Sankatahara chaturthi

As per 

http://forum.spiritualindia.org/sai-baba-bless-all-with-wealth-and-prosperity-t22155.0.html;prev_next=prev#new

"SankaTahara Chathurthi" falls every month on the chavithi (fourth day) after Pournima (full moon day). "SankaTa" means trouble, "hara" means to take it off. You can fast on this day, taking head bath in the morning and not eating in the day till the evening, have thins ke drinking milk and having a fruit, and having food only in the evening after pooja after offering Naivedya to lord Ganesha. You can also have just a one time meal that day or having tiffin at night depending on your ability to fast. God never tells us to do anything that is beyond our capacity or ability. It is up to us.

You can perform this vrat for one time or making a sankalpa to do for 3 / 5 / 7 / times. It is said that number 3 is more dearer to Ganesha and hence 3, 12 or 21 are usually preferred. However, we can take a vow to do what ever number of times i.e, chaturthis we feel like doing.

In the evening, like you do for any vrat, make a mandap and place a photo of Lord Ganesha. In a small plate, separately, place another Ganesh made of Turmeric on a beetle leaf. Light diyas and agarbatti and do the shodasopachara  pooja just like we do for Vinayaka Chaturthi - dhyanam, Avahanam, Asanam.......chanting the Astothram (you can do sahasra nama pooja if you have time) breaking  a coconut and offering plantains and Naivedyam.

Offer "Kudum / Kolakattai / Modakas (rice flour cooked with a tsp of bengal gram dal and tsp of ghee and jeera each and then made into balls and steamed - there are varations in this preparation) as Naivdya. It is preferred to light diya for Lord Vinayaka using Coconut oil. You can also offer some sweets etc again this is all depending on our capacity and ability. Main thing that is required is devotion and shraddha. The next day, place the turmeric ganesha in the 'Tulasi' plant or any other flowering plant that is having green leaves. 

 

 

Sankashtahara Ganapathi Stotram

Telugu

 

English

Meaning of the stotra

Naarada Uvacha
    Sri Naarada says:

praNAmya Shirasaa devam Gauri puthram vinayakam,
bhakthavasam smarennithyam aayushkamarTHa siDDHaye

    With head bowed, let me unceasingly worship in my mind the god Vinayaka, the son of Gauri, the refuge of his devotees, for the complete attainment of longevity, amorous desires and wealth.

praTHamam VakrathunDam Cha Ekadantham dvithiyam
thrutheeyam krushna pingaaksham Gajavakthram ChaturTHakam

    Firstly, as the one with the twisted trunk. Secondly, as the one with the single tusk. Thirdly, as the one with the fawn colored eyes. Fourthly, as the one with the     elephants mouth,

lamboDHaram Panchamamcha SHaSHTam VikaTameva Cha
sapthamam Vighnarajam cha DHoomravarnam thaTHashTakam

    Fifthly, as the pot-bellied one, Sixthly, as the monstrous one, Seventhly, as the king of obstacles, Eighthly, as the smoke colored one

navamam phaalachandram cha Dashamamthu Vinayakam
ekaadasham Ganapathim cha dwaadashamthu Gajananam

    Ninethly, as the moon crested one, Tenthly, as the remover of hindrances, Eleventhly, as the Lord of the hordes, Twelfthly, as the one with the elephants face.

dwadashaitaani Naamaani ThrisanDHyam Yah paTennaraha
na cha viGHna bhayamthasya sarvasiddhikaram param

    Whosoever repeats these twelve names at dawn, noon and sunset, for him there is no fear of failure, nay, there is constant good fortune.

vidyaarthee LaBHate vidyaam DHanarthi Labhate DHanam
PuthrarTHi LaBHate Puthram MoksharTHi Labhate gathim

    He who desires knowledge obtains knowledge. He who desires sons gets sons. He who desires salvation obtains the way.


JapedhGanapathi Stotram ShaDphirmasaihi PHalam LaBHeth
SamvatsareNA Siddhim Cha LaBHate naathra Samshayaha

    Whosoever mutters the hymn to Ganapati reaches his aim in six months, and in a year reaches perfection, on this point there is no doubt.

AshTaanaam BramhaNAnaam Cha Likhitwa Yah Samarpayeth
Thasya Vidya Bhavet Sarva Ganeshasya Prasadathaha

    Whosoever makes eight copies of it, and has them distributed to as many brahmans, he reaches knowledge instantaneously, by the grace of Ganesh.

Ithi Shri Narada Purane Sankashtanashanam Namashri Ganapathi
Stotram Sampoornam

Budget villas in Bangalore - 3

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Budget Villas in Bangalore

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How Varsha Bhawnani turned Vinegar Exports into Rs 12-cr brand

(Varsha Bhawnani)	Does a six-figure salary guarantee a satisfying career? Not for me. In fact, I found my job with a private equity firm to be so mundane that I quit within a year. I had found employment with the Chatterjee Group Real Estate in Mumbai through campus placement at the Indian School of Business in 2004. After quitting, I wanted to explore my creative side through the start-up route, but wasn't interested in a large, capital-intensive set-up. After toying with several business ideas, I finally zeroed in on fashion. I was aesthetically inclined and was good at styling and designing, which, I thought, would prove beneficial. My research in the field revealed a glaring need for an Indian export house that understood fashion. So, instead of sketching designs, I found myself drafting blueprints or business plans to start my own export house.
I finally launched Vinegar Exports in August 2005 from Bandra in Mumbai. Armed with a seed capital of Rs 4-5 lakh, most of which came from my salary bonus and Rs 2 lakh from my family, I bought five sewing machines and hired seven people. At the same time, I had started attending the bi-annual International Garment Trade Fair in Delhi to understand the international markets. It was the perfect platform to showcase my ability and I took along sample designs for display in July 2005, but I didn't get the response I had expected. For the first six months, I struggled to get clients. I got my first big client, a boutique in Spain, in December 2005, which helped me earn Rs 7,000. It was a good development, but the first year of operations shook me up. I realised the importance of fighting for a Rs 10 margin on a garment-I almost went bankrupt trying to save minuscule margins on bulk orders since I knew nothing about manufacturing.
	My learning process, whether it involved taxes or how middlemen ate into profit margins, began when I started handling bulk orders. My family wasn't interested in what I was doing and the only encouragement I got was from my buyers, who believed in my talent despite the fact that I did not have a factory. My revenue for the first year was about Rs 50 lakh. By 2007, the exports had touched 50,000 pieces a month and I figured that it was time to consider expansion. So two-and-a-half years into the business, I rented a small factory at Mahim, Mumbai, and increased the number of machines to 30. I also hired around 100 people, including an accountant, skilled workers, designers and masters. Although I had started servicing bulk orders from brands like Esprit and Zaguar, I failed to strike a deal with the biggies since my small factory wasn't compliant in terms of workforce and infrastructure that such brands require.
After another year, I managed to scale up to 100 machines and hired six freelance designers. By this time, I was exporting garments to the US, Spain, Russia and Dominican Republic. I broke even in 2008, when my turnover touched Rs 6 crore.
	In mid-2008, when the going was good, I decided to put the business of mass production on the backburner and take a more creative path: designing couture and pret collections. For this, I worked with freelance designers from NIFT, Pearl and NID, and put together a collection. I ploughed in Rs 60-70 lakh from the money I had earned as an exporter, and in 2009, I launched Vinegar-the Boutique, in Bangalore and Mumbai. The clothes were priced from Rs 500-6,000. Perhaps pricing was the reason that the business didn't suffer even during the 2009 economic downturn. Four months ago, we closed down the flagship stores since I now want to create exclusive couture and pret lines for high-end clients. I am planning to launch Vinegar as a label in India and have registered it as a brand in Spain and Argentina.
The export house is still going great guns, producing 25,000 pieces a month and selling at a 40% margin. In 2009, we rented another 80-machine factory at Goregaon in Mumbai. Today, we make clothes for brands like Mango and Top Shop, and also design uniforms for Air India SAKS and Grand Hyatt group of hotels in India. I have already received confirmed bulk orders from international buyers worth Rs 12 crore. Meanwhile, I have forayed into image and wardrobe consultancy, tying up with hair stylists, designers, make-up artistes, fitness trainers and dentists under a new couture label, Varsha Bhawnani, to help clients revamp their look or refresh their wardrobe. The charges start at Rs 25,000 and vary according to the client's budget. I've learnt that it is better to follow your passion than to work only for money. If there is passion, money will follow.

Original content at http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-company/corporate-trends/how-varsha-bhawnani-turned-vinegar-exports-into-rs-12-cr-brand/articleshow/11576765.cms?curpg=2

Few things we don't know about Employee Provident Fund (EPF)

Know Your EPF Balance

(Service launched on 01/07/2011)

http://59.180.233.84/epfo/member_balance/member_balance_office_select.php

Example:
For a PF account with Bangalore EPFO in KR Puram,

• Select state as 'Karnataka'

• Click on 'KRPURAM(WHITEFIELD)'

• On the next page, leave 'PY' and 'KRP' as is.  If your PF a/c number is KN/35234/1235 then enter 35234 as the establishment code and 1235 as the account number.  Don't enter anything into the extension.  Enter your name and your mobile number.  No need for +91.  Click on 'Agree' check box and submit.

You will receive the balance on your mobile as sms.

---

Afterall its your money that is lying in the EPFO. Don't neglect it. Keep tracking it; especially if you are a software engineer or somebody who keeps hopping jobs. If you don't have reason to withdraw your PF and want it for your retirement, keep transferring your PF from your old organization to your new organization.
My experience:
I left my first company in 2008. I applied for a PF transfer through my new employer. Only in 2011 I tried to see my PF balance in my new company's PF account; because I came to know about the online balance enquiry (use the link above) in 2011. I was shocked to see that my previous company's PF amount was not credited to this account. I went to the PF office in KR Puram, Bangalore and was told that a document called Annexure K was not sent to PF office along with the DD from my previous company (I dont know whether the previous company didn't send it or the EPFO guys misplaced it). That DD was sent in September 2008 itself. So, for 3 years that amount was not in my name. I am yet to submit the annexure K to EPF office and so don't know if the amount will fetch me any interest for the 3 years. Nobody ever told me that this is the status. You have to go to the PF office and find out what is the status of the transfer you requested. In my case atleast it has moved to some extent without my intervention but in many cases the transfer will not happen at all.
One more thing to know is the new rule: If a PF account doesn't have any deposits in the last 3 years then the amount in that account will no longer get any interest.

Things People should know about Employees Provident Fund

(Original link: http://taxguru.in/finance/things-people-should-know-about-employees-provident-fund.html)
(Original link:http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/personal-finance/savings-centre/analysis/6-provident-fund-secrets-you-did-not-know/articleshow/7436975.cms?curpg=1)

1) Your PF entitles you to pension too

Despite the popularity of the EPF as a saving tool, not many people are enthused by or even aware of the Employees’ Pension Scheme. Introduced in 1995, it is funded by diverting 8.3%, or a little more than a third of your PF contribution. The pension on retirement is linked to the number of years in service and the average salary drawn in the year before retirement.

However, the scheme has failed to draw the EPFO’s 5 crore members because of the measly payouts associated with it. The reason is that since most employers pay PF only on the mandatory salary cap of Rs 6,500 per month, the pension income for a majority of workers is abysmally low, at times, less than Rs 1,000 a month.

It is, however, possible to get a higher pension income. “Good employers like Infosys pay Provident Fund contributions on the entire basic salaries,” says SC Chatterjee, the Central PF Commissioner. “If your basic pay is Rs 30,000 a month, employers can invest 24% of this amount into your PF account. “You will be entitled to a pension on the basis of your actual basic pay rather than Rs 6,500,” he adds.

For salaries up to Rs 6,500:

For salaries up to Rs 6,500, the government also chips in with a subsidy of Rs 75. This added up to Rs 994 crore for all EPF members in 2009-10. Another way smart employers help boost the pension is by raising the worker’s salary in the last year of employment.

“Suppose I earn Rs 25,000 and contribute 8.33% towards EPS. However, on my 57th birthday, my employer can raise my salary to Rs 1 lakh. Since my salary for the last one year will be Rs 1 lakh, I can get a pension of around Rs 50,000. So you can get twice your original salary as pension,” says Chatterjee.

However, for this to happen, the employer should have contributed his share to the Provident Fund on the actual basic salary, not the mandated limit of Rs 6,500 for the entire service period. Though this is not fair to other workers who are part of the pension pool, the pension scheme’s design makes this manipulation possible.

EPS money as a lump sum along with your PF balance

If you don’t want a pension from EPF, you can get the EPS money as a lump sum along with your PF balance. The benefit will not be linked to the actual contributions made, but to your last year’s average salary and the number of years in service.

What if: You retire early, die in harness, change jobs…

If you retire before the age of 58

Even if you stop working before reaching the age of superannuation, you can avail of pension benefits. However, you shouldn’t be less than 50 years of age. Also, the pension amount will be reduced by 2% for every year. So, if after working for 25 years, you take retirement at 50, your pension amount should be Rs 2,321 per month. But as you left service eight years before the age of superannuation, your pension will be reduced by 16%—it will be Rs 1,950.

If you have worked for less than 10 years

If you have completed less than 10 years of service, you can avail of the pension as a lump sum by opting for the withdrawal benefit. This amount will be provided to you on the basis of your annual contribution to the pension fund multiplied by the number of years that you have completed in service. You will also be entitled to a small interest on this amount, again depending on the number of years that you have been in service.

If you die before retiring

If you die while you are employed with an organization, your pension benefit is not lost. Your legal heirs will be entitled to a pension, which is a maximum of Rs 1,000 per month (Rs 750 for spouse and Rs 250 for two children till they turn 25).

However, you should have put in a minimum of one month’s service to avail of this benefit. Also, the widow will not be entitled to a pension if she marries again, while dependent parents will be if the employee has no eligible family or has made no nomination.

If you change jobs

When you change jobs, and shift you PF account, your pension doesn’t automatically get transferred. You need to apply for a scheme certificate through Form 10C and route it through the new employer. The certificate has details of the previous employer and years of pension contribution.

“The PF account is linked to an individual, but the EPS scheme is pool-based and can’t be started all over again. So when you change jobs, your earlier service is not considered and it reduces the pension amount,” says Chatterjee.

2) Insurance benefits

Besides a monthly stream of income, the EPF subscription entitles you to an insurance cover on your life through the Employees’ Deposit Linked Insurance (EDLI) scheme. For this, your organisation contributes 0.5% of your monthly basic pay, capped at Rs 6,500, as premium.

Till recently the insurance amount was entirely linked to the balance in your PF. According to the new rules, your cover amount is higher of the two: 20 times the average wages of the past 12 months (up to Rs 6,500 per month), that is Rs 1,30,000, or the full amount in your PF account up to Rs 50,000 and 40% of the balance amount.

3) Claim interest on withdrawn amount

The EPF rate has to be declared at the beginning of every financial year so that all members withdrawing or retiring from the system through the year get the interest that is due to them. But in recent years, the EPF rate has become a matter of prolonged political debate and is often declared and notified much after the end of the financial year.

Till the rate is notified for a particular year, workers’ withdrawals are credited at the previous year’s rate. For instance, in 2010-11, the Labour Ministry announced a rate of 9.5%, but it is yet to be notified. So, lakhs of workers, whose PF claims have been settled so far, have lost out on the 1% increase over last year’s rate of 8.5%.

The Central PF Commissioner admits this is a problem, but has promised that his department will pay the difference to all the affected members. “If you have withdrawn your PF balance during this year while the government hasn’t notified the PF rate, you can approach your PF office later to pay you the higher interest rate on the balance,” says Chatterjee.

If, on the other hand, your claim is not settled within 30 days of applying, you can move the court. If it is established that the delay was due to ‘inadequate reasons’, you will be entitled to an interest on the balance at the rate of 1% for every month of delay.

4) Use EPF to fund the following

Have you finally zeroed in on your dream house but are running short of funds? Or perhaps your child’s education cost is more than you had planned for? At such times, it’s easy to fall back on your EPF savings. While you cannot withdraw the entire corpus to fund such needs, you can do so partially for specific occasions, such as children’s education, marriages, or for buying a house or a plot of land.

Go through the following list to find out when you can avail of this facility, the amount you can withdraw and the conditions you need to fulfill.

Marriage or education of self, children or siblings

• You should have completed a minimum of seven years of service.
• The maximum amount you can draw is 50% of your contribution (12% of the basic salary).
• You can avail of it three times in your working life.
• You will have to submit the wedding invite or a certified copy of the fee payable to the educational institution.

Medical treatment for Self or family (spouse, children, dependent parents)

• You can avail of it for major surgical operations in a hospital or by those suffering from TB, leprosy, paralysis, cancer, mental derangement or heart ailments.
• The maximum amount you can draw is six times your salary or the entire contribution made by you till date, whichever is less.
• You must show proof of hospitalization for one month or more with leave certificate for that period from your employer. You must also prove that you are not a member of the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation or are unable to use its facilities for surgery/treatment.

Repay a housing loan for a house in the name of self, spouse or owned jointly

• You should have completed at least 10 years of service.
• You are eligible to withdraw an amount that is up to 36 times your wages.

Alterations/repairs to an existing home for house in the name of self, spouse or jointly

• You need a minimum service of five years (10 years for repairs) after the house was built/bought.
• You can draw up to 12 times the wages, only once.

Damage due to natural calamity

• You can withdraw up to Rs 5,000 or 50% of your contribution to the provident fund.
• You have to apply within four months of the calamity.
• As proof, you need a certificate of damage from the requisite authority and a calamity declaration by the state government.

Construction or purchase of house or flat/site or plot for self or spouse or joint ownership

• You should have completed at least five years of service.
• The maximum amount you can avail of is 36 times your wages. To buy a site or plot, the amount is 24 times your salary.
• Can be availed just once during the entire service.

Equipment purchased by physically handicapped employees

• You can draw up to six months’ basic salary and dearness allowance, or your share of PF contribution with interest, or the cost of equipment.
• You will have to submit a medical certificate.

5) Premature withdrawal

Under the EPF Act, you cannot withdraw the full amount in your provident fund account before the age of superannuation. However, if you suffer permanent and complete disability or are moving abroad to settle, you can withdraw this amount. It is also possible to do so in case of mass retrenchment by the employer.

If, however, you retire voluntarily before you are 55 years old, you cannot withdraw the full amount. Under normal circumstances, you can withdraw up to 90% of the fund amount after you turn 54 or within one year of actual retirement or superannuation, whichever is earlier.

6) Have your grievances addressed

The EPF Organization has a grievance redressal mechanism in place and it is covered under the Consumer Protection Act. The process of registering your grievance is simple. All you have to do is log on to epfigms.gov.in/. Since late last year, the EPFO has become a part of the Centralized Public Grievances Redressal and Monitoring System, which allows you to register the grievances and track their status online.

It’s a centralized system, so all your complaints are also monitored by the head office. “We reply to all the grievance within 30 days of their receipt. If someone is not satisfied with the response, he/she can come and meet me,” says Chatterjee.