|  Today, Jan 23 2007: is an unique day.
Today is Saraswati Puja, also known as Shree Panchami, or Basant Panchami, a Hindu festival of India. It signifies the beginning of Basant Ritu (spring season). It is celebrated on the 5th day of the bright fortnight of the lunar month of Magha. It falls on different dates of the English calendar. On this day Goddess Saraswati is worshipped as the Goddess of Learning, the deity of Gayatri, the fountain of fine arts and science, and the symbol of supreme vedantic knowledge. Religious paintings depict each goddess alighted on a vehicle that symbolizes their special power. She alights a ‘white swan’, which is the symbol of ‘purity and discrimination’. She has four hands and plays Beena", an Indian string musical instrument. Basant Panchami is also known as Saraswati Day and commemorates the birth of goddess Saraswati. Hindu temples throng with people and the festival is celebrared with prayers and rituals.
To day is also Netaji Jayanti, the birthday of the Great Freedom fighter, Subash Chandra Bose. He was born in Cuttack, on Jan 23 1897, a city of my state, Orissa of India. He completed his education from Cambridge University, but joined politics. The Great Mahatma Gandhi wanted to make India free from British rule through non-violence, but Bose wanted to achieve that by violence-war. Bose was believed to have died in a plane crash over Taiwan, while flying to Tokyo on 18 August 1945. However, his body was never recovered, and theories concerning his possible survival abound. A man believed to be nearly 125 years old claimed he was Subhash Chandra Bose shortly before he died on October 27 2006. Bose was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award in 1992, but was later withdrawn in response to a Supreme Court directive following a Public Interest Litigation filed in the Court against the "posthumous" nature of the award. The Award Committee could not give conclusive evidence of Bose's death and thus it invalidated the "posthumous" award. Kolkata's civil airport and a university have been named after him. Hats off to this great man of India.
To day is also the birth day of another freedom fighter, Surendra Sai. He was born, on Jan 23 1809, in Khinda, a village only 34 km away from my home at Sambalpur. He fought against the British . His forefathers ruled Sambalpur from 1630. He had to pass 37 years in the jail.All his family members were killed by the British one after another. Hats off to this great man of India.
Mylot is the platform, where we share knowledge, so friends let us pray Goddess Saraswati to bless all members of this community, including those, who ‘misuse’ it.
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