Saturday, May 28, 2016

Rendezvous at Khanna Village in Mori, Uttarkashi

Khanna is a small village of total 40-50 Households in Mori block of Uttarkashi district with around 30 families living at present. This village is tucked away in north west part of Govind Pashu VIhar National Park and Sanctuary. To reach to this destination, its takes 2-3 hours drive to reach from Mori. The village in on the Daula - Jakha road and people have to get down at Doni to reach to this village. From Doni its another 1 hour walking where one has to cross a river and then start a uphill climb for 30-40 minutes to reach to this village.

Village of Khanna has total 30 - 40 households

As you reach the village you one can have the first glimpses of the village temple and a tremendous view of the Rupin River flowing below followed by it which will certainly freshen you up and the tiredness of climbing up will go away.

 
Village Temple will greet you at the entrance of village
View of River Rupin flowing

The village has no electricity and people are using solar powered setups for their electricity needs. This village was effected during the 2013 Uttarkashi Disaster with landslides coming from top of the mountains destroyed their semi-pacca houses. As informed by Sarpanch of the village Smt. Gyan Mala Devi, many families of the village has received the compensation under the Uttrakhand Disaster Recovery Project. There is only one school near Khanna where all the children go for studies. PS Khanna school located in Doni was established in 1989 however till now this school has classes till 5th Standard only. Most of the locals living here depend on local vegetation including fruits and vegetables. All the families have their farms on top of the cliff which is another 2 hours walking from the village. We rather choose not to go ahead and stop at the village itself.

Sunil Singh is student of PS Khanna School


The temperature through the year is pleasant with winters a bit chilly and occasional snowfall in the months of December-January are common. As the evening was setting in the chillness in the air could be felt. The Sarpanch of the village and her family were a little bit concerned that we would be returning the same day to Mori as the sun was already started going down.

So without much of delay we started our dissent which is much easier than climbing up. We could reach to our vehicle parked at Doni by 6.00 pm and were back to Mori by 9.00 pm.

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Similarity of Modern Science and Vedic Cosmology

 Today on National Youth Day - "We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far".

~Swami Vivekananda

The similarity of Modern Science and Vedic Cosmology

Quieting down of the universe is not simultaneous over the whole of the universe and that in different parts different things going on. But the principle remains the same, that all we see, that is - nature herself - is progressing in successive rises and falls. The one stage, falling down, going back to balance, the perfect equilibrium, is called Pralaya, the end of a cycle (The peak of the curve). The projection and Pralay of the universe have been compared by theistical writers in India to the out-breathing and in-breathing of God. God as it was breathing out the universe and it comes into Him again. Swami Vivekananda preached the basis of modern cosmology to the west before they were known to modern science. He openly declared to the spectators in America long back in 1893 at his speech in Chicago of Big - Bang theory that the whole universe is contracting and expanding. The scientist - philosopher Einstein had the idea that the universe was in the static stage. But he was so great that he had ultimately agreed to the views of the Hindu Sage and accepted that it was his gravest blunder in his lifetime. It was also known to the Hindu sages thousands of years back that the universe took birth 1500-2000 billion years back. The universe was never created. It is only projected. Truth is eternal. An extract on the similarity of Modern Science and Vedic Cosmology.

Smokey Mountains View from New Tehri of Tehri Range, Uttarakhand

One of the most memorable places where I have stayed for a month or so. In a small but busy hilly town, New Tehri in Uttarakhand. All the vi...