Saturday, July 19, 2008

Rang De -- A novel Micro-Lending Platform

Rang De -- A novel Micro-Lending Platform

A couple of weeks back, I learnt about Rang De, an unique innovative micro-lending platform from Go-Ergo (a tabloid from the publishing house of 'The Hindu'). After a little perusal, I just signed up with it. One of the cofounders (Smita Ram) almost responds to any query on this unique micro-financing website quite fast.

Currently, the website is in nascent stages and is addressing the requirements of farmers, milk persons, vegetable vendors from Maharastra and Tamil Nadu. I just thought of sharing this on my weblog so that more interested people can know about the same and help out the needy. This way, the underprivilege of the society who have good aspirations to accomplish something but handicapped for want of funds would really be immensely benefitted.

I also feel that there is one more need for similar projects like Rang De. The small business people like farmers and vegetable vendors, because of their nature of business, can not approach banks of other financial institutions for loans because the processes involved are rather really cumbersome. In most of the cases, they succumb to borrowing from what do you call as Kandhu Vatti, Meter Vatti and other people who charge skyrocketing interests for peanuts and then try to exploit them. To save people from such troubles, there is a real need for organizations like Rang De, which would be a great torch light of hope for small business people.

Check out the website yourself and join hands with them if you are interested. During the month of August, they are also planning a series of events so that more people would come to know of this organization. Perhaps if you could signup now at the website, you can stay informed regarding those updates too.

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Safety Tips for Girls

Safety Tips for Girls

I got an PDF attachment carrying a number of tips and articles for the safety and security of girls/women. With gruesome incidents of rape and murder on girls like Prathiba Srikanth Murthy (Bangalore), Sarika (Chennai), it is a duty of us to ensure that the women fraternity breathe free from any evil forces acting on the society.

I just thought of sharing the tips with other readers too. Please feel free to forward the permalink URL to your friends too. Let us make the society a peaceful place to live upon.

1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do: The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do it!
2. If a robber asks for your handbag, do not hand it to him. Toss it away from you.... he is probably more interested in your handbag than you and he will go for the handbag. You may like to take to your heels immediately after tossing out the handbag.
3. If you are ever thrown into the boot of a car: Kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm through the hole and start waving. The driver won't see you but everybody else will. This has saved lives.
4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their cheque book, or making a list). DON'T DO THIS THIS! A predator could be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side, and attack you. AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR,
LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE.
5. A few notes about getting into your car in a car park:
A.) Be aware: look around you, look into your car, at the passenger side floor, and check the back seat.
B.) If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most attackers surprise their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.
C.) Look at the car parked on the driver's side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the shop, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)
6. ALWAYS take the lift instead of the stairs. Stairwells are horrible places to be alone (and the perfect crime
spot.)
7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; and even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN!
8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP IT! It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good good-looking, well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked "for help" into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.
9. Another Safety Point: Someone just told me that her friend heard a crying baby on her porch the night before last, and she called the police because it was late and she thought it was weird. The police told her 'Whatever you do, DO NOT open the door." The lady then said that it sounded like the baby had crawled near a window, and she was worried that it would crawl to the street & get run over. The policeman said, "We already have a unit on the way, whatever you do, DO NOT open the door. "He told her that they think a serial killer has a baby's cry recorded and uses it to coax women out of their homes thinking that someone dropped off a baby. He said they have not verified it, but have had several calls by women saying that they hear babies' cries outside their doors when they're
home alone at night. Please pass this on and DO NOT open the door for a crying baby. I'd like you to forward this to all the women you know. It may save a life.

Source Courtesy: I sincerely thank Mohan Chandran for sharing the PDF with me and I also thank him for encouraging me to publish as HTML version over here as a little service to the society.

Prayer for Global Peace

Prayer for Global Peace

Shri Shri Shri Maha Periayava Athirudra Mahayagna Samithi will be conducting the Adhirudra Maha Yagnam and Chandi Homam from July 28, 2008 to August 7, 2008 at Suvasini Kalyana Mandapam, No. 1, Periazhwar Street, Sundaram Colony, East Tambaram. The yagna would be conducted by Chitlapakkam Brahmasri Ramakrishna Ganapadigal and is conducted for the welfare of the entire world.

Devotees are encouraged and invited to take part in it and also to liberally donate and contribute articles to be used in the yagna. The organizers can be contacted in the following addresses for further details:

No. 27/10, Vyasar Street,
East Tambaram.
Telephone: +914422393047
[Courtesy: Tambaram Talk]

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Prathishta and Samprokshanam of Sri Ayyappa and Sri Guruvayoorappa Temple in Velacherry (Reminder)

Prathishta and Samprokshanam of Sri Ayyappa and Sri Guruvayoorappa Temple in Velacherry (Reminder)

Just a reminder that Prathishta and Samprokshanam of Sri Ayyappa and Sri Guruvayoorappa Temple (Velacherry) is tomorrow. We have discussed about it over here. Keep your schedules free on your calendar tomorrow to attend and get the blessings of the Lord.

Swamiyae Saranam Ayyappa!!

Sunday, July 06, 2008

Sri Ayyappan Temple Samprokshanam

Sri Ayyappan Temple Samprokshanam

Whilst casually browsing through today's Tambaram edition of 'The Hindu' DownTown, I learnt about the consecration and Ashtabandhana Maha Kumbabishekam of Sri Dharma Sastha Trust's Ayyappan temple in Shankar Nagar, Pammal. The temple houses the deities of Ayyappan, Kannimoola Ganapathy, Bhana Lingam, Ashtabuja Durga and 'nava grahas'. The temple has been built on a plot of land measuring 9600 square feet mostly from the contributions of philanthropists and the general public.

The Maha Kumbabhishekam would be conducted on July 12, 2008 (Saturday) between 0530 hours and 0600 hours in the presence of Raman Namboodhiri (former MelSanthi of Sabarimala). The related poojas and utsavams would be performed from July 7 to July 15.

The Dharma Sastha Trust also appeals to devotees to take part in the Kumbabhishekam and contribute to the same. The organizers and Trust members can be contacted on +919444444238 and +919840309893.