History of Israel/Jerusalem and the demand for Palestine by the Arabs

Jerusalem Unification Day will again be celebrated in Israel and throughout the world with the exception of that 7th century alternate universe: the Muslim world.
It marks 44 years since the amazing and miraculous event took place when the Jewish people’s 3,000 year old capital city was restored to the Jewish state in the 1967 Six-Day War.
For 19 long years, from 1948 to 1967, Jordan had occupied Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) and the eastern half of Jerusalem. Only Pakistan and Britain had ever recognized Jordan’s illegal occupation.
The British officered Jordanian Arab Legion had forced out at gunpoint the Jewish residents of the Old City and the neighboring Jewish villages: It was Apartheid and ethnic cleansing, Arab style.
The Legion went on to desecrate the Jewish graves on the ancient Mount of Olives and use the headstones as latrines. They desecrated over 50 synagogues and forbade Jewish pilgrims to worship at their holy places. They had turned the Via Delarosa, the Way of the Cross, into a filthy, sewerage strewn alley through which Christian pilgrims were forced to walk.
Jordan cut the Holy City in half with barbed wire and erected walls, complete with snipers along the dividing line who killed many Jews in the western half of the city.
There is another city today divided by Muslims. It is called Nicosia in Cyprus, a country whose northern half is still occupied by Turkey. Strangely, no international calls are heard calling for Turkey to leave or for the city to be reunited.
Another city that was divided against itself was Berlin and President Reagan called upon Soviet President Gorbachev to, “tear down this wall.”
The world applauded when the wall came down. Now President Obama and most of the same world in effect is calling upon Israel to re-divide Jerusalem. Obama is essentially calling upon Israeli Prime Minister to ‘build up a wall.’
Only when Israel was able to restore dignity and cleanliness in 1967 to all the holy places was the earlier Muslim discrimination against Jews and Christians finally brought to a long and overdue end.
But this persecution of non-Muslims is par for the Islamic world and it continues today throughout the territory foolishly given to the Palestinian Arabs as a result of the grotesquely misnamed Oslo Peace Accords.
Throughout the Middle East, Christians are fleeing from Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority itself. The only nation in the Middle East where the Christian population is growing is Israel.
The Palestinian Arabs now live under the Palestinian Authority—a territory carved out of Judea and Samaria—the Jewish people’s ancestral and biblical heartland, incorrectly called by its Jordanian name, the West Bank.
The Obama regime is today backing the Palestinian Authority’s spurious claim that the liberated areas from Arab Jordan must be forced back under the occupation and sovereignty of a future PA state.
The PA is demanding that the eastern half of Jerusalem must be given to them in order to declare it the capital of a new Arab state called Palestine.
Such an independent Arab state called Palestine has never existed in all of recorded history. Palestine has always been a geographical area just as Siberia or Patagonia is: never an independent state. Jerusalem has never been the capital city of any Arab or Muslim people.
Jerusalem has been the eternal capital of only one people in all of that same recorded history: the Jewish people. A Kingdom of Jerusalem existed under the Christian Crusaders but this was created by a motley group of European knights who had no historical roots in the land.
The Jewish Bible along with the Talmud and the Midrash tell us that the Torah, (the first five books of the Holy Bible) its light and its message, is to be broadcast to the entire world from one specific place: Jerusalem.
Each time the Torah scroll is taken from the Ark to be read during synagogue services the following prayer is always sung. “For out of Zion shall go forth the Torah (Law) and the word of God from Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 2:1 and Micah 4:2)
In the complete Jewish Bible (the Tanach) the words Jerusalem and Zion appear 821 times with Jerusalem appearing 667 times and Zion appearing 154 times. Both Zion and Jerusalem are usually considered synonymous.
In the Christian Bible, itself an account of Jewish personalities whose lives were formed within the Jewish Judean province of Rome, as well as the Galilee, the name Jerusalem appears 154 times and Zion seven.
In the Koran, Jerusalem and Zion do not appear at all. Indeed, it was only after the Arabs, under their new banner of Islam, conquered Jerusalem in the year 638 that they invented Islamic history in and around Jerusalem.
We are told that Mohammed flew on his magic horse to a place called Al Aksa, which means simply the farthest place. Much later, and for political reasons to do with historic, temporal and spiritual Jewish and Christian ties to Jerusalem, did Muslims name the Holy City as their Al Aqsa.
After the Holy Temple was destroyed in the year 70 AD by Titus, Jerusalem lay stricken. But Jews still maintained a presence there and continued to suffer under Roman occupation.
The heroic Bar-Kochba Revolt broke out in 135 AD but was crushed three years later by the Roman emperor, Hadrian, who razed Jewish Jerusalem, plowed the city under, and renamed it Aelia Capitolina in part after his own name, Hadrian Publius Aelius. He built a shrine to the Roman god, Jupiter, on the site where the Holy Jewish Temple’s Holy of Holies had once stood.
From the 10th century, the Muslim Arabs still called the city various names that echoed its original Jewish origins. For instance they called it Beit al-Makdis, the Arabic version of the Hebrew name, Beit HaMikdash—House of the Sanctuary.
The Arabic name, Al-Kuds, is derived from the Hebrew, Ir Hakodesh—City of Holiness.
The Christian king, Frederick II obtained Jerusalem, along with Bethlehem and Nazareth, in a treaty with the Egyptian Sultan al-Kamil. This was a lease agreement given by the Muslim ruler and meant to last some ten years. Frederick subsequently crowned himself King of Jerusalem.
But in 1244 the Muslims retook Jerusalem and the city lapsed into a long, dilapidated slumber and the Muslim shrines on the Temple Mount, which today are a focal point of anti-Jewish and anti-Israel activity, fell into disrepair and abandonment.
Only when Israeli forces in June, 1967 liberated the Temple Mount and east Jerusalem, during their defensive war against Arab aggression, did the Arab and Muslim world suddenly wake up and demand control of the city, or at least the Temple Mount and Jerusalem’s eastern half.
It is instructive to note that when the Jordanian Arab Legion occupied east Jerusalem and the Old City in 1948, after driving out its Jewish population, the Arab world again lost interest in the city.
Indeed, King Hussein, Jordan’s ruler had little interest in Jerusalem compared to his desire to build up his capital, Amman, which he considered far more important.
Between 1948 and 1967, during the illegal Jordanian Arab occupation of east Jerusalem and the West Bank, no Arab leader ever thought it important enough to visit Jerusalem except King Hussein, but he visited it rarely.
Today, Mahmoud Abbas, the successor to arch terrorist Yasser Arafat and now head of the Palestinian Authority, demands that Jerusalem be divided again as it was from 1948 to 1967 and a new Arab capital—for the first time in history—established in Jerusalem.
Not only the Muslim world, with its 57 member states, but the Europeans and President Obama pressure Israel into conceding parts of its holy capital to further placate the voracious Arab appetite and “further the peace process.”
Giving away even one inch of Jerusalem would be to spit in the face of the endless generations of Jews who have held Jerusalem as the central spiritual and physical place in Jewish history.
It would be a cataclysmic and symbolic act of betrayal of Jewish history and faith if any part of Jerusalem is lost to the Jewish people by this generation of Israelis. For Jews, Jerusalem is the spiritual and temporal heart.
It would also be a reverse for the Christian world. Only under Israeli administration has Jerusalem been open for free and unfettered worship to members of all faiths.
The prayer uttered at Passover and Yom Kippur—“Next year in Jerusalem”—must not become an empty phrase made bitter in its very utterance by abandoning much of eternal Jerusalem to placate a fraudulent Arab people called Palestinians and appease a hostile world by succumbing to an equally fraudulent peace.
It is instructive to note that in prayer, Jews in synagogues face Jerusalem while Muslims in mosques face Mecca. This Islamic practice, even on the Temple Mount, speaks volumes


Striking off the above text as it was a cut and paste of the below article and not my own views on the matter as i have never visited Palestine or Israel, i personally dont know any Israeli or Palestinian. it was an article read long back on the internet which i shared on my blog. Please refer to the below article which is the original version.

 
Source
http://llphfreedom.blogspot.com/2011/05/jerusalem-and-judaism-are-joined-at-hip.html

Resume Tips (specially for Frequent job changers)

What would you think if a job candidate sent you a resume listing six jobs held in the last four years?

Some of you would probably have an instinctively negative reaction: "This is someone who can't make up her mind or settle down — probably a flake. In 'my day' everyone knew that you couldn't change jobs more often than once every two years."
Or would you have a more sympathetic interpretation? Perhaps that this is evidence of a candidate who is willing to take risks and seek out new opportunities?
Resumes must be truthful — if you've had six jobs in four years, you need to say that. But, ideally, whether you've had one job or ten, your resume should also tell a story. The descriptions that you choose to highlight can make a significant difference between an impression of logical exploration and mindless chaos.
Imagine a resume that listed these positions, all held within a short period of time.

1-Bubba's Bar and Grill, a neighborhood restaurant. Waitress.
2-Primrose Advertising Agency, a small agency serving biotech start-ups. Researcher.
3-Rimrock Stables, a hunter-jumper facility with over 50 horses. Stable operator.
4-Flintstone Quarry, a firm selling granite and other home countertops and tiles. General manager.

What do you think? Is this someone you'd be eager to interview? What type of position would you image this individual would be qualified to fill?

Now, consider how you'd feel about the following version of the same person's experience. Would you view this candidate differently? Would you be more or less inclined to arrange an interview? Now what position do you think this person might fill?

Waitress and apprenticing manager at Bubba's Bar and Grill — While working as a waitress, developed an interest in restaurant management. Took advantage of the owner's willingness to teach the basics of purchasing and cash management. Handled responsibility for opening and closing the restaurant two days a week.

Manager of the market research team at Primrose Advertising Agency — Conducted business research and managed the activities of a six-person team of analysts. Developed strong team management and project management skills.

Operating manager of a customer-service-oriented facility at Rimrock Stables — Managed all day-to-day operations of the business; oversaw a staff of ten, supervised the quality of all services to insure the safety and satisfaction of clients (both horses and riders), negotiated with suppliers to obtain the lowest prices, and handled all financial records and bookkeeping.
General manager of a successful, independently-owned business at Flintstone Quarry — Managed all aspects of the $15 million business, from customer acquisition (building on my advertising experience) through customer-oriented delivery of high quality products and design services. Responsible for a staff of 25 and complex customer relationships that included designers, contractors, and home owners. Increased operating margin by 5 basis points while growing revenue 10 per cent year over year.

If it's not possible to tell a story with the job descriptions themselves, tell it in the cover letter. (Yes, you do need to provide a cover letter with all resumes.)

Make sure your resume tells a logical and compelling story of the moves you've made, what you've learned, and what you've accomplished. Help the next employer draw a line to your next dream job.

Source
http://blogs.hbr.org/erickson/2012/02/the_case_of_the_rolling_stone.html

Thinking of being Promoted in China... read more

Michael Black is an American employee working in China for one of the country's oldest and most traditional consumer products manufacturers. Michael has been in China for two years and has done quite well. He's mastered the local language, been very successful in meeting his performance goals, and believes that he deserves a promotion.
Michael is a bit uneasy "tooting his own horn," but he also realizes that if he doesn't do it, no one else will.
When meeting with his boss to argue his case, Michael explains how he has met or exceeded all of his performance goals over the past two years and how he has also been a good overall contributor and team player. He explains how much he enjoys his work with the company and how excited he would be to take on the challenge of the product manager position. The conversation ended on a positive note and Michael felt very good about how it went. So good in fact, that he was completely dismayed to hear absolutely nothing back from his boss — for weeks, and then months. He was so frustrated that eventually he ended up leaving the firm.
So what went wrong? Michael seemed to be acting quite appropriately. He was confident without being boastful, clear and straightforward about his interests and goals, but also being respectful and polite towards his boss.
In fact he was indeed quite appropriate — if he were in the US. In China, however, self-promotion works quite differently, and because of his lack of knowledge about these key cultural differences, Michael was set up to fail.
What people sometimes don't realize is that although overt, direct self-promotion is a singularly American phenomenon, self-promotion itself is universal. However, the key is to understand how it is done on a local level — which means according to local cultural values and norms. For example, in China, the preferred communication style is much more indirect than in the United States. Think about how directly Michael communicated his message, saying that he has "met or exceeded his performance goals" and how "excited he would be to take on the challenge of the product manager position." In the United States, where "getting to the point" and being a "straight shooter" is culturally valued, such confidence and initiative is admired. In China, however, it would be seen as too direct — putting his boss in the uncomfortable and face-threatening position of having to deny such an overt request or acquiesce to what feels like an inappropriate demand from a lower-level employee. Finally, in addition to being overly direct, Michael's actions were also immodest. Chinese would never extol their virtues to a boss in this way.
So how can the Michaels of the world self-promote to advance their career, while also being modest, deferential and indirect at the same time? It feels impossible, but it isn't if you follow the following advice:
Tip 1: Be patient
In Chinese business culture, the best way to promote oneself is to simply do good work. The underlying idea in China is that results speak for themselves, and that employees who do good work will ultimately be recognized.
Tip 2: Develop your networks
Another effective way to promote yourself in China is to have someone else do it. Social networks, or Guanxi, in China are critical to advancing one's career and promoting oneself in the corporate setting. It's important to work on developing strong contacts with influential people who can advocate for you behind the scenes. That way, you can benefit from self-promotion without suffering the cost of doing so in a direct and immodest manner.
Tip 3: Adapt your own communication style
Learn how to self-promote in a manner that is indirect and modest. Instead of setting up a meeting with your boss, learn to self-promote in a more discreet and indirect style. Rather than presumptuously suggesting a promotion, learn how to be a modest and deferential employee — and that, in and of itself, will enhance your reputation and put you in line for positive feedback. These new behaviors may feel inauthentic at first — after all, Americans are schooled on the importance of assertiveness and self-promotion throughout their lives. However, people can and do learn to "switch" their cultural behavior, often with surprisingly effective results.
Tip 4: Find a better fit
Finally, if all else fails, change companies. Many companies and leaders in China nowadays have a more Western orientation. This is especially true for private companies founded by the younger generation of Chinese professionals with experience working or living in the West.
The overall message — no matter which foreign culture you find yourself in — is to "go local." Do your best to find out how self-promotion is handled in that local culture and adjust your behavior accordingly. By doing so, you are enhancing your ability to move seamlessly across the global economy and increasing the chances of creating positive impressions in any cultural setting.

Most Expensive Apartment(Flat) deal in India

In the highest deal in the country for a residential apartment, a flat in Cuffe Parade’s Jolly Maker 1, India’s richest housing society and a four-decade-old symbol of Mumbai’s affluence, was sold at the rate of Rs 1.11 lakh per sq ft. A 21st floor flat with a carpet area of 2,590 sq ft fetched Rs 29 crore on January 27.
The highest price till now was Rs 1.02 lakh psf after a 3,600 sq ft 19th floor duplex flat in Worli’s Samudra Mahal was sold for Rs 37.25 crore in 2010.
The four-bedroom apartment, with a closed garage with two car parks, was sold by the Jagwani family (which runs a jewellery business) to Ashok Patni, one of three brothers who own Patni Computers. The flat is registered in the name of Sadhana Patni, wife of Ashok.
Incidentally, all the three Patni brothers; Narendra, Ashok and Gajendra already own apartments in this sea-facing tower. Jagdish Jagwani, the seller, confirmed the sale but refused to comment on the deal. Mahesh Lalwani, society secretary and Apurva Patni, son of Ashok too refused to comment.
The deal has caused excitement in the otherwise lukewarm realty market but property experts voice caution as it is a one-off transaction.
“Auctions of such exclusive properties do not conform to market norms,” said the head of a leading property consultancy firm.
Earlier than that, the last big property deal in the city happened two and a half years ago when a 3,475 sq ft (super built-up) flat in NCPA apartments at Nariman Point was bought by a London-based NRI for Rs97,842 per sqft.
Secret behind the uniqueness of Jolly Maker 1
Imagine living in the sprawling apartment of a posh building with a panoramic view of the city, and actually getting paid to live there.
This is exactly the case with Jolly Maker 1, the exclusive but quaint complex of 175 apartments and 10 bungalows at Cuffe Parade. Comprising two 25-storey residential towers, the richest housing society in India (reserve and sinking fund is estimated to be over Rs 30 crore) is home to Subhash Chandra of Zee, the Goenka family, the Patni family, the Goa-based Salgaocar family, Dr A S Maker, the construction magnate which constructed commercial buildings in Nariman Point and the UAE Consulate. In this complex, instead of paying maintenance, the owners in this get an annual dividend of Rs 6-12 lakh.

How to Stay positive in a negative environment

Staying positive in a negative environment can change not just your business, but your entire life.

Rather than wallowing when a problem strikes, believe your business reality can be redefined. Old problems become entrepreneurial challenges as you perceive new solutions. Then, when you achieve a goal, recognize the benefits of your positive work lifestyle. Say, "Thank you!" and give away all the positivity you can as you lead your company by serving others. And amazingly, the cycle of working positive begins anew and you'll find yourself receiving even more in your business.

Give your mind a positive work-out. Think of your mind as a muscle that needs consistent strengthening. A flabby, unfit mind simply chases whatever thought about your business that enters it--or, whatever thought someone else suggests about it, positive or negative. Your mind freezes up; that is, mental scar tissue develops and you become susceptible to whatever thought shows up. Mental surgery then becomes necessary to remove the scar tissue of those negative thoughts that moved you to behave in your business in an unhealthy manner.

Why are you so susceptible? Here's how your mind works. Consider how snack commercials on TV affect you. You weren't hungry before, but suddenly you're getting up and heading to the kitchen for snack food. The power of suggestion is so strong. Your mind received the impression, activated a hunger impulse, and triggered your legs to move. You really didn't even think about it. It just happened.

But what if you focus your thoughts? What if you have made a conscious decision to cut out snacks between meals? Your mind is made up--your priority of losing weight takes precedence over the commercial's suggestion.

But maybe you're thinking, "It's not that easy to focus my thoughts, especially when it comes to my company."

Actually it is. Your mind was made to focus. Your mind focuses on something every minute of every day. The question is not if you focus your mind, but on what?

There is no denying that the world contains negative mental energy. You can't just deny the existence of negativity and expect positivity to show up. But you can decide how to focus your own energies.

Think about your choice to perceive this way. Vultures fly over the desert, looking for dead animals. Hummingbirds fly over the same desert, looking for flowers growing from a cactus or near a pond. Vultures and hummingbirds fly over the same desert, but one bird looks for death and the other looks for life.

As it is with the vulture and hummingbird, so it is with you and me. As we fly over the business landscape that surrounds us, we're looking for something. We choose what we're looking for--death or life, failures or successes, losses or leverage; the negative or the positive. Then we live our choices.

You can choose to think about your business's best qualities, not the worst; things to praise your employees about, not things to curse them for; the beautiful way in which your customers buy your products and use your services, not the ugly few who demand a refund.

For example, it is so easy for us to fill our minds with what we can't do. That's a never-ending list for me.

Right now, I could say to myself, "There's always something I can't do. Now that I think about it, there's no reason in the world I should ever think that anyone anywhere on this planet would want to read a book about working positively. I don't know why I wrote it. I wasted all this time, energy and money on a book that was supposed to bring me speaking engagements and coaching opportunities so I can transform business people's negative lives into work positive lifestyles."

See what I mean? Of course it's not just you and me who choose to focus on that "can't do" list. We all do at times. Since your mind focuses on something, anything, it will go to that never-ending list, especially in times of frustration or perceived failure.

It's so much more empowering to focus your mind on what you can do. No, you might not be able to do correctly what you're attempting on the first try. However, finding something you can do related to the task and focusing on that accomplishment creates a positive perception in your mind. That positive perception then becomes the jet fuel that releases your imagination to work on the rest of the task that presents such a challenge. With that high-octane fuel, your imagination soars to new heights of accomplishment in your business.

By exercising the positive muscle group of your mind and focusing on profit-enriching activities, pretty soon that which seemed impossible about your business becomes not only doable, but you say to yourself, "I can see my business this way all the time!"

This post originally appeared at Entrepreneur.
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/220676#ixzz1mJjVQioL

Happy new Year To God

Dear God,
Wish You a Happy New Year!! In this new year 2012 please fulfill as many wishes as possible ... listing a few now... many more to follow!!

-Give me and my family good nights sleep everynight
-Give me a lot of good and close friends and relatives who care for me and my family
-Make me everr more energetic
-Give me half a million dollars at least, give it to me as a return of my own efforts and hardwork
-Grant me and my family as much happiness as many drops are there in the ocean
-Make me capable of spreading this happiness which i recieve to my loved ones..
-Give me and my family good health and an attractive form

Thank You in advance as i know you would listen to me . :-)

happy New Year

All the Typical Customs of a Sindhi Marriage

	Ceremony Name	Timing	Ceremony Details	Conducted at Joint/Bride/Groom
1	Janya or "Thread Ceremony"	Before Wedding	It is a rite of passage considered to be the official induction into the Hindu religion. During this ceremony, a sacred thread is tied to the groom-to-be, and health, wealth and prosperity are wished upon his future	Groom
2	Kacchi Misri	Before Wedding	Kacchi means ‘raw’ so this is ceremony is a pre-engagement of sorts. It takes place once the boy and girl and their respective families agree to move forward with the marriage. It is formalized with a small pooja and the exchange of offerings (mithai, coconuts, fruits, sometimes money or jewelry). A wedding date is set based on an auspicious day in the near future. Misri is also the name for rock sugar and it is customary for the couples to feed each other a piece of rock sugar, symbolizing their agreement to the marriage. This is often considered the engagement, but traditionally, rings are not exchanged until the Pakki Misri. In most cases, families will only announce a son or daughter’s engagement after this ceremony has taken place. It is also believed that feeding Misri to the other single young men and women in the families will speed up their search for a spouse.	Joint
3	Jhoolelal Bairana	Before or After or During Wedding	Some families, particularly Bhaiband Sindhis, begin the marriage festivities with a Jhulelal Behrano – Jhulelal is the patron saint of Hindu Sindhis and the Behrano is a prayer specific to Jhulelal.	Joint or individually held by Bride or Groom
4	Pakki Misri	Before Wedding	Taking place a few days prior to the actual marriage, this is a formal ring exchange ceremony, consecrated with a pooja, that usually signals the start of the marriage festivities. Because the fourth finger is thought to have a vein leading directly to the heart, the rings are placed on the fourth finger of the right hand of the groom and the fourth finger of the left hand of the bride. After exchanging rings, the groom's family offers a basket of fruit, clothing and other items to the girl as a symbol of acceptance into their family. The groom's family then gives the bride's family a promise of marriage and feeds them misri to finalize the engagement. Traditionally, the bride’s family sends the groom his outfit for the wedding day, sometimes accompanied by cash, fruit (fresh & dry), misri, sweets and coconuts. It is also believed that feeding misri to the other single young men and women in the families will speed up their search for a spouse.	Joint
5	Mehendi	Before Wedding	The bride has her hands and feet intricately patterned with a paste that is made of henna, oil, lemon juice and some water tinted with tea. Ideally, the bride-to-be should not wash her hands until the paste has completely dried. Some brides leave it on overnight to darken the stain of the paste on their hands and feet. Mehndi signifies the strength of love in a marriage. An old wives tale says that the darker the mehndi, the stronger the love. The Groom’s initials or name is hidden in the mehendi pattern and the Bride makes the Groom find his name on her hands on the wedding night. This event is typically for the women only.	Bride
6	Sagri	Before Wedding	The groom's sisters come to the bride's house (usually after her Mehendi) to welcome her into their family. They adorn her with bangles, chains, earrings, perfume and crowns of flowers that have been strung together. The groom's sister then presents the bride with cosmetics, five types of fruits, and 'misri', along with a 'thali' of dried coconut, sweets, 'batashe' (sugar candy) and 'attar' (perfume). The bride's family then offers gifts to each person who has decorated her to show gratitude and respect to the guests in their home. This ceremony is meant to familiarize the bride with her family-to-be and create a bonding relationship between the women in the groom's life.	Gooms Sister Visit the Brides House
7	Sangeet	Before Wedding	A lot of modern weddings combine the above three ceremonies into the same day, and some add on a Sangeet, which is a musically themed celebration that has evolved into another type of reception. Traditonally, Ladas (Sindhi wedding songs) were sung all evening, sometimes poking fun at or singing the praises of members of the wedding party.	Joint
8	Navgrahi Pooja	Wedding Day or 1 Day before	Navgrai Pooja is the prayer to the nine planets of our Solar System. Ancient Indian studies indicate that various celestial bodies have tremendous influence on the destiny of every individual, and among them the effect of the nine planets is the most profound. During this pooja, the Gods associated with these planets are asked to bless the couple and their families. As per Sindhi tradition, all 'pujas' are performed in the groom's home first and only then in the bride's house. The 'pujas' performed on this day include the 'Ganesha Puja', 'Omkar Puja', 'Lakshmi Puja', 'Kalash Puja', followed by the 'puja' of the nine planets or the 'Navgrahi Puja'. Because of various rites that need to be performed and blessings to be given, it is imperative for the bride's 'mama' (maternal uncle), 'chacha' (paternal uncle) and brother to be present. While this pooja is going on, seven married women, called ‘suhaginis’, do the “bochini” – a white silk dupatta has to be embroidered with seven different motifs in seven different colors. Towards the end of the pooja, these ladies (sata suhaginis) gather around a mortar and pestle with the bride or groom, and they all jointly pound pieces of tumeric root, which signifies blending.	Both Bride and Groom Individually
9	Vanwas	Wedding Day or 1 Day before	In this ceremony, both the groom and bride are dressed in old clothes. At the start of this pooja, the priest ties a red thread (garo dhago) on the wrist of the groom and bride and their immediate family members. This thread confirms their abstinence from alcohol and meat until after the conclusion of the wedding ceremonies. People from their respective families pour oil on top of their head and body. Both bride and groom are made to put on the shoes they will wear during the wedding and break a clay pot -- it is auspicious to do so swiftly and in one motion. Their clothes are then torn by family members, equating ‘out with the old, and in with the new’. It is critical that every shred of the torn clothes must be immersed in the ocean along with the pooja items immediately after the wedding.	Both Bride and Groom Individually
10	Ghari or Ghari-bukhi	Eve of wedding day	It is the final and most important religious custom that is performed on the eve of the wedding day and is a special pooja for the parents of the bride and groom. The priest performs the prayers with rice, coconut, wheat grains, oil, betel nuts, turmeric and a number of other spices. The groom offers a handful of grains to the priest indicating he will always give to charity and look after those less fortunate than himself. Married ladies grind wheat on a small old-fashioned grinder symbolising that the home will always be prosperous. The son in law of each family now steps into the very important role of ainer – the protector and bodyguard of the groom and his family (or bride and her family) and is given a ceremonial sword or knife. The mother and father of both the bride and groom dress up in their bridal finery. Carrying an earthen pot (mutka) of water and milk on the mother’s head, and they walk to the threshold of their homes. The mutka is put on the ground, just outside the threshold of the house, and the ainer stirs the water and milk mixture with his sword. The symbolism here is that once water and milk are mixed, they cannot be separated, no matter how sharp the knife or how strong the effort. And this is exactly how strong and joint this family is. The parents are now joyously greeted and garlanded by their relatives and are presented with ‘tol’. In return, this is also when the parents present their friends and relatives with gifts and a dupatta or a shawl. All of this is often done with great fanfare and noise, such as banging of pots and pans, to ward off any evil that wishes to come between the marriage.	Both Bride and Groom Individually
11	Swagatam	Wedding Day	After the bride has dressed in her wedding ensemble, her sisters or female relatives go to he grooms house to escort the groom to the bride"s house. They leave the bride's trousseau in the groom's house and the bride's sister performs a small ceremony whereby she has to apply some cosmetics on the faces of the groom and his mother. The priest puts a red 'dupatta' on the groom and the groom then proceeds to the bride's home. In addition to the red duppatta, a pink dupatta is also draped around the groom’s neck - it has one end sewn closed in which a coconut is inserted, which the groom holds during a major portion of the ceremony. The opposite side of the pink duppata is knotted to the corner of the bride’s pallu; oftentimes with a gold coin inserted in this knot, which later on, is opened by the groom’s who gets to keep the gold coin. Also draped around the groom’s neck is the bochini. The arrival of the bridegroom's party at the venue is heralded by special musical tunes played on the shehnai (flute). Before he can enter the house, the groom places his right foot on the top of the bride's foot, signifying that he should be the dominating strength in their life together. When the bride and groom first meet each other on the wedding day, they exchange flower garlands. This is to greet each other and to acknowledge mutual acceptance of the wedding to take place. The bride's parents then rinse the groom’s feet with milk and water because it is believed that due to all the prayers that have preceded this moment, the groom is an embodiment of Lord Vishnu on this wedding day.	Joint
12	hathialo	Wedding Day	In this ceremony, the corner of the bride's sari is tied to a scarf the groom is wearing. The right hands of the couple are tied with a thread that has been blessed with religious incantations. The tying of the hands signifies an eternal bond that will join them forever and that although they are separate individuals, from now on, they are one in mind and spirit. The couple then prays to the Gods to give them strength and bless their union. The bride and groom are given water and something to eat because after this their hands are tied together with the sacred thread or 'mouli'. Some money and a dried date are placed between their palms before their hands are tied. After the chanting of 'mantras' the couple and relatives leave for the wedding venue.	Joint
13	Ganesh Puja	Wedding Day	Hindu ceremonies begin with a prayer to the elephant God Ganesh -- remover of all obstacles -- seeking blessings and asking for the successful completion of the ceremony.	Joint
14	Nav Graha & Kalash Pujas	Wedding Day	Prayers are then offered to the nine planets as they greatly influence our lives, asking for peace, happiness and prosperity; followed by prayers to Varundev, the God of Water, represented by a pot of water topped with a coconut. Next, the priest leads prayers to all the Gods and Goddesses, parents, grandparents and the couple’s ancestors.	Joint
15	Vedi	Wedding Day	The priest then recites mantras and the couple is showered with rice, representing fulfillment in all aspects of life.	Joint
16	Pheras	Wedding Day	The couple walks around the holy fire four times, signifying the four phases of life -- Dharma (Duty, Purpose & Righteousness) Artha (Prosperity), Kama (Love), and Moksha (Salvation). Before the pheras, the bride is seated to the right of the groom, but after the pheras she is seated to his left, to signify that she is now closer to his heart. In a Sindhi wedding ceremony, the groom leads the first three rounds while the bride leads the fourth. Dharma: This signifies the spirit of righteousness and one’s duty to follow the religion devoutly. Artha: This signifies the path one and right means that one should take for earning one’s wealth and livelihood, striving for material gain and success, and endeavouring to help the poor and unprivileged whenever possible. Kama: According to Hindu mythology, Kama is the God of Love. This ‘phera’ thus symbolizes the love and dedication that a married couple should have towards each other. They should support and stand for each other, ‘for better or worse’, for the rest of their lives. Moksha: The last phera signifies liberation of suffering. Once a person gets married and encounters the bliss of marital fulfillment, he will find liberation from the sufferings and pains of unmarried life.	Joint
17	Kanya Daan	Wedding Day	The Bride’s parents entrust her wellbeing to the Groom by placing her hands in his.	Joint
18	Jaya Mala: Jaya Mala	Wedding Day	Bride & Groom exchange garlands to signify their acceptance of marriage.	Joint
19	Sapta PadiSapta Padi	Wedding Day	The couple take seven steps, representing seven vows, to sanctify the marriage. The couple faces north, and along with each vow, they take a step. The Seven Vows 1) Groom: You will offer me food and be helpful in every way. I will cherish you and provide for the welfare and happiness of you and our children. Bride: I am responsible for the home, and take charge of all household responsibilities. 2) Groom: Together we will protect our house and children. Bride: I will be by your side, and be your courage and strength. I will rejoice in your happiness. In return, you will love me alone. 3) Groom: May we grow wealthy and prosperous, strive for the education of our children. May our children live long. Bride: I will love only you for the rest of my life, as you are my husband. Every other man in my life will come second to you. I vow to remain chaste. 4)Groom: You have brought sacredness into my life, and have completed me. May we be blessed with noble, obedient children. May our children live long. Bride: I will shower you with happiness, from head to toe. I will strive to please you in every way that I can. 5)Groom: You are my best friend, and staunchest well-wisher. You have come into my life, and have enriched it. God bless you. Bride: I promise to love and cherish you for as long as I love. Your happiness is my happiness, and your sorrow is my sorrow. I will trust and honour you, and will strive to fulfill all your wishes. 6) Groom: May you be filled with joy and peace. Bride: I will always be by your side. 7) Groom: We are now husband and wife, and are one. You are mine and I am yours for eternity. Bride: As God is witness, I am now your wife. We will love, honor and cherish each other forever	Joint
20	Sindoor & Mangal Sutra:	Wedding Day	The Groom places Sindoor on the Bride’s forehead and hair symbolizing a long life, and a sacred necklace as a symbol of their marriage.	Joint
21	Aashirwad	Wedding Day	The priest blesses the couple on behalf of the Gods and Goddesses and closes the ceremony with a prayer; and asks everyone to shower them with blessings and good wishes. The newlyweds will seek the blessings of their parents, elderly relatives and other family members for a happy marriage and a long life by bowing and touching their feet.	Joint
22	Vidayi	Wedding Day	Once the marriage ceremony is over and the bride is taken to her groom’s house. The bride is covered from head in generally a sari. This is called “Dhakh ji Chaadar” (Dhakh means to cover). This symbolizes that the father is given his asset & his pride that lived with him from day one is handed over to some other family.	Bride
23	Datar	Wedding Day	– Before entering her new home, the bride first steps into a thali of water with her right foot symbolizing her purity before stepping into the house. When entering the house, a lid is put over her head while she sprinkles water and milk around the house. The lid symbolizes that bride will respect her new family and keep its affairs and shortcomings within the confines of her home and not share them with the outside world. The bride then picks up salt from a tray by cupping both hands and places it in the hands of her husband who places place some money and a gift in the salt for his wife as a blessing for a healthy lineage and a happy married life. He passes the salt back into her hands without spilling any, and this is repeated three times. The next person to perform this ritual with the bride will be her father-in-law, followed by her mother-in-law and then one by one each person from the groom's family. Exchanging salt symbolises that just as salt blends in and gives taste to food, so must the bride blend in and become a part of her new family. Some rituals take place to welcome the bride into the groom’s family. One of these is a game in which coins, gold and other items (sometimes bottle caps!) are placed into a large mutka that is filled with water. The bride has to put her hand into the mutka and in one grip (one attempt), remove everything of value from it. If indeed the bride successfully does this, she is considered an ‘akul wari chokri’ and is welcomed with a great round of applause and made to feel ‘at home’ in her new house.	Groom
24	Satavaro	Next to wedding Day	The bride and the groom go to the bride's house for a family gathering, usually hosted by the bride’s mother’s family	Bride