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Guru Nanak Sahib - the founder of Sikhism - was born in 1469 at Rai-Bhoi-di-Talwandi in the present district of Shekhupura (Pakistan), now Nanakana Sahib. The birthday of Guru Nanak Sahib falls on Kartik Purnima (i.e. full moon day of month of Kartik in Hindu calender) and is celebrated with great fervour and enthusiasm by the Sikhs throughout the world as Guru Parv.

Guru Nanak was a man of great wisdom and virtue and was very precise even with his teachings. He was a social reformer and attacked the corruption in society. He strongly protested against formalism and ritualism and carried the message of peace and love as he propagated liberal views and ideologies.

Guru Nanak did not observe the rules of caste and tried his best to remove the superstition among people. It was his endeavor to remove the moral putrefaction that was prevalent amongst the people and to infuse real spirit in the worship of God and true faith in religion and God.

He summarised his sayings in a short poem which till date his followers remember and idolise. The poem (when traslated in English) is as under-

Love the saints of every faith;
Put away thy pride;
Remember the essence of religion
Is meekness and sympathy;
Not fine clothes,
Not he Yogi’s garb and ashes,
Not the blowing of the horns,
Not the shaven head,
Not long prayers,
Not recitations and torturings,
Not the ascetic way,
But a life of goodness and purity,
Amid the world’s temptations.

Do reflect on the above sayings. It has some profound meanings for each one of us.

Wishing you and your family a very happy GuruParv.

For those interested in improving their knowledge of Hindi language, there is a growing list of resources available online (more info on Hindi resources here). Some of the recent developments make it even more commonplace as you will find below. I am listing four such resources. Do check them out.

1. AOL website in Hindi
America On Line, the internet unit of Time Warner has launched website in Hindi language. So you have another website in Hindi language. (Here are some more Hindi websites)
The website offers a host of Web services including instant messenger, Google search, videos, Bollywood channels, city guides, education, international music, and access to mobile devices for email, chat, and downloads.
Apart from regular features, it offers a wide variety of content around Cricket, Hollywood, Bollywood, and so on.

Also, there’s an expert advice service named ‘Guru’.

2. Motorola India to unveil MotoYuva W180
The device would incorporate an in-built dictionary comprising of around 30,000 Hindi language words. This dictionary will have words that are commonly used by the modern-day youth of India.
MotoYuva W180 is also pre-loaded with a Hindu calendar that includes information on various festivals, nakshatras, sunrise and sunset times, tithi, etc.

3. Samsung to sell CDMA handsets with Indian features
It will offer a facility to type Hindi words in English (Hinglish), a ‘panchang’, and even set an ‘aarti’ for that day’s specific deity.

4. Viacom JV in Hindi channel launch
Viacom18, the joint venture between Viacom and Indian media conglomerate Network 18, has confirmed it will launch a Hindi-language general entertainment channel in India early next year.
The channel will consist of original, locally produced programming, as well as acquisitions and content from Viacom-owned MTV Networks (MTVN).
Network18’s motion pictures division, Studio18, which remains an integral part of the new venture, will continue to produce, acquire and distribute Hindi-language films.

Using these resources is a no-brainer as it all comes packaged with items of daily use. Do use them to help you learn Hindi.

Here the language of stone surpasses the language of man - Ravindranath Tagore, Noble Laureate Poet.

Built by King Narasimhadev in 13th century, the temple is designed in the shape of a chariot with seven horses and 12 pairs of wheels which Sun god can use to cross heavens.

Three types of stones - khondlite, chlorite, and laterite were used to build this temple which is 227 feet high. The porch structure of the temple is more than 120 ft. high.

The temple was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1984.

Even in a half preserved state, the Sun Temple of Konark in India is a magnificent sight. It envisages - the Sun god passing through the heavens on his divine chariot being pulled by seven horses. That’s the whole concept, but it does not matter even if you look at it in parts as each part here is an example of exquisite craftsmanship in stone carvings.

Each stone slab in the perfectly proportioned structure is alive with precisely chiseled motifs of flowers, animals, birds, royals and deities. The leaves of a tree, the adornments of the courtesans, the carved spokes of the wheel - the details on each panel are striking.

The panels carry erotic sculptures as well besides those depicting everyday activities like hunts, dances, and battle scenes. It is said that the base of the temple alone some 2000 images of elephants.

The fame of this 13th century structure located in Puri district of Orissa (India) had reached far and wide even during medieval times. It was visited by the Vaishnava saint Chaitanya as also by Abu’l Fazl, the author of A-in-e-Akabari (a biography of Mughal emperor Akbar) in which he wrote -”…even those whose judgement is critical and who are difficult to please stand astonished at it’s sight.”

Ditto, I say even in it’s present state. The east-west alignment of the temple captures the sun rays magically at sunrise, noon, and sunset. That’s when the whole structure blazes like fire and the stone figures sparkle.