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नमस्कार मंडळी.  माझ्या "श्रीगणेश पूजा विधि" या गेल्या वर्षी प्रकाशित झालेल्या पुस्तकाला गणेश भक्तांचा अभूतपूर्व असा प्रतिसाद मिळाला. यामुळे मला मिळालेली उमेद असे सांगत होती की आपल्या हिंदू धर्मात अशा अनेक प्रथा आहेत आणि अशी माहिती आहे जी आता लुप्त होण्याच्या मार्गावर आहे. ती जतन करणे आवश्यक आहे जसे की आजीबाईचा बटवा इत्यादी. याच्या अनुषंगाने मी विविध विषयांना आजपासून स्पर्श करण्याचा आणि ते विषय आपल्यासमोर सादर करण्याचा प्रयत्न करणार आहे. अपेक्षा ही आहे की माझा हा संकल्प आपल्या पसंतीस उतरेल. कुठल्याही कामाची सुरुवात करताना गणेशाला वंदन करूनच आपण करतो.  ॐ गं गणपतये नमः | अष्टविनायकांची नावे याप्रमाणे:  मोरगावचा मयुरेश्वर  सिद्धटेकीचा सिद्धिविनायक  पालीचा बल्लाळेश्वर  मढचा वरदविनायक  थेऊरचा चिंतामणी  लेण्याद्रीचा गिरिजात्मक  ओझरचा विघ्नेश्वर  आणि आठवा रांजणगावचा महागणपती वाचकहो, ही सुरुवात आहे. दर आठवड्यातून एकदा मी आपल्या भेटीस येईन. प्रत्येक वेळी विषय वेगळा असेल, अशी माझी अशी माझी संकल्पना आहे. - आनंद कृष्णाजी कणेक...

Paranormal forces have various ways of showing their presence. Some show their presence in form of shadows. While some howl. Some show the presence by moving certain objects. Some show their presence by dropping the temperature of a room or at least a particular area.  While some show their presence by creating illusion of various aromas. Strange isn't it? But that is how the paranormal forces operate. With paranormal forces nothing can be considered as normal.  My friend Vijay (pseudonym used for protecting the identity) had a strange paranormal experience where he could smell certain cuisines where cooking such cuisine was not possible. This is Vijay's own own encounter. Vijay was my friend from college. After our graduation Vijay started his career where he worked at a manufacturing and production plant. In the production plant, they used to have different working shifts based on the manufacturing and maintenance time for the machines. Mostly Vijay would get a shift which w...

Disclaimer: This blog is based on a true story. However, some names and events have been redacted to protect the author from potential lawsuits. The author believes that the readers are intelligent to connect the dots and identify the characters. Once upon a time, in a wealthy city, there was a renowned art institute. This prestigious art institute was the best and the biggest in the state. This institute catered to the academic needs of various budding artists. This institute had a rich history of artistic success and culture. Art enthusiasts from all over the nation wanted to be accepted into this institute and would dream of becoming world class artists.  This prestigious art institute had a long standing tradition. Every year in the beginning of spring, this institute would arrange an art festival. Art lovers would eagerly wait for this festival to witness the magnificent artwork. This art festival was nothing like any other festival in the city. In this unique fest...

Nowadays, working in corporate is not easy. Transfers and relocations have become frequent. Most staffers cannot deny the transfers, as the denial may lead to delay in promotion or worse, termination. The transfers mostly are enforced on a short notice. The staffer who is required to relocate has a short time window to move to a new city, find a place to stay, and start working.  Finding an apartment in a new city is always a challenge. Sometimes, one finds their dream home, otherwise it is straight from nightmares. My friend Rohit (pseudonym to protect the identity) found a home in a new city which reminded him of an episode of " Aahat ". His story is so scary that it can easily be adopted to make a horror blockbuster. Rohit was working at a reputed organisation. He was eagerly awaiting a promotion for a couple of years. Finally the opportunity arrived disguised as a new position at a different location. Rohit was asked to relocate to a new city and assume the ne...

One of the common most disorders which affected 1 in 8 women was polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Recently the name of this condition has been updated from PCOS to polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS). As usual, the internet was divided. One group celebrated the name change and anticipated better diagnosis and treatment. Whereas, some keyboard warriors were sceptical and questioned if the name change is going to have any impact. Several social media influencers who have no medical knowledge spoke on this "trending topic" and provided misleading information.  The correct information comes from the research article published by The Lancet . I read the article and I made my informed opinion. I belong to the first group and these are my thoughts on this matter. PCOS vs PMOS Diagnosis : Old approach : PCOS was diagnosed based on presence of at least 2 markers:  oligo-anovulation (infrequent or absence of ovulation/periods),  hyperandrogenism (...

Last night I saw upon the stair, A little man who wasn't there He wasn't there again today Oh, how I wish he'd go away.... What if the little man exists in reality? What if the little man is near you? What if the little man is standing next to you? Or behind you? What if the little man hangs around in the office, behind your desk, and waits for you to turn around? Scary thought isn't is? What if, this happened? Will you turn around and face the little man? Or will you close your eyes and wish that he would go away? My friend, Siddhant (pseudonym used for protecting the identity) had answers to all these questions. This is Siddhant's paranormal experience. Siddhant, an IT professional was working in a reputed firm. Just like most IT firms, he used to work in a multicultural team which was spread across several regions. Siddhant and 7 other members were from India, however only Siddhant was working from the firm's Mumbai office. Siddhant was in a custo...

I was looking for a book for my nephew. A book which he will love reading. A book from which he will learn something. I browsed through the catalogue and found variery of books for young readers. Most of these were fantasy novels or fairytales. Most books were written by foreign authors. While browsing, I found the ideal book, "Malgudi days" by R K Narayan. Just the cover brought back plethora of memories. I used to watch the series "Malgudi days" on TV. I was in school and this series used to be showcased on Sunday mornings. Each episode would be for 30 minutes including advertisements. It would include adventures and experiences of characters from a finctional town of Malgudi. The stories were believable and characters were relatable. Stories were short and simple, sometimes with serious undertones.  As the book arrived, I jumped on to reading it. I finished it, reminiscing my childhood days. I remembered the stories which I had watched on TV. Even aft...

A woman's life is undoubtedly difficult; pregnancy and postpartum phase being the toughest of all. Physical pain, exhaustion, stress, lack of sleep, change of routine, hormonal changes, weakened immunity, and many more unexplained health issues over the horizon. New mothers find the postpartum period strenuous not only because of the body that works against them but also due to newly imposed restrictions. Most families do not allow the new mothers to step out of their homes for at least 40 days after the delivery. Main reason is that the mother's immunity is low and she can easily catch any infection, which could get transferred to the baby as well. However, it is also believed that the new mother's aura (not a Gen Z term but the protective spiritual layer) is weak and negative energies get attracted to them. Many new mother experience unexplained, often negative presence around them in the postpartum phase. Kartiki (pseudonym used for protecting the identity) my friend rec...

All 80's and 90's kids (now adults) will forever cherish the 2000's era of Indian films. The filmmakers of this era were trying to carve a different path for themselves - switching from the " Masala " films to the content based films. Filmmakers wanted to skip the dance numbers and songs keeping the film tightly bound around the narrative. Most filmmakers were experimenting with different concepts, ground-breaking ideas, and darker themes rather than making the same romantic films. The early 2000's also marked the return of horror or supernatural genre of films. One of such iconic horror films was " Bhoot " (2003) which gained popularity and became a cult classic.  Bhoot (2003) was directed by Ram Gopal Verma (RGV) who was one of the top movie makers of 90's and 2000's. RGV had made a horror movie in the previous decade called " Raat " which itself was a classic horror film. RGV after a stint of making crime thrillers made Bhoot  an...

Each place carries certain type of energy. Some places carry positive energy, where we feel happy, at peace, or relaxed. Whereas some carry negative energy, where we feel suffocated, anxious, or uncomfortable. For some of these places, the history is known and hence we can deduce the origin of the negative energy. For some places the history is not known hence what originated it completely remains unknown. Despite of knowing the origin, the presence of the negative energy in certain places affects the individuals who come in contact with them. My friend Prachi (pseudonym used to protect the identity of the individual) experienced the presence of a negative energy. This is Prachi's paranormal experience. Prachi had recently started working in a multinational organisation. Prachi who belongs to a small town had to relocate to a metro city for her job. When Prachi moved to the city, she was staying in the organisation's employee quarters till the time she found her a p...

In India, we come across a vast variety of folklores. One of such scary folklores is " Chakwa ". Chakwa is a paranormal entity that creates illusions and will deceive its victims. Generally, they are harmless and release their victims after they are entertained.  Most victims of Chakwa have similar experiences. During the late night rides, they see a rabbit or hare running in front of their vehicle. After this the rabbit disappears and the victims are trapped in a travel loop. They repetitively reach the same spot after driving for a long time and do not reach their destination. Once released by the entity, the victim's journey continues without any hurdles. Yet, my colleague Bhuvan (pseudonym to protect the identity) had a unique experience with Chakwa. This is his paranormal experience. Bhuvan was studying engineering. His college was in a small town, away from any metro city. He used to stay at a hostel. The distance between the college and hostel was approximately 2 m...

I have met many unfortunate people who lost their mothers in their childhood. Their childhood was grief sickened. Either they were raised by their relatives (like aunts and grandparents) or their father remarried and the stepmother became the female figure in their lives. Experiences with the stepmothers were mixed, mostly positive, excluding one particularly spooky. This is a real life story narrated by a colleague, Seema (pseudonym for protecting the confidentiality). This is the first person encounter of Seema's stepmother. Seema was 3 years old when her mother died after an acute illness. Seema had an elder sister who was 6 years old back then. Their grandparents were elderly and frail, while their other relatives stayed in different cities. After evaluating all options, Seema's dad decided to remarry, so that the stepmother would take care of the daughters.  As described by Seema, their stepmother was cordial. She would take care of them very well. She was lovi...

Not all days are the same. Some days are good, some days are bad. When the day is good we see that the sun is shining bright. Flowers are blooming. Nature is colourful and delightful. Weather is pleasant.  Everything goes well. Everything goes as per the plan. There are no delays. There are no cancellations. Everything fits into the frame. Everything is within our control. The day is filled with positivity and happiness. On a bad day the sky is cloudy, grey, and gloomy. Flowers are dead just like our dreams and hopes. Nature is dreadful and awful. Weather feels unpleasant and looks like sepia filter has been applied. Every effort goes down the drain. Nothing goes as per the plan. Every move is a disaster. Everything is out of our control. The day is filled with negativity and unhappiness. Is it really the day or our perception of the day? Sometimes it takes only one thing to go wrong and the whole day turns into a sad circus. If the day begins with a mistake the whole d...

The book " The Brahmastra Unleashed " it's written by D Sivanandhan who is the former police commissioner of Mumbai and former Director General of Police Maharashtra. This book is a first person account of how the Mumbai underworld was destroyed by the Mumbai Police. As someone who is born in 1980 and grew up in 1990s in Mumbai, I am very well aware of the underworld situation in Mumbai back then. In 1990s Underworld was not exactly hidden. The underworld was not in the background, rather was "the main character" of Mumbai. One was not required to search for the underworld, rather the underworld would come chasing someone at their own doorstep. Traces of Underworld could be found in any lane, any road, any corner, any shop, or any building - practically everywhere. Everyday some or the other person would come face to face with the underworld activities. No one would know when they would witness an underworld activity that could lead to their apparent...

Happy International Women's Day! Are you not happy? No? Let me give you the reasons to be happy. Indeed be happy for being born instead of killed in the womb for being an XX instead of XY.  Be happy for getting educated, many have lost their lives for that privilege.  Be happy for being able to be qualified to take a job, many have fought for this right. Be happy for having the freedom to dress as you please, many countries do not offer that freedom.  Be happy for your smooth, soft, and spotless skin; acid attack victims are deprived of this joy. Be happy for being able to raise your voice, there are many waiting to silence you. Be happy that you have the privileges such as driving, voting, or stepping out of the house on your own; I do not need to tell you which countries ban these for women. Be happy for having the financial independence, for you do not have to prepare a pitch for asking for money. Be happy if you became a solo traveller, this is a rare type of freedom....

Turmeric has a crucial role in the life of any Indian person. Turmeric is the most commonly used condiment in the Indian cuisine. Turmeric has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties making it a wonder home remedy. Turmeric is a common ingredient of various cosmetic applications to improve the skin tone and texture. Besides, turmeric has also found its way in various rituals in the Indian culture. Haldi (application of turmeric) is a crucial ceremony in Indian weddings. Before the wedding (generally a day before the wedding), turmeric is generously applied on the bride and groom's body - which is called the ceremony of Haldi . While turmeric is expected to brighten the bride and groom's skin, it is believed that turmeric may also attract negative energies. Hence, after the Haldi ceremony, it is forbidden to leave the house.  But what would happen if the bride or groom leave the house after the Haldi ceremony? Abhijit (pseudonym to conceal the identity) has the answer t...

Some roads, cross roads, areas, lanes, corners, or places are known to be the residances of dark entities. Locals know about such places and warn to not visit them. Mostly, visiting such places is forbidden after sunset. Such places are not rare and can be found in villages or even in a densely populated city like Mumbai. This experience comes from different cities or villages; narrated by different people to me. Though places, days, and time differred, their experience remained the consistent. They visited a forbidden place and experienced the unexplainable. They survived to tell a tale. For the sake of the story, this is Rahul's paranormal experience. Rahul was in college in the reputed field of  STEM. Rahul was staying in a metro city. Rahul and his friends often used to study together. They would study at any friend's house after the college hours. They would meet after dinner, study till early morning, sleep at friend's house, and leave in the morning. One ...

This morning, after waking up I immediately noticed a moth outside our bedroom window. I was intrigued. It was raining heavily outside yet it still rested peacefully on the window. It was gone within minutes. But the moth's arrival reminded me of 2 specific stories I was told. First story was told by my late neighbour. According to that story, goddess Lakshmi visits our homes in form of a moth. Whenever such moths are seen, we should offer kumkum turmeric and bow our heads. Goddess Lakshmi will bless us with wealth and happiness. Another story was very different from the first one. A colleague told me that our ancestors often visit us in form of moths. They stay in our homes for a couple of days to see whether we are flourishing in our lives. Then, they disappear in thin air. We never see them coming inside our homes or leaving our homes.  Both stories were astonishing. However, there is a similarity. Both stories depict the moths as outwardly and holy. Both stories tel...

 Wedding season is about to begin. In the event of enthusiasm and glamour, nowadays I am seeing various social media posts featuring the bride, groom, and the whole ceremony. While most of these are wholesome posts, I am seeing a plethora of disheartening posts. Not only the social media posts but I have heard stories from friends and colleagues about how a specific guest was trying to upstage the bride. These posts/stories specifically discuss the following, where the bride is upset because: a wedding guest is wearing their own wedding outfits a wedding guest is wearing the outfit in the same colour or similar to that of the bride a wedding guest is wearing a bright colour which is drawing the attention away from the bride a wedding guest is prettier than the bride a wedding guest is wearing a designer outfits or a designer inspired outfit Most of these outfits could be inappropriate for the western weddings. In western weddings, most of the brides are dressed in white...