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NDTV
3 days ago
- General
- NDTV
Happy Krishna Janmashtami 2025: Share These Wishes, WhatsApp Status, Greetings And Quotes
Krishna Janmashtami 2025: Janmashtami is a highly revered festival in the Hindu calendar, marking the birth of Lord Krishna -- the eighth avatar (incarnation) of Lord Vishnu. Celebrated across the country, the festival is celebrated on the eighth day (Ashtami) of the Krishna Paksha (dark fortnight) in the month of Bhadrapada. This year, the festival is being celebrated on August 16 (Saturday). On the day of Krishna Janmashtami, devotees perform the Nishita puja around midnight. Devotees offer Krishna's favourite maakhan (white butter), milk, and curd to the idols after marking his birth at midnight. Since Lord Krishna was born at midnight, the puja for him is performed in Nishita Kaal. Happy Krishna Janmashtami Wishes, Quotes, Messages And Status For Your Friends, Family And Relatives: As we celebrate Lord Krishna, I hope he showers you with his blessings and takes away all the suffering and worries. Happy Janmashtami. May Lord Krishna guide you in life like he did for Arjun during the Mahabharat battle. Happy Krishna Janmashtami! India celebrates the festival of Janmashtami with enthusiasm. From little Kanhaiya's jhula to dahi handi's joy, Janmashtami is full of fun and happiness. On this auspicious Janmashtami, may your life be graced with love, happiness, and inner peace. May Lord Krishna be with you and your family always! Happy Janmashtami. Embrace the devotion of Lord Krishna on this Janmashtami and experience divine bliss. May your celebration be a journey towards spiritual fulfilment and enlightenment. May your life be adorned with virtues such as wisdom, love, and the ability to face challenges with grace, just as Lord Krishna exemplifies. May Lord Krishna's flute invite the melody of love into your life. Wishing you all a very Happy Janmashtami. Krishna's teachings continue to be a source of timeless wisdom and enlightenment. May you find enduring inspiration and guidance in his divine words. May his wisdom shape your choices. May you find strength in Lord Krishna's teachings and find the courage to overcome life's challenges with grace and resilience. Wishing you a Janmashtami filled with devotion and love for Lord Krishna. May his divine presence always light up your life. May Lord Krishna's journey inspire each action of your life, and may you apply his teachings to navigate your own path with courage and grace. Happy Janmashtami. On this auspicious day of Janmashtami, may your heart be filled with the divine love of Lord Krishna, and may his blessings shower upon you. May Krishna's eternal love and grace enrich your life not just today but on every day of your life's journey. Happy Janmashtami. Krishna Janmashtami Muhurat: The Nishita Puja Time will be observed on August 16 between 12:04 am and 12:47 am. It will be 43 minutes long.
Time of India
3 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Janmashtami 2025: ‘Krishna's sacred midnight ritual -an end to your pains, step into the world of happiness
As India prepares for Janmashtami, a concise home practice dubbed the 'Power-Shift Mandala' is drawing attention for its clarity and symbolic punch. Timed to the sacred Nishita window around midnight (12:04–12:47 AM local time on August 16, 2025), the ritual is designed to help devotees end a negative habit, relationship, or situation—and redirect that energy toward constructive aims. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Vedic scholar Shri ShivaAmit Khanna highlights the method as a focused, 10–12 minute protocol that merges traditional Krishna worship with the 8th-house of Horoscope principle of closure, alchemy, and rebirth. At its core, the practice asks the participant to select a life area—money (2nd/11th house of your birth horoscope), creativity or children (5th house ), marriage/partners (7th house), career/status (10th house), or overall karmic release (12th house)—and declare it as the target. That intention is anchored visually through an eight-petal lotus mandala and materially through a 'grain code' linked to the chosen house (e.g. , wheat for the 2nd, rice for the 4th, chickpea for the 7th). In the center sits Laddu Gopal (Baby Krishna), the devotional axis of the midnight worship. The sequence is deliberate. First, devotees decide the house they intend to heal, then draw the eight-petal lotus—lines unbroken—on a copper plate or a clean floor space. Each petal is 'fed' with a teaspoon of the relevant grain, signaling nourishment to that sphere of life across the lunar field. A bay leaf marked with the selected house number is placed beneath the Krishna idol, with a ghee lamp to the right and incense to the left, creating a balanced field of light and fragrance. The most distinctive moment is the 8th-house 'Power-Shift' activation: a pinch of black sesame in the center and at the tip of each petal. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In classical symbolism, black sesame resonates with Saturnine closure and the 8th house's ability to absorb, end, and transmute entrenched patterns. Participants speak a plain assertion—'I close the old pattern now. I open a new, positive path.'—linking intention with action. According to Shri ShivaAmit Khanna, this is where the ritual 'presses the close button' on what hurts, using Saturn's gravity to seal the past. During Nishita—traditionally the heart of Janmashtami's worship—the ritual shifts from sealing to sublimation. Devotees perform a gentle abhishek with saffron-infused milk (coconut milk is acceptable for the non-dairy), poured clockwise in a slow spiral from the mandala's rim toward Krishna. The mantra count—27 repetitions of 'Govindaya Namah'—maps to the 27 lunar nakshatras, tying the pledge to the full zodiacal sky. The act invokes the Krishna–Kaliya motif: the poison is contained, order restored, and awareness turns golden. Practitioners then sit in three minutes of silence, visualizing their chosen house flooded with steady, golden light. The morning release closes the loop. At sunrise, the colored powders, grains, and sesame are gathered respectfully into paper and placed in flowing water or garden soil, a gesture that embodies the transference of toxicity into fertilizer for new growth. In Khanna's reading of the symbolism, Ashtami itself is the lunar signature for transformation and reset; the eight-petal geometry focuses cognition; black sesame binds and retires the old imprint; and saffron milk represents the alchemy of darkness into radiance. The kit is modest: a copper plate (or earthen tile), colored rice/flour powders keyed to elements (white/blue for water, red for fire, yellow for earth, green for air), a Laddu Gopal image or murti, the grain tied to the target house, a bay leaf and marker, ghee lamp, incense, saffron milk, and black sesame. The method scales easily: if two areas require healing, use two separate mandalas and do not mix grains. Those without copper can adopt an earthen surface and double the chant count to 54. Time zone differences are handled by using the local Nishita window. Proponents describe a clear timeline: mental lightness or relief within eight days, visible shifts by the next full moon, and deeper rewiring through monthly Ashtami repetition. While framed in devotional language, the structure also reflects psychological best practices—naming a goal, ritualizing closure, and anchoring new behavior with repetition. The ritual's visual grammar—the lotus, the spiral, the bilateral placement of lamp and incense—serves as a cognitive scaffold so that intention does not disperse. Crucially, the 'Power-Shift Mandala' places Krishna bhakti at the center, not as ornament but as the devotional engine of change. By inviting Krishna into the 'poison-absorbing' phase and the 'gold-turning' phase alike, the practice reasserts dharmic order where compulsion, fear, or decay once held sway. 'Transformation is not only subtraction; it is dignified redirection,' notes Shri ShivaAmit Khanna, emphasizing that the goal is to close with compassion and open with clarity. As households across the country set lamps for the midnight birth of Krishna, this streamlined ritual offers a way to translate faith into practice—from the grain on each petal to the final offering at sunrise. Its promise is modest but compelling: on the night that celebrates the Lord who restores balance, end what hurts and open the door to your next, truer story. Or, as the tradition's closing line suggests: 'Tonight, in Krishna's sacred midnight, press the close button on what hurts—and open the door to your new story. Jai Shri Krishna.' This article is written by by Shri ShivaAmit Khanna ji.
Time of India
27-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
How 28 women from a small Kerala village turn rubbish into rupees 25,000 a month, and a greener future
In a quiet corner of northern Kerala, a group of 28 women are redefining environmental activism and women's empowerment, one bag, pot, and repaired LED bulb at a time. In the village of Kannapuram in Kannur district, the women of the Haritha Karma Sena (HKS) are leading a silent green revolution. Traditionally confined to waste collection and sanitation work, they have now become entrepreneurs, environmental stewards, and community leaders, turning trash into income, dignity, and climate-positive action. The HKS team has embraced upcycling and waste reduction in ingenious ways. Old clothes, collected from households, are repurposed into eco-friendly bags, home décor pots, and composting aids. Discarded LED bulbs are carefully restored and reused, and single-use plastics at weddings and functions are being replaced by rentable steel plates and glasses under their Haritha Mangalyam initiative. 'These activities not only reduce the village's carbon footprint, but also offer meaningful income to the women,' said Sujna M, Kannur District Resource Person for the Suchitwa Mission , speaking to PTI. The grassroots innovations have been so successful that the women's average monthly income has jumped from approximately Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000 since the project launched in October 2024. Live Events Headed by Nishita, the 28-member team operates across 14 wards, working in four clusters. They collect non-degradable waste from households within the first two weeks of the month. The remaining days are spent running micro-enterprises based on community orders. "Since starting these initiatives, our income has increased significantly. It's also rewarding to know we're helping both the environment and the local community,' said Nishita, who has been with HKS for six years. Items are affordably priced: eco-pots cost Rs 50–Rs 100, reusable bags are just Rs 5, and LED bulb repair services are offered for Rs 40 per unit. The repaired bulbs are either returned to households or used internally by the team. Beyond eco-products, HKS members also operate a profitable dishwashing and house-cleaning unit, further adding to their income and making them less reliant on the fees from waste collection alone. Training Behind Bars and in Classrooms Beyond just production, these women are educators. The HKS team has been invited to train students in schools, colleges, and even inmates at the central prison in Kannur, passing on their skills and vision for a greener future. "This initiative isn't just about income. It's about building confidence and showing that waste can be a resource when handled with creativity and responsibility," said Rathi, president of the Kannapuram Grama Panchayat. A Model for the State Kannapuram is one of five panchayats chosen for a pilot green initiative programme in Kannur district, along with Chapparapadavu, Payam, Kadirur, and Peralassery. These models aim to demonstrate how HKS-led initiatives can achieve complete waste management , reduce landfill burden, and lower emissions at the community level. 'Chapparapadavu, for instance, achieved total waste collection in just 10 days,' said Sujna. 'Now we're setting up organic waste collection units to convert kitchen waste into fertiliser for crops.' The Bigger Green Picture Kerala has increasingly embraced 'Haritha' (green) reforms across various sectors. Kannur district now boasts the first green-certified railway station and the first eco-conscious jail in the state. 'These HKS-led microenterprises give women a reliable, sustainable income during the half of the month when waste collection work is paused,' said Sujna. 'Due to the possibility of urgent assignments, they cannot take up regular jobs or even MGNREGA work. These in-house initiatives keep them engaged, empowered, and earning.' With participants aged between 37 and 65, the programme is proving that age is no barrier to innovation. Through sustainable practices and community-rooted enterprise, the women of Kannapuram are not only helping clean up their village, they're showing the rest of the state, and the country, how waste can be turned into worth. Inputs from PTI
The Hindu
17-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Nischita Muppavarapu appointed as Honorary Consul of Costa Rica
Nischita Muppavarapu was appointed as the Honorary Consul of Costa Rica in Chennai, with consular jurisdiction in Tamil Nadu on Saturday. She is the first Honorary Consul of Costa Rica appointed in Tamil Nadu. Speaking at the event Nishita said, 'Our objective is to elevate Indo-Costa Rican relations by establishing a forward looking comprehensive cutting edge framework for sustained partnership.' She is a trained medical professional and entrepreneur and also serves on the board of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD). Stating that Tamil Nadu is the gateway of India, Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu N. Muruganandam said, 'It is because in terms of foreign direct investing it attracts like a magnet particularly in the last five years. Tamil Nadu has become a very attractive destination for foreign investments.' Ambassador of Costa Rica to India Néstor Gabriel Baltodano Vargas said, 'It's so nice to be in a country where we share the values spiritually culturally and family.' Minister Counselor and Consul General Embassy of Costa Rica in India Sofia Salas and other officials from State government were also present at the event.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New loan assistance will help Lahaina families rebuild homes after wildfires
Maui County is launching a new loan program this summer to help middle-income Lahaina homeowners who are still struggling to rebuild since the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires. The Deferred Payment Loan Program is aimed at residents who fall into the 'gap group '—families who make too much to qualify for federal disaster assistance but not enough to cover the full cost of rebuilding on their own. Maui County is committing $7.5 million to the program as part of its fiscal year 2026 budget, with additional contributions expected from philanthropic partners. The Hawaii Community Foundation and Maui United Way have pledged to support the program financially, though exact amounts have not yet been announced. The county's share will be administered through Hawaii Community Lending, which will act as the implementing agency. The program is scheduled to launch later this summer, with July as a tentative target date. Interested Lahaina homeowners can begin the application process through the Lahaina Homeowner Recovery Program at hawaii /mauirelief, to find information about eligibility, required documentation and available support services. The loans, which require no monthly payments upfront, are designed to close critical funding gaps that have left many families in limbo nearly two years after the disaster. 'This is about ensuring everyone has a path forward, ' Mayor Richard Bissen said in a statement. 'Our community deserves a recovery that reaches all—from our most vulnerable residents to the middle-class families who may not qualify for federal aid but still need support to rebuild their homes and lives. This partnership is a commitment to them.' The Deferred Payment Loan Program is a collaboration among Maui County, HCF, MUW and HCL, which expands on an earlier initiative already underway through the Lahaina Homeowner Recovery Program. Josiah Nishita, Maui County managing director at the Department of Management, said the new loan program has been in the works for some time as officials looked for ways to support families left out of traditional disaster funding streams. Although the county continues to coordinate with FEMA, the Small Business Administration and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to bring in long-term recovery dollars through the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery—or CDBG-DR—program, that federal assistance comes with strict eligibility criteria and income thresholds. 'The (Deferred Payment Loan ) program is primarily going to be able to help those families that are cut in the middle, ' Nishita said. 'They make too much for some of the federal assistance programs but then don't make enough to finance reconstruction or rebuild their homes on their own.' Nishita said HCL already has been working with affected homeowners to help them navigate the complex recovery process, offering one-on-one guidance to connect people with grants, insurance support and financial counseling. The new loan program will build on that work, targeting costs like property surveys, construction estimates, fire-safe rebuilding upgrades, homeowners insurance gaps and even foreclosure prevention. Nishita added that program flexibility is key, as every family's situation is different. While officials do not yet have a specific number of households the program will serve, Nishita said the goal is to stretch available resources to make the greatest possible impact across a wide range of needs. The county also emphasized strong oversight. Each participating organization will be responsible for ensuring that funds are used appropriately, and the county will require documentation and reporting for its share of the funding. 'Hawaii Community Lending has been very open and transparent with the community, as well as engaging a lot of community dialogue, ' Nishita said. 'We have our own requirements for use of public funds, including on grant reporting processes and documentation. … Maui United Way and Hawaii Community Foundation each have their own sets of requirements that Hawaii Community lending will need to ensure to meet so that people can have confidence in the funds being spent appropriately.' As the community awaits the broader rollout of CDBG-DR funds—Maui County expects to receive roughly $1.6 billion in federal aid—Nishita said the loan program fills a critical gap to ensure no one falls through the cracks. HUD already has approved the county's administrative action plan for CDBG-DR, which allows 5 % of the total funds to be used for managing and administering recovery programs. 'One thing that Mayor (Richard ) Bissen has said many times is, if we build a bunch of buildings but don't recognize the faces within them, then we've really failed our mission, ' Nishita said. 'Our goal is really simple : to keep our community at home and to keep our community together … keep our local residents in their homes and on their properties with their neighbors in their neighborhoods.' Outreach will continue through community meetings in Lahaina and updates from the county's Office of Recovery, which also helps survivors access other recovery programs. To date, the county and its partners have held around 60 meetings with homeowners and plan to continue hosting them twice a month. Nishita encouraged wildfire survivors to stay engaged. 'If you've been impacted by the wildfire, continue to participate in the county's informational updates, meetings and keep providing us good feedback, ' he said. 'The county is fully committed to ensure that our local families can continue to stay here, to raise their families here and thrive here.'
