A Guest Post by Gayatri Sankar How many people today celebrate festivals, keeping in mind the religious/ spiritual connection? Is Diwali celebrated to rejoice Lord Rama's return to Ayodhya after spending 14 years in exile? Or is it a celebration for the victory of the 'good over the evil'? Commercialization and consumerism have far reaching effects on festivals across the globe. The impacts of commercialization and consumerism have polluted the true religious meanings and traditional customs. The growing trend of globalization has cast negative impression on age old beliefs. People tend to celebrate festivals not only as a customary practice but also as a means to exercise their spending power. They succumb to the ever growing popularity of globalization. In other words, festivals are no longer simple religious practices but are ways when producers make their fortunes. In course of time, the true meaning of festivals will remain confined to the history books. (This

In a few days time, Hindus will be observing Ganga Saptami , the day Ganga descended on earth, but the most revered river in the world, Ganga , has been enlisted on the list of 10 most endangered rivers of the world. The sand bed in the Ganga is increasing slowly and the increase is clearly distinguishable each year. A recent study of American scientists at the National Centre for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) suggests that there is a reduced flow in Ganga . Two years back a study by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) had also indicated that Ganga might not reach the ocean in the distant future. Binay Singh Writes in the Times of India "The increasing sand bed, which defines the ecosystem, is an indicator of the gloomy future of the Ganga," predicted Uday Kant Chowdhary, a professor of civil engineering and coordinator of Ganga Research Laboratory, Institute of Technology , Banaras Hindu University (BHU). According to him, sand bed in the Ganga is increasing five-six metr

Anandamayi Ma Jayanthi celebrates the birth anniversary of Sri Anandamayi Ma, one of the most important spiritual teachers of modern India . She was born on April 30, 1896 in a small village called Kheora in Bengal in British India . A self realized soul, She attracted followers from all over the world. Anandmayi Ma Jayanti is annually observed on April 30. From early childhood, Anandamayi Ma was exposed to the spiritual world and had divine experience. She continued to lead a spiritual life even after marriage.  Anandamayi Ma’s husband understood that he had married a self realized soul and soon gave up the idea of a family life and helped her in her spiritual quest. After few years, Anandamayi Ma started her spiritual journey and traveled across the subcontinent spreading the Truth. She talked about the Supreme Experience when asked questions on the subject. But never gave well thought out spiritual discourses or tried to form a spiritual group. She answered the q