Ganesha, the elephant-headed God of success, help us overcome any obstacles in life. The deity is associated with virtues like wisdom, learning, power and prudence.

Ganesha is the first deity to be worshipped at the start of any auspicious occasion or a new venture. Ganesha or Ganpati is a very popular God idolized not only in India but all over the world.

Won’t it be a gratifying gift for an ardent Ganesha devotee? Mumbai’s Shree Siddhivinayak is highly revered by common people and celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan.

The official website notes: “The idol of Shree Siddhivinayak was carved out of a single black stone and is 2′6” (750mm) high and 2′ (600mm) wide with the trunk on the right. This is rather unusual appearance of Lord Ganesh.  The sanctum sanctorum housing the deity was altered time and again and finally gave way to a monolithic and magnificent structure, which was accomplished by a series of rituals.”

Book a Siddhivinayak Pooja online, which is very convenient. The following holy ceremonies are performed under the instructions and directions of competent priests.

Type of Pooja ceremonies that you can gift to someone:
1. Shodashopchar with one recitation of Atharva Sheersha
2. Shodashopchar with five recitations of Atharva Sheersha
3. Shodashopchar with eleven recitations (MahaPooja)
4. Nava-dampathya Ashirvachan Pooja (for the newly weds)
5. Pooja to seek blessings on a special occasion like birthday, marriage anniversary

The prasad along with Sindur, tilak, Shree’s picture will be given to the person mentioned by post after the Pooja is performed. You can register for the holy ceremony on any day of the month.

The priests perform them by Name of the devotee registered online. One time postal charges are included for the address within India or outside. If you book multiple Pooja, the prasad will be sent for multiple times.
Book the Shree Siddhivinayak Pooja here

Tags: Corporate gifting, promotional products, Gifting events, Best corporate gifts, business gift baskets, Business Gifting
Corporate gifting, gifting to clients, Cheap corporate gifts, promotional gifts, Best business gifts

Bookmark to:

This year the Ganesh festival celebrations have been clouded by a spate of calamities and crises including swine flu, drought and prolonged economic recession. People are a bit nervous and weary.

Corporate entities can use this auspicious occasion as an opportunity to revive the spirit of their employees. This is the time to wish for peace and prosperity to your near and dear ones as well as your business associates/colleagues.
Corporate gifting helps build business relations.

It’s one way of not only pleasing your key clients, employees and partners but also reminding them that you wish to enjoy the true spirit of the festival with them. It is a good idea to send warm wishes to everyone including suppliers, manufacturers etc.

Variety of gifts can be sent on this occasion. For example, you may send religious greeting cards, Ganesha key chains, small statues and sweet boxes. A gift need not be enormous or fancy.

To capture the spirit of Ganesh Chaturthi, invariably all leading mobile service providers come up with a bouquet of interesting Ganesha offerings for their subscribers. The packs include wonderful wallpapers, animations, ring tones and video clips.

One can download popular ring tones such as Shendur Lal Chadhayo, Sukhakarta Dukhaharta, Sukhakarta Dukhaharta, Jai Ganesh Deva and Morya Re Bappa. You can gift ring tones like Sohum Dhyaan, Hum Gaaye Guru, Mere Gannayak and Dukhharta Banke Sukhkarta to a Ganesha devotee. There can be no better way of celebrating the festival and spreading its joy around.

A gift that expresses genuine feelings can work wonders. So don’t miss this opportunity to spread goodwill on this occasion. Do let us know on what you have gifted. Did you send a greeting card, box of sweets or did you come up with something like a Ganesha fridge magnets, CD’s or mouse pads?

Bookmark to:

There are eight important and famous abodes of Lord Ganesha. These are collectively known as Ashtavinayaka. The eight naturally-formed sculpted stone statues are housed in the old temples.

The Ashtavinayaka temples are just within the range of 100 km of each other. A lot of spiritual importance is given to these eight destinations in Hindu religion.

Each idol is Lord Ganesha’s incarnation as told in different mythological tales. The places, the idols and their incarnation stories are ancient. These narrate us about why and how these Ganesha idols got their particular names and came into existence.

Elaborating on the Ashtavinayaka, the official tourism website of Maharashtra state notes: “Vinayak is another popular name for the god loved and worshiped by Hindus all over, Ganesh. Lord Ganesh is known to be the protector of his ardent devotees. Eight (Astha) naturally-formed sculpted stone statues are housed in old temples at the places where they were first found. The temples of Ashta Vinayaka are within the range of just 20 to 110 km of each other.”

The sequence of Ashtavinayaka pilgrimage according to the convention as mentioned in puran as is as follows:
1. Sri Mayureshwar Of Morgaon
2. Sri Siddhivinayak Of Siddhatek
3. Sri Ballaleshwar Of Pali
4. Sri Varad Vinayaka Of Mahad
5. Sri Chintamani Of Theur
6. Sri Girijatmaj Of Lenyadri
7. Sri Vigneshwar Of Ozar
8. Sri Mahaganapati Of Ranjangaon

These eight places are all in western Maharashtra. To plan your trip, contact:
Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation;
Reg. Office: Express Towers, 9th Floor, Nariman Point, Mumbai 400 021.
Information & Booking Office
Central Reservation Division, C.D.O. Hutments,
Opp. Yogakshema (LIC Building), Madame Cama Road, Mumbai 400 020
Check the MTDC Ganesha gallery here…

Mention must also be made of Ganapatipule in Konkan, a spectacular beach right along the Konkan Coast. It’s an idyllic getaway, which attracts beach lovers and pilgrims alike. The temple of Swayambhu (self-originated) Lord Ganesh here is visited by thousands of devotees every year. 

Tags: Best business gifts, Corporate gifting, corporate gifting for employees, business gift baskets, Cheap corporate gifts, corporate gifts companies, low cost gifts, , gifting to clients, promotional products

Bookmark to:

Ganesh festival is a perfect confluence of philosophy, mysticism, and mythology. The stories of God’s divine pastimes have great symbolic connotations, and require full understanding and concentration to be blessed with pure happiness and peace. Whoever understands their inner and outer meanings will grasp the essence of life.

Ganesh Chaturthi, the birthday of Lord Ganesh, falls on the fourth day of the bright fortnight of the Hindu month of Bhadrapada which falls in August-September. The symbolic connection behind the snake, mouse and the Lord’s pot belly and its relationship to the moon on his birthday is highly mythical and philosophic.

The entire cosmos is like the God’s belly. Shakti Parvati, the primordial energy, cooks 21 types of dishes, meaning 21 expansions of the cosmos: seven above, seven below and seven oceans - all of which are inside the Ganesha’s cosmic belly - held together by the cosmic energy symbolized as a huge snake that Ganesha ties around him.

The mouse is nothing but our inflated ego. Ganesha, using it as vehicle, represents the fact that our great Self or consciousness controls the ego, using it as a vehicle or instrument in daily life. In other words, one who controls the ego attains Ganesha-consciousness or God-consciousness.

Apart from a significant spiritual side, the festival has a social aspect. Lokmanya Tilak, the great freedom fighter, made it a public event to reshape the Indian psyche based on our own heritage and history.

The concept of public festivities is the gift given by him to the nation in the 19th century. Tilak had inspired people to organize the festival to rekindle nationalistic spirit. Since then, the purpose and form of the festival has greatly changed.

LALBAUGCHA RAJA (The Emperor of Lalbaug) in Mumbai is among the most revered and popular Ganesh idols in Mumbai visited by a host of celebrities like Sachin Tendulkar and Lata Mangeshkar.

The Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati, located in Pune, the cultural capital of Maharashtra, is another revered idol. The Ganpati was established in 1893.

Bookmark to:

Ganesh Festival is celebrated with great fervor each year in various parts of India. Ganesha audios, CDs and DVDs are a perfect gift to welcome the all powerful deity. The finest of voices of all times have paid a musical tribute to the Lord.

A collection of fabulous devotional songs of Lard Ganpati with the voice of singers like Lata Mangeshkar and Usha Mangeshkar from SaReGaMa will make an ideal gift. There are several popular Ganesha albums like ‘Bappa Morya Re - Superhit Gauri Ganpati songs’, ‘Sampurn Ganpati Aarti & Ashtavinayak songs’, ‘Mahaganpati - Rattan Mohan Sharma’, ‘Shree Ganpati Atharvashirsha (21 Aavartne)’, and ‘Ganpati Aarti Ashtavinayak’ songs.

‘Maha Ganesha’, a Times Music presentation, is an expression of the omnipotence of Lord Ganesha through chants, stotras and shlokas (hymns) that extol the virtues of the lord.

The introduction to the album notes: “The musical Ganesha tribute is set in realm of contemporary global sound while retaining the essence of tradition in the purest form in Sanskrit. ‘Maha Ganesha’ is an attempt to unite listeners worldwide. It’s a musical journey to savor. Sonu Nigam in his mellifluous and timeless voice accentuates the divine thought that encompasses Maha Ganesha. It’s indeed a divine Musical experience.”

‘Ganesh Suprabhatam’ lets one start one’s morning in the praise of the Lord whereas Aumkaar Ganesh is a collection of Ganesha prayers in Marathi by Dr. Shri Balaji Tambe. Ganesh Shraddha is a compilation of instrumental Aartis in which leading musicians pay tribute to Lord Ganesh with an instrumental version of most popular aartis and bhajans (devotional songs).

‘My Bappa’ is an interesting album for kids, with help of which they can recite the most popular Ganapati mantras (chants) and shlokas for wisdom and happiness. You can also gift Ganesh pooja albums comprising Ganesh Sahastranaam and Atharvashirsha.

The receiver of your gift sure will enjoy the divine magic of Ganesha.

Bookmark to:

Elephant-headed lord Ganesha sure is the most adorable and revered of Hindu deities. Pinpointing his various virtues and attributes is an awe-inspiring exercise. The portly Lord is at once the sage, complex philosopher and childlike. The lord keeps at bay evil forces and protects its worshippers. 

You can share the joy of great Ganesha festivities with these gorgeous Ganesha gifts on eve of the Chaturthi. Here are some gorgeous Ganesha themes gifts – from affordable to affluent – so mesmerize a diehard devotee in keeping with the spirit of the occasion.      

Handcrafted fiber idol Ganesha:
A handcrafted fiber idol will recreate the magic of Lord Ganesha. Lord Ganesha, the destroyer of obstacles, is worshipped before any venture is started.

Ganesha Rudraksha bead:
According to mythological tales, the Rudraksha plant was born out of Lord Shiva’s tear drops. Ganesh Rudraksha that bears a Trunk like elevation as on the face of Lord Ganesha makes a nice gift. It apparently provides the wearer succor in every sphere of life thanks to the grace of Lord Ganesha.

The Ganesh Rudraksha Bead will make a really special gift to the way. It can be kept at the place of worship. Worshipped daily, it is said to offer the blessings of Lord Ganesha. The Rudraksha bead should be worn in a clean, white thread or in a Gold Chain. It is indicative of good fortune.

Lieber Ganesha handbags:
Lieber handbags, made by skilled craftsmen, are treated as collector’s items. Their Ganesha inspired limited edition of bags, priced at Rs 2.6 lakh plus, is something unique, and special! The price tag is attributed to the highest level of craftsmanship involved, a box hand-stamped in brass, plated with gold, and embellished with thousands of colored crystals. Its creator, Frank Zambrelli has looked at 700 images of the elephant-headed Hindu god before deciding upon the perfect shape.

Bookmark to:

In a series of informative essays, Giftex has explained how gift cards are perfect for personal as well as corporate gifting. Interestingly, amidst today’s challenging economic environment, a new trend has been witnessed in the western countries. Corporate entities are offering gift cards to encourage their employees to remain mentally and physically fit.  

They are being given incentives to lose weight and quit smoking. According to an interesting survey, as employers continue to experiment for improving the wellness, health and productivity of their workforce, incentives like gift cards are being recognized as a crucial aspect of a full-fledged health management strategy.

A news report states that increasing number of corporate houses in the US are offering gift cards as an incentive to workers.

The value of incentives offered is typically 100 to 300 US dollars per person. per year, a survey found out. In fact, well over three-quarters of leading US employers now offer formal health & wellness programs, whereas more than half of them run disease management programs.

The survey found the usage of incentives along with health & wellness programs significantly increased. Gift cards are among the top incentive choices in the financial year gone by, with their usage going up to 28 percent from just 17 percent in the previous year, whereas the usage of cash bonuses as well as lower premiums declined during the same period.

More than a quarter of those offering programs have managed to successfully measure the return on their investment (RoI), up from just 14 percent. Of those employees who took the measure, 83 percent noted they ‘more than broke even’ compared with just 66 percent last year.

More employers are expected to resort to this strategy in the new year so that their workers take better care of themselves. Employees can pocket a good amount of money by entering a smoking cessation program or undergoing a personal health assessment or. They can avoid an additional surcharge on their health insurance by finishing the anti-smoking program.

It is time that the corporate India also take the similar ‘healthy’ gifting strategy to encourage their workers and employees to stay fit.

Bookmark to:

The way of celebrating traditional festivals are undergoing a metamorphosis with the changing times, and so also the pattern of gifting. Rakhi is no exception to this. Brother-sister duos tend to share early phase of life together, and retain the bond even as they grow up.

Apart from sentiments, with big bucks riding on Rakhi, has the festival become more a show of ostentation, rather than pure emotion? This was the point raised in a ToI article.

Model Vasuki S, currently studying in NY, mentioned, “Rakhi is now largely commercial. It’s more about what you get from your brother. My brother is younger than me. But the thing, which touched me the most was when he saved from his pocket money at the tender age of ten to get me a gift on Rakhi. It’ll always be special when you can let your sister know that you’re there for her.”

With sisters not hesitant to demand opulent gifts, most brothers leave no stone unturned when it comes to getting the best possible for their sisters. No wonder then that the whole gifting industry has also evolved in keeping with the trend. So gone are the days when those run-of-the-mill gifts like some cash were the most common. Today it’s all about more luxurious spoils…

Art aficionado Timsy Anand stated, it was still more about making the sincere effort to connect with one another even with the changing thought that money could buy the biggest gifts.  And sisters can’t really stop putting up that long list of loving demands.

New Delhi based Garima Parnami, a model, added, “As for a gift, I want a new laptop. And I don’t think it’s about being materialistic. I want it because mine is really bad. My brother is aware of it. I know he can afford one for me. Gifting for me is a beautiful concept to show you care.”

Tags: Gifting occasions, , Business etiquette, Gifting events, Corporate gifting, Worst gifts, low cost gifts, Cheap corporate gifts, business gift baskets, Best corporate gifts

Bookmark to:

Raksha Bandhan sure is the most awaited occasion siblings look forward to. Apart from being an opportunity to show their deepest feelings for each other, the festival also presents an exciting opportunity to exchange heart-felt gifts. Insightful articles appearing in the mainstream newspapers tracked this trend.

Take a look what this ToI report has to say, “There has been an evident transition in the gifting trend on Rakhi. Forget those 1,000 bucks brothers dished out from their pockets. Rakhi gifting is much bigger now.”

Owing to several exciting promotions, the concept of gifting has clearly changed, Attractive sales ‘n’ deals are now arranged to lure discerning siblings on the eve of d Rakhi.

New Delhi based model-cum-DJ Barkha Kaul was quoted as saying, “Earlier it was only some cash sisters got from their brothers. Now things have changed. It’s more about showing off. One can say that sisters have become much more demanding because the advertising industry is getting stronger with several new packages and promotions designed for Raksha Bandhan. In my case, my brother being ten years younger to me and not earning yet, I didn’t really expect anything from him. Instead I like buying stuff for him.”

Another interesting report, titled ‘unique gift this raksha bandhan’ listed some off-beat ideas that brothers considered to please their sisters. Among them were gift ideas such as pampering package at the spa, an exclusive trip to foreign shores, a dental care package, a hamper with beverages, confectionaries, and health food items, as well as cell phone coded with vouchers that can be used to buy a wide range of items at various online and retail outlets.

Take the case of a new job aspirant Devarshi Shag who gifted his sister a unique spa experience at Udaipur’s Angsana Spa (Radisson Plaza). “She loves pampering herself, so I felt this would be the perfect gift for her,” the proud brother was quoted as saying.

Tags: corporate gifting for employees, Popular corporate gifts, Corporate gifting India, Worst gifts, gifting india, Best corporate gifts, Business etiquette, Corporate gifting, Business Gifting
Corporate gifting, business gift baskets

Bookmark to:

Rakhi is the thread that symbolizes the bond of love. A sister ties it on her brother’s wrist. The latter gives a present to her. If you have failed to send your rakhi in time or get something interesting, there is no need to worry.

Though the festival of Rakhsha Bandhan is just over, don’t lose heart. Just go online and click. You can still look for something interesting and send it to your brother or sister!

Those who send their rakhi and gifts by post or courier often have a bad experience. A software professional in Noida narrated her experience in an article in The Hindustan Times. She recounted: “Once I sent a rakhi in Pune to my brother. They dispatched it first to Patna mistakenly and then it took them a month to send it to my brother’s correct address and that too torn.”

Owing to such incidents, people are wary of sending rakhi via post. Online portals are a better avenue for some truly interesting gifts and pooja thalis on any festive occasion. Online shopping platforms have caught up in the last few years. These portals are convenient and you don’t have to worry about what to purchase, where to buy and need not be concerned about timely delivery of gifts.

Another advantage of the portals is that they are up and running 24×7. They are open throughout the year and hence are extremely user friendly. Consumers can review different product options to take an informed decision order. They can order and secure any product, without leaving their home, round the clock.

No surprise, the concept of purchasing gifts online is fast gaining momentum owing to ease of shopping, According to online shopping portal HomeShop18’s CEO, Sundeep Malhotra, education and employment demands have resulted in a physical distance between sisters and brothers. Their aim is to bridge it and make sure that they receive their gifts irrespective of wherever they are based.

HomeShop18 has on offer a variety of gifting ideas like silver and pearl rakhis. The collection can either be purchased separately or they come in various combos with chocolates and other interesting gifts. Attractive thalis with sweets are available.

Bookmark to: