Foreign Folktales in Hindi Ready-4

About four months ago I published my last blog about the "Foreign Folktales in Hindi-3".

It is quite some time now, It needs now an update.
The number of my folktales is continuously increasing, It has reached now from 1,100 to more than 1,200. It is a good progress, I believe. I am happy that this collection is increasing day by day,

As you might be aware that my one book "Raven Ki Lok Kathayen-1" (Folktales of Raven-1) has already been published by Indra Publishing House, Bhopal, India, last year in 2016. It was sent free to many organizations, schools, people. It is still free to those who ask for it.

Raven is a crow-like bird which is a very famous and important character of folktales of Native Indians of North America continent.

Last month, ie in December 2016, two more books were published - "Ethiopia Ki Lok Kathayen-1" and "Ethiopia Ki Lok Kathayen-2" (Folktales of Ethiopia-1" and "Folktales of Ethiopia-2").
They were published by Prabhat Prakashan, Delhi, India.

I am very pleased to inform all of you that all the three books have joined the International Book Fair 2017 held in Delhi from 7th January 2017.

All these books have been published under the Project "Gyan Daan" Project.
Although these books are free to needy people, but it is requested that some other people, whoever can afford, should also take a pledge to donate these books to needy people.

It is nor necessary to spend a lot of money on this. A very small amount is enough to start with. If you feel comfortable and satisfied with this arrangement, you can continue it in that way, or increase the number of books to be donated gradually.

My suggestion is choose any number of people or children (recommended number is 5) in your neighborhood, or in your acquaintance, or at any primary or secondary school, or at any orphanage, or any children's hospital, or even at any Old Age Home and distribute any one title every month.

People will read them, tell them to one another and increase the horizon of their own knowldge as well their children's and other peoples' knowledge. Since these books are in very easy spoken Hindi language, it will be easy for anyone to read and understand them.

You may obtain these books by sending an e-mail to --
dkg1936@gmail.com 

Besides these titles, there are many other titles also available to people. Presently these titles are available only on CDs. I will publish the list of these books in my next blog.

Please help us to extend this Project by donationg the knowledge to as many people as you can.
Remember, "Gyan Daan" is the greatest Daan (donation) you can make to people. Its beauty is that the donor need not to have the knowledge himself, still he can donate it to as many people as he likes or wants or afford. So please participate in this Project, make it a success and earn some Punya.

To read more about these folktales please search for "Foreign Foktales in Hindi" in Labels.

http://sushmajee.blogspot.ca/2016/09/foreign-folktales-in-hindi-ready-3.html 
http://sushmajee.blogspot.ca/2016/07/foreign-folktales-in-hindi-ready-2.html 
http://sushmajee.blogspot.ca/2015/12/foreign-folktales-in-hindi-ready-1.html 

Thanks,
Sushma Gupta
http://sushmajee.com/folktales/index-folktales.htm
https://www.facebook.com/groups/hindifolktales/ 

Tulasee's Marriage

Tulasee's marriage is performed in the month of Kaarttik after Deepaavalee, on Kaarttik Shukla Ekaadashee, means Dev Uthaan or Dev Uthaanee Ekaadashee. You might have seen that mostly all Hindu households keep a Tulasee plant in their house. They water it daily twice, in the morning and in the evening, and light a Diya (lamp) at the bottom of the planr regularly.

It is especially worshipped in the  month of Kaarttik. In this month, normally from Sharad Poornimaa - Aashwin Maas Poornimaa. House women get up in the morning while it is still night, take bath and sit around the Tulasee plant. They worship it, light Diyaa and tell some stories of Tulasee. This they do the whole month of Kaarttik. Some women observe fast also.

Who is Tualsee?
Let us see who is this Tulasee who has been give so much importance in our lives? Very few people might be knowing who is Tulasee.

Once there was a Daitya (demon) named Jalandhar. He was not a very famous Daitya that is why most people do not know his name too. He had a wife who was very faithful to her husband (Pativrataa). Since she was very faithful to him he could escape from many bad Karm, so he was doing many bad Karm under the cover of her faithfulness.

Many Devtaa wanted to kill him because of his atrocities but were unable to kill him because his wife's Paativrat Dharm always saved him. Therefore Devtaa went to Vishnu to help them out of his atrocities. Vishnu promised them to help them soon.

Vrindaa and Vishnu
Once Jalandhar was out of his home to have a fight with Shiv Jee, that Vishnu went to his house in disguise of Jalandhar. Since Jalandhar was not to be expected back home soon, Vrindaa took it as a pleasant surprise and asked him as how he could he come home so soon. Vishnu in the guise of Jaandhar said - "I was missing you very much that is why I came home." Hearing this Vrindaa got very happy and she welcomed him heartily.

Vrindaa thought he was speaking truth and he was her husband so they made love, But in this process she could make out that he was not her husband. She got very angry with the man. Since Vrindaa's Paativrat was broken now Vishnu's objective was fulfilled and Jalandhar was no more protected by his wife's Paativrat armor. So Vishnu showed her His real form.

When Vrindaa came to know the real identity of the fake Jalandhar, that he was not Jalandhar but was Vishnu, she got very angry. She immediately cursed Vishnu - "You have broken my Paativrat Dharm so go and become a black stone."

Vishnu readily and happily accepted her curse and immediately turned into a black stone. That black stone came to be known as "Shaaligraam" (or Shaalgraam). Vishnu said - "Since your anger was appropriate, so you cursed me; I accept your curse but since my Darshan (sighting) does not go waste so I bestow you a boon that you will become a holy plant and will be known as Tulasee without whom my food will be incomplete. I will not accept my food without you. That is why whenever any food is offered to Vishnu, a leaf of Tulasee goes with it.

Besides, when I will appear as Krishn in Gokul in Kali Yug, you will grow abundantly in its nearby village of Mathuraa (UP) appearing there as Tulasee plant. That is why it will be called as Vrindaa Van (Vrindaa Forest) - based on your name and I will also live there for some time."

As Vrindaa's Paativrat Dharm was broken there was no problem in killing Jalandhar.
Tulasee's Raam Charit Maanas says that the same Jalandhar was born as Raavan later.

So this was Tulasee. The same Tulasee is married to that black stone (Shaalgraam) or Vishnu  on this day. Shaalgraam is called as Naaraayan Shilaa too.

Another Version
There is another version of this story. When Vrindaa had cursed Vishnu to be a black stone, Vishnu accepted it and bestowed her with the boon that she becomes a river and that He will always live in her heart (in her waters) in the form of black stone. So Vrindaa turned into Gandakee River and Shaalgraam stones are found abundantly there in her waters.


Sushma Gupta
www.sushmajee.com 

Foreign Folktales in Hindi Ready-3

Last month I published my Blog "Foreign Folktales in Hindi Ready-2" in which I wrote about the largest collection of foreign folktales published in Hindi language by one person - more than 1,100 folktales.

I am happy to report here that people read my Blog and asked me some questions about it. They were actually too surprised to know that how I could do it single-handedly. They were very appreciative about the work and commended it heartily. I am so much obliged to them that they commended my enthusiasm by commending my project of collecting them and then publishing them.

They commended my Project also under which I want to extend the body of this literature by distributing free to the children who can read and understand even a little bit of Hindi for the benefit of increasing their knowledge through their own language.

Whatever was in my hand I did it, but I do not have so much funds to get them published to distribute them freely to as many people as I plan to do so, but I still wish that this literature should reach to as many hands as possible.

In the series of "Desh Videsh Ki Lok Kathayen" (Foreign Folktales in Hindi), its first book was published by Indra Publishers, Bhopal - "Raven Ki Lok Kathayen-1". It was distributed free to almost more than 1,000 children. Children were happy just with the idea that they were able to read the foreign folk literature in their own language and at least it was available to them in their own language. Their expressions were very encouraging.

I wish to request to our generous people to help us to advance this project to this point so that our Hindi speaking people can also benefit from these foreign folktales reading them in their own language.

It is a collectors' material also. Whosoever will collect it will appreciate his collection later as it is not even a collection but a small treasure library in itself - 1,100 foreign folktales in Hindi - they are not small in  umber.

Brother Grimms' collection and Andrew Lang's collections are most notable collection in English language so far. This collection largely exceeds their collections in Hindi language. To read more about these folktales please search for "Foreign Foktales in Hindi" in Labels.

http://sushmajee.blogspot.ca/2016/07/foreign-folktales-in-hindi-ready-2.html 
http://sushmajee.blogspot.ca/2015/12/foreign-folktales-in-hindi-ready-1.html 


Sushma Gupta
http://sushmajee.com/folktales/index-folktales.htm

Foreign Folktales in Hindi Ready-2

Till recently most foreign folktales were available only in English language. Very few folktales have been available in Hindi language. This project has been initiated only keeping this in mind that foreign folktales may be available to our Hindi readers in India and at other places.

Under this project more than 1,100 foreign folktales have been written in Hindi after reading from books and Internet and by hearing from people. Indian folktales are normally available in Hindi language that is why Indian folktales have not been included in this collection.

Besides where folktales from European countries are easily available in English, the whole folktale literature seems to be incomplete without their mention that is why some folktales have been included from those countries. 

The following books have been prepared as e-Books (on CDs) in which more than 600 folktales have been given. These folktales are available to our Hindi readers any time – to tell children, to be read by children and adults alike, for reference and for research purposes, or for any other purpose the people find useful. The rest of the folktales are also being organized under various titles whose information will be made available at time to time.

This project does not stop at 1,100 folktales rather it is a continuous process so expect more to come in future.

Till now no single folktale collection has been as large as this one even in English language. The two large collectors of folktales known in Europe are: Grimm’s Brothers and the Andrew Lang. But even their collections are also not so large as this in Hindi language.

We are pleased that we could collect so many folktales at one place in Hindi language. We hope that this valuable collection will prove unique and useful to our Hindi folktale literature.

AFRICA

Folktales from Western Africa – 15 tales, 154 pages

Folktales from Eastern Africa – 9 tales, 106 pages

Folktales from Southern Africa – 15 tales, 146 pages

Folktales from Egypt – 8 tales, 126 pages

Folktales from Ethiopia-1 – 27 tales, 126 pages

Folktales from Ethiopia-2 – 23 tales, 126 pages

Queen of Sheba Makeda and King Solomon – 212 pages

King Solomon – 11 tales, 164 pages

Folktales from Nigeria-1 – 20 tales, 170 pages

Folktales from Nigeria-2 – 20 tales, 178 pages

Folktales from Ghana – 14 tales, 172 pages

Cunningness of Anansi Spider – 15 tales, 112 pages

Cunningness of Anansi Spider – 20 tales, 196 pages

Folktales from Zanzibar – 10 tales, 164 pages

Folktales from South Africa – 18 tales, 194 pages

AMERICA, NORTH

Folktales from North America-1 – 12 tales, 124 pages

Folktales from North America-2 – 12 tales, 120 pages

Folktales from Canada – 17 folktales, 112 pages

Folktales of Raven-1 – 20 tales, 124 pages

Folktales of Raven-2 – 20 tales, 126 pages

Folktales of Raven-3 – 3 modern tales, 126 pages

AMERICA, SOUTH

Folktales from South America – 8 tales,

ASIA

Folktales from Asia-1 – 26 tales, 196 pages

Folktales from China – 8 tales, 80 pages

China: Myths and Legends-1 – 18 tales, 190 pages

China: Myths and Legends-2 – 20 tales, 188 pages

Folktales from Russia – 22 tales, 264 pages

EUROPE

Folktales from Europe-2 – 22 tales, 214 pages

One Story many Colors-11 – Cinderella – 20 tales, 272 pages

Folktales from Italy-1 – 18 tales, 194 pages

Folktales from Italy-2 – 16 tales, 200 pages

Folktales from Italy-3 – 12 tales, 200 pages

Folktales from Italy-4 – 21 tales, 200 pages

Folktales from Italy-5 – 15 tales, 210 pages

Folktales from Italy-6 – 18 tales, 220 pages

Folktales from Italy-7 – 22 tales, 230 pages

Folktales from Italy-8 – 13 tales, 122 pages

Folktales from Norse-1 – 8 tales, 148 pages

Folktales from Norse-2 – 11 tales, 120 pages

WORLD

Christianity in Folktales – 23 tales, 258 pages

One Story Many Colors-12 – Cinderella – 10 tales, 112 pages

The e-Books published under the Series “Foreign Folktales in Hindi” are available now on CD-ROMs. To obtain further information about them or a copy of any book :

Please Contact :    drsapnag@yahoo.com

Sushma Gupta
http://sushmajee.com/folktales/index-folktales.htm 

Foreign Folktales in Hindi Ready-1

It is long long time when I wrote my last post here. What was I doing? I was trying to get my folktales which are now more than 1,100, published in the book form. Now-a-days it is very difficult to publish anything in the market. I was really surprised when in spite of talking to several publishers, no publisher got ready to publish them. Somehow I was able to pursue a publisher to publish my first book. Thanks Publisher.

Touch Read project
Under my Touch Read project which is to publish "Foreign Folktales in Hindi Braille", I have been able to publish three books last year. These books were sent free of charge to more than 150 schools for Blind all over India where the students read Hindi Braille. They were published by National Association of Blind, Mumbai, India. They can still be obtained free of charge anywhere in the world by any blind person who can read Hindi Braille .

These books are:
(1) Folktales of Nigeria-1  (2) Folktales of Nigeria-2  (3) Folktales of Ethiopia

To obtain them free Contact :  touchread@yahoo.com   or   drsapnag@yahoo.com 

Other Books in Hindi
To date I have written more than 1,100 foreign folktales in Hindi. In other words it is a moving library of folktales if it is taken on the computer, it is an archive, it is a treasure. I feel that it should be the largest collection of foreign folktales in Hindi all over the world. Among these 1,100 folktales, more than 400 folktales are only from African countries.

As you know I have already published more than 35 books on Scribd too. Read them at  -
https://www.scribd.com/uploads 

I have written an article also about this in an e-magazine Garbhanal (Dec 2015 issue) which may be read at   http://www.garbhanal.com/uploaded/magazine/2015-Dec-SOURCE.pdf .

For the time being, till any of the book is not published on paper, I have these folktales ready published on CDs. For the convenience of readers these folktales have been divided by countries. The following title are available for sale :-

Folktales from Canada - 17 tales
Folktales from China - 
China: Myths - in 2 parts - 37 tales
Folktales from Italy - in 9 parts - 122 tales.
Folktales from South Africa - 18 tales

Musical Instruments in Folktales - 15 tales
Adventures of Tortoise - 17 tales

See other Blogs in this series clicking on "Folktales" in label section.

Write about them later

Sushma Gupta
http://sushmajee.com/folktales/index-folktales.htm 

Foreign Folktales in Hindi-5

I have posted several blogs about my efforts to document many foreign folktales written in English language to present them in Hindi language to make them available for our Hindi readers, researchers and related associations and institutions.

You might have read this also that more then 700 folktales are now available in Hindi language. More than 600 folktales have been listed at my website --
http://sushmajee.com/ms-ppp/text/folktales.pdf
This list contains the title of the folktale in Hindi, its number of pages (in big type set good for children), the origin of its continent and the country.

You might be wondering how many folktales can be read from among these 700 folktales?
I have published some 31 books on Scribd, Among which 5 books are free while other books are at minimum price - just $0,99 to download them on any of your electronic devices from the following site --
https://www.scribd.com/sushma_gupta_1

The 5 books which are free are -
1.  Odd Marriages - Folktales From Africa
2.  Stories of Justice
3.  Stories of Akbar Birbal-1
4.  Stories of Akbar Birbal-2
5.  Folktales from Ethiopia-1

Read them and enjoy them for free.
You may buy other books. They are available at a very affordable cheap price.

I am really happy to publish them there for our Hindi-readers

Sushma Gupta
http://sushmajee.com/folktales/index-folktales.htm

Foreign Folktales in Hindi-4

It has been long time when I wrote my last blog - in October 2014.
Fortunately that was also about the Foreign Folktales in Hindi
After that I got busy in somewhat organizing, editing and e-publishing my some foreign folktales in Hindi in book form on Scribd.

During the past six months I could publish some 30 books in all. They are mostly organized by topics except a few books by countries - Canada, Ethiopia and Zanzibar (Tanzania). Of course Ethiopia and Canada's all folktales are not given there.

One can go to the site below and read these books there ---
https://www.scribd.com/sushma_gupta_1

My other blogs about "Foreign Folktales in Hindi" may be read at ---

http://sushmajee.blogspot.com/2014/10/foreign-folktales-in-hindi-3.html
http://sushmajee.blogspot.com/2014/09/foreign-folktales-in-hindi-2.html
http://sushmajee.blogspot.com/2014/07/foreign-folktales-in-hindi.html
Touch Read Project

Under Touch Read Project, which is purely for the visually handicapped readers, three books have been published by Bombay Office so far. Others are on their way...

1,  Folktales from Nigeria - 1
2.  Folktales from Nigeria - 2
3.  Folktales from Ethiopia - 1

They can be obtained free by any eligible reader (a visually handicapped reader of Hindi) by writing to our Marketing manager Mr DK Gupta   at  

davendrak@hotmail.com
I will be too happy to send these books to anybody who asks for them.

Hope you will like these folktales and recommend them to others to read them.
Spread the word as much as you can,
Develop the habit of reading.
Reading is good for you as it increases your knowledge,
Knowledge is Power...
Everybody wants Power...
You must also have Power

THANKS

Sushma Gupta
http://sushmajee.com/folktales/index-folktales.htm

Foreign Folktales in Hindi-3

Free Folktale Books on Scribd
A few days ago I published a blog about my new book  -  Odd Marriages: Folktales from Africa

Hope you might have read it and like it. Two day ago I have published another book, on Scribd "Stories of Justice". This is also a very interesting book. You will admire people who did justice in it, and you will laugh at people who did justice in it. This is also for you to read free.

Doing justice is not an easy job. It is a task which has to be completed with intelligence and faithfulness. Sometimes it needs some sacrifice also.

This book carries stories of justice from very ancient time to not so modern time, and
from all kinds of people and animals, as how do they do justice with their subjects.
These folktales and stories have been selected from all over the world - Israel, Ethiopia, Persia, India etc etc.

It is really interesting to read these folktales and stories and tell them to others.
You will indeed enjoy them.
Happy reading...

Sushma Gupta
www.sushmajee.com/folktales/index-folktales.htm

Modern Day Problems-3

Day before yesterday I wrote about the importance of the power.
Yesterday I wrote about the problems and stresses related to it.
Today I am writing how our parents or ancestors were happy and contented without power.

In my childhood -
There was no power in the house. We used mustard oil lamps or kerosene oil lanterns in our houses to go around, in the kitchen and sometimes for reading too. We normally finished our studies in the daytime only. We got our water from a hand pump or from a well, as there was no tap water in the city in those days. Even well was not there in every house. However, we had a well in our house, so many people come to our well to fetch water. It was fun to watch people coming to our house with their buckets to fetch water. Rope was always there at our well so they did not need to bring their rope. For some people filling water was a project.

We use firewood and coal for cooking - so no worry of gas, microwave, toaster, oven etc etc. Food was cooked twice a day - lunch and dinner. If  somebody had to eat at any other time of the day, he ate only cooked kept food - no grudges. No fresh breakfast - only Paraathaa cooked the previous night with vegetable (if it was there at all) otherwise with pickles. My mother used to make many kinds of pickles. One full cupboard - of 4 planks, on each of which at least 4 big jars could be kept, was always full - with 16 jars of various kinds of pickles.

Otherwise we always ate fresh, no fridge food, no freezer food. If sometime something remained, we used to give to poor people. We were happy that our food was utilized and they were happy that they got the food. What a win-win situation.

Getting up in the morning was no problem. My mother and grandmother used to get up very early, so they used to wake us up. There was only one alarm clock, of about 6" diameter, in our house and the other one on my father's wrist. There was no need for us to see TIME. Our parents kept the track of the time. We used that alarm clock to see time only to go to school, so that we are not late, that is all.

There was no radio, let alone TV or anything else. Only rich and educated people used to subscribe for newspaper. Why? Literacy rate was very low and people did not value the newspaper as much. Only countable magazines were there to read. Most things were spoken and heard.

Whole day either school, or play, or some studies or any other activity if we ever had any. When it was about to be dark, we sat on our open air roof and talk about many things - of house, of outside, of city, of country, about history and geography. My father used to ask us many types of puzzles and questions. We gained a lots of knowledge out of them.

Then at about 8.00 pm we used to have our dinner, sometimes my mother made it an hour before, sometimes she made it instantly. After taking dinner we used to lay down our beds and our father used to tell us many stories - of Raam, of Mahaabhaarat, historical, educational. And then we slept. At that time we heard many stories. I have written down many of them as "My Childhood Stories".

What about in summer days? As we did not have any electricity we did not have any electric fan. We used hand fans to cool down ourselves. Everybody had hand fans on his bed. There used to be many fans lying everywhere in the house. As the summer started the hand fan sellers used to come to sell them and people used to buy them in  tens for the whole summer, They were made of palm leaves. Many fans were made very beautiful - by using colored cloths, beads, golden laces etc; and all this was done in our houses too. My grandmother and mother used to beautify these hand fans. It was an art.

My school days - 
My school days started when I was 8. Till then we had power and tap water in our house. It was a great relief then. The whole house used to seem lighted and for water we did not have to draw water from hand pump - just turn the head of the faucet and Lo there was water flowing down heavily. It used to come 24 hours. Since power was there so we had a radio also in our house, although my father did not allow me to touch it. It was used only to .listen to news only. There were not many programs used to air in those days.

This electricity was not like today also. Our room was 12 x 30 feet, and we used only 40 watt bulb in that big room  and we never thought that the light was dim, rather we were happy that we could study in the night. But today even if we have 100 watt bulb in a small room, we complain of low light.

I used to spend my summer vacation (2 and 1/2 months) with my maternal uncles' place. Our house was a businessman's house, so there were no modern way of living - from the view point of that time. My maternal Uncles (Maamaa) were in government service, so they lived in the modern way. We (my younger sister and myself) learned many things of modern life by living there,

In short - No Power, No Problems, No Distress.

Modern Day Problems-1
Modern Day Problems-2

Sushma Gupta
www.sushmajee.com 

Modern Day Problems-2

Yesterday I wrote about the importance of POWER in our everyday life of today. Its existence in our life today shows that we cannot live without it. Just think if we do not have it even for some time what will happen to our life --

--We might not get up in the morning on time without the alarm clock. We are late for all our work.
--No hot water, no powered toothbrush, no electric shaving -- oh what a start of the day? Without these things our mood is off and we cannot do well the whole day.
--Tea or coffee on stove? Never. It will be so late if the master had to prepare on stove, so he had to leave for his office without taking it. Mood off.
--Breakfast in a shop, or restaurant. More delay for work.
--Without radio and TV there is no news and entertainment - what a dry start of the day...
--The family has the habit of eating yogurt at lunch time. When there is no power, no yogurt, what a lunch without yogurt? The whole day is spoiled.
--No TV, - no entertainment, all interesting serials are gone,
--No computer - no e-mail, no home business, no homework for children, Such a useless day.
--And the whole day there was no AC/fan (or heating), so either suffer in heat, or shiver in cold.
-- No security system in the night - how to sleep in the night unsecured?
--Next day again late waking up, late going to work and so on...

The whole day - what a stressful useless day? It was never never never like this before.
So the Power give us the power to be happy these days.
But what if the Power is not there, then what? Only distress.

But what do you think? Was it all the time like this? We did not have all these things, say 70 years ago. Then? Were we not happy? Did we have to worry about anything like today?

No. There was nothing to worry about, so what would we worry about? And when there was no worry, there was no distress. Thus the life was distress free. It was a simple life.

We will see it tomorrow that how we were distress free many years ago when the power was not there.

Modern Day Problems-1
Modern Day Problems-3


Sushma Gupta
www.sushmajee.com

Modern Day Problems-1

It is difficult to list today's problems and stress related to them. The problems start since morning and perhaps do not end even after sleeping. Many times we seek their solutions in our dreams also.

70 years before our parents did not have so many problems and stresses. 70 years means, I am talking about 1940s. I think more than 90% problems have arisen from POWER which may be interpreted in any way - status or position, or electricity, both are curses for life, of course unless they are used it intelligently (while it is difficult to use them). If somebody gets power (strength) he becomes arrogant, proud and tries to rule everybody. At the same time if somebody gets power (electricity) he also becomes arrogant, proud and tries to show off himself to everybody.

In those days most common people did not have power, neither status nor electricity. Many people did not have status because of British Raaj, and many people did not have electricity because it was not very common in those days.

With the advent of electricity people have largely depended on it. Not only since morning till evening, but also 24 X 7 we need it now. The whole day and night our heating is on in Winter and AC and fan in Summer. Our refrigerator is also always on. Leave that we often need the electricity to do anything in the night.

Let us count the other uses of power - our day starts with getting up with the help of electric alarm clock, hot water in the bathroom, powered toothbrush, electric shaver etc. Come to the breakfast table - we need to grind Chutney, or sometimes spices, making tea in an electric kettle, toaster to make toasts, and cold water to drink. After the breakfast we need it to make yogurt in an electric pot, to vacuum clean the house, to run the washing machine to wash clothes. And Yeah, I forgot, during this period our radio is always on for the housewife and TV for other family members. News and entertainment are necessary for our modern day life.

Now a days a variety of food items are available for all kinds of tastes. In one lunch time, sometimes 3-4 types of food have to be cooked - master of the house needs to eat say Idli and Saambhar; old parents need liquid Daal and Chapati with it, children need to eat pasta. Then why the housewife should sacrifice her desires for the family? She wants to eat Khichdi today. In  this menu there is a 100% possibility that at least one or two people will have their lunch cold. Reheating? no problem. Microwave is there. Reheat the food as many times as you like and eat it.

After the lunch, the house wife gets sometime to watch TV or do some computer work - for this not only electricity is required internet connection is also required. Children need to do their home work on computer. Now a days there is no life without computer. Whether you have your food or not, but you must use computer.

In the evening again a similar routine resumes. Children take bath, house wife makes tea or coffee (in percolator), Housewife quickly prepares the dinner and then the most evening is spent in front of the TV or computer.

At night again the fan is on, house security system is on, AC or heating is on, then only one can sleep peacefully in a house.

Now in this routine where is the time for power to rest? or at what time you can live without power?
So POWER is the breath of our life - of course in present times.

Tomorrow I will write why our parents or ancestors did not face such problems.

Modern Day problems-2
Modern Day Problems-3

Sushma Gupta
www.sushmajee.com 

Foreign Folktales in Hindi-2

This blog is being written after quite some time. I was very busy in preparing my books for Foreign Folktales in Hindi Project... Today I became a bit free, so I am with you. Sorry for this gap and I am happy to be with you again...

First Book on  Foreign Folktales in Hindi
I have been writing in my past blogs that I have taken up a project to write foreign folktales in Hindi language so that they can be available to our Hindi knowing people - old or children, men or women, rich or poor.

I have indicated in my past blogs that my project is progressing very well and more than 600 folktales from various countries have been adapted into Hindi language. More than half of them are from African countries - Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Africa, Zanzibar etc.

Foreign Folktales in Hindi Braille
Till now all of these folktales were with me only. Actually most of them are still with me...

Only one book, of 11 folktales from Nigeria, was published in December 2013 in Hindi Braille language under Touch Read project and was sent to 120 schools for the visually handicapped all over India. Two more books are ready to be published in Hindi Braille very soon, within a month or so. They will also be available to these children in these school.

These books are free to all people who can read Hindi Braille. Write to procure them to
Davendra Gupta - at  touchread@yahoo.com

Foreign Folktales in Hindi for General Readers
I am pleased to announce that I have published my first book "Odd Marriages: Folktales from Africa" today on Scribd. You may enjoy reading it for free  
Odd-Marriages-Folktales-from-Africa
Hope you will like it.
If you like it please do nor forget to give me a feedback, thanks.

Past blogs on Folktales --
http://sushmajee.blogspot.ca/2014/07/foreign-folktales-in-hindi.html 
http://sushmajee.blogspot.com/2014/02/folktales.html http://sushmajee.blogspot.com/2013/12/folktales-of-various-countries-1.html http://sushmajee.blogspot.com/2013/12/folktales-of-various-countries-2.html

Sushma Gupta
www.sushmajee.com/folktales/index-folktales.htm 

Foreign Folktales in Hindi

Translation of More Than 600 Folktales Available in Hindi

A few months ago I wrote three blogs about the folktales which were translated from English language in Hindi to facilitate our Hindi speaking children with foreign folktales. These folktales may not be accessible to them because of many reasons -
(1) maybe because they are in English language,
(2) maybe the sources, such as books and other sources (theses, magazines etc) are not only unavailable to them bit they are not available even in India itself,
(3) Or maybe those folktales are not even available in English as many of them have not been translated in English and still exist in their local language.

Their number has now reached more than 600 - one of the greatest personal collection in the world - and it is still increasing.
These folktales are not only useful for children, but also for those parents who want to tell their little children lots of stories, and for those researchers who are interested in conducting research on them.

The list of these 600 folktales have been given on my website -
Go to the site   sushmajee.com/folktales/index-folktales.htm  and click either on
"600 folktales titles",  OR
"List of Folktales"

The list of all these 600 folktales is given Hindi language, classified first by the continent and then by its country. Number of pages of each tale is also given there.
To know more about them write to   davendrak@hotmail.com

Folktales in Hindi Braille Language
As it is clear from those blogs some of these folktales (160 folktales) are available in Hindi Braille language to our visually handicapped children and adults reading Hindi. One book "Folktales of Nigeria, Part 1" is already out of the press and has been distributed free to about 120 schools for visually handicapped children in India.

Next two more books are in the process of printing -
(1) Folktales of Nigeria, Part 2, and
(3) Folktales from Africa, Part 1
They will be out in the month of August.

One more book, which is in English, is also under publication in Braille, that is
"Manu's Adventures" - this book is written by Dr Sapna Gupta and contains three most wonderful and interesting stories for children about Manu - its hero.

All these books will also be sent to the schools of visually handicapped people as soon they are out.
Besides distributed freely, all these books will be freely available to any visually handicapped person, child or adult, on request anywhere in the world.

You may please write to  touchread@yahoo.com   to procure them.


http://sushmajee.blogspot.com/2014/02/folktales.html
http://sushmajee.blogspot.com/2013/12/folktales-of-various-countries-1.html
http://sushmajee.blogspot.com/2013/12/folktales-of-various-countries-2.html


Sushma Gupta
www.sushmajee.com

Mantra Power

Do Mantra have Power?
Mantra is one word or is a group of words, such as "Hreem" or "Om Namo Bhgavatey Vaasudevaaya". They are supposed to have extraordinary immense power in their sounds which when pronounced repeatedly (Jap or Jaap) create great effects. It has a silent energy which has transformation power on the person who utters it. By Mantra a Devtaa is invoked. Chanting Mantra is like to awake a person from deep sleep.

Chanting Mantra helps to get some work done or to attain Siddhi. Some people have strong belief in chanting Mantra to get their work done, while many consider it a hoax. What do you believe? Do Mantra have power? Perhaps we may not know about their failure, but at least we can know about their successes --

(1) Whoever has known Shankaraachaarya Jee, must be knowing that by reciting Kanakdhaaraa Stotra he rained golden Aamalaa (golden gooseberry) on an old woman's hut.
--He composed Subramanyam Bhujangam at Tiruchendur and relieving himself of the effects of Black Magic.
--He also composed Narasinha Stotram and escaping from the Kaapaalik.

(2) Vidyaaranya Teerth was instrumental in the formation of Vijayanagar Kingdom and how did he get money for that. He chanted Kanakdhaaraa Stotra and got the money.

(3) Madhwaachaarya Jee, when challenged Ved and their efficacy by Buddhists took a dead plant and chanted Ved and showed it and showed it coming to life.

(4) Brahmanya Teerth revived from death one Srinivaasaachaarya and got promise from him to donate the child born subsequently. That child was famous Vyaas Teerth.

(5) Raaghavendra Teerth revived a village chief Desai's dead child.

(6) Ragottam Teerth gave Mantra Akshdai to an uneducated Math cook known as Rotti Venkanaachaarya. On receiving it Venkannaachaarya became a very great scholar and wrote Bhaashya subsequently.

(7) There was one Dwait who was the disciple of Ragottam Teerth. He always used to chant what Dwait people chant - "Agrato Narasinh cha Prishtatho Gopee Nandah Pasvaryo Asto Sasharo Raam Lakshman". And on the way he was attached by a group of thieves but they ran away because they found Raam and Lakshman protecting him.

(8) Muthuswamy Deekshtar composed Amrit Karshinee in Amrit Varshinee Raag and it rained.

(9) Tyaagraajaa composed Triteeyaagaradh at Tirupati and the screen moved and he was able to have Venkatraman Swamy's Darshan.

(10) These two examples I am citing from a bit old times -
---Poet Mayoor Bhatt wrote Soorya Shatak to cure himself from Leprosy. When he recited its 6th stanza,  surprisingly Sun god appeared before him and he asked him to cure him from leprosy. Then Sun god threw a ray on his body and that cured his leprosy.
---Another example is of the great Poet Baan Bhatt who wrote Chandee Shatak and propitiated Devee with the 6th syllable of his this Shatak to join the cut hands and feet.

(11) A Jain leader Maanatungaa allowed himself with 42 chains and got locked up in a house. He then composed 44 verses of Bhaktaamar Sootra and freed himself.

And there are many more examples....
These examples show that Shlok and Mantra's result depends on Adhikaaree (who deserves) and his Taaratamya (wave length with the Deity)

If you have any other example or your own experience please do write in the Comments section.

Sushma Gupta
www.sushmajee.com
www,sushmajee.com/folktales/folktales-index.html

Akshaya Triteeyaa

Akshaya Triteeyaa, or Akshaya Teej, Aakhaa Teej, or Vaishaakh Teej is a very important festival of Northern India. A+Kshaya = A means no, and Kshaya means which is destroyed, thus Akshaya means which cannot be destroyed. Thus whatever is done this day is un-destroyable, imperishable, and lasts for ever, surprisingly enough whether it is a good work or a bad work. And since it is imperishable one must do all good work on this day. Because if any bad work is done on this day its fruit is also imperishable that is one should take care not to do any bad work this day.

--Akshaya Triteeyaa is celebrated when the Sun and the Moon are radiant until the afternoon.
--According to the astrologers Monday (Chandra Vaar, or Som Vaar) ad Rohinee Nakshatra make this day more auspicious.
--Today is the day when the doors of Badaree Naath Jee opens for public.
--Baanke Bihaaree Temple in Vrindaa Van also opens its doors to public on this day, otherwise the idol is covered by cloth throughout the year.

--Most people keep fast, do worship, do Jaap, give alms, give donations, do austerities, take sacred baths so that they can avail their fruits for many lives.
--Many people buy gold, start new ventures on this day.
--There is no need to see for any Muhoort to start any auspicious work today. That is why his day is called Abhujh or Sarv Siddhi Muhoort.
--This day is of Vishnu, so all worship are dedicated to Vishnu - read Vishnu Sahastrnaam etc.
--Since Vishnu and Shiv are not different Shiv Paarvatee are also worshiped this day

Vaishaakh Teej falls on the second half of the Lunar month of Vaishaakh or Vaishaakh Shukla Teej.
This year, in 2014, it is falling on 2nd May.

Sushma Gupta
www.sushmajee.com 

Folktales

Importance of Folktales
Every society has its own folktales which are handed over from generation to generation by oral tradition. For the same reason we find many versions of the same tale because oral transmissions are never the same. It is not that every tale has many versions, but still many have. In this process many times the original version is lost and is not traceable at all until it is found in some kind of written format.

Folktales are an essential part of any society and thus constitute the important part of its literature. As the prose, poetry, drama, sayings are the parts of a body of any society's literature, in the same way folktales, fairy tales etc are also its parts.

About five to six centuries before the writings were very scarce and not available freely, as there was no modern paper and no modern printing press. But after that it has become much easier to record many things. And today there are many more means than ever to record anything. Now it has become a necessity to record everything and keep it for future reference and spread widely around.

Difficulties in Maintaining and Spreading Local Folktales
There are some difficulties in maintaining and spreading such literature -
(1) Keeping their any kind of literature for future reference is easier for educated societies, but it is not easy for those societies which have low literacy rate and little facilities for printing and storing. Thus even their own folktales are not preserved for their own children for their future.
(2) Then comes the language. It is big barrier to learn about other societies' literature. To break this barrier translation is the only answer. A good translation is only possible when the person knows the two languages very well. With the limitation of other translation problems, it is necessary to understand both languages and sometimes the society.
(3) It is very difficult to collect, translate and then publish folktales from Third World countries, especially from those countries whose language is less known.

There are still many societies whose folktales are still not available in written form. It is very difficult to collect those tales.

Folktales Translated  in Hindi Language
Keeping these problems in mind I decided to translate some folktales from African countries for our Indian children. I have translated more than 300 folktales in Hindi language from various written, unwritten and printed sources of African countries.

These folktales are mostly from Nigeria, Ethiopia and Tanzania including some from America, Canada, and Europe (Ireland).

I was fascinated with Raven's Tales, so I have collected them separately. They are also about 40 in number.
They all are waiting to be published......
The collection is still growing.....

Objective of This Translation
The objectives of the translation of these tales in Hindi are --
(1) to give these very less known tales to our Hindi knowing children who cannot procure those societies' folk literature in any case, even in English
(2) to build a body of translated foreign folktale literature in Hindi language
(3) to help social researchers in conducting research in these areas

Hopefully these translated stories in Hindi language will soon find their way into the hands of our Indian Hindi speaking children and into the body of our Hindi literature.

Folktales of Various Countries-1
Folktales of Various Countries-2
Touch Read Project

Sushma Gupta
www.sushmajee.com/folktales/index-folktales.htm

Seeta's Exile

Raam and Seeta are the hero and heroine of Raamaayan. Who does not know them? And this is also very well known that She went to forest twice.

The first time She went with Raam when Raam was exiled for 14 years at the time of His coronation ceremony. When She insisted to go to forest with Him, Raam explained Her a lot to stay at home because of the difficulties of forest and to take care of the grieved parents, but Seetaa said - "Paraadheen Sapanehu Sukh Naaheen...." I cannot live without you so I will follow you only." And She went with Him.

The second time She was especially sent to forest by the same husband Raam who first time asked Her not to accompany Him, the Lord of Tri-Lok, because of the difficulties of the forest. Who could dare to harm Her even a bit when the Lord of Tri-Lok was with Her? When a small crow tried to, then Raam released His arrow which followed him up to the limits of the Tri-Lok and on Naarad Jee's advice he had to ask His forgiveness - "Raakhi na sakahi Koi Raam ko drohee...". After forgiving him He pierced his one eye, so that till today all crows can see only from one eye.

And the same Seetaa was abducted in the forest by Raakshas Raaj Raavan even when two great warriors were there to protect Her. It is shame for those to so called great warriors who could not protect a helpless woman. It took one whole year to recover Her from that Raakshas.

Such Seetaa was exiled again, second time, and that also alone, without telling Her that "you are being sent to forest to be left there alone." and in the condition when all women are taken special care.

Lakshman told Her this only when he reached the point where he was ordered Her to leave - in the wilderness, and wanted to come back to Ayodhyaa. He started crying and requested Her not to blame him for this action.

She could not even guess as why She was left there, so She asked - "Lakshman, Why do you cry so much?" Then only Lakshman tells Her the orders of Raam. Poor Seetaa gets unconscious. When She gathers Herself She Herself tells Lakshman to go back to Ayodhyaa and wishes that no defame should come to Raam because of Her.

Now why do I recall these two sensitive incidents of Seetaa's life? Because both incidents occurred just because of two very low level people - first time it was a maid-servant and second time it was a launderer.

It is really an irony that such low people decided the fate of a royal family.
The other irony is that
(1) first time when Seetaa wanted to accompany Raam, He was trying to stop Her to accompany Him;
(2) while second time Seetaa needed full love, affection and care of Raam, He Himself sent Her to forest without telling Her.
(3) She was left alone to struggle with Her circumstances.
Why?

When first time Seetaa was asked to take a test (Agni Pareekshaa), She took it, but when She was asked the same thing second time - to prove Herself pure, She broke and went where She came from. How many times She had to pass the purity test for others?
Is this the fate of a Satee woman?


Sushma Gupta
www.sushmajee.com

Makar Sankraanti

Today is Makar Sankraanti.. Happy Makar Sankraanti to all. It always falls on 14th January. It is the only Hindu festival which is celebrated according to Christian calendar otherwise all other festivals are celebrated according to Moon calendar.

It is celebrated all over India in different flavors
In North in UP and in Karnaatak people call it "Khichadee" or only "Sankraanti".
In Gujaraat it is celebrated as the "Kite Festival".
In Panjaab it is celebrated as "Lohadee" on 13th January, a day before actual Sankraanti and on Sankraanti they donate "Khichadee" to Braahman.
In Tamil Naadu and Aandhra it is called "Pongal" which is celebrated for four days. The day also coincides with the commencement of the Tamil month Thai. The day usually falls on 14th January every year.

What is Makar Sankraanti
There is a Zodiac belt, of 360 degrees, around our Earth which for convenience has been divided in 12 sections.
For convenience these 12 sections of 30 degrees each  have been named as Aries, Taurus, Gemini etc and are called 12 Signs.
The Sun takes full one year to go through this Zodiac, means all the 12 Signs.
When the Sun transits from one Sign to another Sign of the Zodiac, it is called Sankraanti in Sanskrit and Hindi.
Thus there are 12 Sankraanti in one year because of these 12 Signs..

Although all Sankraanti are important but this particular Sankraanti, Makar Sankraanti, is the most important for us. Why is it so? Everybody knows how important the Sun is for us. And everybody knows that the Sun is static, does not move, only the Earth rotates around the Sun along with revolving on its axis also. Because of the Earth's these two movements we experience seasons and day and night respectively.

Because of the Earth's position in relation to Sun, Sun always stays towards the Earth only from 23.5 degree North to 23.5 degree South to the Equator. It takes the Sun 6 months to go to 23.5 degrees South from 23.5 degrees North and the same time to come back to 23.5 degree North.

23.5 degree North point is called the "Line of Cancer" (Kark Rekhaa) and the 23.5 degree South is called the "Line of Capricorn" (Makar Rekhaa). These two extreme points lie in the year on or around 14th of July, the North one when it is peak of Summer; and 14th of January, the South one when it is peak Winter. It happens so because we live in Northern Hemisphere and when the Sun is in Northern Hemisphere we get more sun rays than from the other six months. Since we get more Sun during this period we feel happy and celebrate it.

It is proven that the Sun is important for us. It gives us sunshine, health, good crops, plenty of vegetation, rains etc etc. So with this system, on this day, 14th of January, the Sun starts coming to North (or Northward or Uttaraayan) from 23.5 degree South and that is why we celebrate its coming to us. So this is the reason and  importance of this Sankraanti festival.

Read more about it at  Makar Sankraanti
I am sure in Southern Hemisphere, especially in South Africa, in Australia, and in the southern tip of South America they must be celebrating the Kark Sankraanti in July when the Sun travels Southward.

Sushma Gupta
www.sushmajee.com

Folktales of Various Countries-2

In my previous blog I wrote that how the project of collecting folktales of various countries was started. Here I write how this project is implemented.

Touch Read Project
To make them available first to our visually handicapped community I contacted National Association for the Blind in Mumbai, India and requested them to publish them in Braille script for the visually handicapped people. They were very happy to publish them.

Then I established a Project "Touch Read" project under which all these stories will be published by NAB Press. Because there are too many stories, they are published under the series "Desh Videsh ki Lok Kathayen".

As a consequence of these efforts  its first collection "Folktales from Nigeria, Part 1" is out in Braille script under the series "Desh Videsh ki Lok Kathayen" and the project "Touch Read".

This title has already been sent to 98 Hindi speaking schools of India.
This book is available free of charge to all Hindi Braille readers. 
Interested people can write to  -------    touchread@yahoo.com 

Another title in the series "Desh Videsh Ki Lok Kathayen"  is "Folktales of Nigeria, Part 2" is underway and will be out soon. As soon it will be out, we will inform our readers here.

Donations
As this Project has been started as a help project, all donations are welcome with a lot of gratitude. Help a visually handicapped person to see the world through a book. One book takes normally around $2.00 - $2.50  to reach its reader. Your little donation will help a visually handicapped person to broaden his or her horizon through a book sitting at home.

Folktales of Various Countries-1

Sushma Gupta
www.sushmajee.com

Folktales of Various Countries-1

Beginning of the Touch Read Project
Since my childhood I had the compassion for the visually handicapped people. The first visually handicapped person I saw was my music teacher. A boy used to bring him to the music school by holding his guiding stick. Then inside the school students used to help him for everything. He was so dependent.

I was only 11 years old then. When I told my mother about it, she told me that we have 5 knowledge collection senses (eyes to see, ears to hear, skin to feel, tongue to taste and speak and nose to smell). If even one of them does not work we are lost. Although all these 5 senses are important for a good living, still among them eyes, ears and tongue are the most important ones. Think of any one of them missing from your daily life, suppose you cannot see (blind), you cannot hear (deaf), or you cannot speak (dumb). It would be so frustrating.

After that I had to deal with a deaf and dumb person who worked in my library as my assistant in Nigeria. Although he knew Sign language to communicate but since I did not know it so we could not communicate. Fortunately he was educated and could read and write, so we could communicate by writing. I worked with him for about 10 years. I was always sympathetic to him. I was very much touched with these two people.

For a long time I wished if I could serve visually handicapped people in a meaningful way. I have always been for education. When I explored about the education of these people, I found that there were several schools around, there were libraries too for them etc etc. But I wanted to help them in my own small way.

While working as a librarian  in Nigeria and Ethiopia, I cam across their folktales. On searching these folktales in published form I could find only a couple of sources, and those  were also not  physically available there. So I started collecting them from unpublished sources - local magazines, oral sources, theses etc etc.

While doing this, I thought if this material is not available even to their local population, how it could be available to others outside? The idea struck, a spark rose and produced the fire. From wherever I got I started collecting these folktales of these countries of Africa. This material is certainly very difficult to get even to educated people in other countries, let alone our common Hindi speaking people in India and abroad. So I started translating them in Hindi. Now I have more than 300 folktales from various countries.

Now the question is how to make them available to their readers?

Continued on   Folktales of Various Countries-2

Sushma Gupta
www.sushmajee.com