12 Jul 10

Idioms are present in every language. In Hindi, idioms are known as ‘Muhavre’.

In this article we look at some everyday idioms in Hindi language revolving around food. In any region, food is an important part of culture and so it is often found in the language of the common people.

Apni khichdi alag pakaana : (अपनी खिचड़ी अलग पकाना) :The idiom tranlates to cook one’s own meal. It is used in a situation where a person has ideas which are different from what the group holds. (साथ मिल कर रहना) When a person does not want to stay with the others, this idiom is used. Using the idiom in a sentence, ‘raje maharaje apni apni kichdi pakate rahe, jis ke karan videshyon ne hum par shasan kiya. ‘ ( राजे महाराजे अपनी अपनी खिचड़ी पकाते रहे, जिस के कारण विदेशियों ने हम पर शासन किया). The sentence used in the example means – Due to infighting of the local princely states the foreigners ruled over us for such a long period.

Aate dal ka bhav malum hona : (आटे दाल का भाव मालुम होना) : It means to come to know the expenses of basic necessities. Aata (Flour) and Dal (Pulses) are a part of the staple diet in this region. The idea behind the idiom probably was a situation where procuring these basic needs is difficult for some reason. (कठिनाई में पड़ना) Using the idiom in a a sentence, ‘es saal baarish samay par na padne se, aam logo ko aate dal ka bhav malum pad gaya’ ( इस साल बारिश समय पर ना पड़ने से, आम लोगो को आटे दाल का भाव मालुम पड गया) The example sentence means -That due to inadequate rains, the common man is facing many problems.

Bandar kya jaane adrak ka swad: (बंदर क्या जाने अदरक का स्वाद) : A person incapable of appreciating the value of a thing invites this idiom for himself. Literally, the idiom translates to – a monkey has no idea about the taste and benefits of ginger. (अयोग्य व्यक्ति कीमती वस्तु की कद्र नहीं जानता) The English idiom for the same is "Casting pearls before swine". An example of using the idiom would be, ‘Vishal: Mujhe bread khana acha lagta hai. Mahesh: Aalo ka parantha bread se zyada acha hota hai. Bandar kya jaane aadrak ka swad!’ (विशाल: मुझे ब्रेड खाना पसन्द है। महेश: आलू का परांठा ब्रेड से ज्यादा स्वाद होता है बन्दर क्या जाने अदरक का स्वाद !) The example means – Vishal: I like to eat bread. Mahesh: A stuffed potato parntha is tastier than bread. What do you know the true taste! (A parantha is a whole wheat Indian bread with butter spread liberally over it. A potato stuffed prantha is filing, nutritious and tasty.)

Nako chane chabvana: (नाकों चने चबवाना) : to make a person go through tough times. (बहुत तंग करना) Literally, it means to force a person to bite something as hard as chicken peas with his nose. Eating chicken peas with one’s nose would be an impossible task. It would be used in a sentence like ’shivaji ki sena ne aapne dushmano ko nako chene chabvae’ (शिवाजी की सेना ने अपने दुश्मनो को नाकों चने चबवाए) meaning that Shivaji’s army gave a tough time to its enemies.

Thali ka baigan: (थाली का बैंगन) : An unsteady mind. ( अस्थिर विचारओ वाला ) It is used for persons who sway from one thought to the other very quickly. A round egg plant in a big plate would not actually be steady. It would keep rolling. Example: ‘Ram to thali ka baigan hai, kabhi ek dal ko vote dene ki baat karta hai to kabhi doosri.’ ( राम तो थाली का बैंगन है, कभी एक दल को वोट देने की बात करता है, तो कभी दूसरे) The example means that Ram is an undecided fellow, at times he talks of casting his vote in favor of one party and at times to the other.

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17 May 10

Hindi newspapers are one of the most powerful tools of distributing local news on different subjects to the Hindi reader mass in India along with bringing general awareness about issues & events that may affect their lives directly or indirectly. Some of the Popular Hindi language newspapers like dainik jagran , navjyoti , hindustan , Rajasthan patrika & punjabkesari have done a commendable job in the field of Hindi language journalism over the past 50 or more years.

Hindi news in newspapers is most often published on a daily basis. Hindi news readers study carefully the content of any paper and also look for reports that reveal the opinion of a paper’s editor. Many Indian newspapers have online editions that help online readers get the latest news without having to subscribe to all of them. Readers have found both informative content and forthright opinions in these editions.

The online versions of hindi newspapers offer you Hindi news which include sports, political, entertainment related news in Hindi language. efficiently serving the Indian Diaspora across the globe with their daily dose of news and information. And, not just national level news, in their online embodiments most of these news portals offer complete information on the latest happenings around the remote countryside of India. It certainly helps NRI’s to stay connected with their country round the year.

You can find more information about Hindi newspaper and magzines here.

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16 Mar 10

The rest of the world may celebrate new year on January 1, but for many Indian communities that go by the Hindu calendar, the new year is associated with spring, the time of the year when not just humans but even nature celebrates with a renewal of life and colour.

Chaitra Navratri or Chait Navratras, is the nine-day festival observed in Chaitra month. Chaitra Navratras starts on the first day in Chaitra. This is the Hindu New Year day as per Hindu calendar.   Chaitra Navratri is very popular festive season in North Indian states like Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, etc.

Chaitra Navratri is also called as Vasant Navratri or Basant Navratri. This festival marks the beginning of Vasant ruthu (spring season).

Navratri 2010 dates during Chaitra month are – from March 16 to March 24.

As per the legends mentioned in the Puranas and other Hindu scriptures, Chaitra Navratri is the actual Navratri during which Goddess Durga was worshipped. But during the time of Ramayan war, Lord Sri Ram worshipped Durga at the time of Ashwin month. Since then, Ashwin Navratri has become the main festive season to worship the Goddess.

In the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra, the first of Chaitra month is celebrated as Gudi Padwa or Ugadi or Yugadi.

Gudi Padwa marks the beginning of New Year in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and parts of Karnataka. This festival is known as Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra and Ugadi in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Gudi Padwa signifies the beginning of Vasant or the Spring season.

The Brahma Purana holds that it was on a Gudi Padwa that Lord Brahma created the world again after a devastating deluge and time began to tick from this day forth. The day marks the start of Satyug (era of truth and justice).

Gudi Padwa is said to be one of the 3 and a half days in the Indian Lunar calendar called ‘sade teen muhurt’. Every moment of this period is considered auspicious to start new ventures.

Gudi Padwa is specially dedicated to the worship of Lord Brahma. In Maharashtra, special flags known as ‘gudis’, also called ‘Brahmadhvaj’ or ‘the flag of Brahma’, are erected in honour of Lord Brahma.

A ‘gudi’ is a pole on the top of which an upturned brass or silver pot called a kalash is placed. The gudi is covered with a colourful silk cloth and decorated with marigold flowers, coconuts, and mango leaves that symbolise nature’s bounty.

People prepare for the New Year by cleaning and washing their houses and buying new clothes. On the festival day they decorate their houses with mango leaves and rangoli designs, and pray for a prosperous new year.

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Filed under: Indian Art & Culture,Indian Food & Festivals

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22 Feb 10

The worldwide web has made the world smaller and made the question of how to learn Hindi easier to answer. There are a lot of resources available on the internet that will make your study of Hindi easier. If you are creative in finding and using them, it will make your efforts in studying Hindi more fun. Here are a list of suggestions for how to learn Hindi on the internet.

Find Hindi podcasts and videos. Do a Google search for podcasts and videos. Some of the search results will be aimed at teaching Hindi as a second language. On the other hand, you will also find results that are aimed at people who already have a level of proficiency in Hindi and just want to enjoy the music video or a radio talk show in Hindi. Look for all of these resources. If you spend time and attention with them, you will learn Hindi vocabulary, usage and grammar. Just as importantly, however, you will learn a lot about Indian culture.

Become a Bollywood movie fan. “Bollywood” refers to the Hindi-language film industry centered in Mumbai. It is a very active segment of the Indian film industry and there are a lot of Bollywood movies produced yearly. In the United States, you can get them on DVD or computer download from Netflix and Blockbuster, as well as finding them elsewhere online. Watching Bollywood movies not only lets you know how to learn Hindi, it also instructs you on current Indian fads and fashions. Since Bollywood movies are usually musicals, studying the films gives you an entree into studying Hindi language songs. It can be challenging to understand song lyrics even when you speak the language a little, but learning a song can give you a memory hook for the contents. Just think of how many people still sing the “ABC Song” to themselves when they alphabetize their files.

Set up a conversation group on Skype. The best way to learn a language is to speak it. And that requires you to form a community of Hindi-language speakers. If you are taking a class in a university or a language school, you already have a Hindi-speaking community. But if you are studying Hindi by yourself, you need to reach out to find them. Use Twitter and Facebook to find interested Hindi students, then set up a weekly conversation hour on Skype or a free conference call service, so that you can all chat, make friends all over the world, and practice your Hindi.

Take an online Hindi course. Once you have decided to learn Hindi, what steps can you take to accomplish your goal? You may be lucky enough to be enrolled in a university with a Hindi program. Or perhaps you live in a town that has a language school that offers a Hindi course. Maybe you have found a Hindi tutor for private lessons. Or maybe not. Finding a Hindi course is not that easy in most parts of the United States. A great alternative to a live class is a good online Hindi course. With an online Hindi course, you will get systematic instruction in vocabulary, grammar and usage. With the best, you will also get interactive quizzes and games and even a forum for online communication with teachers and other students. Online courses are also significantly less expensive than other language-learning alternatives. So an online Hindi course may be a great advantage to you in your efforts how to learn Hindi.

In the age of the internet, we have options for language learning that didn’t exist in the past. Take advantage of them now. Go online and you will find a lot of helpful resources for how to learn Hindi.

Article Source : Free Article Directory

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15 Feb 10

You may think that it is harder to figure out how to learn Hindi than it is to learn another, more familiar language. English and Hindi don’t share a lot of vocabulary or grammar. The languages are written in different alphabets. Maybe Hindi just seems too “exotic” to you. But learning Hindi is well within the realm of the possible. After all, millions of Indian children speak, read and write Hindi! If they can learn Hindi, you can, too. Here are some tips for your success. Here is how to learn Hindi.

First of all, start with a positive attitude. Remember that old quote by Henry Ford? “If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.” Have you ever heard anyone say that they just can’t learn languages? When they think that, they make it true. I want you to think that you can learn Hindi. Then work hard at it. Don’t let any perceived obstacles stop you. You will succeed at your goal.

Break the project up into small tasks. Don’t think about learning the whole alphabet in a single day. Work on the first five letters. Do you have a vocabulary list of fifteen words? Work on the first half of it. Go back for the rest later. Understand that learning a language is a long process with successes coming every step of the way. Value each of those steps and, one by one, they will take you to your goal of speaking fluently and easily.

Entertain yourself and impress your friends by using as much Hindi as you have learned. Greet your friends in Hindi. Write or say a few simple sentences, just for practice. Then change the verb or the noun to prove to yourself that you can write or say even more than you thought.

Use good time management skills. It’s better to work a little on a new skill every day rather than it is to work for lengthy periods of time less often. In fact, try to schedule two study periods a day. In the first session, you learn new skills. In the second session, you reinforce them. Repeating material is a very important habit for how to learn Hindi. That’s why your teachers used to give you homework. You don’t want to progress too fast. You want to make sure that you have learned each lesson thoroughly. A short second daily study period will be helpful to you for that.

Reward yourself each time you reach a milestone. When you have finished a lesson, rent a Bollywood movie. When you have finished five lessons, treat yourself to a delicious meal in an Indian restaurant. When you have finished the course, book your trip to India!

At the beginning of your Hindi course, it may seem that you will never finish. You may think that you won’t ever be able to decipher the alphabet or understand the dialog that you hear in your audio files. But you can do it. Take the steps above and you will find that you know quite well how to learn Hindi.

Article Source: How To Learn Hindi: Some Tips For Your Success

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