Empowering women through training

Empower women to bring that smile. (Pic credit: Wikipedia)

March 8th is International Women's Day. This year, with a new scheme, the women in the state of Karnataka will get something even more significant than flowers and chocolates.

E-Mahile is being launched to connect villages to the virtual vistas. Under this scheme, cyberkiosks will be set up in villages and will be solely run by rural women, by way of providing them a self-employment opportunity.

The Women Development Corporation (responsible for the scheme) has already launched a pilot project in 10 districts with almost 300 women already undergoing training.

Cyber Kiosks will serve to disseminate information on demand. Information will span weather data, agriculture produce marketing process, railway and bus ticketing, healthcare network and ambulance service information. Through this service, each woman employee is expected to earn around Rs 7000 per month.


Jai Bhavani Ma! (Pic from the web)

'Stree Sakti' or Woman Power is celebrated in India and Goddesses are placed on the top-most pedestal to be revered and honored. From being the kind and compassionate Mother to the powerful and graceful embodiment of Feminity, Durga , the spirit of Womanhood has been lauded in the Holy Hindu scriptures.


Pic taken from WordPress (Reference: Heather Mallick, columnist, Girls, Interrupted)

Yet, statistics reveals that the average girl child in India remains uneducated and impoverished. Over 150 million children working as bonded laborers. One out of every six girl child does not live to see her 15th birthday. Female infanticide is a terrible practice gaining prominence in rural areas.

Let's move over to war-torn Iraq.

Iraqi Women and children are constantly suffering from trauma and stress due to continuous shelling and bombing. In order to combat this, they are being administered steroids which have many side-effects. Apart from that change in their medical regime, their daily lives continue to be miserable and they often suffer from deep depression.

The Art of Living organization, under the leadership of Gurudev Sri Sri Ravishankar, has sent over a team of dedicated teachers to Iraq. Now our sisters from Iraq are being given ayurvedic medicine, and are being taught Pranayaam and meditation. In four days' time, it is said that they begin to return to normalcy with a smile lighting up their faces.

A similar program has also been initiated in Kosovo and Gujarat to see similar results.

After all, the old adage " "Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day, but teach a man to fish and he'll eat for a lifetime." holds good for the fairer sex too.


Women’s Conference, 2005 "When you train a woman, you help the entire family, the village, and the nation."- Guruji Sri Sri Ravishankar

Shiva, Neutral Space and Timelessness

Pic downloaded from the web
Today is Shivaratri. Hindus observe fasting and pray to Lord Shiva. Some devotees also stay awake all night and pray to Lord Shiva.

Our Art of Living ashram conducts 'Rudrabhisheka' and joyful Satsang amidst deep resonating echos of 'Om Namah Shivaya' chants.

I was browsing the web today when I came across a beautiful explanation of the concept of 'Neutral Space' from the 'Shiva Sutras'. This Youtube presentation is actually a discourse by Swami Paramahansa Nithyananda, a young and very knowledgeable Guru from India.

The Neutral Space is said to be a zone where you do not connect to anything (a 'no imagination' state). It is the 'unclutched state'. It is said to occur between every incoming breath and the outgoing breath.

We tend to fast-forward this Neutral Space even though we are constantly experiencing this between our incoming and outgoing breath. Every moment, we are in this 'unclutched' state. But because we are uncomfortable with this space, we tend to fast-forward it. Therefore we think that the actual time spent on incoming breath and outgoing breath is more than this 'neutral' gap. But this is apparently not so.

This neutral state is the most important state that leads you to enlightenment, or the 'Ultimate State'. Shiva preaches no morals, but presents the concept of the Ultimate State (Nirvikalpa), which leads to a moral life.

The Swamiji goes on to explain the definition of 'Time' and how it is different from the Western concept of Time. In this manner, it is said that Shiva brings you to the most fundamental knowledge, the Ultimate Truth. Which is your very nature.

Watch this video. It is from the LifeBliss Foundation.

Come, March into "Green Code"

How does it look from up there, pal? (Free stock photo from the web)

Yep. Even the squirrels seem to have gotten wind of it.

On March 16, the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board and Home Guards are organizing "Green Code".


Beautiful Lal Bagh (Credit: www.flickr.com)

On March 16, all those cheering for a greener and cleaner city will go marching along from Cubbon Park to Lal Bagh. The invitation is being broadcast from every nook and (web) corner, radio stations and chin wagging sessions.

The Art of Living volunteers have taken on the responsibility of leading the ten thousand odd participants who will turn up for the drive.

The green landscape of Lal Bagh has always been famous for its exotic trees with all their grand botanical names proudly displayed.

Pic credit: www.flickr.com
The popular flower shows at Lal Bagh attract thousands of nature lovers and the flowers are such a pretty sight to behold.

Green Code aims at educating people over keeping the the Garden city clean. The whole program is to bring civic sense to every Bangalorean so that the city becomes a better place to live in.

On March 16, some of us will clean up the terrain by way of setting an example.

Then there's hope that with such eco-friendly drives, people will become conscious of a cleaner and beautiful Bangalore and make it a way of life.

Do join us on March 16, 2008. Volunteers will be gathered at Lal Bagh morn' to evening to guide you in the activities.

For more details, pl contact Shashikanth (ICE TV) at: 98453 44244

Conference on HIV/AIDS

It is shocking to note that Asia contributes to over 20% of annual HIV infections. One simply cannot do enough to spread awareness to this problem which has assumed pandemic proportions.

A conference on HIV/AIDS is being held on June 1-2, 2008 at the International Art of Living ashram, Bangalore. The conference is being jointly organized by the Art of Living, UNAIDS and Asian Interfaith Network on HIV/AIDS (AINA).

While health professionals and research scientists are doing every bit to understand this syndrome and also contain it, HIV/AIDS continues to be deeply woven into the societal fabric.

It is not merely a matter of controlling the disease through medication or prevention, but actually educating the healthy 'others' towards behavior and lifestyle. Religious doctrines throughout the ages have emphasized on having love, compassion and understanding towards those afflicted by ill-health. What is clearly needed is a shift in people's mindset.

Conferences such as this are so very timely and apt. For more details about the conference, please contact:

The Central Projects Department,
The Art of Living International Centre, Bangalore
Phone No: 080 32940807
Email id: centralprojects@gmail.com

Fast track into Fusion Music

Even though Bangalore is teeming with the new generation of bubble gum kids who swear by their Capuccino and cigarettes, the growing metropolis hasn't yet banished music and fine arts altogether.

One still catches glimpses of the old world charm peeping out of the mosaic of flashy cars, high rise homes and pulsating hard rock, in hip-hop Bangalore. Concerts occasionally score over I-catching 'Pods, and one still sees women in shimmering silks walk into majestic Halls to lend an ear to live and soothing music.

On Friday, my friend and I had passes to a concert in the famed Chowdiah Memorial Hall. We were treated to scintillating 'fusion' music by the Khan brothers, Amaan and Ayaan Ali Khan. They are the illustrious sons of the noted Sarod Maestro, Ustaad Amjad Ali Khan. Years ago. Years ago, I had the unique honor of playing the background Taanpura for him, at a concert held in the Indian Institute of Science.

Amaan and Ayaan Ali Khan with their father, Ustaad Amjad Ali Khan (File Photo from the web)

The young brothers turned out some soul-stirring music and did not fail to enthrall the audience. Their rendition of 'Reincarnation' set to Raag Behag (which included a Raagamalika) brought out the kaleidoscopic colors of emotions that can only relate to this mystical transition called reincarnation. Raag Bhagyasri was simply superb. Every piece managed to blend the different instruments with such finesse and the ending always came in a thundering crescendo, thrilling the audience. Man, woman and child thumped their feet to pulsating rhythmic beats while sounds of silence dutifully descended on every subtle note.

While the traditional Sarod was accompanied by the modern keyboard, lending fusion of the east and west, the young artists never lost the classical touch and there were glimpses of the conservative modules of alaap, jod and jhala. A remarkable blend, one can say. No noise, no off beat tones, just a naughty demo of pop culture tailored into Hindustani tradition.

The program was organized by HSBC Bank. Wish there were more such like-minded organizations which still root for rich Indian music and melody....

(Pic on top right hand corner is a Bangalorean mall taken from Google)