February 2019 - Columbia Pacific Communities
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February 2019 Pausa and Magha are the months of the Hindu Calendar that overlap with the month of February in the Gregorian Calendar. The Hindu Calendar being aligned to the state of the moon, has its holidays carefully coordinated with lunar events. This implies that the dates for important Hindu festivals will vary from year to year when viewed from the Gregorian Calendar. However, while the dates on the Gregorian Calendar may be different, since the Hindu Calendar is also closely aligned with the agricultural cycle, the "feel in the air" on the occasion of every festival is always the same - the weather, the nip in the air, the size and thickness of the blanket being used, the number of woollens being worn or shed and the accompanying mood associated with every Hindu festival is the same every year. We have just finished celebrating Pongal / Makar Sankranti / Lohri / Uttarayan - the harvest festival celebrated across the country in different ways. I was delighted to see the fervour and festivity of these festivals demonstrated at all our Communities with the residents and teams coming together to celebrate and share the joys this festival brings. I hope the memories and sentiments still linger within all. As the Gregorian calendar turns to February, the impact of the "north - western hemisphere" on the youth and our social consciousness starts to make its presence felt. This is, after all, the month dedicated to love and romance - and ensconced in the middle, on 14th February, Valentine's Day which has the effect of heightened sales of candies, roses, greeting cards and increasingly in our digital world - of "whatsapp messages". I did try to research the history of Valentine's Day and the reason why this day is named after a Saint. "Research" is a very serious sounding but entirely misleading word for the act of typing "history of valentine's day" in Google! As I found out, this history is indeed shrouded in mystery with as many as three different St. Valentine's being martyred for different reasons - all in the name of unrequited love. It is my theory, and I take full responsibility for its absolute lack of scientific character. However, I do request you all to try this for yourself - step out of your homes on any morning in February - breathe in the fresh air, experience the tingle of the morning coolness on your face, the smell of roses wafting in the air, the beauty of dew drops on the lotus and the brightness of the marigold - and I can bet, you will feel love. Love, in all its splendour - for nature, for your friend, for the person who cares for you, for God - the most powerful and benevolent. I have full confidence that you will endorse my theory. So, in this month dedicated to love, I wish you and all whom you hold dear, all the love in the world and the happiness that it brings. With gratitude for allowing us the privilege of being of service,
V
alentine's Day is around the corner and over the past few years, this day
to celebrate love has gained prominence finding its way into our annual
activity calendar.
Though there are many theories surrounding the origin of Valentine’s
Day and its significance in an Indian context, a day to celebrate love is something
we can all do with. Most of our festivals and celebrations are centered around
THAT FOUR religion or nationalism. A day to celebrate the most beautiful human emotion,
LETTER WORD therefore, is something to look forward to.
Though Valentine's Day initially celebrated love in a romantic context, it cannot
and need not be restricted to one sort of love. Love isn't just a feeling of affection
between a couple. The purest form of love stems from caring deeply about
someone - whether it’s your lover, spouse, sibling, friend, neighbour, pet or even
your favourite screen idol.
Self love is one of the most essential forms of love. Unless you love all of yourself,
with all your frailties and shortcomings, how would you love anyone else? Make
time for the simple things you love doing – watching an old film, reconnecting
with old passions, or just taking a hot shower. They don’t cost too much money,
but are powerful expressions of self love.
Expressing love need not be a lavish or grand cinematic gesture. A warm hug
from your spouse, a pat on the back to a friend, a word of motivation to a
neighbour, a friendly 'hi' to a stranger. -- the tiny acts of love have deep impact.
This Valentine's Day, let love fill the air.
F
ebruary 4 is World Cancer Day, a day marked to create awareness about
the fatal disease and its prevention and treatment.
According to official statistics, in 2018 more than 7 lakh people
have lost their lives to cancer in India.
Cancer can be caused by a number of factors. Poor lifestyle choices such
as consumption of alcohol,
lack of exercise and
improper diet are a few
reasons. Other factors
THE KARKINOS such as carcinogens in the
air, genetics or a family
history of the disease also
play a role.
However, with the
advancement in medical
technology, cancer is
treatable if detected at an
early stage. Depending on
how big it is and whether
it has spread, the types of
treatments for cancer
include surgery,
chemotherapy,
radiotherapy, hormone
therapy, immunotherapy, and gene therapy.
In spite of advancement in medical technology, lives we lose to the
disease remain high. 65 per cent of cancer deaths take place in the least
developed parts of the world. This is mainly due to lack of awareness and
late detection.
World Cancer Day has its origin at the World Summit Against Cancer in
Paris on February 4, 2000. The day aims to create awareness on cancer
and empowers a collective voice to press for government policies to
provide equal access to cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care.
Every year the World Cancer Day has a theme. For 2019-2021, the theme
is 'I AM AND I WILL' and aims to involve people from different walks of life
to do their bit to raise awareness around the disease.
Awareness can be spread by leveraging various channels - social media
posts, data-driven infographics and offline events that can serve as
support and knowledge sharing platforms.
Over a third of all cancers can be prevented by reducing the exposure to
risk factors. There are also several cost effective tests for detection and
early detection can save lives. Spreading awareness is the only way to
reduce fear and dispel myths.
Together, we can kill the crab.
CHENNAI
MADRAS MELA 2019
(An expo on world class designs, accessories, food, entertainment
and much more)
o Date :8, 9 Feb 2019
o Timing: 4:30 am - 03:30 pm
o Location: Buva House, Nungambakkam, Chennai
A MORNING OF HARMONY
A yoga and chanting session by Divya Srinivasan and subconscious
mind visualisation/ manifestation by Deepa Palaniappan
EVENTS
NEAR YOU o Date : 10 Feb 2019
o Timing: 3:30 am - 6:00 am
o Location: The English Tearoom, Alwarpet, Chennai
PONDICHERRY
MEDITATION WITH DARIYA
A Meditation workshop
o Date : 23 - 24 Feb 2019
o Timing: 23 Feb, 8:45 am; 24 Feb, 6:30 am
o Location: Quiet Healing Center, Auroville, Puducherry
MANIPUR FEST 2019
A cultural event showcasing the cultural diversities of Karnataka and Manipur
o Date : 2 Feb 2019
o Timing: 4:00 pm onwards
o Location: Ravindra Kalakshetra Jayachamaraja Wodeyar Road, Bangalore
COIMBATORE
FAIR PREMIUM
Exclusive exhibition for Home/Lifestyle/Automobile/Fashion
o Date : 23, 24 Feb 2019
o Timing: 10:00 am – 8:00 pm
o Location: Codissia Trade Fair Complex, Coimbatore
Pongal Celebrations
Pelican Dance program
SERENE
EVENTS
Health Camp at Serene Idigarai
T
he second month of the year is the shortest and the sweetest.
While there’s still a nip in the air, Spring slowly starts to reveal itself.
And despite being the only month that has no full moon, February
is the most romantic month of the year.
Here are all the things that make February a special month.
Vasant Panchami :
This year Vasant Panchami will be celebrated on February 10. The word
Vasant (Basant) means spring and Panchami denotes the fifth day on
which the festival falls. It is dedicated to Goddess Saraswati, the goddess
of knowledge, and in many communities, it is celebrated as Saraswati
Pooja. On this auspicious day, devotees make offerings to the goddess of
knowledge. Since the colour yellow signifies the vibrance of spring,
people offer yellow flowers, sweets, and wear yellow-hued clothes. The
festival ushers in Spring.
HELLO
FEBRUARY!
Valentine’s Day
While gifts, candle light dinner, romantic getaways and heart shaped
balloons are the modern day trappings of Valentine’s Day, the origin of
this day dates back to the ancient Roman year when Saint Valentine was
executed. The day of love is a reminder to feel and express gratitude for
all the love we have received.
Birth Anniversary of Mira Alfassa
Mira Alfassa, affectionately known as The
Mother, was born on February 21, 1878 in
Paris. This year marks the 141st birth
anniversary of The Mother.
Before she became The Mother of
Pondicherry, Alfassa was naturally drawn
towards spirituality; she began reading
spiritual books, seeking the meaning and
purpose of life; her devotion grew over years,
yet the golden figure in her dream remained
mysterious.
She found herself prostrating before the
figure - an Asiatic man with golden-bronze
skin, unruly beard and long hair. Not knowing
who is it was, she called him Krishna. It was only when she accompanied
her husband Paul to Pondicherry that she got to meet Sri Aurobindo.
Suddenly everything made sense. The man in her dreams was standing in
front of her. The same unruly beard and long hair, dhoti worn on one side
of his shoulder with people prostrated around him. She knew she was
destined to return to India. Given her French roots, she struggled to find
acceptance in India initially. However, to Sri Aurobindo, Alfassa was a
Yogini and he called her, The Mother. She soon became the Mother of
Pondicherry. The government of India honoured her by issuing a
commemorative stamp in her name.
T
his Serene resident's passion for Videography is inspiring
Talent knows no age. This seems to be true for 84-year-old Serene Idigarai
resident, S.N Sharma. Sharma has been making informativevideos which
are played for residents of Serene Idigarai every Wednesday.
A former Reserve Bank of India employee, Sharma's interest for videos and
documentaries blossomed between 1987 and 1997. As the incharge of RBI's
computer division, Sharma was working on a special project and had to prepare
many power point presentations which got him interested in editing photos,
creating videos.
He later bought himself a Nikkon camera and professionally started exploring
videography from 2012.
Originally from Bangalore, S.N. Sharma moved into Serene Idigarai in 2016. Using
simple Microsoft tools, he makes videos on Tradition, Culture, Indian Spirituality,
Science & Technology and publishes them on his Youtube channel which has 375
subscribers.
Some of his videos also feature activities taking place in the Serene Idigarai
community.
A Graduate in B-Com with a Diploma in Radio Engineering, Sharma is passionate
about Electronics, Science and Videography. He believes that most of our religious
practices and rituals have a scientific relationship. Therefore, his videos mainly
focus on the connection between the religious Upanishads and the latest science
and technology.
In one of his videos about Chidambara Ragasiyam, he talks about the scientific
explanation of the Hindu religious mythology. He refers to the Nataraja statue
placed at the CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) center in
Geneva to acknowledge the significance of the metaphor of Shiva’s dance for the
cosmic dance of subatomic particles.
Sharma’s story is a great example of not retiring your passions owing to age.
In our most productive years, many of us would have given up on our dreams and
passion to focus on our professions.
There is still time for you to pursue that passion. Do it not for the laurels and
recognition but for the joy of doing something you love.
Sugarcane juice - 1 cup Rice - 1/2 cup (cooked) Ghee - 2 teaspoons Milk - 1 cup Cardamom - 3 to 4 Raisins - 2 teaspoons Cashew - 8 to 10 (Chopped) Almonds - 8 to 10 (Sliced) In a bowl, add milk and mix sugarcane juice and rice together. Bring it to a boil. Simmer it in a low flame for 10 minutes. Stir it well until the sugarcane juice is slightly thick and syrupy. Add cardamom powder to it. Allow the rice to cook until it becomes soft In a pan, add ghee, raisins and cashews, and heat it. Once it turns slightly brown, add the contents to the bowl. Add kheer, a sprinkle of black salt and stir well. You can serve it hot or cold.
Book : The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83¼ Years Old
Author : Hendrik Groen
Language : English
Price : Rs. 317/-
83 -year-old Hendrik Groen may be advancing in his age, but he is
not too old to live and love life to the fullest.
To him, sipping morning coffee, listening to endless complaints, the slow and
sluggish walks of old people aren’t enchanting. Even as he begins to face
age-related problems, Groen detests the idea of falling sick and spending the
rest of his years in a wheelchair. And so, he sets out to write an exposé: an
amusing, but beyond comedy journal of his days in a senior care home in
Amsterdam.
“The Secret Diary of Hendrik , 83 1/4
Years Old” is about friendship, love,
and freedom. It gives you a glimpse of
Groen’s everyday life - the one he
wishes to live without anyone’s
approval.
While the connections between
childhood and old age are well drawn,
there is indistinct details of his former
years. While he cherishes the good old
times, he refuses to return to the tragic
moment of his daughter’s death.
There are other unhappy moments like
dealing with his depressed wife and
losing friends to dementia or death. Yet
his determination is not weakened.
He, along with his friends, form the Old
But Not Dead Club to free themselves
from their present situation. Hendrik
buys a mobility scooter, and together they travel to different places.
Towards the end of the book, we see Hendrik form a close bond with Eefje, an
elderly woman. Eefje’s presence creates a stir; he feels a void being lifted.
With a remarkably resh take on dotage, this is an enjoyable read from the very
first page.
A. Two little boys were known troublemakers, stealing everything
they could get their hands on, even from the church. One day a priest
stopped one of the boys and asked, "Where is God?" The boy
shrugged and the priest repeated, "Where is God?" The boy went
running back to his house, crying. His brother asked him, "What's
wrong?" The crying boy replied, "We're in trouble now! God is missing
and they think we took him!"
B. A man called his child's doctor, "Hello! My son just snatched my
pen when I was writing and swallowed it. What should I do?" The
doctor replied, "Until I come over, use another pen."
1. Pronounced as one letter, 2. Two mothers and two daughters go to a pet
And written with three, store and buy three cats. Each of them has
Two letters there are, one cat. How is this possible?
And two only in me.
I'm double, I'm single,
I'm black, blue, and gray, 3. When one does not know what it is, then it
I'm read from both ends, is something; but when one knows what it
And the same either way. is, then it is nothing.
What am I?
4. What do you throw out when you want to use it but take in when you don't
want to use it?
5. What do you serve that you can't eat?
1. An eye.
2. There is a grandmother, a mother, and a daughter. The grandmother is also
the mother's mother, so there are two daughters and two mothers, but only
a total of three people.
3. A riddle.
4. An anchor
5. A tennis ball- Rumi
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