HISTORY OF BUDDHA PURNIMA

Buddha Purnima also known as Buddha Jayanti is the most sacred Buddhist festival. A holy festival, Buddha Purnima is celebrated to commemorate the birthday of Lord Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. Buddha Purnima is celebrated in the month of Vaisakh (on the full moon of the fourth lunar month ), which usually falls in the months of April or May.

The festival day marks three important events related to Buddha's life namely (i) his birth in the year 623 B.C (ii) his enlightenment in 588 B.C and (iii) his attainment of Nirvana, that is the complete extinction of his self at the age of 80. Hence, the Buddhists around the world consider the Buddha Purnima day to be more auspicious than any other day of the year. Though, not all Buddhists commemorate these three events on this very day, but the events are remembered by all of them.

Buddha Purnima is especially celebrated in Bodh Gaya, Lumbini and Kushinara. During Buddha Purnima , believers come to Bodh Gaya from all over the world to attend the celebrations. Sarnath considered the capital of Buddhish, celebrates the festival day in a grand way. Likewise in India, Buddha Purnima is also celebrated in Sri Lanka, where it is known as Vishakha Pujain. Other notable countries where Buddha Purnima is celebrated include Burma (Myanmar), Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Nepal, Thailand, Tibet, Korea, Laos, Vietnam, Mongolia and Japan.

History of Buddha Purnima
According to holy scriptures, Lord Buddha is considered as the ninth avatar (incarnation) of Lord Vishnu (Preserver in the Hindu Holy Trinity of Creator-Preserver-Destroyer). Literally Buddha means 'enlighted one', someone who is totally free from all faults and mental obstructions.

Legend has it that Lord Buddha's wife Yashodhara, his first disciple Ananda, his charioteer Channa and his horse Kantaka were all born on Buddha Purnima day. It is also believed that even the Bodhi tree, under which Buddha attained nirvana has been created on this day. Besides, on this day Lord Buddha opted to preach his first sermon at Varanasi.

Buddha Purnima Celebrations
Buddha Purnima day is marked by massive prayed meets, sermons on the life of Lord Buddha, regular recitation of Buddhist holy scriptures, religious discourses, group meditation, processions, worship of the Buddha statue and symposia. During Buddha Purnima the Mahabodhi temple at Bodh Gaya adorn into a festive look and is beautifully decorated with colourful flags and flowers.

Though the Buddha Purnima festival is an occasion for celebration, but it doesn't encourage hectic gaiety. In fact, Buddhists believe to celebrate the festival in tranquil, peaceful mood. Buddhists in India and other Buddhist countries illuminate their houses, temples and streets with colour lanterns, electric light and tastefully decorate their houses.

HISTORY OF DURGA PUJA

The worship of Devi Durga in the month of Ashwin is called 'Akalbodhan'- an uncoventional time for inauguration of the worship. It is so called since the period of this worship differs from the conventional period (during the spring - 'Basanta').

Mythological tract:
In the ancient times, a demon called 'Mahishasura' earned the favor of 'Lord Brahma' through extreme austerity and prolonged meditation. Pleased with the devotion of the demon, the lord blessed him with a boon that no man or Deity would be able to kill him. Empowered with the boon, Mahishasura started his reign of terror over the Earth and Heaven.

Invasion of Heaven:
People were already being killed mercilessly and even the Gods were assaulted.
Yet the worse was yet to come. It came when an strong army of demons was gathered to siege the abode of the Deities. The army was led by the king Mahishasura, the green skinned demon with the form of a giant buffalo. With its weapons of iron, and its phalanxes of elephants and charioteers the army finally marched on the king of gods, Purandara or (Indra), defeating him. Then, Mahishasura usurped the throne of heaven.

The victory was complete, and all the gods were driven out of the heaven. Routed they went to the trinity of the Supreme Gods, Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva to save themselves and the men on the world.
The orgy of violence vis-a-vis the the invasion of the heaven by the evils enraged the Supreme Gods. Their faces were flushed with anger and a dazzling luminescence flooded forth. Great flames and thunderbolt streaked through all directions. The fires illuminated all the three worlds: the heaven, the earth, and the nether-world with penetrating beams of light.

The Birth of Durga:
At a single point, the energy of all the fires coalesced and assumed a shape, in the form of a young woman. Her face was from the light of Shiva. Her ten arms were from Lord Vishnu. Her legs were from Lord Brahma.

The dispossessed gods were awed by the supreme energy and enchanting beauty of the conceived Goddess. They praised her and equipped her with their divine gifts: Shiva gave Her a trident with a spear-end. Krishna gave her rotating disc. Varuna, the God of sea, gave her a conch and the God of fire gave her a missile. From the wind, Vayu, she received arrows. The king of gods, Indra, gave her the thunder-bolt, and the gift of his white-skinned elephant Airavata was a bell. From Yama, the god of death, Durga received a rod, and from the Ruler of Waters she was given a noose.

Durga received many other precious and magical treasures-- gifts of jewels, new clothing, and a garland of immortal lotuses for her head and breasts. Heaven's architect gave her a bright axe and magic armor. God of mountains, Himalayas gave her jewels and a magnificent lion to ride into battle.

Now equipped with the fearsome weaponry and magical powers of the gods, and dressed in golden armor and jewels she set off, seated gracefully upon the lion. His thunderous roars shook the three worlds. Oceans swelled up to scrape the sky and surf broke over the land. Continents were torn at their granite foundations as whole new chains of mountains rose, while older ranges crumbled, cracked, and gave way to dust in a thousand landslides. Seeing these cataclysmic ripplings in waves through all the three worlds, Mahishasura and his demon allies found their attention drawn from heaven to Earth. Though confident of their power and control in heaven, even the conquering demon host could not help being awestruck.

The demons had little time to admire the radiant visage of their new adversary, for soon she engaged them on the battlefield. First, the army of Chikasura, and then that of Chamara, the two chief commanders (also called Shumbha and Nishumbha,of Mahishasura by some) were met. They were destroyed in a great battle. Now it's turn for Mahishasura.

The Termination of Mahishasura:
Confident but confused by the humiliating defeat of his loyal and powerful commanders Mahishasura did his best in arranging and equipping his personal army.

This time the heaven was led by Durga as the boon of Mahishasura could only make him invincible against all but woman. Surrounded by chants of praise, the blowing of horns the beating of drums and songs of worship Durga roamed the battlefield on her mighty lion. From her divine breath her army was constantly replenished with new warriors, each able, brave and resolute.

Shocked and enraged by the disastrous events on the battlefield. In a mad desperate bid Mahishasura then reverted to his own form, a buffalo, and charged about on the battlefield. In a wild rage he charged at Durga's divine soldiers wounding many, biting others and all the while thrashing with his long, whip-like tail. Durga's lion, angered by the presence of the demon-buffalo, attacked him. While he was thus engaged, Durga threw her noose around his neck.

But through magical spell Mahishasura kept changing his shape and form from one to another so as to puzzle the Devi.

Finally the Goddess beheaded the buffalo and from it emerged Mahishasura in his original form. Durga pierced his chest with the trident and relieved the world from the evil power.
The gods returned to heaven, and along with the sages of the earth, they sang praises and showered floral compliments to the Goddess Durga. Henceforth, and to this day, the Goddess Durga is worshipped by all the gods in heaven, and all human beings on earth. Mahishasura is there too--frozen in his moment of final defeat, impaled by Durga's spear and seeking pardon beneath her left foot. The Goddess Durga then continued to be worshipped in this form.

According to Puranas (the epics) , King Suratha, used to worship the goddess Durga in spring. Thus Durga Puja was also known as Basanti Puja (Basanta being Spring). While the vernal worship of Durga still goes on but it is the Ram's Akalbodhan during the autumn that came to be a most widely accepted practice.
In the 'Ramayana', as it goes, Rama went to 'Lanka' to rescue his abducted wife, Sita, from the grip of Ravana, the king of the Demons in Lanka. Before starting for his battle with Ravana, Rama wanted the blessings of Devi Durga . He came to know that the Goddess would be pleased only if she is worshipped with one hundred 'NeelKamal' or blue lotuses. Rama, after travelling the whole world, could gather only ninety nine of them. He finally decided to offer one of his eyes, which resembled blue lotuses. Durga, being pleased with the devotion of Rama, appeared before him and blessed him. The epical battle started on the 'Saptami' and Ravana was finally killed on the 'Sandhikshan' i.e. the crossover period between Ashtami (the next day) and Navami (the day after). Ravana was cremated on Dashami. This is why Dashera is celebrated in India with so much of fanfare and the effigy of Raavana is burnt.

In course of time Bengalis adopted the autumnal worship of Durga performed by Rama and made it their main festival. The Pujas span over the four days, the time taken by Rama to finally kill and cremate Ravana.

Read more at http://www.theholidayspot.com/durgapuja/akalbodhan.htm#FFU82Zk9JdfitWIE.99

VOYAGES OF THE MV. TANGUAR HAOR

As the heavy engineering work on the steel hull and superstructure winds to a halt, the welding, cutting and hammering is coming to an end and the wiring and plumbing work has begun.

Since the Eid break, work has been gathering pace, and the February commencement of operations looks likely.

Finally it is possible to begin the complex work of scheduling the four full tours of the 2,500 km of navigable water ways, with passengers able to choose whereabouts in the country they would most like to be at leisure on the placid water ways, with banks alive with rural life, and the riches of the extraordinary two thousand and more year history of one of the world’s most ancient centres of trade, commerce and religion.

Dozens of skilled young men, working hard to meet the February deadline, were joined last week by members of the Cox’s Bazar Lifesaving and Surf Club, for whom, as disadvantaged young men and women, working on the boat will provide the livelihood that will enable then to both support families, and keep surfing in the great summer season. 

They are preparing to meet the demanding expectations of passengers by learning of kitchen, housekeeping, restaurant service, and activity support, including wind surfing.

The friendly atmosphere, combined with a commitment to service excellence, which many of the young people have already had experience of in Cox’s Bazar, the country’s favourite sea beach destination, will help to ensure that cruising on MV Tanguar Haor will be a relaxing and enjoyable experience for all ages, with these fit and lively young people, experienced surfers and trained lifeguards, to ensure both enjoyment and safety.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

As the steel work stage of construction nears completion, the devil, of course, is in the detail. A six hour meeting with the designers and builders paces through tricky details in fixtures and fittings.

Meanwhile, cabin and public room designs and schemes are finalised and initial recruitment and training is in the final stages of planning.

No one had ever done this kind of work in Bangladesh before, and we are determined to get it as right as we can from the start.

The management team for both cruise programmes on the 2 or 3000 kilometres of navigable river waters of Bangladesh (seasonably variable!), and on board service, facilities and activities, is coming together, with a wide diversity of skills and experience brought. Education from US, UK, Spain and even Australia enhances the enthusiasm of the youthful Bangladeshi team who have not had the same opportunities as some of their compatriots.

Setting up online booking and payment systems is not exactly a ‘walk in the park’ here in Bangladesh, where no merchants are permitted to register by such funds transfer programmes as Paypal.

Sourcing supplies of such onboard facilities as windsurfing is also not easy, and they need to be in country in plenty of time for the young surfers who will manage many of the on board activities to become familiar with all the problems, ensuring the highest level of skill and safety.

Even such basics as mountain bikes are not so easy to source, nor kayaks, which have obvious potential on these waters. As for fishing gear...well, we shall have rod and reel sets, but we think some local bamboos and line will add to the entertainment! There is, after all, nothing quite like fish, freshly caught in safe water, to improve the taste of supper!

The tension is certainly increasing. The ship will soon be ready to make its first, short, journey, into the Meghna, ready for fitting out, sea trials, and its first commercial journey.

Will everything be ready for the family who have booked all cabins for a family Christmas gathering from the great diaspora, cruising in luxury to the Sundarban? Or for the group of expats who like the idea of a New Year Party on water whilst cruising these tranquil waters? Or will a Valentine’s Day party be our first real entertainment on board, perhaps heading up the Ganges/Padma towards Tagore and Lalon Shah’s poetic home at Kushtia?

Only time will tell.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

MV TANGUAR HAOR.

The Tanguar Haor is going nowhere right now! The dream that is planned to open the rich history, the diverse and colourful culture and traditions, the world famous cuisine, and the incredible natural environment and outstanding wildlife that includes such as the Royal Bengal Tiger, of Bangladesh and the delta lands of the famous Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers, is completing construction at Khan Brothers new shipyard on the banks of the Meghna river.

The latest in a tradition of shipbuilding that goes back over 2,000 years, and has produced some of the loveliest river craft in the world, as well as sea going craft favoured by nations across the world, the Tanguar Hoar is a first for Bangladesh.

What better way for visitors to explore the country than by using the routes used by ancient Greeks and Romans, Phoenicians and Arabs, to the great Empires of Europe, Asia and Africa.  These travellers traded and explored the great deltaic lands of the Delta of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers, the world’s largest delta system with over 700 rivers, branches and tributaries. By water!

The MV Tanguar Haor, named for the world famous natural wetland in Northern Bangladesh, home of countless indigenous and migratory species of ‘birds of the air, fish of the sea, and beasts of the forest’, is certainly, even with the history of Kings, Princes, Emperors, Viceroys, Explorers and Traders..not to mention Pirates and Administrators, including the fabulously rich Zaminders of Mughal and British periods, the most comfortable, luxurious and safest vessel to ply the waters through which have passed torrents of silks and satins

With a maximum capacity of 26 travellers, served by a crew of 18  friendly and welcoming young people, for whom hospitality is not just a skill but a continuing tradition, in cabins with attached hot and cold water (all treated before discharge), air conditioning and fans, supported by solar and wind power, and a comfortable dining room with visitable kitchen, in which chefs from every port of call will serve their local speciality, sharing the benefits of tourism throughout the riverside communities with their own culture, traditions, entertainments and skills

Relaxing lounges or comfortable chairs in private with views through secure picture windows of the passing, largely unspoilt world, shaded lounges and air decks, together with expert guides to ensure comfort and safety, and lead expeditions to the tangible riches of a great history, offer the prospect of the journey of a lifetime.

BANGLADESH. TEA SHOPS, DESHI PASTRIES, SWEETS AND SNACKS

Sweets from Bengal are well known across the world, fattening, may be; delicious, certainly.

But whilst in towns and cities there are shops aplenty retailing these traditional snacks and sweet-meals, it is the ubiquitous Tea Shops where the best of Deshi pastries and snacks are to be found, and relished.

The denizens of Dhaka may regard Danish as the definitive pastry. But Deshi lovers know better.

Chana / Chola

Pua

Chira fried with Coconut

Lacha Semai

Samucha

Biscuit with Chanachur

Layer Tea

Plate of pastries

Balushori

Balushahi

Jilapi

Nimki

Puri

Khejur

Khaza

Fulawri

Kodma

Ginger Tea

Chips

Goja

Imirti

Sada Jam

Khurma

Batasha

Kalo Jam

Milk Tea

Rosogolla

Firni

Tikka Kebab

Singara

Moglai Parata

CULTURED PEARLS IN BANGLADESH

It is around Comilla, east of Dhaka, that the indigenous industry of pearl culturing is most highly developed in Bangladesh.

The giant fresh water mussels which host the culturing are harvested, for the most part, by one of the most interesting peoples of the country, the Bebe, River Gypsies.

The Bebe are not unlike the Romanies of Europe, itinerants whose mobile lifestyle.. in the case of Bangladesh, by water.. rather isolates them from mainstream society, and fairly inevitable social exclusion.

Any tourist in the main residential area of Dhaka, Gulshan, is likely, sooner or later, to visit the famous Gulshan 2 market. This market, apart from a large number of ‘antique’ shops, also offers souvenirs of the huge maritime recycling industry, and many jewellery shops in which most of the product is pearls. Especially the pink pearls that are the natural colour of those cultured in Bangladesh.

There was a time when Japan’s Mikimoto were world leaders in cultured pearls. Today, China dominates the market, and no doubt many of those on sale in Gulshan originate in China. But Bangladesh, together with neighbours Myanmar and India make their own significant contribution to supply.

These pearls come in all shapes and sizes, and a wide range of prices that reflect size, shape and matching size rather than any intrinsic difference in quality.

In major internal tourism destinations, too, such as Cox’s Bazar, many shops offer the pearls, at usually far more favourable prices than those in Gulshan market. A price range from about $4 for a necklace of seed pearls, to perhaps $75 for a fine string of matched pink pearls would be about right.

Sea pearls also are still to be found in the waters of the Bay of Bengal but not really sufficient in numbers or quality to sustain an industry; and rare indeed would be sufficient in number or quality to make a string.

No visit to Bangladesh can really be complete without, at least, an examination of these cultured treasures. And whilst there is no doubt that sea pearls are still most valued, as adornment to much loved necks, a string of pale pink cultured pearls take an awful lot of beating.

BALIATI PALACE, MANIKGANJ, BANGLADESH

Tax farming is a system of organising the financing of government that seems to be as old as civilisation itself.

Awarding to favourites, or auctioning to the wealthy, the right to collect taxes almost assumes abuse and exploitation, and Baliati Palace is almost certainly an illustration of that reality.

The practice has long, at least up until the advent of real parliamentary governance, been part of the practice of governance in UK, so it would come as no surprise that the East India Company.. ‘The Honourable Company’.. should decide upon the practice as a means of maximising its income.

So it was that a successful Salt Merchant named Govinda Ram Shaha, sometime in the middle part of the 19^th Century, appears to have acquired the office of Zaminder for a part of the fertile and trading area of Manikganj.

Creating for himself, and for the four sons of his first marriage, then the three sons of his second, the sprawling, largely neo classical palace at Baliati, he established for all a lifestyle that leaves even today’s visitor almost speechless.

Better preserved, in part, than most... probably due to the occupation by the Dept of Archaeology of two blocks of the main four.. it is, nevertheless, like so many such buildings in Bangladesh, already showing signs that most of the buildings are beyond repair, or even stabilisation.

Which is a pity, given the great appeal of such buildings to tourists across the developed world, as evidenced by the more than 4 million members of the UK National Trust and the millions of overseas visitors attracted to buildings in their care. It is such attractions that appeal to so much of the top end, professional classes of tourist, creating foreign earnings, and, above all,jobs!