THE ARMY DAY
On 15 Jan 1949, the command of the Indian Army was handed over from General Sir Francis Butcher to Lieutenant General KM Cariappa.
Army Day marks the transfer of power from the British to Independent India, an important event in Indian history.
Bodies battered and minds shattered;
they carried on because victory mattered.
The heights stay frozen, not with ice;
but by their blood and sacrifice.
Sons and fathers, like you and me;
conquered the peaks and set them free.
Too many did we lose, too many did we bleed;
but they cared not for their own need.
Fight they did till their last breath out;
without a question, nor a doubt.
Tear-soaked letters did their families receive,
written a few hours before battle-eve.
Each letter has a story to tell, each worth its weight in gold;
O how lucky they are, if only they could be told.
Because the son came later, after a lag;
enclosed in a coffin, draped in the Flag.
Forget them not, nor their deeds of yore;
they must be made a folklore.
For it is the least we can do for those who died,
with the flag in the mind and the rifle by their side.
Bodies battered and minds shattered;
they carried on because victory mattered.....
HAPPY ARMY DAY!
MAKAR SANKRANTI
Long ago during the times of Aryabhatta and Varahamihira, Sun's northerly movement and the sun entering the constellation of Capricorn (Makar Rasi) might have coincided. But due to the precessions of the earth's rotational axis, the equinoxes constantly move westwards. As a result, over a period of 15 centuries, the winter solstice is on 23 December; where as the actual entry of the sun in to Makar Rasi is on 15 January.
The Gregorian calendar follows the solar time. But the Hindu calendar follows mainly the sidereal time conforming to the movement of distant stars.
As per the Indian Almanac time calculation, sun enters the zodiac sign of Makar Rasi (from Dhanu Rasi), 20 minutes late every year, as compared to the English time or the World Time. Thus, once in three years, sun enters Makar Rasi late by one hour. That means, in every cycle of 72 years, sun enters Makar Rasi late by one day.
So from Varaha Mihira's time it has added up to about 23 days ie. 23 Dec to 15 Jan.
One winter festival which marks the start of the new season is called by so many names and in every culture the food prepared is essentially Khichdi (Lentil and rice preparation) both sweet (traditionally with jaggery) and spicy varieties. The festival traditionally involved eating sweets made of sesame-jaggery in all cultures. No matter what you call by name, the festival is celebrated all over with similarity.
* Makar Sankranti AP, Karnataka, Kerala, Goa, Maharashtra.
* Pongal Tamilnadu, Pondicherry.
* Lohri Punjab, Haryana.
* Sakraat and Makraat Bihar, UP, Uttarakhand.
* Uttarayan Gujarat, Diu, Daman.
* Suggi Karnataka.
* Ghughuti HP.
* Makara Chaula Orissa.
* Kicheri Poorvanchal East UP.
* Pousha Sankranti Bengal and NE.
* Magh Bihu Assam and NE.
* Shishur Sankraat Kashmir.
* Makara Vilakku Kerala.
* Maghe Sankrant Nepal.
* Songkran Thailand.
* Pi Ms Lao Laos.
* Thingyan Myanmar.
* Mohan Songkran Cambodia.
Celebrate Humanity.................Celebrate Unity in Diversity.
Tailpiece.
It was Makaram Onnu. Got up at 6, went through the chores and were ready well in time. Lekha's aarathi, followed by the house's soon after. Lekha went to the Mammiyoor Siva kshetram by 10 and thereafter, it was a quiet day.
On 15 Jan 1949, the command of the Indian Army was handed over from General Sir Francis Butcher to Lieutenant General KM Cariappa.
Army Day marks the transfer of power from the British to Independent India, an important event in Indian history.
Bodies battered and minds shattered;
they carried on because victory mattered.
The heights stay frozen, not with ice;
but by their blood and sacrifice.
Sons and fathers, like you and me;
conquered the peaks and set them free.
Too many did we lose, too many did we bleed;
but they cared not for their own need.
Fight they did till their last breath out;
without a question, nor a doubt.
Tear-soaked letters did their families receive,
written a few hours before battle-eve.
Each letter has a story to tell, each worth its weight in gold;
O how lucky they are, if only they could be told.
Because the son came later, after a lag;
enclosed in a coffin, draped in the Flag.
Forget them not, nor their deeds of yore;
they must be made a folklore.
For it is the least we can do for those who died,
with the flag in the mind and the rifle by their side.
Bodies battered and minds shattered;
they carried on because victory mattered.....
HAPPY ARMY DAY!
MAKAR SANKRANTI
Long ago during the times of Aryabhatta and Varahamihira, Sun's northerly movement and the sun entering the constellation of Capricorn (Makar Rasi) might have coincided. But due to the precessions of the earth's rotational axis, the equinoxes constantly move westwards. As a result, over a period of 15 centuries, the winter solstice is on 23 December; where as the actual entry of the sun in to Makar Rasi is on 15 January.
The Gregorian calendar follows the solar time. But the Hindu calendar follows mainly the sidereal time conforming to the movement of distant stars.
As per the Indian Almanac time calculation, sun enters the zodiac sign of Makar Rasi (from Dhanu Rasi), 20 minutes late every year, as compared to the English time or the World Time. Thus, once in three years, sun enters Makar Rasi late by one hour. That means, in every cycle of 72 years, sun enters Makar Rasi late by one day.
So from Varaha Mihira's time it has added up to about 23 days ie. 23 Dec to 15 Jan.
One winter festival which marks the start of the new season is called by so many names and in every culture the food prepared is essentially Khichdi (Lentil and rice preparation) both sweet (traditionally with jaggery) and spicy varieties. The festival traditionally involved eating sweets made of sesame-jaggery in all cultures. No matter what you call by name, the festival is celebrated all over with similarity.
* Makar Sankranti AP, Karnataka, Kerala, Goa, Maharashtra.
* Pongal Tamilnadu, Pondicherry.
* Lohri Punjab, Haryana.
* Sakraat and Makraat Bihar, UP, Uttarakhand.
* Uttarayan Gujarat, Diu, Daman.
* Suggi Karnataka.
* Ghughuti HP.
* Makara Chaula Orissa.
* Kicheri Poorvanchal East UP.
* Pousha Sankranti Bengal and NE.
* Magh Bihu Assam and NE.
* Shishur Sankraat Kashmir.
* Makara Vilakku Kerala.
* Maghe Sankrant Nepal.
* Songkran Thailand.
* Pi Ms Lao Laos.
* Thingyan Myanmar.
* Mohan Songkran Cambodia.
Celebrate Humanity.................Celebrate Unity in Diversity.
Tailpiece.
It was Makaram Onnu. Got up at 6, went through the chores and were ready well in time. Lekha's aarathi, followed by the house's soon after. Lekha went to the Mammiyoor Siva kshetram by 10 and thereafter, it was a quiet day.
No comments:
Post a Comment