In New Delhi, the capital city of India celebrates the 26 January Republic Day with a Grand Parade at the India Gate where the Prime Minister, the President and other Dignitaries of the Nation come and join the occasion. The Grand Parade is organized near the Rashtrapati Bhavan which passes the India gate up to the Red Fort.
The Prime Minister begins the occasion early in the morning by laying a Floral Wreath at the Amar Jawan Jyoti in honor of those Soldiers who had sacrificed their lives for the Nation. Soon the President and other Dignitaries along with the Chief Guest and the President hoist the National flag. This is followed by 21 gun salute and the national anthem.
The winners of Gallantry Awards then pass in open jeeps and the parade begins. Different regiments of the Navy, Air Force and Army dressed in their Official Uniforms do the March Past and Salute the President. The latest acquisitions of Tanks and Missiles are also showcased by the Indian Military at the Grand Parade. The Helicopters of the Armed Forces fly over the parade showering Rose Petals over the audience. Various skills on Motor-Cycle rides are displayed by the Armed Forces of India.
The N.C.C. Cadets, selected from across the country and various schools from all over the country take part in the celebration. School children dressed in colorful clothes perform various kinds of Patriotic Songs and Dances in the grand occasion. Drills are also performed by the school children. Children who have won the National Bravery Awards form the main attraction of the parade.
Various Cultural and Folk Dances are being performed by people from different States. Different States show their rich Cultural Heritage and it depicts the Diversity and Richness of Indian Culture.

Kite Festival 2011

The Gujarat State, India celebrated International Kite Festival 2011 on the day of Uttarayan (Makar Sankranti). The people of Gujarat known for their devotional celebration of various festivals. Gujarat has celebrated the International Kite Festival 2011 with wholesome participation from all over the globe at Sabarmati River Front from 9th Jan, 2011 to 12th Jan, 2011.

Gujarat Ni Sugandh By Shri Amitabh Bachchan

Happy New Year To All

The Sharad Purnima is a harvest festival celebrated on the full moon day of the Hindu lunar month of Asho (September-October). The rainy season is over and the brightness of the full moon brings special joy. This is a traditional celebration of the moon and is also called the Kaumudi celebration, Kaumudi meaning moonlight.At night, goddess Laxmi is worshipped and night vigil is observed. According to a folk-tale, once a king fell on evil days, and was in great financial straits, but then his queen observed this fast and night vigil,and worshipped the goddess of wealth, Laxmi. Consequently, they were blessed by the goddess and they regained their prosperity.

Moulded with love
Ocean of joy
Thinking about her children always
Hands with warmth
Eyes that reflect every joy you find
Rare in life

Dusshera

Dusshera, we know as Vijay Dasami, is observed after the nine-day Navratri festival. It is observed as the final day of Navratri is Dusshera. In 2010, the date of Vijaya Dashami is October 17. Durga Puja comes to an end on the day. Vijaya Dashami is the victory of good over evil – Goddess “Durga” annihilating Mahishasoor and Lord “Ram” defeating Raavan. Symbolically, it is the prolonged struggle against the ego and ignorance in each human being. After the struggle there is the day of new beginnings – Vijaya Dasami. The significance of the day is that one should conquer good qualities of human life over the bad. People set fire the effigy of “Raavan” which is the symbol of victory over the bad qualities against good virtues. Besides religious importance of the day the people enjoy the delicious dish of “Fafda-Jalebies”, for which they had been eagerly waiting. In the past this festival was celebrated by bowing down to the elders by giving them a sapling of paddy and ask for their blessings.

Navratri is the most famous festival of Gujarat around the world. Navratri is group of ‘nine nights’, where Gujarati people enjoy festival with joy and religious, for nine nights. This is an ancient and colorful festival. Navratri honors the one Divine Shakti or Force which supports the entire universe, and is personified as the Mother Goddess. She protects her worshippers, destroys evil and grants boons to her children. This Navratri festival is essentially religious in nature.

The most Interesting point is the Ras-Garba, a circular dance executed by men and women around an ceramic pot called a Garbo. A silver coin is placed within the pot, called a Kumbh, and coconut has also been placed on the top. As the performers circle the pot, a singer and a drummer provide the musical. The participants clap in a steady rhythm. Nowadays, loudspeakers are used to enhance the sound which grows to loudness. The Garbo normally starts slowly, and it becomes faster and faster as the music too becomes more fast. Gujarat is famous for its Ras-Garba around the world.

Another interesting feature of Navaratri is the Dandia Ras, in which men and women join the dance in circle with Dandia (a small wooden stick). In this dance, men and women strike the Dandias together and the singer and drummer make it more exciting. The Ras-Garba is so popular around the Gujarat, so some people and companies are now held the competitions. Also Big Prizes are given to the winner in various categories, like the Traditional, Style of Dance, Best Dandia-Ras Couple, Best Garba Style and more. All the winners are judged by the selected judges. Nowadays, Ras-Garba is held in the Party Plots, Clubs, Farm and taking entrance fees for the Ras-Garba. Some of the Singer and the drummer are so popular because of the Ras-Garba. The Dances normally starts at night and continues to early morning.

“Navratri is thus the festival that combines religious, devotional, cultural and recreational activities for almost a fortnight.”

The State of Gujarat in India conducts Jagannath Rath Yatra similar to the world famous Puri Jagannath Ratha Yatra and the most popular is the Ahmedabad Rath Yatra. In 2010, the date of Rath Yatra in Gujarat is July 13. The Rathas used in the Rath Yatra are small in size compared to the huge Rathas in Puri. In Gujarat, Rath Yatra is also held in many cities and towns like Bhavnagar, Vadodara, Gandhinagar, Surat and Porbandar.

The Rath Yatras in various cities, towns and villages in Gujarat take place on the same day when the Puri Jagannath Rath Yatra takes place. Three small chariots with the idols of Lord Jagannath (Krishna), Balarama (Balabhadra) and Subhadra are pulled by the devotees through the cities, towns and villages. Thousands of devotees throng the streets on the day to have a ‘Darshan’ of the deities.

The Ahmedabad Rath Yatra has a history of more 130 years. The procession begins from the Jagannath temple in Jamalpur locality in Ahmedabad city and passes through a 14 km route.

One of the main attractions during Ahmedabad Rath Yatra is the procession of caparisoned elephants. Decorated elephants take part in almost all the important rituals associated with the Ahmedabad Rath Yatra.

Another important feature is the participation of Akhada Sadhus and Mahants and the numerous floats with different themes.

After a day-long procession, the chariots with deities return to the Jamalpur Jagannath Temple.

Gujarati man claims to have lived 70 years on no food or water

A Gujarati man who claims to have lived for 70 years with neither food nor water since World War II has finally finished his 15 day examination by doctors, with results continuing to baffle all involved.
Prahlad Jani, an 82 year old yogi, claims to have survived on meditation alone after having been blessed by the Hindu goddess Amba as a child. Not surprisingly his claims caused a strong division of opinion; some arguing that he truly is capable of super human feats of endurance, others that he is just a very skinny liar.

In a bid to find out exactly what the truth is Indian doctors put Jani under round the clock surveillance for just over two weeks with a combination of CCTV camera footage and personal observation.

Yet despite all knowledge of how the human body exists with reliance on regular intakes of both water and food, as well as the ability to urinate, octogenarian Jani showed no signs of physical deterioration.

“During the tests we found that in Prahalad Jani's bladder, the amount of liquid fluctuates even when he does not pass urine. Mataji's EEG is also normal and we are analyzing data during meditation if there are any changes,” said Doctor.

“We did blood tests for hematology, biochemistry, hormone profile and the reports were in the pre-determined safety range throughout the observation period as per the protocol.”

Furthermore, tests on Jani’s nervous system showed him to have a surprisingly normal nerve function for someone of his advanced age. “Mataji's EEG is also normal and we are analysing data during meditation if there are any changes,” claimed Doctor.

Although doctors will continue to analyse the results to find out just what the hell is going on before giving conclusive evidence, the Indian military has already shown an interest in how the yogi’s method of survival in extreme circumstances may be able to assist the training of their soldiers.

ગુજરાતના બ્રાન્ડ એમ્બેસેડર અમીતાભ બચ્ચન ૨૮મીથી ગુજરાતમાં શુટિંગ કરે તેવી શકયતા

ગુજરાતના બ્રાન્ડ અમ્બેસેડર અને મિલેનિયમ સ્ટાર અમીતાભ બચ્ચન ૨૮મી મેથી એક સપ્તાહ સુધી ગુજરાતની લોકસંસ્કૃતિ અને લોકઉત્સવને આવરી લેતી આઠેક જેટલી વિવિધ એડ. ફીલ્મના શુટિંગ માટે ગુજરાતમાં આવે તેવી શકયતા છે.અલબત્ત, અમીતાભ બચ્ચનના આગમન અંગે સરકારી વિભાગ દ્વારા અત્યંત ગુપ્તતા સેવાઈ રહી છે. ગુજરાત સરકારે અમીતાભને લઈને ખુશ્બુ ગુજરાત કી નામની એડ ફિલ્મો બનાવવાનું આયોજન કયું છે.જેમાં બચ્ચન ગુજરાતની ભાતીગળ સંસ્કૃતિ અને લોકમિજાજ, લોકમેળા, ઉત્સવ, જયોતિર્લિંગ સોમનાથ મંદિર, ભગવાન શ્રીકૃષ્ણની નગરી દ્વારકા, ગાંધીજીના જન્મસ્થળ પોરબંદર તથા કર્મભૂમિ અમદાવાદના પ્રસિધ્ધ સાબરમતી આશ્રમ અને પટોળા માટે પ્રસિધ્ધ પાટણ જેવા વિવિધ સ્થળોએ શુટિંગ કરશે.
જાણકાર સૂત્રોના કહેવા મુજબ બચ્ચન આગામી ૨૮મીએ એશિયાટિક સિંહ માટે પ્રસિધ્ધ સાસણની મુલાકાત લઈને એડનું શુટિંગ કરશે. એક સ’ાહના રોકાણ દરમિયાન બચ્ચન રાજ્યની સાંસ્કૃતિ ધરોહર સમાન અનેક ઐતિહાસિક-પૌરાણિક સ્થળોનું પણ શુટિંગ કરશે. અલબત્ત, બચ્ચનના આગમન અંગે પ્રવાસન વિભાગ દ્વારા કોઈ સત્તાવાર કાર્યક્રમ કે જાહેરાત કરવામાં આવી નથી.

The Gujaratis are an important part of America, playing key roles in medicine, science, engineering, the diamond, motel, IT and retail industry. There are over 8,000 Gujarati Indian-Americans on the faculties of American universities and on average more than 67% of Gujarati-Indian-Americans hold bachelor or higher college degrees. More than 4,000 Gujarati doctors are in surgeons practice in American hospitals. The Gujarati population has been exploding rapidly in the United States, with only Hispanics outpacing Indian-Americans. Census bureau information shows that no other immigrant group has achieved the level of success and penetration into the professional fields of the America, with average family yearly average earnings for Gujaratis being $63,000. Their presence is in the senate and in the "White House".

The power to your dreams & your mind and the power of positive thinking.

Your thoughts are the most important asset you have in your desire to achieve your dreams. They affect you in ways you never thought possible. The truth is, whether you know it or not, your thoughts are responsible for whatever place or situation you are in right now. Nobody would argue that electricity exists. You can’t touch, smell, hear or see it, but its effects are evident everywhere you look. Its power is evident everywhere you look.
In the same way, your thoughts are energy. Your thoughts drive your life just as electricity drives a motor. That is the power there is in having a positive mental attitude. Yes, I am not the first one to say this and I bet I won’t be the last either. You know why? Because it is true. It’s simple, but true. There is power in thoughts; in negative and in positive thinking. Choose positive thinking and you will enjoy positive energy and positive results.

The music and dance blend the rich traditions which its folk music,and dance. The Garba dance it the spiritual expression of Gujarat and the spirit of festivity of the traditional festival reaches worldwide. Music and folk dances have evolved since ancient times and continues to attract people to its reach tradition even today as it retain its original form or even blend to modern forms. Folk songs, classical music and array of distinctive classical ragas have exemplary features with distinctive music variations. Gujarat is known to have produced its own folk instruments besides the vast contributions to classical and folk music. Also modern culture of pop thrive its existence with the youth catching faster on western and other music forms pertaining to other countries.

Our city is beautiful but places around Ahmedabad are also amazing. Nalsarovar is one of such beautiful places. If one goes in the early hours of dawn, the sunrise is spectacular. The lovely varied birds, the thrilling boat ride and the lovely food, really de-stress you. Nalsarover is a must see Or visit place around the Ahmedabad city.

Saturday Night At Manekchowk (Ahmedabad)

At weekend time we wish to meet our buddynet who are close to us. We plan to meet at the place of joy which area is called "Manekchowk" in city.Because this area is crowded till late night. Somebody is tired from daily life-style, some one wants to eat spicy. This is popularly known as "Khau Gali". This "Khau Gali" serves Fafda, Jalebi, Kachori,Farsi Puri, Bhajia,and what not. If you want you can eat Chinese food, Punjabi, Bhajipav or anything else. People do Jalsa(enjoy)whole night. Each one discusses different topics and laughs, some one asks about recent break up, some one gets a job, a new she friend are the reasons to celebrate which brings them to the different venders who catter them with delicious menu. Some people visit daily for enjoying the atmosphere and they are addicted to eat some fafda and jalebi as if it recharges them. When someone visits Gujarat,especially Ahmedabad City never misses to visit this delicious menu place "Manekchowk". It starts around 10 Oclock till late night. Apart from south indian dishes, Icecreams and hot milk are the favourite after having the plater at night.People partaway with a promise to meet again at the same place.

The "Divas"

Strange But True Hobby

Strange but true hobby of South Gujarat farmers at Dharampur village near Valsad. Every year cart race takes place. The bulls are fed with milk, fruits and butter and kept away from ploughing and farm work. The cart race winner gets a prize of 51,000 /- Rs and that winner bull is auctioned fetches a price around 5 to 7 lacks Rs.

The "Divas"

Cherish what you have

God is omnipresent. We worship him in different forms. Bhagwan is present in my heart & in soul and I feel him, close to me whenever I faced with any obstacle. I owe a lot to the almighty who has given me such a wonderful family. Although I’m not very religious. I believe in its purity.

How do you connect with god for me connecting with the god is through always abiding by the values my parents have put in me. They have taught me to help those who are in need. I like to share my good fortune with the less fortune.

“Work and Luck”

They are two sides of the same coin. Work and Luck are interlinked the deeds in your present life will determined your luck. You get what you deserve.

True Gratification Lies In

For me, gratification is about fulfilling the commitments made to your loved ones and full-filling your dreams in an honest manner. We should never complain about what we do not have, but instead cherish whatever we have. There is a story about a man who cribbed that he did not have shoes till he met a man without any legs.

Do You Know !

A Mom Is a Mom No Matter What She Looks Like

A two-year-old chimpanzee named Anjana is caring for two rare white tiger cubs that were born in South Carolina during Hurricane Hannah.



Anjana assists with the feeding of the cubs and lies with them when they rest. White tigers are severely endangered, and there are only about 200 of these animals left in the world.



When hurricane Hannah separated two white tigers from their mother, Anjana came to the Rescue. Anjana, a chimp at TIGERS in South Carolina, became surrogate mom and playmate to the cubs, even helping with bottle feeding, according to The Sun. But here’s the truly amazing part: This is something Anjana does all the time, having helped raised leopard and lion cubs on several occasions.

The Voice Of Gujju

Just hang on a minute here, in case you are thinking this is just my blog. It is never one person's blog alone, and in my case so many lives supported me. I would like to thank each and every one who visited this blog.

Gujarat Darshan

Gujarat Darshan

presentations

Holi Festival The Joy Of Colours

The festival of Holi begins on Duwadashi - on the twelfth day of the waxing moon in the month of Phalgun. Spirits run high as the preparations for the festivities begin, as a custom, mothers make new clothes for their married daughters. Coloured powder (Gulal) is bought and prepared, long syringes called 'pichkaris' are made ready and water balloons are bought and filled. Preparations are made to cook the special food items that are exclusively meant for this festival.

Colour:
Phalgun arrives with the promise of warm days and new life - Spring is the season of rejuvenation and rebirth. The earth discards its winter gloom and begins to blossom again. As if to mark this change, Holi flings colour into Indian landscape and invites the celebration of life.

Clothes:
Like all other festivals in India, Holi has its share of traditional clothing. Mothers usually gift new clothes to their married daughters and their young children. According to tradition, once the daughter's children get married, they automatically forfeit the right to this gift. A special saree known as a 'dandia' is gifted to the married daughter. The dandia is a white cotton saree, preferably of voile or 'mulmul'. Its borders are dyed with a non-fast colour called Indian Pink. The dandia is made by gathering all four sides of the saree and dipping each side, in turn, into the Indian Pink, allowing the colour to catch two to three inches of the cloth on each side. The colour spreads in uneven splendor towards the middle of the saree but to a limited extent. The effect is that of a slowly spreading blush. When the colour dries, the saree can be further decorated with paisley designs on the entire body. Other Indian motifs can also be used. When the colour and designs are ready, a border of gold or silver, about two to three inches in width, is stitched on to the edges of the dandia. This border is called a 'gota'. The portion of the saree that covers the head ('pallu'), has a 'kiran' or a fine fringe of gold or silver, attached to it. This adds shimmer to the dandia. According to the custom dandia is gifted, along with another saree, and blouses and petticoats to match. This traditional attire is a must for a newly wed bride.

Gujarat Ni Dharti

Area
196077 sq. km.

Capital
Gandhinagar

Language
Gujarati,Hindi,English

Religion
Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Sikhism, Christianity, all communities is live as gujarati instead of different relegions.

Time
GMT +5:30

Currency
Indian Rupee

Climate
Wet in the southern districts and Desertic in the north-west region

Winter
November to February (12 - 29 Celsius)

Summer
March to May (29 - 41 Celsius)

Monsoon
June to October (27 - 35 Celsius)

Name of the Districts
Ahmedabad, Amreli, Anand, Banaskantha, Bharuch, Bhavnagar, Dahod, Dang, Gandhinagar, Jamnagar, Junagadh, Kutch, Kheda, Mahesana, Narmada, Navsari, Panchmahal, Patan, Porbandar, Rajkot, Sabarkantha, Surat, Surendranagar, Tapi, Vadodara, Valsad


Major Cities
Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot, Bhuj, Junagadh, Jamnagar

Total No. Of Talukas
226

Emergency Numbers
Emergency 108
Police 100
Fire 101
Ambulance 102
General Inquiry - Phone 197
Railway - 139



Transport - Air
International Ahmedabad
Domestic Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Jamnagar, Porbandar, Surat, Keshod, Rajkot, Bhavnagar, Bhuj


SeaPorts
Major Kandla
Minor Mandvi, Mundra, Sikka, Okha, Porbandar, Veraval, Bhavnagar, Salaya, Pipavav, Mahuva, Jafrabad, Hazira


Hills
Saputara, Pavagadh, Girnar, Taranga, Shatrunjaya

Major Industries
Electronics, Information Technology, Textiles, Petrochemicals, Agriculture, Cement

Aavo Padharo (Welcome)

Aavo Padharo, words of welcome in the language of Gujarat because it is here that these words ring truly and the guest is 'God' and the people of Gujarat are gregariously friendly, inviting and will entice you to come again and again.

Here in Gujarat you will discover centuries of history as spanning the geological core of the earth onto a fascinatingly vibrant future. Gujarat is unique in its geological and topographical landscape. From volcanic outpourings through bedrock to fossil fields of indigenous dinosaurs; from the art of the neolithic cave painter to the stone masterpieces of a series of civilized architecture. Gujarat has it all.

Ancient cave paintings to historic murals, natural and man made caves. Art, history, music, culture, all dovetail within each other to form a wondrous matrix that is the cultural exuberance of the people of the state