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Archive for category India

ISRAEL’S UNLIKELY AFGHANISTAN GAMBIT

 

BACKGROUND: Afghanistan has become of significant interest to policy makers in Tel Aviv for many reasons. As Israel continues to develop its role in Central Asia, several of Tel Aviv’s new allies and partners in the region have similar concerns when it comes to Afghanistan. In cementing its ties with these new partners, Israel has been keen to cooperate in matters of mutual concern while simultaneously advancing its national interests. Turkey, China, Russia, and India, as well as Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan have come to view Afghanistan as the center of regional instability. The ruling Taliban regime have turned their nation into the leading source of illicit narcotics, and the primary supporter and operational base for Islamic militants intent upon destabilizing great swaths of Eurasia.

Over the last several years the State of Israel has established and maintained significant contacts with both sides in Afghanistan’s civil war. The Israeli press has previously reported on contacts between Tel Aviv and the Taliban, and the Rabbani-led Northern Alliance government. Reports in Yediot Aharonot, Ha’aretz, and Ma’ariv have all detailed meetings between the Israeli government – including the Foreign Ministry, Mossad, and other aspects of Israel’s state security apparatus – and representatives from the various Afghan factions across Europe, and even in Israel proper. Similar stories have also run in the Arabic and Persian press. In 1998, the Taliban accepted over 15 tons of Israeli relief supplies for the devastating earthquake that struck Afghanistan.

Israeli intelligence agencies, including Mossad and presumably the Aman (Military Intelligence) for signals, electronic, and telemetry intelligence, have maintained contact with both the ruling Taliban and the Northern Alliance. Sources close to Israeli intelligence have claimed that ‘Mossad has been infiltrating Afghan-born Jews in Kabul to try and penetrate the Taliban regime’. Dialogue with the Taliban has taken place regarding the establishment of intelligence collection facilities to monitor Iran, and possibly Pakistan. Teheran’s vehement opposition to the existence of the state of Israel, support for Palestinian terror groups, and quest for Weapons of Mass Destruction continues to drive Israel’s intelligence collection efforts. Similarly, Islamabad’s nuclear capability and ongoing conflict in Kashmir with

Israeli partner-India has further underscored the importance of Afghan-based collection operations. The relationship with the Northern Alliance has been to facilitate arms and equipment deliveries, ostensibly aimed at stemming the spread of Islamic fundamentalism and Muslim nationalism into Central Asia, the Caucasus, and China. These have been accomplished with the cooperation and participation of Russia, Turkey, and Tajikistan.

Tel Aviv’s support for the Northern Alliance can be easily understood as both the Afghan opposition and the Jewish state seek to prevent a total Taliban victory. Reports in the French media have surfaced as early as 1998 that Israeli military advisors were on the ground assisting the Northern Alliance in their fight against the Taliban. As for the Taliban, there are several potential explanations as to why the militia would cooperate with Israel. Both view Iran as a hostile state, and it is not inconceivable that Tel Aviv would share some of the intelligence collected against Teheran with their Afghan hosts. The Taliban originally enjoyed Israel’s, as well as Israel’s U.S. lobby’s, support as a buffer against Iran. Moreover, some sources have claimed that there exist Israeli financial interests in reviving the failed ‘Unocal plan’ for a pipeline crossing Afghanistan, which if true could potentially result in significant benefit to all parties. It is not improbable to consider that Israel would curry influence in Afghanistan while the Taliban desperately seek international recognition and victory in the civil war – something Israeli security officials have previously promised and delivered to other nations.

IMPLICATIONS: The likelihood of Israel’s activity in Afghanistan advancing a solution to the ongoing civil war is extremely remote. That is not an objective of the State of Israel in its dealings with Afghanistan. Rather, Tel Aviv is content to keep all factions fighting, with none achieving supremacy. Afghanistan will not pose a major external threat to Israel or any of its strategic partners as long as the factions continue fighting. The continuation of the civil war will also allow Tel Aviv to monitor developments in Iran, a much larger concern for Israel’s national security establishment. The Taliban and the Northern Alliance both regularly trade accusations of cooperation with Israel against one another, all the while silently working with Tel Aviv. However, any victor in the Afghan civil war would quickly distance itself from Israel, and create a void in Israel’s vital national collection requirements. Recent events, such as the destruction of the great Buddhas at Bamiyan, the Taliban’s decision to force non-Muslims to wear identification, and the regime’s condemnation of the convictions in the US embassies bombing trial, have all demonstrated the Taliban’s intransigence and disregard for international opinion. These factors only reinforce the need of concerned nations to have access to relevant intelligence on Afghanistan. Israel’s intelligence presence in Afghanistan, when considered with Israel’s access to airbases in Turkey, India, and Tajikistan, increase the potential success of a pre-emptive strike against Iran’s nuclear weapons program. The surveillance facilities in Afghanistan (like those in the Caucasus) will serve to facilitate a first strike, as well as to put Teheran on notice.

CONCLUSIONS: The renewed violence of the al-Aqsa Intifada has also served to reinforce Tel Aviv’s interest in Afghanistan. Israel’s security planners have been keen to insure the upsurge in Palestinian fighting does not translate into greater Muslim outrage at – and strikes against – the Jewish state. From the outset of the Intifada, Iran has been vocal in its support for the Palestinian uprising. An Israeli presence on Teheran’s eastern border may serve to temper this support. Likewise, Tel Aviv’s military and security cooperation with India, Russia, and the Central Asian republics positions Israel to continue its Afghan efforts. By quietly engaging the different Afghan factions, Israel has developed unique access to intelligence and developments within Afghanistan. This information will certainly be of interest to Israel’s new allies, thereby further solidifying its expanding and evolving relationships.

AUTHOR BIO: Christopher Boucek is the former managing editor of the Middle East Times in Cairo, Egypt. He currently conducts research and analysis on Central Asia and the Middle East.


Copyright 2001 The Analyst
All rights reserved

 


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India Israeli Axis with TTP

This article is dedicated to Israeli lurker, whose footprints we have tracked…

Muslims by faith are required not to suspect others of crimes, without proof. But, enough is enough! Pakistan’s defence establishments have been a target of Indo-Israeli attacks. As, Gen. Zia-ul-Haq once warned Israelis, that they do not do mischief in Pakistan, otherwise, Pakistan knows how to get even with them. Saudia has a border close to Israeli, it only takes few minutes flying time from there to Israel. So, Israel should be prudent in any operation supporting India against Pakistan. TTP has received training in Afghanistan from Israeli and Indian surrogate agents.

“Israeli intelligence agencies, including Mossad and presumably the Aman (Military Intelligence) for signals, electronic, and telemetry intelligence, have maintained contact with both the ruling Taliban and the Northern Alliance. Sources close to Israeli intelligence have claimed that ‘Mossad has been infiltrating Afghan-born Jews in Kabul to try and penetrate the Taliban regime’. Dialogue with the Taliban has taken place regarding the establishment of intelligence collection facilities to monitor Iran, and possibly Pakistan. Teheran’s vehement opposition to the existence of the state of Israel, support for Palestinian terror groups, and quest for Weapons of Mass Destruction continues to drive Israel’s intelligence collection efforts. Similarly, Islamabad’s nuclear capability and ongoing conflict in Kashmir with

Israeli partner-India has further underscored the importance of Afghan-based collection operations. The relationship with the Northern Alliance has been to facilitate arms and equipment deliveries, ostensibly aimed at stemming the spread of Islamic fundamentalism and Muslim nationalism into Central Asia, the Caucasus, and China. These have been accomplished with the cooperation and participation of Russia, Turkey, and Tajikistan (1).”

 

 

Ghauri II can reach Tel Aviv and Haifa. Abdali can even go further than that. So, Israel should stay out of this conflict. Pakistan knows how to deal with India, it is still reeling over Mumbai attacks. Don’t tread on Pakistan, we know how to bite back. If we can pruduce a nuclear bomb abd ballistic missiles, we also know how to quash our enemies. Pakistani Muslims do not care about israel and its regional policies. But, if it starts meddling in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India. Pakistan will focus its defences on Israel also. Kamra attack accomplices have made certain revelations, which point the finger at India and Israel. So, Beware for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee!

Motives behind Kamra attack

 

1

Dr Raja Muhammad Khan

The terrorist attack on PAF Base Kamra was neither the first nor the last attack on the armed forces installations by the terrorists. Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) accepted the responsibility of this terrorist act like many of its earlier attacks.

Not only this attack, but this body of terrorists killed 12 passengers of Gilgit based coaster on the same day and boldly accepted that responsibility too. These poor passengers were travelling back to their home towns to celebrate Eid with their families. The brave men of armed forces foiled terrorist act on PAF Base and killed all nine terrorists in the process and cleared the base in a matter of few hours.

The terrorists selected the wee hours for their attack on PAF Base. In fact, this was the time of Sehari and one tends to relax during these hours. Furthermore, it was 27th Ramazan and on this particular day of Ramadan, Muslims mostly remain busy in prayers and recitation of Holy Quran. Nevertheless, valiant men of Pakistan Air Force, through their quick response did not allow the terrorists to reach over to the target and annihilated all of them through their operational preparedness. Not only armed forces men, but the local police of the area also provided whole-hearted support to the Kamra defenders. The nation appreciates and salutes the Kamra defenders for their operational preparedness.

Whereas many analysts believe that this attack is the response of General Ashfaq Pervaz kayani’s statement against terrorist outfits and his determination to continue fighting these elements for bringing peace in Pakistan. In his address at Pakistan Military Academy on August 14, 2012, General Kayani said that, “Pakistan’s crisis was internal, related to a general embrace of extremism and violence.” He also said that, “the trouble in Pakistan was of our own making and had to be tackled internally.” This indeed was a great step of Army Chief to accept the reality and suggest diagnosis for the long-term. On its part, while accepting the responsibility of this terrorist act, the spokesman of TTP, Ehsanullah Ehsan said that we have planned this attack quite earlier and were waiting for the right moment. He also said that, TTP appreciates such attacks on armed forces and thus rightly, “We are proud of it.” Overall this was third terrorist attack by TTP on PAF base Kamra.

The conduct of this terrorist attack and many others by this terrorist organization indicate that it has no sympathy with the state of Pakistan or Pakistani interests anyhow. Since its formal establishment in 2007, the terrorist organization has carried out attacks against many national installations and other places, where it killed thousands of innocent people and also attacked on armed forces of Pakistan. Its attacks in mosques, Imambargahs and on other places of religious gathering, where it killed the Muslims, is a clear indication that the organization has no connection with Islam. In fact, the acts of TTP are totally controversial to Islam and ideology of Pakistan. By using Islam as a cover for their nefarious acts, TTP is defaming Islam and traditional peaceful society of Pakistan. In fact, it is an agenda of TTP to harm Islam and Pakistan. This fact has to be understood by our youth and those standing at the fence. Media needs to highlight these acts for the general awareness of the people of Pakistan.

The terrorist attack on Kamra Airbase has raised many logical questions. The most significant being that TTP’s major terrorist attacks are directed against the strategic national installations of Pakistan, which directly relates to the security and defence of the country. This means that it is working against the state of Pakistan. Generally such like acts are committed by the adversarial state against their enemy state(s). This agenda of TTP and its pattern of implementation can be further interpreted in two ways. First, this non-state actor organization has assumed for itself the role of enemy and the second, it is acting as an instrument of enemy state of Pakistan.

For the last few years, the pattern of its attacks clearly reveals that it tends to reduce the fighting potentials of Pakistani armed forces, which Pakistan will use only against its enemy state in case of war, rather against militants and terrorist groups like TTP.

Attack on Mehran Base Karachi in 2011, by TTP, where it damaged two early warning P-3C Orion aircraft; was aimed at reducing the surveillance potential of Pakistan Navy along critical approaches in the open seas and its own area of responsibility. These aircraft were not meant for use against the TPP. Similarly, the target at the Minahas Base, Kamra was the spying aircraft of Pakistan Air Force. The objective again is denying PAF of its fundamental necessity of early warning against any offensive by an enemy state. Attacks on GHQ and ISI were again aiming to cripple the command elements and strategic information gathering capacity.

Immediately after the attack, a report of ‘The New York Times, spread the rumour that, “Pakistan was storing its nuclear arsenal at Kamra.” In a way, this newspaper attempted to create an impression that, location of Pakistani nuclear weapons is in the knowledge of TTP or other terrorists. This has been the theme of US media, CIA, Pentagon and RAW. Indeed, after the terrorist attack on PAF base Kamra, Indian and American media has particularly launched a media campaign, with particular emphasis on the safety and security aspects of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenals. The fact is that Kamra Base has nothing to do with nuclear weapons. These connections reveal that, TTP’s acts have some connections with above mentioned foreign institutions too.

The TTP or such like terrorist organizations may have their religious names and terrorist motives concealed in the garb of religion, but Pakistani nation has to assess and understand the true motives of such organizations.

The pattern of terrorism by TTP and other militant organizations clearly dictates an anti-state agenda. They work as the instrument of anti-Pakistan forces to internally destabilize and weaken Pakistan to a level that any foreign power can easily launch its aggression against Pakistan in the days to come without facing resistance from its armed forces. Should the valiant sons of Pakistan let this happen? Pakistani nation as a whole has to understand this strategy of its enemies and take all measures to foil them.

 

(1) http://www.cacianalyst.org/?q=node/214/print

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Manege de trois! Nehru’s Front and Rear-end Service to Edwina & Lord Mountbatten changed Subcontinental history

How the front and rear end service of debauched Nehru to Moutbatten and Edwina shortchanged Pakistan and gave India, Hyderabad, Munabao, Kashmir, UP and East Punjab.

Nehru had gay tendencies, reveals biographer – The Indian Express

The suggestion that Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had homosexual experiences was made after extensive research and conversations with those who knew him, according to Prof Stanley Wolpert, author of Nehru: A Tryst With Destiny, a new biography which has outraged sections of the Indian intelligentsia.

Speaking to The Indian Express from the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA) where he teaches Indian history, Prof Wolpert said his conclusions were based on “interviews with a lot of people and my own discussions with Nehru”.
But the controversy, he added, was being blown out of proportion because the references to Nehru’s gay tendencies “constituted only a small section of the book.” The ‘revelation’ though is mentioned on the book jacket.

Prof Wolpert said he did not broach the subject during his three meetings with Nehru in 1957-58, when he spoke with the Indian leader for his doctoral dissertation on the Indian freedom movement. But his own interaction with Nehru during the meetings also helped him to the conclusion, he added.

“My own aim as a scholar is to get as close to the truth as possible… I believe in the Indian motto of Satyameva Jayate…. if I was not convinced enough I would not have written it … those who say 1 have overstated it should counter it with evidence, “the historian said, while himself not proffering any “evidence.”

In the book which has just hit the stands in the United States, and is due for release in India shortly, Wolpert implies that Nehru had several homosexual encounters during his early years in Allahabad, and later at Harrow and Cambridge.

He also describes instances when Nehru dressed in drag “Wearing his wig, made up with lipstick, powder and eye shadow, his body draped in silks and satins, Jawahar most willingly offered himself up night after night to those endless rehearsals for the Gaekwar’s At Home as a beautiful young girl, holding out her jug of wine and loaf seductively to her poet lover, Omar,” he writes in one passage.

The book has received favourable reviews in the American press Publishers Weekly describing it as a “warts-and-all portrait of India’s brilliant and charismatic first prime minister” in which Wolpert “convincingly goes beneath Nehru’s exalted image to reveal some pesky demons.” The New York Times Book Review described the book as being “respectful of its subject but free of the hagiography that has often diminished academic writing on Nehru.”
Neither review touched on Nehru’s supposed homosexual liaisons.
Asked why none of the previous biographies, including the more recent one by M J Akbar, did not allude to this aspect of Nehru’s fife, Wolpert said “I have no idea.”

In the book, Wolpert says Nehru’s first attachment was with a young man called Ferdinand Brooks who was his French teacher. Brooks was a theosophist but Wolpert says before coming to India the “handsome’ man was a disciple and lover of Charles Webster Leadbeater, a renegade Anglican curate who was accused of child molestation and pederasty on several continents. Leadbeater openly advocated mutual masturbation among young boys.
Wolpert also suggests Nehru may have had a gay relationship in Harrow and makes much of Panditji’s admiration for Oscar Wilde

Author : Chidanand Rajghatta

Publication : The Indian Express

Date : February 5, 1997

Source :www.hvk.org/articles/0297/0047.html

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Why Muslims were fed-up with Horrific Hindu Practices & Opted for Pakistan? II. Phallus Worship in India!

Shiva Linga – why worship the Shiva phallus?


Shiva-lingaIt really has not been that long, when I came to know, we Hindu worship a Shiva’s Linga (Shiva Lingam); Lord Shiva in the form of a phallus (penis). But, this knowledge made my skin crawl shiver in sheer disgust.

One of my friends, who is devoted to Shiva, tried to make me understand her side of story, a good side to that story. But I was so disgusted; my mind refused to understand the good-good things she was telling me. My mind simply rejected to hear her version of the worship culture. I am a Hindu by birth but, I have lost the respect for the religion due to absurd things like worshiping the Shiva Linga. Going temple every morning to worship somebody’s phallus (who cares even if belongs to a god) is just too much in the name of Dharma. Give me a break. I am not that type.

 

I don’t care what you do in your bedroom. You are free to explore your wild side but, do me one favor and don’t tell me all about that.

I am not a temple visitor, as it requires me to walk around the temple area on bare feet and temples are not that clean do to so. But, it’s been decades since I have visited a temple.

Wait a minute; do I need to enter temples?

Most of the time it’s on the roadside to see how clean the area is! Some says Pashupati is cleaner than before. But, I don’t wants to know. After knowing what exactly in the temple, I am not sure about others but, I am least interested to visit it.

One of my good friends once said about ‘Unmatta Bhairav’ that, it’s image boosted his mood occasionally; and time and again he used to go to see the image just to recharge him.

Unmatta BhairavI am wondering: What does worshiping Shiva Linga teach us? What should we be learning from this worship? Why do thousands of people visit Pashupati Naths’ temple every morning? What’s in their mind ? Why is it so important to visit that place that houses Shiva Linga?

In the Shiva Puran, a book written about lord Shiva, says, ‘The linga of Shiva, cursed by the sages, fell on the earth and burnt everything before it like fire. Parvati took the form of a yoni and calmed it by holding the linga in her yoni’. The shiva linga seen in the first photo is the symbolic sculpture of that procedure. The religious pundits believe it to be the symbol of creation.

It is not only Pashupati Nath Temple that houses Shiva’s Linga. There are many other sexual sculptures in our temples. shiva-linga-meaningsIn fact, the sexual representation in our religious destinations are more than such books we can buy from the Nepali market (Ok, let me admit one thing here, this kind of book is some thing I don’t go for hunting and blue movies do not appeal to me either). There are few explanations on why such erotic images of gods and goddess in the temple like -to ward off the bad intentions in people; don’t make sense.

I wonder, what kind of bad intention people might get while visiting temples? Or, is it an advertisement – so that people visit temples more often?

I wonder, what image comes in those people’s mind when they really cry and need to reach out for the God and pray ‘Oh God’!

Just wondering !

OMG-look-on-Shiva-linga

(In the photo above, a women stares at a realistic Shiva Linga for sale on the streets near Pashupanti Nath temple during Teej festival. Photo credits – izahorsky, from Flickr)

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Why Muslims were fed-up with Horrific Hindu Practices & Opted for Pakistan? I.Superstitions in India!

I had made a list of superstition followed blindly in India on facebook, posting it here. Please contribute the superstitions that you have come across.

1. A sack full of rice will be spoilt when touched by women in periods! it will also get spoilt if touched by women after having sex 

2. Coconut tree, Ashoka Tree, Banyan Tree etc are considered sacred

3. The tail end of cows is considered as most sacred part as fortune Lakshmi lives there!!, 

4. The “VAASTU” as a guide for floor plans of a house is a superstitious system,

5. East is the most preferred direction for all activities (I’ve seen some of them preferring to sit facing east even in the office),

6. Do not proceed , if a cat crosses your way, it brings omen

7. Looking at cat in the morning is jinx, 

8. Looking at mother’s face or picture of God as soon as you open your eyes in the morning will bring good luck for that day,

9. Giving or taking anything in the left hand is bad (you know what left hand is used for in India Biggrin )

10. Never ask the question “where are you going? ” while they are leaving house, its purpose will not be fulfilled. 

11. Repeatedly yawning Sleep indicates that someone is remembering you,

12. Sneezing odd no. of times indicates that something bad could happen,

13. Sneezing once when you make a statement indicates that what you said is true, 

14. If a lizard makes a sound when you make a statement, it indicates that what you said is true ,

15. Tuesdays & Saturdays are inauspicious for doing anything new or good deeds,

16. Monday is inauspicious day for shaving and thursday is inauspicious day for washing one’s hair.

17. You can’t have non-veg on certain days, 

18. There is particular timing during daytime called “Rahukaal”, where it is considered as inauspicious for doing anything new or good deeds,

19. There are two months in a year which are inauspicious, 

20. No moon day is inauspicious, 

21. Right eye twitching is good for men, left eye twitching is good for women.

22. Never sleep with your head facing north or west,

23. cawing of crow or itching of right palm indicates arrival of guests,

24. Never wash the front courtyard immediately after someone leaves the house,

25. If there is itching on the right palm (left for female) you can get some money or favors,

26. Unusual winking of eyes is a symptom of ill, luck or decease,

27. Going below the ladder is jinx,

28. Never cross or jump across the worshiped pumpkins or coconuts on the road.

29. During house warming ceremony, the milk is heated in a vessel in such a way that it will overflow towards east direction,

30. If you see cat giving birth, then it brings the good luck 

31. Open the front door during dusk, so that Lakshmi (fortune) enters the house 

32. Never sweep the house during night time or Lakshmi (fortune) will not enter your house.

33. Cutting nails, hair-cutting, shaving or stitching cloth after sun set is a bad practice, (obviously coz of no electricity during old times, doing these in the dark could be dangerous, but its still believed to be a bad practice),

34. Taking a teaspoon of curd with litle sugar before exam will bring good luck

That’s a good list. Somethings on top of my head:

35. Turning on the lights in all rooms of the house so that Lakshmi doesn’t miss your house.
36. Coming across a widow is bad luck.
37. Sneezing while starting to some place will make you reach that place late unless you sit down and have some water.
38. There are whole bunch of superstitions associated with lizards. Depending on what part of your body they come into contact different things will happen. 
39. If a dog starts wailing then something bad will happen.

40. Placing Neem(Margosa) leaves around people suffering from chicken-pox.
41. Calling measles and chicken-pox by the name “Maata”. It is very common among the people of Punjab,Haryana,Himachal and Uttarakhand. The disease is attributed to a visiting ‘goddess’ or ‘maata’. Hence the name.
42. Complete abstinence from Non-Vegetarian food during fever and chicken-pox etc. Again, the “Maata” dynamic at work here. Apparently the goddess does not like the flesh of animals or eggs.
43. Not resting under a ‘Peepal’ tree after sunset for the fear of malevolent spirits.
44. There used to be a concept called ‘telad’ in the Punjabi community. It dictates that a boy-child born after three successive girls is prone to the ‘evil eye’ and hence must be subjected to ritual ‘protection’ and purification.
45. Not sweeping the floors of the house during or just after a ‘pooja’ ceremony.
46. Not consuming milk and mutton during the same meal. I guess this has Jewish roots. I remember reading something about “not boiling the kid in its mother’s milk” in the Old Testament.
47. Covering up the faces of idols of gods during a solar eclipse.
48. Ritual bath after a solar eclipse.
49. Placing a sprig of Tulsi in containers of milk during a solar eclipse.
50. The ‘buri nazar waale tera moonh kaala'(you who regard us with an evil eye, may your face be blackened!) phenomenon. Widely practiced throughout India, this is common to the Sikh,Jain and Hindu communities. It involves placing a grotesque,hideous mask prominently on the facades of newly-built houses/shops or upon newly-purchased vehicles. It is called ‘nazar battoo’ in common language. It is supposed to attract the ‘evil eye’ towards itself and destroy it. The more hideous the features of the mask, the more its benefits. Sometimes it is an image of a black shoe instead of a mask. The words ‘buri nazar waale…’ may be found inscribed prominently in some cases.
51. The superstition of ‘Sai Jyoti’. Shirdi Sai Baba is a recent deity in the North Indian pantheon and is set to supplant the staples of Hinduism such as Matarani(Durga),Krishna and Shiva. As such, ‘Sai Kirtans’ are increasingly becoming popular among the people of North especially Delhi. Many of these ‘kirtans'(religious gatherings) have a thing called ‘Akhand Sai Jyoti’. It is a lamp full of water with some oil/ghee floating atop and a wick placed in it. It is lit in remembrance of some miracle performed by Sai Baba when he lit lamps using water only( wishful thinking!). Most people call this modern ‘Akhand Jyoti’ a miracle of Sai Baba and are innocent of the knowledge that oil floats on water hence the wick is fed by the layer of oil on top. The organizers make a great show of pouring the water in the lamps and chant ‘O Sai help us light the lamps with water’. But,the water is secretly mixed with oil and ghee. I saw this at a ‘kirtan’ once and pointed it out to my aunt. I was unduly silenced and the people organizing the kirtan glowered at me for laying bare their trickery.
52. Not buying steel/iron products on Saturdays for the fear of attracting the unwanted attention of ‘Shanidev’ or Saturn. Iron/steel is sacred to ‘Shanidev’ who is essentially a malevolent influence.
53. Always donating a sum of Rs.101 instead of Rs.100 or Rs.51 instead of Rs.50. The extra rupee is supposed to bring good luck.
54. The rituals practiced during the ‘mourning period’ following a death in the family are absurd in the extreme.
55. Burning dried red-chillies to ward off evil influences. This creates an evil influence in turn-the irritating smoke that seems to choke the throat and burn the eyes!
56. A very absurd superstition is that pertaining to ‘dosha’ or flaws pertaining to the horoscope. People go to incredible lengths to iron out these flaws in the astrological/planetary scheme.
57. Consulting astrological charts and horoscopes before marriage or making an important decision.
 

arun Wrote:  46. Not consuming milk and mutton during the same meal. I guess this has Jewish roots. I remember reading something about “not boiling the kid in its mother’s milk” in the Old Testament.

I suspect that there are quite a few superstitions that we have borrowed, and a whole lot that we have exported. Some, such as the one about bringing bad luck by walking across a cat’s path and the one about walking under ladders are both almost universal today.


“Fossil rabbits in the Precambrian”
~ J.B.S.Haldane, on being asked to falsify evolution.
 
 

I got a couple:
58. Spilling oil from the container onto the floor is a sign of bad luck and ill omen.
59. If a framed picture of someone falls off the nail on the wall and the glass breaks, the person in the photo will be met by Death, or the family in that photo will suffer greatly.
60. Whilst praying for someone if the diya or oil lamp flame goes out, the guy you’re praying for is going to die.
61. In the Tamil Almanac (the “Snake book” as I called it in my younger days), there is a section called Lizard fortunes. If a lizard falls on (body part), this (event) will occur. Best example is head, death respectively.
62. Cutting hair on Tuesday is a no-no. barber shops are closed too!
63. Nail cutting after sun-set.
64. Never venture out on a day of a solar eclipse and take an oil bath afterward.
65. Seeing a religious (Hindu) procession on the road purely by chance on your daily travels brings good luck.
66. If you trip before leaving the house in the morning, sit down, drink a glass of water and then only leave.
67. Cats crying in pain or otherwise is bad omen.
68. Milk boiling over the stove is a bad sign.
69. Seeing a peacock is good, hearing it’s god-awful cry is bad. (On a personal note, I heard these peacocks go off like a damn siren on my trip to Warwick Castle. It rained the whole day Sad )
70.Seeing an elephant on your travels is good luck.
71. It’s bad of you to exchange items over the threshold separating two rooms.
72. Never sleep with your head facing north!
73. Bury your milk teeth in the soil (don’t recall why)
74. You don’t go to bed wearing new clothes. Something to do with the fact that dead people are buried/cremated in new clothes (?)
The first three superstitions are predominantly shown on Tamil soap operas as an evil premonition.

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