Day: 14 January 2012

Chicago, IL: Manav Seva Mandir located at 101 S. Church Road, Bensenville , IL celebrated Makar Sankranti by performing Nav Grah Puja on Saturday, January 14, 2012. More than 25 couple participated in Nav Grah Puja which started at 5:30 PM. This sacred evening was attended by over 400 devotees witness the special evening Puja ceremony. Donation for performing Puja was $51.00 per family. We need the blessings of the all nine planets known as Navagraha’s to have a life that is free from various types of problems that may trouble us from time to time. Navgraha The nine (nava) major celestial bodies (Grahas) of Hindu astronomy. These celestial bodies are Surya (Sun), Chandra (Moon), Chevvaai/Mangal (Mars), Budhan (Mercury), Guru/Brihaspati (Jupiter), Shukra (Venus), Shani (Saturn), Rahu (North Lunar Node) and Ketu (South Lunar Node). What is Navgraha Shanti Puja? The nine “grahas” or planets in our horoscope influences one’s daily performance which influences one’s future performance or karma, desires and ultimate outcomes. Each of these nine planets exerts positive and/or negative influence in our lives, which is called “dasa” and it can be predicted by expert called Jyotish from one’s horoscope. Navagraha Shanti Puja is undertaken to reduce the negative […]

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Chicago IL: Janvi was granted her angel wings on January 14, 2012 following a brief illness. Makar Sankranti is a major harvest festival and consider to be divine day for Hindu culture. Her final days were spent surrounded by family and friends. Janvi had touched so many in some small way throughout her short, yet very memorable, life. Janvi’s life would seem too short to many; however, those who came in touch by her understood that the quality of existence far exceeds the quantity of time in which one lives. Her gentle smile could melt the hearts of those around her. Though she never spoke a word her voice and thoughts could always be heard. Janvi was born on September 26th 2001 with a rare genetic disorder resulting in mental and physical handicap since birth. This made her appear frail. Despite these obstacles, she possessed strength, perseverance, and an ability to overcome incredible odds. Sweet, funny, friendly, spunky…these are but a few words that come to mind when we think about Janvi. Janvi, with her chubby cheeks, pigtails, endearing personality and beautiful eyes, immediately won everyone’s hearts. With her courage she led us to believe that each day is a […]

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Chicago, IL: Lohri, popular Punjabi agricultural festival, was celebrated with great fanfare at Hari Om Mandir in Medinah, IL. Lohri was celebrated with traditional food of Saag (mustard) and Makki (corn) ki roti and lassi (buttermilk), bonfire, tappes, and songs suitable for the occasion. The temple priests, Shastri Yogesh Pandya ji and Pandit Dinesh ji, along with help from Deepak and Mona Sharma, Vipan & Sangeeta Wadhera, Subhash & Kiran Sharma and Akshay & Suchitra Sarkar created a beautiful exhibit of traditional Lohri items. There were models of Charkha, well with utensil to draw water, front of a house with traditional paintings of Diyas (tea lights) and cut out of people with dhols. Traditional Makke ki roti, Sarson ka Saag and Sweet & Salty Lassa were in abundance. Mrs. Nirmal Bagga, Mrs. Aruna Lal, Mrs. Suvarsha Sehgal, Mrs. Madhu Gupta, Mrs. Prem Salwan, Mrs. Indu Bhardwaj, Mrs. Navdeep Sharma and lot of other volunteers helped in preparing all delicacies. India House Schaumburg also donated Makke ki Roti and Sarsen ka saag for the occasion. Mrs. Sneh Chaudhary prepared Pineapple Burfi for the occasion. Mrs. Malkeet Kaur Kalsi and several other devotees prepared Saag and Rotis at home and bought to […]

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Chicago IL: Youth Outreach, Developments in Literacy (YOUR DIL) hosted its first event of the new year, netWork it for Education: Celebrating Literacy One Child at a Time, at Reza’s Restaurant in downtown Chicago on Saturday, January 14, 2012 to raise funds for schools in Pakistan. The event featured networking activities for young professionals and an inspiring talk from Ethan Casey, a veteran journalist, editor, and author who writes extensively on Pakistan and other developing countries. A vocal advocate for harmonious relations between the United States and Pakistan and longtime supporter of DIL, Ethan spoke to an engaged audience of YOUR DIL Chicago’s young professional supporters about his experiences living and traveling in Pakistan and working with DIL’s schools in Pakistani villages. Addressing young Pakistani-Americans as “vanguards of the Pakistani community in the United States,” Ethan provided insightful advice on how they can help to bring better awareness of Pakistan to the American people. “Your generation is on the verge of really bursting out into American society in a great way. … One of the simplest ways that you can help to create better understanding of Pakistan in America is just by being yourself, being professional and courteous in your […]

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