The number 108
108 is an important number for various religions. As a kid, my grandma used to ask me to wash my legs and sit before the deities with a lamp lit to provide light for the deities- we did not electric connection at our village home those days. She used to insists that I should chant Namassivaaya 108 times. In my anxiety to keep count, sometimes I used to finish by saying one hundred and six. one hundred and seven and one hundred and eight instead of chanting Namassivaaya and keeping the count on my fingers ! I used to be scolded roundly by my grandma when ever she observed such aberration.
Like our elders who have rudraaksha malas with 108 beads, devout Muslim brethren in Middle East use rosettes with 108 beads to keep count of the pious verses they chant. I have found several people praying mentally while moving rosette bead by bead between the thumb and index fingers.
Palitana in Gujarat is the most important religious place for Swetahmbhar jains and there is a series of temples spread over a hillock which takes a few hours to cover on foot. The first temple in this series has 108 statues of saints and is popularly known among the locals as Ek sow aat mandir.
In the last few weeks I have come across the number 108 associated with contentious issues. The Women's Reservation bill has passed the muster in the Rajya Sabha. Now it has to battle its way through Lok Sabha for being a part of the constitution. There is a pitched battle going on between various groups of political parties on the desirability or otherwise of Women's Reservation Bill. If this Bill goes through Lok Sabha, it will be the 108th Amendment to Indian constitution.
The holy number 108 has got struck in the midst of the IPL imbroglio. Multi Screen Media ( formerly Soni Entertainment Television ) has the television right for 10 years for a consideration of USD 819 million. Multi Screen Media has paid US $ 80 million as facilitation to World Spots Group as "facilitation fee" for securing this ten year contract from IPL authorities. In addition, Multi Screen Media has committed to spend US $ 108 millions promoting IPL event !
The three digit telephone number 108 in some states in India was nearly strangulated in the second week of 2009 due a earth shattering "riding the tiger" disclosure by an information technology czar and managed to survive with scar marks around its neck. Now this number seems to be in trouble in some other spheres as well.
Like our elders who have rudraaksha malas with 108 beads, devout Muslim brethren in Middle East use rosettes with 108 beads to keep count of the pious verses they chant. I have found several people praying mentally while moving rosette bead by bead between the thumb and index fingers.
Palitana in Gujarat is the most important religious place for Swetahmbhar jains and there is a series of temples spread over a hillock which takes a few hours to cover on foot. The first temple in this series has 108 statues of saints and is popularly known among the locals as Ek sow aat mandir.
In the last few weeks I have come across the number 108 associated with contentious issues. The Women's Reservation bill has passed the muster in the Rajya Sabha. Now it has to battle its way through Lok Sabha for being a part of the constitution. There is a pitched battle going on between various groups of political parties on the desirability or otherwise of Women's Reservation Bill. If this Bill goes through Lok Sabha, it will be the 108th Amendment to Indian constitution.
The holy number 108 has got struck in the midst of the IPL imbroglio. Multi Screen Media ( formerly Soni Entertainment Television ) has the television right for 10 years for a consideration of USD 819 million. Multi Screen Media has paid US $ 80 million as facilitation to World Spots Group as "facilitation fee" for securing this ten year contract from IPL authorities. In addition, Multi Screen Media has committed to spend US $ 108 millions promoting IPL event !
The three digit telephone number 108 in some states in India was nearly strangulated in the second week of 2009 due a earth shattering "riding the tiger" disclosure by an information technology czar and managed to survive with scar marks around its neck. Now this number seems to be in trouble in some other spheres as well.
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