I strongly feel the need to speak up about what has just recently transpired in New Delhi, India,  my parents homeland. The gang rape, beating and ultimately, the murder of a young Indian woman. My parents immigrated to Canada a few years before I was born. As many others can relate, I found it challenging to navigate through both of these cultures. My father was dead set on me and my siblings learning English and functioning in this society, and yet he treated my mother like a second-class citizen, the way they still do in India today. As a teen, I identified more with being a Canadian and resented most things that reminded me of where my parents had originated. I struggled for years to find beauty in a land I had never lived in, yet was so deeply rooted in me. I knew that if I was ever to find real peace..my South Asian backround was indeed going to be a large part of this. I believe I have almost found what I have been so ardently looking for, there is one piece of the puzzle still missing however. India, and more specifically Hinduism, since it is the religious majority at over 80% is supposed to hold women up on pedestals, worship them and treat them like the goddesses they are. That is what is said in Hindu scriptures that have been passed on for hundreds of years. But who have they been passed on to? Men. Not women. Men. Something has gotten terribly lost along the way. And it needs to stop right now.Hinduism is making a mockery of itself by preaching peace, vegetarianism and yoga. Crimes against women go mostly unpunished in this self-preaching "non-violent" country. Now that news of the Delhi Gang Rape has made it all around the world, it has nothing left to do, but hang its head in shame and ask for forgiveness, and change. Not from the world, but from its own women. The same women it has been oppressing for too long. RIP Damini.

LOVE IT!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeJLZi0uyJw

"Spread love, it's the Brooklyn way"

I love hip-hop. I love brooklyn and I love graffiti.

Icon - R.I.P.

www.ravishankar.org

Only in India!

Classic Hindi Tune

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CT_RBWypj3c

Best Food Pick!

I don't know if this place is still open, but if you're in the New York area, check out the..

Punjabi Deli
114 East 1st Street  New York, NY 10009, United States

(212) 533-3356

Directions

Airbands!

My most favourite childhood memory is probably doing airbands in my local community and at school. I was very involved in the whole production, from the choreography to choosing the outfits. I loved doing them so much, that when I was away one summer, my friends had signed up to do one without me, so I performed my own, Madonna's Dress You Up.

Here is the very first song I did with my best friend Lina..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAQSZhazYk8

Happy Diwali Folks!

Music knows no boundaries..

My father is an Urdu Poet/Songwriter. He has an album called Chingari which, translated means "fire". It is composed of beautiful, romantic Urdu songs. I am distributing his CD for anyone who is interested. If you want more details, please email me at munitaks@gmail.com.

Thank you

Law of Karma

"Karma" literally means "deed" or "act", and more broadly names the universal principle of cause and effect, action and reaction, which Hindus believe governs all consciousness.^[9] Karma is not fate, for we act with what can be described as a conditioned free will creating our own destinies. According to the Vedas, if we sow goodness, we will reap goodness; if we sow evil, we will reap evil. Karma refers to the totality of our actions and their concomitant reactions in this and previous lives, all of which determine our future. The conquest of karma lies in intelligent action and dispassionate reaction. Not all karmas rebound immediately. Some accumulate and return unexpectedly in this or other lifetimes.^[9] Human beings are said to produce karma in four ways:^[10]

• through thoughts
• through words
• through actions that we perform ourselves
• through actions others perform under our instructions

Everything that we have ever thought, spoken, done or caused is karma, as is also that which we think, speak or do this very moment.^[2] Hindu scriptures divide karma into three kinds:^[2]

• Sanchita is the accumulated karma. It would be impossible to experience and endure all karmas in one lifetime. From this stock of sanchita karma, a handful is taken out to serve one lifetime and this handful of actions, which have begun to bear fruit and which will be exhausted only on their fruit being enjoyed and not otherwise, is known as prarabdha karma.
• Prarabdha Fruit-bearing karma is the portion of accumulated karma that has "ripened" and appears as a particular problem in the present life.
• Kriyamana is everything that we produce in the current life. All kriyamana karmas flow in to sanchita karma and consequently shape our future. Only in human life we can change our future destiny. After death we lose Kriya Shakti (ability to act) and do (kriyamana) karma until we are born again in another human body.

Stay up New York! Stay up!

In A Romantic Mood..

I first heard this song when I was in India two years ago and fell in love with it. Although I don't speak Hindi fluently, being a hopeless romantic I get the jist of it..I'm going to be yours soon, it was written when we first met...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLKvl6DzDCI

Hinduism

The syllable "om" is first described as all-encompassing mystical entity in the Upanishads. Today, in all Hindu art and all over India and Nepal, 'om' can be seen virtually everywhere, a common sign for Hinduism and its philosophy and theology. Hindus believe that as creation began, the divine, all-encompassing consciousness took the form of the first and original vibration manifesting as sound "OM".^[3] Before creation began it was "Shunyākāsha", the emptiness or the void. Shunyākāsha, meaning literally "no sky", is more than nothingness, because everything then existed in a latent state of potentiality. The vibration of "OM" symbolizes the manifestation of God in form ("sāguna brahman"). "OM" is the reflection of the absolute reality, it is said to be "Adi Anadi", without beginning or the end and embracing all that exists.^[3] The mantra "OM" is the name of God, the vibration of the Supreme. When taken letter by letter, A-U-M represents the divine energy (Shakti) united in its three elementary aspects: Bhrahma Shakti (creation), Vishnu Shakti (preservation) and Shiva Shakti (liberation, and/or destruction).^[3]

Fun Fact!

*Before 1986, India was the only place in the world where Diamonds could be found.

The KING!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flGvyXNM_EU&feature=related

Happy Birthday To My Best Friend!

Ingrid,

You have such a fulfilling life, filled with love, laughter and tears because you are really living. You make others feel good, so they keep wanting more. The people in your life want to do right by you, because you are an example. You keep evolving as a human being, a result of your humility. You give so freely, you will never want for anything. Happy Birthday Girl! Celebrate all that you are.

P.S. Thankyou for probing my 19-year old self..you changed my life forever.

Love Munita

Funny!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7nor7kfo6I&feature=related

Kurta Pyjama - Need I say more!

"Belief creates the actual fact" - William James

Ayurveda

 Ayurveda is based on the fundamental principle that to prevent and treat illness, maintaining a balance in the body, mind, and consciousness through proper drinking, diet, and lifestyle, as well as herbal remedies, is essential. Even today ayurvedic medicine maintains its holistic approach to health and treatment of diseases.
The word comes from Sanskrit, Ayus means life and living longer, and Veda meaning Knowledge or Science. Therefore, Ayurveda is The Science of Life and living longer. 

Roshan Pukhraj

Chingari (track 3)

In the loneliness of a cold, desolate night

This confined room’s sobs are a weary suffocation,

Such is my mind entagled within these walls.

As, dying in silence, a ball of fire

Extinguishes under a heap of ash.

Break

Away from me the glowing lights and beauties of life

Enjoy the charm of walking on air.

As all things exult in rainfall,

As in youth, abandon is in full bloom,

As the golden magic of sunbeams

Shine around the world when morning comes.

Break

And I, a ball of fire, silently dying

Beneath the ash dump of time and circumstance,

Am sitting in terror with my alone-ness.

Like a pauper’s dream of happiness

Is stagnant, neither evolving nor dying out.

Break

Even if I wish, it’s only a wish —

Time does not stop or wait on anyone’s behalf.

Like a river whose current runs forth

It knows nothing but to tick away.

Break

I pray night and day to find a way —

A strong, swirling storm of wind

Should scatter away my ashes of hay.

A whirlwind should stir my heart and soul.

My warmth should provide someone comfort.

My light should enlighten some mind at large.

Break

But, this silently crying suffocation —

Like unfortunate stars of fate

Will not let my environment change.

It will smother me — not let me cry aloud.

Break

My fate is to die in silence ?

I have doubts of this harsh reality.

I will die in a while under the heap of ash.

Where in the world does a heart’s desire come true?  Repeat and fade

My Favourite Indian Dessert

Gulab jamun, (pronounced goolab jammin) is a very popular Indian dessert and just happens to be my fave! To describe them to people who have never had them, I call them "timbits soaked in syrup". They are very sweet, you can't have more than two, and best served warm. They are usually on the menu at most Indian restaurants as a dessert option. Served in a small bowl with the syrup, you can eat them with a spoon and yes the syrup too! Enjoy.

LOVE IT!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_pzk83luwo

http://www.cbc.ca/news/yourcommunity/2012/09/bearded-sikh-woman-teaches-reddit-a-lesson.html

Randeep Kumar

Epitome of Indian Beauty

Aishwarya Rai - Miss World 1994

I have never been afraid to be me. I have been more afraid to not be me. I have done many things in my life that don't coincide with what a traditional young Indian lady "is supposed to do". I have worked at restaurants as a waitress, lived on my own and with roomates and dated mostly outside of my culture. To sum it up, I've really gone against the current. And a strong current it is. For some reason however, I always knew to trust my own inner voice. Even at a young age, I knew what was right and wrong. Not saying I always adhered to that, but I knew. My life has been pretty difficult as a result, what happens when you don't go with the flow. People get mad. Even people you don't know get mad. But I'm not doing anything to piss anyone off, the opposite in fact, I'm doing what makes me happy so that I can be in a position to make others happy. You don't have to like it, but in the end you will respect it. I know.

LOVE IT!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyRPGC8N2qY

Roshan Pukhraj - Poet and Songwriter

Dad. He taught me that sky is the limit. That I can do anything a boy can do and probably better. I get my passion and creativity from him. He is an Urdu poet and songwriter and has translated some of his works into English. When reciting his poetry, he has both a commanding voice and presence. Undoubtedly the biggest influence in my life, I can't help but be proud of his work. It lives through me.

Hinduism

Lord Ganesha

---

The son of Parvati was given the name Ganesha by Shiva. The word Ganesha is made up of gana (followers of Shiva) and isha (lord), thus Shiva appointed him the lord of his ganas.

Lord Ganesha is the Lord of success and destroyer of evils and obstacles. Lord Ganesha is also worshipped as the god of education, knowledge, wisdom and wealth.

Idols

 I missed the Blonde Ambition Tour in the 90's and for that I will be eternally heartbroken. I performed many dance routines to her songs when I was a little girl. She helped ignite that fire in me, and it still burns today. I wouldn't know a world without her. This is my ode to Madonna, a trailblazer, a revolutionary, an icon that will live on for decades and all around fierce woman. I'm going to see her perform tonight in Ottawa, it will probably be her last tour. At least I'll get the chance to say, thank you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iI6yaZ13EE4
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eV5SE49aEk&feature=related
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3JzNXz1bLI&feature=related

Quotes That Made A Difference

"Forgiveness is a virtue of the brave"
-indira gandhi

Role Models

Mira Nair is an Indian film director and producer based in New York City. I have been a fan of hers for many years. Of all of her wonderful films, Mississippi Masala and Monsoon Wedding stand out for me as most influential, even life-changing films. The former about an inter-racial couple, an Indian girl and a black man and the difficulties they ensue in trying to pursue a relationship with one another and the latter revolves around the negative stigma and stereotypes surrounding arranged marriages in India. I admire and look up to her greatly and applaud her bravery and commitment in telling these stories. I can't imagine the difficulties she may have endured in trying to do so. Her most recent film The Reluctant Fundamentalist deals with the backlash many experienced after 9/11 simply due to the colour of their skin and the way they look. It will be playing at this years Toronto International Film Festival.

Namaste

Namaste: The god in me recognizes and bows to the god in you.

Musical Influences

Bhangra is a lively form of music and dance that originated in the Punjab region in Southeast Asia. As many Bhangra lyrics reflect the long and often tumultuous history of the Punjab, knowledge of Punjabi history offers important insights into the meaning of the music. While Bhangra began as a part of harvest festival celebrations, it eventually became a part of such diverse occasions as weddings and New Year celebrations. Moreover, during the last thirty years, Bhangra has enjoyed a surge in popularity worldwide, both in traditional form and as a fusion with genres such as hip-hop, house, and reggae. As Bhangra continues to move into mainstream culture, an understanding of its history and tradition helps to appreciate it.

^{http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKWPzTF8-sw&feature=related}

Changed My Life

www.dhamma.org

Thank You

My parents came over to Canada from India a few years before I was born. As new immigrants, adjusting to a foreign land, they settled into a lower-income housing community, called Ritchie, just before my arrival. To say that this place has my heart is an understatement. It not only has my heart, it is everything I am. It was like a third parent to me. Looking back on things now, I still feel a sense of guilt in letting what others said about my home and surroundings bother me. I couldn't have asked for a better childhood in terms of surroundings, it is one big playground. Ritchie is surrounded by tennis courts, an outdoor pool, a beach, bicycle path and endless places to explore and get lost into, as most children like to do. I owe it a lot and will forever be grateful for what it has done for me. My passions for dance and music were ignited there. Enough said.

If you'd like to donate or help out in any way you can..here's the website www.britanniawoods.com

Photography by Randeep Kumar

My Dad's Amazing Mint Chutney

2-3 packages of fresh mint from the grocery store,  cut, washed and rinsed
1 onion
1 jalapeno pepper
lemon or lime to taste
salt and pepper to taste

* Note that the last 4 ingredients are to your taste, throw it in a blender or food processor until properly minced, depending again on how you like it, simple and you can eat it with anything.

A Dream Come True