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Ex- Senior corporate- writer, author and social activist currently working for poor children suffering from life threatening diseases. View all posts by shravancharitymission →

SHORT STORY: THE STORY BEHIND ‘GOVERDHAN PUJA’

November 20, 2020short story, Uncategorized, video short storybanaras, dhanushkoti, goverdhan parvat, hanuman, kamlesh tripathi, krishna, lord krishna, Lord Rama, mathura, Pulastya, rishi, sage, shravan charity mission, sri lanka, varanasi, vrajvasi, vrindavanshravancharitymission

Lord God Krishna lifting the Govardhan Parwat

Goverdhan was a docile but a mighty mountain that co-existed in harmony with his father, Dronachala, centuries ago. One day, the great sage, Pulastya, happened to pass by the mountain. And, he took such an instant liking to Govardhan that he desired to carry him off to Banaras, so that he could perform his meditation peacefully, in the secluded caves of Govardhan.

Respecting the sage, Govardhan agreed to go, but on one condition. That wherever and whenever, Pulastya, would keep him down, after lifting him up, he would not move from that spot. The sage readily agreed to this. He lifted Goverdhan, and began to fly towards Banaras. But, as they flew over Vrindavan, Goverdhan felt, an intense attraction to settle down there. So, with his mystic power, he caused an irresistible urge in Pulastya, to attend to nature’s call. Sage Pulastya, forgetting, the one and only one condition, was compelled to place Govardhan down, in Vrindavan.

After relieving himself, when, Pulastya tried to lift Goverdhan to continue his onward journey to Banaras, but the mountain didn’t budge an inch. Pulastya, tried with all his might but Goverdhan stayed put. This enraged the sage. He cursed Goverdhan, to shrink in size and eventually become a small hillock. Govardhan, accepted the curse with a woeful heart, taking it, as the unshakeable will of the Almighty.

But as fate would have it. Much later in Treta Yuga, God Hanuman, lifted ‘Govardhan Parbat’ for bringing it to Dhanushkodi, as part of the magnificent bridge that was being constructed for Lord God Rama to cross over the present day Palk-Strait (India to Sri Lanka). But, suddenly a mysterious voice resounded (Akashwani) in the sky, announcing, that the bridge was already completed. Disappointed, God Hanuman, returned to the spot from where he had lifted Govardhan and placed him back in that same very spot, in Vraja-bhoomi, where the mountain stood earlier.

Goverdhan, felt sad because he missed a golden opportunity to serve the divine mission of lord God Rama. Yet, he waited patiently for many years hoping against hope, to be of some service to Lord God Krishna in Dvapara yuga.

When Krishna grew up, into a young boy, his heart was irresistibly attracted to this magic hill, Goverdhan, whose slopes were full of lush pasture grounds, for crows to graze, and also served as a playground for Krishna and the cowherd boys, and girls to revel in various sport and relax and refresh themselves in the crystal clear waters of Govardhan’s lake, and secluded caves.

Krishna wanted to teach Indra a lesson, since he had become too proud, because of the traditional ‘yajna’ that the Vraja-wasis were offering to him. So, he convinced Nanda baba, to discontinue the ‘Indra-yajna,’ and instead, have a glorious festival, to honour Govardhan. Deeply mortified, the enraged king of heaven decided to drown the inhabitants of Vraja with unseasonal devastating rains, stormy winds and hailstorm for seven long days.

Krishna, however, thwarted Indra’s ruthless plan by effortlessly holding Govardhan on his little finger, like a gigantic umbrella, for the protection of the terrified residents of Vraja Bhoomi.

In stark contrast to Indra’s arrogance and reckless conduct, Govardhan’s gentle and submissive nature attracted the favour of Krishna who elevated the mountain to the status of a sacred deity.

Govardhan Parvat, adds special charm and enchantment to the holy land of Vraja-bhoomi and whom millions of devotees circumambulate throughout the year, even till date.

By Kamlesh Tripathi

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life threatening diseases especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers that includes both children and adults and it has a huge variety in terms of content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate for the cause. The bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

Our publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

(The book is about a young cancer patient. Now archived in 8 prestigious libraries of the US that includes Harvard College Library; Harvard University Library; Library of Congress; University of Washington, Seattle; University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; Yale University, New Haven; University of Chicago; University of North Carolina, at Chapel Hill University Libraries. It can also be accessed in MIT through Worldcat.org. Besides, it is also available for reading in libraries and archives of Canada, Cancer Aid and Research Foundation Mumbai and Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida, India)

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

(Is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi; Available for reading in Indian National Bibliography, March 2016, in the literature section, in Central Reference Library, Ministry of Culture, India, Belvedere, Kolkata-700022)

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

(Is a fiction written around the great city of Nawabs—Lucknow. It describes Lucknow in great detail and also talks about its Hindu-Muslim amity. That happens to be the undying characteristics of Lucknow. The book was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival of 2014. It is included for reading in Askews and Holts Library Services, Lancashire, U.K.)

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

(Co-published by Cankids–Kidscan, a pan India NGO and Shravan Charity Mission, that works for Child cancer in India. The book is endorsed by Ms Preetha Reddy, MD Apollo Hospitals Group. It was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival 2016)

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

(Is a story of an Indian salesman who is, humbly qualified. Yet he fights his ways through unceasing uncertainties to reach the top. A good read not only for salesmen. The book was launched on 10^th February, 2018 in Gorakhpur Lit-Fest. Now available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

RHYTHM … in poems

(Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day to day life. The book is available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

MIRAGE

(Published in February 2020. The book is a collection of eight short stories. It is available in Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press)

Short stories and Articles published in Bhavan’s Journal: Reality and Perception, 15.10.19; Sending the Wrong Message, 31.5.20; Eagle versus Scholars June, 15 & 20 2020; Indica, 15.8.20; The Story of King Chitraketu, August 31 2020; Breaking Through the Chakravyuh, September 30 2020. The Questioning Spouse, October 31, 2020; Happy Days, November 15, 2020,

(ALL THE ABOVE TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE IN AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

*****

INTERESTING FACTS: PAHAR–THE UNIT OF TIME

November 17, 2020Uncategorizedbangladesh, daily cycle, Hindustan, india, kabir, kamlesh tripathi, nepal, pahar, pakistan, pehar, prahar, sanskrit, shravan charity mission, time, unit of timeshravancharitymission

Pahar or Prahar, which is more commonly pronounced as peher, is a traditional unit of time used in India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh. One pahar nominally equals three hours, and there are eight pahars in a day. In India, the measure is primarily used in North India and Urdu speaking communities of Deccan in South India.

Pahar/pehar/peher is derived from the Sanskrit word prahar which is an ancient unit of time in India. The word pahar/peher has the same root as the Hindustani word pehra (meaning to stand guard) and pehredar (literally guard/watchman). It literally means a “watch” (i.e. period of guard-duty).

Traditionally, night and day were each allocated four pahars, or “watches.” The first pahar of the day (or din pahar) was timed to begin at sunrise, and the first pahar of the night (raat pahar) was timed to begin at sunset.

This meant that in the winter the daytime pahars were shorter than the night-time pahars, and the opposite was true in summer. The pahars were exactly equal on the equinoxes. Thus, the length of the traditional pahar varied from about 2.5 hours to 3.5 hours in the Indo-Gangetic plains.

Each pahar of a 24-hour day-night cycle has a specific name and number. The first pahar of the day, known as pehla pahar (Hindustani: pehla, meaning first), corresponds to the early morning. The second pahar is called do-pahar (Hindustani: do, meaning second). In the common speech of North India, Pakistan and Nepal, dopahar (दोपहर) has come to be the generic term for afternoon or midday. The third pahar is called seh pahar (Persian: seh, meaning three) and has generically come to mean evening, though the term is less commonly used than shaam.

Poet-saint Kabir mentions pahar in one of his dohas:

पाँच पहर धंधे गया, तीन पहर गया सोय ।

एक पहर हरि नाम बिन, मुक्ति कैसे होय ॥

You went to work for five pahars, slept for the remaining three pahars. How will you attain salvation without chanting the names of Lord Hari for at least one pahar?

A unit of time or midst unit is any particular time interval, used as a standard way of measuring or expressing duration. The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI) and by extension most of the Western world, is the second, defined as about 9 billion oscillations of the caesium atom (Caesium also spelled cesium in American English is a chemical element with the symbol Cs and atomic number 55. The exact modern definition, from the National Institute of Standards and Technology is: “The duration of 9192631770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium -133 atom.

Historically units of time were defined by the movements of astronomical objects.

Sun-based: the year was the time for the earth to revolve around the sun. Year-based units include the Olympiad (four years), the lustrum (five years), the indiction (15 years), the decade, the century, and the millennium.
Moon-based: the month was based on the moon’s orbital period around the earth.
Earth-based: the time it took for the earth to rotate on its own axis, as observed on a sundial. Units originally derived from this base include the week at seven days, and the fortnight at 14 days. Subdivisions of the day include the hour (1/24 of a day), which was further subdivided into minutes and finally seconds. The second became the international standard unit (SI units) for science.
Celestial sphere-based: as in sidereal time, (a timekeeping system that astronomers use to locate celestial objects), where the apparent movement of the stars and constellations across the sky is used to calculate the length of a year.

These units do not have a consistent relationship with each other and require intercalation. (Intercalation or embolism in timekeeping is the insertion of a leap day, week, or month into some calendar years to make the calendar follow the seasons or moon phases. Lunisolar calendars may require intercalations of both days and months.) A lunisolar calendar is a calendar in many cultures whose date indicates both the Moon phase and the time of the solar year.

For example, the year cannot be divided into 12 28-day months since 12 times 28 is 336, well short of 365. The lunar month (as defined by the moon’s rotation) is not 28 days but 28.3 days. The year, defined in the Gregorian calendar as 365.2425 days has to be adjusted with leap days and leap seconds. Consequently, these units are now all defined as multiples of seconds.

By Kamlesh Tripathi

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

Share it if you like it

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

Our publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

RHYTHM … in poems

(Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day to day life. The book is available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

MIRAGE

(Published in February 2020. The book is a collection of eight short stories. It is available in Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press)

(ALL THE ABOVE TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE IN AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

*****

SHORT STORY: ‘WHY WE SHOUT IN ANGER’

November 11, 2020Uncategorizedanger, disciples, ganges, kamlesh tripathi, saint, shouting, shravan charity mission, why we shout in angershravancharitymission

    A saint who was visiting river Ganges to take bath found a group of family members on the banks, shouting in anger at each other. He turned to his disciples smiled and asked.

    ‘Why do people in anger shout at each other?’

    Disciples, thought for a while, when one of them said, ‘Because we lose our calm, we shout.’

    ‘But, why should you shout when the other person is just next to you? You can as well tell him what you have to say in a soft manner.’ asked the saint

    Confused the disciples gave different answers but none of the answers satisfied the Saint.
    Finally, the saint explained to his disciples:

    ‘When two people are angry at each other, their hearts distance themselves. And to cover the distance they have to shout, to be able to hear each other. The angrier they are, the louder they will have to shout to hear each other to cover the distance.

    But what happens when two people fall in love? They don’t shout at each other but talk softly, because their hearts are very close. The distance between them is either non-existent or very small.’

    The saint further continued. ‘When they love each other even more, what happens? They do not speak. They only whisper and get closer to each other in their love. Finally, they need not even whisper, they only look at each other and that’s all. That is, how close, two people are when they love each other.’

    Then the Saint looked at his disciples and said.

    ‘So when you argue do not let your hearts get distant. Do not say words that distance each other. Or else, there will come a day when the distance will be so great that you will not find the path to return.’

Posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

Share it if you like it

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

Our publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

(Is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi; Available for reading in Indian National Bibliography, March 2016 in Central Reference Library, Ministry of Culture, India, Belvedere, Kolkata-700022)

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

RHYTHM … in poems

(Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day to day life. The book is available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

MIRAGE

(Published in February 2020. The book is a collection of eight short stories. It is available in Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press)

(ALL THE ABOVE TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE IN AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

*****

BOOK REVIEW: “THE CLICKING OF CUTHBERT”

November 9, 2020Uncategorizedbertie wooster, england, golf club, gunga din, jeeves, kamlesh tripathi, pg wodehouse, psmith, shravan charity mission, the clicking of cuthbert, usashravancharitymission

Khidki (Window)

–Read Initiative—

This is only an attempt to create interest in reading. We may not get the time to read all the books in our lifetime. But such reviews, talk and synopsis will at least convey what the book is all about.

The Clicking of Cuthbert is a collection of ten short stories by P. G Wodehouse, in full, Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse. All the stories have a golfing theme. It was first published in the United Kingdom on 3 February 1922 by Herbert Jenkins Ltd., of London. Later it was published in the United States by George H. Doran of New York, on 28 May 1924, under the title, ‘Golf Without Tears.’ These short stories, were originally published, in magazines, between 1919 and 1922. There are some minor differences between the two editions, chiefly, the names of characters, places, and the famous golfers, which are adapted to suit the country of publication.

Sir P G Wodehouse, lifespan (15 October 1881 – 14 February 1975), was an English author and one of the most widely read humorist of the 20th century. Born in Guildford, Southern England, the third son of a British magistrate based in Hong Kong. Wodehouse spent happy teenage years at Dulwich College, to which he remained devoted all his life. After leaving school he was employed by a bank but disliked the work and turned to writing in his spare time. His early novels were mostly school stories, but he later switched to comic fiction, creating several regular characters, who became familiar to the public over the years. They include the feather-brained Bertie Wooster and his sagacious valet, Jeeves. The immaculate and loquacious Psmith; Lord Emsworth and the Blandings Castle. Wodehouse has created a character termed, ‘The Oldest Member,’ of a golf club with varying names. He is a fictional character from the short stories and novels of the author. He narrates the majority of Wodehouse’s golf stories from the terrace of a golf club whose location is not clear. The location and name of the club keep changing between the stories, and between the US and UK versions of the stories. The oldest member narrates stories about golf with tall tales on subjects ranging from bibulous bishops to megalomaniac movie moguls. Then you have Mr Mulliner, who is a fictional character from the short stories of P.G. Wodehouse. Mr. Mulliner again is a loquacious pub raconteur who, no matter what the topic of conversation is, can find an appropriate story about a member of his family to match it. Most of Wodehouse’s fiction is set in his native United Kingdom, although he spent much of his life in the US and used New York and Hollywood as settings for some of his novels and short stories. He wrote a series of Broadway musical comedies during and after the First World War. In 1930 he also wrote for MGM in Hollywood.

Now coming to this book. There are in all ten stories. The first story in the collection introduces the Oldest Member, a repeat Wodehouse character, who narrates all but the last story. Let me quickly enumerate the titles of these stories:

The Clicking of Cuthbert
A Woman is only a Woman
A Mixed threesome
Sundered Hearts
The Salvation of George Mackintosh
Ordeal by Golf
The Long Hole
The Heel of Achilles
The Rough Stuff
The Coming of Gowf

Friends all the ten stories are just hilarious with … very sharp wit, and high on vocabulary for an average reader. The story that I liked the most was, ‘The Heel of Achilles.’ The setting of each story is around the links of a Golf course that refreshes your mood especially if you are into golf. The way he has dissected the game of golf and its components, the male, female and star players, the caddies, and their moods and their hunches and superstitions, are par-excellence. And how sweetly and politely he has bantered about the Russians is not at all offending. One of his characters describes the game as, ‘this beast of a game that is only fit for lunatics.’ In one of the stories he uses the name ‘Gunga Din’ who happens to be a famous character in one of Rudyard Kiplings famous poem ‘Gunga Din.’ He makes an interesting, contemporaneous, analogy when a golfer misses his shot and goes on to say that he then stands there motionless, wrapped in thoughts like some Indian fakir, thus bringing out a golfers emotions. He describes the usage of clubs, driver, iron, niblicks, drives, mashie-shots and putts so very precisely. The combinations he uses for a foursome game are quite well thought off. And can you beat this when PG Wodehouse says, that there are twenty-three things possible for a golf drive to go wrong. Surely, he must have been a good student of golf to register this. He brings in ladies in to the script very effortlessly and the description of the Golf-club canteen makes one go hungry. That spread of omelette, poached eggs, lemonade and coffee really takes you amid the real meal.

Friends just in case you are not a golfer this book will give you a real feel of the game. The other book that takes you close to golf is James Bond’s Gold-Finger by Ian Fleming. We definitely won’t have another PG Wodehouse, so find an opportunity to read his works, even when, it’s nearing a century.

By Kamlesh Tripathi

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

Share it if you like it

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

Our publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

(Is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi)

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

RHYTHM … in poems

(Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day to day life. The book is available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

MIRAGE

(Published in February 2020. The book is a collection of eight short stories. It is available in Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press)

(ALL THE ABOVE TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE IN AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

*****

SHORT STORY: THE MISER AND HIS GOLD

November 4, 2020Uncategorizedgold coins, kamlesh tripathi, moral, parable, shravan charity mission, the miser and his goldshravancharitymission

Once an old miser lived in a house that had a garden. Where, the miser hid all his gold coins, in a pit, beneath some stones. Every day, before going to bed, the miser used to go near the pit, where, he had hid his gold, to count the coins. He continued this routine day after day, but not once, did he ever spend the gold that he had saved.

One day, a thief who used to track the old miser’s routine, waited for the old man to get into his house. And after it was dark, the thief went to the pit, where the gold coins lay hidden, and stole all the gold. The next day, the old miser found that his treasure was empty and he started crying loudly.

Upon hearing the shrill cry his neighbour enquired, ‘What happened? Why are you crying?’ Miser told the neighbour about the gold theft. Upon learning, what had happened the neighbour asked, “Why didn’t you keep the gold inside the house? It would’ve been easier for you to access it, when you had to buy something, and even difficult for the thief to steal it.”

“Buy!! What buy?” Said the miser. “I have never used the gold to buy anything, and I was never going to spend it.”

On hearing this the neighbour caught his head in disbelief. He threw a stone in the pit and said, “If that was the case you could have saved stones, for it was as worthless as the gold you have lost.”

Moral of the story: A possession is as worthy as its usage. The miser’s gold was useless as he was never going to spend it.

By Kamlesh Tripathi

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

Share it if you like it

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

Our publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

(Is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi)

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

RHYTHM … in poems

(Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day to day life. The book is available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

MIRAGE

(Published in February 2020. The book is a collection of eight short stories. It is available in Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press)

(ALL THE ABOVE TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE IN AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

*****

SHORT STORY: The Questioning Spouse

November 3, 2020Uncategorizedhusband, kamlesh tripathi, message, moral, parable, short story, shravan charity mission, the questioning spouse, wifeshravancharitymission

By Kamlesh Tripathi

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

Share it if you like it

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

Our publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

(Is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi)

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

RHYTHM … in poems

(Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day to day life. The book is available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

MIRAGE

(Published in February 2020. The book is a collection of eight short stories. It is available in Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press)

(ALL THE ABOVE TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE IN AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

*****

INTERESTING FACTS: INVENTION OF PARACHUTE

November 2, 2020Uncategorizedandre jacques garnerin, balloon, british, europe, france, hungary, invention of parachute, kamlesh tripathi, london, parachute, shravan charity missionshravancharitymission

The first parachute jump was performed on October 22, 1797 by Frenchman Andre-Jacques Garnerin. A pioneer in the world of parachuting. Garnerin, not only achieved success in his chosen field, but was also able to garner a lot of public interest for it.

The pull of Earth’s gravity is something that we take for granted these days, but the subject was better understood in the past few centuries. With its effect seen during free fall, humanity has long dreamt about the ability to control that drop. Parachute jumps were one of the first ideas that came about as a solution to this, and it continues to be in vogue even today.

The idea of parachutes were around for some time before it actually became a reality. Italian polymath Leonardo da Vinci, widely considered one of the greatest painters ever, conceived the idea in one of his works and even made sketches of the same during his lifetime.

There were a number of attempts in the centuries that followed, but it was nearly 300 years later that the first parachute jump of note was carried out successfully. The credit for that goes to Frenchman Andre-Jacques Garnerin, who designed and tested parachutes capable of slowing down free fall from high alititudes.

Born in 1769, Garnerin was drawn towards physics from a young age and took to studying the nascent field of ballooning when he got the chance. He worked with a variety of ballooning activities—mainly with his brother Jean—Baptiste—Oliver Garnerin—and was also involved in the flight of hot air balloons.

When he became an inspector in the French army in 1793, he vouched for the use of balloons during military activities. He was, however, captured by the British troops during hostilities that occurred in the French Revolution. The Brits turned him over to the Hungarians, who held him as a prisoner of war.

An idea in prison—Though,this might seem like an unlikely setting, to strike upon an idea, it was during this time that Garnerin thought about employing air resistance to slow down an individual’s fall from an altitude. Even though, he never did use a parachute, to try escape, from the ramparts of the Hungarian prison he did spend a few years in it with the bright idea stuck to him.

Upon returning to France, Garnerin, began making balloon ascents, and also acted on his idea of building a parachute. With a canopy 23 feet in diameter attached to a basket with suspension lines, Gernerin readied his first parachute that was umbrella-shaped.

First demonstration: On October 22, 1797, Garnerin gave his first demonstration with his first parachute in Paris. Attaching the parachute to a hydrogen balloon, he reached a height of 3,200 feet or 1,000 metres. He then jumped onto the basket of his parachute, and severed it, from the balloon.

As Garnerin, had not included an air vent at the top of his parachute, his journey back to the surface of the Earth was far from smooth. His contraption oscillated wildly during descent, it even bumped a little and scraped while landing, but Garnerin emerged unscathed.

Later, apart from perfecting his parachute, which included introducing an air vent at the top, Garnerin did his best to draw more eyeballs to each of his exhibitions, which took place in various cities of northern Europe. He also had a woman accompany him as a passenger in one of his balloon flights, which was both highly publicised and controversial.

His wife, Jeanne-Genevieve, was one of the first women to fly on a balloon when she achieved the feat in 1798. In the following year, she even became the first woman to do a parachute jump, as she made a successful descent from 900 metres.

Garnerin’s most popular jump happened in London, as he came down on his parachute from an altitude of 8,000 feet (2440 meters) in 1802. His design improvements enabled him to jump from greater heights than ever before.

For a man who spent most of his life with balloons and parachutes, he also met his end there. At the construction site of one of his latest innovations, Garnerin died in an accident in 1823. The fundamentals of his parachute design have largely stayed on, with advancements of various kinds allowing for better control during the descents.

Inventions happen with great sweat and blood and at times even with terrible mishaps.

By Kamlesh Tripathi

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

Share it if you like it

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

Our publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

(Is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi)

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

RHYTHM … in poems

(Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day to day life. The book is available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

MIRAGE

(Published in February 2020. The book is a collection of eight short stories. It is available in Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press)

(ALL THE ABOVE TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE IN AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

*****

SHORT STORY: ‘CHOICE BETWEEN GOLD COIN AND JUSTICE’

October 29, 2020Uncategorizedakbar birbal, birbal, choice between gold coin and justice, kamlesh tripathi, king, shravan charity mission, your majestyshravancharitymission

Just like any other day in King Akbar’s court, one day Akbar asked Birbal, ‘my dear Birbal if I tell you to choose between ‘justice’ and ‘gold coin’ what will you choose? Without ány hesitation Birbal replied, ‘Your Majesty, I will choose a gold coin, without doubt.’ At this, everyone, including king Akbar, was aghast at Birbal’s unexpected and spontaneous reply and thought for a change this time Birbal has fumbled. King Akbar said, ‘I am very disappointed with you Birbal. Why would you choose something of a lesser value, like gold coin, over something, as valuable as justice?’ Birbal replied with a grin on his face, ‘Your Majesty, there is no dearth of justice in your regime, because there is justice everywhere in your kingdom. So, I felt there is no need to ask for something that I have in abundance. But your Majesty … my lord, I’m surely, quite short of money, and a gold coin would be, extremely handy under the circumstances.’ Upon hearing this Akbar was speechless, but he wore a big smile on his face. He felt overjoyed with the reply and rewarded Birbal with 100 gold coins.

Moral of the story: One will always benefit if one chooses’ one’s words, wisely.

By Kamlesh Tripathi

Short stories available in online stores

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

Share it if you like it

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

Our publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

(Is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi)

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

RHYTHM … in poems

(Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day to day life. The book is available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

MIRAGE

(Published in February 2020. The book is a collection of eight short stories. It is available in Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press)

Short stories and Articles published in Bhavan’s Journal: Reality and Perception 15.10.19; Sending the Wrong Message 31.5.20; Eagle versus Scholars June 15 & 20 2020; Indica 15.8.20; The Story of King Chitraketu August 31 2020; Breaking Through the Chakravyuh September 30 2020.

(ALL THE ABOVE TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE IN AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

*****

BOOK REVIEW: POEM: ‘GUNGA DIN’ by Joseph Rudyard Kipling

October 27, 2020Uncategorizedaldershot, bhishti, british, british india, england, gunga din, her majesty, injia, joseph rudyard kipling, kamlesh tripathi, knighthood, mandalay, shravan charity missionshravancharitymission

Khidki (Window)

–Read Initiative—

Joseph Rudyard Kipling, lifespan, (30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936, 71 years) was an English journalist, short-story writer, poet, and a novelist. Since, Kipling was born in India, much of his work has reflections of India.

Kipling’s works of fiction include The Jungle Book (1894), Kim (1901), and many short stories, including “The Man Who Would Be King” (1888). His poems include “Mandalay” (1890), “Gung Din” (1890), “The Gods of the Copybook Headings” (1919), “The White Man’s Burden” (1899), and “If—” (1910). He is seen as an innovator in the art of the short story. His children’s books are classics.

Kipling in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was among the United Kingdom’s most popular writers. In 1907, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, and was the first, English-language writer, to receive the prize, and at 41, its youngest recipient till date. He was also sounded out for the British Poet Laureateship and several times for knighthood, but declined both. Following his death in 1936, his ashes were interred at the Poets’ Corner, part of the South Transept of Westminster Abbey.

“Gunga Din” is an 1890 poem by Rudyard Kipling set in British India. The poem is mostly remembered for its final line: “You’re a better man than I am, Gunga Din”.

The poem is a rhyming narrative from the point of view of a British soldier in India. Its titular character, is an Indian water-carrier, (a bhishti) who, after the narrator is wounded in a battle, saves his life, only to be shot and killed. In the final three lines, the soldier regrets the abuse that he perpetrated on Gunga Din and admits that Gunga Din is the better man. The poem was published, as part of a set of martial poems, called the Barrack-Room Ballads. In contrast to Kipling’s later poem, “The White Man’s Burden”, “Gunga Din” is named after an Indian and portrays him as a heroic character who is not afraid to face danger on the battlefield as he attends to wounded men. The white soldiers who order Gunga Din around and beat him for not bringing them water fast enough are presented as being callous and shallow and ultimately inferior to him.

Although “Din” is frequently pronounced to rhyme with “pin”, the rhymes within the poem make it clear that it should be pronounced, to rhyme with “green”.

T.S. Eliot included the poem in his 1941 collection. A Choice of Kipling’s Verse. The poem inspired a 1939 adventure film of the same name. The theme of Gunga Din was subsequently adapted into several other movies. And now the poem “Gunga Din”:

You may talk o’ gin and beer

When you’re quartered safe out ’air ere,

An’ you’re sent to penny-fights an’ Aldershot it;

But when it comes to slaughter

You will do your work on water,

An’ you’ll lick the bloomin’ boots of’ I’m that’s got it.

Now in Injia’s sunny clime,

Where I used to spend my time

A-servin’ of ’Er Majesty the Queen,

Of all them blackfaced crew

The finest man I knew

Was our regimental bhisti, Gunga Din,

He was ‘Din! Din! Din!

‘You limpin’ lump o’ brick-dust, Gunga Din!

‘Hi! Slippy hitherao (means idhar aoo)

‘Water, get it! Panee lao,

‘You squidgy-nosed old idol, Gunga Din.’

The uniform ’e wore

Was nothin’ much before,

An’ rather less than ’arf o’ that be’ind,

For a piece o’ twisty rag

An’ a goatskin water-bag

Was all the field-equipment ’e could find.

When the sweatin’ troop-train lay

In a sidin’ through the day,

Where the ’eat would make your bloomin’ eyebrows crawl,

We shouted ‘Harry By!’

Till our throats were bricky-dry,

Then we wopped ’im ’cause ’e couldn’t serve us all.

It was ‘Din! Din! Din!

‘You ’eathen, where the mischief ’ave you been?

‘You put some juldee in it

‘Or I’ll marrow you this minute

‘If you don’t fill up my helmet, Gunga Din!’

’E would dot an’ carry one

Till the longest day was done;

An’ ’e didn’t seem to know the use o’ fear.

If we charged or broke or cut,

You could bet your bloomin’ nut,

’E’d be waitin’ fifty paces right flank rear.

With ’is mussick on ’is back,

’E would skip with our attack,

An’ watch us till the bugles made ‘Retire,’

An’ for all ’is dirty ’ide

’E was white, clear white, inside

When ’e went to tend the wounded under fire!

It was ‘Din! Din! Din!’

With the bullets kickin’ dust-spots on the green.

When the cartridges ran out,

You could hear the front-ranks shout,

‘Hi! ammunition-mules an’ Gunga Din!’

I shan’t forgit the night

When I dropped be’ind the fight

With a bullet where my belt-plate should ’a’ been.

I was chokin’ mad with thirst,

An’ the man that spied me first

Was our good old grinnin’, gruntin’ Gunga Din.

’E lifted up my ’ead,

An’ he plugged me where I bled,

An’ ’e guv me ’arf-a-pint o’ water green.

It was crawlin’ and it stunk,

But of all the drinks I’ve drunk,

I’m gratefullest to one from Gunga Din.

It was ‘Din! Din! Din!

‘’Ere’s a beggar with a bullet through ’is spleen;

‘’E’s chawin’ up the ground,

‘An’ ’e’s kickin’ all around:

‘For Gawd’s sake git the water, Gunga Din!’

’E carried me away

To where a dooli lay,

An’ a bullet come an’ drilled the beggar clean.

’E put me safe inside,

An’ just before ’e died,

‘I ’ope you liked your drink,’ sez Gunga Din.

So I’ll meet ’im later on

At the place where ’e is gone—

Where it’s always double drill and no canteen.

’E’ll be squattin’ on the coals

Givin’ drink to poor damned souls,

An’ I’ll get a swig in hell from Gunga Din!

Yes, Din! Din! Din!

You Lazarushian-leather Gunga Din!

Though I’ve belted you and flayed you,

By the livin’ Gawd that made you,

You’re a better man than I am, Gunga Din!

A beautiful poem that tributes an Indian bhishti by a British soldier.

By Kamlesh Tripathi

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

Share it if you like it

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

Our publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

(Is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi)

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

RHYTHM … in poems

(Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day to day life. The book is available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

MIRAGE

(Published in February 2020. The book is a collection of eight short stories. It is available in Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press)

(ALL THE ABOVE TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE IN AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

*****

SHORT STORY: THE HARE AND THE TORTOISE-ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE

October 22, 2020Uncategorizedaesop fables, hare, kamlesh tripathi, old man, pillowshravancharitymission

The famous story of the, ‘Hare and the Tortoise’ was written, long back, by Aesop.

In this story the hare had lost the race. Thereafter, an adage was coined, when everyone in the world, started quoting the example of Tortoise by saying, the slow and steady wins the race that spearheads the value of persistence and dedication.

But, no one has ever bothered to ask the Hare his version of the story. So let me tell you the story from a different point of view. I once met the Hare and sat down with him for a heart to heart talk. And this is what the hare had to say after we spent the better part of a balmy summer afternoon getting to know each other.

It was a wonderful experience talking to the hare and this is what he had to say.

“Yes, I am the hare who lost the race. No, I did not get lazy or complacent. Let me explain how I saw things.

I was hopping over the meadows near the hills and looked back to realize that the tortoise was nowhere in sight.

Assured of my healthy lead, I decided to take a short nap under the large banyan tree near the pond.

The pressure of the race had kept me up all night. For days, that old silly tortoise had boasted about his ability to plod for hundreds of miles without stopping.
Life is a marathon, said the hare and not a sprint. So, I wanted to show him that I could run both far and fast.

The shade of the tree was like an umbrella. I found an oval rock, covered it with grass, and turned it into a makeshift pillow.

I could hear the leaves rustling and the bees buzzing – it felt they were collaborating and even conspiring to put me to sleep. And it didn’t take them long to succeed.

I saw myself floating on a log in a beautiful stream of water. As I came near the shore, I found an old man, with a flowing beard, sitting on a rock in a meditative pose. He opened his eyes, gave me an all-knowing smile, and asked:

“Who are you?”

“I am a hare that is running a race.”

“But why?”

“Just to prove, to all the creatures in the jungle that I am the fastest.”

“But, why do you want to prove that you are the fastest?” Asked the old man.

“So that I get a medal which will give me status which will give me money and that’ll get me food…”

“There is already so much food around.” He pointed at the forest located at a close distance. “Look at all those trees laden with fruits and nuts, all those leafy branches. It’s all for you. Go eat.”

“But I also want respect. I want to be remembered as the fastest hare who ever lived.”

“Do you know the name of the fastest deer or the largest elephant or the strongest lion who lived a thousand years before you?” Asked the old man.

“No.” Said the hare.

“Today you have been challenged by a tortoise. Tomorrow, it will be a snake. Then it will be a zebra. Will you keep racing all your life to prove that you are the fastest?” Asked the old man.

“Hmm. I didn’t think in that manner. Sorry, I don’t want to race all my life.”

“So then, what do you want to do?”

“I want to sleep under a banyan tree on a makeshift pillow while the leaves rustle and the bees buzz. I want to hop over the meadows near the hills and swim in the pond.”

“You can do all these things this very moment, so forget the race. Life is so uncertain. You are here today, but you will be gone tomorrow.” Said the old man.

And I suddenly woke up from my sleep. The ducks in the pond looked happy. I jumped into the pond, startling them for a moment. They looked at me quizzically and asked.

“Weren’t you supposed to be racing with the tortoise today?”

“It’s a pointless race. An exercise in futility. All I want in life is to be here. Said the hare.

Hopefully, someday, someone, will tell the world my story. That I lost the rat-race but won the life race.

The idea of a good life is a balance … friends. Hare tells us that.

By Kamlesh Tripathi

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

Share it if you like it

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

Our publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

(Is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi)

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

RHYTHM … in poems

(Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day to day life. The book is available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

MIRAGE

(Published in February 2020. The book is a collection of eight short stories. It is available in Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press)

(ALL THE ABOVE TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE IN AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

*****

Shravan charity mission

Our NGO works for poor children suffering from life threatening diseases especially cancer: We cover our blog with short stories, children's stories, articles, book reviews, vignettes, spiritual, episodes, poetry, analysis, news report, general knowledge, quotes for the benefit of our readers.

All posts by shravancharitymission

About shravancharitymission

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INTERESTING FACTS: INVENTION OF PARACHUTE

SHORT STORY: ‘CHOICE BETWEEN GOLD COIN AND JUSTICE’

BOOK REVIEW: POEM: ‘GUNGA DIN’ by Joseph Rudyard Kipling

SHORT STORY: THE HARE AND THE TORTOISE-ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE