Healthy Indian Spices

Let’s now talk about those very important spices in Indian dishes which not only give flavor to our dishes but is also curable to certain diseases.

1. Turmeric: Starting off with turmeric which is not only an important spice to be used in all Indian dishes but also adds colour and flavor to your special dish. Turmeric has many healing properties. Researches have shown that Turmeric or haldi as known in India, contains a component curcumin which switches off those genes that enlarge heart. Other than that, turmeric is also known to reduce cholesterol and high blood pressure, it also increases proper blood circulation throughout the body and prevents blood clotting. Unbelievable but true, daily consumption of turmeric does reduce the risk of heart attack.

2. Curry leaves: A very important spice used down south specially for tempering. Curry leaves give a very nice aroma to your dish. With regards health benefits, curry leaves reduces weight. They wash out all toxins and fats from your body. The fat deposits in your body starts cutting down gradually with the daily intake of curry leaves. Curry leaves are also good for your hair, it helps hair growth and also prevents premature graying of hair. No wonder why ladies down south take pride in their long, thick and dark hair.

3. Cardamom: Elaichi or cardamom is a very flavor filled Indian spice rich in aroma. Used in richly flavored dishes and also dessert, cardamom is also very good for your health. It increases metabolism, improves digestion and is also beneficial for weight loss.

4. Chilly: Indian dishes are known for their spiciness, no wonder chillies play a vital role. Chillies are a very good herb to burn fat. They contain a special ingredient called capsaicin that helps in improving metabolism and burn fat fast.

5. Garlic: Garlic possesses some anti-bacterial properties that reduce cholesterol and fat.

So you see, Indian foods forever are not only spicy and tasty but also add to your health. Don’t torture yourself with tasteless food to lose weight anymore!

Nagade Sang Dhol Baaje Lyrics Translation

Movie: Ramleela
Music: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Lyrics: Siddharth-Garima
Singers: Shreya Ghoshal, Osman Mir

Hey dhin tadaak dhin tadaak
Aa jaa ud ke saraat
Pairon se bedi zaraa khol
Nagaade sang dhol baaje, dhol baaje
Dhaayn dhaayn dham dham dhaayn

Hey, dhin tadaak dhin tadaak
[Indian percussion beats]
Come flying fast,
Open the shackles of my feet,
drums beat with the kettle-drums*
with huge sounds..

Re khat-khat, haan khat-khat
Baaje dastak wo naa ab tak aaya
Re tab se, haan tab se 
Haan dekhi raahein
Ki ab tu khol baahein aaja
Umad-ghumad ghoome, 
re machle re mora mann
Goonje re baalam ke bol

There is knocking on the door,
but he hasn’t yet come.
Since then, yeah, since then
I’ve been waiting,
now open your arms and come.
my heart roams here and there in joy,
getting all restless..
The words of my beloved speak out loud..

Lili limbudi re, leelo nagarvel no chhod
Parbhu parodh na re
Maar gher uttaara karta jaao
Utaaro nahi karun re
Maar gher Sita juve vaat
Sita ekla re
Juve ram-lakhan ni vaat

This green lemon-tree and green betel-tree
O Lord, don’t refuse..
Please have a little stay at my house,
I’ll not stay,
as Goddess Sita is waiting at my home,
Sita, Alone there,
waits for Ram and Lakshman..

O pal-pal re pal-pal beet’ta jal-jal
Naach ab chal aaja
Re thar-thar thar-thar haan kaanpe thar-thar
Haan dar dar jee se darr ab na na
Baaghon mein bola, bola re bola mor,
badla re dil ka bhoogol

Every moment passes burning (in agony)
Now come and dance (with me)
(why do you) shiver so much,
Now don’t be afraid of your heart..
Peacocks now speak in the gardens [that is, it’s the rainy season now]
and the geography of my heart has changed..

Nagaade sang dhol baaje, dhol baaje
Dhaayn dhaayn dham dham dhaayn

10 Reasons to Celebrate Diwali

Deepawali or Diwali is certainly the biggest and the brightest of all Hindu festivals. It’s the festival of lights (deep = light and avali = a row i.e., a row of lights) that’s marked by four days of celebration, which literally illumines the country with its brilliance, and dazzles all with its joy. Each of the four days in the festival of Diwali is separated by a different tradition, but what remains true and constant is the celebration of life, its enjoyment and goodness.

The Significance of Lights & Firecrackers

All the simple rituals of Diwali have a significance and a story to tell. The illumination of homes with lights and the skies with firecrackers is an expression of obeisance to the heavens for the attainment of health, wealth, knowledge, peace and prosperity. According to one belief, the sound of fire-crackers are an indication of the joy of the people living on earth, making the gods aware of their plentiful state. Still another possible reason has a more scientific basis: the fumes produced by the crackers kill a lot of insects and mosquitoes, found in plenty after the rains.

From Darkness Unto Light…
Why do we celebrate Diwali? It’s not just the festive mood in the air that makes you happy, or just that it’s a good time to enjoy before the advent of winter. There are 10 mythical and historical reasons why Diwali is a great time to celebrate. And there are good reasons not just for Hindus but also for all others to celebrate this great Festival of Lights.
1.Goddess Lakshmi’s Birthday: The Goddess of wealth, Lakshmi incarnated on the new moon day (amaavasyaa) of the Kartik month during the churning of the ocean (samudra-manthan), hence the association of Diwali with Lakshmi.

2. Vishnu Rescued Lakshmi: On this very day (Diwali day), Lord Vishnu in his fifth incarnation as Vaman-avtaara rescued Lakshmi from the prison of King Bali and this is another reason of worshipping Ma Larkshmi on Diwali.

3. Krishna Killed Narakaasur: On the day preceding Diwali, Lord Krishna killed the demon king Narakaasur and rescued 16,000 women from his captivity. The celebration of this freedom went on for two days including the Diwali day as a victory festival.

4. The Return of the Pandavas: According to the great epic ‘Mahabharata’, it was ‘Kartik Amavashya’ when the Pandavas appeared from their 12 years of banishment as a result of their defeat in the hands of the Kauravas at the game of dice (gambling). The subjects who loved the Pandavas celebrated the day by lighting the earthen lamps.

5. The Victory of Rama: According to the epic ‘Ramayana’, it was the new moon day of Kartik when Lord Ram, Ma Sita and Lakshman returned to Ayodhya after vanquishing Ravana and conquering Lanka. The citizens of Ayodhya decorated the entire city with the earthen lamps and illuminated it like never before.

6. Coronation of Vikramaditya: One of the greatest Hindu King Vikramaditya was coroneted on the Diwali day, hence Diwali became a historical event as well.

7. Special Day for the Arya Samaj: It was the new moon day of Kartik (Diwali day) when Maharshi Dayananda, one of the greatest reformers of Hinduism and the founder of Arya Samaj attained his nirvana.

8. Special Day for the Jains: Mahavir Tirthankar, considered to be the founder of modern Jainism also attained his nirvana on Diwali day.

9. Special Day for the Sikhs: The third Sikh Guru Amar Das institutionalized Diwali as a Red-Letter Day when all Sikhs would gather to receive the Gurus blessings. In 1577, the foundation stone of the Golden Temple at Amritsar was laid on Diwali. In 1619, the sixth Sikh Guru Hargobind, who was held by the Mughal Emperor Jahengir, was released from the Gwalior fort along with 52 kings.

10. The Pope’s Diwali Speech: In 1999, Pope John Paul II performed a special Eucharist in an Indian church where the altar was decorated with Diwali lamps, the Pope had a ‘tilak’ marked on his forehead and his speech was bristled with references to the festival of light.

Happy Diwali to all !

Karva Chauth – Fast for the Married Hindu Woman

The fast of Karwa Chauth is of particular importance to all Hindu married women in India.

‘Karwa Chauth’ is a ritual of fasting observed by married Hindu women seeking the longevity, well-being and prosperity of their husbands. It is popular amongst married women in the northern and western parts of India, especially, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.

They believe that the festival ensures prosperity, longevity and well-being of their husbands. The origin of this festival was based on a very sweet and noble idea. Though this idea has lost its true sense as today the whole outlook of this festival has changed.

The Time:

This festival comes 9 days before Diwali on ‘kartik ki chauth’, i.e., on the fourth day of the new moon immediately after Dusshera, in the month of ‘Karthik’ (October-November)

The Meaning:

The term ‘Chauth’ means the ‘fourth day’ and ‘Karwa’ is an earthen pot with a spout – a symbol of peace and prosperity – that is necessary for the rituals. Hence the name ‘Karwa Chauth’.

The Ritual:

Married women keep a strict fast and do not take even a drop of water. They get up early in the morning, perform their ablutions, and wear new and festive raiment. Shiva, Parvati and their son Kartikeya are worshiped on this day along with the 10 ‘karwas’ (earthen pots) filled with sweets. The Karwas are given to daughters and sisters along with gifts.

The Fast:

It is the most important and difficult fast observed by married Hindu women. (Unmarried women, widows, and spinsters are barred from observing this fast.) It begins before sunrise and ends only after offering prayers and worshiping the moon at night. No food or water can be taken after sunrise. The fast is broken once the moon is sighted and rituals of the day have been performed. At night when the moon appears, women break their fast after offering water to the moon.

 

The Custom:

In the evening, women dress up in special clothes, usually a red or pink sari or ‘lehenga-choli’ with gold woven ‘zari’ patterns. New brides often wear their bridal costume. All deck up in jewelry and wear ‘mehendi’ or henna patterns especially on the hands. Decorative ‘bindis’ on the forehead are a must for all women taking part in this celebration. Fasting women from all over the neighborhood gather in a group and narrate mythological stories that underscore the significance of Karwa Chauth. And, of course, all wives expect lavish gifts from their husbands!

The fast of Karwa Chawth truly sets the merry tone of the fun and frolic, festivity and feasting that come in good measure during Diwali — the biggest festival of the Hindus.

In the ancient time, girls used to get married at a very early stage, and had to go and live with their in-laws in other villages. After marriage, if she faces any problem with her in-laws or her husband, she would have no one to talk to or seek support from. There used to be no telephones, buses and trains long ago. Her own parents and relatives would be quite far and unreachable. Thus the custom started that, at the time of marriage, when bride would reach her in-laws, she would befriend another woman there who would be her friend or sister for life. It would be like god-friends or god-sisters. Their friendship would be sanctified through a small Hindu ceremony right during the marriage. 

Once the bride and this woman had become god-friends or god-sisters, they would remain so all their lives and recognize the relation as such. They would also treat each other like real sisters. 

Later in life, if she faces any difficulty related to her husband or in-laws, she would be able to confidently talk or seek help from each other. Thus, Karwa Chauth was started to as a festival to celebrate this relationship between the once-brides and their god-friends (god-sisters). Fasting and praying for husband came later and is secondary. It was probably added, along with other mythical tales, to enhance the festival. The husband would always be associated with this festival, because the day of starting this holy friendship between two god-sisters was essentially the day of bride’s marriage to him. Thus, praying and fasting for him by his wife during a celebration of her relationship with the god-friend would be quite logical.

Hence, the festival of Karwa Chauth was to renew and celebrate the relationship between god-friends (god-sisters). It had a tremendous social and cultural significance when world was not having the way to communicate and move around easily.

What is your favorite indian dance?

Winners of Bollywood Short Festival Bratislava 2013

Thank you so much for your participation  and for being a part of the Bollywood Short Festival Bratislava 2013.

 We greatly appreciate your time and participation. It turned out to be a wonderful success. We could not have done it without your help .

We  congratulate to all dancers, tecnical stuff and anybody who voted and shared the shorts and made possible this event.

Bollywood Short Festival Bratislava  offers a great opportunity for Bollywood fans, communities,  dancers, dance groups, Bollywood schools and academies, anyone who loves indian culture and Bollywood to expand their curriculum and demonstrate their talents to audiences around the world and help to raising awareness Bollywood style and indian costums and values .

   We can assure that the event gets better every year.

We hope to see you next year!

 1st place ( vote of jury ) : MUDRA MASALA GRAZ AUSTRIA

2nd place ( popular vote) RADHESHAM DANCE GROUP CROATIA

3th place most creative video: MOONSUN DANCE GROUP SLOVENIA