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How to identify pre-2005 currency notes?!

By bankbazaar | Bankbazaar.com – Thu 23 Jan, 2014 6:20 PM IST

This note has the year of printing clearly printed in the middle of the bottom row on the backside.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced its plans to withdraw all currency noted issued before 2005. Financial experts believe that the move is largely aimed at removing fake or counterfeit currency embedded into the financial system as well help uncover the big black market currency in the country. While the motives of RBI are unquestionably good, there has been some quantum of confusion amongst the general public as to whether the notes they have would need replacement or not. Read on to find out if the currency notes in your pocket or ones stashed in your locker needs to be changed.

Identifying Pre 2005 Currency Notes: Currently the Reserve Bank of India prints currency notes in the denomination of Rs. 5, Rs. 10, Rs. 20, Rs. 50, Rs. 100, Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000. All the notes printed before the year 2005 do not have the year of printing marked on it. All currency notes printed post 2005 have is year of printing clearly printed in the middle of the bottom row on the backside of the note. If your bank note has no year of printing on the back, it means the note is printed before 2005 and needs to be exchanged with the bank as per the RBI deadline. All notes with the year of printing indicated on the currency note would stay in operation as all of them are posted after 2005.

This note has the year of printing clearly printed in the middle of the bottom row on the backside.

Possible Reasons for Withdrawal: The possible reasons for the withdrawal of old currency is more to do with streamlining the number of currency variants than anything else. Of course the government is worried about the inflow of fake currency and hopes to tackle it by using all notes printed post 2015 which are far more technically superior and difficult to print for fake currency mongers.
How to Exchange Old Currency Notes: So now that you have identified your currency notes and shortlisted the ones that need to be changed, a simple exchange procedure is revealed by the press release of the Reserve Bank of India. First things first, there should be no reason to panic whatsoever as the RBI has clearly stated that all old notes would continue to be completely legal and can be exchanged at any bank after April 1, 2014.

An old (pre-2005) note without the year of printing. (RBI website)

All public sector as well as private banks have been asked to create a dedicated exchange counter where both account owners as well as non account owners of that bank or branch can exchange their old currency notes for new ones. These exchange counters will become operation from 1st April 2014.If you have a large amount of old currency notes with you, you may want to exchange them, before 30th June 2014. So why is this date important? All exchanges done before 30th June would be unconditional. For any exchange of more than ten pieces of old Rs 500 or Rs 1000 notes after that date would require identity proof and address to be shared with the bank if you are a non customer of that bank.

In Indian so far there has been no official declaration regarding the lifespan of a currency note.

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.In Kashmir which I can not enjoy.............pushkar n bhat

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The flights to and fro Srinagar have been suspended for the time being and there are bleak chances of any 

Dying as he lived: Playing on the front foot

  DYING AS HE LIVED: PLAYING ON THE FRONT FOOT

                                                      BY

                                      Col Tej K Tikoo, Ph.D.

        If one were to choose the first family of the Jammu and Kashmir State’s cricket fraternity, the Tikoo family of Khankah-e-Sokhta, Nawa Kadal, would win hands down. The father and patriarch of the family, Sh Ram Chand Tikoo, fondly known as Ramjoo, still holds the record of being the oldest ever cricketer to have played Ranji Trophy tournament, the nation’s premier cricket championship. He was 53 when he represented the State in 1959-60 season; what is even more significant is the fact that being a fast bowler, he opened the bowling attack with a new ball. This record is unlikely to be broken any time soon. During the same season, in which the State cricket team played in this tournament for the first time, the family created another record; it became the only family whose father-son duo (son being Girdhari Tikoo) played in the same tournament together. Another feather in the sporting cap of the family was that besides the father, two of the four sons of Ramjoo, played for the State cricket team in the Ranji Trophy tournament, at varying times; eldest, Prithvi Nath, popularly called Gasha, and Girdhari Tikoo, a prominent cricketer, first qualified cricket coach of India and a well known sports administrator, being the younger sibling.

                                       

              Sh Ramchand Tikoo being honoured by Governor Jagmohan on 15 Aug, 1987, at Emporium Garden, Srinagar, for his contribution to the State’s Cricket   

As a young cricketer, Sh. Ramchand Tikoo had formed a cricket team, called the Kashmir Cricket Club, (KCC) which he had got registered in 1930. It was, perhaps, the only team that was registered with the Registrar of Societies (cricket teams formed later, were required to only affiliate themselves with the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association). In Kashmir’s cricket club fraternity, KCC was a prominent team, boasting of some of the best cricketers of the State. The team was, however, totally identified with the Tikoo family. Besides the father and two State players, Prithvi and Gidhari, the other two sons of Ramjoo, Avtar and Roshan, too played for the team. Being comprised of players from down-town Srinagar, KCC mostly carried out net practice at Eidgah, which became its Karam Bhoomi.

Being pioneers in spreading the cricket culture among the youth of the area, mostly inhabited by the Muslims, the Tikoo family was well respected, particularly their father, Sh Ramjoo. Prithvi, aka, Gasha, was a bold cricketer who would volunteer to face the fastest of the opening bowlers, without a wink, when the regular openers were hesitant to do so. He was an aggressive cricketer, a great motivator and a never- say- die player, who refused to concede defeat till the very last ball. If Sh. Ramjoo was the patriarch of the family, Gasha was certainly the patriarch of KCC. He groomed and helped many cricketers, mostly from the Muslim community, who  were to become prominent faces of the game in the state, in the years to come. As the craze for cricket spread among the youth, Gasha became a well known face, not so much because of his cricketing abilities, but because of his helpful nature, leadership qualities, organizing abilities and his rapport with the local youth. He was forthright and had a devil- may- care attitude; precisely the qualities that young cricketers, particularly the Muslim youth of the area, admired in him.

In eighties, as the political situation started changing in the Valley and Kashmiri Pandit’s religion became the overriding factor in determining his Muslim friends’ and admirers’ relationship with him, Prithvi Nath saw his many friends now becoming less enthusiastic in their attitude towards him. Nevertheless, he continued to play a leadership role within his mohalla, voicing the concerns of both the Muslims, who were more numerous, and Bhattas, consistently. After the brutal assassination of Tika Lal Taploo, it was apparent that down town Srinagar, particularly Khankah-e-Sokhta and the areas adjoining it, had turned their backs on the Pandits. For the latter, the place gradually became uninhabitable.

In Oct 1989, Prithvi Nath solemnized the marriage of his children at Srinagar, after which most of the relations left for Jammu and other places outside the State. Among them were those posted at Jammu and Prithvi  Nath’s parents and his wife, who would normally shift to Jammu in winter to avoid the intense cold of the Valley. Prithvi Nath, however, continued to stay back. As winter set in, he noticed a great change overtaking even his close Muslim friends, whose trust and confidence he had always enjoyed. They became less enthusiastic in their attitude towards him. In the meanwhile, every day brought news of Bhattas getting killed in some part of Srinagar or far corners of the Valley. But Gasha was confident of his safety because of the trust he reposed in his Muslim friends. Besides, the very thought of fleeing from the Valley out of fear was abhorrent to him.

In early May 1990, Prithvi Nath decided to visit Jammu to meet his siblings and his larger family there. After staying there for a couple of days, he decided to return to Srinagar. With the situation in the Valley going from bad to worse and killings of Bhattas now increasing by the day, all members of the Tikoo clan felt that for their elder brother to return to their own home in Kashmir, was not a wise thing to do. However, one fine morning, despite protestations of every one at home, he picked up his bags and left for his Maej Kashir; his wife following in tow. When his relations warned him of the dangers there, he turned round and said, “I was born in Kashmir, I have lived in Kashmir all my life, all my friends are there; if I have to die, I might as well die there.”

As would be known to most of us, down town Srinagar was truly a hot-bed of militant activity when insurgency broke out in late eighties. Militants were keen to see him leave as that would have ensured that other twenty odd families, still continuing to live in the Mohalla, would follow suit. Forcing Prithvi Nath to leave was, therefore, an important element of their plan to cleanse this part of the Valley of Bhattas.  Often he received threats; some veiled and some open. But he continued to trust his close Muslim friends as far as his own safety was concerned.

By the end of May 1990, when the third wave of our community had fled across the Pir Panjal Range and the increasing bloodshed of our own community members had reached an unprecedented levels, it needed enormous courage on the part of any Bhatta to stick on in a place as dangerous as khankah-e-Sokhta. But Prithvi Nath was not an ordinary Bhatta and he continued to stay on. What is even more significant, the other Bhatta families living in the mohalla , too decided to stay on in solidarity with Prithvi Nath.  Drawing inspiration from Gasha, they continued to cling to their place which had been their home for as long as they or their ancestors could remember. By now, it had become quite clear to the militants that as long as Prithvi Nath stayed on in his house, the other Bhatta families were unlikely to flee. In the existing circumstances prevailing in the Valley, it was an eye sore that militants could ill afford to overlook.

In the meanwhile, undeterred by the looming danger surrounding them  all around, Prithvi  Nath and his wife, continued with their routine, which included an early morning visits to the temples close by. Despite the worsening situation in the Valley in general and in Khanka-e-Sokhta in particular, all remaining Bhatta families there remained steadfast in their resolve to rough it out with Gasha, who, by now, had become a symbol of defiance in the face of extremely heavy odds.  In the beginning of June, 1990, his close friends warned him that his continued stay in Srinagar was no longer safe anymore. Around the same time, the local SHO of Khanka-e-Sokhta met Prithvi Nath and requested him to leave at the earliest as he felt gravely apprehensive about his safety. But Prithvi Nath reminded him that he belonged here and he would prefer to die here rather than run away.

May and June 1990, were particularly difficult months for our community in the Valley. The number of killings of Pandits registered a huge increase, as did the barbarity of the methods employed to assassinate them. Prithvi Nath’s relations at Jammu were getting terribly worried and concerned about the safety and welfare of their elder brother in Kashmir.

Sometime in the third week of June 1990, a Shii boy belonging to Khanka-e-Sokhta , was killed in cross-firing between the militants and the police near SMHS Hospital in Karan Nagar. Huge protests erupted in Khanka-e-Sokhta, thereafter. The protestors repeatedly shouted, “Khoon ka badla khoon se lenge”. The message was ominous.

On 23 June 1990, Sh Girdhari Tikoo, Prithvi Nath’s younger brother at Jammu, tuned to Radio Jammu, to listen to Gujjar News, as a matter of routine. While reporting on the situation in the Valley, he heard his brother’s name being mentioned. He tried to listen in again….. Yes, he had heard it right! It was 4.30 P.M. Without wasting any time, he rang up the then Divisional Commissioner and requested him to confirm what he, Girdhari, had heard. After some time, what appeared to be an eternity, the former confirmed the news.

On that fateful day, Prithvi Nath’s wife, as usual, had left to visit the local Mandir early in the morning. After sometime, Prithvi Nath, without waiting for his wife to return, as was his wont, too had left his home after handing over the keys to the Guir. After walking a few meters, the militants (no one knows the number) had sprayed bullets into him. He lay there crumpled, but still alive, when the police landed up at the spot, very close to his home. He was rushed to the hospital where he breathed his last. He was 55 years old.

After Prithvi Nath’s wife returned from the temple, she was handed over the keys of her house by the Guir. It was much later that she learnt about brutal assassination of her husband. Sh Prithvi Nath’s Dah Sanskar was performed by the police.

After a couple of days, his wife carried his ashes back to Jammu.

The 12 Jyotirlingas of The Great God of Gods – Lord Shiva

Sawan or Shravan The holy month in India is started, During this month India offers numerous fair and festivals across the country. Every state has its own traditional festivals to celebrate, some of the monsoon festivals are Teej a fasting festival, Nag panchami, then Raksha Bandhan and Janmashtmi. Apart from these festivals, All Mondays of sacred holy month of Shravan is devoted to the worship of great God Lord Shiva. The holy yatra or march of Kanwariya also start during this sacred month and Pilgrims called Kanwariya, reciting Bol Bam can be seen at Land of Shiva and every other holy sites or holy places such as confluences of sacred rivers and at famous 12 Jyotirlingas of lord Shiva. The Holy men of India are also spotted during this month at various temples of Lord Shiva, As they are the true devotees of God of God’s Lord Shiva. Originally there were believed to be 64 jyothirlingas while 12 of them are considered to be very auspicious and holy. The famous 12 Jyotirlingas of God Shiva are spread all over India, Jyothi lingam means, Lord Shiva appeared in the form of light (Jyothi) lingam. Other famous temples of Lord Shiva are Amarnath, Bhojpur Shiva Linga Temple, Amareshwar temple Amarkantak, Murudeshwara, Shankaracharya temple Kashmiri, Lingaraj temple Bhubaneswar, Mukteswara temple, and great Kailasanathar Temple.
12 Famous Jyotirlingas of The Lord Shiva:
Somnath Jyotirlinga:The Somnath Temple is located in the Saurashtra, on the western coast of Gujarat. Somnath temple,also known as the Shrine Eternal is considered to be the most significant and revered 12 Jyotirlinga temples across India The Protector of Moon God temple is destroyed six times and rebuilt six times,recently it was rebuilt in November 1947. The Aadi Jyotirling Shree Somnath Mahadev temple is dedicated to Someshwara, the Lord Shiva, with moon on his head.Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga: Sri Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple is located at Srisailam in Nallamala hills of Andhra Pradesh. The temple is situated in the town of Srisailam near the banks of Krishna river. Mallikarjun Jyotirlinga is one of the greatest shrines in India and it constitutes one of the 12 Jyotirlingam shrines of Lord Shiva. The temple in hill looks like a great fort and is also known for its treasure of sculptures, There are number of sculptures on the walls appear as a gallery.
Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga: The most famous Mahakaleshwar Hindu temples is situated in the holy and ancient city of Ujjain in the state of Madhya Pradesh. The most lively Shiva Temples of India is located on the side of the Rudra Sagar lake in heart of Ujjain city. Mahakaleshwar idol is also known as dakshinamurti, as its facing the south. This is only temple of lord Shiva among the 12 Jyotirlingas where the idol of Great God is facing the south. The holy temple which is credited with citations in the great works of Poet Kalidasa.Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga: Omkareshwar is a famous Jyotirlinga temple located is a holy island of Shivpuri in Maheshwar, Madhay Pradesh. This holy shrine of Lord Shiva is located at the convergence of Kaveri and holy river Narmada. One of the Dwadasa jyotirlingas is spread on the Mandhata hills in Vindhya Mountains of Madhya Pradesh. Shape of the holy island is looks like the holy symbol of Shiva “the Om”. There are two temples Omkareshwar and other one is Amareshwar, The Mamleshwar jyotirling is situated on other side of Narmada river. Narmada river’s hold one of the biggest dams project in India, Sardar Sarovar Dam.
Kedarnath Jyotirlinga: The kedarnath jyotirlinga temple,one of the holiest Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Shiva is located in Uttarakhand. The holiest pilgrimages for the devout Hindu is situated at the head end of the River Mandakini in the Garhwal Himalayas. Kedarnath temple is not directly accessible by road,a 14 km uphill trek from Gaurikund has to be cross to be reached here. The Temple is one of the four major sites in India’s known as Chota Char Dham, other three are Yamunotri,Gangotri and and Badrinath. Shri Kedarnath temple is open only between the end of April to Kartik Purnima, During the winters, the murtis (idols) from Kedarnath temple are brought to Ukhimath and worshiped there for six months. Image source: admirableindia.comBhimashankar Jyotirlinga: Bhimashankar Temple Jyotirlinga is situated in the Sahyadri ranges near pune in Maharashtra. The ancient shrine of lord Shiva is one of the most famous pilgrim places in Maharashtra. Bhimashankar jyotirlinga temple is far away from the tumult of the urban life and wrapped in the congregations of the majestic western ghats. Bhimashankar, One of the oldest Shiva temple is surrounded by Buddha style carvings, dense forests of high hill ranges and home to rare species of flora and fauna.
Vishwanath Jyotirlinga: Kashi Vishwanath JyotirLinga temple is located in the oldest city of India, Banaras Uttar Pradesh. Kashi, Banaras now Varanasi is the holiest city of India and fully dedicated to the Lord Vishwanath. The city is situated on the bank of holy river the Gange and considered the most sacred place for Hindus. The Aarti is held in the temple five times in a day, the evening Aarti is called  Ganga Aarti held every evening at Dasashwamedha Ghat.Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga: The Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga is located at the source of the holy Godavari river in the town of Trimbak, in the Nashik, Maharashtra. The Trimbakeshwar Temple is an ancient Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. Triambakeshwar owns spectacular distinction of the Jyotirlinga having three faces exemplifying Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara (Shiva). All other 11 Jyotirlingas have only Shiva lingam.Baidyanath Jyotirlinga: The Baidyanath dham also known as Baba dham is the most sacred abodes of Shiva. One of the twelve Jyotirlingas is located in Deoghar in the tribal state of Jharkhand. Baba Dham temple located where the heart of Bhagwati Sati had fallen, so this place is also referred as Mahashakti peeth. It is believed that the Baidynath (Vaidyanath) Jyotirlingam in Deogarh is associated with legendary stories of Ravana and Lord Shiva. This shrine is very famous, as Kanwariya Offers holy water of river Gange to the Lord Shiva during the month of shravan.Nageshwar Jyotirlinga: The Nageshwar Jyotirlinga is believed as the first Jyotirlinga on the earth. The great Nageshwar Jyotirlinga is located near Dwarka, in the Gujarat state of India. Nageshvara Jyotirlinga is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines of Lord Shiva mentioned in the Shiva Purana. This Nagaeshwara Jyotirlingam is facing south with the Gomugham facing east. There are three major shrines in India which are believed as identical to this Jyotirlinga, Those are the Jageshwar temple near Almora in Uttarakhand, the Nageshwara temple near Dwaraka in Gujarat, and the Nagnath temple in Aundha in Maharashtra.Rameshwaram Jyotirlinga: Rameshwaram is a religious town located in the state of Tamil Nadu. The Rameshwaram temple is dedicated to the Hindu god Lord Shiva and its one of the 12 famous Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. Amongst the 12 Lord Shiva Jyotirlinga, Rameshwaram is one of the most sacred shrines of Hindus in India. This place is one of the holiest places in India to Hindus and part of the Char Dham pilgrimage. Rameswara means Lord of Rama,the seventh incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu is believed to have prayed to Shiva here. So this place is considered holy pilgrimage site for both Shaivites and Vaishnavites. The Pamban Bridge of Rameshwaram on the Palk Strait connects Rameswaram on Pamban Island to mainland India. Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga: The Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga temple is placed at a close distance of about 11 km from Daulatabad in the neighborhood of Aurangabad in Maharashtra. Grishneshwar temple is a famous Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and near to rock-cut Ajanta Ellora caves. The ancient pilgrimage site revered as the abode of one of the 12 Jyotirlinga manifestation of Lord Shiva. Holy month of Shrawan is filled with devotional fervours for the devotees of Lord Shiva at all Jyotirlinga shrines across India.



















posted by........ vipul koul  edited by ...............ashok koul

 Also known as  Baba Dham and by various other names, the district town Deoghar in Jharkhand is home one of the holiest Hindu places.
Travel to Deoghar and you will be confronted by a symbol of Hindu India in the spiritually important Baidyanath Dham Temple, the number-one attraction of this place that draws hordes of pilgrims daily. The temple is one of the Dwadasa Jyotirlinga shrines or the 12 shrines enshrining Shiva in the form of a Jyotirlingam in the country. A place of intense spiritual activity Baidyanath Dham becomes one of India's busiest pilgrimage sites during the month of Shravan, the fifth month of Hindu calendar.
Deoghar is also one of the 52 Shakti Pitha shrines of Sati.
 

Devaraha Baba
Devaraha Baba	Devaraha Baba
Vichitra Vir Hanumanji gave Darshan to PP Brahmarshi Shri Shri Barfani Dadaji in this form at the hill situtaed near Mehdipur Balaji, 100 kms away from Jaipur(Rajastahan)	Vichitra Veer Hanumanji This Hanumanji is at present at Sadgurudham, Ashoknagar, Ta.Detroj(nr. Viramgam, Dist. Ahmedabad(Gujarat), India
Mithila Painting Janaki Mandir, Janakpur Dham Janaki Mandir, Janakpur Dham Janaki Mandir, Sitamarhi Janaki Mandir, Sitamarhi Janaki Mandir, Punaura, Sitamarhi         Maa Sita with Lord Rama Sita Mata with Bhagwan Rama   Sita Avtaran   Vaidnath Dham, Devghar Baidyanath Dham Shivling   Vaidnath Dham, Devghar Vaidnath Dham, Devghar Vaidnath Dham, Devghar Patna-Hanuman Mandir.     Patan Devi Temple Patna Patan Devi, Patna       Patna-Mmahavir-Hanuman-Temple-Bihar.       Dharti Mata Bharat Mata     Go Mata Prakruti Mata     Ganga, Maa Ganga Maa Saraswati     Surya Dev Surya Dev Bhagwan Vishwakarma Gayatri Mata     Chhath Puja, Ganga Ghat, Patna Chhath Puja, Patna     Ganga Aarti, Haridwar Ganga Aarti, Haridwar POSTED BY..................VIPUL KOUL EDITED BY..............................ASHOK KOUL