"SHIRDI BANDH" in Protest of Sai Sansthan's Airport Donation

Wednesday 25th August 2010

On Friday, Chief Minister Ashok Chavan and Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel will be laying the foundation stone of the Airport in Shirdi. The Airport, expected to be operational by end of 2011, will be equipped for International flights as well.

But the Shirdi Sai Baba Temple Trust’s decision to give Rs.100 crore to the State Government for the Airport has angered the Devotees. The Shirdi Villagers protesting Shirdi Sansthan's donation for the Airport, using the Sansthan's Money, had called for a total "Shirdi Bandh" on Wednesday 25th August 2010. So, on "Wednesday" the streets of Shirdi wore a deserted look.
All Shops, Establishments etc were closed and the Public Transport too was absent, causing a lot of inconvenience for the devotees there.

However, Baba's Samadhi Mandir was kept open and so was the canteen, for the benefit of the devotees.

The Shirdi Gram Villagers are also demanding that a Law should be made to prohibit any Article of Sai Baba to be taken out of Shirdi for any purpose.

They have said that be it any amount they will not allow the Sansthan to use even a Rupee for the Airport project, and if their demands are not met, they will go on a Hunger Strike, come out on the roads to protest and will wave Black Flags on 27th August`2010 during the laying of Shirdi Airport's Foundation Stone.

The Rs.380-crore project needs 400 acre of land, of which 300 acre has been acquired with help of the government aid of around Rs.40 crore while the Shirdi Sai Sansthan had earlier agreed to pay Rs.50 crore, together with other expected donations. but, it is now rumored that the Sansthan will be coughing out Rs.100 crore instead of the Rs.50 crore it had originally offered.

But according to the Maharashtra Govt, the original Rs.50 crore was also voluntarily offered by the Shirdi Sansthan themselves.

According to the devotees, the Airport and other infrastructure in Maharashtra is all the duty of the State Government and so the Shirdi Sansthan should not provide funds for any of those projects, including the Shirdi Airport.

Trustee and state Transport Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, who approves of the Trust’s move, said: “The Trust took a decision Two years ago in the interest of Devotees. The Airport will offer faster connectivity.”

But former MP Shri.Balasaheb Vikhe-Patil said that the Trust should not give the amount
as the Government has paid for the Land that it acquired for the Airport. “Local people and Devotees don’t want this to happen.

We all want the Centre and State Governments to take care of the Airport project,” he said adding that "the Airport would help corporate fliers who frequent the Industrial estates being developed in Ahmednagar & Nashik districts."

Pramod Kadve, a devotee from Mumbai, said Rs 100 crore could be used to extend facilities to the poor & the Farmers.

“An Airport will benefit the Rich. The Trust should not splurge on providing five-star facilities to the Rich.”

Trust chairman Jayant Sasane said that the Trust members will meet to review the situation. “The Radhakrishna Patil will take a Final call.”

The Maharashtra Airport Development Corporation (MADC) is the nodal agency for the Shirdi Airport project.

Courtesy:
Video: http://aajtak.intoday.in
Source: Hindustan Times

Quotes for Sister on Raksha Bandhan

Aum Sairam

Having a sister is like having a best friend you can't get rid of. You know whatever you do, they'll still be there.

A sister is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost.

You can kid the world. But not your sister.

The mildest, drowsiest sister has been known to turn tiger if her sibling is in trouble.

A sister can be seen as someone who is both ourselves and very much not ourselves - a special kind of double.

Sisters are probably the most competitive relationship within the family, but once the sisters are grown, it becomes the strongest relationship.

A sister smiles when one tells one's stories - for she knows where the decoration has been added.

More than Santa Claus, your sister knows when you've been bad and good.

I know some sisters who only see each other on Mother's Day and some who will never speak again. But most are like my sister and me... linked by volatile love, best friends who make other best friends ever so slightly less best.

Sisters annoy, interfere, and criticize. Indulge in monumental sulks, in huffs, in snide remarks. Borrow. Break. Monopolies the bathroom. Are always underfoot. But if catastrophe should strike, sisters are there. Defending you against all comers. :-)

She is your mirror, shining back at you with a world of possibilities. She is your witness, who sees you at your worst and best, and loves you anyway. She is your partner in crime, your midnight companion, someone who knows when you are smiling, even in the dark. She is your teacher, your defense attorney, your personal press agent, even your shrink. Some days, she's the reason you wish you were an only child. : - )

Both within the family and without, our sisters hold up our mirrors: our images of who we are and of who we can dare to be.

She takes my hand and leads me along paths I would not have dared explore alone.

Sisters are different. They heard the sobbing in the darkness.
They lived through all your triumphs, all your favorites, all your loves and losses. They have no delusions.
They lived with you too long.

And so, when you achieve some victory, friends are delighted - but sisters hold your hands in silence and shine with happiness.

For they know the cost.

Allah Malik

Happy Raksha Bandhan

Aum Sairam

Happy Raksha Bandan to all Sai family members. It is a day for pledging our love towards one another and towards Sri Sai Baba. Let us tie band of love to Sri Sai Baba, It is His duty to come running towards us and remove our hurdles. It is easy to love a vulnerable, crazy old man. When we look at old people their vulnerability tugs at our hearts strings and we like to help them. This old man is different He is sweet no doubt, but is strong enough to bear the burdens of the whole universe. One look at His face endears us towards Him.

Let us cast our burdens and sorrows at His holy lotus feet. He is our father, mother, brother and sister, we are His responsibilities. One might shrug their responsibilities being human as we are selfish and self centered, but He never backs out from responsibilities. Here is my band of love for my Father, Master and Guru. Please accept it my Master offered to you with love, humility and humbleness.

I tie the band of love to you all, my Sai Family. We need each other in this journey of spirituality. We need to support each other, pray for one another and keep moving ahead reminding each other that the obstacles and disappointments in this journey are nothing but mere tests by Him to measure our love. It is difficult for a single person to tread this path alone as it is long and full of thorns but with a companion like you, journey is pleasurable and easy and one looses track of time. Thanks for being there.

Please accept my love, humble pranam and namaskar for being there and for praying for everyone. Your company and prayers and contributions mean a lot in my life.

Wish you all a Happy Raksha Bandan.

Allah Malik

The Life

01. Go placcidly

02. Amid the noise and haste

03. Remember what peace there may be in silence.

04. As far as possible without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.

05. Speak your truth quietly & clearly; listen to others,even the dull & they
to have their story.

06. Avoid loud & aggressive persons, they are vexatious to the spirit.

07. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain & bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

08. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

09. Keep interested in your own career, however humble it is a real possession
in the changing fortunes of time.

10. Exercise caution in your business affairs because the world is full of
trickery.

11. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is
many persons strive for high ideals;

12. & everywhere life is full of heroism.

13. Be yourself especially, do not feign affection.

14. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity &
disenchantment, it is perennial as the grass.

15. Take kindly the council of the years gracefully surrendering the things
of youth.

16. Nurture strength spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.but do not
distress yourself with dark imaginings, many fears are born of fatigue
and loneliness.

17. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.

18. You are the child of the universe, no less than the grass & the stars, you
have a right to be here wheather or not, it is clear to you.

19. No doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

20. Therefore be peace with god, whatever you conceive him to be & whatever
your labours & aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace
with your soul.

21. With all its shame, drudgery & broken dreams, it is still a beautiful
world.be careful, strive to be happy.

Courtesy:
Sri B Sravan Kumar, Hyderabad

ATTITUDE AND HAPPINESS

|| MDHUMANME-NISHKRAMANAM ||
|| MADHUMANME-PAARAAYANM ||

|| VAACHA-VAADAAMI MADHUMADHU ||
|| BHUYAANSU MADHU SADRUSHA ||


LET THERE BE HONEY-LIKE SWEETNESS IN OUR LIVES. LET OUR FRIENDLY BEHAVIOUR FILL OTHERS LIVES WITH HAPPINESS.

LET OUR SPEECH BE SWEETENED WITH AFFECTION FOR OTHERS. LET US CREATE AN ATMOSPHERE OF HARMONY ALL AROUND US.

-----Atharvaveda 1-34-3

ATTITUDE AND HAPPINESS

----------------------

The man who thinks that he is receiving response to his prayers for happiness does not know that, the fulfilment comes from his own nature,that he has suceeded by the mental attitude of prayer in waking up a bit of this infinite power,which is coiled up within himself,what thus men ignorently worship under various names,though fear and tribulation. The simple truth is that happiness is not determined so much by our actual circumstances, as it is by our mental attitude to those circumstances.

The mistake so many people make about happiness is that, they expect to find it by paying considerable attention to themselves, their comfort, their security, their future, their rights and so on. It is rather that our moral failures stare at the heart of our charecter and self-respect. Their influence may some times not be visible, but they are always unpleasant and an enemy of happiness.

True happiness lies in doing things we feel to be right. There is never any solid satisfaction in doing things for which our conscience warn us. There is validity in the old saying "there is no rest for the wicked". To have moral standards, to believe in them, adhere to them, to strive continually after what we feel to be best and holiest and most worth-while in life. This is the surest gurantee of happiness.

The great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in 'what direction we are moving '. To reach the port of our destination we must sail some times with the wind and some times against it,but we must sail and not drift nor lie at anchor.

We must remember that 'there are no permanent enemy's & 'permanent friends' and 'permanent relatives' in this world. In the mirror of circumstances our mind reflects friend as enemy and enemy as friend and relations will strain it's all depends on our mental attitude in that circumustances and to those persons. Hostility today is a fact, but it is not a ruling law, the supreme reality of our time is our indivisiblity as children of god and our common vulnerability on this planet.

We all have possibilities we do not know about. We can do things we do not not even dream we can do.it is only when necessity faces us that we rise to the occasion and actually do the things that hitherto have seemed impossible all of it is depends on our mental attitude and strength at that time and on those circumestances.

Courtesy:
Sri B Sravan Kumar, Hyderabad