On My Radar: Offering liquor to Bhagwan Bhairon As Parsad

Offering liquor to Bhagwan Bhairon As Parsad

During the auspicious Navratras, many Hindus fast and don’t eat onions, lehsun, eggs and meat products. For many, these days

and the subsequent festival period of Dussehra and Diwali are also Shubh for buying new household things, property, vehicles and launching business ventures. Marriages are also “Made in Heaven” during this time. And, of course, drinking liquor remains suspended. That’s why, liquor companies and restaurant bars record low sales. But many consider offering liquor to God Bhairon during Navratras as the most ‘auspicious Parsad’ for His blessings. One could see a large number of devotees visiting Delhi’s ancient Bhairon Mandir, also known as Sri Kilkari Bhairon temple, near Purana Qila, during these auspicious days, offering liquor bottles of all kinds to please the God for His “kripa” for their Mannat. The legend is that the temple was constructed by the Pandavas of the Mahabharata epic. Bheema attained “Siddhi” (spiritual power) in this temple. The temple is unique as it permits devotees to offer alcohol to Bhairon (the presiding deity), a manifestation of God Shiva. The Sunday Guardian witnessed a small group of people from a major liquor company Radico Khaitan offering three bottles, each representing new brands, to Bhairon Baba’s idol. COO Amar Sinha gave one bottle each of two new vodka brands and one of a new whisky brand to the priest, who uncapped them and poured nearly half of each bottle into the mouth of Bhagwan Bhairon. The bottles were returned to the firm’s officials along with an apple to everyone as parsad. Two days later at Radico’s Rampur (western UP) manufacturing and bottling plant, a puja was organized to unveil its new luxury range of products in brown and white spirit categories. The puja was a grand event attended by the Khaitan family members, including Chairman, MD and the entire management brass. COO Amar Sinha told this paper that vodka currently accounts for less than 5% of the domestic IMFL volumes compared to around 25-30% globally. Over the last five years, the demand for premium vodka has grown at a faster pace than the overall vodka industry. The launch of these spirits shot up the company’s share by over 15% in the next two days. Sinha said: “We are delighted, as obviously, Bhagwan Bhairon must have been pleased by the offer of our new luxury spirits!”

‘Burj Khalifa’ Durga Puja Pandal In Kolkata

Kolkata this time had an iconic Durga Puja pandal which resembled the world-famous highest skyscraper Burj Khalifa. Nearly the whole City of Joy turned up to see the replica of the Dubai tower. No one bothered about Covid-19 safety protocols. “It’s great to feel like standing in Dubai to celebrate Durga Puja,” a young housewife from Salt Lake City told The Sunday Guardian. In the beginning, a laser show was a big attraction. But the organizers had to stop it after the pilots of three planes faced difficulty in landing the aircraft at the airport and they complained to the Air Traffic Control. Laser shows are banned around the airports because of strong beams of light cause visibility problems for pilots during the landing. The 145-feet tall Burj Khalifapuja pandal was the grand eye-catching show of the Sreebhumi Sporting Club.

 

Lions Named On Navratra Auspicious Days

After having suggested that the Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand be renamed as Ramganga—during his recent visit to the park—Ashwini Choubey, Union Minister of State for Environment, has now named three young adult Asiatic Lions in Delhi Zoo, which had received them from Sakkarbaug Zoological Park in Gujarat. Choubey named the three lions based on the auspiciousness of the Navratras period. He named the two female lions as Maha Gowri and Shailja, both manifestation of Goddess Durga, and the male lion as Maheshwar. Then, Choubey went to the enclosure where two four-year-old rescued tigresses have been brought from Gorewada in Maharashtra. He named them Aditi and Siddhi.

Oldest Jan Sangh MLA Lives In UP

The saffron parivar has discovered that it has a 106-year-old leader living in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh. At UP Bhawan in New Delhi on Thursday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met Bhulai Bhai, former Jan Sangh (BJP’s erstwhile avatar) MLA from UP and BJP’s oldest worker. Singh warmly hugged Bhulai Bhai and had a long chat with him. Later, Singh tweeted that he had a wonderful experience meeting Bhulai Bhai and that his simplicity was inspiring.

Ban On Employees From Joining RSS lifted

A 54-year-old ban that forbid Haryana government employees from joining the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Jamaat-e-Islami has been lifted. The State Chief Secretary Vijai Vardhan issued the instructions via a letter to all department heads lifting the ban that was first put in place in 1967. Issuing a letter, on the issue of “Implementation of Haryana Civil Services (Government Employees’ Conduct) Rules, 2016” regarding “taking part in politics and elections” and “joining of associations”, Vardhan has stated that “the earlier issued letters in 1967, 1970 and 1980 are hereby withdrawn with immediate effect as they are no longer relevant.”