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Dayanand Saraswati, Arya Samaj, and Root of Hindu-Sikh Tension

Dayanand Saraswati (12 February 1824 – 30 October 1883) was a Hindu religious leader who founded the Arya Samaj, a Neo-Hindu reform movement of the Vedic tradition. Dayananda emphasized the ideals of brahmacharya (abstain-ism).  Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati Founder of Arya Samaj Cult Early Childhood Dayanand Saraswati was born on 12 February in 1824 in a Brahmin family in the Kathiawad region (now Rajkot district of Gujarat). His original name was Mool Shankar Tiwari. His father was a follower of Shiva and taught Mool Shankar the ways to impress the Lord by idol worshiping and keeping fasts. On the occasion of Shivratri, Dayanand saw a mouse eating the offerings to the God and running over the idol's body. After seeing this, he questioned himself, if the God could not defend himself against a little mouse then how could he be the savior of the massive world. Later, the deaths of his younger sister and his uncle from cholera caused Dayanand to ponder the meaning of life

Origin of Chhabras

Chhabra (pronounced Chhabrha) Punjabi - ਛਾਬੜਾ, Hindi - छाबड़ा Gujarati - છાબડા Chhabras are a common demographic group found primarily in Punjab region. The Chhabras are considered a subset (Gotra: Sankrit, Got: Punjabi) of Punjabi Arora community. In fact Chhabras originating from Chhab, West Punjab are a distinct but related to the Aroras originating from Aror , Sindh. The ancestors of Chhabras were mainly concentrated in West Punjab (now Pakistan) along the banks of the Indus River and its tributaries; in the Majha region in East Punjab (India), and the North-West Frontier Province; and in Sindh (mainly as Sindhi Aroras) In post-independence and post-partition India, Aroras and Chhabra mainly reside in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Jammu, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Gujarat. Map of Indus Valley Civilization Sites Demography Almost all Chhabras are either Sikhs or Hindus. There are some Muslim Chhabras who live in West Punjab, Pakistan or in We

Narendra Modi - The Promise of Hope?

Narendra Modi Narendra Damodardas Modi (born 17 September 1950) is the 15th and current Prime Minister of India, in office since 26 May 2014.The prime minister is a Hindu nationalist and a longstanding member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Before becoming the prime minister of India, Mr. Modi was a successful chief minister of Gujarat state. Modi's economic policies (credited with encouraging economic growth in Gujarat) have been praised and his message of economic growth of all of India on the Gujarat model was one of the key factor for his election. His opposition has accused him of not doing enough to stop the Gujarat riots that started as a reaction to burning alive of over 50 Hindu pilgrims in a train my Muslim mobs. However the Indian courts have exonerated Mr. Modi of all accusations in the Gujarat riots. My blog is not about his successes or controversies, but rather about his relationship with the Sikhs and how he represents a new hope for Sikhs. Many Si

The Charade of Mahatma Gandhi

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (Born 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) also known as Bapu was the preeminent leader of Indian independence movement in British-ruled India.It is widely believed that Gandhi led India to independence employing nonviolent civil disobedience. The honorific Mahatma (Sanskrit: "high-soul", "venerable") is applied to him by his Indian followers. He is also called Bapu (Gujarati: endearment for "father") in India. Mahatma Gandhi Gandhi was also an excellent PR man, managing to hide the less savory aspects of his character until long after his death. Overtime a number of facts have emerged that describes the man Gandhi was and sheds light on shortcomings in his character. I would try my best to go in details on these failures of Gandhi as a leader and even as a man. Background Mohandas Gandhi was born in a well-do-do family on 2 October 1869 in Porbandar, a coastal town in the princely state of Porbandar in the Kathiawar

Kashmir History - Sikhs Presence and Article 370

Picturesque Kashmir Valley   Kashmir (Kashmiri: کٔشِیر / कॅशीर; Hindi: कश्मीर; Urdu: کشمیر‎; Shina: کشمیر), archaically spelled Cashmere, is the northwestern region of South Asia. Today, it denotes a region that includes the Indian-administered state of Jammu and Kashmir (which consists of Jammu, the Kashmir Valley, and Ladakh), the Pakistan-administered autonomous territories of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit–Baltistan, and the Chinese-administered regions of Aksai Chin and the Trans-Karakoram Tract. The valley of Kashmir is known all over the world for its beauty and charm. The emerald valley of Kashmir is cradled in the Himalayas, under the crystal blue skies, against the background of snow-capped mountains. It is a magic land of silvery streams, rivers, fresh water lakes, pine, deodhar and chinar forests, snow clad mountains, sparkling waterfalls, shikaras, green meadows and grassy slopes full of flowers of vibrant colors. Map of Kashmir - territories in India, Pakistan, and Chin