Upawasa or fasting in antiquity of India

Albiruni visited India in 10th century, in his Tarikh-e-Hind, describes about the various kind of fasting by Hindus, it is interesting to read it in this time.

Fasting is with the Hindus voluntary and supererogatory. Fasting is abstaining from food for a certain length of time, which may be different in duration and in the manner in which it is carried out.

Various methods of fasting.
The ordinary middle process, by which all the conditions of fasting are realised, is this: A man determines the day on which he will fast, and keeps in mind the name of that being whosebenevolence he wishes to gain thereby and for whose sake he will fast, be it a god, or an angel, or some other being. Then he proceeds, prepares (and takes) his food on the day before the fast-day at noon, cleans his teeth by rubbing, and fixes his thoughts on the fasting of the following day. From that moment he abstains from food. On the morning of the fast-day he again rubs his teeth, washes himself, and performs the duties of the day. He takes water in his hand, and sprinkles it into all four directions, he pronounces with his tongue the name of the deity for whom he fasts, and remains in this condition till the day after the fast-day. After the sun has risen, he is at liberty to break the fast at that moment if he likes, or, if he prefers, he may postpone it till noon.

This kind is called upavˆasa, i.e. the fasting; for the not-eating from one noon to the following is called ekanakta, not fasting. Another kind, called kr. icchra, is this: A man takes his food on some day at noon, and on the following day in the evening. On the third day he eats nothing except what by chance is given him without his asking for it. On the fourth day he fasts. Another kind, called parˆaka, is this: A man takes his food at noon on three consecutive days. Then be transfers his eating-hour to the evening during three further consecutive days. Then he fasts uninterruptedly
during three consecutive days without breaking fast. Another kind, called candrˆayan. a, is this: A man fasts on the day of full moon; on the following day he takes only a mouthful, on the third day he takes double this amount, on the fourth day the threefold of it , going on thus. till the day of new moon. On that day he fasts; on the following days he again diminishes his food by one mouthful a day, till he again fasts on the day of full moon. Another kind, called mˆasavˆasa (mˆasopavasa), is this: A man uninterruptedly fasts all the days of a month without ever breaking fast.

Reward of the fasting in the single months.
The Hindus explain accurately what reward the latter fasting in every single month will bring to a man for a new life of his after he has died. They say: If a man fasts all the days of Caitra, he obtains wealth and joy over the nobility of his children.

If he fasts Vai´sˆakha, he will be a lord over his tribe and great in his army.
If he fasts Jyaisht.
ha, he will be a favourite of the women.
If he fasts ˆAshˆad. ha, he will obtain wealth.
If he fasts ´Srˆavan. a, he obtains wisdom.
If he fasts Bhˆadrapada, he obtains health and valour, riches and cattle.
If he fasts ˆA´svayuja, he will always be victorious over his enemies.
If he fasts Kˆarttika, he will be grand in the eyes of people and will obtain his wishes.
If he fasts Mˆarga´sˆırsha, he will be born in the most beautiful and fertile country.
If he fasts Pausha, he obtains a high reputation.
If he fasts Mˆagha, he obtains innumerable wealth.
If he fasts Phˆalguna, he will be beloved.

He, however, who fasts during all the months of the year, only twelve times breaking the fast, will reside in paradise 10,000 years, and will thence return to life as the member of a noble, high, and respected family. The book Vishn. u-Dharma relates that Maitreyˆı, the wife of Yˆajnavalkya asked her husband what man is to do in order to save his children from calamities and bodily defects, upon which he answered: “If a man begins on the day Duvˆe, in the month Pausha, i.e. the second day of each of the two halves of the month, and fasts four consecutive days, washing himself on the first with water, on the second with sesame oil, on the third with galangale, and on the fourth with a mixture of various balms; if he further on each day gives alms and recites praises over the names of the angels; if he continue to do all this during each month till the end of the year, his children will in the following life be free from calamities and defects, and he will obtain what he wishes; for also Dilˆıpa, Dushyanta, and Yayˆati obtained their wishes for having acted thus.”

Sixth pay commission highlights

The highlights of the 6th Pay Commission report that was submitted to the government of India:

The tenure of the Commission was till April 4, 2008. Implementation of the revised pay scales from January 1, 2006.

• To remove stagnation, introduction of running pay bands for all posts in the Government presently existing in scales below that of Rs 26,000 (fixed).
• Four distinct running pay bands being recommended -- one running band each for all categories of employees in groups 'B' and 'C' with 2 running pay bands for Group A posts.
• The posts of Secretary to Government of India/equivalent and Cabinet Secretary/equivalent to be kept in distinct pay scales.
• A separate running pay band, designated as -1S scale, is not to be counted for any purpose as no future recruitment is to be made in this grade and all the present Group D employees not possessing the prescribed qualifications are to be upgraded and placed in the Group 'C' running pay band PB-1 after they are suitably retrained. Group D employees possessing the minimum prescribed qualifications to be placed in PB-1 pay band straightaway.
• Minimum salary at the entry level of PB-1 pay band to be Rs 6660 (Rs 4860 as pay in the pay band plus Rs 1800 as grade pay). Maximum salary at the level of Secretary/equivalent to be Rs 80000. The minimum: maximum ratio 1:12.
• Every post, barring that of Secretary/equivalent and Cabinet Secretary/equivalent to have a distinct grade pay attached to it. Grade pay (being a fixed amount attached to each post in the hierarchy) to determine the status of a post with a senior post being given higher grade pay.
• The total number of grades reduced to 20 spread across four distinct running pay bands; one Apex Scale and another grade for the post of Cabinet Secretary/equivalent as against 35 standard pay scales existing earlier.
• At the time of promotion from one post to another, the grade pay attached to posts in different levels within the same running pay band to change. Additionally, increase in form of one increment to be given at the time of promotion. A person stagnating at the maximum of any pay band for more than one year continuously to be placed in the immediate next higher pay band without any change in the grade pay.
• Annual increments to be paid in form of two and half percent of the total of pay in the Pay Band and the corresponding grade pay. The date of annual increments, in all cases, to be first of July. Employees completing six months and above in the scale as on July 1 to be eligible.

Get the detailed report on gov. of India site http://india.gov.in/govt/paycommission.php

Girivan - a private hill station near Pune

Sahyadri mountain range in monsoon is enchanting. Last weekend we had a nice over night trip at private hill station in Sahyadri near Pune, aptly named Girivan. One of my colleague Mr. Shirambekar (call on 9820552621 for bookings) have a bungalow there and for his persistent invitation we decided to make it.



Girivan happens to be a hill station in Hotale village near Kolvan of Mulshi taluka of Pune district. Approximately at 2400 feets above sea level and 400 feet above the lonavala hill station, naturally the climate is cool and refreshing. Add to that the monsoon dimension of water falls around the hills and freshness of air.



This area as I learnt was private property of versatile marathi stage and television actor Vikram Gokhale and developed by his realty firm Sujata Farms of Pune. Being close to Pune (Paud Road is just 10 Km away), many week end picnickers thrive here. Public transport is dependent on State Transport buses till kolvan, so you need to hire a vehicle or take your own. The property is well developed and secured from all the sides with private security firms and maintenance staff.


The food, can be arranged from a restaurant in the complex and is good as well as affordable. The area near the restaurant is developed on the basis of theme park, with natural water fall to be developed for year around in near future.

Many houses can be availed for rent in Girivan with the help of developers and their housekeeping team at affordable rates.

More Ganapati Special Trains on Konkan Railway

Konkan Railway has decided to run Ahmedabad – Madgaon – Ahmedabad special trains during the Ganapati festival to clear the extra rush of passengers on its routes.

Train no. 0909 Ahmedabad-Madgaon special train will be run on 30th Aug, 1st Sept, 7th Sept and 9th Sept. The train will leave from Ahmedabad at 1410 hrs Madgaon at 1330 hrs on next day.

Train no. 0910 Madgaon-Ahmedabad special train will be run on 31st Aug, 2nd Sept, 8th Sept and 10th Sept. The train will leave from Madgaon at 1400 hrs and reach Ahmedabad at 1335 hrs next day.

The train will halt at Vadodara, Surat, Valsad, Vasai Rd, Bhiwandi, Panvel, Roha, Mangaon, Veer, Khed, Chiplun, Savarde, Aravali Rd, Sangameshwar, Ratnagiri, Adavali, Vilvade, Rajapur Rd, Vaibhavwadi, Nandgaon, Kankavali, Sindhudurg, Kudal, Sawantwadi Rd, Pernem, Thivim, and Karmali.

The train will have 18 coaches including ten sleeper and two 3rd AC coaches.

These are additional trains to the earlier 48 Ganapati specials announced.

Related posts:

• Konkan Railway to ply 48 Ganapati Special trains