Chath is one of THE most important festival in Bihar, but is celebrated in Uttar Pradesh, parts of Bengal and Nepal. It is the time when the Biharis from all over the country and abroad flock to their villages and celebrate the festival with all the fervor. In this year of COVID, it has been advised to celebrate the festival in closed quarters and stay away from huge crowds. To talk to us today, we invited one of the most eminent Maithili poetess and writer - Dr. Shefalika Verma
https://hi.wikipedia.org/wiki/शेफालिका_वर्मा
Some of her books are as under:
1. Naagphaans - https://www.amazon.in/NAAGPHAANS-Dr-Rajiv-Kumar-Verma-ebook/dp/B07VHMBVTL/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&qid=1605737800&refinements=p_27%3ADr.+Shefalika+Verma&s=digital-text&sr=1-1&text=Dr.+Shefalika+Verma
2. Mohpash - https://www.amazon.in/Mohpash-Maithili-Dr-Shefalika-Verma/dp/B01JRVQNPI/ref=sr_1_5?crid=2V68KT4R2YD47&dchild=1&keywords=shefalika+verma&qid=1605737705&sprefix=shefalika+verma%2Caps%2C274&sr=8-5
3. Sinduri Sanjh ke cactus - https://www.amazon.in/सिंदूरी-साँझ-के-कैक्टस-संग्रह-ebook/dp/B07DZLBLTT/ref=sr_1_6?crid=2V68KT4R2YD47&dchild=1&keywords=shefalika+verma&qid=1605737705&sprefix=shefalika+verma%2Caps%2C274&sr=8-6

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Email: [email protected]

comments from a listener Bhargav Mitra
Bhargav’s comments on the Podcast:
An excellent podcast.. 

Aunty not only summed up the beauty and sanctity of Chhath Puja,  she also encapsulated the essence of the dedication and power of women.. 

She said the women have the unique power to shoulder the enormity of such pujas, which is a tribute to the inner strength of women, and, in many ways, highlights their single-minded commitment to the well-being of their close ones..

She also rightly said: The women have the ability to make things happen without much fuss or publicity.. in saying so, she epitomized the concentration with which the women tackle adversities..

It was nerve-wracking to learn about the experience of taking over the puja by Aunty as Uncle was passing through a trying phase.. it 
was also so beautiful when she said that her relationship with Uncle was more like that exists between two lovers.. that was an awesome experience to listen to..

The revelation that Chhath puja does not require any Pandit, which was also part of your introductory remarks, and therefore done entirely by the devotees, is a stellar revelation. it hardly has parallels..

Her comment that the women steel their body by being engaged in pujas is a well-put definition..

Overall, a superb experience listening to the podcast.. Aunty is a well-known scholar in her own right and she comprehensively dealt with the issues at hand..

You have come of age in devising and implementing your subjects by selecting most suitable speakers.. your style is immaculate and speaks volumes of your finesse

Cricket is the lifeline of India, something that unites it like nothing else. During the COVID-19 if anything India is missing the most, it is cricket. Here is an interview with one of the most exemplary coaches of our times, winner of the highest recognition for a coach in India- Dronacharya Award for the best coach, he is the coach of the most celebrated, most talented, cricket superstar Virat Kohli. He has several accomplishments in his career, the most notable amongst them being the first bowler to bowl a "doosra" as recognized by the National Cricket Academy of India.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIfPhnNuVGw
I hope you enjoy the Varta!

Please contact me on [email protected]
Website: www.asingh.blog

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This episode brings the most lucid explanation of Ashtanga, mentioned in Patanjali's Yogasutras. A lot of myths have been busted and this series of three podcasts is indeed a very valuable resource for all Yoga practitioners. Enjoy the show.

Rangaji can be reached at [email protected]
My email is: [email protected]
Website: www.asingh.blog

Part two of this podcast series very nicely encapsulates the learnings in an easily understandable format and leaves scope for Svadhyay - self-learning. It is clear that asanas are only a part of the yoga practice and is in no way an end.

We will continue this series in the future, depending on when Rangaji will have time for doing another podcast. Your comments and questions will certainly go a long way in persuading him for another episode.

He is starting a Youtube channel very soon, about which he will make an announcement soon, he is also launching his website, dedicated to amateur photography, we are so much looking forward to both of his new ventures and wish him good luck.

Please subscribe to this podcast and post comments, you can also reach me on [email protected] and visit my website www.asingh.blog

Rangaji recommends reading Upanishads in translation, something which as per him will contribute to the efforts in achieving your goals. He is at the moment listening to Mundaka Upanishad from his Guru in Tamil. He also recommends reading the "The Autobiography of Yogi" - a book by Parmahansa Yogananda.

He listens from Carnatic Music to Rock Music, he is an audiophile and I discovered that he really liked No Sanctuary Here by Chris Jones!

Yoga is many things to many people and usually depends on their knowledge of the subject and their reason for interest or practicing yoga. The word ‘yoga’ comes from the Sanksrit root ‘Yuj’ which means union. (Sanskrit is an ancient Indian language). Essentially yoga is an ancient philosophy that emerged out of different philosophies in India between 2,500 and 5,000 years ago or even (longer) earlier. Many people practice Yoga at dedicated yoga (retreats) centers. The original philosophies talked in-depth about humility. They also talked about letting go of the ego, attachments, anger, and anything else that separates you from other people and the world around you. This humility allows you to connect to the world around you and to form yoga or ‘union’ with the world around you. The idea was that the whole world is connected and to tap into the feeling of union.

Ranga Ramachandran is a very promising Yoga instructor with a very wide following and lays stress on doing things right consistently, rather than doing just for the sake of it.

Books recommended by Ranga: 

 (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35397142-the-yoga-sutras-of-patanjali?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=qX7Dl4T5eb&rank=4)

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5318566-the-yoga-s-tras-of-pata-jali?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=GIsEcTtK7M&rank=1


Please reach me on [email protected]
Website: www.asingh.blog

This interview with Dr. SK Pattanayak is very informative and enriching. It was a delight to talk to him at length and to be able to appreciate the advances the Indian agriculture has made and what needs to be done to maximize its potential to greater heights. It showcases the contributions of the Indian Farmer to fight the present pandemic and gives strength to others to fight it with the same spirit. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did recording it.

Book recommendation:
Die Empty by Todd Henry
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16158560-die-empty?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=u4gdC2Y8ym&rank=1

Article: Mitochondria as Chi  by Douglas C. Wallace
(https://www.genetics.org/content/179/2/727)

Please reach out to me on [email protected]
www.asingh.blog
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amrendra.kumar Facebook

Today's interview is with a Vedic Astrologer, Data Scientist, Philanthropist, Citizen of Auroville, world’s only global city - Vikram Devatha.
Vikram is passionate about the Vedas and has been studying Vedic Astrology, Yoga, Cosmology, and Philosophy for several decades. There is something about Astrology that has drawn him ever since childhood. He has been to several astrologers, and always wondered how they could 'see' what the planets were saying. He got formally introduced to Occult Studies in the early 90s and immediately knew there was no turning back. He studied the i-Ching, Tarot, and Numerology before taking up a post-graduate diploma in Vedic Astrology at the Indian Council of Astrological Sciences. He subsequently taught Astrology at Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan in Bangalore (India). He now has over 20 years of experience in giving readings and teaching Vedic Astrology. However, now he has come to believe that Astrology is a life long study, or maybe spanning several lives. Apart from Astrology, he has written a book on Vedic Maths, a system of mathematics that allows problems to be solved quickly and efficiently. This is the first installment in a series of his books that seeks to present the material in a modular fashion. It is free of charge and available on Google Play and Apple iBooks. So, go ahead and download them! In the past years, he has become involved in projects related to environmental sustainability. He believes that in the near future, if not already, an organization’s commitment to the environment will be directly proportional to its market share. Hence, he sees a growing need for environmental data analysis nationwide. For example, he recently led a research effort that determined the effects of grid-connected solar energy systems on the distribution transformer. He relied on Excel for analyzing the data, but the data set was so large, the program repeatedly crashed. He reached the limits of what Excel could do, and there were questions he was unable to answer. That was when he realized that he needed better, sharper, more efficient tools, and knowledge for processing data. He recently graduated from a master’s program at the Indian School of Business with a gold medal. He is currently working as a data scientist with Franklin Templeton in deriving actionable insights from performance and sales of mutual funds. Feel free to reach out to him on his website:
https://www.allthingsvedic.in/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/vikramdevatha/
https://medium.com/@vikramdevatha

A book that he has gifted the most is “Light on the Path” by Mabel Collins (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/462302.Light_on_the_Path?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=2qKTX47jYC&rank=2) from the Theosophical Society. 
He is currently reading My Gita by Devdutt Pattanaik (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27318490-my-gita?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=FCXsnyJj1T&rank=1)

Vikram's book - Vedic Addition is available on Google
https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=NV3lCQAAQBAJ

The world is going through unprecedented times. Countries are under lockdown, economies are down, global supply chain strategies are failing on the other side, the world is getting together to fight the pandemic, countries are learning from each other, scientists are cooperating with each other, record clinical trials are being undertaken, it looks like that the whole world is after the Covid-19. The world will be a different place post-Pandemic and every industry will have to go through a transformation in order to survive. Only the ones who manage this well can see their way through!

Our interview today is with:
Mr. Parvesh Bareja – an ace entrepreneur par excellence, with extensive global experience in design, manufacturing, and packaging of cosmetics and perfumes through his own state of the art manufacturing facilities in India and UAE. He is a partner in an exclusive supply chain set up in Hangzhou, China from where he supplies industry consumables to his own factories as well as to the industry at large. He has a passion for creating brands and has created many successful brands, including the Man Company in India, a men’s grooming brand, which was initially set up as an e-commerce company but now sells its products through a chain of stores across India. Last but not least Parvesh is an avid angel investor in numerous startups and has a keen eye for talent.

https://www.themancompany.com/
https://www.vccircle.com/tag/parvesh-bareja/all
https://inc42.com/buzz/the-man-company-gets-backing-from-ayushmann-khurrana/
Instagram @themancompany