Education can bring change in life. We all know this but at what level do we all attempt to read and succeed?

Not every one of us. But some do. Here is the heck of the story.

Riddhi Parmanand isn’t just a name but she has become a role model for the people of surrounding areas. She hasn’t achieved anything of global significance but her short story is a tale of grit, resilience, and self-belief for the people of her surroundings. She has become a name of success and a girl who strictly follows her work ethic.

She is a story of success. Success is not the fruit that ripens only in the courtyard of the well-to-do. It is necessary for the ripening of this fruit to be a land of hard work, on which countless efforts can be made with the machine of our expectations.

Riddhi is a medical doctor. She did MBBS from one of the best medical colleges in the country, Banaras Hindu University. Attaining a medical degree is not easy and one living in a country of more than a billion can understand that easily.

Thorough competition needs resources. These resources are not just books but proper care of the family of the applicant. To face such examinations, mental stability is equally important and here, her family’s role became predominantly significant where nobody is in her blood relations because she is from Gokulam, Vatsalyagram.

Vatsalyagram has become the home of the homeless. Vatsayagram under the patronage of PP Sadhvi Ritambhara Ji is the home of love, affection, and care among strangers. Such is the moral support this small place offers that it makes the story look real.

We all know, that it is really tough to get a medical degree in India because of the highly competitive exams, a high number of applicants, the enormous number of dropouts are among those applicants who get training to fight these exams from the best of the faculties and subject matter experts.

In a nutshell, it was tough. Tough for a girl who hasn’t seen her biological parents but the mother she gets in Vatsalyagram, takes care of her so well that she ended up on the winning streak.

Recently she got married. A new life started. Full of dreams, hopes, and a bright and radiant career.

Let’s bless her with a Great life again. May God bless her with all that she deserves and desires.

Param Pujya Didi Maa Sadhvi Ritambhara Ji is the one who needs no introduction, but one should talk about her attempts to improve the standard of living and the Quality of Life of destitute women on this day of Women. Here is a short note on the process adopted. Due to her love, affection, and tremendous emotional support to the destitute women, she is the real icon one should consider as the epitome of empowering women in Indian society.

Women and their situation in our society is a subjective matter. There are ample examples of women leading the big empires like Rani LaxmiBai to Rani Ahilyabai, which are from our own society. There are women heads of the state, governors, and district magistrates in India. We are the country where India was Indira and Indira was India. Such is the stature we offer to women. On the other hand, crime records also narrate different sides of the story, in which women are destitute.

VatsalyaGram is an epicenter of unheard stories of Empowering Women. Hundreds of women get the real meaning of love and Vatsalya here. We need to listen to these stories and be skilled and educated to make them feel good about life. This is all about this Transformation, and this is a continual process, needs no name to define, but Pujya Didi Maa Ji’s passion for serving humanity.

This village empowers women with a process that starts with empathizing with the destitute women. Here she gets a place and relations of love, care, and affection. These women live their lives with peace, harmony, and a bonded relationship that makes their lives full of cherishing reasons.

These women get an apartment to live in that has a dining room, drawing room, bedroom, kitchen, and washroom with a couple of abandoned children, and a bond of love is created among each one of the residing members, right from the granny to the youngest kid of the family.

That is how a devastated life of a destitute woman is filled with the colours of relationships, full of dreams, and cherished moments.

The dream of making girls educated to strive for their best potential is not just to face but also to lead the world. The greater number of empowered women is the only possible way to make this world a better place to live. Didi Maa Ji understands this, which is why the girls studying in the in-house Samvid Gurukulam School have multifaceted developmental programs, apart from textbook studies.

Horse riding, NCC, Sports, Dance, and Music Academy with classes on Robotics are just a few programs that made the daughters feel high on confidence. Didi Maa knows the significance of exposure to education, and that is why the initiative ADVANCE is launched an exchange program with an American school.

Employing a woman is the greatest service one can have to humanity. The women residing in the VatsalyaGram are brought under the Entrepreneurship programs, under which they learn how to make candles, pack food items, and whatnot. Programs like udyamita and saksham are a few examples of it.

By doing so, these women get a feel of financial security, which is equally important. The entire 52-acre land of VatsalyaGram is secured and serene. This place is developed following the comfort and peace of women.

This is not all. Param Pujya Didi Maa Ji’s various ways and means are making women empowered and enabling them to the path of success and confidence are truly remarkable.

She is not just an example of women empowerment but making women empower narrates her.

Let us help her in making these unspoken stories heard all around. Help and connect with the programs of VatsalyaGram and support these amazingly drafted initiatives.

Women empowerment is one of the most used words in elites worldwide, and India is no different. Various women across the circles of dramatic arts, films, politics, sports, and journalism made it big or big enough for themselves.

Wait a minute, for themselves? Yes, you read it right. Take the names of any actress or female politician, and you’ll understand that their struggle was for the upliftment of their lifestyles, their bank balance, and they impacted society just like that. The efforts of any actress have helped none of the hundreds of thousands of girls across the community. Any Corporate tycoon or minister doesn’t even bother for anyone else’s better Quality of life. These great ladies struggled and attempted to make their personal lives better and financially secure. So here, the definition of Women Empowerment fails.

So what does it mean? Does it even exist in the community?

We came up with the answer to this unanswered question. Women empowerment is a broad term that means someone who struggles to improve the Quality of women’s lives through proper education, required training of skill-sets, food, nutrition, and shelter with not the least care and affection we all need.

Sadhvi Ritambhara, a renowned name connected with Shri Ram Janm Bhumi Andolan, is such a personality that people around her bow down to her for being didi maa. She is the perfect example of what women empowerment is all about.

Sadhvi didi maa Ritambhara has initiated a unique project named VatsalyaGram in Mathura, a city known as Lord Krishna’s birthplace. Vatsalya means Love, affection that a neonate has for a mother and vice versa. Gram is a small area where people live with care, compassion, and respect for each other. What is unique in it is the amalgamation of Spirituality, natural beauty, and dedication towards humanity. Dedicated to serving the community, she has bifurcated various projects in VatsalyaGram which are as follows:-

1. GOKULAM:-

Gokulam is a place dedicated to the kids where one family lives in one house. Every house has all the necessary amenities that one may desire: a drawing-room, bedroom, kitchen, temple, and a study room. As of now, there are around 200 people from 16 families living.

So what’s the catch? These families comprise strangers, one mother, one grandmother/nanny, and 5–7 kids living under one roof with no blood relation in common.

2. School to cater to the needs of Below Poverty Line families/Slums- KBVM

Not just the mainline education, but other sorts of educational training are all provided to these kids. These children hail from BPL families of the nearby slums. The objective to run this initiative is to provide the fundamental human right of every individual, i.e. education. Under her guidance, the school is doing good with regular mid-day meals, education, stationary and uniform at absolutely no charge.

3. Samvid Gurukulam Senior Secondary School

Samvid Gurukulam is a senior secondary school to caters to holistic education with teaching moral values and a scientific approach to the students. Regular counseling and guidance are parts of normal practices that take place on the premises. Samvid Gurukulam is a fully residential school.

4. Swami Parmanand Prakritik Chikitsalaya

SPCC offers free treatment to poor people. A healthy lifestyle with dignity and meaningful life for underprivileged children and women is the main aim of this ayurvedic/homeopathic healthcare unit. Naturopathy is also used to treat acute and chronic diseases.

5. Gd Bansal Swasti Chikitsalaya

This healthcare set-up provides free treatments through State-of-the-art medical facilities, inside the vatsalyagram Campus.

6. Premvati Gupta Netra Chikitsalaya

The expert ophthalmologists are providing free Eye-camps for the poor and needy people in this in-campus eye hospital under the supervision of Didi Maa Sadhvi Ritambhara.

7. Udyamita(Entrepreneurship)

A free vocational training program is provided to young girls and women to make them stand on their own. A French Italian MNC fort supports this initiative.

8. Vaishishtyam(Home for Special Ones)

In this project, Didi Maa believes and considers that every child is unique. Vaishishtyam is the home of over 100 children. These children need special care and compassion. Vaishishtyam is a daycare center with a residential facility where exceptional children are treated.

Various relief programs and women empowering movements are also under the name of Sadhvi Didi Maa Ritambhara. Such a great symbol of Women empowerment. One needs to make her idealized and try to serve society’s sections the way didi maa is doing.

Shaping the lives of millions is what women empowerment is all about and believe me, she’s a great master of this field. Understanding the pain and agony of people and delivering the best suitable solution to women is my definition of Women Empowerment and Didi Maa is the Perfect example of it.

What makes a school a school with a difference is slightly distinct methodologies and the focus on the modern content of education. This approach is being used by several schools in India.

Education: — An Amalgamation of Traditional Values and Modern Content

Education is the only thing that does not get changed in Indian schools/colleges so often. The irrelevant course content is the main root cause of the alarming unemployment rate, which is why the National Policy on Education was launched recently by the Central Government.

Samvid Gurukulam is a CBSE affiliated school under the patronage of renowned social reformer and emblem of women empowerment in India, Param Pujya Didi Maa Ritambhara Ji, is marching ahead of these international accredited schools.

The words spoken by him to the beneficiaries were really impactful in staying connected with the roots of the Indian education system. Such Saints are through the life systems, the exposure, and experience held by these decorated beings is really worth sharing with the upcoming generations to make them aware of the rich culture and accolades we possess.

3 D Printing:

This is rare of the rarest initiative taken by the school. This makes the students comprehend the concept and utilities of 3 D Printing. This method has served the purpose of making students skilled in the domain.

The Library:

The library has special shapes of furniture and books to attract young minds towards books. These unique shapes and sizes attract the kids and develop a habit in them towards reading.

Psychological Assessment:

The kids till the third standard are not graded. They are assessed and upgraded accordingly. The school is unique in identifying kids’ interest in different things, and developing the kid as per his area of interest makes the school a must-visit place for others.

The dance room, Activity room, and other rooms with the US students’ exchange program make them adaptable. modern cutting-edge, content-based education makes the students more employable and skilled. Hence adapting to the job role mapped courses becomes easier for them at the graduate level, making them employed as per their skill set and qualification.

This is Samvid Gurukulam – setting the standards higher.

A donation is considered to be an act of kindness. People donate to improve the Quality of Life of the poor. To bless others with the human rights of education, health, and secure social and financial life, we tend to donate.

Science backs donations. Here we will reveal the scientific reasons people donate and donate more to get a happy and healthy lifestyle.

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
―Mahatma Gandhi

This quote by the Great Mahatma Gandhi signifies the value of charity and donations. Various NGOs work towards welfare. Many NGOs get donations and serve the people, empowering women, children, and rehabilitation. These NGOs prevail only on the systems on donation and survive on it.

Now it’s time to reveal the hidden benefits of donations.

1. Improved Cognitive Function

According to a report published in consumer reports, the older adults who devote their time to social service and charity programs were found to have improved cognitive function, better stair climbing speed, and walking speed than those who didn’t volunteer.

2. Reduced Stress

Improved health and happiness also lowers down stress levels and thus improve the Quality of life. This is a study published by John Hopkins University that speaks about the benefits of Donations.

3. Improve the Satisfaction Levels

The habit of charity and donations are good in a way that it increases satisfaction levels. According to the research paper published in volume 75 of Economica, higher levels of life satisfaction were observed with the people who gave their time or money compared to those who didn’t.

4. Donations activate the Reward centre in Brain

A study published in PubMed from the University of Oregon reveals that charities build a brain reaction that imitates one caused by narcotics. This reaction triggers an increase of dopamine and endorphins that are “hedonic” and satisfying. In the depths of your physiology, charitable donations will feel pleasurable.

5. Feeling of happiness

According to a study, the people who donate tend to be happy. The people who donate their time or money for the underprivileged upliftment tend to feel it deep inside, and it makes them happy that they have helped someone eat a meal or make education and health approachable.

This is scientifically proven and well established as the fact that those who donate live happily. So it’s not too late if you feel like thinking of doing so. Let us improve the standards of living of hundreds and thousands of those who really need our help. To donate, You needn’t be a billionaire. Just a small contribution can do wonders.

Get up, Get a real cause you believe in and donate to one of the best NGO to make education, health, and food accessible to girls, women, and tiny toddlers.

Indian society is an amalgamation of differences. These differences prevail in every nick and corner of society. At certain levels, these differences become diversity and this diversity is the real defining factor of this great country named India, that is Bharat.

India has always been a soft target for foreign invaders, including Mughals, Turks, Arabs, Dutch, English, and Portuguese. Society has developed a sense of resilience and fight for existential necessities. India, as a nation-state, fought and bounced back every time. Due to the continual struggle in this civilizational warfare, Indian society came in close contact with some of the evils. the purpose may be to stay safe but these evils harm the society in long run.

India has always been a country that followed the basic principles of respecting women. Due to the existential clash with foreign invaders, we tend to forget our cultural values and become more, unlike our identity. The families and people started forgetting the respect. Women, from an important member of the family, got a not-so-important role to play in the family. People started abandoning old age women and women of young age too.

From celebrating the birth of a girl child to abandoning a tiny toddler became a new normal for people. In this case, to resolve the social issues of such high priority, Saints have been flagbearers and undoubtedly, Sadhvi Ritambhara is one such name who is working for the welfare of abandoned women and children.

Offering shelter, food, and other basic amenities are one thing. People are doing it for ages by opening old-age homes, NariNiketans, and Orphanages, where the needy get the basic amenities for free and lead a normal life once again but the void created can not be filled. The importance of being in a family can never be sought from such places. The emotional pain of such people can never get healed from any offering, until and unless the need of love and respect is given to them.

Param Pujya Didi Maa Sadhvi Ritambhara came in with a beautiful idea of ‘creating families among strangers’. She knows the importance of having a family and the power of it. Hence, she decided to offer the same love of the family to all these destitute women and children.

Didi Maa Ji made separate families out of these abandoned people. In one family, there is one mother, one grandmother with one maasi, and 5-7 children. Here, the mother is taking care of all the children and the grandmother, with the help of maasi. Gokulam is the place where these women and the children are kept. One family is having one separate apartment with a study room, bedroom and drawing room, kitchen, and toilets.

These families live together and love each other. None of the residents are in blood relation. They all are strangers to each other but building the bonds of love among all these is what Didi Maa Ji is doing for last so many years. Gokulam is the abode of love and self-respect. Gokulam also has a lawn, a playground, and a provision-store from where the head of each family gets their rations and other necessities essential for their respective families.

The families have access to all the facilities on the VatsalyaGram campus including education, healthcare, and other necessities to lead their lives in peace and happiness. Currently, there are 16 families consisting of 167 children and 24 women living as mothers, grandmothers, and aunts at VatsalyaGram.

More than 7 daughters have got married from Gokulam. One of them has become a medical practitioner and one another has become an advocate. Others are getting their education completed.

So Gokulam is serving society in its best capacity. This can be a small thing but the impact is so huge. Gokulam is impacting lives, turning them around, filling the void with love, affection, and care.

In today’s world, everything circles Business. It’s the sole thing that describes and defines the rapidly changing orientations and perspectives of societies, communities, and nations. The states and societies’ policy determinants now look up to it as a value proposition to them and their well-being, with net profits. 

Education and healthcare are also changed drastically. Multiple technology colleges and the advent of numerous pharmaceutical companies changed or spoiled the quality of medicines and available human resources for the companies that ultimately led to the worsening of the health index and increased the gap between the talent pool’s requirement and skillset. The importance of quoting these two segments is comprehensive as these two are considered the fundamental issues of humankind. 

When everything and everyone is concerned with Business, how does social service abstain from it? So people started considering social service and the foundations, which are working in this do0main, as profit-making schemes and started joining and opening their foundations for funding from the western world and governments. 

Corporates are also known for their role as Corporate Social Responsibility as funding some good causes, and they keep doing their work. Some people and foundations genuinely serve the society and nation are not just a way or the other but as a unit to build the future of those marginalized and economically weak. They are not able to stand to face any challenge. One such noble cause is VatsalyaGram which helps all such people and turns out to be a saviour for the women, children, and girls.

Here We discuss why people should visit VatsalyaGram. VatsalyaGram is serving humanity for the last three decades. The concept of creating a family out of strangers is just wow some. The people living inside the Vatsalyagram, get a purposeful life and the colourless lives become so colourful to them. The sewa-prakalps(service projects) working here are not just world-class but invite you to connect, donate and communicate all the right things a man can do.

1. Natural Aura like Never Before:– The VatsalyaGram people have worked hard to maintain the greenery and build a newer concept Nanhi Duniya where they help the children develop creativity and learn with fun and get close to nature. These prototypes of mountains, birds, animals, and rivers add brain-storming and curiosity to the child and connect with nature and the environment.
2. Spiritual Peace:– This place is known to be an epicenter of spirituality and positive vibes. The Maa Sarvmangala temple(under construction) is a state-of-the-art temple with three dimensions of sat, raj, and tam gunas. This temple is also supposed to have a museum. If you want to experience Peace and spiritual heights in the loud and noisy surroundings, Visit VatsalyGram.
3. Great Food (with no onion garlic): The in-built Meera Madhav Nilayam resort is a 64 room resort where Smoking and consumption of liquor are strictly prohibited. The ambiance of the place makes it a first choice for the wedding planners and corporates to visit this place where they found a beautiful temple of Meera-Madhav with delicious Food (without having onion-garlic). Probably the only area of the town where you dine without onion and garlic.
4. SanskarVatika:- This place has two educational institutes of repute. Apart from free mid-day meals to education with uniforms and stationary, VatsalyaGram also provides Moral Values training and helps the children grow into civilized and responsible citizens of the country. It also builds characters that have the feeling of serving the nation in whichever way possible and making the future.
5. Love, Care, and Compassion:- The moment you visit VatsalyaGram, you may sense a feeling of Love, respect, and affection of people to each other. The fabric of love is so tied among themselves that the campus residents find mother and sister with no blood relation. An abandoned child is taken care of by a stranger woman, who becomes his mother and granny, and eventually, the bond becomes more potent.

VatsalyaGram is a Place developed by Sadhvi Didi Maa Ritambhara Ji and her guru Param Pujya Yugpurush Mahamandaleshwar Swami Paramananda Giriji Maharaj. Maharaj Ji has addressed the United Nations at the Millenium Summit in 2000, in a spiritual meet. He has more than 16 colleges and schools to credit his name and hospitals with all the modern amenities. Apart from all these, the campus has conducted free eye surgeries and free hospital care for needy people.

 VatsalyaGram is a place of a unique concept. Didi Maa Ritambhara Ji’s sole aim is to make the women of this country more robust, with robust competence and skillset. With this ambition, she is supporting the women with a project named Samvid Expert School as well.

If you are searching for a soothing vacation in the lap of mother nature and connection with spirituality too, Visit VatsalyaGram.

भारत के 27वें राज्य के गठन के उपलक्ष्य में हर साल 9 नवंबर को उत्तराखंड स्थापना दिवस मनाया जाता है। इस साल यह 21वां उत्तराखंड स्थापना दिवस होगा। वर्ष 2000 में, उत्तराखंड की स्थापना उत्तर प्रदेश के उत्तर-पश्चिमी क्षेत्र के कई जिलों और हिमालय पर्वत श्रृंखला के एक हिस्से को मिलाकर की गई थी। इसे पहले उत्तरांचल के नाम से जाना जाता था, लेकिन 2007 में इसका नाम बदलकर उत्तराखंड कर दिया गया।

उत्तराखंड संस्कृत बोली से लिया गया है, जिसका शाब्दिक अर्थ “उत्तरी शहर” है। राज्य संस्कृति, नस्ल और धर्म का एक सुंदर मिश्रण है, और यह भारत के सबसे लोकप्रिय पर्यटन स्थलों में से एक है। उत्तराखंड क्रांति दल द्वारा एक लंबी लड़ाई के बाद, जिसने पहाड़ी क्षेत्रों में लोगों के सामने आने वाले मुद्दों पर ध्यान केंद्रित किया और अलग राज्य की वकालत की, इसकी स्थापना उत्तर प्रदेश की तत्कालीन सरकार ने की थी।

उत्तराखंड का नाम बदलकर उत्तरांचल रखने और 9 नवंबर, 2000 को घोषित होने से पहले यह विवाद कई वर्षों तक चला।

उत्तराखंड का इतिहास:
उत्तराखंड राज्य में अतीत में प्रसिद्ध शासक शामिल हैं: कुषाण, कनिष्क, समुद्रगुप्त, कटुरिया, पलास, चंद्र और पवार। राज्य में संस्कृति, जातीयता और धर्म का एक समामेलन है जो एक प्राचीन संस्कृति से निकला है। इस प्रकार, उत्तराखंड का एक वृहद और व्यापक ऐतिहासिक महत्व है। पारिस्थितिकीय विषमताओं के कारण इस संपूर्ण क्षेत्र को एक नव राज्य के रूप में गठित करना आवश्यक था, जिसके लिए यहाँ के निवासियों ने बहुत संघर्ष भी किया।

वर्ष 2000 में, यह उत्तर प्रदेश से अलग हो गया और भारत का 27 वां राज्य बन गया जिसे उत्तरांचल के नाम से जाना जाता है। उत्तराखंड के पड़ोसी राज्य तिब्बत, नेपाल, हिमाचल प्रदेश, हरियाणा और उत्तर प्रदेश हैं।

उत्तराखंड की जलवायु:
मूल रूप से, उत्तराखंड की जलवायु तापमान में मौसमी बदलाव के साथ समशीतोष्ण है। यह जनवरी के महीने में सबसे ठंडा, जुलाई में सबसे गर्म और मई में सबसे गर्म होता है। इस जगह पर दक्षिण-पश्चिम मानसून द्वारा लाई गई 60 इंच तक वार्षिक वर्षा होती है, जो जुलाई से सितंबर तक होती है। उत्तराखंड में बारिश के मौसम में बाढ़ और भूस्खलन जैसी खतरनाक घटनाएं आम समस्याएं हैं। दिसंबर से मार्च के महीने तक उत्तरी भाग में हिमपात होता है। जलवायु के मोहक होने के कारण उत्तराखंड में पर्यटक बहुत आते हैं।

उत्तराखंड की जनसंख्या:
इसके दो भू-सांस्कृतिक क्षेत्र हैं, गढ़वाल और कुमाऊं। उत्तराखंड के एक बड़े हिस्से में बहु-जातीय आबादी है, जैसे राजपूत, गढ़वाली, गुज्जर और कुमाउनी। अधिकांश आबादी इंडो-आर्यन भाषाएं और अन्य भाषाएं बोलती है, जैसे घरवाली, कुमाउनी, पंजाबी, नेपाली जबकि आधिकारिक भाषा हिंदी है।

उत्तराखंड के त्यौहार:
राज्य दशहरा, दिवाली, शिवरात्रि, होली आदि जैसे प्रसिद्ध हिंदू त्योहार मनाता है। बौद्ध, जैन और सिख संस्कृति जैसी अन्य परंपराओं के साथ, लोग क्रमशः बुद्ध पूर्णिमा, महावीर जयंती और गुरु नानक जयंती मनाते हैं। क्रिसमस भी पूरे राज्य में छोटे-छोटे त्योहारों के साथ मनाया जाता है। यहाँ अधिकांशतः उत्सव के रूप में त्यौहारों के रूप में पर्व मनाये जाते हैं।

उत्तराखंड के निवासियों को नवस्थापन की अशेष शुभकामनाएँ !!

सनातन की धार्मिक मान्यताओं का आधार प्रकृति रही है। हमारी आस्थाओं का केंद्र प्रकृति रही है जिसका सबसे बड़ा उदाहरण है गोवर्धन पूजा और यम द्वितीया स्नान जिसे गोवर्धन पूजा के अगले दिन हर्षोल्लास से मनाया जाता है। गोवर्धन पूजा भगवान श्रीकृष्ण ने प्रारम्भ की थी। भाई दूज का पर्व उससे बहुत पहले से था, कृष्ण ने उस दिन गोवर्धन को भी पूजने की परम्परा शुरू की।

भाई कौन होता है? जो आपका पोषण करे, आपको साहस दे, और कठिन समय हो या विपत्ति, स्वयं छत बन कर आप की रक्षा करे! इसीलिये लड़कियां अपने छोटे भाई को भी भइया कहती हैं कहीं कहीं। गोवर्धन पशुओं के लिए चारा, फसलों के लिए जल, औषधि आदि प्रदान करते थे। क्रोधित इंद्र ने जब नन्द गांव को वर्षा से डूबो देने का प्रयास किया तब भी गोवर्धन ने रक्षा की! भावुक जनमानस ने उन्हें भइया कहा, स्त्रियों ने उनकी प्रशंसा में गीत रचा, तभी वे लोक के भइया हुए।

लोक के रङ्ग अद्भुत होते हैं। यहाँ गोबर से यमलोक बनता है, जिसमें यमराज, उनकी बहन यमुना और सांप, बिच्छू आदि विषैले जीवों की प्रतिमाएं बनती हैं। साक्षात यमलोक, फिर लड़कियां अधिकार पूर्वक उस यमलोक में घुस कर ओखल से कूट देती हैं यम को, शायद यह संदेश देती हों कि मेरे भाई की ओर देखा भी तो कूट देंगे!

कथा कुछ यूँ है कि आज के दिन यमराज अपनी बहन यमुना के यहाँ गए थे और उन्हें बचन दिया था कि इस दिन जो बहन अपने भाई के लिए प्रार्थना करेगी उसके भाई की अकाल मृत्यु नहीं होगी। इसीलिए आज यम यमुना की पूजा होती है और लड़कियां अपने भाई को तिलक लगा कर उसके दीर्घायु के लिए प्रार्थना करती हैं।

भाई दूज पर यम द्वितीया पर स्नान का भी विधान है। इस स्नान के माध्यम से यमराज के आशीष से लोग यम के पाश से मुक्त हो जाते हैं। अकाल मृत्यु से सुरक्षा का भाव मन में सुनिश्चित हो जाता है। इन्हीं अलौकिक पर्व उत्सवों का संगम है सनातन। ये पर्व देव-उत्थान के पर्व हैं। इन्हीं के साथ देव उठ जाते हैं। शादी विवाह की शहनाई बजने लगती है। घरों में खुशियाँ फैल जाती हैं।

सनातनी संस्कृति की जय हो, धर्म की विजय हो, अधर्म का नाश हो !!

मानव समाज के ज्ञात-अज्ञात इतिहास में अनेकों सभ्यताओं-संस्कृतियों का प्रादुर्भाव हुआ, कालांतर में वो काल के गाल में भी समा गईं लेकिन जो सभ्य एवं संभ्रांत समाज की उत्तम परिभाषा ‘रामराज्य’ को मिली, उसका दूसरा उदाहरण कहीं नहीं।

राम, भारत देश की आत्मा हैं। उनकी राजव्यवस्था में दैहिक, दैविक और भौतिक ताप हैं, लेकिन लोग उनके दुष्प्रभाव से बचे रहते हैं। सभी मनुष्य एक-दूसरे से प्रेम करते हैं और मर्यादापूर्वक अपने जीवन का निर्वहन करते हैं। किसी को कोई पीड़ा नहीं होती, सभी के शरीर सुंदर , निरोगी और सुदृढ़ होते हैं। कोई दीन, हीन और दरिद्र नहीं होता। कोई बुद्धिहीन और शुभ लक्षणों से हीन भी नहीं होता।

सभी अहंकार जैसे दुर्गुण से हीन हैं, धर्मपरायण हैं और पुण्यात्मा हैं। सभी पुरुष और स्त्री चतुर और गुणवान हैं। सभी गुणों का आदर करने वाले और पंडित हैं, ज्ञानी हैं, कृतज्ञ हैं। सभी दूसरे के किये हुए का उपकार मानने वाले हैं, कपट और धूर्तता किसी में नहीं है।

ऐसी अद्भुत और अद्वितीय राजव्यवस्था हर समाज और राष्ट्र की अपेक्षा होती है। राम जैसा पुत्र, राम जैसा मित्र, राम जैसा भाई, राम जैसा पति, राम जैसा पिता, राम जैसा राजा यहाँ तक कि राम जैसा मर्यादित शत्रु भी यहाँ किसे अपेक्षित नहीं? ऐसे विलक्षण मर्यादा पुरुषोत्तम भगवान श्री राम जब अयोध्या की सीमा में पुष्पक विमान के माध्यम से प्रविष्ट होने वाले थे, उससे पूर्व ही महाराज भरत, तीनों राजमाता, शत्रुघ्न, गुरुजन, मंत्रीगण, उनके मित्रादि उनके स्वागत को आतुर खड़े थे। विमान उतरा, प्रभु श्रीराम अपनी भार्या जगतजननी माता सीता और अनुज सौमित्र लक्ष्मण के साथ उतरे तो उनकी ओर सभी प्रतीक्षारत जन भागे, लेकिन श्रीराम अपने नेत्रों में जल लेकर खड़े हुए भाई भरत को देखते रह गए।

श्रीराम, भाई भरत को इतनी तल्लीनता के साथ देख रहे थे कि उनकी ओर बढ़ते सभी लोग सकुचाए अपने स्थान पर ही खड़े रह गए। महाराज भरत अपने प्रभु को देख भावविह्वल हो गए। वैसे भी भरत जी प्रेम का प्रतिरूप ही तो कहे जाते हैं। जहाँ प्रेम हो वहीं निडरता भी होती है इसीलिए भैया भरत के साथ शत्रुघ्न जी सदैव उपस्थित रहते हैं। मर्यादा पुरुषोत्तम भी जहाँ ज्ञान रूपी सागर हैं इसीलिए वैराग्य रूपी सौमित्र लक्ष्मण उनके साथ रहते हैं।

भगवान राम, सभी को छोड़कर भाई भरत की ओर आगे बढ़ते हैं तो भरत जी की तंद्रा टूटती है और वो भी गौधूलि में अपनी गौमाता की ओर दौड़ते बछड़े के समान अपने ईष्ट की ओर दौड़ लगा देते हैं। भगवान राम उन्हें अपनी ओर आता देख बाहें खोल देते हैं लेकिन भरत जी उनके चरणों में पड़ जाते हैं।

अहा !! कैसा मनोरम दृश्य, कितने बड़भागी होते हैं वो जिनके लिए स्वयं प्रभु श्रीराम अपनी भुजाएं खोल स्वागत करते हैं और कितने सौभाग्यशाली वो लोग जिन्हें उनके चरणों में आश्रय मिलता है। कितने ही प्रयासों के बाद, प्रभु ने भरत जी को उठा अपने हृदय से लगा लिया। भरतजी की हिचकियाँ बंद ही नहीं हो रही थीं तो भरत जैसे प्रेमी भक्त को पाकर भगवान के आंसू भी नहीं रुक रहे थे। जब दोनों प्रकृतिस्थ हुए तो राम को अपनी भूल का आभास हुआ और वो दौड़ कर माताओं के चरणों में पड़े। अपने गुरुजनों के साथ मंत्रियों के चरणस्पर्श कर राम अपने बालसखा वशिष्ठपुत्र सुयज्ञ के चरणस्पर्श करने बढे लेकिन सुयज्ञ ने उन्हें इसका अवसर ही नहीं दिया और उनके ह्रदय से लग बिलख कर रोने लगे।

अनेकों वर्षों बाद, आज सभी के मुख पर हँसी थी और नेत्रों से जल बह रहा था। मंत्री सुमंत इतने में रथ ले आये थे। सूर्य के समान दैदीप्यमान रथ पर श्रीराम आरूढ़ हुए। सारथी का स्थान भरत जी ने लिया। शत्रुघ्न ने छत्र पकड़ लिया। चंवर डुलाने के लिए एक ओर सौमित्र लक्ष्मण खड़े हुए तो दूसरी ओर चंवर डुलाने के लिए राक्षसराज और वानरराज लपकते हुए आगे बढे किन्तु यहाँ भाग्य राक्षसराज का प्रबल रहा। अतः रथ के आगे दंड पकड़कर महाराज सुग्रीव चलने लगे। हनुमान जी ने सुझाव दिया कि आप अंगरक्षक के रूप में गजराज पर चढ़कर आगे आगे चलें। सुग्रीव गजराज पर चढ़कर आगे आगे चले और दंड वज्रांगी ने पकड़ लिया। माता सीता सुग्रीव की पत्नियों सहित दूसरे रथ पर चढ़ीं। उन रथों के पीछे सहस्त्रों गजों और अश्वों पर रीक्ष, वानर राक्षस चले। अपनी पलकों में अपने राम की छवि संजोने अयोध्या प्रतीक्षारत थी।

श्रीराम का रथ अयोध्या में प्रवेश करते ही जनता ने हर्ष उद्घोष किया। मंगलगान से वायुमंडल गुंजायमान हो उठा। मंदिरों और घरों से होती शंखध्वनि हो रही थी। कैलाशपति नृत्य करने लगे। देवताओं ने पुष्पवर्षा की।

श्रीराम ने अपने भाइयों सहित अनेक वर्षों तक राज्य किया। सभी राक्षस और वानर अपने राज्यों को लौट गए परन्तु हनुमान श्रीराम को छोड़ जा न सके। माता सीता भी उन्हें पुत्रवत मानती थी। अयोध्यावासियों के नेत्रों में वह दृश्य सदैव-सदैव के लिए चित्रित हो गया जहाँ महाबाहु श्रीराम जगतजननी सीता के साथ सिंहासन पर बैठे हैं, दाएँ-बाएँ दयालु भरत और सौमित्र लक्ष्मण चँवर डुलाते तथा पीछे छत्र पकड़े शत्रुदमन शत्रुघ्न खड़े हैं, और श्रीचरणों में प्रणाम की मुद्रा में हैं रुद्रावतार वज्रांगी।

दीपावली आई है। अयोध्याजी लाखों दीयों से जगमग हैं। धन्य हुई अयोध्याजी !!