Vasanta Navaratri which is the current occasion is celebrated through a period of nine days. Since the festivals falls in the Chaitra which is the lunar month, it is also known as Chaitra Navaratri.

I am sure that most of you reading this article are not aware about how it came to be celebrated. So, here’s a brief history lesson which goes way past the Ramayana.

It all started with the demise of King Dhruvasindhu of Kosala when a lion killed him on one of his hunting expeditions. So, Prince Sudarsana was the chosen successor. However, this was not accepted by Yudhajit, the King of Ujjain who was also the father of Queen Lilavati and the grandfather of Prince Satrujit. And so, a feud started between King (of Kalinga), Virasena (father of Queen Manorama) and Yudhajit.

Virasena died in the war which led Manorama to flee with Sudarsana. In the meantime, Satrujit became the crowned Prince of Kosala. Manorama along with her son took refuge in Rishi Bharadwaja’s ashram. Sudarsana was brought up here where in he happened to recite the word “Kleem” which was a sacred mantra of the Divine Mother. He was then blessed by the Mother herself with divine weapons and power.

It was during the swayamvar of Princess Sashikala (daughter of the King of Benaras) that Sudarsana was spotted by Yudhajit. Sudarsana and Sashikala were married at that instant. But it led to a feud between Yudhajit and the King of Benaras.

It was during this phase that the Divine Mother helped Sudarsana and the king of Benaras. When the Mother was insulted by Yudhajit; his army instantly turned to ashes and so did Yudhajit.

Sudarsana, his wife and his father-in-law worshipped the goddess with which she was highly pleased. They were then ordered to perform a hawan to worship her during the Vasanta Navaratri. Sudarsana was then crowned as the King of Kosala. The worship of the Devi has been passed on since generations which include Lord Rama.

Even today, Navaratris are celebrated with all the zest and zeal. The Divine Mother is considered very sacred for material as well as spiritual welfare. Many Hindus in North India keep fast in the name of the goddess and to be blessed. Prayers are offered everywhere with the enchanting of the mantras.

The festival is also considered to be one of the most auspicious times of the year. As it is here, A VERY HAPPY NAVARATRI TO ALL OUR READERS!

ABHINAV is shortly coming up with one of its grandest offers ever. Stay tuned to know more about Naaratri Offer!

The award has been granted by a jury in the US confirmed that used extreme force against Mr. Lopez while he was involved in his surveillance operation in October 2006.

The US immigration confirmed that the crime was brutal. The police officials stuck a gun to the chest of the victim, bending his arm and applying excessive force while pressing his skull against the floor.

On the contrary, the officials of Chula Vista (Chula Vista law enforcement) are expressing their disappointment on the charges incurred upon them. The counter claim which they have made against Mr. Lopez elaborates that the later was uncooperative and verbally aggressive.

A spokesman said that the officers acted in an appropriate manner. They have not done anything wrong with the victim, courtesy which he has been awarded $2.2 million in damage! He further said that the officials acted in an apt manner within the regulations of the department under apprehensive and alarming circumstances.

The verdict has provided relief to Mr. Lopez but has surely created restlessness amongst the officials of Chula Vista law enforcement, who believe that their behavior was apt enough in the suspicious circumstances.

On the contrary, former Commonwealth Secretary Don McKinnon believe that the merger is imminent as more than half a million New Zealanders have moved to the Aussie land and therefore it is viable to merge the two countries to ease out the immigration process for both the countries. He said that the merger is driven by people, rather than any political issue involved.

But according to recent news, Kiwi Prime Minister John Key has abolished the suggestion, stating that a merger is not the solution to the New Zealand’s problems.

Another poll suggested that 71% New Zealanders opposed the idea of merging NZ with Australia. Talking about Australians, 52% of them opposed the amalgamation.

However, John Key said that this debate of merging New Zealand with Australia is a pointless issue. It will never happen in future and hence we must not waste any time in discussing about this issue any further.

Queensland Liberal MP Peter Slipper went on to say that it would be beneficial to look at the prospects of joint currency. Additionally, Labour leader Phil Goff believe that New Zealanders would never lose their identity with those of the Australians.

Both New Zealand and Australia have their own identity, own culture and rules, an amalgamation would not do much benefit for either of them.

Councilor Eric Megarity confirmed that within the next two decades, the country will enhance by 14.5 million new migrants. Keeping this facet in mind, the biggest challenge would be to retain the new immigrants in Canada.

It is a great news for prospective immigrants who are residing in Canada as well as those who are planning to make their moves towards the country. The initiative will also work towards assisting new immigrants to the city in the future.

Police official Leanne Fitch confirmed that police force decided to come out with an action/plan that would court prospective immigrants as police officials in future. It will ensure a better understanding and accord between the immigrants and future officials.

This step would further clear the speculations that people have their minds regarding the unfriendly and cruel behavior of police force! In addition, the city of Fredericton is decked with certain strategies which allow prospective police officials to mentor with police force!

Hence, a perfect opportunity for applicants intending to court into police force to gain some healthy experience in advance!

The offers include providing temporary protected status to the Haitians, along with allowing them to work in a legal manner in the US. The officials believed that the offer would serve as a huge relief for the illegal Haitians living in the country, but contrary to their belief, the offer has not been able to grab many applicants so far.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, only 34,427 of the 100,000 to 200,000 illegal Haitians residing in the US have enrolled so far. Charities believe that the onus of lesser number of applicants goes to the high application fees and therefore, it should become mandatory to have the fee abandoned! Also, the accountability for lower applicants may be due to the fact that undocumented status may not aid in getting fair wages. Therefore, many Haitian applicants may hesitate to apply for the special Immigration offers.

Speculations are going on that government may listen to the proposal of waiving fee or at least make the process simpler for the undocumented Haitian crowd.

At the end of the day, we must understand that the special “US immigration offers” were actually crafted to ease out the worries of Haitians living in US, therefore, the process should work out in their favor!

Come on folks, it is a matter of life and death. A life once lost cannot be revived! Thus, life is precious. Okay, considered you are least bothered about your life, but what about your family and near ones. Do you want them to be unhappy? You are a responsible person and committed to a lot of things in life. So, in a sense, is it not your responsibility to keep yourself sound and healthy to take care of your family?

Car crashes and vehicle accidents perhaps account for the major reason of human deaths next to natural death. More of these accidents are fatal, in fact. Well, a lot has been delivered through different media in order to spread the awareness on how important it is to buckle up the seat belts while you hit the road! No matter how the governmental agencies and other private agencies take this thing seriously, there is no dearth of foolish people around us who take it as simple as a Santa-Banta joke! Take the example from daily life…the bus driver that gets you commute from places to places. If you have not noticed, just try once. But, it’s not funny at all. I mean he’s aware of the traffic rule that he must wear the seat belts, but just does not have the common sense that it is for their safety and for sake of their lives. No wonder, there are people who just like to break the rules. Road safety is a matter of high importance and one should not ignore the rules set by the authorized body.

When nothing can catch the conscience of some foolish people/drivers, I thought to share this one (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-8PBx7isoM). A very touchy video representation initiated by the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership. Its message is “Embrace Life- always wear your seat belt”. Even though the concept of the campaign is simple, what catches your attention is its treatment. It is well demonstrated! Thanks to SSRP that has been trying to remind the masses once again the importance of buckling up seat belts.

For those who are still not aware of the significance of vehicle seat belts, it is the three-point safety belt restraint that is attached to the front seat of cars that can protect your internal organs when you confront a road accident. During a crash, the belts control the leaning of your body towards the front, thereby saving you from fatal injury. Besides, there are several other advantages of wearing seat belts. Wearing seat belts has the intensity to decrease the chances of occurring fatal injuries to maximum percentage.

So next time, when you hit the road, don’t just THINK ABOUT YOURSELF, THINK ABOUT YOUR LOVED ONES TOO!

This transcontinental project which links the Kunming city in China to New Delhi all the way to Lahore and then to Tehran could finally be seen in action. The project has come about after facing many barriers and years of talks and agreements. China being the main initiator of the project intends to connect itself with Central Asia, Iran, Russia, Europe and Singapore. So, this pan – Asia assignment is that is going to be a must watch in the near future.

There would be problems that would come about with countries still being in the developing stages. When compared to its population, India is relatively a small country. However, it is also justified that it is better to build a rail network instead of highways which would prove to be more expensive. Additionally, this rail link would aid in efficient and easier transportation with all the relevant resources in place. This might also lead to an agreement that could easily cater to exports towards the Indian Ocean.

The project which has been in the pipeline for the last fifteen years has finally grabbed eyeballs after the initiation of the country’s internal high speed rail network. The fastest railway line in the world was opened in December between Wuhan and southern Guangzhou. Here, three hundred fifty kilometers per hour train was introduced that encompasses one thousand and sixty eight kilometers in only three hours. This is a reduction by more than seven hours cutting it down from the earlier 10.5 hours of traveling time.

However, this is just the beginning! In another two years, China would be known for having the largest high speed network of railways in the world. By 2012, the nation would be host to around forty two such rail links which would be running across thirteen thousand kilometers out of its hundred and ten thousand kilometers of land covered by rail.

Inspite of being advanced in this genre, the nation is humane enough to share it with the rest of the world. Hats off to the Chinese for that! However, it is yet to be seen as to how responsive the rest of the world is to this gesture.

This is especially for the developing countries. The foremost is whether the country would be able to rise that much of funds required for this purpose.

Secondly, in India how many would actually be able to afford such services? With major part of the population still living in rural areas, it would only cater to the urbanites. This surely would widen the gap between rural and urban India. But this does not mean that such initiatives should be taken. But a balance has to found between the two.

Thirdly, with so much of internal politics and corruption in India, would success surely be guaranteed? With some of the politicians in India being illiterate, how many would actually favor to this project? Also, there would be oppositions regarding being in hands with the world, yet the local people are being neglected.

Fourthly, even if China agrees to bear the expenditure for this, its demand for access to the country’s energy resources might pose a problem with the heavy load of population. This proposal is being known as the Resources for Technology might be opposed internally.

Lastly, the type of railway track and the materials involved have to be in sync throughout. With this, the standards would also vary. In such cases, renovations are also involved to a large extent.

All in all, if everything goes smoothly, the entire project is expected to be finished by 2025. In such a scenario, it would only take two days of travel from Beijing to London.

Many of you might have already chosen the Canadian city where you will work and live. Though, here is a little description about Vancouver. Even though this city does not need any introduction, here is what makes this city special and one of the most popular Canadian immigration destinations. There are a number of reasons for which overseas people intend to immigrate to Vancouver.

• Vancouver in British Columbia is a very multi-cultural city like most of the Canadian cities, where you would get to see a wide range of cultures and languages spoken. Thousands of immigrants, including students, investors, entrepreneurs from all over the world come to this city and do not want to leave!
• Vancouver’s economy is evolving and it holds endless job opportunities for local, as well as overseas workers. Some of the prominent sectors that are generating these opportunities include education, technology, film production, and financial services. The city is North America’s third largest film production location.

Apart from these, Vancouver’s temperate climate is one of the reasons as to why people prefer it as an immigration destination. Not to forget its natural beauty, that comprises mountain rages, forests and coastlines, which offers a multitude of opportunities for outdoor activities like skiing, snowboarding, biking, hiking and walking!

To start off, Toronto is one of the most multi-cultural cities across the globe. Being part of Canada, we should not have any doubt in this regard! The city welcomes large flocks of immigrants every year. People enters Toronto and live quality lives, work and raise families. Multi cultural environment perhaps makes this city strong and helps rise up in the ladder of success. It is hard to believe, but here more than 150 languages are spoken and near about fifty percent of its residents are from outside of Canada! This is one of the many factors that attracts people from all over the world to this city.

Secondly, Toronto is a prominent and blooming center for businesses. It offers multitude of job opportunities for entrepreneurs and skilled migration category immigrants. Being the financial capital of Canada, Toronto houses several financial firms, banks and brokerage firms. Besides, this is the hub of Canada’s entertainment, technological, and educational interests. Not to forget, it is the hot spot for Hollywood film production as well. It is noteworthy to mention that the city is home to some of the big names in the world, viz. Manulife Financial, Thomson Corporation, Rogers Communications and Hudson’s Bay Company.

Toronto makes one of the best cities in the world to live in, especially when you are looking forward to have all the things according to your desire, while getting the true feeling of a cosmopolitan city. As compared to other cosmopolitan cities, the house prices in the Ontario capital are quite affordable. Those who plan to immigrate with families definitely prefer this city for its education institutions. It has diverse range of educational institutions with topnotch facilities, thus immigrants never give their immigration plan to Toronto a second thought.

One of the most important reasons as to why overseas people prefer to immigrate to Toronto is its political stability, almost non-existent corruption and lower rate of crime. It is considered as one of the safest and secure cities in the globe to live in.

When you think of immigrating to Toronto, you can definitely expect to lead a peaceful and better life. The city has been a hot favorite for generations of immigrants and it will continue, if Toronto keeps retaining the things for which it has been appreciated!

Surely, the movie dealt with other major issues but this particular line caught my attention. And yesterday, when I was reading this incident that a North-Eastern girl was badly molested in Munirka (New Delhi), my belief strengthened that girls from North-Eastern states like Mizoram, Assam, Tripura, to name a few are still treated outsiders in their own country. This victim from Mizoram was waiting for her younger sister, just when a restaurant waiter approached her and started passing lewd comments at her. It was when she started shouting; the neighbours came into her rescue and saved her from the brutal deeds of the culprit!

This is not the first incident which marked any North-Eastern girl as a victim. One can count thousands of such occurrences in the past… Some call them Nepalis, some address them as Chinese or Tibetans, but is it really their fault that their facial features do not match any typical Indian woman? Every day or the other, these innocent girls, who come to metropolitan cities to make their career, have to face lousy comments in some form or the other and have no choice but to ignore them, each passing day.

Well, it is accepted that these “so-called outsiders” are not good at communicating in Hindi, but does this mean that they are not Indians? The fact is that in most of the North Eastern states, English is the most widely spoken language and they hardly converse in the national language of India. But, once they land at the core of the country, where Hindi is widely spoken, they should be little empathetic and show their willingness to learn a bit of the language.

Not only in Delhi, similar incidents are reported in the everyday newspapers in other Indian states as well. North-Eastern people, especially girls are not safe and secure in these states. However, the rate of these incidents is significantly higher in Delhi. Why? Are Delhiites harder on these people? Are they more discriminating than other Indians? Believe it or not, the discrimination on North-Eastern people is a sort of racism!

The fact that a majority of these girls come alone, stay alone, make them a soft target, be it for molestation or some other brutal crime. Why don’t we guys understand that having unfamiliar features does not make them outsiders and they are as much Indians as our mothers or sisters. It’s high time that we should start addressing these issues and commence making some really HUGE changes in our mindsets!