Golden Langurs of Umananda Island.

These Golden Langurs are being kept by the Assam forest department at the Peacock Island, also known as Umananda located in the middle of the mighty Brahmaputa River. Tourists and devotees of Lord Shiva and Devi Parvati flock here everyday to offer prayers at the temple. Only 4 or 5 Priests, a Cat, some goats, a cow and a calf and these monkeys are the residents of this island which is termed as the smallest inhabited river island in the world. They are very friendly and its a joy to spend time with these beautiful creations of God.

Golden Langurs of Umananda/Peacock Island Slideshow: -’s trip from New Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi, India to Guwahati was created by TripAdvisor. See another Guwahati slideshow. Create your own stunning slideshow with our free photo slideshow maker.

                                        *** Diana Raj Kumari Photography***

Life is beautiful when your loved one is beside you!!

In one of my visits to Nabagraha Temple, I came across some monkeys there. Of them all, these pair of monkeys drew my attention. These two were in a world of their own, grooming each other. The male was flat on his tummy resting his chin on his hands while the female groomed him. They were least bothered as to what was going on around them until I decided to click their photographs. It sure annoyed the male for invading their privacy and showed his anger towards me but the female calmed him down and they got back to their grooming allowing me to click their photo in peace. Indeed for these pair of primates,.......

Life is beautiful when your loved one is beside you!!

Its grooming time for the lover and his beloved.....

Khiiiiiiii......No photography!! Paparazzis are unwanted here....

Relax Honey...Let her click our pictures while I groom you. Let the world see how happy we are together...

                      

             *** Diana Raj Kumari Photography***

Evening Serenity and Birds' Love♥

An evening walk by the serene river bank is a time when I enjoy watching the birds returning to their nests after their day's flight.  Caught a few pictures of birds which flew down and stopped at a spot looking back towards where their partner has lagged behind. As soon as the other catches up, together they flew away towards their nests. Amazing!! Even Birds love and care for their Life Partners!!

*** Diana Raj Kumari Photography***

A rendezvous with Flourishing Love in the Journey of Life...Pramod Sharma & Meinami

When two people are truly in love with each other,  no shortcomings in life can create a breach between the two. Love exists and thrives in between them. This I found it to be true when I came across a couple at the Sukreswar Shivji Mandir. 

About a couple of months ago, I happen to visit the temple along with my Mom. Mom felt like visiting a temple that day and we decided upon the Sukreswar Shivji Mandir. That day, it turned out to be the day of Kanwar Yatra and there was quite a crowd at the temple as the pilgrims had flocked there to do abhisheka(anointing) or to bathe the Sukreshwar Shivlingam with the sacred water they carried along.  Lucky I took a little amount of Gangajal (Holy water of the Ganges River) from my stock of Gangajal in a small bottle to offer to Lord Shiva. We offered what little we wanted to offer as part of  our Puja.... Gangajal, Bilva leaves  and a few lotuses. We prayed for peace, prosperity and happiness  

for us and our near and dear ones. It seemed that Lord Shiva himself had specially called us there so as we may perform the last part of the rituals of the Kanwar Yatra even though we did not go on a long yatra to get the holy water from its source. 

That very special moment of our Puja, I prayed to Lord Shiva to fill my life and heart with Love and happiness if ever Love exists in this world. Life's trials and turbulence and storms I had to face in life had often made me wonder if at all Love has a place in this world where deceit, infidelity, backbiting, jealousy, treason and trampling upon other's lives is mostly what I've seen even though I did come across a few people who value love and live in harmony. I spoke to the Lord what I had in my mind and even though I could not hear the Lord's voice answering me then, I came out of the temple happy and contented for I told Him what I felt and put before Him the questions in my mind. Who else can I put the question to except the Lord God for only the Almighty has got the answer. So, having said my say to Sukreswar Shivji, we came out of the temple, walked down the steps and as we were walking through the compound towards the temple gate, I saw a couple seated on a white cloth spread on the bare ground. The guy had a local  musical instrument in his hand and the lady had a pair of Khartals in her hands and both were singing. I stopped in front of them, took out my camera and began recording their song. Then as I was recording, I noticed that the guy is blind while his wife is not and she is quite good looking too. Together they were rendering a devotional song in Praise of Hori(Lord Shri Krishna) and the way they were singing with total devotion made me feel that Divinity must be somewhere around close by, listening to their call to Him even thought I could not understand the local dialect they were singing in. After their song ended, we talked to them for sometime. The wife could speak proper Hindi and she would patiently translate what we were asking or saying to her husband and then answer us with a smile. The guy's name turned out to be Pramod Sharma and the wife's Meinami. I kept observing them for quite sometime and what really moved me was the love, care and devotion she had for her husband. At times she would wipe his face with a piece of cloth and from time to time whisper in his ears about what is happening around them. She would inform him how much money somebody has dropped for them, who said what to them and also kept asking whether he needs anything. She complements so well for her husband's shortcomings by being beside him and making him see the world through her eyes. The husband too looked very comfortable and secure in her company. He too would smile and whisper back at her and at times they share a little laugh between them. So happy they are in each others love and company that for them all that mattered was their togetherness. They are living in their own world of love and compassion and facing life's hurdles together with smiles on their faces. He does not have eyes but her beautiful eyes are filled with love for him only and it is through her eyes that she makes her husband look at the world. No doubt they sing on the streets to earn a living but they are rich in their love for each other. They are one and nothing matters but the fact that they are together in life. 

Mom had given them some money as a token for the devotional song they were singing. She told her husband about it and asked him to play his flute for us as we are friendly with them. He played the tunes of a popular old Hindi movie song while she accompanied him with her Khartals which I happen to record that too. 

My encounter with this couple seems to be destined by Divinity Himself to give me the answers of my questions which I had placed in front of Him. I had gone inside the temple of the Lord Shiva with a question in my mind and He gave me the perfect answer immediately as I came out. 


*Love is divine and can exist & flourish between a couple if both consider each other as one.* - Diana Raj Kumari

Life's Journey has to go on.......

You cannot pause your life because the past is there or the the future is uncertain. The present might be moments of pleasure or instances of difficulties. Whatsoever is the situation, time and tide waits for non and its upto you to cruise along on the flow or to be carried away by the current. Jump on the boat of life and continue your journey for.....

Life's Journey has to go on....... Diana Raj Kumari

Happy Ganesh Chaturthi to all!!

May Lord Ganesha bless you with peace, prosperity, progress and happiness in the days to come. Om Gan Ganapataye Namaha!*!

**Jai Shri Ganesh** - Pic curtsy: Sachin Mistry

                                                               ******* Diana Raj Kumari *******

India's 1st Youth Employability Skill Project Inaugurated in Manipur

The scheme has been launched keeping in view the Prime Minister’s vision to create 500 million certified and skilled persons by the year, 2022 throughout the Country. 

Shri Ajay Maken, Union Minister of State (I/C) for Youth Affairs and Sports, inaugurated Youth Employability Skill (YES) Project at Imphal, Manipur, yesterday by enrolling 100 youths for skill development. Under the Project, skill relating training would be given to the youths in the North-Eastern Region to boost their chances of finding jobs or starting their own enterprises. About 8000 youths would be covered under this scheme in the North East. 

The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), which has been co-promoted by the Ministry of Finance to catalyze private sector involvement in skill development, would partner the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (M/oYAS) for the YES venture. The YES initiative would see training in employable skills being provided to unemployed youth in 59 districts of 8 North Eastern states. 

Market mapping and skill gap analysis is being undertaken in North East before launching of the Project in other districts. The training duration is approximately for two to four months, depending upon the nature of the Vocational Training. The training will be through a class room, use of remote learning technologies (VSAT, IP based web conferencing etc). 

The Project focuses on Youth who plan to seek jobs locally and also those who wish to migrate. The opportunities of self employment are also addressed in the Training Modules. Linkages with financial institutions and industry partners are the hall mark of this unique initiative for providing sustained livelihoods to the youths of the region. 

During the day, while inaugurating the Board of Governors (BOG) meeting of the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan, Shri Ajay Maken announced setting up of 10,000 Mentor Youth Club throughout the Country. It was mentioned that earlier approximately 3 lakhs Youth Clubs were set up, out of which only 1.25 lakh Youth Clubs are surviving. The details of these clubs, their social profile mapping has been completed which will be put on the website. Out of these Clubs, the Mentor Youth Clubs will be picked up. Local Member of Parliament will be a part of the selection Committee. These Mentor Clubs will be provided with tremendous back up and Master Trainers. They will be involved in the process of selecting other clubs and training the youths. Marketed as human resource pool, they can take up activities of other govt. departments/schemes and liaison with corporate sector, wherever required.

Source : 

http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=71455

***Thanks Honorable Prime Minister! The youth in Manipur, if they are benefited from this scheme will definitely keep away from getting involved in insurgency activities. I hope that the central govt. monitors the scheme closely so as the benefit goes easily to the real deserving ones.*** - DRK