Author Archives: manju

About manju

Blog- Of Cabbages and Kings [http://manjujoglekar.wordpress.com/]

Surya Namaskar Chart

Posted on February 17, 2013

Today is Maagh shuddha saptami- Rath Saptami. It is celebrated as Surya Jayanti- birthday of the Sun God. Following is a chart of the ten positions in the Surya Namaskar and the Mantras- The pictures are of the Sun temple at Konark, Odisha.

Posted in miscellaneous | 16 Comments

Knowledge Is That Which Liberates

Posted on February 10, 2013

“सा विद्या या विमुक्तये|” – Most of us have heard this quote at some time or the other. This is the motto of quite a few educational institutions in India. The complete verse, which is from the Vishnu Puran, is … Continue reading →

Posted in reflections, society | 8 Comments

Opening School Gates to Molesters

Posted on January 22, 2013

“A 9-year-old girl studying in a BMC school at Govandi was allegedly molested in the school’s toilet by an unknown man on Thursday. The 2nd standard student, who studies in the Urdu-medium section of Shivaji Nagar Mahapalika School, went to use the toilet … Continue reading →

Posted in govt policy | 8 Comments

Of Names and Identities

Posted on January 4, 2013

This morning’s  newspaper brought the interesting news that “a 15-year-old Icelandic girl is suing the state for the right to legally use the name given to her by her mother. Apparently, Iceland has specific rules regarding what names can be … Continue reading →

Posted in miscellaneous, social awareness | 20 Comments

Truth, Falsehood, and In Between

Posted on December 11, 2012

As a child, I loved the story of Pinocchio, the little wooden puppet who dreamed of becoming a real boy some day. He had an unusual trait- whenever he told a lie, his nose would begin to grow! After a … Continue reading →

Posted in reflections, society | 28 Comments

Shastra Poojan

Posted on October 23, 2012

Tomorrow is Vijayadashami, [also called Dasara/ Dussehra]. Of the many legends associated wih this festival, the one about the Pandavas hiding their weapons in a hollow in the Shami tree, is one of my favourites. In the Mahabharata, after Yudhisthira lost to Duryodhana in the game … Continue reading →

Posted in social awareness, society | 24 Comments

Crime Against Women or Political Conspiracy?

Posted on October 9, 2012

Why are rapes taking place in Haryana with such alarming frequency?? According to the Haryana State Congress chief Phool Chand Mulana, the rape of 11 women in the last one month (is) a “conspiracy to malign the government.” “Such incidents happened earlier also, we … Continue reading →

Posted in social awareness, society | 24 Comments

How Much is Enough?

Posted on September 26, 2012

How Much is Enough? “You can never have enough ” seems to be what everyone thinks nowadays.  It is a legitimate ambition to covet the latest electronic gadgets, or buy the fastest bikes. It is the ‘in thing’ to wear clothes with … Continue reading →

Posted in society | 32 Comments

A Couple of Riddles and a Blogversary

Posted on September 16, 2012

Today, I’ve decided to bore my blogging friends with a couple of riddles in Sanskrit. No one really knows who composed these Subhaashit-riddles, they have been passed down by one generation to the next for many centuries. See if you can … Continue reading →

Posted in miscellaneous | 26 Comments

To Speak or Not to Speak

Posted on August 30, 2012

They say that Speech is silver, but silence is golden. Silence, or perhaps we should say discretion, is better than speaking eloquently. When in doubt of what to say, in many cases, it’s better not to say anything at all.  … Continue reading →

Posted in reflections, society | 20 Comments