Siddhi Times February 2009

Special Sections Editor ....................................................... Pundit Sharma Publisher Hindu Temple of Georgia

(Also Known as Shiva Vishnu Temple of Georgia)

Editor ............................................................ Madhu manikandan Photographer ....................................................................... C.T. Kumar

Contributing Writers Suha Seema Patel Nilima Mehra Mathangi Iyer Shobana Menon Gokuldas Nair Anna Clara Jolly Abraham ......................................................................................Sriya Greg Brown - Marketing Manager Sultan Shabazz - Advertising Sales ilavarasan

Content... Why People Love to be in America 4 Spirituality 8 History of Great People 12 Indra and Vritha 15 Rameshwar 18 Lord Shiva 20 Sports 22 Terrorist Attack on US Hindu Priests 34 Kids Park 39 Twenty Eight Hours That Keep On Rocking My Head 43 Welcome President 50 Alternative Medicines 52 Vedic Astrology 54 Zodiac Connection 56 The nation’s largest full color monthly spiritual. The nation’s largest full color monthly spiritual and metaphysical magazine. Submission & Disclaimers : We accept articles, photography, and art work that is in keeping with our mission. We do not endorse any particular opinion, program, or advertisement. We reserve the right to edit or reject any material we receive. We will do our best to honor the integrity of our readership…. It is merely our sincere hope that we help our reader to achieve success in their lives. Please visit our online publication at: www.siddhiusa.com. The Siddhi Times USA is published and owned by The Hindu Temple and Community Center of Georgia, a 501 (c) 3, not-for-profit corporation, located at 5900 Brook Hollow Parkway, Norcross, GA 30071 (USPS 590). Periodical postage paid at Norcross, GA 30071, and other office locations. Post Masters: Send address changes to Siddhi Times USA, 5900 Brook Hollow Prkwy. Norcross, GA 30071 Note: Siddhi Times USA does not accept any responsibility for products or services advertised. The publisher has the right to deny any advertising at its sole discretion.

......................................................................Creative Art Director & Graphic Designer

Jeyakumar

Reception Ravi Krishnamurthy............................................................

Contact Information: Publisher: email: [email protected] Editor: email: [email protected] Advertising & Marketing: email: [email protected] Production: email: [email protected] Subscriptions & Postage: email: [email protected] Telephone: 770.447.9393 Fax: 770.447.9392 Web: www.siddhiusa.com

Call for appointments Shyam Garg 478-361-5558 Lynn Gunter 770-584-9094

T

he United States of America (commonly referred to as the United States, the U.S., the USA, or America) is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district. At 3.79 million square miles (9.83 million km²) and with about 305 million people, the United States is the third or fourth largest country in the world by total area, and the third largest by land area and by population. The United States is one of the world’s most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations. It is the product of large-scale immigration from many countries. The U.S. economy is the largest national economy in the world. The United States dollar (sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of currency of the US. Even though there are many nations whose currency has a greater exchange rate than the US dollar, people would rather immigrate to the USA. There are a lot of reasons for this. The following are the reasons why people love America. United States of America is a great place built on a motivation towards developing a social/political system that is based on intellectual endeavors as opposed

to military style behavior. People love America because it is “The Land of Opportunity,” regardless of what some people might believe. There are truly more opportunities open to more people, in America, than anywhere else in the world. In the US even a person born to the poorest of parents, in the lowest sections of the country, can still become someone that other people look up to and admire. A person need not be born rich to make it in America. There is no cast system, and the economic classes are mostly permeable, non-permanent, and non-binding. People love America because it is the only country in the world where Freedom is for real. In fact it is sometimes because of the freedoms people enjoy in this country that a many people from other countries hate or envy Americans. We are free to speak our minds about anything and everything -this means we often step on the toes of others, but it also means we are allowed to give strong support to a many people in this world.

One is also free to make as much money, and spend as much money, as he or she desires. Compared to the rest of the world, the government has very little involvement in how one makes a living or on what one spends the money. This brings up another really big reason, why people love America so much. The government here is set up to do what one asks them to do, and ideally tries to stay out of their lives as much as possible. This is very different from most other countries. In fact, even the welfare and social services are so good and attractive that people from other countries will often risk their very lives to get it. Countless new immigrants are very glad to be living on welfare in the United States. People also love America because of her strength. Americans withstand more hate, jealousy, and envy than any other country in this world. They have come through wars, disasters, civil unrest, and every kind of social problem that one can think of with grace and dignity. They are not afraid to change. They are not afraid to admit when they are wrong. And, whether one likes it or not, most of the people trust in God, and rely on Him for answers to their problems. There is no requirement for a person to be a member of the “landed gentry” or the aristocracy to succeed and become “someone” in America. All one has to do is have average intelligence, take advantage of opportunities, and work with the goal in mind to “become somebody”, rather than to merely live off the state. A determined person can learn enough to know which way to go to and to also become someone who can help others succeed. People love America because it is a land of good, kindhearted souls. America today

Siddhi Times USA 4

has the promise of opportunity, equality, and freedom for everyone. The freedom is not only for the people who were born here, but also for those who have moved here, for we are a nation of immigrants. The promise is in the form of a government and system that values the individual and respects the rights of everyone. The partial fulfillment of that promise has been made possible through the safeguards that have been built into the system that keeps a watchful eye on the majority and shields each of the citizens from the power and unlimited resources of the government. America’s goodhearted souls are those generous and kind folks who run the engine of the economy. The generosity of America is displayed regularly as they willingly pitch in to help citizens of other countries through the loss and devastation of natural and unnatural disasters. Immigrants love America for its refuge from oppression - the opportunity to be unencumbered by the abuses of a privileged nobility, or the coercion of religion and theocracy. America’s promise has been fulfilled in many other respects also. Here are a few reasons why people want to live in the United States. One can live in this country knowing that they have a Bill of Rights and a Constitution. There are limits on the power of the government. One has the freedom of religion, and one can believe in and express his or her own beliefs. One has the freedom of speech. One can express his or her complaints with the government without fear of loss of life or liberty.

and legislative branches have limitations. This helps guarantee freedom and rights by not concentrating all the power into one entity. The system of government and other agencies are more straight forward than in any other country in the world. One can earn and accumulate good amount of money. Even though there are many currencies that have a higher value than the American dollar, it is the only currency valued and preferred globally. That says a lot about the greatness of this country. One can get a great education, enjoy a moderate climate, have the safest and most abundant food supply, and receive the best medical care. That is why people all around the world like and wish to come to America. The truth of this is evidenced by the fact that once someone enters into this great country, no one is ready and willing to leave this holy and blessed land. This is the land of respect, money and individual values. Each and every one of us should pray to the Almighty to grant more and more blessings to this holy country. We should also thank God for allowing all of us to live in this wonderful country of ours.

A balance of powers exists in the federal government. The judiciary, executive,

Siddhi Times USA 5



Siddhi Times USA 6



Siddhi Times USA 7

During the past issues, the Almighty and our Swamiji has blessed me with the opportunity to share my ideas on the Spirituality of the Srimad Bhagavad-Gita. In this issue I wish to discuss the Spirituality explained in the Ramayana.

Pandit L.V. Sharma

Lord Rama is the seventh incarnation of Lord Mahavishnu. In his incarnation as Rama, he set himself up as a practical example of the best spiritual human being. He performed his duties perfectly, in every aspect of his life. Rama, the hero of Ramayana, is a popular deity worshiped in the Hindu religion. According to Hindu tradition, Rama is an

Spirituality

incarnation (Avatar), of the god Vishnu. The main purpose of this incarnation is to demonstrate the righteous path (Dharma) for all living creatures on Earth. The Ramayanan history of Rama is an ancient Sanskrit epic thought to have been compiled between approximately 400 BCE and 200 BCE, attributed to the Hindu sage Maharishi Valmiki and an important part of the Hindu canon. There are two major portions of Hinduism. They are Sruti and Smruti. The Vedas come under the category of Sruthi and epics like The Ramayana and The Mahabharatha come under the Smruthi grouping. The name Ramayana is a compound of Rama and ayana (going, advancing), translating to “Rama’s Journey”. The Ramayana consists of seven books, called the “Kandas.” It has 500 chapters, and 24,000 verses. It tells the story of Lord Rama, whose wife Sita is abducted by the demon king of Lanka, Ravana. Thematically, the epic explores the themes of human existence and the concepts of Dharma and Spiritualism. It contains the teachings of the very ancient Hindu sages and presents them through allegory, in narrative, and the interspersion of the philosophical and the devotional. The characters of Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, Bharata, Hanuman, and Ravana (the villain) are all fundamental to the cultural consciousness of India. Rama, a prince in the city of Ayodhya, the capital of the Kosala Kingdom, belongs to the Suryavamsa (Sun Dynasty). His dynasty was also called the Raghuvamsam, which was named after Raghu, one of Prince Rama’s ancestors. - The great poet,

Siddhi Times USA 8

Kalidasa, wrote a separate book, the “Raghuvamsam,” to narrate the story of Rama’s ansectors. However, The Ramayana starts just before Rama’s birth and ends after his death when his two sons ascend to power. The following is a brief outline of this story. Dasaratha, the king of Kosala, had been childless for a long time, and was anxious to produce an heir. He performs a ritual (Puthrakameshti Yagna) for the gods to bless him with progeny. The gods presented him with a bowl of divine nectar. His three queens partake of it, and in due course four princes were born to the three queens. The first queen, Kausaly gave birth to Rama. The second queen, Sumitra gave birth to the twins Lakshmana and Shatrughna. The third queen, Kaikeyi gave birth to Bharata. - The verses of the poet Valmiki delights the reader much at this point in informing about the birth of the four princes. Rama, being the eldest, is naturally being groomed as the future king. All the brothers are close-knit. Lakshmana had the closest bond with Rama, and Bharatha had the closest bond with Shatrughna. Together, they are schooled in all kinds of arts, including archery. Vishwamitra, one of the legendary seven sages of Hindu mythology, trained them all in the art of firing missile-arrows imbued with power by secret chants that can cause them to shower fire or water on enemies, and even follow them through the seven worlds until they are killed. Vishwamitra led Rama and Lakshmana to Mithila, the capital city of the kingdom of Videha, ruled by king Janaka. Janaka’s daughter Sita (also called Janaki, Vaidehi,and Mythili) has to wed, and the king was holding a contest to select the best prince for his daughter. Rama won the contest and returned home to Ayodhya with his new bride. His brothers also got wedded to different princess. The time came for Dasaratha to coronate Rama as the next king. Kaikeyi, the third and youngest of Dasaratha’s queens, reminded her husband of his promise to her a long time ago that he would grant her any two wishes she had. This happened on an occasion when Dasaratha was wounded in his chariot on the battlefield,

and Kaikeyi saved his life by taking over the reins and driving the chariot to safety. Kaikeyi demanded that her son Bharata be the next king, and that Rama be banished to the forest (vanavasam) for fourteen years, to prevent him from damaging Bharata’s rule. The king, unable to refuse her wishes, agreed to grant them. The coronation preparations were halted and Rama was told to prepare to leave for the forest. At first, Rama wanted to go to the forest alone, but Sita and Lakshmana had none of it and convinced Rama that, for them, “wherever Rama is, that is Ayodhya.” The king descended into despair when the three left for the forest, and died soon afterwards. All the while, Bharata and Shatrughna had been away from

the kingdom. They were summoned upon their father’s death, and when they arrived, were told what happened. Bharata was against his mother’s greed (ostensibly for his good), and promises that he will restore Rama as king. He traveled to the forest to convince Rama to return to Ayodhya. Rama refused on the grounds that he must obey his father’s command, but allowed Bharata to take Rama’s sandals back to Ayodhya, so that Bharata could symbolically enthrone Rama’s sandals and rule as regent for lord Rama. Rama and Lakshmana frequently battled the forest demons that disturb the hermits’ meditations. Soorpanaka, one of the demons who had been defeated by them, decided to take revenge. She described the beauty of Sita

Siddhi Times USA 9

to her brother, Ravana, the demon king of Lanka (now Sri Lanka). Ravana decided that he must possess Sita, and had one of his cousin’s brothers to take the form of a deer to attract Sita’s attention. Sita sent out Rama to capture the deer for her as a pet. The deer lead Rama far away from their cottage, and when Rama realized that this was not an ordinary deer, he killed it. The dying demon shouted Sita’s and Lakshmana’s names in Rama’s voice, and caused Sita to send Lakshmana out to help Rama. When the cottage was thus unguarded, Ravana swept in, kidnapped Sita, and flew off to Lanka. When Rama

saw Lakshmana approaching him, he at once realized the trick. They both ran back to the cottage and found it empty. Rama and Lakshmana travelled to Lanka to fight and kill the demon king and get Sita back. They started out by travelling south (in the direction Ravana was last seen to have flown with Sita). They killed demons and helped hermits and sages along the way, until they reached Kishkinda. There Rama started a good friendship with Sugriva, the king of a troupe of monkeys. His belief that they were on the right track is reinforced when the monkeys show him a bundle of jewels that fell from the sky. Sita had removed her jewels and dropped them to earth while being carried away. Sugriva sent the monkeys in all four directions to scout out the location of Ravana. The monkey that travelled to the south was Hanuman, Sugriva’s minister. Being the son of the wind god, Hanuman is endowed with supernatural strength and powers. When the troupe reached the southern tip of India and are at a loss as how they were to proceed, Hanumaan decided to leap across the sea to Lanka, and continue the search. He located Sita imprisoned there, and identified himself to Sita. He further assured her that Lord Rama is coming

Siddhi Times USA 10

with a great troupe of monkeys to free her. He then skirmished with the demon king’s army and informed Ravana that his days were numbered. Upon Hanuman’s return from Lanka, the entire monkey army along with Rama and Lakshmana marched to Lanka, building a bridge across the sea that Hanuman leapt across. They battled against Ravana’s army for eighteen months and demolished his kingdom. Sita was restored to Rama. Rama commanded Sita to walk through fire to prove that she had remained faithful to him during his absence, and Sita passed through the fire unscathed. By this time the required period of exile of fourteen years had come to an end. Rama returned to Ayodhya and was crowned king. He then ruled as an extra ordinary emperor for several decades. But he exiled Sita to the forest when he overheard a conversation casting doubts on her fidelity: “unlike Sita, my wife has never left my household.” In the forest, Sita, then pregnant with Rama’s twins, was taken care of by the sage Valmiki (another one of the seven legendary sages of Hindu mythology. - Many stories in Hindu mythology have some autobiographical segments, where the author is featured in the story). Rama’s twin sons Lava and Kusha were born and brought up in the sage’s

hermitage. As an emperor, Rama performed a horse sacrifice (Ashwamedha Yagna) to enlarge his empire. (The horse sacrifice is a ritual where an emperor sends out a horse accompanied by a huge army to various neighboring lands. Into whichever kingdom the horse wanders, the local king can allow the horse to wander, signalling that his kingdom may be annexed, or tie up the horse - indicating that he’s ready to battle the emperor’s army to prevent his kingdom from being annexed.) The horse wandered into the forest where Rama’s twin sons lived and they tied up the horse, not knowing its significance. When confronted by the accompanying army, they refused to untie the horse and soundly defeated the army. (They had been trained in arms by the sage Vaalmiki since he knew that one day they would be kings.) Rama hears of this and guessed that two youths at a hermitage, who can defeat an entire army, can be no ordinary children, and went to see them himself. Rama met his sons for the first time. He also met Sita again. Some time later, when the sons were grown up, Sita decidesd that her time on the earth is nearing its end, and ended her life by asking mother earth to open and swallow her. The sons went to Ayodhya to live with their father until they inherit the kingdom. This story operates at multiple levels: at one level, it describes the society at that time: vast empires, the life of a prince destined to become the next king, the rivalry between mothers and stepmothers, the bond of affection and loyalty between brothers, contests to win the hands of a princess, etc. On a second level, it describes how an ethical human being and a leader of men conducts himself at all times, facing situations with equanimity, rising to the occasion to lead his people, independent of his own personal tragedies and limitations, cultivating the affection and respect of his people. And yet, on another level, it is a story of the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Incarnating as a human this time, combating evil, restoring justice in the land, fully aware of his divinity and yet resorting to using his superhuman powers only when absolutely necessary. During the whole book Rama reveals that he is the incarnation for two times only. One is at the time of giving “Moksha” to the vulture king Jataayu and the other is at the time of the war with the king of oceans. By reading Ramayana one can easily understand the cultural heritage of India, how to be a good citizen to the country and how to be a true relative to one and all. The level of spirituality in the Ramayana is extremely high. By adopting the spirituality as taught in the Ramayana, one can be a practical example to the world. I thank the Almighty and our Swamiji for the opportunity to discuss my ideas on Spirituality. I humbly submit my prayers to them to bless me with more and more opportunities to share my thoughts.

-Pundit Sharma

Siddhi Times USA 11

History of Great People. In this area we will see the short life history of great people all over the world. In this issue we will see about Sir.Jagdish Chandra Bose, one of the great scientists from India. Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose, (November 30, 1858 – November 23, 1937) was a Bengali polymath: a physicist, biologist, botanist, archaeologist, and writer of science fiction. He pioneered the investigation of radio and microwave optics, made very significant contributions to plant science, and laid the foundations of experimental science in the Indian subcontinent. He is considered one of the fathers of radio science, and is also considered the father of Bengali science fiction. He was the first from the Indian subcontinent to get a US patent, in 1904. He was the first to prove that plants and metals too have feelings. Jagdish Chandra

Sir Jagdish Chandra Bose Bose was born on November 30, 1858 in Mymensingh (now in Bangladesh). His father Bhagabanchandra Bose was a

Siddhi Times USA 12

Deputy Magistrate. Jagdish Chandra Bose had his early education in village school in Bengal medium. In 1869, Jagdish Chandra Bose was sent to Calcutta to learn English and was educated at St.Xavier’s School and College. He was a brilliant student. He passed the B.A. in physical sciences in 1879. In 1880, Jagdish Chandra Bose went to England.

He studied medicine at London University, England, for a year but gave it up because of his own ill health. Within a year he moved to Cambridge to take up a scholarship to study Natural Science at Christ’s College Cambridge. In 1885, he returned from abroad with a B.Sc. degree and Natural Science Tripos (a special course of study at Cambridge).

Siddhi Times USA 13

After his return Jagdish Chandra Bose, was offered lectureship at Presidency College, Calcutta on a salary half that of his English colleagues. He accepted the job but refused to draw his salary in protest. After three years the college ultimately conceded his demand and Jagdish Chandra Bose was paid full salary from the date he joined the college. As a teacher Jagdish Chandra Bose was very popular and engaged the interest of his students by making extensive use of scientific demonstrations. Many of his students at the Presidency College were destined to become famous in their own right. These included Satyendra Nath Bose and Meghnad Saha. In 1894, Jagdish Chandra Bose decided to devote himself to pure research. He converted a small enclosure adjoining a bathroom in the Presidency College into a laboratory. He carried out experiments involving refraction, diffraction and polarization. It would not be wrong to call him as the inventor of wireless telegraphy. In 1895, a year before Guglielmo Marconi patented this invention; he had demonstrated its functioning in public. Jagdish Chandra Bose later switched from physics to the study of metals and then plants. He fabricated a highly sensitive “coherer”, the device that detects radio waves. He found that the sensitivity of the coherer decreased when it was used continuously for a long period and it regained its sensitivity when he gave the device some rest. He thus concluded that metals have feelings and memory. Jagdish Chandra Bose showed experimentally plants too have life. He invented an instrument to record the pulse of plants and connected it to a plant. The plant, with its roots, was carefully picked

Siddhi Times USA 14

up and dipped up to its stem in a vessel containing bromide, a poison. The plant’s pulse beat, which the instrument recorded as a steady to-and-fro movement like the pendulum of a clock, began to grow unsteady. Soon, the spot vibrated violently and then came to a sudden stop. The plant had died because of poison. Although Jagdish Chandra Bose did invaluable work in Science, his work was recognized in the country only when the

Western world recognized its importance. He founded the Bose Institute at Calcutta, devoted mainly to the study of plants. Today, the Institute carries research on other fields too. Jagdish Chandra Bose died on November 23, 1937. He set himself as a practical example for the hard work. By adopting his life style and policies, we can also try to become a practical example to others.

INDRA AND VRITHRA naturally the weaker of the two. So when the asuras came to know that the Devas had offended their teacher, they attacked. Again and again, the Devas suffered defeat and humiation. At last Indra went to Brahma and asked for his help. Brahma said to him, “You are now paying the price for your arrogant folly. How could you ever forget that the teacher is placed as high as god Himself and therefore deserves all reverence and worship? But I see you have suffered enough for it. Now go to Viswarupa, the younger son of

B

rihaspati is the teacher of the devas. The Devas reside in swarga (heaven) and have Indra as their king. Unfortunately Indra is not very wise. Some times he gives way to his anger, pride, envy, jealousy, arrogance and fear, like any human being. This oftern gets him into trouble. One day as Indra was sitting in swarga his mind got enchanted with the glamour around him and He thought, “Look at all this exquisite beauty and grandeur and to think I am the lord of it all! Ah, I am indeed the king of kings. There is none other superior to me!” At that moment, Brihaspathi, the teacher of the Devas entered the court. But Indra was so puffed up with pride that he did not raise to receive him. Now this is the greatest insult to a teacher. Brihaspati was offended by this arrogant behavior of Indra. Angrily he turned on his heel and left the court. No sooner he had left Indra realized his mistake. Quickly gathering some of his attendants with him, he went in search of the perceptor. But Brihaspati was really angry. And try as they might, Indra and his friends could find him, for he had made himself invisible. Now their anxiety grew. The devas and the asuras (demons) were constantly quarrelling and any side which did not have a teacher was

Siddhi Times USA 15

So the gods went to Dadichi and asked him to give them his body which had been strengthened by the constant repetition of the Naryana Kavacha. Dadhichi, large hearted sage gave it to them. The Devas then extracted the devine weapon form the bones of his arms. Confident of victory they attacked Vritra who had the entire host of daityas asuras on his side. The Devas wiped them out completely, till at last, there was only Vritra, standing all by himself facing the Devas. But he was undaunted. He had only to open his mouth and roar at hundreds of Devas. Immediately they would fall down unconscious. And he would trample upon them as an elephant would walk over a lotus bed. Indra was astonished at the strength and skill of his enemy. He hurled the special weapon at him. But Vrithra picked it up and hurled it at Indra’s elephant, which fell down unconscious. Then Indra got down fighting face to face with Vritra. Vritra, when he saw the slayer of his brother, was filled with rage. Trembling with emotion he said “I am extremely happy that I now have you in font of me, so that I may pierce your cruel heart with my trident you shamelessly killed my brother, who was your own guru. Even the makshasar condemn you for this deed of yours”.

Twasta, who is a great yogi, and ask him to be your preceptor”. Indra went to Viswarupa who agreed to be the teacher of the Devas. He taught them the Narayana Kavacha, which was a prayer unto Narayana and had great potency. The Devas now scored one sweeping victory after another. The asuras lost miserably. In the midst of all this, an unfortunate incident took place. Viswarupa was an asura from his mother’s side and a Deva form his father’s side. So when he offered oblations in the sacrificial fire to the Devas he secretly offered a share of it to the asuras. But some how Indra came to know of this. He became so angry that one day, when Viswarupa was at his worship he came up from behind and cut off his head with a sword. When Twastadeva heard of this, he lighted a sacrificial fire poured oblations into it and commanded a demon to arise from it for the destruction of Indra. An awful looking creature called Vritra rose from the flames and filled the air with his hot breath. He had a flaming tongue, which would lick any think that comes in its way. All the people of the three worlds fled in fear at the sight. But the Devas took courage in their hands and attacked the monster from all sides. They used every weapon they could lay in their hands. But Vritra swallowed them as if they were the most delicious fruits in the world. The Devas were terrified. They went to Sri Narayana and asked him for help. Naryana said to Indra “Go to the Rishi Dadhichi and ask him to give you his body. Then from his bones shall issue weapon with which you will be able to cut off Vritra’s head”.

Siddhi Times USA 16

“I am also fully aware that the weapon you carry in your hands has been got from the bones of Maharishi Dadichi, and that this sacred weapon shall kill me. Now go ahead and do your job. I am waiting to be released from this body of mine that I may merge myself with Lord Narayana that I may tread the path of yoga and ever be His Devotee”. Then he turned his mind to the Lord and fervently prayed “My heart yearns for the sight of you O Lord! Grant my prayer that I may be united with you in every thought, word and deed. I desire nothing else in this great big, universe of yours”. Vritra gave a mighty roar and hurled his flaming trident at Indra. Indra destroyed it mid-way with his devine weapon, and also cut off the arm that hurled it. Vritra were present proised this feat of his, Indra looked embarrassed. But Vritra encouraged him to pick it up again use it against him Indra was now dumb with amazement at the nobility of his enemy. He said to him”, “O chief of the asuras, you are indeed the noblest of all creatures. You attained eternal Bhakti for the Lord and have indeed gone beyond His Maya. Hail to you” He picked up the weapon and cut off the other arm of the demon. Vritra now opened wide his mouth and swallowed both Indra and his elephant Airavaatha. The gods and demons who were watching the awesome battle thought that this was the end of Indra. But Indra still had the sacred weapon with him and so he tore open Vritra’s belly from inside and came out triumphant. Then there was the sound of crashing thunderbolts as he chopped Vritra’s head, which bounced and rolled away and then lay still. Now the most amaying thing happened. As the Devas watched open-mouthed, the soul of Vritra entered straight into Sri Naryana, who was standing a midst of them all. Vritra’s prayer had been answered.

Siddhi Times USA 17 Contact: Hindu Temple of Georgia, 5900, Brook hollow parkway norcross GA. Tel: 770 - 447 - 9393

T

here is a place in South India called Rameshwar. Here the devotees of Lord Eshwara and Lord Maha Vishnu assemble to worship and take their holy baths in the sea. Pilgrims from all over the world come to visit the temple at Rameshwar. The name Ram and Eshwara are combined to denote the grace of Lord Rama and Lord Eshwara. Sri Rama is one of the incarnations of Lord Maha Vishnu He came to world to save the people from

the Asuras, or Demons, who were doing so many atrocities and cruelties to the people of the world. Seetha Devi, the wife of Sri Rama was forcibly lifted by the Asura, “Rawana”. When Sceetha and Sri Rama were living in the forest, the Demon Rawana came and moved Seetha to Sri Lanka where the Demon’s palace was situated. (The country Sri Lanka is a very large island.)

Sri Rama sent his devotee Anjaneya to search for his missing wife, Seetha. Sri Anjaneya was called Hanuman. Vayudeva was his father. Vayudeva was the god of the winds, so Hanuman had the talent to fly upon the wind. When he was searching for Seetha, he found her in Sri Lanka. Hanuman brought the good news to Sri Rama, who immediately planed to invade Sri Lanka and bring back his wife Seetha. King Sukreeva was the devotee of Sri Rama. Sukreeva had his monkey regiment in large numbers. They planned to build a bridge over the sea to reach Sri Lanka. The immense task was taken on by Sri Rama and Sri Laksharma, his younger brother. Because, it was time to meet the Demons on the battle field, Sri Rama decided to worship Lord Eshwara and get his blessings. In an incident similar to that, Lord Eshwara happened to grant a boon to a Demon named Basma Asura, because he had done penance by worshipping Sri Eshwara. The penance was done with strong mind and power and it took several long years. On the final occasion, Lord Eshwara appeared before him and asked the Demon to demand his boon.

Siddhi Times USA 18

Asura. After looking at the charm and beanty of the maid, the Demon followed eagerly after her. He was very fond of the maid and greatly desired to reach her. The maid then began to dance and asked the demon if he could challenge her in a dancing competition. He said, “Yes,” and began to dance exactly as per the steps and actions exhibited by the maid. The maid of course was no other than the Lord Maha Vishnu appearing as Mohini avatar. At a crucial stage of the dance, and at the most difficult poses to be exhibited, the maid touched her own head. The Demon was fully engaged in repeating the poses the maid, and unknowingly he touched his own head as well. The tricky boon had been granted on the basis that up on the world, the head of whom so ever he touches, they have to meet with death by fire, and turn to ashes.

Basma Asura asked for his boon in a tricky manner - that if he happened to touch anybody’s head regardless, that person should turn to ashes on the spot. There was no way out for Lord Eshwara, so he granted the boon. The Asura thought that if he could destroy Lord Eshwara himself, then he could rule the entire Universe. So, he attempted to touch the head of Lord Eashwara. The Incarnation of Lord Maha Vishnu is as Sri Ram Avatar. Maha Vishnu had himself born into this world as the first son of King Dasaratha. The name given to him was Sri Ramachandra. In the shortened form people say “Rama.”

Here Lord Maha Vishnu, as Rama, and worshipped as Lord Eshwara, built a big bridge to Sri Lanka, and went to the island where he met Rawana and killed him in a war. Seetha Devi was brought back and they reached Ayodya, the country of Sri Rama, Lord Eashwara ran towards the sea end hills. The Demon followed the Lord swiftly and gave chase. Lord Eshwara quickly met Lord Maha Vishnu in Vaikuntha, the residing place of the Lord. Help was sought by Lord Eshwara. Seeing the critical situation, Lord Maha Vishnu turned himself into a beautiful maid and stood before the Demon Basma

So, the Demon fell dead and turned to ashes. The eminent danger that had chased the Lord Eshwara had come to an end. And the Lords were very happy to come out of this trouble, successfully. In such a manner, there are no differences among the Gods. People should show equal devotion, and with pure heart receive the blessings of all the Lords. Here Rama’s worship is marked and Rameshwar becomes a sacred place in this world that gives grace to all human beings, and other lives.

Incomparable divine powers, as noted in the Vedas, are Lord Eshwara and Lord Maha Vishnu. The worship we perform to Lord Eashwara will go to Lord Maha Vishnu. And the worship we give to Lord Maha Vishnu will most positively reach Lord Eashwara. There is no difference between them both and as it is in reality a united form of nature. On these grounds then, obedience, politeness, and respect are exchanged between them, at every crucial juncture.

Siddhi Times USA 19

There is a great saying, “No pain, No gain”. It is very common to have pain to gain something. The quantity and quality of the pain will differ from person to person according to the goal they wish to achieve. For example if a kid of three or four years old wish to join in school there will be no tests for that kid. If the same kid grows little bigger and needs admission in 5th or 6th grade, the kid should undergo for some minor tests. If the same kid wishes to enter in 10th or11th grade the same kid has to undergo some tough tests. If the same kid wishes to enter a higher grade of education, it should undergo the toughest tests and come out successfully. Then only it will be admitted in that course of higher education. Like that construction of a small temple is very easy. But it is very hard to build a temple for Lord Shiva is the toughest thing in the world. That too building a temple for Lord Shiva with 108images of Lord Shiva is the toughest of the toughest. First let us see a few historical celebrities, who faced a lot of troubles in building the temple of Lord Shiva. There is no difference between divine, human and animal powers in having pain, while building a temple for Lord Shiva. Shiva Temple at the Indian city Madurai is one of the notable temples of Lord Shiva. The temple was first constructed by Devendra, the leader of the divine powers. Indra is one of the Devas, an extra-dimensional race of beings who were worshipped as gods by the people of Ancient India. Indra was revered as one of the most important gods of the earlier Vedic Pantheon. Indra seemed to earn his place in the pantheon by defending the Vedic gods from

Siddhi Times USA 20

their enemies, often invigorating himself on soma, the drink of the gods, in order to do so. He became leader of all the divine powers, but also became one of the close friends of Vishnu. However, Indra eventually became so drunk that he slew Vritra, one of the Danavas or serpent-gods in the Vedic Pantheon. Vritra had coiled up at the bottom of Mount Himavat preventing rain from falling to earth and had been enchanted that he was impervious to weapons. In order to slay him, Indra turned the sea to foam and drowned the serpent -god in the depths of the sea. Vritra had been close friends of Vishnu, and his death brought great sadness over the Vedic gods. As punishment, Indra had to construct a temple for Lord Shiva. Then only he will be freed from the curse of the Gods and the serpents. Indra lost all his beauty. He prayed Lord Shiva to excuse all his sins and grant his beauty again. Lord Shiva excused him and ordered him to build a good temple. Indra started his journey in fetch of a good place for Lord Shiva’s temple. At last he came to the Southern part of India. In one city he found a small forest full of trees and called as “Kadambavanam” (the forest full of a kind of tree called kadambu). There he felat a kind of peacefulness in his mind. He decided that this is the most fitting place for constructing the temple of Lord Shiva. He called the divine architect Viswakarma to design the great temple of Lord Shiva. Indra further requested all his sub-ordinates to help him for this holy cause. But nobody was ready to support Indra, as he got the curse from the serpent king. Any how Indra managed to get the help.

one. He forgot that Lord Shiva has blessed him with the opportunity of building the temple. Lord Shiva understood this and planned to teach lessons to the emperor. One day he went to the dream of the emperor. He told the emperor that he wishes to rest only under the shadow of the stone lying in the entrance of the poorest lady. Lord Shiva mentioned the dimensions of the stone also. The emperor woke up and started search of the stone all over his kingdom. At last he found a stone in front of the hut of a poor lady. He literally begged the poor lady and got the stone. He placed on the roof top of the sanctum sanctorum. After this a great tug of war between him and his son Rajendra Chola started. Rajendra Chola also started constructing the big temple as of the Emperor Raja raja Chola. The father and son became enemies. At last Lord Shiva himself took the shape of an old man and settled the problem. Even then the problems were not completed. Before the day of the “Kumbabishegam” (inauguration ceremony of the sanctum sanctorum), Lord Shiva went to the dream of the emperor Rajaraja Chola. He ordered the emperor to change the inauguration day.

He prayed Lord Shiva. At last Lord Shiva himself took the human form and helped Indra to build the temple. The next notable one is the biggest temple in Tanjor. It is called as “Bruhadeeswaram”. That means the biggest one. The king Rajaraja Chola constructed this temple. He conquered many kings and became an Emperor. As a mark of the victory he wanted to construct the biggest temple for Lord Shiva. The Emperor started the work. All the citizens were ordered to involve themselves in the temple work. All the citizents eagerly took part in the construction works of the temple. The emperor started getting proud. He started to think himself as the biggest

The emperor asked why. For that Lord Shiva replied as “dear emperor you are building the temple only to show your strength and power. But one of my ardent devotees Poosalar Nayanar is building a temple. I am going over there. So you change the date”. The emperor went in search of the It is a Vedic custom to place some kind of herbal paste made with eight kinds herbal products. It is used to fix the image to the pedestal. It is called as “Ashtabandhanam”. Normally it will look like a small hard rock. It will be broken into small pieces and will be melted with butter. Then it will be poured on the pedestal and the image will be fixed on the pedestal. It will become hard as stone while cooling. It will be very rigid for a minimum period of twelve years. Even though the quality of Ashtabandanam was used the main Lingam was not fixing on the pedestal. The emperor was stunned. At last his Guru, the famous Siddhar Karuvoorar rushed to that place and fixed the Lingam on the pedestal. As a mark of devoted dedication towards Lord Shiva the emperor Rajaraja Chola got a wonderful and remarkable place in the history. There are a lot of historical evidences to show the pains delivered in building a temple for Lord Shiva. All these happened during the past centuries. In this 21st century we are blessed to see a person who is suffering with a great pain in building a temple for Lord Shiva. He is Swamiji Sri.Selvam Siddhar. He is undergoing a lot of troubles from the persons, who do not want the upcoming of the wonderful Shiva Temple. It is very sure that Swamiji will emboss his name in the history. The opposites will enter in to the anger of Lord Shiva. It is very sure that they will be punished to the greatest extent by Lord Shiva. There are a lot of examples from the past, for the persons who got great blessings from Lord Shiva. There are lots of examples also for the persons who got into the anger of Lord Shiva. This one issue is not sufficient for writing all these; we will see some more examples from the history in the next issue. This is the highest Yoga: to remember God always and constantly to repeat His Name.

Siddhi Times USA 21

Siddhi Times USA 22

members. India joined as an affiliate in 1936. The BWF now governs international badminton and develops the sport globally.

world-class players in the past few decades and dominated competitions on the international level, with China being the most dominant in recent years.

While originated in England, international badminton has traditionally been dominated by Denmark from Europe. Indonesia, South Korea and Malaysia are among the nations that have consistently produced

The basics Each game is played with 21 points, with players scoring a point whenever they win a rally (this differs from the old system, where players could only win a point on their serve). A match is the best of three games. At the start of the rally, the server and receiver stand in diagonally

opposite service courts. The server hits the shuttlecock so that it would land in the receiver’s service court. This is similar to tennis, except that a badminton serve must be hit from below the waist in underhand form (upwards), the shuttlecock is not allowed to bounce, and in tennis the players stand outside their service courts. When the serving side loses a rally, the serve passes to their opponent(s) (unlike the old system, there is no “second serve”).In

In 1893, the Badminton Association of England published the first set of rules according to these regulations, similar to today’s rules, and officially launched badminton in a house on September 13 of that year. They also started the All England Open Badminton Championships, the first badminton competition in the world, in 1899. The International Badminton Federation (IBF) (now known as Badminton World Federation) was established in 1934 with Canada, Denmark, England, France, The Netherlands, Ireland, New Zealand, Scotland, and Wales as its founding

continued to page no 55 Siddhi Times USA 23 Siddhi Times USA 23

Siddhi Times USA 24

Siddhi Times USA 25

Siddhi Times USA 26

Siddhi Times USA 27

Siddhi Times USA 28

Siddhi Times USA 29

Letters to the Editor

1. Albert Vetrivelan Colombo Swamiji, I came to know about you and your wonderful magazine only through the website. I approached you through phone to clear the black magic on my family. You did a great ritual based on Atharva Veda and removed the black magic. Now we are very happy. Nanriyudan Vanakkangal Ayya. Please come and bless our home at Sri Lanka.

2 Shiva Priya Tadani AZ Siddharji, after reading the wonderful magazine I approached you to solve my family problems. You found that the problems are due to the evilness of planets and you removed the evilness of the planets in my horoscope and blessed me with a wonderful life. I dedicate my life time for your divine services. Pranams and Namaskars. 3. Shivani Anjalika TN Swamiji came to you to bring up my downtrodden business. You guided me in the proper way and, only because of that guidelines, my business is going upwards. You please be the consultant to the company and give your esteemed ideas to grow more and more. Namaskars and thanks Swamiji. 4. Xavier Antony AL Revered Siddhar, I have no words to explain the power of your mantras. You have saved me and my family from suicide. We had an idea to commit suicide because the debts. You showed me the best ways to come out of the debts. Once again thanks to you and your fantastic magazine Siddhitimes. 5. Gary H Fernley, Paris I am a German. I have read a little bit of Vedas. Only after your meeting at Swiss, I am able to think more clearly. Thanks

Siddhi Times USA 30

for giving me a wonderful vision. Please expand your magazine circle to my country also to enlighten more and more people. 6. Jayadurga Das Chaturvedi, IN I am a Vedic Scholar and I have gone through vigorous training under eminent Gurus. On the first sight itself, I understood that you are a wonderful blessed personality. As I am older, I bless you and as a devotee, I seek blessing from you Swamiji.

7. Jayalani Saleem KY Swamiji I have no words to explain your power. After reading the magazine Siddhitimes I approached you to bring out my son from drug addiction. You brought my son out from his drug addiction. Even though I am a Muslim, I keep your photo in my house and worship it daily. Thanks and Salaams Swamiji. 8. Radha Johan ME Swamiji, I am an ardent devotee of Sri. Durga Mata. I came to know about you through the magazine Siddhitimes. I came to you for the peace in my family and development in my business. After taking part in the rituals, I am very happy now. My family life and business are very smooth. I am seeing Sri.Durga Matha in your shape. I humbly submit my pranams to you. 9. Karna Malhothra Ont Canada. Swamiji I came to you after browsing the website of the beautiful magazine Siddhitimes. I consulted you to solve the marriage problems of my daughter and followed your advise. Due to that, my daughter’s marriage went on successfully. She is leading a happy family life. I humbly submit the pranams of my entire family to Swamiji Sri Siddhar.

10. H.P.Shingania Orlando FL Swamiji, I came to this country along with my wife. We both had jobs but in different cities. Even though we were married, we had to live as bachelors. We had much confusion in our life. We approached your good self to fix these problems. You fixed the problems in a wonderful way with your Atharva Veda Thantric rituals. Now we are leading a peaceful and wonderful life. I thank you and your magazine for making my life as the best.. 11. Rajini Sukdev NE Parampujya Siddharji, I had many problems caused by evil spirits. I had no sleep at all during the nights. I consulted many physicians and no medicine helped me to get rid of my sleepless nights’ problem I consulted you. You performed a great ritual based on Atharva Veda and now I am free from all the troubles. Now my life is wonderful. Thanks and pranams Swamiji 12. Chandanu M Raj CA Swamiji, I am a young man. Even though I study hard, I was not able to do well in my examinations. I was unable to get a good job also. I consulted you. You did some wonderful rituals and by your gracious and auspicious blessing, I am doing well in my studies. I have a job also. Thanks and Namaskars. 13. Darshi Satya CO Respected Siddhar Swamiji, I approached you to solve the problems in my job and career. You preferred some Thantric rituals

and you performed those rituals. By the power of the mantras and rituals, now I am in a good job. Thank you very much for making my life a wonderful one.

reading the magazine Siddhitimes, we approached you. You found that we have some black magic problems. You solved the problem very easily with your wonderful mantra power. Now we are getting well in all our affairs. Salutes to you, your wonderful mantra power and the holy magazine Siddhitimes.

14. Andrea Soman HI Swamiji, even though I am a Christian I am married to a Hindu Indian. After reading the magazine Siddhitimes, I thought that you are also like other Swamijis. I approached you only half mindedly to solve the problem in selling my lands. To my surprise you gave me exact directions without caring for the money. Only after your consultation and rituals my land was sold with a good profit. As I pledged in my mind I am sending $10001.00 as a donation to the Temple. Namaskars Swamiji. Whenever you come to Hawaii please stay in my house and bless all of us. Thanks once again.

17. Vamsi Mohan Khandalia NJ Parampujya Swamiji, Namaskars. I am from a very good Sri. Vaishanvate Brahmin family. Few years back the problems started coming up in my family life due to the black magic done on my family and me. Even though my family members consulted many astrologers here and in India, the problems were not solved. Finally, I came to you through the magazine Siddhitimes. You analyzed my horoscope and performed wonderful rituals. Now I am getting alright. Thanks and Namaskars.

15.Selvanayaki Rajaratnam NJ I have a son of seven years old. All of a sudden, he became very dull in his studies. After reading the magazine, I personally approached Swamiji Siddhar to solve the problems. As a Atharva Veda scholar he did some rituals to my son. Now he is doing very well in his studies. Thanks and pranams to Swamiji for making my son well. Thanks for bringing out such a wonderful magazine also. 16. Imran Syed MA I am a poor Muslim. I have two daughters. Even though my wife and I work very hard we were not able to get a good job. After

18. J .T. Vaseena Columbus OH Swamiji, I was affected by some kind of evil spirits and black magic twenty years back. After a prolonged suffering, I consulted you for the remedy. You prescribed some kind of Thantric rituals and started performing those rituals. By the result of those rituals and your mantra power, my life is getting to a better position now. Thanks for making my family and me happy. 19. S.M.Patel GA Swamiji, Namaskars. We are having a gas station. We were facing many problems in our business. We came to you after reading the magazine Siddhitimes. You checked our horoscopes and started doing the rituals. By the power of your blessings and mantras, we are solving the problems. Please shower your continuous blessings on us and our two kids. 20.K.R.Reddy PA Swamiji, I had a lot of legal problems and immigration problems. I approached many astrologers. Nobody was able to fix the problem. I approached you finally. I can say that all my problems are nearing the end only because of your blessings and rituals. My namaskarams to you and your wonderful mantra power.

l

Siddhi Times USA 31

Siddhi Times USA 32

Siddhi Times USA 39

Warning: Those who read the following story may feel embarrassed and hurt. If they are true Hindus, it may cause them to experience moments of true sadness throughout the day. The story is even more curious than the complex plot of an action filled Hollywood movie. Being Indian Americans, as well as Hindus, we may feel shame even more so, after reading this article. An unbelievable response to Part I of our story about the “Terrorists Attack on US Priests.” As the author of the article that appeared last month in Siddhi Times, I wish to personally thank all the millions who responded. Many people also read this story online at www.siddhiusa.com. Most were asking, “What is law enforcement doing in Georgia?” I am told that the phones were ringing off the hook in the Mandir, from the First week of January to pass on their words of support and express their concerns about the ongoing criminal conspiracy to wrest away a Hindu Temple in America. However, Swamiji expressed to me, very clearly, that he will take it in front of the Yakshini Devathas (Goddesses) and that they will take care of this. As I stated in the first part of the story, I will now follow with even more scary and shocking news. Now, Internal Affairs, the District Attorney, the Department of Justice, and the FBI, are all working on this high-profile criminal conspiracy. The saddest part is that normally when someone becomes a victim in America, they go to the law for help; however, in this case, it was the law enforcement authority it self that is part of criminal conspiracy! Of course, one should not accuse The entire police department for the actions of just one police man who has taken sides, and with personal hate and vengeance, is using his police powers to bring down a Hindu Temple. I know it may sound more like you are watching a Telugu action movie, rather than reading the Siddhi Times USA magazine. But yes, you may actually feel that you are watching a movie, where the police officer is doing all kinds of criminal things and abusing his powers. It is indeed very scary to see that, a powerful police officer has become the a major player in the criminal conspiracy. If you follow the actions over the last four years, you can see how big, humorous & disturbing is the way that the criminal conspirators have joined together to down. The regular readers of the Siddhi Times magazine should be fully aware by now that the criminal co-conspirators Valmiki

Siddhi Times USA 34

Valmikinathan Puducheri Raghunathan,

Sundaram Puducheri Raghunathan,

Chandramohan Loganathan Raghunathan, Sundaram Raghunathan, and Chandra Mohan Loganathan were ordered by the Criminal Court in India to present themselves. However, as usual for these terrorists, they never even showed up! It seems that they just love to break the law. Therefore, the magistrate signed orders to catch them through the Indian Consulate in Houston, TX. Now about the “Terrorist Attack on the US Priests” story published in January 2009. For those who are reading this story for the first time, let me give you a synopsis of Part I. “The Indian court last month ordered three of the Atlanta Tamil speaking Indian families to present themselves in front of their Judicial Magistrate in regards to several serious criminal charges. There was an extensive criminal conspiracy to attack and harass a particular Hindu Temple in Georgia. These co-conspirators associated with another

Mohan started feeling better, and was slowly coming out of his illness, Ananthi expressed her gratitude to the Swamiji of the Temple, and requested that he allow her husband to do some volunteer work at the Temple, like driving the Mandir’s car, doing physical labor, and also helping to get some charitable donations in the form of advertisements for the Temple’s magazine.

The Criminal Conspiracy Begins The whole sad saga begins when Mr.Valmiki Puducheri Raghunathan of Atlanta came to the Temple in Georgia during early 2006 and wanted to rent their 20,000 sq ft auditorium. He could only afford $500.00 a day, but the auditorium normally rents for approximately $5,000.00 a day. However, because his event was for a religious conference, a lower rate was accepted by the Temple out of charity. The renters brought in a lady by the name Prema Pandurang for a Bagavad-Gita lecture, which was enjoyed by all in attendance. However after that event, Raghunathan started threatening to bomb the entire facility and made other terrorist threats. Through much exhaustive research, the Temple authorities found, after examining more than 75 blocked number phone calls, the cell phone of Valmiki Raghunathan’s wife, to be the source of all the calls. Now comes the first association in the criminal conspiracy - a local detective. There were two (2) witnesses listed on the “911” emergency phone call report; however, the detective allowed Valmiki to escape charges by reporting that, someone calling in threats continuously for more than 75 times within 15 days, was a “civil” dispute! On top of this, the same officer then filed his police report saying that there were “no witnesses” in the case, even though both the emergency phone call and the original incident report indicate that there were two (2) witnesses! The law in Georgia says, “If there is more than one witness, the accused shall be arrested for terrorist threats.” In fact, two different police

officers investigated this case and the other associated cases. They each gave a different report. One officer gave the correct version and the other officer’s report favored Valmiki and his gang. So, the bottom line was that Valmiki simply escaped justice with the help of this detective. After that, through one of his friends in Alabama by the name Mr. Gopa Kumar, the conspirators started doing some more of the same type threats. However, every report filed was made null and void under the influence of this same detective. Mr. Gopa Kumar was fired from his job at Kirklin Clinic, in Alabama, when his boss found out that he was using the office phones to make terrorist threats. Apparently, God gave him just what he deserved. Then two and a half years later, on July 31st Valmiki and his brother Sundaram sneaked onto the temple property and were taking photographs for unknown purposes. Two priests went and asked them not to take any pictures. The brothers physically attacked the priests and who were then taken to hospital in an ambulance for medical treatment. The local Magistrate issued an arrest warrant to remand these two criminals to Jail, but again the same policeman came to their rescue and caused the case to stand still. This case is no longer under investigation and mysteriously, nothing seems to be happening to bring these two attackers to justice. Enter our anti-hero Chandra Mohan Loganathan In later stages, Mr. Gopa Kumar associated with one Chandra Mohan, a man who has not held-down a proper job in over 6 years. Usually asleep throughout the day, Chandra spent the night time posting defamatory blogs about the Temple and working on ways to loot money. Chandra Mohan is the husband of Ananthi Palamuthu, who runs a Kuman Math Tutorial Center in Kennesaw, GA. She brought this so called “psycho” and “terrorist” to the Temple in late June of 2007, in hopes of curing his mental problems through rituals and prayers. Once this was accomplished and Chandra

After a few months he left the temple saying that he had finally found a real job. However, after leaving the temple, his mental condition apparently grew worse. For, it came as a very large surprise to all at the Temple, when he filed a spurious “false imprisonment” charge with the police. The Temple authorities were made aware of this on the 15th June 2008.

Rajesh Jyotishi Khabar Owner

criminal by the name of Chandra Mohan Loganathan, who also did not show up in the Indian Magistrate’s Court. The devotees interviewed for this article referred to him as a “Psycho.”* An attorney in India is arranging for a “non-bailable” (no bond) arrest warrant against these conspirators to place them in jail. The next hearing in the criminal case, which is guaranteed to bring about more interesting information next month for part III of this story, is scheduled for February the13th 2009.

Teressa Louis

Pari Jyotishi Khabar Owner

Kumon Math And Reading Centre, Kennesaw , Georgia.

Dr. Selvi Vasudevan

Ravi Sharma Ex President Hindu Temple of Atlanta

Ananthi Pazhamuthu (OWNER)

However, upon a thorough investigation by the law, his claims were determined to be totally “unfounded.” Yet, it is interesting to note, he faced no consequences for bringing the false charges! Thus emboldened, with criminal intent, he joined with the Valmiki

Siddhi Times USA 35

AR. Rajagopal was arrested under Prevention of Terrorist Activities Act (POTA). and Sundaram Raghunathan brothers, in getting a couple of priests to steal donated cash from the Temple. They shared the stolen money, hid the priests in their custody for five days, and helped them to escape justice and flee the country. Ultimately, the priests who ran away to India have come to be placed in custody. Now these two priests are facing serious criminal charges such as attempted murder, criminal conspiracy, and indecent exposure of women, amongst others in India. In Tamil there is a proverb, “Inam Inathoduthan Serum.” We sometimes see pigs on the roads of Tamilnadu. The Tamilnadu people know that these pigs normally eat garbage. Sometimes dogs that run away from home will join with the street pigs and eat the same garbage that the street pigs eat! In much the same way, the once innocent priests, peacefully working in the Temple, have now become international criminals! And it was Chandra Mohan who made them into the infamous terrorists that they have become. The Routes for these Terrorists One wonders how and why these Tamilnadu folks, who came to America as immigrants, started all this terrorist activity and getting in to so much troubles. The route starts in Chennai, India. Rajagopal, the editor and owner of the Nakkeran Magazine is the boss, trainer, and advisor, to these psychotic criminals. Rajagopal was indicted, arrested, and jailed in a high-profile terrorist case in India. He was convicted under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA), a crime considered more serious than homicide. India has billions of people, out of which, only a small number of people have ever been indicted through this top-priority law in India. Rajagopal attempted blackmail when he demanded a considerable sum of money from a prominent Swamiji in America. When the Swamiji said very clearly, “Absolutely no money. Do what ever you want. I am the slave to my Lord Shiva, and He will take care of me!”

Siddhi Times USA 36

Now that’s the true spirit of a real “Sivanadiayar,” (Lord Shiva’s Devotee/Slave). However, this made Rojagopal so angry, that he turned to his trained gang of terrorists in the US, Valmiki, Sundaram, and Chandra Mohan. Now all of these terrorists are facing a series of serious of criminal charges in the court house! Criminal Conspiracy and the Media In the mean time, three of the criminal conspirators in America meet with a local cable television spokesperson in Atlanta, who becomes part of the conspiracy by helping this group to broadcast one-sided, scandalous, and defamatory stories. Then, once he got connected with these Indian American guys, these news segments were uploaded on to the “You Tube” website. Next, using a database of donators stolen from the Temple by Chandra Mohan while volunteering on the premises, they have actively emailed thousands of the Temple’s followers, from all over the nation and in India, to personally defame the Temple and attempt to recruit even more fellow conspirators. However, the cable guy made a serious error in judgment, and now he and his station owners are quite possibly going to soon face serious criminal charges, under thy Cyber Law and in Information Technology Act of 2000. Now the million dollar question is, whether these people will telecast their criminal court proceedings in India on their local cable television channel in Georgia, or have them placed them on You Tube! It is interesting to note that the TV reporter’s parent company already has numerous cases against them in courthouses around the world. Do these people have the impartiality, in the name of community interests, to place the court cases against them on their television network or on You Tube? If he is indeed an unbiased Investigative Journalist, he needs to “investigate” why there are so many lawsuits against his cable station in Atlanta! A Possible Motive Now it’s true, that for whatever reason, there is always someone, who does not like someone else. It’s a universal law. There are lots of Hindus who go to Swaminarayn who don’t want to pray to other Gods. People praying to Shirdi Baba don’t want to pray to other Gods. Many Vaishanvates don’t want to pray to Lord Shiva. Hinduism is a very complex religion. Even when you examine the history of Shirdi Saibaba, you find that he was accused of being a drug addict! The reason that I am bringing up this information is because of the following points.

These criminal conspirators needed to find a Hindu Temple in Georgia to talk bad about the new Temple. They found the Hindu Temple of Atlanta, and its President Dr. Ravi Sharma. In fact their whole Temple Board was very jealous about the growth of a new Swamiji’s temple in their state. Also there was the question, “How come, as a single person, this Swamiji was able to support a 50,000 sq ft temple, while we, who are all leading multi-millionaire physicians, are still struggling to raise money for our Temple?” Their temple has a long list of fees and other charges for various poojas and prayers, just like a restaurant’s menu card, with prices for each food! For the last 25 years they have been trying to raise money from their followers, for the construction and operation of their Temple. However, they had forgotten a very important principle, “Why don’t we millionaire physician board members share 1/5th of our income with the Temple, as per the Hindu Sastras, so that we don’t need to go to every one, every day, for $50.00 here and $100.00 there?” A wise Swamiji once said, “You should have trust in your Trust, before you ask someone else to trust in your Trust.” That is what lacking in their Temple. The Temple activities would have been made very simple, if only the Trustees alone shared the major part of the expenses. However, the infighting, each with the other, between the Trustees, has not brought forth any positive fruit. It is an obvious truth that, except for a few Hindu Temples, the majority of Temples have lots of ego in-fights, clashes, and legal battles both inside and out. The two best known examples of this are the fights that happened in the Ganesha Temple in Flushing, New York, and the Malibu Temple in California, though I could list literally hundreds of Temples. So they got Dr. Ravi Sharma to come forward and offer his “opinion” about the new Swamiji “living as a millionaire” and allowing the public to consume meat and alcohol during their secular events held in a public banquet rental hall in his community center building. Being a physician, and a president of a Hindu Temple, Dr. Sharma was displayed as “an authority” to offer misleading information about Hinduism and Swamijis. His malicious statements were used by the television reporter to concoct a scandalous story. To the average American, such statements are believable as shocking. However in India, it is well known that there are numerous Swamijis living as millionaires and even billionaires. There are also, lots of Hindu Temples in India that offer meat to their gods. There are even many temples in India that offer liquor to the gods. Dr. Sharma is not blind, and he is not ignorant of these facts. Even in his own home

for these criminal Conspirators for their malicious article. Now Parthiv is associated with a Swamiji by the name of Jaggi Vasudev. The scary news about Mr. Jaggi Vasudev is that, he was involved in a very serious criminal case concerning the killing his wife in India. Mr. A.P. Jayachandran, a leading criminal attorney in India, who is now suing this entire group, once saved Mr. Jaggi from the clutches of law. See how quickly life can turn?

A.P. Jayachandran Attorney at Law Coimbatore, India. state in India, there are a couple of Temples which offer meat sacrifices to God! So, Dr Ravi Sharma joins with the terrorists and their criminal intents. He next went to a local magazine named Khabar, which had some publishing conflicts with the famous Swamiji and wrote a defamatory article with the help of Valmiki Raghunathan. Now, Lord Balaji of his Temple has given him the fruit of his actions. Yes, he is going to be the first Hindu Temple president in American Indian History to have his entire Temple Board accused in court for criminal conspiracy and other associated charges! He is very well connected to the Khabar owners Mr. Rajesh Jyotishi and Mr. Parthiv Parikh, and their employees, in this criminal conspiracy. Believe me. Now, Lord Balaji has given his Anugraha (blessings) to Dr Ravi Sharma and his Board members! Another interesting aspect here is that Parthiv Parikh, always he always says that he is supporting the community through his magazine. However, when any normal minded person sees his magazine, they can quickly discern how much they have increased the ad space, and its associated revenue, in “support” of his “Home Community,” rather than the actual local Indian-American community. Compare this to the Siddhi Times USA, which is distributed nationally, carries enormous expenses with very minimal advertising, as a true spiritual service to the Indian-American community. Parthiv donated an entire page

Believe me, I take no pleasure in having to report that now the whole Khabar team is going to face serious criminal charges. I believe that they all might want to take a charter flight, with all that adverting revenue, and take along all the board members of Hindu Temple of Atlanta with them as well. Believe me that should cost them a lot less than going to criminal court in India! Conspiracy Up-date: Hindu Temple of Atlanta Sued for $ 5 Million Dollars. In the most recent stage of events, all these criminal conspirators went to You Tube and Google blog sites, and used them as platforms to harass the Hindu Temple of Georgia. So, they have started “cyber-terrorism” now. Two of these criminals, Valmiki and Chanrdamohan were released from a County Magistrate on a $6,500.00 “Good Behavior Bond.” These two criminal conspirators had a $5,000.00 bond, but had its penalty increased due to their recent aggravated stalking of a temple priest. These two are now calling up the Indian witnesses against them and threatening to kill them. They were also requested to remove all their harassing blogs against the Temple; however it comes as no surprise that they, as usual, did not care about the law, and did not comply. Now they are being sued to remove the blogs within fifteen days and pay five million dollars in damages for their actions. Google Sued for Ten Million Dollars Google’s owners and directors are also being sued for ten million dollars, and are instructed to remove the defamatory blogs and to turn over all the encrypted information on the posters and their IP addresses, for use in the

prosecution of those involved in the cyber terrorism crimes. The good news is my dear readers, that the federal and state agencies are finally investigating these criminal conspirators. This case will be the largest criminal case against Google ever in India. And the entire Hindu Temple of Atlanta Board, along with the owners and associates of Khabar are being sued because of the costly mistake made by Dr. Ravi Sharma. In conclusion, what I understand out of all of this is very simple. “Keduvan Kedu Ninaippan.” In the Hindu Vedas, it is very clearly revealed that when anyone wants to hurt someone else knowingly, they themselves will get into trouble, long before anything bad happens to the other person. There is another Tamil saying, “Darmathin vaazhvu thanai soodhu kavvum, dharmam vellum.” The meaning is that, “many problems will come to the good souls who do Dharma. But the good souls and Dharma will win at the end.” These are not troubles to the Swamiji, they are just troubles that attach themselves to Dharma. By the great blessings of Lord Shiva, Dharma will win. Even more interesting aspects of this story will be revealed in the upcoming March 2009 issue, including some more scary news about this criminal conspiracy, the local station owner’s back ground, the numerous cases against the local cable television station, the criminal court proceedings, and the state and federal investigation against these conspirators.! Important Note & Disclaimer This whole report represents my thoughts, views, and knowledge about the facts. The Siddhi Times USA magazine, the swamiji, the priests, and anyone else associated with the Hindu Temple of Georgia, are not responsible for any information or opinions given here. And, I am not trying to personally hurt anyone’s feelings. My only concern is that I want the truth to prevail, the Hinduism should grow and not to be destroyed by these kinds of criminals and I will give my whole life for that to happen.

Satyameva Jayate. Om Shanti -Santhanam Bajagovindam -Freelance Writer, Coimbatore, India. Psychopathy is a psychological construct that describes chronic immoral and antisocial behavior. The persons who are having this psychopathy are called in casual parlance “psychos”. The term is often used interchangeably with sociopaths. The complete definition of the term “psychopath” is a person suffering from “psychopathic personality disorder.” This term is used to denote a severe condition that is often related to an antisocial or dissocial personality disorder. The psychopath or “psycho” is defined by a psychological gratification in criminal, sexual, or aggressive impulses and the inability to learn from past mistakes. Individuals with this disorder gain satisfaction through their antisocial behavior, and lack remorse for their actions.

Siddhi Times USA 37

Siddhi Times USA 38

Puzzles for Kids 1. Name the only English word that ends in the letters “mt”. 2. What are the only four words in the English language that end in “dous”? 3. Find at least two English words that have “uu” in them. 4. What is black when you buy it, red when you use it, and gray when you throw it away? 5. Name a word that has all five vowels in it, in the same order they are found in the alphabet. 6. 7. 8.

Which sound occurs in the English language, but has no letter to represent it? What is the longest English word that can be spelled without repeating a letter? Can you find an English word that has the six vowels, A, E, I, O, U, and Y, in their alphabetical order? For example, there is the word “facetiously.” What is another Answers on page no: 42 one?

The King and the Foolish Monkey Once upon a time, there was a king who kept a monkey as a pet. The monkey served the king in whatever way he could. He had free run of the royal

household because he was the king’s favorite pet. One hot day the monkey sat by his side, fanning the king who was sleeping. He noticed a fly on the chest of the king and

tried to swish it away. The fly would go away for the moment and then come back again landing on the king’s chest. The monkey could take it no longer and decided to teach the fly a lesson. He looked for a dagger with which to

Siddhi Times USA 39

kill it. When he found one, he brought it down on the fly with all his might. However, the fly quickly flew away! As result of the dagger blow delivered by the monkey, the king died. Moral: A person who cares about his life should not have a fool for his servant.

The Foolish Crane and the Mongoose A big banyan tree was home to a number of cranes in the forest. A cobra living in the hollow of that tree used to feed on the young cranes which had not yet learned to fly. When the mother crane saw the cobra killing her offspring, she began to cry. Seeing the sorrow of the crane, a crab asked her what made her cry. The crane told the crab, “Every day, the cobra living in this tree is killing my children and I am not able to contain my grief. Please show me some way to get rid of this cobra.” The crab then thought, “These cranes are our natural born enemies. I shall give her advice that is misleading and suicidal, which will bring about the end of all these cranes! Our elders have always said that if you want to wipe out your enemy, your words should be soft like butter and your heart, hard like a stone.” Then the crab told the crane, “Strew pieces of meat, from the mongoose’s burrow to the hollow of the cobra. The mongoose will follow the trail of meat to the cobra burrow and will kill it.” The crane did as the crab advised her. The mongoose came following the trail of meat and killed not only the cobra, but also all the cranes on the tree!

Siddhi Times USA 40

Moral: If you have a strategy, you should also think about where the tactic will end up. Evil minds (Papabuddhi) consider only the crooked plan, but not the consequences that follow.

How a Sparrow Came to Grief A pair of sparrows made their home on the branch of a big tree and lived happily there. Soon it was winter and it began to rain heavily. Frequent gusts of wind made the wet and cold unbearable. About this time a monkey, completely drenched in the rain and shivering from cold, came scurrying to the tree for cover. Seeing the condition of the monkey, the female sparrow said, “Gentleman, with your feet and hands you seem to be a human being. Why didn’t you build a house for yourself?” Angered by this uncalled for advice, the monkey said, “You stupid, why do not you shut up and mind your own business?” The monkey then thought to himself, “My, what impudence! This small creature has the gall to offer me advice! She makes fun of me with unnecessary prattle. I must teach her a lesson…Why shouldn’t I kill her?” Turning to the little bird, the monkey said, “How does it help you to worry about my plight? Haven’t you heard the saying of the elders, that you should offer advice only to those who seek it and cherish it? Advice, to him who is

king. He will not agree to kill our camel. Yet with my cunning, I will see that the lion kills him. For the learned say, ‘there is nothing impossible, or forbidden for an intelligent being.’” The jackal told the camel, “O Sankhukarna, our lord has been without food for a long time and he may die of hunger. His death will mean a disaster for all of us. However, I have a plan to solve this problem. Listen. “Go ahead. Let me know what you have in mind. I shall certainly do whatever I can for my lord the lion, because if we do good to our master, we will reap a reward one hundred times more valuable than whatever we give to him,” said the camel. The jackal said, “O young camel, offer your body to the lord at double the profit. Your body will grow in size, and the lord also will continue to live.” indifferent, is like a cry in the wilderness. You shouldn’t do that!” However, when the female sparrow persisted, the angry monkey climbed up the tree and bustedup the sparrows’ nest. Moral: You should be careful in offering advice; however, you are not at fault for doing so, because fools do not understand the essence of good advice, while wise men will follow it and benefit by it.

The Lion and the Jackal Once there was a lion living in a forest. He had two friends, a jackal and a wolf. Because of their friendship with the lion, the jackal and the wolf had free run of the forest. One day the lion found a female camel separated from its caravan and in labor pains. The lion killed the camel and found a live baby camel inside her womb. The lion and his friends fed on the dead camel but spared the baby. The lion adopted the baby and brought him home. The lion told the baby camel, “You are now my child. Nobody will harm you. You can freely roam about the forest and have a nice life. You have ears which look like a pair of conchs, so I will call

you Sankhukarna.” As days passed, Sankhukarna became a young and energetic animal. He was always seen in the company of the lion. One day the lion had to confront a wild elephant, and in the fight the elephant badly injured the lion. Now the lion was too weak to go out and hunt. He called his friends, the jackal, the wolf, and the camel, and told them, “Look for an animal and bring it to me. I will kill it, and then all of us will have a good meal.” So, the three scoured the entire forest, but could not find a single animal. In despair, the jackal thought, “If we can kill this camel we will surely have a meal for several days; but, he is a favorite of our

The camel replied, “I am ready. Let the lord know that he can have my body provided the Lord of Duty is a witness to my sacrifice.” The jackal, the wolf, and the camel then called on the lion to inform him of the camel’s decision. The jackal told the lion, “We searched the entire forest without sighting even a small animal. It is already sunset now. However, the camel is prepared to offer himself, if you agree to increase the size of his body and to invite the Lord of Duty to be a witness.” Upon the lion agreeing to the proposal, the jackal and the wolf at once pounced on the camel and tore him to pieces.

Siddhi Times USA 41

The lion, told the jackal, “I am going to the river to take a bath and to worship the deities. Keep an eye on this food until I come back!” The minute the lion left the scene, the jackal thought of a plan to have the camel all to himself. He told the wolf, “You seem to be very hungry. Go ahead and feast on the camel meat. When the lion comes back, I’ll convince him of your innocence.” Just as the wolf started to taste the meat, the jackal alerted him and told him that the lion was coming and in order to allay any suspicion, he should stop eating at once and leave the place. When the lion returned, he saw that the heart of the camel was missing. Angrily, the lion roared and said, “Who is the culprit? I will kill him!” The wolf then looked at the jackal,

suggesting that the jackal should convince the lion of his innocence. But the cunning jackal said, “You did not heed my warning and you ate the meat! Why do you now expect me to help you?” Realizing the danger he was in, the wolf fled the scene to save his life. Meanwhile, a caravan of camels passing by stopped where the lion and the jackal were planning their next move. The lead camel had a big bell tied around his neck. Frightened by the sound of the bell, the lion asked the jackal to find out what the sound was. He had not heard such sounds in his entire life. Pretending to find out, the jackal went out of the lion’s sight and shouted from there, “O lord, run for your life.” “What’s the matter?” asked the lion.

“Why are you frightening me? Let me know clearly what is happening!” The jackal said, “My lord, the Lord of Death is angry that you have killed the camel before its death was due. He is upset and vowed that he would get from you one thousand times more than the value of the camel that we have killed. It is the Lord of Death who hung a bell in the lead camel’s neck. He has also brought with him all the ancestors of the camel!” The jackal thus tricked the lion into hurriedly fleeing from the place, leaving the camel’s body all to himself to feast upon. Moral: A wise man protects his interest even if he has to torment others and never share his secrets with them.”

Answers: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Dreamt. Tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous. There are at least four words: Muumuu, vacuum, continuum, and residuum. Charcoal. There are at least two: facetious and abstemious. The sound found in the following words: vision, version, treasure, and pleasure. Uncopyrightable (15 letters). Abstemiously (let us know if you find any others).

Siddhi Times USA 42

Twenty Eight Hours That Keep On Rocking My Head Fourth day home, a few hours of sleep, and once again I find myself shaking all over! Coming home from India after three weeks of wild, crazy, scary, and sensational India, my heart begs sleep. My skin swells all over with hives. My meditations are less fluid. I feel a bit insane. Oh, the strain in my head that comes from remembering the courage and steadiness my darling husband Bruce and I had, determined not to die by a terrorist gun shot or by fire. Just eighteen feet away, smoke seeps through the door jam. Towels scrunched

under to soften the smoke. Breathing difficult, mind racing, using each other as a source of strength, we did not leak fear. I remember Bruce telling me, two hours before the assault, that he felt really bad in his gut and thought we should leave India. He felt something was wrong. I hadn’t slept since we arrived two nights before - the same way I didn’t sleep just before September the 11th. I felt the universe jumbled in disrepair. We had changed our dinner reservations to an hour earlier, hoping on this night, that I would get rest, and then, flying off to Jodhpur early the next morning. Knowing now that if we hadn’t changed our reservations, we would of walked right into the carnage. Keeping one another from feeling scared, holding on to everything we can touch, from our bodies, hands, and hair. Full on body hugs that almost hurt with intensity. Sounds

r i p p i n g through our senses, guns, explosions, the crackling of the fires smoldering, sirens screaming, torpedo bombs set off by the commandos to scare the terrorist, take us beyond fear! Still, we stay still. We meditate on the energy and light that was protecting us. We were nourished by the prayers and thoughts of so many -feeling that love in our bones, caressing our agitation, and smoothing-out the fray. Oh God, our sweet and remarkable Amanda! The light was sometimes on and most times off -no television, no telephone. Amanda and the “Le Passage of India” agents: Madhu, Moni and Kuldeep, feed into our little, life-saving, but losing energy, cell phone. (Bruce getting a new look at how the cell phone can make a difference.) Morgan, Ed, and Kevin were there for Amanda, through it all. Her strength was palpable. Our little amazing family was not going down. The

Siddhi Times USA 43

American consulate calling us. My sisters getting through and giving us hope. I stand on the chair with my blue top and white pants, moving my arms up and down like my old aerobics days. Looking through massive windows to find our tour guide herding hundreds of people from the 17th floor -it’s not easy! I see him, and they call and tell me to get away from the window! We’re told to stay in the bathroom - no sounds, no movement - no letting on we’re proud Americans. I fantasized Obama in a helicopter whirling in through the window like Batman gathering us to freedom. There is no food at all in the fridge, just a stale chocolate bar that Bruce carefully portions-out for the long haul. Conserving water; scared of running out. The cell phone now losing its energy, we are worried more for our daughter, than ourselves, and clutching each other. I got stir crazy with the heat and smoke and sounds. I did not want to have my one good lung further damaged. I escaped the room. Bruce held the door. My heart beating so rapidly, elevators not working, hall lights flashing, I tried a couple flights down though my instinct said, “No! Go

back. Be a good girl. Do the right thing. Wait. Be patient!” There is no more toilet paper and I’m embarrassed that the cleaning staff will be offended. With anguish tears, I almost give up. I cry with Amanda. I cherish every word she says, and I say, “We can’t hear ourselves through the sobbing!” I think how tragic it would be if these were our last words. Bruce holds me again. For that moment fear had engulfed us. The waiting seems endless for the assurance that the commandos are coming and the hope that we’ll get out. The room is closing in on us! Wanting to take a bath. No noise- we can’t sleep! Finally we sleep for an hour with the knowledge we’ll be rescued. Suddenly, explosions in the hallway! A commando is at our door! I thought he looked like a terrorist. Bruce knocked. We’re instructed to open the door. Five young baby-faced commandos, gear all over their bodies, swarm in, check passports, and take the entire room apart. More fear building now. Wanting to take a bag of clothes, but not allowed. With only two handbags and our lives on hold, we step inside the stairwell, with one commando targeting every where with his power. Three men come down with us, an Aussie, a South African, and a Chinese man, who lends me his phone to call Amanda. I loose my connection upon reaching her. Fear and joy are in our faces. We hug each other. I comfort the African man. He says he was so scared. With three commandos forward and three back we begin the descent to our new life. We all hold hands in the dark blood stained stairs. A woman’s heel slashes our breaking hearts with more cruelty. In the lobby we’ve made it knee deep in water and blood. Commandos, hundreds of them, gazing at us with exhaustion we’re all stressed, bewildered, and spent. The trip in the police bus, sirens blasting. The people on the streets cheering for us. Enormous relief sets in. Giddiness. Photos with the policeman. “Le Passage of India” quickly gets us to an Airport hotel. We have dinner with Kuldeep who waited for an entire day for us. We’re famished! The Indian buffet was the very best ever! The chefs came out to congratulate us, and the waiter charged my phone. Everyone expects us to go home. We feel so free, so willing and so even more determined to enjoy the rest of our “trip of a lifetime.” We wouldn’t think of leaving - of going home and wishing we hadn’t. Our trip was planned for almost a year. We were more alive now than we ever knew possible. After getting new clothes and meeting with the media we begin our journey to Udaipur. Security is insane at the airports! Interglobal Travel Agency’s “Moni”, from New York, who was up all night with worry, informs us how happy everyone is that we’re continuing our passage thru India. Flowers at every airport, upgrades into rooms set up for kings, and a security guard outside our

Siddhi Times USA 44

room. Butlers Srinivas and Laskman run to our every need. Our photos appear on the front page of the India times! People stop and stare at us. Everywhere people run up and share their feelings. Everyone recognizes us. The feeling of celebrity sets in. Always being looked at, and attended-to, my spirit thrives. We live like heroes! In nine cities security tightens even more, as we move through to more airports, reminded of the first night free. After a few hours of sleep, pain so deep in my chest, we both wake up and weep together. The tears don’t stop. They just keep moving out until the pain vanishes. All the tour guides were remarkable in their knowledge, and affection for their city. We fall in love with the people of India, with that incredible spirit of peace and joy, consideration and respect. In the 21 days, I saw only one

person frown, their energies and light, smooth us. Our vacation becomes the most magical, remarkable dream! They serve dinner for us in Rambagh Palace, with musicians and flowers and whatever our desires might fancy. We are so blessed with the feeling of welcome. In Veranasi we attend a candle light ceremony for those that died in Mumbai. Bruce and I speak to the Hindu people, as Ashok, our sensational guide, interprets. All the many healers touch us with their amazing grace. We

are off the charts -Vibrating in Veranasi- my meditations are sensational. I’m in a trance within a minute. We befriend a fabulous L.A. Couple Susan and Adam. Meet-up for the very best lunch ever in Delhi, with Madhu and Bharat, and another great guy who kept our energies strong and excited through the most tragic time of our lives, and the most energized

and spirited time of our lives. The faces, the friends, the smells, the sounds, the chaos, the bliss, the magic of India, present themselves to every pour of our senses. We are not the same two people that left that Dec 13th day in 2008. India has boosted and broken down our egos. We are transformed. We will never be the same. We will wake up in time, to face the truth that the earth has no center, and the sky has no roof. “There is nothing to attack, or anything to defend. There is nothing so straight that the mind can not bend.” - A quotation from Stephen Soultry. Thank you for listening to my passage to India. It had many ups and downs. I know this may be painful for most of you. Thank you for listening. - Pati Scott.

Siddhi Times USA 45

William Shakespeare is an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world’s preeminent dramatist. He is often called England’s national poet and the “Bard of Avon” (or simply “The Bard”). His surviving works consist of 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative

poems, and several other poems. His plays have been translated into every major living language, and are performed more often than those of any other playwright. Shakespeare was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon. At the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway. Between 1585

and 1592, he began a successful career in London as an actor, writer, and part owner of a playing company called the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, later known as the King’s Men. He appears to have retired to Stratford around 1613, where he died three years later. His early plays were mainly comedies and histories, genres he raised to the peak of sophistication and artistry by the end of the sixteenth century. He then wrote mainly tragedies until about 1608, including Hamlet, King Lear, and Macbeth, considered some of the finest examples in the English language. In his last phase, he wrote tragicomedies, also known as romances, and collaborated with other playwrights. Many of his plays were published in editions of varying quality and accuracy during his lifetime. In this issue we will see the story of one of his plays “The Tempest”.

People in the story

Prospero – the Real duke of Milan Antonio - his real brother who has made himself the Duke. Miranda – Prospero’s daughter. Alonso – king of Naples Sebastian – his brother Ferdinand – Alonso’s son. Gonzalo – an honest old noble man. Ariel – a fairy Caliban – a slave Long ago, in the far away country of Italy there was a Duke of Milan called Prospero. He was a wise and learned man, more interested in books than in ruling his country. He left the care of political affairs

Siddhi Times USA 46

to his brother Antonio, while he himself studied strange sciences and books of magic Antonio, however, was jealous of his brother. He felt that while Prospero remained in Italy, he would always be considered the real Duke of Milan; and Antonio wanted that title for himself. And so he and Alonso, the king of Naples made a wicked plan. They decided to banish Prospero far away from his country, so that Antonio could rule Milan in his place. One dark, stormy night Prospero was secretly taken as prisoner by his enemies and carried down to the sea shore. His little three year old daughter Miranda was also taken with him, and they were put into an old boat which had neither sails nor oars.

with a plentiful supply of fruits vegetables, and fresh streams of water. Prospero decided that he and his little daughter would be able to live there in happiness and comfort for as long as was n e c e s s a r y. He soon discovered too, that there were fairies on the

Antonio had ordered that they were to take nothing with them, not even food. He was certain that the old boat would sink in the stormy seas, Prospero and Miranda would be drowned. He did not dare to murder them in Milan, knowing how greatly they were loved by all the people. There was, however, one kind old man among Alonso’s noblemen, whose name was Ganzalo. He secretly put food, warm cloths and water into the boat; and he added some of Prospero’s books, knowing the Duke’s love for his library. The little boat was pushed out to sea, and for many hours it rocked helplessly on the waves. The little Miranda was too young to be afraid and she slept peacefully at the bottom of the boat; but Prospero began to doubt whether they would ever see land again. At last the storm ended and the sea was calm once more. Perhaps Prospero’s magic had some thing to do with it, for he was a very clever man, practiced in the art of magic. Perhaps the good fairies were watching over him and his little daughter. Whatever is the cause, when morning came, Prospero saw an island in the sea, ahead of him, and soon he managed to steer the boat to the sandy shore. He landed safely and carried the sleeping Miranda to a sheltered cave. Then he returned to the boat to fetch their clothes and his gracious books. Those books were a great help to him in the years that followed. There seemed to be no one living on the Island but it was rich, and green,

Island,

Siddhi Times USA 47

and he was glad that he had spent so many years in studying magic. His knowledge gave him power to see and identify all these strange creatures. Their chief was a fairy called Ariel. Prospero found Ariel quite by chance, when he was walking through the woods one day. He heard a voice crying pitifully from inside a tree and with his magic prospero was able to split the tree open. To his astonishment a pretty little fairy flew out from the centre of the tree. The fairy who said his name was Ariel had a sad story to tell. He had been imprisoned in the tree for twelve years, through the magic of a wicked old woman called Sycorax. When Sycorax first came to the Island, Ariel and many other fairies had refused to obey her and to punish them she had imprisoned them all inside these trees. Now she was dead and no one lived on the Island except her ugly, half mad son Caliban. Prospero freed all the fairies from their woody prisons, and they gratefully promised to help him faithfully in anything he ordered them to do. Prospero then went in search of the ugly Caliban. He found him hiding fearfully in a cave and at first he tried to teach this miserable creature some of his own knowledge. He taught him the names of the sun and the moon, and fed him on berries and water and was gentle and kind to him. But Caliban was wicked stupid and ungrateful and finally prospero made him his slave. Caliban had to carry water and cut fire wood, and lived in a little cave by himself. And so Prospero and Miranda lived on this magic Island, helped by the fairies and served by the ugly Caliban who was more like a wild beast than a man. Twelve years passed and Miranda grew to be a beautiful girl. In all those twelve years she had never seen a human being except her father. She remembered nothing of their life in Milan, because she had been so young when they left Italy. Nor did she know that her father had once been the Duke of Milan. She was perfectly

Siddhi Times USA 48

content to live on the island and asked for nothing different. And then one day, there was a terrible storm. Miranda stood on the shore, watching the wild waves and the heavy rain sweeping across the sea. Suddenly she saw a ship being carried by the strong tide towards the rocks. The sails of the ship were torn by the wind and great waves washed over the decks. Even above the noise of the storm Miranda could hear the sailors crying for help. “All lost, to prayerss to prayerss! Mercy on us” she heard their cry, and she ran to tell her father. Surely he, with the fairies to help him, and with his great knowledge of Magic, could do some thing to save the ship. But Prospero did not seem greatly anxious about the fate of the sailors. He told Miranda that all would be well and that no harm would come to ship. He himself had caused the storm; he intended to frighten the people on board, but they would none of them to be drowned and the ship, too would be saved. (Next Part Next Month)

Siddhi Times USA 49

Welcome President

B

arack Hussein Obama is the forty-fourth and current President of the United States of America. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama was the junior United States Senator from Illinois from January 3, 2005, until his resignation on November 16, 2008, following his election to the presidency. He was sworn in as the forty-fourth President of the United States on January 20, 2009, in the largest and most expensive inaugural ceremony in history at the U.S. Capital. Mr. Obama is a graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School, where he was the first African American editor of the Harvard Law Review. He worked as a community organizer, and practiced as a civil rights attorney in Chicago before serving three terms in the Illinois State Senate. He studied constitutional law also. Obama was elected to the US Senate in November 2004. He delivered the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in July 2004.

Siddhi Times USA 50

As a member in the 109th Congress, Obama helped create legislation to control conventional weapons and to promote greater public accountability in the use of federal funds. During the 110th Congress, he helped create legislation regarding lobbying and electoral fraud, climate change, nuclear terrorism, and care for U.S. military personnel returning from combat assignments in Iraq and Afghanistan. On November 4, 2008, Barack Obama defeated John McCain in the general election and became the first African American to be elected President of the United States. In his victory speech, Obama proclaimed that “change has come to America.” President Obama was married to Michelle Robinson, in June 1989, and they are blessed with two daughters. The elder is Malia Ann, and the younger is Sasha. Before his inauguration, then President Elect Obama published an open letter to his daughters in Parade Magazine describing what he wants for them and every child in America: He wrote that he wanted them “to grow up in a world with no limits on your dreams and no achievements beyond your reach, and to grow into compassionate, committed women who will help build that world.” This is just the same as the dream of the past Indian President Dr. A.P.J.Abdul Kalam. We whole heartedly welcome the new American President and pray to the Almighty to bless him with the qualities that he will need to be the best ruler possible.

Siddhi Times USA 51

The term alternative medicine, as used in the modern western world, encompasses any healing practice “that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine. “Alternative medicine practices are as diverse in their foundations as in their methodologies. Practices may incorporate or base themselves on traditional medicine, folk knowledge, spiritual beliefs, Herbalism is a traditional medicinal or folk medicine practice based on the use of plants and plant extracts. Mostly these plants play a major role in the daily food habits of an individual. Sometimes the scope of herbal medicine is extended to include fungi and bee products, as well as minerals and shells. Many plants synthesize substances that are useful to the maintenance of health in humans. Many of the herbs and spices used by humans to season food yield useful medicinal compounds. The use of herbs to treat disease is almost universal among the human race. All plants produce chemical compounds as part of their normal metabolic activities. These include primary metabolites, such as sugars and fats, found in all plants, and secondary metabolites found in a smaller range of plants, some useful ones found only in a particular genus or species.

Pigments harvest light, protect the organism from radiation and display colors to attract pollinators. Many common weeds have medicinal properties. Since herbalism is such a diverse field few generalizations apply universally. Herbalists tend to use extracts from parts of plants, such as the roots or leaves. Under this category we saw a little bit about Fenugreek and Gulkand in our last issue. In this issue we will discuss about Cinnamon and Ginger.

Cinnamon Cinnamon has been known from remote antiquity, and it was so highly prized among ancient nations that it was regarded as a gift fit for monarchs and other great potentates. Cinnamon is native to Sri Lanka. It was imported to Egypt from China. It is possible that the Arabs established an early monopoly on trading in cinnamon, and kept its origin a secret for hundreds of years. Cinnamon is harvested by growing the tree for two years and then coppicing it. The next year, about a dozen shoots will form from the roots. These shoots are then stripped of their bark, which is left to dry. Only the thin inner bark is used; the outer woody portion is removed, leaving meter-long cinnamon strips that curl into rolls on drying; each dried roll comprises strips from numerous shoots packed together. These rolls are then cut into 5–10 cm lengths for sale. The name cinnamon is correctly used to refer to Ceylon cinnamon, also known as “true cinnamon”. However, the related species are sometimes sold labeled as cinnamon, sometimes distinguished from true cinnamon as “Chinese cinnamon”, “Vietnamese cinnamon”, or “Indonesian cinnamon”. Ceylon cinnamon, using only the thin inner bark, has a finer, less dense, and more crumbly texture, and is considered to be less strong than cassia. Cassia has a much stronger (somewhat harsher) flavor than cinnamon, is generally a medium to light reddish brown, hard and woody in texture, and thicker as all of the layers of bark are used. Cinnamon bark is widely used as a spice. It is principally employed in cookery as a condiment and flavoring material. It’s used in the preparation of chocolate. In medicine it acts like other volatile oils and once had a reputation as a cure for colds. It has also been used to treat diarrhoea and other problems of the digestive system. The essential oil of cinnamon also has antimicrobial properties, which can aid in the preservation of certain foods. Cinnamon has traditionally been used to treat toothache and fight bad breath

Siddhi Times USA 52

and its regular use is believed to stave off common cold and aid digestion. Cinnamon has been proposed for use as an insect repellent. Cinnamon leaf oil has been found to be very effective in killing mosquito larvae. It is reported that regularly drinking of tea made from the bark could be beneficial to oxidative stress related illness in humans, as the plant part contains significant antioxidant potential. The next is Ginger.

Ginger Ginger is a spice which is used for cooking and is also consumed whole as a delicacy or medicine. It is the underground stem of the ginger plant. The characteristic odor and flavor of ginger root is wonderful. Young ginger rhizomes are juicy and fleshy with a very mild taste. They are often pickled in vinegar or sherry as a snack or just cooked as an ingredient in many dishes. They can also be stewed in boiling water to make ginger tea, to which honey is often added as a sweetener; sliced orange or lemon fruit may also be added. Mature ginger roots are fibrous and nearly dry. The juice from old ginger roots is extremely potent and is often used as a spice in Indian recipes to flavor dishes such as fish or mutton and vegetarian recipes. Powdered dry ginger root (ginger powder) is typically used to spice gingerbread and other recipes. Fresh ginger can be substituted for ground ginger although the flavors of fresh and dried ginger are not exactly interchangeable. Ginger is also made into candy, is used as a flavoring for cookies, crackers and cake, and is the main flavor in ginger ale a sweet, carbonated, non-alcoholic beverage. Fresh ginger should be peeled before cooking. For storage, the ginger should be wrapped tightly in a towel and placed in a plastic bag, and can be kept for about three weeks in a refrigerator and up to three months in a freezer. The medical form of ginger was classified as a stimulant and carminative, and used frequently for dyspepsia and colic. It was also frequently employed to disguise the taste of medicines. Ginger is on the FDA’s ‘generally recognized as safe list. Ginger may also decrease joint pain from arthritis and useful for treating heart disease. Ginger compounds are active against a form of diarrhea. Ginger has been found effective in multiple studies for treating nausea caused by seasickness, morning sickness and chemotherapy. A variety of uses are suggested for ginger. Tea brewed from ginger is a folk remedy for colds. Three to four leaves of Tulsi taken along with a piece of ginger on an empty stomach is an effective cure for congestion, cough and cold. Ginger ale and ginger beer have been recommended as “stomach settlers” for generations and ginger water was commonly used to avoid heat cramps. Ginger has also been used to treat inflammation, In India, ginger is applied as a paste to the temples to relieve headache and consumed when suffering from the common cold, people use ginger for making tea, in food etc. In the United States, ginger is used to prevent motion and morning sickness. It is recognized as safe by the Food and Drug Administration and is sold as an unregulated dietary supplement. During the next issue we will discuss about some different plants that has got very good medicinal effects.

Siddhi Times USA 53

In past issues I have explained a lot about Vedic Astrology. In this issue I wish to explain the nature of the planets in their different houses. In January, I explained the positions of the Sun, the Moon, and Mercury in the twelve houses of an individual’s horoscope. Now, I am going to explain the positions of Saturn, Raghu, and Kethu. These are all only influences. The strength of the planet will vary from person to person, and from horoscope to horoscope. Saturn in the Twelve Houses: Even though Saturn is considered the most malefic planet, he is considered one of the most influential planets, because he is the son of the Sun God. He is the in charge of Dharma and Poorva Punya, bringing the influence of one’s good Karma from their previous life into their present one. He is also the planet of restrictions and limitations.

time to relax, these people find it hard to do so. Romance is taken very seriously and can end up causing them more pain than pleasure. Their romantic partners are likely to be older then them. They are likely to either not want any children in their life, or they tend to have a lot of problems with bringing up their children. Sixth House: People here take their work very seriously. They are often expected to handle the largest responsibilities at work; yet promotions are rare. Health matters may be of constant concern. Seventh House: People with Saturn in the Seventh House are very cautious about relationships and marriage, and are therefore likely to delay a marriage for as long as possible. Although they may feel very restricted in relationships, they can accept all situations for better or for worse.

Sri Sri Selvam “Siddhar”

Vedic Astrology First House: These people are often very serious which means that it is hard for them to relax and have a good time. They are usually prone to depression. They are very highly selfdisciplined and set strong rules for themselves. They usually also suffer from shyness or an inferiority complex, which they try to hide. Second House: Saturn positioned in the Second House places importance in financial and material affairs and denotes a good deal of ambition and hard work associated with accumulating material security. Third House: These people tend to be prone to depression. Their speech is usually well considered and deliberate. They more than likely experienced trouble, or difficulties in their education, were slow or late learners, and were probably bullied by others. They have a strong sense of right and wrong. Fourth House: They have a strong dislike for change. Relationships become very serious and last for a long time; yet, once these people are in a relationship, if the partner makes any changes, they will find it extremely hard to accept the changes. This can lead to problems in their relationships. These people must learn that change is important. They cling strongly to the past and their roots, but would greatly benefit from leaving behind their childhood. Fifth House: Although they often have the

Siddhi Times USA 54

Eighth House: Finances are likely to heavily weigh upon these people. They are likely to have to help others with their finances, and probably have a partner with bad financial dispositions which they will have to take on their financial problems themselves. Ninth House: People here are likely to be able to accept concepts such as astrology. They are usually high followers of religion, strong in education and business. They will always face some type of problems with their father. Tenth House: People here have a strong quest for both responsibility and power. They have a managerial quality to them, and could easily be strong leaders if they wished to. They will be a very strong team leader, but not the owner. Eleventh House: People with Saturn in the Eleventh House often let find it hard to fulfill their goals, hopes, dreams, and wishes due to their friends, families, and associates. Although they have a large circle of friends, they are not very intimate or close to any of them. Most of their friends will be older and will place heavy demands on them. Twelth House: Their work tends to be under recognized and their subconscious doubts are likely to strongly affect their self-confidence. They usually have a subconscious need for solitude and retreat.

Raaghu in the Twelve Houses. This planet shows which areas of our life need to have freedom and seclusion. It is also where a lot of unexpected changes occur. According to the Atharva Veda, Raaghu is the planet that gives very good physical strength and controls one’s enemies. First House: These people often have very erratic behavior. Usually they stand out from a crowd due to their personality and outgoing behavior. They are very strong natured individuals. Others may view them as somewhat eccentric, unusual, or advanced. Common sense is often not used in their actions, due to their impulsiveness, yet they are good at inventing. Second House: These people will face a lot of ups and downs in finances. No matter what is done. It is very unlikely that someone in this category will ever gain a stable income. Third House: These people often have a willful and rebellious nature. They are very spontaneous and are usually involved with new age thinking. They don’t plan their trips or travels, they just tend to pack-up and go. Fourth House: These people need freedom and are likely to break away from the family home at a young age. Sudden upsets or changes are likely to occur for these people. Fifth

House: These

people

are

often

highly inventive and creative. They have strong urges to be free and independent. Romances are usually sudden and unexplained, and so are break-ups.

they are extremely sensitive to medications, drugs, and alcohol and they normally are the ones to receive side effects or problems from medications due to this.

Sixth House: They usually learn the hard way that they have to do what they are told. They can get highly worked up, and easily work themselves into a nervous condition. These people tend to be strongly interested in diets and health fads. This can lead to various eating problems.

Seventh House: The people here often have idealistic views on relationships and partnerships rather then realistic views. They are strongly aware of other people yet find it hard to bond with the right people. They are likely to have older friends. They will have the best spouse, but a lack of understanding will be there.

Seventh House: Marriage is likely to be a spur of the moment thing. Relationships can be hard, as these people tend to be very independent.

Eighth House: These people have a strong interest in the money of others. They are likely to be the people who work in banks or help others with marketing.

Eighth House: These people tend to be very intuitive. Both finances and business relationships are subject to sudden ups and downs. Ninth House: These people tend to be into law, philosophy, religion, and travel. They are very independent, and adventurous; they love to travel to exotic places.

Ninth House: These people are likely to study or teach, art or drama. People may find it hard to understand them, especially their relatives; they think that they understand them, when they don’t. This can lead to problems.

Tenth House: These people tend to take matters into their own hands. They are not afraid to make decisions. They usually clash with their boss, and tend to be their own boss. They will tend to change their jobs often. Eleventh House: They often have difficulty with decisions and making up their mind. They make friends easily, but keep them at a distance. Twelth House: These people often feel trapped. They often have a strong need to be alone and independent; yet may feel lonely at the same time. Kethu in the Twelve Houses. Kethu is very mystical and dreamlike; it is where the spiritual and psychic side will be portrayed. First House: These people are highly susceptible to suggestions and recommendations by others, rather than obtaining the goals and living the life that they wish to live. People here are usually more psychic than others and than they actually believe they are. Yet, they have a low selfesteem about their self-image and appearance.

Tenth House: How these people portray themselves to others is not normally what they are like as a person on the inside; one could say that they “hide behind a mask.” They often set high goals, which are usually much higher than they can reach. Eleventh House: These people are likely to be schemers and plotters. They are good at predicting things and often base their dreams and goals on things that are attainable. Twelth House: A person having Kethu in Twelfth House usually suffers from depression. Most of them will have the life of a saint, sage, or monk. They often have fears that are linked to problems and events in the past. They often have a great compassion for those who are outcasts in life, or who have physical or mental, problems. In the next issue I will explain about some other intresting part of Vedic Astrology. I pray Lord Shiva and Vanadurga Matha to shower their entire blessings on all of us. Om Shanthi Om Shanthi OmShanthi.

Second House: They are likely to misplace, or make a few careless mistakes with money. This can lead to money problems for these people. Third House: People here are very intuitive and have a great ability to communicate with higher spirits. They often tend to “live in a world of their own” and are subject to drifting, wondering, and daydreaming. Fourth House: These people have a need for personal security and are often very close to their mother. They are often drawn to living near water, and as they grow older they may become somewhat withdrawn. Their family is a very important aspect of their life. Fifth House: Kethu, in the fifth house has a heavy influence on relationships. They are very romantic individuals; but, their experiences in relationships can be chaotic and sometimes confusing. They normally have a creative talent for acting, or role playing, and are usually into cinema, theatre or other performances. Sixth House: These people are very strongly associated with their work, and feel a need to help others. They often have difficulty concentrating on repetitive jobs and in obtaining details. Sometimes

Siddhi Times USA 55

Sponsored by

Suganya Garu

Rasi Reding,

Kind Attention: Zodiac Connection is based upon moon and not upon sun

By Sri Selvam “Siddhar”

Mesham Your sign Lord Mars is in ‘Magaram’ with Lords Sun, Jupiter and Mercury. It is a good symbol. This month will be with several engagements. Notable beginning of year will keep you in good mood and spirit. The expenditures will be exceeding the budgets. Any way it is spent on good purpose. Some grace of luck and fortune will be forming to bring your status high. It is advised that over expenditure are to be curtailed. Women and children at home: Are happy and busy. Their needs and expected plans are turning to their expectation. Lord Jupiter, even though he is in debilitated condition, takes care of their health, finance and assets. The New Year beginning is for their prosperity. Students: Are graced with the boons of Lord Jupiter, who takes all the care with their educational affairs. Their rank and position in classes will positively improve. Even for class teachers or professors, it will be wonder to look at a good improvement. Business men and professionals: Are with heavy burdens. They will prosper in their attempts. They will find new links in their trade and profession. Of course it will be bringing them good profits. They have to take time to assort the matters and execute in the proper way. Lovers: Their trend in this month will be with good results and they can feel a new atmosphere of freedom. They have to plan their own way with good future. Lord Venus in the 12th sign in exalted position gives a suspicion on the counter part. Open talks will clear the way with good understanding. Married persons and the spouses: Positions are better than the former months. They will feel good and the happiness will follow. The long awaited plans, privacy and expectations are coming to the clear sight and the days will be with success. Domestic and with children affairs, the order is good and Lord Mars in exalted position supports their prestige.

Dates 17th and 18th are not profitable. Avoid promises and also lending money to any body.

Siddhi Times USA 56

Rishabam Your sign Lord Venus is in exalted position. That is good. For the past one year, when Lord Jupiter was in Dhanur you were with great challenges. Now the scene is getting changed. Your profession, study, trade and what so ever that will be blessed for good shape and success. Lord Jupiter even though, he is in debilitated condition; is liable to care your sign, places of challenges, and the 5th sign. So, the grace of Lord Jupiter will guide to fulfill your projects and plans. Women and children at home: Will have good happiness. For the past 3 months they were not proving to be good. Now there is a change. The Kala sarpa dosha is over. On this account the domestic needs and progresses are going in a better trend. The occupation of Lord Saturn in the sign Simha will reduce their pleasure and comfort to an extent. Students: Are good with good company and their studies are with research nature. Lord Mercury combines with Lords Jupiter, Sun and Mars. This combination is good to gather the knowledge of world. Their progress will be steady.

Mithunam Four main Lords Jupiter, Sun, Mercury and Mars go and hide in 8th Sign. A drawback is seen. For the finance and assets the grace of Lord is reaching. That is good to manage the situation. Lord of 6th sign and eleventh trine is in exalted position. This will also bracket you with certain impossibilities. When the 12th Lord is in exalted trend, the expenditures are unlimited. You have to be very careful during this month. Other wise big challenges will affect you much. Women and children at Home: Are keeping quite and looking with anxiousness. The elders should keep them in good mood and assist them to be in a better level. When big expenses threaten them, they may go out of order. They must also realize the situation prevailing in home. They can control themselves. Lord Jupiter will help them to an extent to manage the matters of needy finance.

Businesspeople and professionals: Will be with their usual affairs. The improvements and profits are likely to raise in the 3rd and 4th week of this month. The burden of extra work and new additions will be there. They can feel it with duty conscious and the result will be with success.

Businesspeople and professionals: Will be feeling little relaxed situation and Lord Venus having occupied the 10th sign will support and lift them up. Yet the bank balance is declined too much. An unexpected support will come from Lord Jupiter to manage the situations.10th sign lord Jupiter combines with Lord Raaghu. This will be proving a set back, but the combination of Lords Jupiter and Mars will form a fortune. Full benefit of fortune is reduced by Lords Raaghu and Mercury. Any way it is a busy month.

Lovers: Their trend in this month will be in a cordial way especially during first two weeks but it will be with troubled scene in the next two weeks. All they imagined seemed to be with confusion. Take slow approach and speak with open heart. All the things will be settled smoothly.

Lovers: Trends in this month will be amidst the confusions. The exalted position of Lord Venus is seen undisturbed by any other. This shows the good negotiations and talks between the Lovers. It will be fruitful to conclude important matters shortly. Lord Venus will be doing well and will be keeping the lovers with good ties.

Married persons and spouses: Will be with moderate trend. Even though your sign Lord is in exalted position he is the Lord of their 6th sign (Thulam) also. This will affect very much in disturb their peace. The dispute litigation, ill health are also dealt in 6th sign. So, the family and privacy will be very normal. Their budgets will not be compromised. They need more funds. Domestic matters are fast and keep them busy to do your duties.

Married persons and spouses: Will be involved in big expenses at home. The domestic needs are none but arranged with shortage. The relations between husband and wife will be good. They will have the meetings in privacy to discuss further development. The second week of this month will keep them in tight finance. They have to manage certain important jobs on their own accord.

The dates 19th and 20th are not favorable. Better postpone it any financial or important deal raises.

The dates 22nd and 23rd are not favorable to give promise on finance and important matter. Better postpone for next few days.

Siddhi Times USA 57

Kadagam Your sign Lord Moon will be influencing good combinations this month. He is with Venus during the first week, and during the 3rd week with Lord Mars. A better scene with satisfaction to keep your health and project favorably with finance. A fortune or small establishment for timely income is awaited. Lord Kethu is in your sign and gives you the essential plans and views. Women and children at home: Are graced by Lords Jupiter, Mars, Mercury and Raaghu. They will be brilliant and attentive. Their health and mood will be good. The smartness and attending the matters for knowledge will be in a slow trend, Lord Saturn occupys the second sign and make lazy scenes while they are provided with books of lessons. They have to show more attention in the jobs they are engaged. While in play their brisk attempts will be appreciated. Students: Are much engaged in out works and engagements. They should reduce the extra curricular activities. The subjects they read carelessly and occasionally will be asked as questions in Exam. Luckily they will score more. Since Lord Saturn is going to start his travel in Retrogression, more attention should be taken during the whole months of January and February. Professionals and business men: Are expecting the grants of Lord Mars who helps to gain good position and improvements. Financially they are lacking and Lords Jupiter and Mars will join to guide them in needy hours. Any way the Neecha Banga Raja yoga occurance in Magara will support them for the prosperity. Lovers: Their trend in this month will be with several subjects. They have lot of matters to discuss. No easy going will be accepted. Strong and good proposal for tuture should be planed. A scene of compulsion will rise of course it is a must to have open talks will be keeping their relations firm. Married persons and the spouses: Are free to claim their needs. The matters are in bulk to be executed. They can do every thing. The privacy and personal thoughts for desires are to be fulfilled. Lord Venus is alone in Meena and he is in exalted position. So, the happiness and satisfactions are sure to reach. Lord Mars at his house of exalted position will not trouble them. He is with Lord Jupiter for compromise. This month will be good. Dates 25th and 26th are tough days. The dealings is new finance and giving promises are restricted.

Siddhi Times USA 58

Simham With reference to your sign, almost 5 planets are occupying the 6th sign and it is not favorable. Your attempts and continuous efforts you do will end in vain. The heart will feel the failures. Lord of 3rd sign, Lord Venus is in extalted position. This confirms that the approachable matters are good and profitable but vanish baselessly. This is the condition that prevails this month. Usual income and job wise benefits reach but the expenditures are over. Women and children at Home: Are not happy with the care of elders. They need certain things. But the elders show much attention to other matters. Domestic affairs are done with half satisfaction. Children are lazy and adamant. Lord Saturn will lead them to dull minded trend. Elders in family should show grace upon them. Students: Are not progressing now. Lord Mercury is with Lords Sun, Mars, Raaghu and Jupiter. This will keep them in a state of confusion. Their study times are spoiled. They have to observe their condition and allot more time for studying. Lovers: Mood and times are not up to the mark this month. As for as Simha sign is considered position of Lord Venus in 8th sign is giving this prediction. His exaltation is also not favorable in this particular case. But he gives reasonable incomes and financial support, that too up to the limit as per critical need. Their meetings and tele contacts will also be reduced. Married persons and spouses: The problems are increasing to manage the family burdens. Lord Jupiter helps to an extent with their regular incomes. Their finance status will be with proper response. The privacy and happiness with their spouse will be rare. This will occur on a crucial and busy hours. During this month, there are lots of new affairs for settlement. They can manage every thing. The dates 26th, 27th and 28th are not favorable.

Kanya Lord of 2nd and 9th signs looks graciously. That is good. He is showering his choicest blessing. Lord Jupiter too is happy to do the best for you. You can go ahead with your proposals. Since the benefic lords show the green signals it is the good and prosperous one which you have to use at this time. Women and children at Home: Will be with happiness. They are busy in their own ways. They have lot of things to do. Lords Jupiter and Venus will positively look after the health and mood. New purchase and other requisites will be properly done for them. Since the sign of Kumba is looked by Lord Saturn, small and bearable ill health will affect but will be cured by the diet itself. Students: Will be doing well and will be in a position to face their exams in proper way. If they employ special care they can keep a good rank in the class. Education is promising with good future. Professionals and Business persons: Are helped properly for their improvement. In the 5th sign, Lords Mars and Jupiter combine to give them a prospect which will be bringing good benefits and profits. Lord Mars governs the sign 3rd and 8th. This is in a way warns their over expenditure. Some events are likely to occur with out their knowledge. There is no intention but the matter may lend either for dispute or to litigation. Lovers: Their time will be leading for freedom. The happiness and proper decisions are comming up. This month is good for negotiation and finalization. The prevailed hurdles are going away. It promises a good future also. The Kala sarpa Dosha is over. So, it is a fine starting for their programs. Married persons and spouses: This month will be a nice one. Previously they had several plans. All the things are going to get settled now. The privacy and tour programs will be fixed shortly. The maintenance of the family and new purchases are step by step going to give them satisfaction. This month is really going to prove as beneficial on.

Tulam Lord of your sign is in exalted position. To maintain status and prestige the time is favorable and at the same time, the expenditures raise. It will form a grudge and enemity situation also. Lord Kethu is occupying the 10th sign which is looked by five Lords. This is good to give progress in profession or business. The combination of Lords Jupiter and Mars will give you excitement to observe new development with progress. Women and children at home: Will be haste and speed to execute their works. They will be getting the required articles and things. Some are happy to get ornaments. The exalted position of Lord Mars in the fourth sign will deep with assets which are likely to be renovated. Few assets are likely to come. Students: Are doing good and making firm step towards progress. Lord Saturn looks their sign. Some times they feel lazy and stop reading for 2 to 3 days continuously. This they have to check themselves and show much care in lessons. Business people and professionals: Are busy and doing extra work for the best prospects. Their 10th sign is backed by more than three Lords. This will help them to increase their work as well as turn – over. Considerable profit is likely to reach. Lord Mars is the supporter for money savings. Lovers: Their trends will be amicable. Long awaited programs are nearing closer. Lord Venus is all alone at ‘Meenam’ and does the best for them. Lord Mars is also in exalted status. They can feel the pleasure and comfort. Married persons and spouses: Are feeling surely a better time compared to last months. The Kalasarpa dosha is over and their plans are becoming true with success. Domestic and other needs are coming in time and keep them with satisfaction. February is the month of happy and peace. Dates 4th, 5th and 6th may be in a trend of challenge. Better postpone important work for other days.

The dates 1st and 2nd will be proving to be with confusion and failure.

Siddhi Times USA 59

Viruchigam Lord of your sign is in exalted position. Your status, prestige and fame are well in order. You will be doing the jobs with braveness and sincerity. Lord Saturn supports your profession and trade. The 7th sign Lord Venus is also in exaltated position. Your nearest and associate will be gaining good power and position. The happiness in married life will be increasing for those who are married. Lord Jupiter favors you by looking on the 7th sign “Rishaba”. That is good. Women and children at home: Are feeling good and passing the times favorably. Lord Jupiter in 3rd sign specifically does some troubles. But the associations of Lord Jupiter and Lord Mars will prove it to be nullified. But during the month of March, the trend will be with disturbance. Children should be very careful while playing. Students: Are little lazy and they pay no good attention to books. One way the season is disturbing and in other ways the attention towards others activities will interfere. The exams are nearing. They have to pay good efforts to gain good marks in syllabus. Business men and professionals: Are steady and they are guarded by Lord Saturn. For out look it may be with very slow speed. But really the times are turning. This year they will make a good harvest. Lord Saturn is going to enjoy the retrogression affects. This will help them to get benefits in their jobs. For few the result will be for betterment.

Dhanur So many engagements and many are in need of final touch. Your feeling yourself with little weakness. But the selfconfidence and brave nature push you to complete all your deals successfully. Lord Mars will be supporter now. Your multiple plans and branches of thoughts are spreading in huge numbers. You have to re think and filter the essentials. Then the success will be there with diplomatic handlings. Women and children at home: From the beginning of January, they are progressing well. They were with disappointments during last month. But this month, the awaited plans and needs are gradually coming. The home will be provided with all the decorations they like. Most of the things will be according to their liking only. Financially it is mixed trend of less income and more expenditure. But they will manage it. Students: Will be with the mood of research to improve their standard. Sincere attempt and the strain will be appreciated. This month they will fulfill the portions properly so as to face the exam in order. Lord of their sign even though debilitated; the benefits will reach them shortly. Business persons and professionals: Will be graced by Lord Venus and Lord Jupiter. This is a good time to step ahead for a fortune. The work load will increase; they can execute the duties satisfactorily. Since the Neecha Banga Raja Yoga a fortune occurs this month will be a month of gain.

Lovers: Their trends are free to finalize many matters. They have to discuss the future and make perfect for good living. Lord Venus is in exalted position to give them good support in their programs. Many Pending affairs and doubts and understandings will be booming in their conversation.

Lovers: Their trend in this month will be with many problems. Lord Mercury completes his retrogression. That is a symbol to inform them about the release of hurdles in their way. Many Lords are there in the second sign of Dhanus. This will give them a time of business and new creations all are going to give them good results shortly.

Married persons and spouses: The dates are reaching for full happiness. Some kind of fortune for Luxury will occur. The family will be with tight jobs and engagements. Lord Jupiter in 3rd sign may give them confusion with failure. But this occurance is not now. Lords Sun and Mars Make compromise. During March and April some disturbances are there and not now.

Married persons and spouses: Will be feeling far better than the last two months. The kalasarpa Dosha has released for them. They can feel an easy way of living. The burdens will be less. The Domestic matter, they will enthusiastically do with good comfort. The usual lively hood and profession will be in a good way to bring more money. The children and their studies are likely to improve for a good rank.

Dates 7th and 8th are to be dealt with caution. Some unwanted things may happen. Look carefully and avoid unnecessary matters.

Dates 8th and 9th are to be dealt with caution No promise on financial ground should be given.

Siddhi Times USA 61

Magaram There are four Lords Sun, Mars Mercury and Raaghu occupying your sign. The visit of VIP’s will bring you fortune. Your times are changing to better. Your tolerance was tested all these days by the Lords ofcourse you have faced the acid tests also. This February will be giving a relief and new things will arrive in your way for progress. Women and children at home: Will be really happy and note the difference between the past month and the present month. All their needs will be reaching to them as and when required. Lords Jupiter and Mars combine to form Neecha Banga Raj yoga. This will give strength and potentiality with awaited prosperity. Magara people have to utilize this opportunity.

Kumbam To your sign, all the major Lords are occupying both sides. This is proposing a structure of plans for your good future. Some thing progressive and confident aims are going to lead you for success. You have to utilize this opportunity. This month is vastly different from past months. Your sign Lord Saturn aspects your sign from the 7th sign. He gives good support to bring you out from the hurdles. Women and children at home: Will be feeling happiness since the care comes from all members of the family. Their desired articles and needy comforts are likely to reach them. Lord Venus occupies the second sign He is the fourth and nineth sign Lord. It is a good omen for their plans and happiness.

Students: Are going to shine good in their lessons and the period will take them to a desirable standard. Only for those houses birth charts denote with difficulties. The exams are likely to be answered well. It is a good time. It they work hard a fine position will reach them.

Students: Are blessed with the grace of Lord Venus and he supports for a good and neat execution of exercises. The study will be firm and deep. The preparations for their exams will be with good arrangements. Present planetary position guides the students to better extent.

Businesspeople and professionals: Are supported by Lord Saturn who looks with the designation of sign lord and supports them for their attempts. Even though he is in 8th sign, he has tested them invariably and finding their confidence, he begins to guide them to come out of disturbances.

Businesspeople and professionals: This category of persons is going to face new developments. All are arranged for an expansion and executions of new target. Lord Mars is exalted but he is in 12th House. This will clearly show the benefits are hidden now and will be prospering in the following month. Their challengers are also strong but will affect only a little. They have to build a strong hold in their career now.

Lovers: Their trend during this month will be showing a growth of good relation. Studying the true love is the check point, their counterpart does. They can feel happy and answer properly to the problems. This will help them to build a good life at the early periods. Married persons and the spouses: Are feeling the reasonable times they expected. Every action will be with inner meaning to lead a life of trouble free and comfortable. This happens when Lord Venus is all alone with out any kind of oppositions. So the family happiness and the welfare of the spouse and privacy all are on the good way to give them satisfaction. Lord Saturn in the 8th sign is going to set retrogression. Next month some kind of slow moving and laziness may affect them. But the outcome will be bearable. In the past it was actually disturbing them, now there will not be any hurdles. Dates 10th and 11th are challenging. Better avoid financial and important deals.

Siddhi Times USA 62

Lovers: Their trend in this month is with confused mood. Lord Saturn occupies the 7th sign and posts the delays. Any how the Lord for Love is Venus and he is in exalted position in the second sign. That is good. Their plans and program will be touching the line of success shortly. Married persons and spouses: Will be with the grace of Lord Venus, the dignity and status of family are well maintained. The privacy and good moods are likely to occur in this month. The past months were not favorable. Now the Kalasarpa Dosha is over and the lime light of good and happy life has come. Children are now getting boons. Financial and other matter related to assets are on the way for success. Lord Jupiter and Lord Mars create a scene of good luck for you. The dates 12th and 13th are to be avoided to give promise of finance helps. Even if they need any Bank’s assistance post pone it for next days.

Meenam Your sign is occupied by majestic Lord Venus. Your sign is being favored by Lord Jupiter who is the booster of luck to your sign this year. The combination of Lords Mars and Jupiter is also good to ascertain the benefit of Lord Jupiter. The days will be as usual passing but in the depth and reality the progress is going to be established positively this year. Only for whose chart and the present times are influencing the negative results will have to suffer a little. Women and children at home: Passed the times with out benefits. They felt that the scene of inconvenience could prolong. In reality the relief is going to come during this month and their desired needs will also be covered. So that the happiness is going to prevail. Beginning the year 2009, has started with good omen to render nice times and happiness. Students: Are brave enough to answer the tricky questions of lesson. They will thrive better to raise their ranks. This year will be bringing the lucks for them. Since the planetary positions are good, they should not forget to do their duties. They have to work hard. Professionals and Business people: Will be awaiting the time to click this opportunity of success. Since their sign Lord is the Lord for 10th sign also, the trend in their duties will be declining to an extent; but it will turn towards luck all of a sudden. Such is the position of planetary phenomenon for which time will expose the excitement. Lovers: Their trend in the month will be with joy and pleasure. Lord Venus is in exalted position. Long pending bundle of suspicions will be setting over and new way will arrive. Precision regarding the relations for stability will be achieved. Married persons and spouses: Are much related in one way with the exaltation of Lord Mars. He deals even finance and family. He supports now to fulfill their ambitions. The happiness and privacy will be bringing smooth and good moods. Since kalasarpa dosha is relived they can feel a sense of freedom. The children will also be happy. For those who are anticipating to become parent, this is the time to get pregnancy.

Deity adorning the cover page. Shiva: Is the main aspect of Trimurti. Lord Brahma takes care of the creations. Lord Mahavishnu takes care of the protection. Lord Shiva takes care of the destruction for reconstruction. In the Shaiva tradition of Hinduism, Shiva is seen as the supreme God. Shakti: Parvati is the consort of Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction and rejuvenation. She is also called as Shakti. The word Shakti gives the meaning as a sacred force or empowerment is the primordial cosmic energy and represents the dynamic forces that move through the entire universe. In Shaktism, Shakti is worshiped as the Supreme Being. Shiva is usually worshipped in the form of Shiva linga. In images, he is generally represented as immersed in deep meditation or dancing the Tandava. But in this image we can see the divine couple in an united form. This form is called as “Shivasakthi”. By worshipping this image one can have the best unity in the family life and great mental peace. This is the special gift to all for Mahashivaratri.

Dates 14th and 15th will not be suitable to transact financial and important jobs.

Siddhi Times USA 63

Siddhi Times USA 66

Siddhi Times USA 71