Rakshabandhan


Rakshabandhan is a festival that is symbolic of love, peace and fraternal feelings. As per tradition, a sister ties rakhi on the wrist of her brother, who in turn vows to protect his sister at every stage of her life. The Rakhi is not merely a thread but it symbolises a sentimental bond, which is stronger than anything else in the world and has become more significant in today’s strife-torn world.

Celebrated on the full moon day of the Hindu month of Shravana in India, Rakshabandhan has a lovely story behind its origin. Once Lord Krishna got injured and his wrist was bleeding profusely, Draupadi, the wife of the Pandavas, tore a strip of cloth from her sari and tied it around his wrist. Touched by this simple yet profound gesture, Lord Krishna promised to repay her debt by offering her protection throughout her life.



The story of Rani Karnavati of Chittor and Mughal Emperor Humayun is also significant in history. During the medieval era, around the 15th century, there were many wars between the Rajputs, Mughals and Sultans. When Rani

Karnavati, the widowed queen of the King of Chittor realised that she could in no way defend against the invasion of the Sultan of Gujarat, Bahadur Shah, she sent a rakhi to Emperor Humayun. The Emperor was so touched by this gesture of love and brotherhood that he abandoned an ongoing military campaign to ride to her rescue.



Raksha Bandhan is celebrated in unique ways in different parts of the country.



Rakhi Purnima



In North and South India, the festival is celebrated as Rakhi Purnima where the word "Purnima" means a full moon night.



Grahma Purnima



Orissa marks this day as Grahma Purnima where all the domestic cows and bullocks are decorated and worshipped. Various kinds of country-made cakes called "Pitha" and sweets "mitha" are made and distributed among families, relatives and friends.



Nariyal Purnima



Nariyal Purnima is the name given to the festival in western India and parts of Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Goa. During the occasion, an offering of a coconut is made to the sea, as a mark of respect to Lord Varuna. Marking the beginning of the fishing season, this day provides an opportunity to the fishermen to make an offering to Lord Varuna so that they can fish in the sea.



Janyo Punyo



The people of the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand celebrate Raksha Bandhan and Jano Punyu on the Shravani Purnima. On this day, people change their janeu (sacred thread).



Kajari Purnima



In central parts of India, such as Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Jharkand and Bihar, this day is celebrated as Kajari Purnima. It is an important day for the farmers and women who have given birth to sons. On the ninth day after Shravana Amavasya, that is, Kajari Navami, the preparations of the Kajari festival begin and various rituals are performed by women.



Pavitropana



In parts of Gujarat, this day is celebrated as Pavitropana where people perform the grand pooja or the worship of Lord Shiva.



The festival of Rakhi has a broader impact across the country as it aims to develop harmony and spread the message of peace and brotherhood that is the true essence of Rakhi. The beauty of this festival is that it is celebrated across religions; one doesn’t have to necessarily be a Hindu to tie a thread that symbolises love, affection and respect for a brother. It is interesting that Rabindranath Tagore used the occasion of the Raksha Bandhan as a community festival to spread the spirit of nationalism among people from different ethnic backgrounds.

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I am facing a problem I dont know how to resolve.
Vodafone customer care is not responding.

I paid Rs400/- for online recharge on 18th August. Money debited from account but recharge not done.
It was a very urgent recharge for my daughter who got stranded.

I contacted vodafone care several times. NO SOLUTION.
SENT 2 mails till date no reply.
What to do now?

Did some google search and found  similar stories. Read below.


Vodafone UP East - vodafone online recharge not done


Complaint by paragswarup on May 14, 2009, 3:12 pm in Mobile Service Providers

Vodafone online recharge/ taken money online but no recharge done.



From: parag swarup

Subject: Recharge done online not matured:9838480433 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 9838480433 end_of_the_skype_highlighting [REF:19053415866]

To: vodafonecare.upe@vodafone.com, "vodafoneRH"

Cc: "BillDesk" , maitindia@vsnl.com

Date: Thursday, 14 May, 2009, 11:23 AM





Dear Mr...



All foolish, How can I get the money back from my bank SBI when it is already charged by your co-partner BillDesk (your payment gateway) vide transaction reference number MSBI9051608499. If the same is not your record than where it has gone ? your payment gateway BillDesk is also confirming the same chrge of Rs. 50 with above mentioned transaction ID. The BillDesk Reply is mentioned below.



It is not a matter of 50 Rs. but of your working and response to your customer, totally unsatisfactory.



Luv Swarup

c/o Parag Swarup

copy to:-

THE TELECOM REGULATORY AUTHORITY OF INDIA



Mahanagar Doorsanchar Bhawan,

(next to Zakir Hussain College)

Jawaharlal Nehru Marg

(Old Minto Road)



New Delhi : 110 002







Telephone No. : 91-11-2323 6308 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 91-11-2323 6308 end_of_the_skype_highlighting (Reception)

2323 3466, 2322 0534, 2321 3223



Fax No. : 91-11-2321 3294 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 91-11-2321 3294 end_of_the_skype_highlighting(Reception)



E-mail : trai@del2.vsnl.net.in

ap@trai.gov.in



From: BillDesk Payment Gateway Support

Subject: Re: Re: Recharge done online not matured:9838480433 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 9838480433 end_of_the_skype_highlighting [REF:18986999539]

To: paragrajswarup@yahoo.co.in

Date: Wednesday, 13 May, 2009, 10:12 AM



Dear Parag,



Thank you for writing to Payment Gateway Support.



We understand your concern regarding the payment to VODATUPUPE and that you need assistance regarding the same.



We have checked our database and found that your payment under the transaction reference number MSBI9051608499 for Rs.50.00 has been successfully processed on 10/05/2009 12:46:39.



We have contacted the biller in this regard and shall update you as soon as we get any response from them.



We appreciate your patience and apologize for any inconvenience caused.



Thanks again for contacting Payment Gateway Support.



Payment Gateway Support

BillDesk



--- On Thu, 14/5/09, Vodafone Care wrote:



From: Vodafone Care

Subject: Re: Fw: Re: Re: Recharge done online not matured:9838480433 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 9838480433 end_of_the_skype_highlighting [REF:19053415866]

To: paragrajswarup@yahoo.co.in

Date: Thursday, 14 May, 2009, 9:01 AM





Dear Mr. Swarup,



Thank you for your email dated 13th May, 2009 regarding Rs 50/- recharge on your Vodafone number 9838480433 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 9838480433 end_of_the_skype_highlighting.



We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused to you.



We request you to kindly contact your bank as we have not received any request for recharge of Rs 50/ on the above mentioned number.



If you wish to know the talk time and validity of the various Vodafone recharges available on etop then sms E to 111 or for recharge coupons sms R to 111. This service is toll free.



We hope we have been able to resolve your concern to your satisfaction. However, in case you need further assistance, do call or email us. We'll do our best to assist you.



Warm regards,



Rahul Sabharwal



Vodafone Care



Contact numbers



Vodafone Care : 111 or +91-(9839098390) begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +91-(9839098390) end_of_the_skype_highlighting



: ( Toll free from Vodafone mobile phones within the home network)



Fax number : +91-(0522-2231882)



E-mail : (vodafonecare.upe@vodafone.com)



Website : http://www.vodafone.in/



---- Original Message ----

From: paragrajswarup@yahoo.co.in

Sent: 13-May-2009 10:23:58

To: vodafonecare.upe@vodafone.com; care.upe@vodafone.com; kanikadubey.upeast@vodafone.com

Cc: maitindia@vsnl.com; support@billdesk.com

Subject: Fw: Re: Re: Recharge done online not matured:9838480433 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 9838480433 end_of_the_skype_highlighting



FORWARDED FOR AN EARLY ACTION.



--- On Wed, 13/5/09, BillDesk Payment Gateway Support wrote:





From: BillDesk Payment Gateway Support

Subject: Re: Re: Recharge done online not matured:9838480433 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 9838480433 end_of_the_skype_highlighting [REF:18986999539]

To: paragrajswarup@yahoo.co.in

Date: Wednesday, 13 May, 2009, 10:12 AM



Dear Parag,

Thank you for writing to Payment Gateway Support.

We understand your concern regarding the payment to VODATUPUPE and that you need assistance regarding the same.



We have checked our database and found that your payment under the transaction reference number MSBI9051608499 for Rs.50.00 has been successfully processed on 10/05/2009 12:46:39.



We have contacted the biller in this regard and shall update you as soon as we get any response from them.

We appreciate your patience and apologize for any inconvenience caused.



Thanks again for contacting Payment Gateway Support.



Payment Gateway Support

BillDesk





----- Original Message -----

From: parag swarup

To: support@billdesk.com

Cc: Vodafone UP EAST ; vodafoneRH ; vodafoneCC

Sent: Tuesday, May 12, 2009 7:26 AM

Subject: Fw: Re: Recharge done online not matured:9838480433 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 9838480433 end_of_the_skype_highlighting [REF:18986999539]



TO,

ALL

FORWARDING FOR AN EARLY ACTION.

Thanking you in anticipation.

Luv Swarup



--- On Mon, 11/5/09, parag swarup wrote:





From: parag swarup

Subject: Re: Recharge done online not matured:9838480433 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 9838480433 end_of_the_skype_highlighting [REF:18986999539]

To: vodafonecare.upe@vodafone.com

Cc: maitindia@vsnl.com

Date: Monday, 11 May, 2009, 4:14 PM



--- On Mon, 11/5/09, Vodafone Care wrote:





From: Vodafone Care

Subject: Re: Recharge done online not matured:9838480433 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 9838480433 end_of_the_skype_highlighting [REF:18986999539]

To: paragrajswarup@yahoo.co.in

Date: Monday, 11 May, 2009, 2:56 PM



This message and any files or documents attached are confidential and may also be legally privileged or protected by other legal rules. It is intended only for the individual or entity named. If you are not the named addressee or you have received this email in error, please inform the sender immediately, delete it from your system and do not copy or disclose it or its contents or use it for any purpose. Thank you bcure or error free.



Subject: Re: Recharge done online not matured:9838480433 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 9838480433 end_of_the_skype_highlighting [REF::18970135090]





Dear Rahul Sabharwal,



BelowB is my account statement, when my bank has given the money to vodafone account with transaction Ref: MSBI9051608499I through your payments gateway of BillDesk their is no way to get it back for my bankB unless vodafone gives itB back.B Instruct the appropiate channel/B BillDesk toB reverse the amount of Rs. 50/- to my account.



As per your transaction acknowledgment foot note says that if your rechargeB is not sucessfullB due to any reason, the debited amount will be reversed to your account within 5 working days.



As I suggest the best way isB to recharge my phone 9838480433 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 9838480433 end_of_the_skype_highlightingB with Rs. 50/- top up from your end. This will resolve the issue.



Awaiting your reply.



Luv Swarup.

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New Delhi: The Union Service Public Commission (UPSC) has announced the result of the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2010 held on May 23, 2010.




The results are available on http://www.examresults.net/




"The successful candidates have qualified for admission to the Civil Services (Main) Examination 2010. The candidature of these candidates is provisional. In accordance with the rules of the examination, all these candidates have to apply again in the detailed application form, which is available on UPSC's official website," said an official press release.



The completed form has to be sent to the Commission duly filled in by the candidate in their own handwriting, for admission to the Main Examination scheduled to be held from October 29, 2010. A copy of the Detailed Application Form (DAF) shall also be sent by post to the successful candidates by the Commission.



In case any of the successful candidates do not receive a communication in this regard from the Commission by September 8, 2010, they should immediately contact the Commission.

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You can Track Your Ticke tonline for Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi . Visit here
http://energy-mira.blogspot.com/2010/08/track-your-ticketonline-for.html

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Special tour packages from IRCTC



KOCHI: The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation has offered a special tour package to Tirupati from August 31, spanning a day and two nights.



The cost is Rs. 2,999 per head and includes the confirmed fare for train journey in sleeper class (Train nos 6042/6041 – Aleppey Express), land transfers in AC vehicles, vegetarian food, Seeghra Darshan at Tirupati and Thiruchanur temples and a visit to the Golden Temple (Sreepuram), Vellore, L. Ravikumar, regional manager said. There are also tour packages to Jaipur, New Delhi, Mysore and Bangalore. Government, PSU and bank employees are eligible for LTC claims for these IRCTC packages.



In connection with Onam vacation, the agency would operate Bharat Darshan tourist train from Madurai through Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam, Thrissur, Shornur, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasargod to Goa, Mumbai, Aurangabad, Ajanta, Ellora, Hyderabad, Mysore and Bangalore. It would depart from Madurai on August 18. The fare for the 12-day tour is Rs 6,155 per head.



For details, call 6464849, 97467 43054, 95678 63244/45 or 0471-2329339

Source http://hindu.com/2010/08/17/stories/2010081765320300.htm

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PM approves setting up of National Innovation Council




New Delhi, Aug. 16 :::The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, has approved the setting up of a National Innovation Council to prepare a road map for the decade of Innovation 2010-2020. The National Innovation Council will be headed by Mr. Sam Pitroda, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Public Information Infrastructure and Innovations. The council has been given the mandate to evolve an Indian model of innovation focusing on inclusive growth and creating an appropriate eco system conducive to foster inclusive innovation. It will delineate appropriate policy initiatives within the Government required to spur innovation. It will also promote the setting up of Sectoral Innovation Councils and State Innovation Councils. – Our Bureau

….from the pages of THE HINDU newspaper.

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Zen meditation techniques

  

Zen meditation is a Buddhist form of meditation, which is performed in a still and seated posture with an aim to attain the peaceful state of mind. This meditation technique derives its name from the word Zen, which is one of the major Buddhism philosophies. Having emerged as a different sect of Buddhism, Zen has been traced back to China in the 7th Century B.C and Zen Meditation has a long history of practice. It is said that Buddha used to be in a seated meditation posture during his days of enlightenment and since then, this meditation practice has continued for two thousand five hundred years.

 

 

 

Also known as Zazen, Zen Meditation techniques reveal the methodologies of getting rid of all worldly thoughts and burdens that cause stress.

 

Let us go through the rejuvenating Zen meditation techniques that are outlined as follows:

 

 

 

1. Find a comfortable ambience and sit on the forward third of a chair or a cushion on the floor.
2. Now take a straight body posture and extend your spine. Stay naturally upright and maintain a balance in the lower abdomen. Push your lower back a little forward, open your chest and tuck your chin in slightly. Keep the head upright and do not lean forward or backward. Sway your body gently from left to right in decreasing arcs until you naturally come to a point of stillness on your cushion.
3. Keep your eyes on the floor while maintaining a 45-degree angle, neither fully opened nor closed and stare about 3 to 4 feet in front of your body. If the eyes are closed, you may want to start to daydream or visualize things. If your eyes are open, your mind will scatter.
4. Keep your lips and teeth together with your tongue resting against the roof of your mouth.
5. Place your hands on your lap where your right palm is up and your left hand rests on your right hand. Besides, your thumb tips should be lightly touching to form a vertical oval. This is the mudra of Zazen. Rest this mudra with the blade of your hands against your abdomen, a few inches below the navel, harmonising your own centre of gravity with the mudra.
6. Take a deep breath and exhale completely and continue doing it. Let your breath come into its natural flow.
7. Maintain concentration on your breath. If you lose it, bring it back to the breath again and again or as many times necessary.
8. Practice this Zen Meditation technique daily for at least ten to fifteen minutes.

While initiating the technique, you concentrate on your mind so that it stays away from wandering thoughts. After a period of time, your heart rate slows down and your breathing becomes shallow. As a result, you enter a reflective meditative state. The regular practice of this art enables contemplation and you can achieve a strengthened synergy, connecting your mind, body and soul.

During the practice, you naturally do not think about the past or the future. You are not concerned about your usual tasks like how to get your work done etc. You do not have any kind of ruminations to ponder over. So, if you want to achieve tranquillity of mind and want to stay away from disturbance of daily life, practice Zen meditation on a regular basis and your life will be cheerful forever.

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1. E-Ticketing
2. SBI E-Tax
3. Bill Payment
4. Eztrade@sbi
5. RTGS/NEFT
6. E-Payment
7. Fund Transfer
8. Third Party Transfer

See more at https://www.onlinesbi.com/productandservices.html

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Delhi suffers the most from some dishonest autowallas. When there will be a meter jam in Delhi?

In the meantime read below about meter jam in Mumbai.

The popularity of the Meter Jam campaign, which aims to get back at taxi and auto rickshaw drivers for refusing fares, has nearly trebled in the last two days. More than 12,500 citizens have pledged to boycott the use of autos and cabs on August 12, signing up on Facebook, Twitter, the official website meterjam.com, and even through text messages.



Abhilash Krishnan, Jaidev Rupani and Rachana Brar - the three advertising professionals who launched the campaign online five days ago - are already trying to organise volunteer carpool services for D-day.



“A number of supporters have offered to drop and pick people in their localities on Thursday. We are assessing the data area-wise to create a carpooling tool,” said Krishnan, whose Goregaon-based digital ad agency has taken up the Meter Jam campaign as part of their corporate social responsibility activities.



“We will need to do background checks of the car volunteers for security.”



On Facebook, a number of ‘jammers’ have suggested having volunteers standing at prominent points in the city to promote the campaign on Thursday.



Some have even suggested that all participants wear black.



Meanwhile, taxi and auto union leaders insist that citizens are insensitive to the problems of drivers.



“The campaign is politically motivated, launched by people who want to tarnish the image of drivers,” said A.L. Quadros, president of the Bombay Taximen’s Union, who pointed out that the law permits drivers to refuse fares if they have valid reasons.



“Drivers may not want to get stuck in areas with heavy traffic, and since the government removed around 1,000 taxi stands from the city, parking is a problem too,” he said.



Thampy Kurian, working president of Mumbai Autorickshaw Taximen’s Union, complained that drivers tend to work long hours in the day with little time for rest.



“People think of us as machines, not humans. However, some drivers tend to refuse passengers roughly, and I admit they need training on how to be polite,” said Kurian.



Quadros stressed the problem of excessive demand and scant supply of taxis and autos, with the number of taxis reducing from 58,000 to 48,000 since 1997.



“Children of retired taxi drivers are educated and no longer want to stick to the profession. While migrants want to take up driving, the government no longer gives them licenses easily,” he said.



Though he condemns the strike, Quadros is unfased.



“Even if 50,000 people boycott us on August 12, our business will not be affected. So, I wish them all the best,” he added.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Commuters-call-for-meter-jam/Article1-584066.aspx

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The most popular website is that of  Indian Railways.
The site , http://www.irctc.co.in/ has a new face now.

The new site is  simple, user friendly, and easier to navigate.
It is a  ‘Beta’ site now.
It will start working from   15-Aug-10.





irctc login, irctc, cleartrip, irtc, irct

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Irctc plans to launch new planner for its official website www.irctc.co.in wef 15th Aug 2010. New planner is simple, fast and convenient for the user.




We hope that new version will give you pleasant experience in fulfilling your requirement. To get familiar with new look  you may access same on clicking 'try new interface-Beta' placed on top of the home page of website http://www.irctc.co.in/
.

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Come October and Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) will receive another setback, when the alternative portal being developed by the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) according to the ministry's directions goes on air.




The new portal will compete with IRCTC for offering sale of online tickets. The launch would endanger around 14 per cent of the revenues IRCTC makes from the service charge levied on the sale of online tickets.



IRCTC is already set to lose 80 per cent of its overall revenues, as the management of catering services on trains and at stations is being taken back by the railways.


Read more here http://business.rediff.com/slide-show/2010/aug/02/slide-show-1-new-portal-for-tickets-to-hit-irctc.htm

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Business or workplace emails are essential components of professional life. A simple text can make or mar your career. If not written well, an email can be misinterpreted causing confusion and chaos. Therefore, it is recommended to avoid any kind of negligence while writing business e-mails. Even more, proper email etiquette should be followed in the workplace, especially when you are interacting with your seniors.


Many companies even track each and every e-mail sent or received by an employee on the company's internal mail server. The company also records the e-mail that you have already deleted from your mailbox. Therefore, you must be alert while writing emails. Check your e-mails carefully before sending it out in order to find out whether it properly conveys the message intended.


Keep in mind the following golden tips to while communicating through e-mail.



1. Greet the recipient



Always start your email with a greeting instead of writing the message directly. Make use of basic business salutations like "Dear" instead of "Hi." Address the person with his first name if you are familiar with him and his department; otherwise use his full name or last name. The word "Hi" can only be used for colleagues with whom you share a friendly relation.



2. Use proper language



Your email may contain grammatical and linguistic errors. Do remember that careless mistakes for punctuation and spelling errors definitely leave a negative impression on the reader. This is not only unprofessional; but also shows the recipient that you did not take much care while writing the email. Consistency is another important factor in an email. Use the same punctuation and capitalisation everywhere in an email.



3. Don't use abbreviations



Don't assume that your reader knows the particular abbreviation mentioned by you. If you do so, your purpose of sending the email will remain unfulfilled as the reader won't get its intended meaning. If you have to use an abbreviation, first spell out the entire phrase of what the abbreviation stands for and use the abbreviation afterwards.



4. Promptly reply to messages



Always revert back to the sender by replying to his email as early as possible. If you do not follow it, the sender may think that the email is not of much importance to you. Early responses show the type of person you are. Proper workplace email etiquette in responding early will help you to build a good reputation.



5.Use email only for work



You must be familiar with the difference between a personal and a professional email. Never use your work email as a personal email inbox. Likewise, you must send personal emails to your team mates' personal email ids and work email should contain professional correspondence only. Keep in mind that your company can anytime inspect emails sent or received by you.



Today's work environment includes e-mails as a valuable technical tool. Employees need to remember that e-mails at workplace should be used for work only. Remember that e-mail is best used as a reinforcement of information or to document policies; it should not be used to avoid face-to-face situations.

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Immense youself in the serenity of the spiritual journey with your travel, hospitality, security, sightseeing and all logistic being taken care of by Indian Railways.IRCTC's Buddhist Circuit special train an exclusive air conditioned train to Bodhgaya, Sarnath, Kushinagar, Lumbini, Rajgir, Nalanda, Varanasi & Agra covers the most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India & Nepal and has been used and appreciated by pilgrimage & tourists from 25 Countries across the World.




Limited Seats available

Book Now for a Journey in the Footstep of Buddha

Log on www.railtourismindia.com

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