Ready for taxing times

THE north-western region is all set to benefit from the rich and varied experience of an Indian Revenue Service woman officer. The lady in question is the highly competent Mrs Baljit Bains. She has taken over as the new Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, North-West region, at Chandigarh. Mrs Bains is not new to the area. She has had many a chance to not only gain professional expertise but also become familiar with the problems peculiar to the people of Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh. Of the 1969 batch, she is one of the seniormost Indian Revenue Service women officers. Before taking up this assignment, Mrs Bains has served as Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, Haryana. She has also been Member, Haryana State Electricity Board. — H.K.

AT INDIA'S SERVICE: Women are inducted for short-service commission of five years in the Indian Army, extendable up to 10 years.

I am studying commerce in Class XII. I want to join the Indian Army. But, I wear spectacles. What should I do to join the Army? What course should I do after my Class XII for the purpose?

Yagya

You can get into the Army even if you are bespectacled. You need to have distant vision corrected to 6/6 and myopia of not more than 5.5. You should be a graduate in any discipline - BA or B.Com included - with at least 60 per cent marks from a recognised Indian university.

Women are inducted only for the short-service commission of five years, extendable up to 10 years. For candidates with a commerce background, the jobs available include those in the non-technical services like the Army Ordinance Corps and the Army Education Corps. The qualifying age for women is between 19 and 25 years. You must be in good physical and mental health, free from any disability that might affect your performance at work. Your weight must be at least 36 kg. The minimum acceptable height is 142 cm.

Most newspapers carry advertisements announcing the requirement of women officers in the Army, usually in January and February every year. For further details, you may contact the Additional Director-General of Recruiting (Women's entry section), West Block III, R.K. Puram, New Delhi-110 066.

We suggest that you also consider similar positions in the Navy, including the Logistics Cadre and in the ground duty branch of the Air Force.

Health management

I am a BA final year student. I want to make a career in health management. Please tell me about the admission procedure, the eligibility criteria, the institutes offering the course and the future prospects.

Parveen

Health management is emerging as an area of professional management. It is aimed at providing management skills to professionals responsible for health services in the country. There are two types of professionals who opt for health and hospital management -- medical professionals (medical graduates) and other regular graduates. While the technical aspects such as procurement of equipment and medical expendables, recruitment and training of staff, management of professionals and research work are supervised by the "doctor administrator", the management and assignment of duties of other staff, maintenance and services as well as security are taken care of by graduates trained in health services management.

List of institutes

Institutes offering hospital management courses are:

(1) AIIMS, New Delhi, offers 2-3 year course in Masters in Hospital Administration (eligibility: MBBS with 3-year working experience in a hospital) sponsored graduates with 7-year experience in hospital administration.

(2) Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, provides a 2-year course in Masters in Hospital/Health Administration with 50 per cent marks and age below 45 years. The candidate must be MBBS/B.Sc. Nursing/ B.A./B.Com/B.Sc.

(3) Faculty of Management Studies (FMS), University of Delhi, New Delhi, offers 3-year (part time) course in health care management (eligibility: medical graduates with 5-year experience in hospital administration and sponsorship).

(4) Indian Institute of Health Management Research, Jaipur, offers a 2-year course in Master of Public Health/Master of Health Care Administration (eligibility: graduates with 50% marks, selection through ALMAT). Programmes offered by this in statute are in collaboration with University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA.

(5) Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management, Calcutta, also offers a post-graduate diploma course in hospital management for graduates in any branch of medical science/pharmacy/biological sciences. Besides these institutes, some universities also offer such courses in hospital and health management, which include Punjab University, Chandigarh, Shivaji University, Vidyanagar, Kolhapur, Madurai Kamraj University, Madurai, Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya, Institute of Management Studies, Indore.

T. Muralidharan

Success for Sangina

A beauty pageant contestant may owe her success to a fairness cream, but can the same be said of an Olympic athlete? That's what will happen if Sangina Vaidya, the first Nepalese athlete to participate in the Olympics officially, wins a medal in Athens next month.

Fair and Lovely, Indian corporate house Hindustan Lever's fairness cream, is promoting Nepalese taekwondo diva Sangina, a two-time gold medallist at the South Asian Federation Games.

Along with five more corporate houses, Nepal Lever, the group's joint venture in Nepal, is co-sponsoring the 29-year-old.

Together, the six corporate houses are providing 85 percent of Sangina's expenses like visa fees, airfares, medical treatments, sports gear, a daily allowance and an endowment fund.

This is the first time that private companies in Nepal have chipped in to sponsor any contestant in an international sporting event.

But then Sangina is one of the best brand ambassadors in the country by virtue of being the first Nepalese to formally qualify for the Olympics.

Till now, Nepal's participation in the prestigious games was confined to events like swimming, shooting and athletics, which allow wildcard participants.

Sangina, who grew up watching Bruce Lee movies and played football as well, began to concentrate on taekwondo when she realised there wasn't enough time for both.

Four years ago, she had set her heart on participating in the 2000 Olympics.

The corporate support she received this time enabled her to head for Korea to train for a month. She leaves for Athens August 15. — IANS

making waves
A force to reckon with

IF her role model Kiran Bedi could break the glass ceiling for women entering into the police force, Meera Chadha Borwankar, 46, has an equally distinctive record to her credit. She took over as the first ever woman to be posted as Commissioner of Mumbai Crime Branch in its 150-year-long history.

It was in Jalandhar that she was groomed her for a career in the police force. Meera spent her formative years in the Jalandhar cantonment area, doing her schooling, graduation and postgraduation from there.

Then came the time for moving on. She was selected as IPS officer of the Maharashtra cadre in 1981, after which there was no looking back for this bright, smart but down-to-earth girl. She has also served in State CID Crime branch, CBI Mumbai and Delhi, and as DSP Aurangabad. Prestigious awards that came her way include President's Award (1997), the Police medal, Director General's insignia for meritorious service and Hubert Humphrey Fellowship (2001-2) in three decades of her policing career. — D.A.

Gladrags to riches
Bibhuti Mishra

Jagi Mangat Panda, model to business woman

AT 36, she still looks like a super model with killer looks. The svelte appearance conceals a tough character. Meet Jagi Mangat Panda, co-promoter and Director Ortel Communications Ltd and Chairperson, Orissa State Council Confederation of Indian Industry. "I did not know that I would be into entrepreneurship but I always wanted to be independent. This need has brought me where I am today,"says Jagi, the first Gladrags super model.

Her father was in the construction business in Hyderabad. After her BSc from Osmania University, the first modelling assignment came when she was still in college. Chosen as Miss Andhra Pradesh, she modelled for Apco sarees and Priya pickles. She shifted to Bombay to make a career in modelling. In the early nineties, she made a splash in the ad world in Bombay. She represented India in the World's Best Model Contest in Turkey. After being crowned Asia's Best Model in 1993,the same year she left India for Paris to work as a model with the agency USA Paris. Her stint lasted less than a year. Married to Baijyant Panda, a leading industrialist of IMFA (Indian Metals and Ferro Alloys) group, she says: "It was my choice. A modelling career has a short span.I could have gone on for a few more years but I wanted to leave when I was still at the peak,"says Jagi with determination glinting in her eyes. It was the same determination that facilitated her transition from modelling to the world of business

In 1995, she worked with the Projects Department in IMFA and to hone her managerial ability went for a rigorous six-month Executive Development Programme at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. After her return, she took charge of Ortel Communication, her husband's brainchild, a modern Hybrid Fiber Coaxial (HFC) telecommunication network which was set up in Orissa to provide cable television, Internet service,Telephony and other value-added services.

She says, "I never thought of this particular field.It was my husband's idea since he had a degree in mass communication as well as engineering." Jagi believes taking ideas does not mean losing independence. It is how you bring the ideas to fruition is where your calibre is on test. She certainly has excelled because in just six years time, she has made her company a leading ISP provider and her private TV channel OTV, a premier media voice. On being asked how she would face challenges of the future, she says: "At the end of the day it is the quality of service you provide that matters. We have never compromised on quality and never will."

Jagi has a number of future plans lined up, such as taking OTV from three cities at present to nine cities by the end of the year, coming up with IP multicasting and tying up with an application service provider etc. After a tie-up with British Venture Capitals, Ortel Communication Ltd has emerged as a totally independent unit without any link with IMFA.

AFIs your child stressed ?

Is your child stressed ?

Any of the following may be symptoms of stress: Acting out: Kids may react to stress by throwing tantrums or having trouble getting along with others. Anger: This can sometimes be a sign of depression in kids, which "doesn't look the same as it does in adults" Increased aggression and slipping grades can also signal depression. Cutting: Kids who cut themselves do so because it's a way to release their emotions. This is a major cry for help. Drug use: Substance abuse can signal that something's amiss. Ironically, developing a "more serious problem" like drug use can be a way for kids to divert parents' attention from school achievement pressure. Insomnia or nightmares: Older kids may have insomnia or nightmares, while younger kids may experience night frights or start wanting to sleep with mom and dad. Physical symptoms: Kids under stress may complain of headaches, stomach-aches or simply not feeling well. Be aware of changes in your child's behaviour that concern you. If you notice something's happening, pay attention.

Stress isn't child's play

Pressure from school, from peers—even from parents—is putting increasing numbers of children under unmanageable stress. Experts say that quiet family time will do your child more good than a dozen extracurricular activities a week. Lisa Lewis reports on the rising stress level among children.

PATRICIA L. Brown, a marriage and family therapist, sees many patients with performance anxiety. But lately, it's not parents concerned about their job performance at work, or even teenagers worried about getting into college who seek out her help. She's dealing with children stressed out over homework. "This year, I've had a lot of kids referred (to me) for anxiety around school performance," Brown says. "Even in families that appear to be pretty calm, school is a tremendous stressor," she says. She recalls a bright little girl" in first grade who agonised over homework assignments and threw tantrums or tore up her paper if she made a mistake. Some kids act up or throw tantrums, while some develop physical symptoms such as headaches or insomnia. Others end up turning to drugs or self-harm. For parents, these behaviours are important signals that something is wrong. Parents need to realise that "if a kid is acting out, it isn't necessarily 'just a stage'," says Margery Lapp, a marriage and family therapist in private practice. Like Brown, Lapp sees kids who are stressed out over academics. "Affluent communities can breed too much emphasis on achieving and acquisition," Lapp says. "Early on, there's the pressure to be on a track that will lead to success." It's not just kids who are at the breaking point; parents themselves are under stress as well. "We live in an area where often, both parents are working," notes Jody Bove, a clinician and marriage and family therapist. The pressure to succeed causes stress, which in turn rubs off on the kids. "The parents come home exhausted. They walk in the door stressed out." As a result, "the kids aren't getting the nurturing they need." Often, "both parents are working and struggling to maintain their
lifestyle," Brown says.

So what's a parent to do? In a word, nothing: no scheduled activities, no structured plans. "Kids need more time to just chill," says Ellen Castleman, a licensed clinical social worker in private practice. "Make sure there's enough time when nothing is scheduled." She encourages families to take time out for family events and activities, citing examples like "good old-fashioned board games", family meals, watching a movie together or going for a bike ride on the weekend. "Rest and relaxation is stress-reducing," she adds.

Physical activity is too, although Castleman encourages parents to have kids pursue just one sport at a time due to overscheduling concerns. Brown sees kids who are attending so many activities —swimming, gymnastics, ballet, swimming—that they don't have any down time for play. These activities aren't the same as free play, she notes, or what she terms "creative, imaginative, social, old-fashioned play." "Being home and hanging out and drawing or playing with the kids next door is really healthy," Lapp adds, noting that this time is important for kids' socialisation. Kids also want to spend time with their parents, even if they may not seem like they do. "Try to spend even five minutes a day one on one," Bove says. "It can be so difficult when we're so busy, but it's amazing how special it can make a child feel."

"Kids long for more time with their parents, just hanging out," adds Lapp. "I don't know who developed the concept of quality time— sometimes that's not enough." She notes that it can be a fine juggling act, especially for parents who truly need to work, but encourages parents to build in small increments of time with their kids whenever they can. Sometimes, parents may also need to take some time for themselves. Bove notes that when parents walk in the door at the end of the day, having a few minutes to regroup can be crucial.

Then "they can move into the role as mom or dad and be ready for the kids." She also encourages parents to seek help when needed to lessen their load. Lapp advises parents not to delay in dealing with their children's stress symptoms, noting that it's better to overreact than underreact. Parents can first educate themselves by doing research, then schedule a consultation with their paediatrician. Parent support groups can also be a good resource. Focusing on the present may be the best advice of all.

"The most important thing is what's going on today," Bove says. "It's not all about colleges and grades." "Go appreciate your kids," Lapp adds. "They want your company. You're not going to get this time back."

Moola Mantra Om Sharavana-bhavaya Namaha ! GYaanashaktidhara skanda valliikalyaaNa sundara devasenaa manaH kaanta kaartikeya namo.astute OM subrahmaNyaaya namaH ! [Adorations to Lord Subrahmanya! Adoratiosn to Lord Kartikeya who is known as Skanda, Who holds the staff of wisdom, who is the beautiful beloved of Goddess Vallii, Who is the enchanter of the mind of Goddess Devasena, to that Divine Kartikeya I offer adorations again and again!]

Prayer Slokas on Sri Subrahmanya Sri Subrahmanya Shadaananam Chandanaliptha Kathram - - Mahorasam Divya Mayoora Vaahanam | Rudhrasya Soonum Sooraloka Naadham - Brahmanya Dhevam Saranam Prabathye' || Skanda is regarded as the supreme commander of the Gods and the destroyer of evil forces. He is also regarded as the epitome of knowledge. He is revered as an infant, as a child - (Balasubramanian), as a handsome and romantic prince (Valli Manavaalan - Azhagan Murugan), as an invincible warrior - ruler, and also as a mature renunciate. There is a wealth of literature centered around Murugan. Skanda is regarded as the son of Shiva and Parvati and hence the brother of Ganesha. There is a shrine to Skanda in all Saivite temples in Tamilnadu, and likewise there are shrines to Shiva and Parvati in all temples dedicated to Skanda. Valli - the daughter of a tribal ruler and Deivayanai or Devasena the daughter of Indra the King of Devas are the consorts of Skanda. Skanda is also revered as the nephew of Vishnu and is referred to as Maal Marugan. The rich mythology surrounding Skanda hence revolves around all of the above mentioned manifestations of Divinity. Skanda is one of the most revered forms of Divinity in the southern state of Tamilnadu. Skanda is known as Murugan - the God of the Tamils, and as Subramanyan, Balasubramanian, Saravanan, Kumaran, Guhan, Shanmukhan or Aarumugan (the six faced one), Velayudhan and Kartikeyan. The name Murugan is synonymous with the language Tamil and the concept of beauty Azhagu. There are several temples to Murugan all over the state of Tamilnadu (as in Palani, Tiruchendur etc.) and prominent shrines in Shiva temples (as in Sikkal and Vaideeswaran Koyil) and at least one shrine in all Saivite temples throughout the state. Prominent shrines to Skanda in the neighboring southern states include Haripad and Udayanapuram in Kerala, Subrahmanya in Karnataka and the modern Skandagiri temple in Secundrabad - Andhra Pradesh. Skanda - also known as Murugan, Kartikeya, Subramanya is one of the most revered deities in the southern state of Tamilnadu. Of the multitude of temples dedicated to Skanda, the 6 most important ones are the Aaru Padai Veedu shrines, where it is believed that Skanda the commander of the Gods, sojourned during his battle with the demon Soorapadman. These shrines have been revered in 2000 year old Tamil poetry of the Sangam age. Palani near Madurai enshrines Dhandayutapani in a hill temple. At the foot of the hill is Tiru Aavinankudi. Both these temples are visited by thousands throughout the year. Tirupparamkunram near Madurai enshrines Subramanya celebrating his marriage with Devasena the daughter of Indra. The shrine to Shiva here has been revered by the Tevaram hymns of the Nayanmars. Pazhamudircholai near Alagar Koyil near Madurai is a simple shrine on the Pazhamudircholai hill enshrining Skanda. Swamimalai in the Chola Kingdom enshrines Swaminathan in a temple built on an artificial mound accessed through a flight of 60 steps symbolizing the 60 years that constitute the cycle of years in the Indian calendar. Tiruchendur enshrines Subramanyar and Senthilandavar in a vast temple with a lofty gopuram visible for miles, on the shores of the ocean in Southern Tamilnadu. Tiruttani near Tirupati and Chennai enshrines Subramanya in a hill temple accessed through a flight of 365 steps. It represents the site of Skanda's marriage with Valli. This legend narrates the story of the destruction of Kaama by Shiva and the birth of Skanda. Sati, the consort of Shiva immolated herself at the site of the Daksha Yagna, which was later destroyed by Shiva. Sati was reborn as Uma, or Parvati the daughter of the mountain king Himavaan (the Himalayas). Shiva withdrew himself from the universe and engaged himself in yogic meditation in the Himalayas. In the meanwhile, the demon Surapadma ravaged the earth and tormented its beings. It was realized by the gods that only the son born of Shiva and Parvati could lead the gods to victory over Tarakaasuran, Surapadman and their demon companions. They plotted with Kaama, the lord of desire, to shoot a flower arrow at Shiva, as he sat in meditation, so as to make him fall in love with Parvati. When Kaama aimed his arrow at Shiva, he opened his third eye and burned him to ashes instantly. Upon hearing the pleas of Kama's wife Rati, he brought back Kama to life, in flesh and blood for her sake, and in a formless state for others. His penance disturbed, Shiva fell in love with Parvathi. However, the sparks of the fiery seed of Shiva were unbearable; even the fire God Agni could not bear them; this fire was then transported by the river Ganga into the Sara Vana forest, where Sara Vana Bhava was born. He was raised by the six Kartika damsels. Parvati combined these six babies into one with six faces, ie. Shanmukha. Shanmukha, or Kartikeya the supreme general of the devas, led the army of the devas to victory against the demons. The six sites at which Kartikeya sojourned while leading his armies against Surapadman are Tiruttanikai, Swamimalai, Tiruvavinankudi (Palani), Pazhamudirsolai, Tirupparamkunram and Tiruchendur. All these sites have ancient temples glorified by the tamil poems of Tirumurugaatruppadai of the Sangam period (prior to the 3rd century CE). Tirukkurukkai, in Tamilnadu near Thanjavur, enshrines Kaamari Murthy, the destroyer of Kaama, in the Veeratteswarar temple which is one of the 8 Veeratta stalas celebrating Shiva as the destroyer of evil. The Story of Skanda's marriage with Valli Legend has it that the ghat region of Tamilnadu was ruled by Nambirajan, the king of the Kuravas or the hill tribes. Nambirajan worshipped Shiva, praying for a daughter; his prayers were answered and it was revealed to him that he would discover a baby in the nearby woods and that she would be his daughter. Accordingly the kurava king discovered 'Vallinayaki´ in the woods and brought her up as his own. Valli grew up to be a beautiful maiden and Subramanya - son of Shiva and Parvati sought her hand in marriage. Their courtship is full of very interesting stories which form the basis of many and folk and classical performing arts in Tamilnadu. Murugan assumed the form of an old bangle seller, and sold bangles to Valli, in return for a local delicacy of honey soaked corn flour. A conversation ensued between the two, which was interrupted by the arrival of Valli's brothers, a valiant lot who were highly possessive and protective of their sister. Flustered by their sudden appearance, and unwilling to indulge in battle, Skanda manifested himself as a Vengai maram (a stump of which is still seen in the Temple at Velimalai in Southern Tamilnadu). Skanda appeared again, in the guise of an old tribal king and sought her hand in marriage. The brothers materialized again, and Skanda transformed himself into an old ascetic from the Himalayas, and they left the spot. Upset by the ongoing hindrance, Skanda sought the help of his brother Vinayaka - the remover of obstacles, who appeared on the spot as a wild elephant. The scared Valli, embraced Skanda and promised to offer him anything in return for protection from the wild beast. Skanda sought her hand in marriage, and Valli consented gladly, realizing that her suitor was none other than Murugan, whom she and her tribe held in great regard. Valli married Murugan and the marriage was celebrated in great splendor by Nambirajan, the king of kuravas.

History of Vaishno Devi

Whenever righteousness and virtue has been under pressure of demoniac forces, the cosmic mother has overpowered such forces by taking different 'Rupas' (Different supernatural forms or shapes) and saved her devotees. In the beginning of the universe, Maha-Shakti was created out of all supernatural forces (Tejas) of gods united into one. The same later took birth as Maha-Kali, Maha-Laxmi and Maha-Saraswati. All the three 'Rupas' or 'Avatar' represent the human characteristics viz., Raj, Tam and Satva-gun.

In Treta-Yug when Ravana, Kumb-Karan, Khardooshan, Tadka and other demons tormented the virtuous men, the goddess decided to create a divine form for their protection. This gave birth to a beautiful divine girl. The divine girl enquired of Devas, the cause and reason of her birth. The divine forces told her that she had been created to protect Dharma and rekindle spirit of religion. She was asked to go to South India and take birth at the home of Ratnakar Sagar as a girl-child. Girl was named Trikuta. Later the same girl was called Vaishnavi because of her taking birth from Lord Vishnu's lineage. The religion propagated by this goddess girl was called Vaishno-Dharm.

Vaishnavi' means the one who is related to lord "Vishnu''. Goddess Vaishnavi is the manifestation of the collective spiritual strengths of Mata Maha Kali, Mata Maha Lakshmi and Mata Maha Saraswati. It is described in Durga sapatshati that the goddess was born as a young girl of extraordinary beauty and strength, out of the collectively pooled 'Tejas' of various 'Devtas' and three lords Brahma, Vishnu and Shankar. The immediate purpose of the creation of the goddess was the annihilation of Asura (devil) Mahishasura. However another purpose of her creation was that she might usher on earth an era of pious and ascetic life so that the peace could prevail upon the world and she through her penance could rise to higher levels of spirituality and ultimately merge with Vishnu.

The 'Goddess having been created by the Devtas and the three lords ordained the human form in the house of one Ratnakar as his daughter whom the family named as Vaishnavi. The girl right from her childhood displayed a hunger for knowledge which was like a vortex and which no amount of teaching and learning could sufficiently satiate. Subsequently, Vaishnavi started looking into her inner self for knowledge and soon learned the art of meditation and realized that meditation and penance only could bring her close to her greater objective. Vaishnavi thus relinquished all household comforts and went deep into the forest for Tapasaya (meditation).

Meanwhile, Lord Rama, during his fourteen years of exile happened to visit Vaishnavi who recognized him immediately as no ordinary being but the incarnation of Lord Vishnu and immediately asked him to merge her into himself so that she could become one with the supreme creator. However Lord Rama, knowing that it was not the appropriate time, dissuaded her by saying that he will visit her again after the end of his exile and at that time if she succeeded in recognizing him, he will fulfill her wish. True to his words, Rama visited her again after being victorious in the battle, but this time he did so in the guise of an old man. Unfortunately, Vaishnavi was unable to recognize him this time and was distraught. Upon this, Lord Rama consoled her that the appropriate time for her being one with the creator had not come and he will eventually do so in 'Kaliyug' in his incarnation of 'Kalki'. Rama also directed her to meditate and set up an Ashram at the base of Trikuta hills to elevate her level of spirituality so as to bless the mankind and rid the poor and destitute of their sufferings and only then will 'Vishnu' merge her into himself.

Vaishnavi, after immense hardships reached the foot of the Trikuta Hills and after setting up her ashram there she began to meditate. As predicted by Lord Rama, her glory spread far and wide and people began to flock to her Ashram to seek her blessings. As the time passed, a Tantrik named Gorakh Nath who had a vision of the episode between Lord Rama and Vaishnavi in the retrospective time frame, became curious to find out whether Vaishnavi has been able to attain a high level of spirituality or not. He, therefore, sent his most able disciple 'Bhairon Nath' to find out the truth. Bhairon Nath on locating the ashram started observing Vaishnavi secretly and realised that though a 'Sadhvi' she always carried bow and arrows with her and was always surrounded by langoors (apes) and a ferocious looking lion. Bhairon Nath was enamored by Vaishnavi's extraordinary beauty and losing all good sense he began to pester Vaishnavi to marry him. Meanwhile a staunch devotee of Mata Sridhar organised a Bhandara (Community meal) in which the whole village and Guru Gorakh Nath along with all his followers including Bhairon were invited. During the course of Bhandara Bhairon Nath attempted to grab Vaishnavi but she tried her best to daunt him. On failing to do so, Vaishnavi decided to flee away into the mountains to continue her 'Tapasaya' undisturbed. Bhairon Nath however chased her to her destination.

The goddess after halting at Banganga, Charan Paduka, and Adhkwari, finally reached the holy cave Shrine. When Bhairon Nath continued to follow her despite the goddess trying to avoid a confrontation, the goddess was compelled to kill him. Bhairon Nath met his ultimate fate when the goddess, just outside the mouth of the cave, beheaded him. The severed head of Bhairon fell with a force at a distant hilltop. Bhairon Nath upon death realised the futility of his mission and prayed to the deity to forgive him. The almighty 'Mata' had mercy on Bhairon and gave him a boon that every devotee of the goddess shall have to have the Darshans of Bhairon after having the Darshans of the goddess and only then shall the yatra of a devotee be complete. Meanwhile, Vaishnavi decided to shed off her human form and assuming the face of a rock she immersed her self into meditation forever.

Thus Vaishnavi, in the form of a five and a half feet tall rock with three heads or the 'Pindies' on the top is the ultimate destination of a devotee. These Pindies constitute the Sanctum Sanctorum of the holy cave known as the shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji,.

Sarbojanin Durgapuja 2008, Switzerland

Mythological Background of Goddess Durga

There are various versions about the incarnation of Goddess Durga. The most common one goes like this:
Once upon a time, a demon by the name of Mahishashur became very powerful because of a boon conferred upon him by God Shiva. As a result he invaded the Heavens and drove out all the gods residing there including their king, Lord Indra. All the resident gods and goddesses of Heaven visited the three main Powers of this Universe; Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwar (another name for God Shiva) and lamented on their state of sorrow and the amount of torment put upon them by Mahishashura. Listening to this, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva were so enraged that the grief of the gods also transformed into immense anger over the deeds of Mahishashura. Out of this combined rage and anger of the 3 main gods and all other gods and godesses present there, developed an immense power and out came Goddess Durga as an incarnation of Shakti, the power behind everything in this Universe.
All the gods and goddesses, started praying to her to save them from their plight and angusih which they are suffering at the hands of Mahishashura. All of them started to give her various means of self defence (weapons and carrier) and out came Goddess Durga, fully prepared to face the might of Mahishashura.
Thus started one of the biggest fights between demons and gods, or evil and good, in the form of Mahishashura fighting Goddess Durga. As always, good prevails over the evil and Goddess Durga came out victorious in this fierce battle. She killed Mahishashura and reinstated the gods in their original abode in the heavens. She then told all the gods and goddesses to call her in their times of distress and she will respond immediately to alleviate their plights and misery.
Thus it is a common belief among the Hindus, that Goddess Durga, being the reincarnation of Shakti or power, is always worshipped during times of hardship, conflicts and confrontation. The Hindus pray to Goddess Durga or one of her many incarnations, to overcome any adverse situations in life and they believe that with her blessings they can cross any hurdles.

Mythological Background of Durgapuja - Akalbodhan

In the Hindu Epic Ramayana, one can find the earliest reference of Durga Puja i.e. worship of Goddess Durga by mankind. In Ramayana, Lord Rama (king of Ayodhya) went to "Lanka" along with his army of monkeys from "Kishkindhya" led by Hanuman. He went to Lanka to rescue his wife Sita who was abducted and imprisoned by Ravana, the king of demons residing in "Lanka".
Before embarking on the invasion of Lanka, Lord Rama started to worship Goddess Durga asking for her blessings during the ensuing battle against Ravana. During those days, it was believed that Goddess Durga has to be worshipped with one hundred "Neelkamal" (blue lotus flowers) but Lord Rama could arrange only ninety nine of them. Out of desperation and intense desire to please the goddess, Lord Rama decided to take out one of his blue colored eyes (resembling blue lotus) and offer to Goddess Durga. Impressed by his devotion, Goddess Durga appeared before him and blessed him for the ensuing battle.
This battle also turned out to be one of the epics between the evil and the good but finally Lord Rama came out victorious and emancipated Lanka from the clutches of the demon, Ravana. It is said that Ravana was killed in the "Sandhikhan" (junction) between Ashtami (eighth day after new moon) and Navami (ninth day after new moon) and he was cremated in Dashami (tenth day after new moon). He reinstated Bibhishan, Ravana's brother and a pious man, to the throne of Lanka and returned to Ayodhya along with his wife, Sita.
Lord Rama's worship of Goddess Durga took place during the autumn month of Ashwin (as per Bengali calender) instead of the normal period during the spring month of Chaitra (as per Bengali calender). Hence it is called "Akal Bodhan", Akal means unconventional time, Bodhan means worship. We, the Bengalis, also perform Akal Bodhan i.e. during the autumn months, as per Bengali calender to do our Durga Puja.