<p>Sankranti is an important harvest festival honoring the majestic sun god – Surya. Sankranti is a tribute to the powerful energies of the sun, whose power and grace enables life on earth. <br></p>

<p>The new generation is having a field day enjoying throwback moments with greeting cards. They are investing in personalized cards, original, and tailored to the specific relationship they want to give them to<br><br></p>

<p>Setting resolutions gives clarity and control in your choices and decisions, and puts the higher purpose and noble human goals ahead of small failures and defeats<br>-Annapurna Saripella<br><br></p>

<p>Air India began its first nonstop flight between San Francisco and Mumbai (BOM) on December 15th (SFO).<br>The trip took about 16 hours.<br>Air India already offers nonstop service between Mumbai and Newark (EWR), and beginning on February 14, 2023, it will also offer service between Mumbai and New York City (JFK).<br></p>

<p>With so many yoga studios popping up everywhere we are seeing a lot of different yoga styles around us. But sometimes you see a yoga invite that goes:<br>RAGE YOGA!!!<br>UNLEASH YOUR INNER BADASS!!!<br>WITH SWEARING AND DRINKING!!!<br><br></p>

<p><u>Ganapathi- The elephant God</u><br></p><p>Ganesha’s form is a source of delight to the young and the old. The childlike image represents innocence, cheerfulness and eternal joy. <br>His external form represents the formless.<br>His elephant head represents knowledge, wisdom and power. He removes the obstacles in our quests, with grace and ease. <br>The big round belly represents generosity and acceptance.<br>His one tusk signifies focus and single-mindedness.<br>When our minds are disturbed by restlessness, greed and ignorance, summon the energy of Ganesha to liberate the body, mind and spirit! <br><br></p><br>

<p>It’s August! The time when kids are off to college. Moments of happiness couple with pangs of separation as the young uns leave as teens and graduate as beautiful, mature adults ready to meet the world with confidence and enthusiasm.<br>The fun part: Shopping, more shopping, packing, planning with friends, excitement of being on your own<br>The hard part: Leaving home, stepping into the unknown, anxiety and apprehension about college life<br></p>

<p>Weddings are in the air and on Facebook. My feed has turned into a relentless barrage of<br>wedding photos from all those who have held off getting married during the pandemic. Things<br>certainly have changed. Brides are not demure anymore. The ceremonies are prolonged with<br>ancillary ceremonies, and the grandeurs overshadow earlier festivities by a long stretch. Vedic<br>rituals and customs passed down by matriarchs took the center stage in Bengali wedding<br>ceremonies. But now, the priest is cajoled into keeping the rituals brief. Instead, youngsters<br>demand pre-wedding bashes, such as the mehndi and sangeet ceremonies, customs we have<br>borrowed from North India.<br></p>

<p>It may seem that the LGBTQ+ issues surrounding gender identity, sexuality and their fight for<br>equality and justice is a current and modern phenomenon; but history tells us otherwise. The<br>timeline of LGBTQ history dates as far back as 9 th century BC through the sculptures and rock<br>art. In the later millenniums, homosexuality continued to be represented in sculptures and<br>paintings.<br></p>

<p>Indian weddings. Two words that hold a world of breathtaking attires, gorgeous jewelry, a<br>rousing of colorful decorations, exotic fragrances and of course our world-renowned song and<br>dance gala!<br>Indian weddings are, no doubt, a lavish affair with the guest list often exceeding 500 invitees,<br>not including family and relatives. There is a lot of detailing that goes into this gigantic event<br>and once the preparations start, everyone gets caught up in the fervor…. even neighbors get<br>pulled into the excitement and it’s not uncommon for them to offer their homes, vehicles and<br>other valuable resources for the event.<br></p>

<p>If we were to make a trip to any bookstore for a cursory glance at the books, the non-fiction<br>space is bound to have titles related to Self-Help, Motivation, Health and Fitness, Finding Joy,<br>Financial Growth, Living in Abundance, Relationship Advice, Career Planning, and more such<br>topics in almost every rack. Even as the rise of content via social media, electronic media, and<br>audio books may have reduced our visits to the bookstore, these topics continue to garner great<br>interest and demand. This is a clear indication that individuals are placing noticeable emphasis<br>on improving their outlook and creating a positive impact on their lives and on those around<br>them. It takes a great deal of commitment to bring about these improvements and our success<br>depends on our habits.<br></p>