CUI BONO ? WHO BENEFITS FROM DEATH OF BENAZIR BHUTTO?

I had never thought I would be writing the last blog of year-2007 on a tragic incident. Yes, my friends I am talking of Benzir Bhutto, the daughter of East and perhaps the most powerful lady to take birth in the Islamic world, a lady who will charm you with her beauty and poise; mesmerize you with her oratory skill and bemuse you with her political acumen.

A sad end! An end so untimely and so premature! But this is the world of terrorism and assassination, the world of gruesome and barbaric with dictums of “Hit and Run”,” Hit and Stay” and the latest “Hit and Blow”. The list is long - Caesar, Lincoln, Mahtma Gandhi, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and now Benazir Bhutto. It is the most unfortunate for Indian subcontinent as the last two in the list had unfulfilled dream of a new Indo-Pak relationship. But one left the world on 21^st May 1991 and the other on 27^th December 2007. But for what? For what this heartlessness of humankind?

Now, my friends just see this video. This is the video minutes before her demise. See the energy. See the passion. We do not know how long it shall take to see another parallel in this world.

LAST SPEECH.

LAST SPEECH.

“These extremist elements have set up an authorized government and the world is saying to me if you can not handle them then we will come to Pakistan and deal with them.Friends, why can’t we handle this in our country? This country is very dear to us. Why should a foreign country come to our country? We will handle the extremists. I will handle them. You will save the country and so will I.”

THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF LAST SPEECH.

But who killed her? But who is the brain behind this sinister design? In ancient Rome when a murder occurred and clear case of culpability was lacking, the lawyers used to ask question. CUE BONO? WHO BENEFITS?

AL-QAEDA?

MUSHARRAF?

INTER-SERVICE-INTELLIGENCE (ISI)?

Perhaps as in the case of President Kennedy, we shall never know. The word “ASSASSIN” is derived from the Arabic word “HASHASHIYUN” meaning Hashish Smokers. But for the modern assassin, the “POWER” is “HASHISH”. Perhaps the broad answer to CUE BONE is POWER.

SECRET E-MAIL OF BENAZIR BHUTTO

Bhutto wrote the e-mail on October 26, eight days after at least 130 people were killed and hundreds more wounded in Karachi by the suicide bombing that occurred as Bhutto's motorcade passed.

Siegel forwarded that e-mail to CNN's Wolf Blitzer, with instructions he not report on it unless Bhutto was killed.

Nothing will, God willing happen," she wrote to Mark Siegel, her US spokesman, lobbyist and friend.

"Just wanted u to know if it does in addition to the names in my letter to Musharaf of Oct 16nth, I would hold Musharaf responsible. I have been made to feel insecure by his minions and there is no way what is happening in terms of stopping me from taking private cars or using tinted windows or giving jammers or four police mobiles to cover all sides could happen without him."

HERE ARE A FEW OF BENAZIR'S WORDS AGAINST TERRORISM AND EXTREMISM.

"Life is very precious and gift of Allah. It should not and cannot be wasted. But when my country is in danger, when my countrymen are in danger, when there is no rule of law, when extremists are gaining ground, I am ready to risk my life."

"I was asked not to come to the country as I may face murder attempts. Why don't they arrest these people? Why are they moving freely in the country? If they cannot arrest the extremists, if they do not have ability to curb the extremism, they should resign and go home."

"We want to isolate extremists and build a better Pakistan."

"Today my country is facing several threats including insecurity, unemployment, terrorism and hunger."

"The supporters of militants and Al Qaeda want to stop the restoration of democracy because they see it as a threat to the structure of militancy."

"We will have to modify our campaign to some extent because of the suicide bombings but we are not going to be deterred from reaching the public."

"The message of Islam is the message of peace. Prophet Mohammed advised the Muslims to get knowledge. But why people in our country are taught violence instead of knowledge? Violence yields destruction."

"Islam forbids attack on innocent people. Islam says do not attack women, children and elderly people even in war. But the terrorists attacked three million people, among which were children, women and elderly people."

"I urge upon mothers that they should raise their children in such a manner that they do not carry weapons to kill innocent, poor and weak."

"Extremism grows in dictatorship. A handful of extremists hold the majority to hostage."

"There must be zero tolerance for acts of terror and militancy that kill poor people, working classes, and middle classes of our country."

"Extremism will continue to grow, putting everyone at risk. The world must ... insist on free and fair elections in Pakistan."

BENAZIR SPEAKS TO OMAR KHAN OF JAIZA TV. SHE SPEAKS OF TERRORISM, RELATION WITH INDIA AND PEOPLE OF PAKISTAN.

BURJ DUBAI SKYSCRAPER, the tallest building in the world.

BURJ DUBAI SKYSCRAPER, the tallest building in the world.

SOME FACTS.

Height:-800m to 950m

No of Floors:-160-189

Date of commencement of construction:-1^st February 2005

Probable date of completion:-30^th June 2009

Type:-Skyscraper

Location:-Dubai,United Arab Emirates.

Designed by:-Skidmore,Owings&Merrill

Developer:-Emaar Properties.

Next tallest building in the world:-508m tall,Taipei 101,Taiwan.

January-2005

May-2005

April-2005

July-2005

October-2005

December-2005

January-2006

April-2006

September-2006

December-2006

March-2007

July-2007

October-2007

December-2007

A STORY OF BUDDHADEB, KARUNADEB AND “SECULAR”DEBs.

A STORY OF BUDDHADEB, KARUNADEB AND “SECULAR”DEBs.

Sometimes in 1995 I had read a book naming “IN THE WONDERLAND OF INDIAN MANAGERS” written by Management Consultant Sri Sharu Rangnekar. I was so impressed by the book that I had written down some portions of the book in my note book for my future reference. Today after 12 years when I stumbled upon that old note book and read through those copied lines I was tempted to write a new blog correlating those lines with present Indian political scenario.

Now I reproduce something from that book for benefit of my friends who have not read that book. Of course the book is written purely on Indian context. Here goes a portion of first chapter of that book.

HOW TO AVOID MAKING DECISIONS

In India, it is as important to learn ways of avoiding decisions as it is to learn ways of decision-making in America. The first decision-rule of Indian Management is: If you can avoid it, don’t take it.

PROBLEM-1: CYCLE-STAND FOR WORKERS.

Though many solutions were given in that book on how to avoid a decision on the cycle-stand problem, I was particularly impressed by Tantrum Method. Here is what the book says about Tantrum Method.

Tantrum Method: This is a somewhat ancient method, but is still effective. When the initiator comes with his proposal, you should throw a tantrum, e.g.: “Cycle-stand for workers! Oh, what a proposal and what a time to bring it up! The bearing on the starting machine has broken down, the compound wall has cracked due to the last earthquake and my ulcers are bothering me again! Can you not think of anything more significant than a cycle-stand?

Now let us come to the context on which I want write this blog.My Indian friends must have read news article on Comrade Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, Chief Minister of state of West Bengal, India. Though I have no regards for communist parties of India or for that matter the concept of communisms as a whole, I aver secret appreciation for Sri Bhattacharya for his progressive thinking amongst the regressive thinking communist comrades.

But in recent times Sri Bhattacharya's popularity has also taken beating. It started with murder of Rizwanur Rahman, a Muslim boy who married a Hindu girl and it continued to the massacre of Nandigram where a large numbers of Muslims were affected. In both the cases West Bengal police acted as villain. And in case of Nandigram along with police the brutal and ugly face of communist cadre was also in forefront.

Those who want to know about the brutality of Communist cadre in Nandigram may see these two videos.

All these happenings were too much for Comrade Bhattacharya. His secular credentials were also at a stake. So Comrade Bhattacharya wanted to distract people’s attention from Nandigram. First he aimed his gun towards controversial Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen who after her Anti-Muslim writing had taken shelter in west Bengal. But, perhaps, it was not enough. He played typical Indian politician's secular game. What is that? Simple. Tell something against the majority religion of the country, Hinduism, you are assumed/declared as SECULAR!

So going by Sri Sharu Rangnekar’s style I must say that when all over the world the meaning of being secular is “to assert the freedom of religion, and freedom from religion, within a state that is neutral on matters of belief, and gives no state privileges or subsidies to religions”, but for Indian politician it is “to humiliate the Hinduism, the majority religion of the country”.

So Buddhadeb played a “Kruna”deb and declared,” "Rama was born in the imagination of poets and Rama Setu is a natural formation under the sea,"

Oh my Lord Rama, please tell these “Secular”debs that YOU may not exist for them but Rama Setu does exist. Why can not they carry out scientific study and establish who made it? I know these “Secular”debs do not respect my sentiments and for that matter they do not respect the sentiments of majority of Indian. They do not understand that for the majority of this country “LORD”,”RAMA” and “NATURE” are synonymous.

SINGER FROM INDIAN SUB-CONTINENT-3 (DR.BHUPEN HAZARIKA)

If man wouldn’t think for man

With a little sympathy

Tell me who will– comrade.

If we repeat history

If we try to buy

Or sell humanity

Won’t we be wrong –comrade?

If the weak

Tide across the rapids of life

With your help

What do you stand to lose?

If man does not become man

A demon never will

If a demon turns more human

Whom shall it shame more–comrade?

This is the English translation of Assamese song “Manuhe Manuhar Babe” (for man), composed in 1964 by Dr. Bhupen Hazarika ,the singer, the poet, the politician, the journalist, the lyricist, the musician, the filmmaker and the writer from Assam, the north-eastern state of India. Whereas he had been a legend in Eastern India for decades, it was his compositions for the film Rudali which won Hazarika recognition across the Subcontinent. The waterways of Assam have been the source of inspiration for Hazarika’s songs and lyrics all these years. “The Brahmaputra is the lifeline of Assam,” he says. One of his notable collaborations for Doordarshan was Luit Kinare (by the banks of the Luit), a mosaic of ordinary tales that is both cheerful and poignant. (The Luit merges with the Dibang in Arunachal pradesh to create the mighty sea-like expanse of the river Brahmaputra.)

Few know that, during his time at Columbia University, Hazarika was a friend of Paul Robeson, the great black American singer, actor and civil rights activist. Robeson’s passionate crusade for social justice and black pride has permeated Bhupenda’s own worldview. Inspired greatly by Robeson’s powerful rendition of the song “Ole Man River”, Hazarika created his own moving ode to the Brahmaputra.

He is a communicator of romance, passion, universalism and humanism. He has gathered awards aplenty: for his contribution to cinema, to music, to culture, and to the vigor he reinstalled in the Assamese, jostling them awake through song, and forcing them to rethink old attitudes. In 1994, he was awarded the Dada Saheb Phalke Award, the highest award in India for contribution to films.

I find striking similarities in his voice and rendering style with those of famous Spanish singer Julio Iglesias. Now kindly listen to these two songs one by Dr.Bhupen Hazarika and the other by Julio Iglesias and you too will note the similarities.

GANGA BY DR.BHUPEN HAZARIKA.

BOLEROS BY JULIO IGLESIAS.

Now I leave to me friend to justify my assumption about Dr.Bhupen Hazarika and Julio Iglesias. But for me Dr.Bhupen Hazarika is the Julio Iglesias of the east and Julio Iglesias is the Dr.Bhupen Hazarika of the west.

Now listen to some beautiful numbers by Dr.Bhupen Hazarika including the famous song “dil hoom hoom kare” of “Rudali”.

“DIL HOOM HOOM KARE” OF “RUDALI”

DR. BHUPEN HAZARIKA AND LATE PRATIMA PANDEY BARUAH SINGING TOGETHER THE FAMOUS PAUL ROBESON SONG "WE ARE IN THE SAME BOAT BROTHER".

SOME BENGALI AND ASSAMESE SONGS.

HOW LIMITED IS THAT UNLIMITED !!!???

HOW LIMITED IS THAT UNLIMITED !!!???

When I had come to Madras for the first time in 1980, I was an ardent movie watcher. We had plenty of cinema halls in Mount Road in those days. Anand, Safire, Blue diamond, Emerald, Wellington, Casino, Devi, Devi kala and Devi Paradise were prominent among those. When I again I came back in 2006, meanwhile Madras has been renamed as Chennai and the Mount Road of Chennai has undergone sea changes too. Old Spencer Building with its colonial look has given way to a modern Spencer Plaza and most of the cinema halls like Safire, Blue diamond, Emerald, Wellington and Anand have been demolished.

Ok, I am going to tell you something about one of that cinema hall. After 27 years, I do not remember correctly. But it must be either Blue Diamond or Emerald, one of the two run continuously one movie from morning 10 A.M. to night 10 P.M. Just pay ten Rupees and you can be inside from morning to night. Apparently it looks very cheap. Considering one English movie lasts for 90 minutes, in those 12 hours of 10A.M. to 10 P.M. you can watch the same movie for nine times. But, I do not think anybody has the patience to watch the same movie for so many times continuously. But somebody may argue that it is a good hiding place for criminal or for any outsider who has to catch a late night train but has nothing important to do throughout the day. But that criminal or that outsider must have foresight to enter into that cinema hall with woolen blanket in hot summer of Madras. It is out and out chill inside that cinema hall. One deserves congratulation if he she can sit inside more than two hours wearing normal clothe. I remember watching a movie called "Moscow Olympic 1980" in that cinema hall. I lasted for one show though I was tempted to watch those beautiful gymnasts from Soviet Russia many more times.

Later on when I studied management I realized that my experience of watching "Moscow Olympic 1980" was my first encounter with that great marketing concept of "UNLIMITED OFFER". Then too I realized how a street side hotel with "unlimited meal offer" makes profit even though big eaters thong to that hotel as primary customers. I need not tell you the name of that chemical in that cooked rice which defeats those big eaters.

Have we ever analyzed how limited is that unlimited? I do not think anybody of us has given a serious thought to that "unlimited offer". No business man is doing a charity here. Then how can we get unlimited return by paying limited money? Without naming those companies I will give here some examples of those unlimited offers which are prevalent in Indian market now. My non-Indian friends can add their experiences in form of comments.

Example-1

Friday, May 25, 2007: ABC Communications has announced an unlimited plan for ABC customers who can now make unlimited calls to any local ABC mobile for free under both pre-paid and post-paid schemes. The offer is introduced for residents of Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Chennai, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. For pre-paid customers, unlimited plan is available at Rs 490 for 30 days and gives Rs 100 bonus talk time for other calls. It also offers different rates for calling other phones. Similarly, in post-paid plan, the subscriber can opt for a pack worth Rs 375 to get the benefits of unlimited calling while roaming on any post-paid plan.

It sounds great. Ok. Now please let me know your experience when you have made phone calls approximately 1.5 times the paid value in normal rate.

Does your SMS go smoothly?

Does your phone get disconnected automatically just when you have started conversation?

Do you get a smooth connectivity?

These are few symptoms to convert that unlimited offers to a limited one.

EXAMPLE-2

Xyz Company offers unlimited Broad brand internet connectivity in Rs950/month to the home user. They have a different slab for business offer.

Again a great offer. But look for these symptoms too after certain uses, particularly in the second fortnight of your billing month.

E-mails do not open. It says "opened but with error in pages".

It takes comparatively a considerable time to upload a photo, song or video.

Suddenly your favorite sites do not open. You get a message "This page can not be displayed."

So my friends, I do not want to test your patience by writing an unlimited a blog for a limited message. The message is that "unlimited is limited beyond a certain domain". It is another marketing concept which acts in the principle of maximization of wealth rather than maximization of profit. The crux is that it does give a win-win scenario within a limited domain. Cross that domain the service provider shall resort to all kind of unfair means to stop or discourage you from an unlimited use. After all, synonym of business is not charity. Novices like me, be watchful. Do not fall into trap if you do not have any necessity for necessity is created here. Do not convert a luxury into a necessity.

HERE IS A VIDEO OF UNLIMITED PHONE CALL. TRY YOUR LUCK.



















UNLIMITED PC-TO-PHONE CALLS!! - The most amazing bloopers are here

PARIJAT-34

 

His bowed frame collapsed further on that concrete bench of the railway platform as he kept his head between his knees and hands coming around those knees in the replica of a closed embrace of a departing lover made him to swing involuntarily back and forth with fulcrum on the upper part of his feet. The piercing and acidic whips of that cold winter night were cutting into his flesh with ferocity of a ravaging lunatic. He tried to listen to the voice of that piecing cold as he breathed his breath recoiling back from his groin covered by that soiled half pant. The breathe is dry, putrid and pungent but emitted certain amount of heat to his face, now buried further between his clasped knees. His exposed legs below the knees started rattling in the cold. The silence of the cold night made that inaudible rattling to a loud moan of the deprived. He could not tolerate that moaning. It echoes a tender undertone of deep melancholy and solitary sorrow of a solitary life.

He listened to that moaning; moaning of rattling bone synchronized with dry, aqueous and rumbling breathing of winter night, with his fainting heart beats. The flow of that red liquid in those numerous pipelines with small bore and big bore netted throughout his body, for those carry so called life ,too joined in that moaning by halted flow. He moved his fingers on his face still buried between his knees. One by one, part by part, he sensed through his fingers whiling drawing shadowy figures of those in the sunny and bright landscape of the mind, where everything is clear, vivid and panoramic- the papery wrinkles of the face, the cracked and soared lips with dry blood, those pus filled pimples on the nose, the rough mustache, the dropping ears with semi fluid wax sticking to the wall of that meandering narrow tunnel, all combined together forming the silhouette of shabbiness. It is smoky and foggy with dust of water floating around aimlessly but with purpose to come back to that flowing form ,touches and kisses those little heat hidden in those long slender electric tubes, hanging horizontally from tapered body poles, emitting shadowy light with agitation, hesitation and imperfection. Those little heat infuses enough life to those tiny water dusts to reassemble together and embrace together to roll into one from many, showing the strength of unity and transformation of togetherness and in the end transform them to a drop of water clinging in vain to slippery electric pole, only to roll down after a while under the pull of gravity like those tiny tear drops of uncontrolled sobbing eyes, pulled down with pang and whip of melancholy.

 And he too now has gathered enough heat and life back from that closed clasp of knees. Now it is time for move. The first train after mid-night from his town will arrive soon and with it will bring many hopes for him. He will greet the passengers in his mother tongue and they would certainly smile. His hope is growing now like the uncontrolled growth of those unwanted weeds of polluted and stagnant water of sinking pond. The levitating hope bloomed further. He lifted his head out of that clasped knees and burped out air from his mouth to drive out the winter temporarily. The air from mouth was smoky too and that temporarily hided his view from the reality at front. He narrowed his eyes and tried to imagine. People in colorful warm clothes getting down from the train with big old model galvanized tin boxes full of costly and too essentials, those medium sized cloth bags, mouth stitched haphazardly and bulging out like pregnant lady with those not-too- essentials and those plastic carry bags full of cheap-but-immediately-required-essentials. They would carry themselves those plastic bags and at best that cloth bag. But that big galvanized box? It is surely for him to carry. How many passengers he shall attend to?

 He looked to his batch number tied to his left upper arm, certifying him as a licensed railway porter. The sparkling yellow metallic plate is perfect match to his dark red shirt and khaki half pant. For a moment the impeding anticipation and expectation on his mind appeared to have dwarfed the menace of that wicked cold night with that iced whip of air. He pulled and stretched his shirt from the bottom to push away those folds big and small on the shirt. He robbed his palms vigorously on his face with a hope of eradicating temporarily those papered wrinkles. He dusted that cement bench for those incoming passengers to sit and wait while he shall  serve them one by one, for he is the only porter waiting in that isolated platform for that train which arrives after mid-night when the world outside is comfortably slept. That is the train of hope for him, for senior porters do not allow him to operate in the day when all important trains arrive. He can not the fight against that melee. He can not fight against that jungle’s rule where the power is always the winner.

His mind rushed as the announcing system barked in a drowsy voice the arrival of trains in five minutes. Five minutes of hope. Nay, it is 300 seconds of hope. Hope big and firm. A comforting hope, a levitating hope, a hope as beautiful as super nova and consisting of many splendid novas, exploding and dazzling one after other. Night drew darker and he mused in anxiety and started wringing his hands.

The train is arriving. It is arriving with cacophony of unsynchronized sounds from engine and dry friction between rails and wheels with hissing, rustling, rattling and whooshed of wind from opposite direction. Ultimately it stopped with a shriek. First hands came out from the compartments, then heads from the necks. The heads withdrew first to give way to legs, right for somebody, left for somebody but both for children. Many on platforms now and many still pushing their luggage. But where are those pregnant cloth bags? Where are those galvanized tin boxes full of essentials? Many are boxes with wheels. Boxes with four wheels rolled away like a dog in a chain following the master. Boxes with two wheels walked past him like those chained and obedient dogs of the circus following the masters while walking on behind legs and raising the front legs. In the end somebody with plastic bag in a hand pushed out a big tin box. He rushed toward that passenger in anticipation. “Coolie, Sir.” He waited for permission from the passenger to carry that box. The passenger smiled and pulled out a folded carrier with wheels from that plastic bag. He helped the passenger to position that box on the wheeled carrier. The passenger pushed a soiled five rupee note in his hand as he moved forward.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He started to move involuntarily as if he is being pulled away by a pair of unseen hand. He walked away from the platform. He felt his senses has been honed and heightened. Everything around him had been carved to a neat illustration. The smoky and iced night gave way to bright and warm dawn as he moved towards mosque. Early morning street hawkers have started displaying their items on sale. Items of palm leaves and palm’s fiber. Suddenly his mind rushed backward as he moved forward to the mosque. His mind flew to his village full of palm trees standing tall and proud. He found him climbing up that tall palm tree with a safety rope encircling him and trunk of the tree. He jumps and moves up in the tree. Palms are visible. Leaves are visible. Sweet smell of round and fleshy palms. One jump. One more jump, the final jump. One more spirited jump. Can he make? Yes, he can.

He could listen to the mass prayer coming out of mosque. It is rhythmic like his heart beat. It is prayer of life. It is leitmotiv of life.

 

 

 

 

EXOTIC NILGIRIS-5

EXOTIC NILGIRIS-5

Now let us come back to Ooty or Udhagamandalam once again, once the darling of erstwhile English rulers of India, Maharajas and upper classes and now the darling of common masses. Before I take you to that train journey amid the hide and seek of light in greenery and that exotic boat riding in Ooty lake, getting immersed in the symphony of pykara lake, let us discovery the origin of the name "Udhagamandalam".

The old name of Ooty was Ootacamund, which was abruptly changed to "Udhagamandalam" in 1972.The name Ootacamund was given by the British when they took possession of the hills after 1820. The name was the nearest they came to pronouncing the original Badaga name for the place,namely,"Hotege".In fact the "Badaga-English Dictionary" by Paul Hockings and Christiane Pilot-Raichoor(1992) confirms that "Hotege" is the common Badaga name for Ootacamund. The spelling of the name, however, had to go through several versions such as Hottegemund, Utakamand, Whatakaimand, Whotakamund, Wootaycamund, Wotokymand, and Wuttacamund and so on. It will be surprising to note that there is absolutely no mention of the name "Udhagamandalam" in Tamil literature or other historical records. It has merely been a convenient adaptation of the English name in Tamil for official and other formal purposes in the post independence period.

Now let us discover Ooty or Udhagamandalam or Ootacamund through couples of short videos and photos. Amongst the places, we see the Rose Park which has been declared as "GARDEN OF EXCELLENCE" by the World Federation of Rose Societies. So, far, 15 rose gardens in different parts of the world have been awarded the "GARDEN OF EXCELLENCE"certificates. This is the first garden from India to get that honor.

JOURNEY BY TRAIN TO OOTY.

OOTY TOWN AND OOTY LAKE.

SHOOTING MEDU,OOTY.

PYKARA FALLS,OOTY.

.

PYKARA LAKE,OOTY.

ROSE SHOW AT ROSE GARDEN,OOTY.

VIDEOS ON PRANAYAMA(BREATHING EXERCISE)

http://www.youtube.com/munamallick
VIDEOS ON PRANAYAMA (BREATHING EXERCISE)
You will find videos explaining Pranayama (Breathing Exercise) in this site. Pranayama is explained and demonstrated by respected Swami Ramdevji.

MUSIC LOVER'S PARADISE.

http://munamallick.imeem.com/
I am an ardent music lover. I listen to any type of music. Amongst the non-Indian singer, Julio Iglesias is my most favorite singer. Similarly "Historia De Un Amor" is my most favorite non-Indian song. I have a reasonably good collection of ORIYA songs in this site.ORIYA is my mother-tongue.

MOST PROMISING SOCIAL NET-WORKING SITE.

http://r.yuwie.com/munnamallick
This is a wonderful social net-working site. I like the facilities it gives for managing front page.

MUNNA BHAI(PARIJAT MAN) WAS BORN HERE.NOSTALGIC!!!

http://360.yahoo.com/munamallick
This is where I started my blogging era. I started with short story writing known as "PARIJAT SERIES" and slowly migrated to other topics. I have some wonderful friends there and some of them have come over here too. It is a nostalgic feeling when I think of yahoo-360. Alas! It is going to be closed down. But I wish it would and should stay.

THERAPEUTIC VALUE OF INDIAN CLASSICAL MUSIC.

THERAPEUTIC VALUE OF INDIAN CLASSICAL MUSIC.

Long before acoustics came to be understood in Europe as a subject of study, the ancient Arab, Greek and Indian civilizations were already familiar with the therapeutic role of sounds and vibrations and the later day concepts pertaining to them. While music as a whole is well recognized for its entertainment value, the Indian civilization had gone a step forward to attribute the curative aspect to music.

The ancient system of Nada Yoga, which dates back to the time of Tantras, has fully acknowledged the impact of music on body and mind and put into practice the vibrations emanating from sounds to uplift one's level of consciousness. It is the Indian genius that recognized that ragas are not just mere commodities of entertainment but the vibrations in their resonance could synchronize with one's moods and health. By stimulating the moods and controlling the brain wave patterns, ragas could work as a complementary medicine.

What is a Raga?

Raga, we all know is the sequence of selected notes (swaras) that lend appropriate "mood" or emotion in a selective combination. Depending on their nature, a raga could induce or intensify joy or sorrow, violence or peace and it is this quality which forms the basis for musical application. Thus, a whole range of emotions and their nuances could be captured and communicated within certain rhythms and melodies. Playing, performing and even listening to appropriate ragas can work as a medicine.Various ragas have since been recognized to have definite impact on certain ailments.

Historic References on Raga Chikitsa.
The ancient Hindus had relied on music for its curative role: the chanting and toning involved in Veda mantras in praise of God have been used from time immemorial as a cure for several disharmonies in the individual as well as his environment. Several sects of "bhakti" such as Chaitanya sampradaya, Vallabha sampradaya have all accorded priority to music. Historical records too indicate that one Haridas Swami who was the guru of the famous musician in Akbar's time,Tan Sen is credited with the recovery of one of the queens of the Emperor with a selected raga.

The great composers of classical music in India called the "Musical Trinity", - who were curiously the contemporaries of the "Trinity of Western Classical Music, Bach, Beethoven and Mozart“ were quite sensitive to the acoustical energies. Legend has it that Saint Thyagaraja brought a dead person back to life with his Bilahari composition Naa Jiva Dhaara. Muthuswamy Dikshitar's Navagriha kriti is believed to cure stomach ache. Shyama Sastry's composition Duru Sugu uses music to pray for good health.

Raga chikitsa was an ancient manuscript, which dealt with the therapeutic effects of raga. The library at Thanjavur is reported to contain such a treasure on ragas, that spells out the application and use of various ragas in fighting common ailments.

Raga Chikitsa(Therapy)

Raga Therapy in India
Living systems show sensitivity to specific radiant energies, be it acoustical, magnetic or electro-magnetic. As the impact of music could be easily gauged on emotions and thereby on mind, it can be used as a tool to control the physiological, psychological and even social activities of the patients

Indian classical music can be classified into two forms: kalpita sangita or composition, which is previously conceived, memorized, practised and rendered and manodharma sangita or the music extemporised and performed. The latter can be equated to the honey-mooner's first night as it conceives both spontaneity and improvisation. It is fresh and natural as it is created almost on the spot and rendered instantly on the spur of the moment.

According to an ancient Indian text, Swara Sastra, the seventy-two melakarta ragas (parent ragas ) control the 72 important nerves in the body. It is believed that if one sings with due devotion, adhering to the raga lakshana (norms) and sruti shuddhi, (pitch purity) the raga could affect the particular nerve in the body in a favourable manner.

While the descending notes in a raga (avarohana) do create inward-oriented feelings, the ascending notes (arohana) represent an upward mobility. Thus music played for the soldiers or for the dancers have to be more lively and up lifting with frequent use of arohana content. In the same way, melancholic songs should go for "depressing" avarohanas. Although it is not a rule, most of the Western tunes based on major keys play joyful notes, while those composed in minor keys tend to be melancholic or serious.

Certain ragas do have a tendency to move the listeners, both emotionally as well as physically. An involuntary nod of the head, limbs or body could synchronize with lilting tunes when played.

Some Therapeutic Ragas

Puriya

Hypertension, phobia, heart disorder

Jaunpuri

Apan disease, constipation, Intestinal Gas Urinary tract infection, colic pain

Darabari Kanada

Headache (Acute), Migraine, mind concentration, Grief, Mental shock

Puriya Kalyan

Anxiety, Leucorroea, Dysmenorrhoea, Abdominal pain

Kedar

Insomnia, Mental retardation, Memory impairment, tonsitis, Rhinitis, Upper respiratory infections

Bhairav

Specifying three dosh diseases, Insomnia, Heart disorder

Shyam Kalyan

Anger, three dosh disorder

Malkauns

Three dosh disorder, fever

Kalavati Rag

Labour pains (Acute), Insomnia, (women delivered safely without strain)

Sam Ved Richa

Labour pain, Insomnia general debility, tissue building

Hindol

Body pain, low backache, musculo-skeletal and neuralogic pain, vat diseases, Rheumatoid arthritis

Deepak

Indigestion, less gastric fire, Hyperacidity

Pata Manjiri

Vomiting, less gastric fire, Anorexia

Megh Malhar

Irritation of Skin, Rakt Pitt, Leprosy, leucoderma, High gastric fire (bhasmaka)

Vasant bahar

Pitt diseases, fever

Asavari

Infertility, impotency, Apan disorder and habitual abortion

Shree

Kaph diseases, swelling, Asthama, common cold weakness.

Bhairavi

Arthritis, Rheumatic disorder, muscular & joins pain, heaviness

Lalit

Rasayan, Vaikaran (improve sex emotion) Nervous break down

Sohani

Shock.

Kaphi

Vat Pitt diseases , mainly eye problems.

Jay-Jayvanti

Pain reliever, kaph & vat pacify, bring happiness.

Conclusion

There is a growing awareness that ragas could be a safe alternative for many medical interventions.Simple iterative musical rhythms with low pitched swaras, as in bhajans and kirtans are the time-tested sedatives, which can even substitute the synthetic analgesics, which show many a side-effect. They are capable of leading to relaxation, as observed with the alpha-levels of the brain waves. They may also lead to favourable hormonal changes in the system.

LEANING TEMPLE OF HUMA,SAMBALPUR,ORISSA,INDIA.

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