Gyan Darpan

JKBT Biogas Promoting Program me for non-conventional energy sources

Gyan Darpan 9/07/2014 0

Biogas is a boon to the rural household. The multiple benefits of the biogas have changed many lives in the rural area. Under National Programme, JKBT (Jamnalal Kaniram Bajaj Trust) has been implementing boigas programme in collaboration with Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology in Sikar district. The unit cost of Biogas plant is Rs.17500.00 of which JKBT contributed 23%, Govt. 45% and remaining contributed by the beneficiaries. Biogas slurry has also proved to be a nutrient-rich fertilizer, adding to increased agricultural yield.

Biogas for Domestic Purpose
Biogas has several benefits for its efficient use in cooking, lighting and farming. The Biogas Programme and its growing popularity have established the Trust as the biggest biogas promoting organization in the Rajasthan. With constant support and efforts of JKBT, biogas is used to meet household energy needs in the programme areas, such as an alternative fuel for cooking in plce of wood, use in domestic lighting and organic manure. Creating awareness among the members of SHG and farmer's club became a proven strategy for the expansion of biogas programme in the surrounding villages. A local carde of masons was trained for the construction, supervision and maintenance of biogas plants.

Environmental Friendly Rural Tachnology Grameen Fridge - Appropriate

Rural Tachnology

Gyan Darpan 9/05/2014 0

Grameen fridge is a low cost storage system for preserving farm and dairy produce. This is more beneficial during summer season to store perishable agriculture produce and maintain shelf life upto 7days. This Grameen Fridge does not need electricity to function but keeps the maximum temperature upto 10-11 degree celsius even during hot summer.

It is low cost innovative, small structure built in an open area. it is made up of bricks with cement (without plaster). A layer of sand/bricks pebbles is kept inside the two layers of bricks with bottom covered with the sand and pebbles. Two vertical and horizontal ducts of around 4" each are kept at the bottom for aeration. One of 2'x2' is kept at the top for strong vegetable inside the fridge.

The beneficiaries recommended few more innovations in Grammen Fridge. Some beneficiaries installed drip system with water tank kept on the top of top of Grameen Fridge to pour water in the sand/pebbles layer continuously. Some installed a small set of sprinkler to pour water in the sand/pebbles layer continuously, while some grew lawn grass on the top of its roof to lower down the inside temperature. Some coverd the fridge with a small roof prepared with local grass to minimize the impact direct sunrays on it.

NABARD also made collaboration with Jamnalal Kaniramram Bajaj Trust (JKBT) for promotion of Grameen Fridge. The cost of the construction of a Grameen Fridge is Rs.4100.

For More information contact to Jamnalal Kaniramram Bajaj Trust (JKBT)
Programme Office
Bajaj Bhawan, Bajaj Road, Sikar (raj) ph-01572-252710

Thakur Devi Singh ji, Mandawa

Rajput Leader

Gyan Darpan 9/04/2014 0

Thakur Devi Singh ji Mandawa was a person of pleasing personality and it was always a pleasant occasion to enjoy his company and listen to his tales of Rajput bravery and chivalry. His knowledge was vast which he used in writing a number of books outstanding value. One particular book he wrote named "Bharat Aur Bhartiyta Ke Rakshak" revealed the prominent part played by then rulers of Rajasthan and Gujarat, Bappa Rawal and Nagbhatt respectively to check and repulse the invasion of Arabs from Sindh into rest of India. Hardly anyone is aware of this, which took place during the seventh century. His other books are also very valuable including history of Rajput Clans.

It was so very kind of him to present me a copy of each of his books, duly autographed by him. I thus have a good collection of them and the last one he presented was on 31-12-98 called Prtihar aur Unka samrajya". He was a true histrorian in every sense and as such would not accept any fact of history, unless it was proved by some recorded evidence. For example when I told him that my ancestor Raja Bhim Sin ghji, one of the sons of Maharana Raj Singhji of Mewar and founder of Banera family, was a "Panch-hazari" the highest "Mansab" given by Mugal Emperors to Maharajas and Rajas, he would not accept it and asked me to produce historical data about it. However, some year later when I called on him at his Mandawa House on Sansar Chandra Road, he jubilantly told me that Shri Ojha, the great historian of Rajasthan, had said so in his book, the matter was at last settled between us.

I first met Thakur Saheb when he was a Kunwar during 1977 and I called on him to negotiate the alliance of my second daughter Manjul Kumari to his third son then Bhanwar Randhir Vikram Singhji, I am happy to say that the alliance took place and from then onwards I used to meet him and stay with him, whenever I visited Jaipur. Our get-together in the evening were always very interesting and rewarding as I learnt much from him about Rajput history which I shall cherish. He had other interests also, such as old forts and monuments, music both classical and Rajasthani. Earlier he was interested in Shikar also and shot panthers and wild boars, but later he had no spare time for it. Once we both even made a programme to go for a big game shoot but it had to be cancelled, due to his other engagement. As working President of the All India Kshtriya Mahasabha he attending meetings at various places and so had to travel often.

Beside writing books and visiting places he also edited the monthly journal "Ranbankura" which also gave valuable information on Rajput history and culture. He thus did great service to the Rajput race and his contribution would he fondly remembered. His passing away at the age of 77 years is a big loss to us and I pray to God to give all peace to the departed noble soul.

Colonel Maharaj Guman Singh (Retd)
Banera
in Ranbankura, April 1999

Where was Rani Padmini of Chittor born?

Rani Padmini

Gyan Darpan 8/30/2013 0

Padmin permeates our national consciousness as an iconic figure with immortal legancy. She emerges as a brave and worthly individual, capable of meticulous planning and flawless execution. She was also an extraordinarily brave, wise and virtuous women. The confluence of beauty, bravery, wisdom and virtue in the persona of one individual is, indeed, a very rare phenomenon.

No mutch known about Padmin’s family bachground and even the place where she came from as a bride into the ruling family of Mewar. However, she has been repeatedly mentioned in the Hindi literture as a relation of Gora and Badal who were Chauhans and have a haveli to their name in the fort of Chittor. Gora was supposed to be her uncle and Badal, the son of Gajanan, her cousin. Further detail of this relationship are not known. The earliest refernce to Padmini, to our present state of knowledge, is contained in Chhitai Charitra composed in AD 1526. This, however, is just a passing refernce, devoid of any detail about her.

As already brought out, the seas in those times were held in graet awe and their crossing, a big adventure. Thus, Jayasi, Hem Ratan, Labdhodaya and other who have composed works relating to Padmin have chosen to make her a Ceylonse Princess. Their idea was to lend touch of high adventure and drama to their romantic scripts and give Ratan singh, their hero, the image of dashing young prince. We have to keep in mind that all of them were poets out to catch the popular imagination and not proper historians by any chance. Every world of theirs is not supposed to be history. They have, indeed, built quite a few frills and fancies around their narration which need to be carefully separated to get at the historic reality that we are after.

According to Jayasi, Padmin was the daughter of King Gandharva Sen of Ceylon, and Rawal Ratan Singh went all the way to the Island seeking her hand. It took him eight long year to win her in marriage and bring her to Chittor to the great delight of his subjects. A number of other Hindi works on Padmini from the sixteenth century onward like the Gora Badal kavit by an anonymous writer, Gora Badal Padmini Choupai by Hem Ratan, Gora Badal Choupai by Jatmal Nahar, Padmini Charitra Choupai by Labdhodaya and khoman Raso by Daulat Vijay all insist that Padmini came from the Royal family of Singhaldeep,i.e. Celyon or Shri Lanka. Taking them seriously the, the royal family of Udaipur is believed to have invited a delegation from Shri Lanka to examine their antique ancestal ornaments. None of these could be eastablished to be of the Shri Lankan origin. The Celyonese connetion of Padmini is, therefore, highly improbable. Because Rana Ratan Singh had no time on hand for the Island adventure due to war cloud those time.

Col. Tod started compiling his Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan in 1806 and completed 1829. Padmini is mentioned to be the daughter of King Hamir Sank (Hammir Singh Chauhan) of Ceylon in this work. Tod’s version is, of course, based largely on the Bardic sources, the reliability quotient of witch could not be very high for obvious reasons. In fact, as as per history, the contemporary ruler of Ceylon was King Prakaram Bahu 1V. this, in itself, should go a long way to negate the theory of the Ceylonese origin of our national herione.

Such a hot equatorial region is least likely to be overflowing with fair ladies of class of Padmini as made out in our Hindi litrerature.

Abul Fazal and Haji-ud-Davir do not describe her as Padmini by name, but as an extraordinarily beautiful women of the Padmini class. In fact Col.Tod also write that she was bestowed with the title of Padmini because of her exquisite beauty. Her maiden name may well be different and she may have been renamed Padmini.

Our scriptures divide women into four categories as per their physical, attributes, mental attitudes and spiritual inclinations- Sankhini, Hastini, chitrni and of course, the most cherished , Padmini. This is how these classes have been comprehensively describes by Labdhodaya in his Padmini Charitra Choupai. The issue that need to be settled right now is that our Padmin could not have the Ceylonese background for several reasons. First, Cyelon is the least likely place for women of her class to be found. Secondly, Rawal Ratan singh had no time on hand to go all the way to Ceylon looking for something that could not even be likely to be found there. It is thus, reasonably clear that Ceylon got dragged in to the literature on Padmini only to add a dash of adventure to the romance of the story.

A place known as Pungal in Rajasthan itself has been traditionally famous for Padminis. Dainty-looking women of petite build and chiselled feature are even now found in some part of Rajasthan.
Gaurishankar Hirachand Ojha suggested that Padmini may have belonged to the village of Singholi, forty miles to the east of Chittor. Earlier the Amar kavya Vanshawalis had also mentioned Singoli as the place of birth of Padmini. Since the name of village rhymes well with Singhaldweep, it may have made the poets mind soar to the far away island.

Thus, if we are able to from a final view that our natinal heroine is a historic reality, then we shall also have to recocile to the fact that she did not come as a bride in to royal family of Mewar all the way form Ceylon, but from some place much nearer Chittor.

For more know about our National Heroine Padmini Buy the book “Rani Padmini, The Heroine of Chittor.”written By B.K.karkra

You can get this book online from here

Women's Categories as per Our Scriptures

Women's Categories

Gyan Darpan 8/29/2013 1

Our scriptures divide women into four categories as per their physical, attributes, mental attitudes and spiritual inclinations- Sankhini, Hastini, chitrni and of course, the most cherished, Padmini. This is how these classes have been comprehensively describes by Labdhodaya in his Padmini Charitra Choupai.

पद्मिनी पद्म गन्धा च पुष्प गन्धा च चित्रणी|
हस्तिनी मच्छ गन्धा च दुर्गन्धा भावेत्संखणी||

A Padmini has the fragrance of a lotus and Chitrani that of a folower. A Hansini smells like fish and Sankhini carries a foul smell about her.

पद्मिनी स्वामिभक्त च पुत्रभक्त च चित्रणी|
हस्तिनी मातृभक्त च आत्मभक्त च संखिणी ||

A Padmini is atteched to her husband, Chitrani to her sons, Hastini to her mother and Sankhini to her own self only.

पद्मिनी करलकेशा च लम्बकेशा च चित्रणी |
हस्तिनी उर्द्धकेशा च लठरकेशा च संखिणी ||

Padmin has curly hair, Chitrani long hair, Hastini short hair and Sankhini rough and meshed up hair.

पद्मिनी चन्द्रवदना च सूर्यवदना च चित्रणी |
हस्तिनी पद्मवदना च शुकरवदना च संखिणी ||

Padmini’s body carries the lustre of the moon, Chitrni’s the brightness of the sun, Hastini’s the feel of the a lotus and Sankhini has a body like that of a dog.

पद्मिनी हंसवाणी च कोकिलावाणी च चित्रणी |
हस्तिनी काकवाणी च गर्दभवाणी च संखिणी ||

Padmini has the voice of a swan, chitrni that of nightingke, Hastini that a crow and Sankhini that of a donkey.

पद्मिनी पावाहारा च द्विपावाहारा च चित्रणी |
त्रिपदा हारा हस्तिनी ज्ञेया परं हारा च संखिणी ||

Padmini is used to eating very little, Chitarni consumes twice that quantity, Hastini three times and Sankhini eats an enormous amount of food.

चतु वर्षे प्रसूति पद्मन्या त्रय वर्षाश्च चित्रणी |
द्वि वर्षा हस्तिनी प्रसूतं प्रति वर्ष च संखिणी ||

Padmini procreates once in four years, Chitarni once in three, Hastini once in two and Sankhini every year.

पद्मिनी श्वेत श्रृंगारा, रक्त श्रृंगारा चित्रणी |
हस्तिनी नील श्रृंगारा, कृष्ण श्रृंगारा च संखिणी ||

Padmini likes dress up in white, Chitarni in red, Hastini in blue and sankhini in black.

पद्मिनी पान राचन्ति, वित्त राचन्ति चित्रणी |
हस्तिनी दान राचन्ति, कलह राचन्ति संखिणी ||

Padmini has a fondness for pan, i.e. stuffed betel leaf, Chitrni for mony, Hastini for alms and Sankhini derives pleasure in causing conflicts.

पद्मिनी प्रहन निंद्रा च, द्वि प्रहर निंद्रा च चित्रणी |
हस्तिनी प्रहर निंद्रा च, अघोर निंद्रा च संखिणी ||

Padmini sleeps only once a day for a few hours, Chitrni likes to sleep twice as long, Hastini thrice and Sankhini feel like sleeping all the time.

चक्रस्थन्यो च पद्मिन्या, समस्थनी च चित्रणी |
उद्धस्थनी च हस्तिन्या दीघस्थानी संखिणी ||

Padmini has rounded breasts, Chitrni proportionate ones, Hastini small ones and Sankhini long ones.

पद्मिनी हारदंता च, समदंता च चित्रणी |
हस्तिनी दिर्घदंता च, वक्रदंता च संखिणी ||

Padmini has well placed teeth in the form of a garland, Chitrni has proportionate teeth, Hastini long ones and Sankhini has staggered teeth.

पद्मिनी मुख सौरभ्यं, उर सौरभ्यं चित्रणी |
हस्तिनी कटि सौरभ्यं, नास्ति गंधा च संखिणी ||

The charm of a Padmini lies in her face, in case of Chitrni it lies in her bust. Hastini has a beautiful waistline and there is nothing charming about Sankhini.