RECIPE - POTATO TIKKI

Ingredients :
For crust :7-8 potatoes boiled, peeled, mashed
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
3 green chillies grouned
1/2 tsp. punjabi garam masala
1/2 cup bread crumbs
salt to taste

For filling :
1 cup channa dal cooked and drained
1 tsp. ginger grated
1 tsp. garlic grated
3 green chillies finely chopped
1/2 tsp. cuminseed powder
1 tsbp. coriander
Salt to taste
Oil for shallow frying

Method :
For crust :
Mix all ingredients together thouroughly. Keep aside.

For filling :
Mash cooked dal coarsely with hands.
Mix in all other ingredients.

To proceed :
Take a tbspful of potato mixture, spread on palm.
Place a tspful of dal mixture in centre.
Roll so as to keep dal mixture inside and potato out.
Press gently into rounded flattish patties.
Shallow fry on a griddle, drizzling oil to crispen crust.
Serve hot with tamarind chutney and green chutney. or with tomato ketchup.

Making time: 30 minutes Makes: 10-12 patties

Queen of Melody

LATA MANGESHKAR – One of the most popularly known names ever in the world was born September 28, 1929 in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. Lata Mangeshkar has been active in all walks of Indian popular and light classical music having sung film songs, ghazals, bhajans and pop. She is the supreme voice of popular Indian music, an Indian Institution. Until the 1991 edition, when her entry disappeared, the Guinness Book of Records listed her as the most recorded artist in the world with not less than 30,000 solo, duet and chorus-backed songs recorded in 20 Indian languages between 1948 and 1987. Today the number might have reached 40,000!!!

Dinanath Mangeshkar, her father, owned a theatrical company and was a reputed classical singer, a disciple of the Gwalior school. He gave her singing lessons from around the age of five. She also studied with Aman Ali Khan Sahib and later Amanat Khan. Her God-given musical gifts meant that she could master the vocal exercises effortlessly on first pass and from early on she was recognized as being highly gifted musically.

However when her father died in 1942, the onus of being the breadwinner of the family fell on Lata. Between 1942 and 1948 she acted in as many as 8 films in Hindi and Marathi to take care of the family's economic problems. She also made her debut as a playback singer in the Marathi film Kiti Hasaal (1942) but the song was edited out!

The first Hindi film in which she gave playback was Aap ke Sewa Main (1947) but her singing went unnoticed. When Lata entered the Film Industry, heavier Punjabi voices like Noor Jahan, Shamshad Begum and Zohrabai Ambalewali ruled the Industry. Ironically Lata was even rejected for Shaheed (1948) by producer S. Mukherjee who complained that her voice was too thin! However Ghulam Haider unable to use her in Shaheed gave Lata her breakthrough song with Dil Mera Toda from Majboor (1948).

The year 1949 saw the release of four films. Barsaat, Andaaz, Dulari and Mahal. The songs of all four films were runaway hits particularly Aaega Aanewaalaa from the last mentioned. By 1950 the Lata wave had changed the Industry. Her high-pitched singing rendered obsolete the heavy basy nasal voices of the day. Only Geeta Dutt and to a certain extent Shamshad Begum survived the Lata onslaught. Asha Bhosle too came up in the late 1950s and the two sisters were the queens of Indian playback singing right through to the 90s.

Lata's initial style of singing was reminiscent of Noor Jehan but she soon got over that to evolve her own distinguished style. With her search for perfection she corrected her Urdu by hiring a tutor!

Her phenomenal success made Lata the most powerful woman in the Film Industry. She waged battle with Mohd. Rafi. in the 1960s and stopped singing with him over the issue of royalty to playback artistes. She refused to sing for S.D. Burman from 1957 - 62 and such was her clout that she had her way and they came back to her.
Though Lata sang under the baton of all the top composers barring O.P. Nayyar and with all the top playback artistes of the day, special mention must be made of her work for C. Ramchandra who made her sound her sweetest and Madan Mohan who challenged her voice like no other music director. The 1960s and 70s saw Lata go from strength to strength even as there were accusations of her monopolizing the field.

From the 80s Lata cut down on her workload to concentrate on her shows abroad. Lata Mangeshkar sings infrequently now but even today the songs of some of the biggest hits of today Dil To Paagal Hai (1997), Maachis (1997), Hum Aapke Hain Kaun (1994) and Dil Se (1998) are sung by her. From Nargis to Kajol she's sung for them all. Lata Mangeshkar is in fact that rare artist who has realized her search for excellence.

Dadasaheb Phalke Award winner for her contribution to Indian Cinema, the latest jewel in Lata's crown is having India's highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna conferred on her.

Shri Ganeshaay Namahaa

Ganesha or Ganapati is an extremely popular God in India. He is worshipped before any venture is started.

He is called Vighneshvara or Vighnaharta, the Lord of and destroyer of obstacles. People mostly worship Him asking for siddhi - success in undertakings and buddhi - intelligence.

He is also the God of education, knowledge and wisdom, literature, and the fine arts.

Ganesha is also one of the five Gods the worship of whom was popularised by Adya Shankaracharya; the other four are Vishnu, Shiva, Devi and Surya.

Lord Venkateswara or Balaji is considered to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu himself. It is believed that he came to reside on the southern bank of Swami Pushkarni, a tank which passes by Tirumala.

The seven hills around Tirumala-Tirupati are also known as Sapthagiri after the seven hoods of Sheshnag – the cosmic serpent. The temple of Sri Venkateswara is located on the seventh peak, Venkatadri.

According one legend, as Saint Ramanuja born in 11th Century AD climbed the seven hills of Tirupati, Lord Srinivas- another name for Lord Venkateswara- appeared before him and gave him his blessings. And after that he is believed to have been blessed to live till the ripe age of 120 years to spread the gospel of Sri Venkateswara.
People are encouraged to visit Tirumala on the day of Ekadasi in the month of Vaikunta, at which time all pilgrims in the abode of God will be forgiven of all their sins. They also would definitely attain salvation after they die, it is believed.

Shri Swami Samarth Jay Jay Swami Samarth

Shrimad Nrusimha Saraswati - Incarnation of Lord Dattareya

In a place called Karanja Nagar (Karnataka State) in Southern India, there lived a pious Brahmin couple, Madhava and Ambabhavani, in the 13th century.

Asceticism

To this God-fearing & religious couple, was born a son around 1275 A.D. This child was the incarnation of Lord Dattatreya and came to be known as the great sage Shrimad Nrusimha Saraswati. The child was unique in the sense that, he was chanting only 'Aum' (the Hindu holy chant) since his birth. The parents were concerned about his dumbness till his 'Vratabandha' (the sacred thread bearing ceremony), when this child was merely eight years old, he started reciting all the four Vedas (the Holiest Hindu scriptures) to the great astonishment of all the learned people. After the aforesaid incident, the child left for Kashi (Uttar Pradesh State, Northern India) for Tapas [penance]. Pleased with his rigorous tapasya [penance], a learned ascetic named Shree Krishna Saraswati Swami, initiated him into Sanyasashram (Ascetism) and gave him the name, Shrimad Nrusimha Saraswati.

Biography

The biography of Shrimad Nrusimha Saraswati "Shree Gurucharitra", gives us the details of his work in guiding the devotees and the various miracles he performed to help the devotees. He stayed at Ganagapur (Karnataka State, Southern India) for a long time and then gave his "Nirguna Padukas" to his disciples and devotees, before leaving for the Kardali forests to perform Tapas [penance]. His disciples prepared a floating seat of flowers for him on which he sailed against the current of the river Patalganga and disappeared.

Rigorous Penance

He performed rigorous tapasya [penance] on the Shree Shail mountain in the Kardali forests for nearly 150 years. After this he took an extensive pilgrimage, covering even places, now known as Jawa, Sumatra, Indonesia, China, Japan, Australia etc., relieved many people from their miseries, and guided them on the spiritual path. Finally, he came to the ranges of Himalayas where he enlightened many devotees. Later he sat under a Deodar tree for tapasya [penance]. This Tapasya [penance] in the Himalayas lasted for nearly 250 years, but a woodcutter unknowingly axed the anthill enveloping the body of Shrimad Nrusimha Saraswati. This resulted in the break in Tapasya [penance] and Shrimad Nrusimha Saraswati then left for an extensive travel throughout the Indian sub-continent guiding the devotees.

Akkalkot Niwasi Shree Swami Samarth

During this travel, he became popular by various names at various places. Thus at one place he was known as Chanchal Bharati and at another place he would be called Digambar Swami. As he travelled and stayed at various places, he became the Guru (preceptor) of many great souls like Shree Ramkrishna Paramahansa, Shree Saibaba of Shirdi, Shree Shankar Maharaj, Shree Gajajan Maharaj of Shegaon etc. Finally he settled down at Akkalkot (Maharashtra State) and stayed there for 24 years from 1854 A.D. to 1878 A.D. and thus came to be known as the Akkalkot Niwasi Shree Swami Samarth Maharaj (the great sage of Akkalkot). Here he enlightened many disciples, such as Shree Dev Mamledar, Shree Balappa Maharaj, Shree Cholappa Maharaj, Shree Nrusimha Saraswati Maharaj of Alandi, Shree Ramanand Beedkar Maharaj of Pune etc.

Mahasamaadhi

On April 30, 1878 (Chaitra Vadya Trayodashi of Hindu year 1800) after nearly 600 years of the incarnation, the great sage adopted MahaSamadhi [the last conscious communion with God] under his favourite Banyan tree.
Devotees still experience his divine presence and feel reassured because of his quote "I have not gone, I am still present".

15 Hair Care Myths - The Thruth and The Lies

Everyone has a favorite myth about hair care — and we usually never let the truth get in the way of a good legend! Following are some of the most widely known myths — and the reality behind them.

1. Excessive washing of hair causes hair loss/dryness.

FALSE: Frequency of washing doesn’t harm hair. Wash it as often as you like, although the recommendation is three times a week. The right shampoo for your hair type and texture will actually add moisture, body and beauty to your hair.

2. More shampoo = cleaner hair.

FALSE: Don’t waste your shampoo! A dollop of shampoo, about the size of a quarter, is usually enough for long hair. Very long hair may take a little more.

3. Conditioner helps repair split ends.

FALSE: No conditioner can “repair” damaged hair. What it can do is to smooth down the cuticle and make hair seem in better condition. A good conditioner can also prevent damage from occurring in the first place.

4. Blow-drying produces hair loss.

FALSE: Blow-drying can damage, burn or dry hair, which can cause it to fall, but the hair will grow back immediately. This is not permanent hair loss.

5. Sleeping with wet hair causes scalp fungus.

FALSE: Scalp or fungal diseases can’t be caught from sleeping with wet scalps. Scalp infections require prior involvement with infected sources such as humans, tainted hair care tools or animals. Scalp fungus mainly affects children, whose immune systems make them more susceptible to skin infections.

6. To get your hair to grow, brush 100 strokes each day.

FALSE: Brushing that much can damage the hair cuticle. NOT recommended! Actually, your hair reacts better to a comb than a brush. Brushing it will only lead to split ends and hair breakage.

7. Sharing combs and brushes can spread scalp diseases.

TRUE: Lice and other parasites can be transported from scalp to scalp through the sharing of combs, brushes and other hair care tools.

8. Cutting hair makes it grow faster and/or thicker.

FALSE: This common misconception comes from the fact that hair is thicker at the base than it is at the tip, so shorter hair appears thicker at first. Cutting your hair does not affect its normal biologically determined growth rate or overall texture. Thin, limp or fine hair will not ever grow thicker in response to a haircut. Plump up your hair by using volume enhancing hair care products, experimenting with a hair fattening blunt cut or getting a texturizing perm or color treatment.

9. Color treatment causes hair loss.

FALSE: Most hair coloring products contain chemicals that can do serious harm to the hair itself if not properly used, but it wont instigate hair loss.

10. Salon products are identical to drugstore products.

FALSE: Although there are exceptions, salon products generally contain higher quality, more expensive ingredients that are designed to consistently provide more intensive cleansing, moisturizing and conditioning results. The quality ingredients found in salon products are not usually found in drugstore brands. If in doubt, read the labels.

11. Long sun exposure favors hair loss.

FALSE: Your hair acts as a shield against the sun. Hair loss appears at the follicle level and so the sun would have to penetrate at this depth to do any damage.

12. Diet is related to hair loss.

TRUE: It's important to eat right in order to be generally healthy. However, no individual food has been proven to be beneficial or detrimental to hair.

13. Stress causes hair loss.

TRUE: Severe stress (e.g. surgery or a death in the family) can shut down hair production, causing temporary hair loss. The scalp usually recuperates, though, and hair grows back.

14. Wearing tight braids, ponytails or buns causes baldness.

TRUE: Traction is a very real hair loss condition that is quite common amongst older African American women. It results from wearing tight ponytails, cornrows or buns over an extended period of time. Over time, hair breakage or loss as the result of tight, stressed styles, can become permanent. Avoid this potential problem by opting for looser styles that minimize scalp tension.

15. Smoking causes gray hair.

TRUE: According to J. G. Mosley of the Leigh Infirmary in Lancashire, England smokers are four times more likely to have gray hair than non-smokers (Science News, January 11, 1997). Even worse, smoking has been conclusively linked to accelerated hair loss.

SUMMARY :

Heard another myth about hair?

Do your research — ask an expert!

This doesn’t include your grandmother,

best friend or local barmaid.

Instead, talk to an experienced hairdresser.

Always get the real facts before you act on any hair myths.

You owe it to your hair.

Symbolism of Lord Dattatreya

Symbolically Lord Dattatreya is depicted with three heads, six hands, four dogs, standing in front of a cow and tree.

In his hands He holds a drum (damaru), discus like weapon (chakra), conch shell (sankh), rosary (japa mala), water vessel (kamandala) and a trident (trisula).

The Lord's three heads represent Brahma Tatwa, Vishnu Tatwa and Shiva Tatwa. All powerful creative cause is Brahma, sustaining energy is Vishnu and annihilating energy is Shiva (Srishti, Sthithi and Laya energies) are three heads.

All these attributes of the Lord have their esoteric meanings. The trident is used for killing the ego, and the drum is used to awaken those souls who are still sleeping in the slumber of ignorance. Lord Datta's conch shell is used to sound the OMKARA, the primordial sound and the first word of the Hindu scriptures. The divine AUM is composed of Akara - the Creator/Initiator, Brahma; Ukara - Sustainer/Protector, Vishnu; Makara - Destroyer/Terminator, Maheswara. When mixed together in the conch of the Lord, they sound as the eternal Omkara - Datta.

OM is an essential sound. With every breath our lungs resonate the Omkara. So-hum...So-hum... I am the world, I am the universe, I am Lord Shiva, I am Lord Vishnu... We are always chanting this mantra, even when we are walking, talking, eating or sleeping. The speed with which we sound this So-hum may change with our bodily activity, but the So-hum remains eternal. When the body stops resonating with this divine sound, the soul seeks another residence. All living creatures, even animals resonate this AUM in their body. In Sanskrit, "Datta" means gift, hence, Omkara is the eternal gift of God to all souls.

Lord Dattatreya is also holding a rotating discus -chakra. It is a round circle with no beginning and no end. Like the universe, it too is constantly moving, always in a flux. He uses this chakra to destroy all kinds of karmic bonds of His devotees. His right hand holds a rosary -japa mala. With this the Lord counts His devotees, liberating them by merely thinking of their name. In another hand the Lord is carrying the water pot -kamandala. This holds the nectar of pure wisdom. With this He revives the souls thirsty for knowledge, liberating them from the endless cycle of life and death.

The four dogs of Dattatreya are the embodiments of the four Vedas. They follow the Lord as "hounds of heaven, watchdogs of the ultimate Truth". They help the Lord in "hunting" and finding pure souls, wherever they may be born. Behind the Lord Dattatreya is the cow named Kamadhenu. This divine cow grants the wishes and desires of all those who seek the Lord. She grants all material and spiritual wishes of the Lord's devotees.

The Lord stands in front of the Audumbara tree. This is the celestial wish -yielding tree. It fulfills the wishes of those who prostrate before it. Audumbara is the bearer of nectar, and wherever it is found, Lord Dattatreya is always found in it's shade.