motive lies behind a new festival called the Sindhu Darshan, which casts the Indus as a Hindu river, though it was the cradle of ancient civilizations in what is today Pakistan, long before Hinduism existed. “India is trying to turn the rivers of Kashmir into religious symbols,” Jaleel said. Meanwhile, in Pakistan, the opponents of detente cast the battle for Kashmir as a struggle for survival to prevent governments there from giving any ground, according to a new report by Mumbai’s Strategic Foresight Group. Recalling the standoff on the border in 2002, the report’s authors argue that Pakistani ideologues immediately leaped to the conclusion that India planned to use water as a weapon without any prompting from New Delhi, and predicted that such a move would ultimately lead to a Pakistani nuclear strike. At the same time, a leader from an umbrella organization of Pakistani jihadi groups told a local newspaper: “Kashmir is the source from where all of Pakistan’s water resources originate. If Pakistan loses this battle against India, it will become a desert.” Though Indians tend to dismiss this kind of rhetoric as senseless paranoia, Pakistan’s fears are not completely unfounded. Almost immediately after Partition, India diverted the Ravi and Sutlej rivers, depriving the city of Lahore and Pakistan’s irrigation canals of water during the spring sowing season. Now, whenever a new Indian dam comes up, Pakistani commentators see the project as another move to starve them out. One Pakistani newspaper, The Nation, for instance, lumped Baglihar in with 50 others built “in gross violation of the Indus Waters Treaty,” lamenting “India simply cut off waters flowing into Pakistan, dealing a big blow to our agriculture and economy.” Kashmiris on both sides of the border — or Line of Control, as it is known locally — are caught in the middle. The Indus Waters Treaty, drawn up in 1960, has prevented India and Pakistan from going to war over the rivers of the Himalayas for almost 50 years by granting India exclusive use of the three eastern tributaries of (Melting Himalayan ice is posing problems throughout the Indus, the Ravi, Beas and Sutlej rivers, and grantiAsia. Over a billion people rely on water that descends from ng Pakistan exclusive rights to the three western tribuglaciers that scientists predict will disappear by 2050.) taries, the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab. But it has also prevented development of irrigation and hydroelectric projects in Kashmir itself. The treaty caps the amount of land Kashmir can irrigate and sets strict regulations on how and where water can be stored — making hydropower projects on the Chenab, like the Baglihar dam, difficult to execute. And, increasingly, the limitations imposed on India by the treaty are becoming a motivating force in Indian-administered Kashmir’s struggle for independence. “It is the irony of history that the waters belonging to Kashmiris are being decided by India and Pakistan. They have robbed us of our own natural resources,” said Shabir Ahmad Dar, the diminutive but passionate chief superintendent of the Hurriyat Conference — an alliance of separatist parties. “They have signed a treaty that is leading us to war.” October 2009

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Role of Leaders continued from page 44 ciating himself from these leaders. The moment declaration was made about the partition of the country riots erupted in different parts. There was mayhem, bloodshed, looting, destruction of property and killing and suffering of millions of people. Was Gandhi aware about the consequences of partition? If he was, then accepting the partition was the most irresponsible act. Most likely he was not aware of the repercussions. He was also not aware of his own inner weakness. Although he was working with his close associates on a daily basis he did not have any clue about their inner desires and compulsions. The behavior of the top leaders might have come to him as a shock. Fate of the whole country was decided by the egocentricity of its leaders. After the partition there was supposed to be a government by the people for the people, but the politicians soon forgot their obligation and responsibility and started behaving the same arrogant way as the British who were ruling the country for their own selfish reasons. Martin Luther King and Desmond Tutu fought for equality and justice in their respective countries. But is there any change in human nature? Improvements and modifications made here and there by enacting new laws are soon engulfed by the new problems that crop up due to man’s inability to deal with the most basic and fundamental issues that determine the quality of life. Laws can be enacted to end segregation but laws cannot take away the feeling of superiority. The feeling can arise due to different reasons. Beside race, color, religion, nationality a person’s educational background, material wealth, and talent can make him or her feel superior to others. This feeling is one of the main causes of inequality and injustice in the world because it creates division between “me” and “you.” Throughout his long election campaign Barack Obama focused his attention on the major problems facing America. He blamed the Bush administration for pursuing wrong policies and thereby creating mess and chaos. The word “change” became the mantra that was repeated at all the election rallies. When he became the president all the problems about which he had talked so extensively became an actual challenge and needed urgent attention. Human greed was at the source of many of these problems. Neither the people nor their leader asked why human beings are greedy. Greed is being treated as part of human nature. For most of the people life as they actually live remains unexamined. For example there is blind and mechanical pursuit of progress and success. Achievement of power, position, prestige and status is considered as the aim of life. All struggles for personal pleasure, competition in all spheres of life and the system of reward and punishment are part and parcel of present day existence. Faith and belief in God and reliance on some or the other authority, including religious and political leaders, are never questioned. It has been assumed that rules and regulations, imposed discipline, ideals, gospels will solve the problem. Attitudes and habits formed as a result of various influences are taken for granted. Obviously such a way of October 2009

life produces numerous problems both at the individual and collective level. People have relied on political and religious leaders to solve the problems that they themselves have created. Such reliance has made them complacent as they have never looked inwardly and become aware of the irrationality of their own thought process. No leader or an outside authority can give freedom and intelligence and no leader can teach a person how to love. Ideals cannot bring about love, care and affection because they do not take care of the complexity of the problem. There can be no relationship without love. Each person has to discover this quality that is not the product of thought. Your critical comments are most welcome. Contact: sardarsingh@msn.com www.lifeisrelationship.com

Stocks continued from page 56 back has sagged in value against major World currencies, and many nations are concerned about the level of U.S. deficits/debts. In addition, there are fears that once the economy starts getting stronger, inflation may make its presence known as well due to the rapid expansion of the money supply. Every year, the Federal Reserve Board meets eight times to review economic data, monetary policy, and make appropriate adjustments to interest rates as deemed appropriate. Interest rates were lowered to historically low levels during 4Q2008 - the Fed Funds rate is 0.00%-0.25%. This means that banks can lend money to other banks essentially free of cost. These remarkably low rates have certainly benefited consumers who have mortgages and other types of loan products; however, savers have certainly felt the pinch of low rates as well. The Fed is continuously monitoring the economy and economic data, and the remaining meetings for 2009 are on November 3-4 and December 15. Special Note: This article contains the ideas and thoughts of its author and it does not necessarily imply the viewpoints of Saathee magazine, this website or its principals. Rajesh Ganatra is also the Community News Editor for Saathee and writes the “The Cricket Forum” column. Contact: rajeshtganatra@rocketmail.com

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Law Offices of

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* Practice in North Carolina limited to immigration only (Office visit by appointment only)

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Clues Down:

By Kirit Shukla 1

21 24

32 36

33 37

40 44

38 41

39 42

2. A mountain State in NW US. Cap. Boise 3. To save from danger; Rescue. 4. Ability to perceive and understand the events. 5. A shallow pool or a puddle. 6. A string of dried chilies hung for storage. 7. Graduate Management Admission Test. (*) 8. Scarce; Unusual. 9. Each; Anyone. 10.“ __ _ __”, Sangeet; Saathee’s featured article. 12. Any interval of geologic time. 14. One of the two Sanskrit epics of Hindu mythology, the other being “Ramayana.” 15. The heightened part of the action in ancient drama, leading directly to catastrophe. 19. A prophet. 21. International Trade Organization. (*) 23. “Who wants to be a ___?”, Saathee’s Feature to test your knowledge. 25. Crude zinc used in galvanizing. 26. In what manner or way. 28. To make a series of sharp, short sounds. 31. Sigma– Aldrich Corporation. (*) (NASDAQ!) 34. Civil Engineer. (*) 35. Massachusetts. (*) 37. The major unit of geological time, comprising two or more eras. 41. Hampton University. (*) 43. Rhode Island. (*) (Note: * denotes abbreviation of the word or phrase) (Puzzle solutions are on page 126. NO peeking!)

Clues Across: 1. The currency of Turkey. 5. A scheduled broadcast on radio or TV. 11. The Hindu religious holiday of festival of lights. “Deepavali”, Oct. 17, 2009. 13. The progenitor of mankind, the first king, per Hindu religion. 14. A large island off the SE coast of Africa. Cap. Antananarivo. 16. Ampere-Hour. (*) 17. To state again in a different way. 18. A flexible tube to convey water. 20. Hormone Replacement Therapy. (*) 21. Integrated Circuit. (*) 22. An entity. (Metaphysics) 24. American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. (*) 27. The back end of the barrel of a gun. 29. A light parody or satire. 30. Coarse; rough; discordant. 31. To cook by simmering. 32. The monetary unit of Laos = 1/100 kip. 33. Getting along well with others. 35. Minnesota. (*) 36. Route. (*) 38. In the smallest degree. 39. An advertisement. (Informal) 40. Hello; Goodbye. (Hawaii) 42. One who lies. 44. The right of holding property. 45. “___” Prabhupada. (Hare Krishna!) October 2009

Hee Hee (Booddhoo is foolish. Mafatlal is a freeloader.)

Husband: “Honey, years ago you had a figure like a slim Pepsi bottle.” Wife: “Yes darling. I still do. Only difference is earlier it was a 12 oz. bottle and now it’s two liter.” ********* Lady: “Aren’t you ashamed of begging? You are young, strong and healthy. Why don’t you work?” Beggar: “You can become a heroine in a film because you are young, very beautiful and speak very sweet!” Her anger vanished when she heard her praises from him. She smiled and took out twenty Rupees from her purse and gave it to the beggar. ********* Patient: “Doctor, will I be able to play sitar after my operation?” Doctor: “Yes, of course.” Patient: “Great! I never could before!” ********* Booddhoo: Officer, can I park my car here?” Policemen: “No.” Booddhoo: “What about all these other cars?” Policeman: “They did not ask.”

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********* saathee.com

EZ-BZ

YOUTH CORNER

TEST YOUR OWN IQ

(Created By Kirit Shukla)

(The common letters are “WE” - Fill in the blanks)

(Find & circle the words in the puzzle). (Subject: “Carolina rivers”).

A cordial greeting.

An absorbent cloth to wipe the body. _ _ WE _

WE _ _ _ _ _

A disciple.

Two times ten.

Blossoms; Blooms.

The Sun sets in the __.

The basic unit of power in FPS system.

The taste of sugar.

Among; in the interval.

_ _ _ _ _ WE _ _ WE _ _ _ _ _ _ WE _ _ WE _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ WE _ _ WE _ _ _ _ _ WE _ _

10. Any unit of mass or heaviness

WE _ _ _ _

11. Nevertheless; Yet.

_ _ WE _ _ _

12. Ten plus two. ALLIGATOR ASHEPOO ASHLEY BEAUFORT CAPEFEAR CATAWBA CHATTOOGA CHAUGA COMBAHEE CONGAREE DEEP ENOREE HAW

HIWASEE LUMBER LYNCHES MAY NANTAHALA PEEDEE POCOTALIGO SAVANNAH TAR THOMPSON TOGALOO WACCAMAW

_ _ _ _ WE _ _

14. A sliding storage box in a chest. 15. Strikingly odd. 16. Vertical shaft of a staircase. 17. To be in debt. 18. Ornaments. 19. Moist. 20. A brief rainfall. 21. Excellent.

_ WE _ _ WE _ _ _ WE _ _ _ _ WE _ _ WE _ _ _ _

23. A residence.

_ WE _ _ _ _ _

The unused 3 letters spell a tributary of Kanawha river flowing thru NC, VA, WV states.

WE _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ WE _ _

_ _ _ _ _ WE _

25. Bottommost.

_ _ _ WE _

22. One who reviews. 24. Atmospheric condition.

October 2009

_ WE _ _ _

13. Word spoken at parting.

Saathee 121

WE _ _ _ _ _ _ _ WE _ _

(Puzzle solutions are on page 126. NO peeking!)

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Who wants to be a scholar?

Festivals & Holidays Compiled by Kirit Shukla

By Kirit Shukla There is only one correct answer. 1. Arrange these Us Public libraries from largest to smallest, by number of books. (a) Charlotte, NC (b) Los Angeles, CA (c) Denver, CO (d) Queens, NY 2. Music director of 1964 Hindi film Chitralekha. (a) Naushad (b) Ravi (c) Madan Mohan (d) Roshan

October 09 Oct 2 - M. K. Gandhi/L. B. Shastri Birthday Oct 3 - Sharad Poornima (Full Moon)

3. “Delhi–Jaipur” distance by N.H.#8 is about (a) 260 Kms. (b) 330 Kms. (c) 400 Kms. (d) 470 Kms.

Oct 12 - Columbus Day Oct 14 - Vagh Baaras Oct 15 - Dhan Teras

4. The “Hot air balloon” was invented in 1783 in (a) United States (b) France (c) Japan (d) Germany

Oct 16 - Kali Chaturdashi Oct 17 - Diwali

5. “John Q. Adams” was US President for the period (a) 1809-1817 (b) 1817-1825 (c) 1825-1829 (d) 1829-1837

Oct 17 - Mahavir Swami Nirvana Day Oct 18 - New Year, Vikram Samvat 2066 begins Oct 19 - Bhai Beej Oct 23 - Laabha Panchami

6. The English word “DIVA” means (a) Diwali (b) Prima Donna (c) Dancer (d) Diverge

Oct 25 - Jalaram Jayanti Oct 29 - Dev-Oothi Ekadasi

7. Gujarat State produces about __ of India’s total diamond production. (a) 80 % (b) 60 % (c) 40 % (d) 20 %

Oct 31 - Halloween Oct 31 - Sardar Patel Jayanti November 09 Nov 2 - Guru Nanak Jayanti

8. The nickname of “Badger State” in USA is (a) Wyoming (b) Illinois (c) Iowa (d) Wisconsin

Nov 2 - Dev Diwali/Kartik Poornima (Full Moon) Nov 3 - Election Day

9. The melting point of the element Copper is about (a) 1033˚C (b) 1083˚C (c) 1133˚C (d) 1183˚C

Nov 11 - Veteran’s Day

10. The winner of 2009 US Open Tennis tournament (a) Federer (b) Nadal (c) Djokovic (d) Del Potro

Nov 16 - Darsha/Somavati Amas (No Moon)

11. There are __ “Upanishadas,” per Hindu scriptures that constitute the core teachings of “Vedanta.” (a) 108 (b) 50 (c) 32 (d) 18

Nov 25-28 - Hajj

12. If you weigh 65 kg. the calorie consumption per hour for playing cards, is about (a) 50 (b)100 (c) 150 (d) 200

Nov 12 - Utpatti Ekadasi Nov 14 - Nehru Children’s Day Nov 24 - Guru Tegh Bahadur Martyrdom Nov 26 - Thanksgiving Day Nov 27 - Eid al Adha Nov 28 - Gita Jayanti/ Mokshada Ekadasi Major Holidays & Festivals of Dec. 09/Jan. 10 Dec 21 - First Day of Winter Dec 25 - Christmas Dec 31 - New Year Eve, (Year 2009 ends) Jan 1 - New Year, 2010 begins

Scholar: All correct First Class: 11 correct Second Class: 10 correct Third Class: 9 correct Needs Improvement: 8 or less correct. You be the judge for yourself.

Jan 14 - Makarsankranti/Uttarayana Jan 20 - Vasant Panchami Jan 26 - Republic Day (India)

Puzzle Solutions are on page 126 (No peeking!) October 2009

Jan 26 - Jaya Ekadasi

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Mandap Rental 14 Mandaps to choose from!

& Floral Arrangements for All Occasions.

Blooming Buds WE PROVIDE • Stage & All Other Party Decorations. • Mandaps, Domes, Backdrops, Torans & Entrance Gates • Murtis, Ganesh & Candle Obras For Isle Decoration • Bridal Chairs & Chair Covers • DJ Garam Masala and Lighting Services Available

Amaan Travel Specialized International Fares Nafisa (Travel Agent) 3701 Ottington Place Charlotte, NC 28262

Best Service with Competitive Prices! Call Manju Nigam

919.465.7265

704-717-7171

Website: www.bloomingbudsnc.com

Serving Buyers and Sellers Since 1989 Our experienced and talented AGENTS CAN SPEAK ENGLISH, HINDI, GUJARATI and Korean languages. Offering Motel, Restaurants, Dry Cleaners, Laundromats, Convenience Stores, Salons, land and more.

Let Us Help You Buy or Sell A Business RESTAURANTS: MOORESVILLE, NC $39K - DELI/SUBS HUNERSVILLE, NC $100K (VARIETY OF RESTAURANTS AVAILABLE DRY CLEANERS: CHARLOTTE, NC $195K CHARLESTON, SC $249K LEASE SPACE: INDIAN TRAIL, NC

C-STORES: MORGANTON, NC $1.3M + INV. GR $5M CONOVER, NC $900K + INV. GR $2.6M GRANITE FALLS, NC $699K + INV GR $3M MOYOCK, NC, $13M + INV., GR $22M (Owner Financing) SUMTER, SC $575K + INV GR $800K DURHAM, NC $499K + INV GR $1.9M (Owner Financing) SMITHFIELD, NC $2.6M + INV GR $8.2M

PEACHLAND, NC $350K + INV GR $570K (Reduced) KINGS MTN, NC $775K + INV GR $2.7M LINCOLNTON, NC $169K + INV GR $1.2M ROYSTON, GA $60K + INV GR $2M TANNING SPA: MONROE, NC $55K (REDUCED) SHIPPING BUSINESS: LAKE WYLIE, SC $85K

Log on to our website for more listings!

www.countysouth.biz 704-814-9435 fax-866-876-9980 1300 Matthews-Mint Hill Rd October 2009

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Matthews, NC 28105 saathee.com

improve. You will have tremendous confidence to make decisions and act on them. Family member’s attitude will be very encouraging and helping towards you. This will bring tremendous amount of mental happiness. A relaxed state of mind will help you in developing self-confidence.

General Predictions for October 2009 ARIES (Mar 20- Apr 20) After a slow start, you may feel that you have entered in a storm of problems. Destiny will slap you and you may have to look for help from a competitor. This may impact your health, too. You must avoid aggression and immediate reaction. You may survive this if you behave maturely. However, don’t count on your family or spouse for support. A prayer may give you power to pass the time without major impact, but the good news is that this troublesome period won’t last long. TAURUS (Apr 20 - May 21) Lack of self-confidence may make you rely on your siblings. If you do that, you are inviting trouble. This may affect your health during the second half of the month when the situation will unexpectedly take a turn. Try not to go after making easy money. A smart move may set a longterm benefit deal for you. Avoid short distance travel this month. Though you may survive financially, peace of mind won’t be there this month. GEMINI (May 21 - Jun 21) After a very good start, luck will slow down a little bit in the last week of the month. There may be misunderstanding and arguments in your family life. If you can avoid conflict with your family or partner, you will enjoy the real success. Also, don’t make any move or get involved in partnership deal. Try to get the best out of whatever resources you already have. Time is not good for heart patients. CANCER (Jun 21 - Jul 22) Cool down. Don’t take any negative decision. Try to have fun and love. Aggression or haphazard attitude may ruin a lot. You must ignore whatever that may upset you. This is a short but powerful phase you need to pass quietly. Listen to your sibling and enjoy time with friends. This could be the storm before long lasting happiness. You may enjoy real peace and happiness after this last stroke. Relief from a fear will relax you. LEO (Jul 22 - Aug 23) Unexpected expenses or loss may take away your peace of mind. You must avoid disputes and hot arguments. Try to enjoy family life and in case a problem arises, take help from your relatives. Health problem could be another issue this month. A sense of depression may become worse in the last week of the month. Don’t speculate. Obey your elders. Wait for the right time before making any move. Try to take it easy. VIRGO (Aug 23 - Sep 23) You will do extremely well in your field of activities. Your service / job conditions will definitely October 2009

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LIBRA (Sep 23 - Oct 23) You will enjoy uncertainty this month. Even though your enemy will try to bring harm, you will ignore them and enjoy a luxurious life. You may spend some money in decorating your house. You may also see major upsets at the place of business. It could be positive in terms of making extra money. Digestive system-related health problems could be there. Watch your diet. SCORPIO (Oct 23 - Nov 22) Luck will favor you but you won’t feel happy. Some kind of fear will rule your mind. Lack of confidence will drive you to make mistakes. Health could be another concern this month, however, you will be able to control your expenses. Misunderstandings may disturb the peace in family. You will see your competitor doing better than you. Just slow down in life, take a deep breath and try to regain self-confidence. SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 - Dec 21) You should avoid driving this month. Try not to make any major decision. The good thing is that you will perform well at your place of work. You will get an opportunity to raise your status. Workload will increase but income won’t. Avoid making compromises with moral values. You may feel lonely and feel like a loser this month. However, don’t surrender to the circumstances by taking the wrong action. CAPRICORN (Dec 21 - Jan 20) You will feel relaxed. Your intelligence will be at par, but it may take time to achieve positive results of your actions. You are slowly moving toward a happy and successful phase in time. Your income is going to rise. Long term planning will materialize in near future. Try to be prepared for making right and timely move. You will enjoy good health and peace of mind. AQUARIUS (Jan 20 - Feb 19) You are entering into a new era. The turning point will bring actions into your life. You will be successful due to your creative intelligence. The time is good for love and romance. Your income as well as expenses will increase. Your child may create trouble and could become a concern this month. You should avoid traveling this month. Make slow moves and take confident steps. PISCES (Feb 19 - Mar 20) Take time over decisions as you may suffer on account of wrong decisions. Control your diet to protect your health. Speculation or your co-worker proves to be helpful in making some money. Sudden travel may bring unexpected problems. Some kind of fear may prevail. Expect to work hard and be happy to welcome new opportunities. Avoid dishonesty in your profession. By Jalendu Vaidya Contact: 973-365-1766 / hindusvision.com saathee.com

October 2009

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Saathee

Classifieds BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES: Gas Station Wanted: Seriously looking for Gas-station for sale or lease in or around the RTP area (20 miles). Contact anytime: 510-6761440 or 602-476-3357 Indian Restaurant for sale in Cary. Prime Location. Biggest in the Triangle. Seat 150. Big potential. $79k. 919.691.1177. varghese98@gmail.com Drycleaners For Sale: A well established Drycleaners has a main plant & pick-up store for Sale. Prime locations in Charlotte, NC. Call 704-277-5013 Liquor Store for sale: Low rent. Nice Highway location. Variety High quality products. Good potential. Call 803.285.9511 or 704.877.9864. Indian Grocery Store for sale in Triangle area. Open 5 years. Good location and lease terms. 2500 sq ft. Serious inquiries only 919.469.0665. Leave message. Private Investor Needed: About $100K, 10% interest, fixed & secured by Real Estate. Or Partner needed for Real Estate. Call Harish at 919-649-9044. Available in the Triangle Area: Quiznos ($60K significant seller financing!); C-store w/3 acres ($400K). Contact: info@entrustassociates.com or Olga at 919.881.9997. Large Gas Station/C-Store For Sale: All fuels, 6 tanks, C-Store, Deli, Produce, Hardware, Pet-food, Seed, Fertilizer & full service Meat Dept. Situated on Hwy 127 South in Hickory, NC. 2.75 Acres of land w/ 3 bedroom apt. Contact Paul 914-320-8254 Indian Boutique Shop for Sale: Charlotte, NC area, next to established Indian grocery store, nice location, low rent, perfect for housewives, call 704-900-9454. Gas Stations For Lease: Two gas stations for lease in North Carolina. Great location with excellent local traffic & highway cliental. For more details call 336-262-2725. Dry Cleaners For Sale: Well established, heavy volume dry cleaning business that consist of a plant/store in Durham, NC. Call 919-271-1940 Baja Bistro Fresh Mexican Grille: Open your new business for as low as $60,000! contact: http://hnhfranchisebrokers.com or call (919)815-3026. Citgo For Sale: in Oxford, NC. Well profitable. Monthly inside: 33K, Gas: 60Kgallons, Lotto: 25K. With realestate asking $750K. Contact (919) 601-4661 October 2009

Liquor Store For Sale: in Inman, SC. Low rent, nice location & good future potential! Price reduced. Call 864-472-6960. Wedding Décor / Mandap Business For Sale: Fully established Wedding decoration / Mandap business in Orlando, FL. Profitable & priced cheap for quick sale. Includes lots of inventory & computer organized sales/inventory system. Very easy to re-locate to any area! Call 407-242-5075. Texaco For Sale: In York, SC. Highly profitable business. Inside monthly $50k, Gas 35k, Lotto $25k. For lease asking price $125k + inv & monthly rent $4500. Call 704-219-1992 or 704-578-4470 For Information. Holiday Inn Express—65+ Units For Sale: close to Raleigh NC. Perfect for an Owner-Operator. Priced at $3.7M with “Seller Financing” option available. Brand New 70 Unit Franchise Property—Atlanta Airport for $5M. Call 704-906-9899 C-store For Sale on Lease: In Concord, NC, $150,000 + Inventory. Gross $450,000 to $500,000 inside, 450,000 to 500,000 gal. Outside. Call 704-936-5983 EVOS: Successful Franchisor of America’s First Healthier Fast Food. Burgers, fries, and shakes that are 50-70% less fat, 100% full of flavor! Franchise opportunities now available in NC. 919-815-3026 www.evos.com. Businesses For Sale: 16 Unit Motel. High Volume C-store/Gas station. 30 Unit Motel. Two Laundromats. For details & appoint call 704.488.3434. Broker. CONVENIENCE STORE FOR SALE: Busy PRICE REDUCED to $1.6M. highway in Gastonia, NC. Opportunities to increase sales by adding Food Stamp, Gas Card, American Express acceptance. Great store. Make an offer! 704-8149435/www.countysouth.biz Businesses For Sale: Café, restaurants, deli, coin laundry, dry cleaners, and more plus residential listings. Call for best discounts when you buy or sell. 704.649.9095. Broker.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES: Nanny Needed: Looking for a nanny to take care of a 9 month old in Charlotte, NC area. Duties also include cooking & slight housekeeping. Call 732-372-3490 Full Time Managers Needed Immediately: for clothing stores in Malls located in Charlotte, Charleston & Atlanta. Experience is preferred but not necessary. Call Rajesh at 704277-3233 or send resume to pushpainc@gmail.com Saathee 126

Help Wanted: Energetic sales person for retail clothing store in COLUMBIA, SC and CAMDEN, SC. Part-Time & FullTime. Handsome salary plus commissions / bonuses. Must speak Fluent English. Call Manoj at (803)427-1681 Need Cooking Help: for a few days a week in a South Charlotte home. Vegetarian cooking. Call 980-297-4860. Full-Time Help: for convenience store gas station near Charlotte, NC. Short or Long-Term positions available. Accommodations Provided! 704.701.9975 Nanny Needed: To care for a 3 year old boy at their family home in Wake Forest, NC. Prefer Live-In or Live-Out Nanny. References needed. Call 267-987-3079 (Cell) or 919-435-7491 (home) Research Participants Needed: Indian immigrant couples in the first year of arranged marriage. Participation is confidential. Approved by The University of Connecticut Institutional Review Board (IRB). Contact: 860-3280397 / nivedita.ranade@gmail.com Experienced Nanny Needed: LiveIn Nanny on week-days or Live-Out locally in the Apex, NC area. To care for an infant along with light household duties. Call 919-290-2620 Nanny Needed: Live-In or Live-Out to help mother with care of three children. Ages 1 month, 15 month & 3 years. Fayetteville, NC. Call 910-8687780 or hktandon@gmail.com Nanny Wanted: Looking for a Live In/ Live Out Nanny to take care of a two year-old boy. Duties include cooking & house cleaning. Knowing English & having some experience babysitting a plus. Gastonia, NC Area. Call 704974-3839 or 704-691-7499 Cook Needed: Indian Restaurant in Raleigh & Greenville, NC. Chef or Assistant Cook. Tandoor & Punjabi cooking experience preferred. Contact Tommy or Monica at 252-308-2253 Hotel Management Firm Now Hiring: Various positions available for house keepers, front desk (must speak fluent English), and General Manager/s of franchise hotels. Experience is REQUIRED for all positions. Serious inquiries only. Email resumes to abcone@abcinns.com or 704.649.6833. Seeking Full-time & Part-time Eyebrow Threading Artists: for mall locations in Charlotte, Hickory, Greensboro & Winston-Salem. Willing to train the right person. Send email to bk56@sbcglobal.net or call 248-721-3255 Restaurant Help In Raleigh: North Indian Vegetarian Cook & Waiter/Helper needed for restaurant in Raleigh, NC. Victor 919-244-4741. saathee.com

EMPLOYMENT (continued):

PROPERTY FOR SALE OR RENT:

Help Wanted: Need experienced eyebrows threading artist in Cary NC. Call 919-244-4425

Lake-Front House For Sale: gorgeous all brick. 8 rooms, 3.5 baths .89 acre RR (Lake Gaston), NC. Or own for $50,000 2 or 3 weeks per year for life. Contact Dr. Bindu Dhasmanat or investor 252-532-2209.

Threading Practitioners Needed: in North Charlotte. The Brow Bar (Northlake Mall-Charlotte). Full and part time. Must speak English. Work weekends and evenings. Experience required. Call 980-322-1110 or email: mo@the-brow-brow.com Quiznos Now Hiring: in Raleigh, NC. Good salary & opportunity for growth. Need full & part-time help. Must speak English. Training provided. Call Vinit (919)358-4876

MATRIMONIAL: Tonk Kshatriya Sikh Parents: seek professional partner for their beautiful India born daughter. 1986 / 5’5”, MSc Computer Science. NRI Considered. Contact at tonkSikh@hotmail.com. Seeking Brahmin Boy: 704-9871307. Father Seeking Alliance For Son: US Citizen, 29, Gujarati, IT professional, residing in Raleigh area. Please contact for details: niravs0927@gmail.com Parents Seeking Alliance For Son: in Charlotte, NC. MBA in marketing from UNC-Greensboro. Parents settled in New Delhi & originally from Punjab. Please e-mail: sumi0783@gmail.com for details. Looking for Brahmin Gujarati Girl: 27 yr Gujarati Brahmin boy. Ht. 5’10’’. Masters in Computer Science. Software Professional working in New York. Family in Carolinas. E-mail: bio@coolbhatt.com Seeking Partner: Female 34, never married, 5’ 5” (Optometrist practicing in Charlotte) looking for Gursikh male with a good heart. e-mail: gkcoptcom@gmail.com

PRODUCTS: Mehandi (Henna): Award winning artist from Jaipur, India is specializing in wedding parties (Bride & attendants). Satisfaction is guaranteed regarding design, color and price. Please call: Krishna Priya Dasi 919.824.7734 EMail: krsnapriyad@hotmail.com DEVOTIONAL ITEMS FOR SALE ONLINE:Murtis, books, artwork, clothes, incense, jewelery and more. Domestic and international shipping available.Contact: Rangadevi Dasi www.radhastreasures.com Phone: 919-308-1465 Portable Tandoor Ovens For Sale: Ideal for residential or restaurant use. Use for parties & more! For details 919-949-1156 October 2009

Condo for Rent: Near waterfront and swimming pool. Walking distance to bus. Perfect for small family, H-1 workers or students. 704.619.1603

SERVICES: Looking For Motel Work: One Gujarati speaking couple & One Male looking for work as Motel housekeeper in North or South Carolina. They are willing to work individually or together. If you have positions available please call 704-728-8234 Best Taxi Service: Day or Night. Local & Long Distance. Airport Transportation (advance reservations). Speak Hindi, Urdu & English. Very Reliable Service! Call 704-957-3017 Master Mind: Builds your child’s study skills, work habits & confidence to make them fundamentally better learners. Courses offered: Math, English Grammar with Reading & Hindi. University area of Charlotte, NC. Contact 704-280-5138. Balaji Priest: All kinds of puja, havan, katha, weddings, graha shanti, funeral services & Shraadh. In Hindi, English & Tamil. 704.877.6320 or 704.545.7220. Accent Reduction Training: Threemonth tutorial with certified speechlanguage pathologist. Transform accents from career obstacles to charming cultural flavors. Invest in your future!www.trianglespeech.com Astrologer With Gold Medals Jayanti Lad- Contact for Health, Wealth, Relationship, Child, Enemies, Court Cases, Marriage, Job, Business, Vastu Problems, Preparing & Matching Horoscope. Call 919-4635180 Jayantinlad@yahoo.com Babysitter Available: Several years of experience in the Charlotte area. Fluent in Gujarati, Hindi & English. Call 704.619.1603 Math Tutoring : Real-time tutoring using virtual whiteboard technology with professional tutors based in India. Free 30 min trial. As low as $7 for a 45 minute session. State-aligned curriculum & assessments. WWW.TCYONLINE.COM. Call Ritu Thakur 704-443-7054 or tollfree 888-757-8377 Henna Designs: Experienced henna artist for weddings, parties, arangetrams & more. Reasonable rates. Charlotte area. Call 704.619.0251 Saathee 127

Eyebrow Threading with a light touch. Charlotte area. 704.968.0270. South Indian Priest: Sastriji is an independent priest Call for Pujas, Gruhapravesh, Weddings, Multi-lingual, Vedic traditional priestly services, etc. Call 704.625.7578 704.231.0751. Email: sastrigal2003@yahoo.com Gujarati Priest: Devendra Dave Independent priest. Ganesh, Randal, Navratri, Diwali’s Laxmi & Sharda Pujas, Satyanarayan Katha, Weddings, Vastu, Baby Showers, Funeral Seva. Call Daveji 704.780.3563. God Blessings to All. Harmonium/Keyboard Player: For any occasion/party, Garba-raas, traditional Indian wedding songs, programs & lessons. Kirit 704.568.8206. Tutoring: for 5th to 10th grades mathematics. Get ahead during the summer for next year’s classes! Also tutoring & lessons in Hindi. Charlotte Area. Call 704.619.0251 Nivee Beauty Care: In Charlotte, NC University Area. For threading, waxing, facials, make-up, henna, mehndi & more! NC Certified. For appointment call Nivethika at 704.756.2817. Beautician in Matthews, NC: Pari Beauty - Threading, waxing, bleach, facial, manicure, pedicure & much more. 18 years of experience. For appointment call 704.846.7912 Dholi For Hire: Plays the Dhol (drum), for any occasion, barat, doli, graduation, birthdays, baby showers and any other festivity. Affordable rate. Instructional classes also available. Call Ritu Bhandari at 704-843-7202. email: sbhandari@carolina.rr.com

SAATHEE CLASSIFIEDS: Business ads are $25 & personal ads are $15 up to 25 words. Submit classifieds on-line at www.saathee.com or via e-mail, fax or US Mail. Ad Submission Deadline is the 20th of the month. We accept credit cards and checks. Ads are posted on saathee.com at no extra charge. Feel free to call us with any questions. 704.527.7570. Saathee Classified PO Box 11468, Charlotte, NC 28220 E-mail: saatheemag@hotmail.com Fax: 704.527.7590 www.saathee.com saathee.com

Index of Advertisers Abbi, Chitra (Real Estate) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Access Realty & Funding (Chandravadan Shah) . . .75 AKM Realty (Arvind Mahajan) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Allergy Partners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 Amaan Travels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123 Amberly Family Dentistry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76 Anil Bedi & Associates PC (CPA & Consultants) . . .71 Apna Bazaar (Morrisville) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Apna Travels (Morrisville) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129 Around The World Market . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 Asad Enterprises (International Calling) . . . . . . . .69 BallantyneTech Academy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67 BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir (Triangle Area) . . . .115 Bashyam, Spiro & Edgerton LLP (Immigration Law)119 Bhalodia, Sanjay (Real Estate) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Bhindi Jewellers . . . . . . . . . . .Inside Front Cover Biryani House (Cary) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 Blooming Buds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123 Bombay Grille Restaurant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Care Pediatrics (Dr. Sarath Dommaraju) . . . . . . . .80 Carolina Realty Manager Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129 Carolina Retina Institute (Amit Kumar MD) . . . . . .82 Cary Cardiology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72 Cary Children's Clinic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66 Cary Internal Medicine & The Diabetes Center, PA .76 Cary Medical Clinic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72 Cary Photo & Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107 Chandni's Beauty Salon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77 Charotar Patidar Samaj Matrimonial Convention . .97 Chef Of India (formerly Suchi Indian Cuisine) . . . .29 Clay Pit Pakistani / Indian Halal Food Rest. . . . . . .62 Concha, David - Immigration Attorney . . . . . . . . .26 Cool Breeze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 County South Realty & Business Brokers . . . . . . .123 Dale's & Tandoor Catering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Dish Network (Reality on Dish) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 DJ Hangama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87 DJ Kenz (Kenz Desai) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75 DJ Desi (Amit Vasi) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 DJ Don (David Pandoria) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 DJ Lalit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 DJ Ravi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 DNJ Mortgage (Chanravadan Shah, MBA) . . . . . . .39 Dream World Travels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83 Elegant Designs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Elements of the Wedding (The Main Event) . . . . . .84 Encore Amusement LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 & 130 Eshaan Jewelers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Evershine Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 Fairview Home Mortgage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83 Falguni Pathak (Garba in Charlotte) . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Festival of India (Richmond, VA) . . . . . . . . . . . . .66 Friends Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107 Garba - Raas (Greensboro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 Global Mall (Atlanta) . . . . . . . . . . .Inside Back Cover Goels Plaza - Banquet & Conference Center . . . . . .9 Grand India Mart (Groceries) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 Greater Triangle Realty (Thomas John) . . . . . . . . .13 Heritage India Association (Children's Day) . . . . . .54 Hindi & Music Classes (Poonam Sirohi) . . . . . . . .111 Hum Sub Cary Diwali . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 ICMDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99 Imagin Photojournalism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 India House Restaurant (Cary) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67 Indian Food & Spices (Fayetteville) . . . . . . . . . . . .91 Indu Conv. Store Greensboro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 Indus Fashions (Cary) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 International Comm Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109 International Comm Church (Jolee Abraham Concert) .35 IPAAC (Odissi Dance Recital) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Isaac, S (Real Estate) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89 IWP Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Jain, Sampat (Northwestern Mutual) . . . . . . . . . .117 K.B. Zaveree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Kadhambam Spices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Kalashri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77 KD Photographics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 Khatri, Yogesh MBA (New York Life) . . . . . . . . . . .23 Kimono Pao Lim (Durham) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111 Lehar Indian Basamati Rice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 Life Bliss Foundation (Kalpataru) . . . . . . . . . . . . .84 Lightning Minds (Training In Oracle Tech) . . . . . . .81 Limon Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123 Mahabazar.com Travels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125 Malani Jewelers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Back Cover Maruthi Pediatrics (Dr. Badriprasad R. Donthi) . . . .82 McCuiston Law Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105 Montessori Children's House of Durham . . . . . . . .81 Nagpal, Sunil (MetLife Financial Services) . . . . . . .63 October 2009

Nationwide Ins. (Maqsood Khan) . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 Natya Performance Academy (Maniktala) . . . . . . .38 NC Dermatology Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Noor Beauty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91 Oxford Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Palika Bazaar & Jewelers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 Parekh , Bipin & Smita . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 Parmar, Raj (Real Estate) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87 Patel Brothers (Cary) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89 Patel, Amrita (Real Estate) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 Patel, Champa (Real Estate) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78 Patel, Mrugesh (Law Offices) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118 Patel, Shailesh DDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105 Patel, Shital (Clearline Mortgage) . . . . . . . . . . . . .91 Poplai, Deepak (White Insurance) . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Pratham Gala . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Pristine Fashion Jewelry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103 Property Net Realty (Suku Pandiyattu) . . . . . . . .111 R.P. Videography (Rashmi Patel) . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Rajani, Prem (Metlife) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116 Rajbhog Foods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 Rajdeep Mandap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78 Rajdeep Video (Ramesh Panjabi) . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 Rajeev Devgon (Certified Public Accountant) . . . . .11 Rama Flowers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 Real Triangle Properties (Joe Mathews) . . . . . . . . .93 Roopkala Sarees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113 Royal India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85 s2s Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118 Sangam Mart (Indian Groceries) . . . . . . . . . . . . .87 Shah, Kirti (CPA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 Shamim Beauty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 Sharma, Leena . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Sheraton (Chapel Hill) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101 Shiva Parvathi Temple . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70 Sitar Indian Cuisine (Durham) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95 Sleep Inn (Charlotte) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 Srivastava, Ujjwal (Real Estate) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Taj Mahal Restaurant (Fayetteville) . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Taj Mahal Restaurant (Raleigh) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103 Tandoor India Restaurant - Greensboro . . . . . . . . .25 The Montessori School of Raleigh . . . . . . . . . . . .113 Travel Universe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 Travelinks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 Triangle Indian Market (Cary) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59 Triangle Physicians Group (Dr. Varadarajan) . . . .109 Ttravel Guru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92 Udupi Cafe (Cary) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59 Usha Decor (Wedding Planning & Decor) . . . . . . . .22 Vyas Travels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 Wake OB/Gyn (Dr. Nanda Shah) . . . . . . . . . . . . .105 White Horse Weddings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Worldwide travels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Zaina Beauty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Zamana Photo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Zayka Restaurant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Saathee 128

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Introducing A New Concept In Real Estate Management

704-649-9095

October 2009

Saathee 129

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