India HeraldWeb: www.india-herald.com • Email: editor@india-herald.com • Tel: 281-980-6746

Diwali 2014

Diwali, the “festival of lights” is the most impor-tant festival for Hindus around the globe. The leg-ends behind the festival are as varied as the man-ner of its celebration, but common to all of them is the theme of the triumph of good over evil. Ev-erywhere Diwali symbolizes the lifting of spiritual darkness and ushers light. In due course of time, numerous historical incidents got connected with this festival. Various legends are attributed to this festival and the reasons for celebration diff er in dif-ferent regions of the country.

In the north, particularly in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Bihar and the surrounding areas, Diwali is the day when King Rama`s coronation was celebrat-ed in Ayodhya after his epic war with Ravana, the demon king of Lanka.

Lord Rama was a great warrior King who was ex-iled by his father Dashratha, the King of Ayodhya, along with his wife Sita and his younger brother Lakshman, on his wife’s insistence. Lord Rama re-turned to his Kingdom Ayodhya after 14 years of ex-ile, in which he put an end to the demon Ravana of Lanka, who was a great Pundit, highly learned but still evil dominated his mind. After this victory of Good over Evil, Rama returned to Ayodhya. In Ayod-hya, the people welcomed them by lighting rows of clay lamps. So, it is an occasion in honor of Rama’s

victory over Ravana; of Truth’s victory over Evil. King Bali and Vamana Avatar (the Dwarf):

The other story concerns King Bali, who was a generous ruler. But he was also very ambitious. Some of the Gods pleaded Vishnu to check King Bali’s power. Vishnu came to earth in the form of a Vamana (dwarf ) dressed as priest. The dwarf ap-proached King Bali and said “You are the ruler of the three worlds: the Earth, the world above the skies and the underworld. Would you give me the space that I could cover with three strides?” King Bali laughed. Surely a dwarf could not cover much ground, thought the King, who agreed to dwarf’s request. At this point, the dwarf changed into Vish-nu and his three strides covered the Earth, the Skies and the whole Universe! King Bali was send to the underworld. As part of Diwali celebrations, some Hindus remember King Bali.

NarakasuraAnother legend talks about the Demon named

Narakasur who had managed to acquire such awe-some powers that he began to terrorize the three worlds. He was killed and defeated by Lord Krishna. As a symbol of that victory Lord Krishna smeared his forehead with the demon king’s blood. Krishna returned home early morning on the day of Nara-kachaturdashi. The womenfolk massaged scented

oil on his body and gave him a bath to wash away the demon’s blood. Since then the custom of taking an oil bath before sunrise on this day has become a traditional practice especially in Maharashtra and in the South.

Goddess Lakshmi On this day Mother Lakshmi emerged from the

ocean of milk called the Ksheer Sagar. She brought with Her wealth and prosperity for mankind. On that day, Lakshmi Pooja was performed to honour Her and as such, every year on Diwali day, Hindus perform Her prayer and worship. The making and distribution of various sweets and total vegetarian foods are the order of the day. This practice is alive and well to this very day. Many people believe that Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth and good fortune, visit the homes of devotees on this day. Worship of Lakshmi is performed in the evening.

In rural areas, Diwali signifi es Harvest Festival. Di-wali which occurs at the end of a cropping season has along with the above custom, a few others that reinforce the hypothesis of its having originated as a harvest. Every harvest normally spelt prosperity. The celebration was fi rst started in India by farm-ers after they reaped their harvests. They celebrat-ed with joy and off ered praises to God for granting them a good crop.

PAGE 2 • INDIA HERALD • DIWALI 2014

Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 1 1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11 12 13 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 7 8 9 10 11 12 1314 15 16 17 18 19 20 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 14 15 16 17 18 19 2021 22 23 24 25 26 27 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 21 22 23 24 25 26 2728 29 30 26 27 28 29 30 31 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 28 29 30 31

30January 1st: New Year's Day, January 20th: Martin Luther King Day, February 17th: Presidents' Day, Data provided 'as is' without warrantyMay 26th: Memorial Day, July 4th: Independence Day, September 1st: Labor Day, October 13th: Columbus DayNovember 11th: Veterans Day, November 27th: Thanksgiving Day, December 25th: Christmas Day © www.calendarpedia.com

2015

September October November December

Sep 07 Onam; Sep 09 Pitr-Paksha begins; Sep 24 Pitr-Paksha ends; Sep 25 Navaratri begins; Sep 30 Durga Puja begins ; Oct 03 Navaratri ends;

Oct 04 Dusshera Oct 11 Karva Chauth Oct 21 Dhan Teras Oct 22 Naraka Chaturdasi; Oct 23 Diwali/Laxmi Pooja; Oct 24 Govardhan Puja; Gujarati New Year; Oct 25 Bhai Duj;

Oct 29 Chhat Puja; Nov 6 Guru Nanak Jayanti; Nov 24 Guru Tegh Bahadur’s Martyrdom Day; Dec 24 Christmas Eve; Dec 25Christmas; Dec 31 New Year’s Eve.

Jan 15 Sankranthi, Pongal; Jan 14 Tamil New Year; Feb 24 Vasant Panchami; Feb 17 Maha Shivaratri; March 4 Holi; Mar 20 Gudi Padwa/Ugadi; March 28 Ramanavami;

April 2 Mahavir Jayanthi; April 3 Hanuman Jayanthi; Apr 14 Solar New Year/Baisakhi / Vishu; Apri 20 Akshaya Tritiy; May 03 Buddha Purnima; July 30 Guru Purnima;

Aug 19 Nag Panchami; Aug. 28 Onam ; Aug 29 Raksha-Bandhan; Sept 5 Krishna Janmashtami; Sept 17 Ganesh Chaturthi; Oct 21 Durgashtami, Maha Navami ;

Oct 22 Dusshera; Oct 30 Karva Chauth; Nov 8 Dhan Teras; Nov 10 Naraka Chaturdasi; Nov 11 Diwali, Lakshmi Puja; Nov 25 Kartik Poornima.

(Hindu Festivals depend on location and might diff er for two cities and diff erence is quite noticeable for cities in diff erent time zone. This list is for Houston)

India Herald Calendar

2014 -15

Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 5 6 7 8 9 10 1111 12 13 14 15 16 17 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 12 13 14 15 16 17 1818 19 20 21 22 23 24 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 19 20 21 22 23 24 2525 26 27 28 29 30 31 29 30 31 26 27 28 29 30

Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 1

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 2 3 4 5 6 7 810 11 12 13 14 15 16 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 9 10 11 12 13 14 1517 18 19 20 21 22 23 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 16 17 18 19 20 21 2224 25 26 27 28 29 30 28 29 30 26 27 28 29 30 31 23 24 25 26 27 28 2931 30 31

January February March April

May June July August

713-974-0555

For total solutions of your individual and business needs

www.devcpa.com

9700 Richmond Avenue,

Suite 127

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Devesh Pathak, CPA

Phone: 832-419-7576

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INDIA HERALD • DIWALI 2014 • PAGE 3

Amir Dodhiya, Agent

Amiralli Dodhiya (AMIR)AgentNew York Life Insurance Company13135 Dairy Ashford Rd, Ste 550,Sugar Land, TX 77478Ph: 832-877-0177adodhiya@ft.newyorklife.com

(SMRU: 491820 11/1/2014)

Houston, TX, Oct 10, 2014 – Outstanding client service, ethics and professionalism have elevated Amiralli Dodhiya (Amir) of the Houston G.O, Sugar Land Sales Offi ce of New York Life to qualify for the exclusive “Court of the Table” of the Million Dol-lar Round Table — The Premier Association of Financial Professionals ®. In addition to being a New York Life agent Amiralli Dodhiya is a 6-year MDRT member and a Court of the Table qualifi er.

“Leading the MDRT’s membership ranks for 60 years speaks to the unwavering dedication of New York Life’s family of agents as well as to our industry leading training program. Our agents are unsurpassed in providing families and businesses with extraordinary professionalism and outstanding service year after year, and in upholding the professional standards set by generations of agents before them,” said Mark Pfaff, co-president of the Insurance and Agency Group, New York Life. “I am proud that we have attained this level of achievement for sixty consecutive years and I want to thank all of our agents and managers past and present for helping us reach this level of success.”

Achieving Court of the Table status places Mr. Dodhiya among the top profession-als in the global life insurance and fi nancial services industry. He is recognized for demonstrating exceptional professional knowledge, client service and ethical con-duct.

Founded in 1927, the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT), The Premier Associa-tion of Financial Professionals®, is an international, independent association of nearly 42,729 of the world’s leading life insurance and fi nancial services professionals from more than 473 companies in 71 countries. MDRT members demonstrate exceptional professional knowledge, strict ethical conduct and outstanding client service. MDRT membership is recognized internationally as the standard of sales excellence in the life insurance and fi nancial services business. Please visit MDRT’s website at www.mdrt.org for more information.

New York Life Insurance Company, a Fortune 100 company founded in 1845, is the largest mutual life insurance company in the United States* and one of the largest life insurers in the world. New York Life has the highest possible fi nancial strength ratings currently awarded to any life insurer from all four of the major credit rating agencies: A.M. Best (A++), Fitch (AAA), Moody’s Investors Service (Aaa), Standard & Poor’s (AA+).** Headquartered in New York City, New York Life’s family of companies offers life insurance, retirement income, investments and long-term care insurance. New York Life Investments*** provides institutional asset management and retirement plan services. Other New York Life affi liates provide an array of secu-rities products and services, as well as retail mutual funds.

New York Life Agent AMIRALLI DODHIYA Qualifies For Million Dollar Round Table’s “COURT OF THE TABLE”New York Life Leads Million Dollar Round Table for the 60th Consecutive Year

Please visit New York Life’s Web site at www.newyorklife.com for more information.

* Based on revenue as reported by “Fortune 500, ranked within Indus-tries, Insurance: Life, Health (Mu-tual),” Fortune magazine, June 16, 2014. See http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2013/faq/?iid=F500_sp_method%20 for methodology.

** Individual independent rating agency commentary as of 8/13/14.

*** New York Life Investments is a service mark used by New York Life Investment Management Holdings LLC and its subsidiary, New York Life Investment Management LLC.

PAGE 4 • INDIA HERALD • DIWALI 2014

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Aries (A,L,E) 21 March to 20 AprilGeneral Forecast: The year ahead indicates great suc-

cess in all aspects of life. You need to defend your position assertively at times. In general the year would be one of calm and harmony. Keep your balance in all aspects.Health: Your health would be better than the previous

few years, thanks to your new emotional make-up. You are bound more by family ties than ever and this helps you to tick on a positive note. Love Life: Radical changes can be expected in this area

at the end of the year. For singles, time is ripe to locate your ideal other half. Job/Business/Career: Success is yours for the asking

this year. Your greatest asset is your socializing nature. You would be able to achieve your goal this year in the professional fi eld without much effort. Trust your instincts and this would be the best time to excel in your fi eld. Taurus (B,V,U)21 April to 20 MayGeneral Forecast: Weight down your past misfortunes,

confront the present and create a secure future for you and your loved ones. A peaceful year is in for you. Your ap-proach to anything in the personal or professional fi eld would be much softer and lighter. Others around you will be surprised to see a great change in you. Health: Health would fare better for you when compared

to the previous year. Your energy levels increase this year on a positive note. Enjoy life and take a positive stance in whatever you do. Love Life: Your attitude towards your partner is likely to

change altogether, You will learn the intricacies involved in expressing your love concerns. Singles have a positive period ahead for locating an ideal partner for life. Pleasant moments in the love fi eld are forecast for you this year. Job/Business/Career: Your relationships with authori-

ties and peers would be strengthened and your knowledge base in the area of interest would be widened. Any instabil-ity in the professional fi eld that had been haunting you for quite some time now will vanish into thin air. Hard work will pay rich dividends during the course of the year.

Gemini (K,CHH,GH) 21 May to 20 JuneGeneral Forecast: The year ahead will help you to di-

versify your interests on a large scale. More opportunities will come in for rest and relaxation and thus you would be able to revitalize your inner spirits. Health: Your health needs utmost care for the year

ahead. Your approach towards hygiene, diet and exercise will take on a new meaning. But it does not mean that you would escape minor ailments. They will continue to bother you throughout the year.Love Life: A better harmonious period awaits you with

your partner towards the middle of the year. Do not forget the road you had already travelled, past partners might be lurking around, hence maintain a note of caution.Job/Business/Career: Teamwork rather than an indi-

vidual approach would be rewarding in the career front for you this year. Success is on the cards when you work with a group with common interests. Do take time to listen to other’s opinion and ideas. Try not to earn the wrath of authorities and colleagues in the work fi eld.

Cancer (D,H) 21 June to 22 JulyGeneral Forecast: No more Stop signs, Only Green

signals in all directions of life. You would be able to over-come all obstacles that seemed to be unconquerable till now. It would be an optimistic period for you with much fanfare and occasions to celebrate at home and work. Health: Your energy levels need to be increased for bet-

ter prospects in life. Patience is much needed for this pe-riod as also a tab of your diet and exercise. Quit all the bad habits you have related to health. The end of the year will see a new you thanks to your radical changes in the health front.Love Life: Show patience in relationships and you will

strengthen the bond with your partner. Reconciliations and rapprochements will pass off peacefully. Some sacrifi ce is needed in your area of relationships.Job/Business/Career: Immense opportunities, to per-

fect yourself and your creativity to a new order in the work fi eld. Hard work done diligently will pay you with good rewards. Certain relationship problems will creep in with your authorities and peers during the middle of the year.

Leo (M) 23 July to 22 AugustGeneral Forecast: You ought to take the much-needed

break. Your creativity will be at it best this period. Put it into good use for fi nancial or monetary benefi ts. Take a

resolution not to hurt anyone around you. This is not a time to lie still. Health: The year would not be that great as far as your

general health trends are concerned. Your past die-hard habits will bring some unwanted health issues. Take some time off now and then to retreat into your own shell that will rejuvenate you for the long run. Love Life: Make sure you do not make matters worse

by complicating them. The middle of the year might see you in diffi cult and troublesome situations, but do not lose your control of matters. The end of the year will see things smoothen out and the long term future with your partner seems secure.Job/Business/Career: Career will remain satisfactory

and pleasant throughout the year for you. Not much of a toil would be needed but stay in track for the year ahead. Some amount of socializing will also help in the profes-sional fi eld. Delays and hindrances probable for career related promotions and changes.

Virgo (P) 23 August to 22 SeptemberGeneral Forecast: This year will see you settle down

in life, you will be starting a long-awaited venture. Do not run from contracts that are hard to achieve. The hard toil put in will be rewarded eventually. The end of the year might see you in a painful situation that might cause a per-manent mark in your relationship. Beware of the wolf in sheep’s clothing.Health: The planetary positions are favorable for you so

that there are no concerns in the fi eld of health. Mental health will be in harmony once you wean off your bad feelings and direct your energies for positive changes.Love Life: You need emotional support, a shoulder to

hang on when in need. Now that you have much experi-ence, you can make up your mind on what’s good for you and what’s not.Job/Business/Career: New Venture & partnership of-

fers will follow you but Overseeing deadlines might tar-nish your image for the worst. Concentrate on the work at hand and get goodwill of authorities and peers.

Libra (R,T)23 Sept to 22 OctGeneral Forecast: Accelerated growth is likely in all

spheres. Your internal security might be at risk and hence maintain caution in this sphere. Better safety is assured when you consolidate matters at hand. You will get into a more spiritual phase in life. Move your projects in a posi-tive direction for better results. Health: Your energy levels would be high this year and

so would be your spirits. But do not strain too much as you might end up losing steam towards the end of the year. You might think you can move mountains but even turn-ing a molehill would become tiring.Love Life: Do not make important decisions related to

relationships; instead make efforts to strengthen the bonds that have been already made. Doubts and misunderstand-ings are to be avoided at all costs.Job/Business/Career: Your projects are likely to move

in a positive direction. Team efforts will give good rewards hence go with the a fl ow. A change of authority might hamper your performance. Do not heed to this and instead move at your own pace. Do some research in your area of interest which might be benefi cial for the long run.

Scorpio (N,Y)23 Oct to 21 NovGeneral Forecast: A new positive & successful life

will start, Your ambitions and ideals materialize. But oc-casional hiccups cannot be ruled out now and then. A lot of positive developments are likely to take place in your life this year. Reinforce your ideals and remain fi rm on your thoughts and actions. Your creativity and imagina-tion would be at their best and hence put it into proper use. Channel them into a profi table deal.Health: Lots of improvement in health is indicated.

Avoid fatty foods to a greater extent. Love Life: New romance will start fl owing in your life

& you will forget all the pains of past year. Your relation-ship area will defi nitely have a conducive atmosphere for positive developments.Job/Business/Career: You have the guts to bring suc-

cess in your professional life. But of late, particularly the previous year, you were lying low with a dead spirit. Reju-venate your thoughts and come out of your shell. Develop your deeds in a positive direction, new initiatives can be taken without any second thoughts.

Sagittarius (BH,F,DH,TH)22 Nov to 21 DecGeneral Forecast: Cautious Tone ahead, think twice with

patience, don’t rush for any important decisions. Your stars are entering in new cycle, so follow the fl ow with open

eyes. This will be a good learning period of your life.Health: You need to take the health matter much respon-

sibly for the year ahead else you might land in the hands ofa doc. But generally your health seems satisfactory. Love Life: You need to view your relations with partner

from a new angle. Your partner would be able to under-stand you deeply on a more romantic note. Communica-tions need to controlled and censored. Make all efforts topatch up the torn parts of your relationship.Job/Business/Career: The year would be a year of tri-

als and troubles in the career front. Change is formidablefor you during the year. You ought to take quick decisionsas challenges come in now and then. New ventures couldbear fruit.

Capricorn (KH,J)22 Dec to 20 JanGeneral Forecast: Most of your objectives in the per-

sonal and professional fi eld would be met in time. Thoughperiodic troubles are possible, most of the year would besmooth. A partnership will have a major infl uence on youin the year ahead.Health: Your general health remains satisfactory. Focus

your energy in the positive direction. Recharge your bat-teries.Love Life: Eligible candidates will meet their soulmate

& it will lead to engagement & marriage. Married coupleswill be gifted with some kind of good news very soon.Job/Business/Career: Some change in your job/business

is due & your ambitions will soar to a new high thanks tothe planetary infl uences is expected, so be prepared.

Aquarius (G,S,SH) 21 Jan to 19 FebGeneral Forecast: Conditions will become favorable

for you to enjoy and experience pleasure in all its forms.Long awaited good news will start coming in. Things willstart moving smoothly, though a little late.Health: Ward off unwanted tensions and focus your en-

ergy on the positive side of life. Recharge your life withinand take healthy food and do not miss on your regular ex-ercise routines.Love Life: An intensely emotional period awaits you.

But beware of the mood changes of your partner. A clearstudy of the partner’s personality is advised.Job/Business/Career: Focus all your energy in one

direction so that your interests see the light. A change ofattitude would be much needed for professional growth.Some help will come from those near you for career de-velopment.

Pisces (D,CH,Z)20 Feb to 20 MarchGeneral Forecast: Your course of life would be changed

dramatically for the best and your role in the family andprofession would be reinforced to a greater extent. Yourrelationships will take centre-stage and you will seem tobe more useful to the society than ever before in life. Health: Tiredness and boredom might dampen your

spirits for which you ought to take occasional retreats. Agood balance between food, exercise and work will seeyou in the pink of health for the whole year ahead. Love Life: Listening rather than talking to one’s partner

is a must which would help you to balance the relationshipso that the bonds are kept intact without any damage. Tryto understand the feelings of your partner and maintainyour cool. If single a better phase awaits you this year.Job/Business/Career: You would climb up the ladder of

profession now. It is time for you to assert your capabilitiesin the work fi eld. Determination is the key- word to suc-ceed in your profession. A diplomatic approach is muchneeded now. Your new ideas and ambitions will succeed.But be cautious in partnership.

DIWALI 2014 TO DIWALI 2015 FORECAST By Hardik Vyas

Hardik Vyas: Astrologer, Vaastu & Gem Stone Consultant

Cell: 832-298-9950

INDIA HERALD • DIWALI 2014 • PAGE 5

PAGE 6 • INDIA HERALD • DIWALI 2014

By John W VargheseReal Estate is one of the invest-

ments options for anyone to grow wealth.

This is a good time to invest be-cause of the combination of low in-terest rates and low purchase price where investors can get approxi-mately 8% or higher rate of return on investment.

Due to the number of people relo-cating to Houston, house prices are likely to go up in the future so it's a great time to buy now.

The interest rate on bank deposits are very low, as you know, compared to the rate of return with real estate.

Being busy with their career people often worry about the time and pain that comes along with maintaining the property, Keep in mind, though, that every job /career has its own chal-lenges; however, it all boils down to the attitude what we have. The good news is that you can get a property manager to take care of all the prop-erty maintenance responsibility.

Start with a primary home - if you are renting right now, there is no rea-son to pay someone else's mortgage.

Americans today are more likely to think real estate is the best option for long-term investments than in the past, ranking it ahead of gold and stocks,

according to a recent Gallup poll. Gallup's April 3-6 Economy and Personal Finances poll that asked Americans to choose the best option for long-term investments: real estate, stocks and mutual funds, gold, sav-ings accounts and CDs, or bonds. Prior to 2011, Gallup asked the same question, but did not include gold as an option.

the question, half of Americans said real estate was the best in-vestment choice.

Stock values have also been improving in recent years, aid-ed particularly by the bull mar-ket in 2013. The 24% of Amer-icans who regard stocks as the best long-term investment is also higher now, up from 19% in 2012. Still, Americans are modestly more likely to say real estate is the better invest-ment today, perhaps because of the recent volatility in the stock market.

Lower-income Americans, those living in households with less than $30,000 in annual income, are the most likely to say gold is the best long-term investment choice, at 31%. Upper-income Americans are the least likely to name gold, at 18%.

Upper-income Americans are much more likely to say real estate and stocks are the best investment, possibly be-cause of their experience with these types of investments. Upper-income Americans are most likely to say they own their home, at 87%, followed by middle (66%) and lower-in-come Americans (36%). Gallup found that homeowners (33%) are slightly more likely than renters (24%) to say real estate is the best choice for long-term investments.

Americans between 18 and

29 years old are almost evenly split, with about one-quarter each saying real estate, stocks, gold, and savings accounts are the best choices for long-term investments. However, the 23% who said savings accounts is much higher than the percentage who gave this same answer in older age groups.

With housing prices improving across the country, Ameri-cans are regaining faith that real estate is the best choice for long-term investments. But home ownership is also associ-ated with views of real estate as an attractive investment op-portunity. This leaves groups with lower home ownership rates, like lower-income and younger Americans, still looking elsewhere for investment options.

Likewise, stock values have been improving and Ameri-cans are more likely now than in recent years to say stocks are the best investment, though more still choose real estate. That could be partly attributable to more Americans owning a home than owning stocks, but could also be related to recent volatility in stocks this year, especially during the time the sur-vey was conducted.

Different investment options historically offer different lev-els of risk and different rewards. Savings accounts and bonds are historically safe, but do not offer as high of returns, and Americans typically don't regard those as the best invest-ments. While stocks can be more volatile, they also can of-fer huge returns. What Americans view as the best choice for investing refl ects myriad factors and is infl uenced by how the investment is currently performing and respondents' biases to-ward where they are invested.

Americans Sold on Real Estate as Best Long-Term Investment

Gold was the most popular long-term investment among Americans in 2011 -- a time when gold was at its highest market price and real es-tate and stock values were lower than they are today. Gold prices dropped signifi cantly after that and it lost favor with Americans. The 24% of Americans who currently name gold as the best long-term investment ties with the 24% who choose stocks.

Bonds have been Americans' least favored investment option for as long as Gallup has been asking the ques-tion. Savings accounts and CDs, on the other hand, have been more pop-ular in the past. In September 2008, before gold was an option and at a time when the real estate and stock markets were tanking, savings ac-counts were the most popular long-term investment among Americans.

This year, the housing market has been improving across the U.S. and home prices have recently been ris-ing after a steep drop in 2007 dur-ing the subprime mortgage crisis. This current improvement in prices may be why more Americans now consider real estate the best option for long-term investments. In 2002, during the real estate boom that pre-ceded the mortgage crisis, and be-fore gold was offered as an option in

John W Varghese NMLS # 349182Real Estate Broker / Partner

Stanley John Realtors920 FM 1092 (Murphy Rd) # 205

• Stafford, TX 77477. 832-877-5545 (direct) or 281-969-8701 (offi ce).

KaranjiDIWALI SWEETS

Dilkushar or Mohanthal

Kalakand

Ingredients for outer covering: 1 heaped cup Maida, 1/4 cup fi ne Rawa, a pinch of Salt. Oilo for deep fry-ing.For fi lling: 1/2 cup Fried gram (chutney dal) pow-

der, 1/3 cup grated dry Coconut powder, 1/2 cup + 3 tbsp powdered Sugar, 1 tbsp khus-khus, 3 tbsp Cashews,fi nely chopped; 1/4 tsp cardamom powder, a few strands of saffron.Method: Mix maida,rawa,salt with enough water to

form a stiff dough (the consistency of puri dough). Cov-er with a wet cloth and keep aside for half an hour.Meanwhile, mix all the ingredients for fi lling fried

gram powder, grated dry coconut, powdered sugar, cardamom powder, poppy seeds and chopped cashews nicely in a bowl and keep it aside.Now, knead the dough well again to make it soft and

pliable. Meanwhile, heat oil in a kadai. Make small lime-sized balls with the dough and roll it out into very thin chapathis of 4” dia. Roll as thin as possible. You can sprinkle maida on the rolling board for easy rolling. Take the karanji mould and slightly grease the edges with little oil and place the rolled chapati on top of it.Place 1 tbsp of fi lling on one side of the partition and

wet the edges slightly with water and close it and seal well.Remove the extra portion hanging out from the mould

and keep them aside.Repeat the same process for the re-maining dough.If you do not have karjikayi mould you can even take a

sharp edged 3” steel lid and cut the chapati using it and then keep the fi lling inside and close it to the other side forming a half moon and take a fork and make the impres-sions around the corners or pinch the edges with your fi n-gers or you can even pinch the edges and roll them inwards to form a beautiful pattern.See the image below for better understanding about how to shape them.Drop 2-3 at one time slowly in to the oil and fry them

on reduced fl ame(low-medium) till crisp and golden in color.Try to pour the hot oil from the sides using the slot-ted spoon on top of the karanji which helps in puffi ng up nicely.Drain them using a slotted spoon to a kitchen napkin and

let them cool completely. Store in an air tight container.They store good up to 2 weeks. This sweet is called Karanji in Marathi, Karchikai in Kan-

nada and Kajjikayalu in Telugu.

If made in the tradi-tional way, kalakand is a very time consuming and intricate mithai to make. Here is an easier way to make kalakand in a few minutes. Ingredients: 3/4 cup

fresh paneer (cottage cheese), 8 tbsp milk powder, 1/4 cup sugar,

pie dish. Cool and cut into 16 pieces. Garnish with sliv-ered almonds and serve chilled. Note: Use fresh paneer for best results. — Tarla Dalal Recipe

1/2 cup fresh cream, 1/2 cup cardamom (elaichi) powder, a few strands of saffron (in 1 tbsp of milk and set aside). For the garnish: 10 almonds, sliveredMethod: Combine all the ingredients in a non-stick pan.

Cook over a medium fl ame, stirring continuously for ap-proximately 10 to 15 minutes till the mixture thickens and leaves the sides of the pan. Spread onto a 7-inch-diameter

Ingredients: 2 cups coarse be-san, 1 cup ghee, 150gm grated mava (khoya), 1 tsp carda-mom (elaichi) powder, 1/2 tsp nutmeg powder (optional).For the sugar

syrup: 1-1/2 cups (300 grams) sugar, 1 cup water, 2 tbsp milk. For the garnish: 4 tbsp chopped almonds (badam) and pistachios.Method: Place the gram fl our in a bowl. Heat ghee and

pour half of it over the gram fl our. Rub the ghee into the gram fl our till the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Put the remaining hot ghee in a kadhai, add the gram fl our mixture and cook till the mixture is golden brown, stir-ring continuously.Add the grated khoya and cardamom powder (and op-

tional nutmeg powder) and stir for about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool till it is warm.For the sugar syrup: Mix the sugar with water in a pan

and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the milk to the boiling sugar syrup. The impurities will from a grey layer. Re-move this layer gently using a slotted spoon. Simmer till the syrup is of 1 string consistency. Keep the syrup hot.How to proceed: Pour the hot sugar syrup over the

cooked gram fl our mixture and stir well. Pour into a greased 225 mm. (9”) diameter thali with 25 mm. (1”) high sides. Sprinkle chopped almonds and pistachios on top and allow to set for 4 to 5 hours. Cut into 2-inch squares. Serve at room temperature.Tips: To test if the sugar syrup has reached a 1-string

consistency, lift some with a spoon and let it trickle down. If the syrup is dense and leaves a threadlike trail, it is ready to be used. — Tarla Dalal Recipe

INDIA HERALD • DIWALI 2014 • PAGE 7

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