An instruction in one English medium school in Amdavad, Gujarat

Junagadh, 26 December 2011

Gujarati Sahitya Parishad’s 46th convention ended in Junagadh yesterday with three resolutions passed.

Three resolution passed in the seventh meeting of the three-day convention are following:

1. In English medium schools of std 1-10, Gujarati subject should be made compulsory.

2. Gujarati subject is not compulsory in Std 11 and 12 Science at presently. It should be made compulsory.

3. Marks of mother language should be counted in higher education admission process along with the marks of science and maths.

This resolution will be sent to the Gujarat government for consideration.

Editor’s note:

-The first point of the resolution is very crucial. Modi govt must show sensitivity to it. Other two issues are negotiable.

-There are increasing number of Gujarati families in major cities of Gujarat where children can’t read and write Gujarati, and prefer to read English first when they are catered option. Such children can’t read out or understand Gujarati numbers. Such a situation was common in NRI, NRG families settled outside Gujarat in past, but this worrisome trend has now reached the mainland of Gujarat.

-There are schools in Gujarat that don’t allow students to speak Gujarati language inside the campus. In St xaviers school, Gandhinagar, the students who talk in Gujarati are punished and asked to pay fine.

-There are dozens of other schools that follow such rule. Gujarat government has not shown love for mother tongue, otherwise such discrimination is not possible.

-Some schools in Ahmedabad take proud of teaching French, but don’t teach Gujarati as a subject.

-While learning English, French or the languages of the world is welcome trend, in the mainland of Gujarat, our own Gujarati language can’t be allowed to face discrimination or insult.

-Chief Minister Narendra Modi seems like a great hypocrite so far as this issue is concerned. When Shri Narayan Desai met him and requested him to do something, Modi showed inability. When Modi doesn’t do anything in this regard, his long talks of pride and glory sound like a big zero, and pure hypocrisy. Let’s hope he would not throw Gujarati Sahitya Parishad’s recommendations in dust bin of fifth floor of secretariat.

About Gujarati Calendar 2012 and Vikram Samvat

Gujarati Hindu calendar is part of each Gujarati’s life. While Christian calendar is very much in practice at job/business/professional fronts, when it comes to spirituality or faith, when it comes to fairs and festivals, when it comes to identify auspicious days and holy schedules, Gujarati calendar is followed.

Gujarati calendar begins a day after Diwali. It begins with Gujarati month of kartak followed by Magshar, Posh, Maha, Fagan, Chaitra, Vaishakh, Jeth, Ashadh, Shravan, Bhadarvo and Aaso.

Days in Gujarati calendar are pronounced like this: Monday = Somvar, Tuesday = Mangalvaar, Wednesday = Budhvaar, Thursday = Guruvaar, Friday = Shukravaar, Saturday = Shanivaar and Sunday = Ravivaar.

In general there are three seasons in India which are winter, summer and monsoon. They are respectively called Shiyaalo, Unaalo and Chomaasu in Gujarati language. However there are sub seasons too in each season. They are Vasant(spring), Grishma(summer), Varsha(monsoon), Sharad(autumn), Hemant(pre-winter) and Shishir(winter).

As per the Gujarati calendar, the months of Chaitra and Vaishakh are considered as Vasant or Spring. Similary Jeth and Ashadh are the months of Grishma or Summer. Shravana and Bhadarvo = Varsha or Monsoon. Aso and Kartak = Sharad or Autumn. Magshar and Posh mean Hemant or pre-winter and Maha and Fagan mean Shishir or Winter.

Gujarati Vikram Samvat Calendar is around 56-year ahead of Christian calendar. This means if as per Christian calendar it is year 2012, in Gujarati calendar it would be considered as 2012+56= 2068th year. The Vikrama Samvat lunar calendar was founded by the emperor Vikramaditya of Ujjain following his victory over the Shakas in 56 BCE. (To calculate the present Christian year, 57 years should be subtracted from the Indian year if the date is between starting of the Indian year and the end of the Western year i.e. between Kartak sud 1 and 31 December. If the date falls between the beginning of the Western year and the end of the Indian year i.e. between 1 January and Aso vad 30, then only 56 years should be subtracted.)

Gujarati Vikram Samvat calendar uses a solar year but divides it into 12 lunar months, each consisting 29 days 12 hours 44 minutes and 3 seconds. All together a lunar year of 354 days 8 hours 48 minutes and 36 seconds. To fix the lunar months into the solar year( because 60 solar months = 62 lunar months) there is a practice of adding an extra month which is called Adhik Mahino or Purushottam maas at interval of 30 months or say two and half years. In Gujarati Hindu Vikram Samvat Calendar seasons are as per the sun, months as per the moon and days as per both the sun and the moon.

Lunar days or tithis can have various lengths. Not only this but sometimes a tithi is omitted or sometime two continuous days share the same tithi. This is because in Gujarati Calendar the days are calculated using the difference of the longitudinal angle between the position of the sun and moon.

Difference between Gujarati Vikram Samvat Calendar year and northern Indian Vikram Samvat Calendar year is that while Gujarati Calendar year of Vikram Samvat begins with the first day after the new moon in the month of Kartak( a day after Diwali usually in October/November in popular calendar), in northern Indian parts the same Vikram Samvat calendar starts with the first day after the new moon in the month of Chaitra(usually in March/April in Christian calendar). On the other hand in Nepal where Vikram Samvat is official calendar the new year begins in the middle of April.

Instruction of usage

Currently we are releasing only November 2011-August 2012 calender pages. All the other months pages will be released soon. Your suggestions are welcome.

To download the calender (1) Press right click of your mouse over the image of the page, (2) Select ‘Save Image As’ option, (3) Click over your selection.

To make it as a desktop wallpaper, (1)Press right click of your mouse over the image, (2) Select ‘Set as Desktop background’, (3) Click over your selection.

Vadodara, 29 September, 2011

In ‘best of Navratri’ series, this is the second video. It presents a small glimpse of Vadodara’s United Way garba ground. Vadodara’s Maharaja Sayajirav University has a school of music and thanks to this there are very good singers in Vadodara. While Mumbai’s Navratri is too filmy and western, you need to visit Vadodara’s Navratri to listen to Gujarati sugam songs. Enjoy a small video clip(about five -minute long).

Presented above in video is Gujarati Natak – Kevda Na Dankh (Mukesh Rawal & Rupa Divetiya) from RajshriGujarati via Youtube.

Presented above in video is Gujarati Natak – Kajal Dholayu Kunkuma (Amay Harpane & Manisha Purohit) from RajshriGujarati via Youtube.

Presented above in video is Gujarati Natak – Amari Duniya Tamhari Duniya from ShemarooGujarati via Youtube.

Presented above in video is Gujarati Natak Popular Comedy – Pappu Pass Thai Gayo (Sanjay Goradia’s) from RajshriGujarati via Youtube.

Presented above in video is Gujarati Natak – Alvida Darling from ShemarooGujarati via Youtube.

Presented above in video is Gujrati Comedy Stage Play – Parnela Chho To Himmat Rakho from RajshriGujarati via Youtube.

Presented above in video is Gujarati Natak – Tarkat from ShemarooGujarati via Youtube.

Presented above in video is Gujarati Natak – Ba Ae Mari Boundary (Padmarani & Sanat Vyas) from RajshriGujarati via Youtube.