THE   GHOST  OF AN   INDIAN  ARMY OFFICER  WHO    STILL    SAFEGUARDS    HIS    COUNTRY'S     BORDER

Shrine of  a Soldier saint , Baba Harbhajan Singh







Adapted from Shantanu Prasher http://www.mensxp.com/special-features/today/30312-the-story-of-the-ghost-of-an-indian-army-soldier-who-still-protects-india-s-border.html?utm_source=FB&utm_medium=paid#










            Rationalists may scoff at the thought of it. But even the Indian Army believes in this story of  a ghost  and  acknowledges it as true.

               I 've been to Harbhajan Singh's Mandir  on the way to Nathu La in Sikkim and must say there possibly I found greater veneration among the people who croweded there for an Indian soldier than for a deity.  I have no means to counter the astha of  people and find it agreeable that the story of  brave Harbhajan Singh is no figment of  imagination. I bow to his indomitable spirit . It'll seem trite to say but I'll still say the vibrations one feels there at 12000 feet plus  above the sea level were something  that  were  real , perhaps even surreal.

Believe it or not, military mythology is a thing. Maybe when it comes to serving your nation, the soldiers never actually die. This is the story of Baba Harbhajan Singh, an Indian Army soldier, who died in 1986 but his ghost is believed to still be protecting his brothers-in-arms at the border.  

© Wikimedia

Born in a village of Punjab in 1941, Harbhajan Singh enrolled himself in the Indian Army in 1956. In 1965, he was granted a commission and was posted to serve with the14 Rajput Regiment. It was in the year 1967, near Nathu-La pass, that Singh met his end after slipping and drowning in a glacier while he was leading a column of mules carrying supplies to a lonesome outpost. His body was recovered after three days and cremated with due honors. But did he really die?  

© YouTube

Legend has it that it was his own ghost that led the search party to his own dead body. Soon after cremation, it is believed, he appeared in one of his friends dream and asked him to erect a shrine in his memory. Following this, a shrine dedicated to Singh was built. 

© Wikimedia

Even today, jawans posted at the Nathu-La post firmly believe that Singh’s ghost protects them. Soldiers even believe that his ghost warns them of any impending attack at least three days in advance. Even the Chinese, during flag meets, set a chair aside to honour Harbhajan Singh. The water from his shrine is believed to heal ailing soldiers. Singh’s shrine is guarded by barefooted soldiers, and his uniform and boots are cleaned on a daily basis. Stories about his ghost visiting the camps at night and even waking up the soldiers who sleep while on watch, are massively popular and very regular.   

The belief about his paranormal existence is so firm that every year on 11th September, a train carrying ‘his’ belongings departs for his hometown accompanied by fellow soldiers, and goes right till his home’s doorstep. Moreover, until his recent retirement, Singh was steadily promoted up the ranks and retired as an Honorary Captain. His salary has, without fail, been sent to his family up until his retirement. Singh is looked up to as a holy saint today and soldiers often refer to him as ‘Baba’. Guess patriotism never really dies!

ODISSI   HANDLOOMS  :    THE   MAGNIFICENCE   OF    BICHITRAPURI    SAREE











                      It is not merely my ethnic moorings that make me fond of  Odissi handlooms . I like them because they are genuinely great examples of exquisite creativity.  Recently  I had the occasion to write the following in a friend's post  -

 "... not for nothing am I biased in favour of Odissi Sambalpuri handicrafts. Fascinating eye catching vibrant colours, immaculate iconic symbols with deep symbolism and incredible quality ( both cotton &  silk so good that they last for many generations ... ) and great contrast in textures and shades. Great choice. Do you know we Oriyas give every saree a name as well.... ie we personalise them such as sonpuri , rangpuri et al. There is a fabulous saree called Bichitrapuri - an outrageously rich splendoured saree - which has been woven the same way for 150 yrs now -not a thread here or there AND it IS STILL GOING STRONG AND REMAINS A BEST SELLER "






Bichitrapuri Saree


               It is true that  Bichitrapuri is a gem of  a creative genius of the Western part of Orissa

-The highpoint of these sarees are traditional craftsmanship of the `Bandhakala`, reflected in their intricate weaves. -This is all time favorite and highest selling traditional look Orissa Handloom silk saree. -As an Orissa special saree the specialty of this saree is its geometric design in the body and touch of traditional culture in the form of different motifs like Shankha (Shell), Chakra(Wheel), phulla (flower), animals with deep symbolism. -The broad border of silk thread work , motif works and completely traditional aanchal or pallu are the beautiful feature of the saree. -The uniqueness in this saree is that its having a traditional border in middle which makes the saree look awesome.

                      




 

SUBHENDU RAJ'S SPACE

SUBHENDU RAJ'S SPACE

Rediscovered Ancient Planet Could Destroy Earth Any Day Now

Posted on April 8, 2016 by Sean Adl-Tabatabai in Sci/Environment

An ancient planet believed to have wiped out life on Earth millions of years ago is heading in our direction once again according to a top scientist. 

  

  

Planet Nine – a planet discovered at the edge of our solar system this January – has already triggered comet showers that are capable of “bombing the Earth’s surface”, killing all life, according to Daniel Whitmire of the University of Louisiana.

According to Whitmire, an apocalyptic shower could happen as earlier as this month, and certainly this year.

Nypost.com reports:

The astrophysicist says the planet has a 20,000-year orbit around the sun and, at its closest to us, it knocks asteroids and comets toward Earth.

Fossil evidence has suggested most life on Earth is mysteriously wiped out every 26 million to 27 million years.

Whitmire claims Planet Nine’s passage through a rock-laden area called the Kuiper Belt is responsible for the “extinction events.”

Conspiracy theorists in the ’80s and ’90s previously claimed a red dwarf planet called Nibiru or Nemesis, which orbits too close to Earth every 36,000 years, was behind the events.

Now some are convinced there will be a collision or a near miss before the end of April.

Nemesis or Nibiru was widely dismissed as crackpot pseudo-science — until Planet Nine was identified in January by the California Institute of Technology.