May the New Year bring you closer to achieving your goals

|| Vakratunda Mahaakaaya
Suryakoti Samaprabha
Nirvighnam Kuru Mey Deva
Sarva Kaaryeshu Sarvadaa ||

( Oh Lord with a curved trunk and a mighty body who has the luster of a million suns, I pray to thee to remove the obstacles from all the actions I intend to perform)

It’s rather unusual to begin a New Year determined by the Gregorian calendar with an invocation to a Hindu God. However, I am Indian and for centuries my country has embraced all that is good, and celebrated festivals of all faiths. There are misunderstandings and instances of intolerance, but we’ve stayed together and my hope is we will stay united.

New Year is still a few days away, but I would like to wish all my fellow humans good luck in their endeavor to achieve goals they set for themselves – whether it’s conservationists who fight battles for all that truly matters, peacekeepers in different parts of the world, scientists trying to conquer new frontiers, or NGOs that teach us to care for others. Or people like you and me, whose goals just help us take that next step towards realizing our dreams. Whatever good it is that you’re wishing for, I hope Lord Ganesh removes all the obstacles in your path.

Halebidu in Karnataka is an outstanding example of Indian temple architecture. Here, Lord Ganesh (aka Ganapati) strikes a pose