1st May, 1960 was the day when Gujarat was officially declared as an independent state in the map of India and today, on the 53rd year of the official birthday of our State, I proud to say that I am Gujarati. Every child has immense love towards the mother and hence, I also would like to explore some Vibrant parts of my first mother land - Gujarat, to the world.
Gujarat is one of the wealthiest states of India. So many times, I also feel that Gujarat is the one of the dearest child of India and nature too. As it is surrounded one side by the great Arabian Sea, one side by the Great Runn (desert) of Kutch and in one side by the Mountain range of Arravali. Several sanctuaries are here including the world famous - Sasan Gir where Asiatic lions are livinig happily and Nalsarovar - where the birds and bird watchers come from all over the world. Not only these sanctuaries are the beauty of Gujarat but you can also find the living dense forests in Daang district and Gir. Not stopping here, Gujarat has a hill station too. It is Saputara. So many colors of nature you can find here in Gujarat.
So as the mother so as the children too.
These Vibrant nature doesn't stop in geography only, it runs through the veins in the blood of every Gujarati. I have seen several states of India but the uniqueness of Gujarati is something incomparable. In most of the movies and in other TV shows, Gujaratis are shown as a joke. They have been given an identity - Gujju. Now I don't understand what this name means but certainly I know one thing is that Gujaratis are not at all a matter of joke. Many people find an excuse to laugh seeing that in this 21st century, many Gujaratis don't know how to speak English. But in their surprise, these Gujaratis, each of whom may not be able to speak fluent and in correct "Pronunciation", are doing Great in the "English-Speaking" countries. Yes, they're running Hotels, Motels, Food restaurants, Jewellery shops and currently one Gujarati has bought the "East India company" in UK, which ruled in India! Yes, he is Mr. Mehta and you can find plenty of information of him from the net. My intention of writing this is not to make any non Gujarati inferior but to make everyone aware that Gujarat is the land where courage beats, where the business grows, where the peace is not at the cost of tablets, where training may be nothing but skill is everything. You can find the Gujarati very simple but beware, yet he may be simple, he is not a coward. He will come over all the problems and will command the victory and you can ask this to any foreign countrymen, specially from US, UK, Canada and Australia!
These Gujaratis are fond of life. They earn lots of money, they spend them a lot, they eat a lot and they travel a lot. It would not be wrong to say that the tourism board of India has heavier contribution from Gujaratis. While working they work like a mad man and once they are at home, they are of home. Food industry in Gujarat is a shock to the Economists. In the recession period, this recession proof industry kept on going. The restaurants, the food streets are always full irrespective of the time. Same is to the traveling too. I have not seen a Gujarati who doesn't do traveling even once in a year. The peace loving Gujaratis are far from the fights and that is why Gujarat is becoming a mini India. As here everyone can see the peace and safety. It is the one and only state where liquor is banned.
The courageous Gujaratis have done sun shining job so many times and due to their work, they're respected all over the world. Who doesn't know the Gujarat connection with business tycoons Dhirubhai Ambani, Ratan Tata and Azim premji? The diamond industry of Surat (Gujarat) is world known and it has great contribution to the diamond industry world wide. Many ships come in Gujarat in Alang (Bhavnagar) to have their final destination. Hazira is like a valley of gold for the petrochemical industry which is here in Gujarat. Who is unaware that Mahatma Gandhi was Gujarati? Who doesn't know that it was Sardar Patel - the real Iron man of India, who discovered India under one government? And today in the year 2013, who doesn't know about the Visionary CM of Gujarat - Shree Narendrabhai Modi, who is acclaimed to be next PM of India?
Not in the field of politics and business, but in the field of entertainment too, Gujarat is making deep impacts. Paresh Raval, the versatile actor of Gujarat is the heart throb of movies. You may watch any movie, but this person makes it alive and when the topic of music comes, none can neglect Himesh Reshamiya who is also a Gujarati. The TV serial, which has now become a platform for many movie promotions, "Tarak Mehta ka ooltah chasmah" is completely a Gujarati package. You can cling to this saga, if you wish to desire anything of Gujarati family.
Where everything is at the top, how can it be forgotten to ignore the core of Gujaratis- Food and Traveling? You can find plenty of restaurants offering the Gujarati Thali in all over Gujarat and not only in Gujarat, due to the nature of Traveling of Gujaratis, other states and some countries too are forced to offer Gujarati Thali. You can of course find the Gujarati thali in any state of India and even in UK, US, Ausralia, Canada and the countries where Gujaratis live, you can find the Gujarati thali. The beauty of Gujarati thali is - as per illustrated in Ayurveda - a balanced dish, which should be in your Lunch and dinner. Today foreign scientists agree to believe that curd and butter milk have to be there in your meals and the originating point of them is Gujarati thali.
Apart from Gujarati thali, several items of Gujarat are too famous in the world. Ghaari of Surat and Kesar Mangoes are the best example. Not only for food, Gujarat is also a beautiful traveling place and Amitabh Bachchan agrees with that.
Two Jyotirlingas (from 12 Jyotirlingas in India) namely, Somnaath and Nageshwar are in Gujarat. Two big Shaktipiths of India - Pavagadh and Ambaji are in Gujarat. Without taking blessings from where, the journey of "Chaar Dhaam" is considered futile, is in Gujarat known as "Dwarka" where Shri Krishna lived. You can visit these places to have the blessings of the eternal.
Gujarat is also a heaven for Archeologists. The Dwarka is believed to be made of Gold under the governance of Shri Krishna, and sank in the water of Great Arabian sea is now FOUND from the underwater. History channel has officially confirmed that Dwarka was there and the evidences of the oldest civilization found are 12,000 years old as per their scientific research. The city of Lothal also is the place for the archeology.
When every part is rich then what about the literature? Well, Gujarati literature is one of its kind and I am proud to say that Gujarati literature has much richness. Gujaratis play tribute to Zaverchand Meghani, Umashankar joshi, Dhumketu, Mareez, Kajal oza vaidya, Gunvant shah and to so many authors and poets for their immense contribution in Gujarati literature. They pay respect to the one who wrote famous "Jay Garvi Gujarat" - Kavi Narmad.
My love will not end for my mother land and will not be able to explain this land completely. But one thing is for sure,
મહેમાનગતિ તો ગુજરાતની. ‘અતિથિ તુમ કબ જાઓગે’ની માનસિકતા ગુજરાતીઓની નથી. વેપાર-ઉદ્યોગ ગુજરાતીના લોહીમાં છે. અમદાવાદીઓના જલસા,સુરતી લાલાઓની મસ્તી,કાઠિયાવાડી મહેમાનગતિ તો અહીંના છોગા છે. એક તરફથી દરિયો દોડે છે તો બીજી તરફ રણ બેઠું છે. દ્વારકાધીશના દેશમાં રે આવો વ્હાલા મારા ગુજરાતમાં....
Explore Gujarat more at;
http://www.gujarattourism.com/
It was a time in India before 1947 when everywhere there was a deep darkness, darkness of hunger, darkness of growth, darkness of freedom and most of all, darkness of Wisdom. India was about to die - as they say! But a sudden clash of thunder announced its arrival and shacked the whole world with his power, with his wisdom, with his intelligence and most of all with his holy and fierce, strong and calm, religious and materialistic spiritual views. Yes, that thunder was, is and will be a Lion Roar of India whom we call - Shri Shri Swami Vivekananda. India and the whole world celebrates 150th Birthday of this undisputed leader today (on 12th Jan'13), which is known and celebrated as a Youth Day in India. Swami Vivekananda born in Calcutta, a capital of British India, in a Bengali family. His name before he accepted Sannyas was Narendranath Dutt. Having the strong background of religion from his mother and sympathetic sharp intelligence from his lawyer father, Narendra was in a deep search from his childhood for the god and this search gave India, its one of the best and brave sons and the world, an "English Speaking Indian Monk" - Swami Vivekananda. Talking about his life, about his abilities, about his achievements, about his strengths, about his intelligence is something about his physical virtues and the entire post and the author him self are not able enough to discuss all these things because you can describe the attribute of the water in the Glass but how can you describe the water which is lying in Sea?
Swami Vivekananda was not here to exhibit any supernatural physical phenomena. His entire life was to up lift the life of those who live in dungeon, who are weak, who have lost all hope in life. For those, Swamiji came and with his pure and strong character power, he changed the mindset of the world. My effort is not to highlight his life events but to highlight his vision, his psyche, his soul and the reason for which he established "RamKrishna Mission" in the name of his Master-Shri Ramkrishna Parmamhansa. It is my pleasure trying to give some exposure to this eternal power whom Hindus call GuruShakti. Yes, Swami Vivekananda is my Master and he has been one of the main and major root causes of my energy.
In the name of Swami Vivekananda competitions are being held, in the name of him people find excuses to gain respect. Winning/Loosing was far beyond from his eyes, he didn't know their meanings. He didn't come to bring the competition, he actually came to finish it. He came to bring everyone on same plane that every individual is bright and it is only the matter of which kind of education he gets. If there is a healthy competition, it can be understood and appreciated but a poisonous competitions create problem everywhere. Competition creates the inferior and superior complexities. Swami Vivekananda wanted to have this discrimination factor removed from every human. He had known that the Best survives and he wanted none is left on the earth to become the best. The first thing he wanted was this crystal clear vision that "Every Human is a living God. If you can't worship him, what right do you have to call your self religious?" He knew and every Yogi knows that there lies equal, and mark my words, equal not more or less, deity power within everyone and it is a matter of great shame to discriminate anyone.
But the next question that immediately comes into mind is that "How can we consider everyone equal? or How can we respect everyone? How can we forgive everyone? It is not possible or may be if it is possible but that may not be our cup of tea, it is for Saints." True. I agree that these questions are bound to come when this thing is understood that Vivekananda's work was to bring harmony in the society and it is really very hard or harder to forgive anyone, to consider anyone as equal and respected as we are and this thing can not be taught or imposed, it has to be EXPERIENCED. We may ask where should we go to experience this and there is no place to go except inside of our own self. When we do meditate, we go inside and by and by we shall come to know that nothing is different from us. Everything is one and a same without any mutation. Swami Vivekananda once said after having strong meditative experience, "I can see that there is no difference between me and any other thing in this world. Everything is one and same." He suggested Meditation as one of the best ways to realize the truth.
However, today, Meditation is given a treatment as if it is an Alien word, as if it never existed in the past. People say that Meditation is not for us, it is for those who wish to leave the home, the family, the relatives, the friends, it is for those who are not capable of handling situation. Many, who meditate, will definitely can give stronger arguments on these beliefs but Swami Vivekananda, upon being capable, didn't do that. Swamiji didn't have hard feelings for those who couldn't believe in Meditation. He gave them another way that if you can't do meditation, don't worry, don't bother, God is kind. Be responsible for your deeds and through this Karma Yoga, you will get Salvation. One of the strongest preaching of Swami Vivekananda was to work, work and work. Don't spread words, Just Work and through it, you will get to celestial sound. He bravely said to the youth, "By playing Football, you will come to know Geeta in more dimensions." This was his height of Sanity that he had solutions for everyone. If you can't meditate, don't worry, Work.
Without working, nothing is about to gain and we are bound to work. We have to either good or bad but we've to work and he used to ask that if we're bound to work than why to do bad things? Why not to do good thing? This is almost everybody's question that everyone knows that we should not do bad things, but we can't stop doing bad things. What could be the reason behind this? Swamiji said, "It is the nature. The nature which is with you, within you makes you sick or strong. You have impressions of your past deeds and these deeds make you something." A nature is an outcome of our repeated tasks and when we do something repeatedly, that thing becomes our habit. Our deeds show that which kind of habit do we have and if the whole base of a nature depends upon the habit then we have a very good reason to change our habit and through that our nature. If we can change our nature, we can for sure change the results but this thing is not being done because we don't feel our self responsible for the bad part of our life. This was the major lesson which Swami Vivekananda has preached that, "You are responsible for yourself. Don't worry for defeat or for victory. Just be responsible and word accordingly." Swamiji gave very beautiful preaching that if you can't meditate, don't worry, be responsible and work for your salvation.
Responsibility is something which comes from inside, you can not force anyone to be responsible as none will be. 150 years have passed and still after this clear saying, we're in vain because we tend to throw everything bad on family, relatives, friends, luck and lastly on God. So, how can we be responsible if we don't feel to be from inside. A person can only be responsible in his life when he wants to have some growth in life, when he wants to uplift his life, when he is hopeful for future, only then a person can think that he now needs to be responsible. People say that India is not responsible. But when majority of the masses in India is starving even for two times food, then how can there be any help for them to be responsible? They're depressed faces where you can't not see any glow. They're depressed upon being poor, upon being hungry. But they don't have any hope. Why? Because we find them miserable and they're shame for the so called sane and rich people. Unless and until these people get respect, until they're motivated, Indian society won't be able to open full wings. Swami Vivekananda said for these people, after visiting the whole India as a wanderer, "The true India lives in huts. Don't neglect them, they're your blood your flesh. Enrich them, give them food and education and your work is over. They're stronger than you, they'll find their path themselves, just give them a start."
This was his entire life. He wanted 100 men from India but he got not a single one! Today, in India and all over the world where the followers or lovers of Swamiji are staying, used to celebrate his birthday with great joy. Organizers acknowledge the bright students on this day, many quiz and other competitions are held on this day in India. I respect this respect which is there in the hearts of everyone but it feels my heart with great sorrow that on one hand we remember Swamiji and appreciate his work and on other hand we do all those things which Vivekananda did find utterly ugly! He wanted a balanced society, balanced personality, balanced body and mind, balanced religion but we've just reduced him to his lectures. Yes, lectures, I would say as we don't even have time to make his pious speeches, discourses. We just have reduced Swami Vivekananda to statues and two or three his famous sayings. That is all respect we're showing to him.
On this auspicious day, a day of Uttarayan-Makarsakrant, on the day of birthday of Swami Vivekananda, I request all those who believe in Swamiji and even to those who are influenced by him, to get into his heart what he wished for and what are we giving him.
I pray to the almighty that "The Blood of Swami Vivekananda runs through your veins and you get a deep search instinct in you for GOD." and soon the time will come for which Swami Vivekananda said,
"Wait, and meditate till I call you!"
Tanno Hamsah Prachodayat
