23Apr 2014 by Sanjay Kapoor No Comments

TWO STATES

love, Marriage, movies, relationships, religion, social trends, society
Intercast Weddings !!! Two States is a simple clean sweet and entertaining movie, based on Chetan Bhagats’s Novel of the same title. The book and the movie have tackled the issue of intercast weddings in India and their acceptability in our society. Since I had not only read the book but found it Chetans one of the best, I could relate with the movie better and with greater acceptance. India and the society, more so in north India ,has moved a long way over the last two decades to accept inter cast weddings and have even started accepting inter religion weddings. It’s a welcome change and while till few years back inter cast weddings always meant love marriages, today we are seeing plenty of arranged inter caste marriages too. In…
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08Apr 2014 by Sanjay Kapoor No Comments

SEX AND RELIGION

religion, Sex, society
SEX-The Unutterable Word : HEIGHT OF HYPOCRICY!!!! It’s shocking to see yet another blow on freedom of expression on views and on journalism with a recent book of Wendy Dongier, titled, The Hindus: An alternative History, being banned from publication and circulation in India, by efforts of so called Hindutva-vadis. (Religion hotter than Sex-The Week,April 06,2014) The reason being that Dinanath Batra ,a retired teacher and his team thought that the authoress had approached the Hindu scriptures with a sexual scanner. Wonder why Sex is still considered a taboo and the unutterable word. Can life ever be separated from sex? Sex forms an integral part of all living beings including humans and is a basic instinct and a normal physiological need like hunger and thirst. Sex and sexuality can never…
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28Oct 2013 by Sanjay Kapoor No Comments

Divine Diwali

Festivals, Ganga, Mythology, Parmarth Ashram Rishikheth, religion
DIWALI WITH A DIFFERANCE ! Diwali is one of the biggest festivals of India, and is celebrated in almost all states, and by all, with great fever and festivity every year ! Diwali is not just a day affair but has festivals for five days in a row. Dhanteras- Dhanteras is celebrated two days before diwali, and is a festival for businessmen, and is celebrated with shopping in decorated markets.......mainly of Gold, silver, clothes, utensils and household goods. Narka Chaudas- This comes a day before Diwali, and is commonly celebrated as Choti diwali. This is a day to clean and decorate the houses (whitewashing is done in advance, and usually around Diwali) and special cleaning of the body too. Diwali- Main Diwali day is celebrated as Laxmi Poojan.......Ganesh and Laxmi…
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26Oct 2013 by Sanjay Kapoor No Comments

DISASTER AT UTTRAKHAND

ecology, Mythology, natural disasters, nature, religion
THE WRATH OF LORDS ? On way back from Joshimath, we had the pleasure of visiting the Dhari Devi Temple, and it being Doorga Pooja and Dushehra on that day, there could not have been a better day. This is a temple, in the waters of Alakhnanada, near the town Kaliasur, and Dharidevi is supposed to be Goddess Parvati. What we visited is the new temple being built, above the old one, on stilts in the river, with the same original Statue. It was a delight having dharshan of the vibrant, charming and elegant, though small statue, in black stone of Dhari Devi. Mythology has it , that when Ganga was to descend to the earth, it was too forceful , and hence Shiva decided to send it several streams,…
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26Oct 2013 by Sanjay Kapoor No Comments

BADRI VISHAL

Ganga, Mythology, pilgrimage, religion, travel
THE HOLY SUJOURN As you all know, we recently went on a trip to Badrinath. It was work and holiday, short and hectic, tiring and tedious, risky and scary but really adventurous and memorable. Badrinath is an ancient pilgrimage spot for hindus, about 300 Kms from Haridwaar, in the Garhwal hills, and one of the Chaar Dhams of Uttrakhand.(The other three being Kedarnath,Gangotri and Yamnotri ) First day was the almost ten hour drive, from Rishikhet to Josjimath, with two minor halts and a lunch halt at Gauchar. In spite of being such a long drive, it was enjoyable, along the serpentine Ganga and Alakhnanada rivers. Was a pleasure watching the rivers change shape ,width, depth, colour s from white, blue to black and  flow from still to gushy and…
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26Oct 2013 by Sanjay Kapoor No Comments

SWAMY CHIDANAND

INDIAN HERITAGE RESEARCH FOUNDATION, Mythology, Parmarth Ashram Rishikheth, religion, sprituality, Swamy Chidanand
THE DIVINE ENCOUNTER It often happens that a man hitting for silver hits upon gold...........but it almost never happens that when you are looking for nothing, you find diamond! This is what exactly happened to me on 13th October this year, at Rishikesh when I had the privileged luck to meet Swamy Chidanand  Saraswati, the founder of India Heritage Research Foundation, at the Parmarth Niketan Ashram. In my life of over five decades, by the blessings of my parents, grace of God, guidance from teachers, love from family and support from my innumerable friends and well wishers, by all social parameters, I have done well and cannot complain. In academics, profession, career, family, social front and all other fields one can say, that I have been sailing smoothly. In spite…
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24Jul 2012 by Sanjay Kapoor No Comments

SEX SCANDLES IN RELIGIOUS INSTITUTES

religion, Sex, social trends, society
  HELL IN HEAVEN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The prevalence of all forms of crimes and sexual abuse in religious institutes is nothing new ,but the horrifying stories from the Churches of Kerala (Sex, Scandal & the Church-Cover story, OUTLOOK, July 25,2012) literally sent shivers up my spine. If this is the state of sexual activities in the homes of God, supposedly close to heaven , then one wonders, what hell would be? And if drinking, womanizing, indulging in pornography and unacceptable sexual indulgence is the code of conduct of these guardians of religion, then one wonders what would be a poise life for a common man. All this is however not new. Power games, financial rackets and sexual scandals are well known not only in Churches but in establishments of all religions.…
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17Feb 2011 by Sanjay Kapoor No Comments
Kids and teenagers, love, Marriage, relationships, religion, Sex, social trends
ARUSHI MURDER CASE--------------HONOUR KILLING !!!!!!!!! Honour Killing is the latest fade in India and almost tops the list of existing social evils. After the so called encounter deaths, Honour Killings are the in-thing. Indians are very good at picking up and emulating bad things and that is exactly what has been happening in the last few years Honour killing is a death punishment given to someone by the family of the local panchayat or villagers for bringing shame to the family, clan or the village. It was earlier being used as a local punishment for someone who was a serial crimnal, a thief, a conspirater, a rapist or a murderer. But gradually its significance got diluted and it is being used for trivial crimes like eve teasing,wearing western clothes, girls…
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04Sep 2009 by Sanjay Kapoor No Comments

DIVINE TUSSEL

religion, social trends
The divine tussle   Besides the numerous religions and sects that we had, in the world, especially in India, more and more religious groups are mushrooming everyday. The last decade has seen am alarming rise in the number of GURUS, and their pravachan sessions cost a fortunes, at times the Math or Organization charging in crores for a week session, at any city.   What is strange and at times even disappointing is the fact, that many of them lead lives full of luxury, contrary to what they preach. Some have more than one wife, some involved in criminal charges, some in faulty accounts and few have their children involved in all kinds of nefarious activities, while the ashrams of others are accused of murder of children in the name…
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