DALMA.

Description:
"DALMA" is typical Oriya recipe from the state of Orissa, which is located in the eastern part of India. The people of Orissa like this item of food very much with steam rice and all the Oriya people love to eat this in their principal meal. The nutrient value of this item is very high because, most of the ingredients are green vegetables and dal which rich in protein. There are verities of "Dalma" from different parts of Orissa. The ingredients differ from one to the other.
HERE ARE TWO VIDEO LINKS DESCRIBING PREPARATION OF DALMA.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8KhcOSSN_E&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVtpv6ZJbI0&feature=related

Ingredients:
Ingredients
3/4 cup: Toor dal (arhar Dal)
150 gm: Pumpkin cut into large pieces
2 cup: Brinjal, large and cut into medium size pieces
1 pcs: Banana green and cut into medium size pieces
1 pcs: Papaya, small and cut into medium size pieces
1 pcs: Potato, peeled and cut into large pieces
2 tsp: Coconut, grated
1 tsp: Pancha-phutana (Cumin, Mustard, Fennel, Fenu greek, Kala Jeera) seed
4-5: Red Chillies, dried
1 tbs: Ginger, minced
1 tbs: Turmeric
2 tsp: Cumin, fried
2 tsp: Red Chilli powder
1 tsp: Ghee or Oil
1/2 tsp: Sugar
Salt to taste

Directions:
Method
Dry roast 1 tsp of cumin and red chilli in a pan.
Grind it properly and leave it aside.
Boil 4 cups of water and add both dals (toor and chana), coconut, salt, minced ginger, turmeric and sugar and leave it until Dal is half cooked.
Add all vegetables viz. potato, banana, pumpkin, brinjal and papaya and cook until vegetables become soft and tender.
Fry the panch-phutana until it crackle and then add it to the cooked dal.
Sprinkle roasted cumin and chilli powder.
Decorate with grated coriander leaves (optional).
Serve with hot steam rice.

SUN TEMPLE,KONARK,ORISSA.(PART-3)

LEGEND BEHIND THE SUN TEMPLE AT KONARK.
As the legend says that, King Narasimha Deva-I of the Ganga Dynasty had ordered this temple to be built as a royal proclamation of the political supremacy of his dynasty.A workforce of 12 hundred artisans and architects invested their creative talent,energy and artistic commitment for an exhausting period of 12 years. The king had already spent an amount equivalent to the state's revenue receipts of 12 years..However the completion of the construction was nowhere near sight. Then the king issued a final command that the work be completed by a stipulated date.The team of architects headed by Bisu Maharana was at its wit's end.It was then that Dharmapada the 12 year old son of the chief architect Bisu Maharana arrived there as a visiting onlooker.He became aware of the anxiety looming large among the architects. Although he did not have any practical experience of temple construction, he was thorough in his study of the theories of temple architecture.He offered to solve the confounding problem of fixing the last copping stone at the top of the temple.He surprised everyone by doing that himself.But soon after this achievement the dead body of this adolescent prodigy was found on the sea beach at the foot of the temple.Legend says that Dharmapada laid down his life to save his community.

HISTORY OF SUN TEMPLE AT KONARK AND KONARK DANCE FESTIVAL.

The magnificent Sun Temple at Konark is the culmination of Orissan temple architecture, and one of the most stunning monuments of religious architecture in the world. The poet Rabindranath Tagore said of Konark that 'here the language of stone surpasses the language of man', and it is true that the experience of Konark is impossible to translate into words.

The massive structure, now in ruins, sits in solitary splendour surrounded by drifting sand. Today it is located two kilometers from the sea, but originally the ocean came almost up to its base. Until fairly recent times, in fact, the temple was close enough to the shore to be used as a navigational point by European sailors, who referred to it as the 'Black Pagoda'.

Built by King Narasimhadeva in the thirteenth century, the entire temple was designed in the shape of a colossal chariot, carrying the sun god, Surya, across the heavens. Surya has been a popular deity in India since the Vedic period and the following passages occur in a prayer to him in the Rig Veda, the earliest of sacred religious text:

"Aloft his beams now bring the good, Who knows all creatures that are born, That all may look upon the Sun. The seven bay mares that draw thy car, Bring thee to us, far-seeing good, O Surya of the gleaming hair. Athwart in darkness gazing up, to him the higher light, we now Have soared to Surya, the god Among gods, the highest light."

So the image of the sun god traversing the heavens in his divine chariot, drawn by seven horses, is an ancient one. It is an image, in fact, which came to India with the Aryans, and its original Babylonian and Iranian source is echoed in the boots that Surya images, alone among Indian deities, always wear.

The idea of building an entire temple in the shape of a chariot, however, is not an ancient one, and, indeed, was a breathtakingly creative concept. Equally breathtaking was the scale of the temple which even today, in its ruined state, makes one gasp at first sight. Construction of the huge edifice is said to have taken 12 years revenues of the kingdom.

The main tower, which is now collapsed, originally followed the same general form as the towers of the Lingaraja and Jagannath temples. Its height, however, exceeded both of them, soaring to 227 feet. The jagmohana (porch) structure itself exceeded 120 feet in height. Both tower and porch are built on high platforms, around which are the 24 giant stone wheels of the chariot. The wheels are exquisite, and in themselves provide eloquent testimony to the genius of Orissa's sculptural tradition.

At the base of the collapsed tower were three subsidiary shrines, which had steps leading to the Surya images. The third major component of the temple complex was the detached natamandira (hall of dance), which remains in front of the temple. Of the 22 subsidiary temples which once stood within the enclosure, two remain (to the west of the tower): the Vaishnava Temple and the Mayadevi Temple. At either side of the main temple are colossal figures of royal elephants and royal horses.

Just why this amazing structure was built here is a mystery. Konark was an important port from early times, and was known to the geographer Ptolemy in the second century AD. A popular legend explains that one son of the god Krishna, the vain and handsome Samba, once ridiculed a holy, although ugly, sage. The sage took his revenge by luring Samba to a pool where Krishna's consorts were bathing. While Samba stared, the sage slipped away and summoned Krishna to the site. Enraged by his son's seeming impropriety with his stepmothers, Krishna cursed the boy with leprosy. Later he realized that Samba had been tricked, but it was too late to withdraw the curse. Samba then travelled to the seashore, where he performed 12 years penance to Surya who, pleased with his devotion, cured him of the dreaded disease. In thanksgiving, Samba erected a temple at the spot.

In India, history and legend are often intextricably mixed. Scholars however feel that Narasimhadeva, the historical builder of the temple, probably erected the temple as a victory monument, after a successful campaign against Muslim invaders.

In any case, the temple which Narasimhadeva left us is a chronicle in stone of the religious, military, social, and domestic aspects of his thirteenth century royal world. Every inch of the remaining portions of the temple is covered with sculpture of an unsurpassed beauty and grace, in tableaux and freestanding pieces ranging from the monumental to the miniature. The subject matter is fascinating. Thousands of images include deities, celestial and human musicians, dancers, lovers, and myriad scenes of courtly life, ranging from hunts and military battles to the pleasures of courtly relaxation. These are interspersed with birds, animals (close to two thousand charming and lively elephants march around the base of the main temple alone), mythological creatures, and a wealth of intricate botanical and geometrical decorative designs. The famous jewel-like quality of Orissan art is evident throughout, as is a very human perspective which makes the sculpture extremely accessible. The temple is famous for its erotic sculptures, which can be found primarily on the second level of the porch structure. The possible meaning of these images has been discussed elsewhere in this book. It will become immediately apparent upon viewing them that the frank nature of their content is combined with an overwhelming tenderness and lyrical movement. This same kindly and indulgent view of life extends to almost all the other sculptures at Konark, where the thousands of human, animal, and divine personages are shown engaged in the full range of the 'carnival of life' with an overwhelming sense of appealing realism.

The only images, in fact, which do not share this relaxed air of accessibility are the three main images of Surya on the northern, western, and southern facades of the temple tower. Carved in an almost metallic green chlorite stone (in contrast to the soft weathered khondalite of the rest of the structure), these huge images stand in a formal frontal position which is often used to portray divinities in a state of spiritual equilibrium. Although their dignity sets them apart from the rest of the sculptures, it is, nevertheless, a benevolent dignity, and one which does not include any trace of the aloof or the cold. Konark has been called one of the last Indian temples in which a living tradition was at work, the 'brightest flame of a dying lamp'. As we gaze at these superb images of Surya benevolently reigning over his exquisite stone world, we cannot help but feel that the passing of the tradition has been nothing short of tragic.

Close by is one of the most attractive beaches of the world - the Chandrabhaga beach.

Approach : By air to Bhubaneswar, Konark is 65 km from Bhubaneswar by road.

Stay : While many visitors prefer to stay at Puri or Bhubaneswar and make a day trip to Konark, excellent accommodation is available at Konark at the Panthanivas run by the Orissa Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) and the Yatri Nivas run by the Department of Tourism, Govt. of Orissa.

Name
Telephone No.

Panthanivas
(06758) 235831

Yatrinivas
236821


Handicrafts of the region : Stone and Wood carvings, Patta paintings, the famous applique work of Pipli, and many other handicrafts of Orissa can be selected as souvenirs from the local market.

Fairs and Festivals of the region : Magha Saptami which is also called Chandrabhaga Mela is the most popular festival (in the month of February) when lakhs of pilgrims from various parts of India and abroad visit this place. Tourism festival known as Konark Dance Festival is held here from 1st-5th December every year in the "Open Air Auditorium" with the Sun Temple as the back drop.

Places around Konark :

Kuruma
Chaurasi
Ramachandi

Astranga






Kuruma
(8 km)*
8 km from the world famous Sun Temple of Konark, Kuruma is a small village. Recent excavations here have brought to light the reminiscence of some ancient Buddhist antiquities like the image of Buddha seated in Bhumisparsa Mudra along with the image of Heruka, and a 17 metres long brick wall (brick size: 22 cm X 17 cm). Scholars are of opinion that this was one of the sites containing Buddhist stupas described by Hiuen T'sang. The place is approachable by jeep.

Chaurasi
(14 km)*
14 km from Kakatpur and 30 km from Konark one can visit the shrines of Amareswar, Laxminarayan and Barahi at Chaurasi.
Barahi is the Mother Goddess with the face of a boar. Pot-bellied, she holds a fish in one hand and a cup in the other. The deity belongs to 9th century A.D. and is worshipped according to tantric practices

Ramachandi
(7 km)*
On the confluence of the river Kushabhadra and the Bay of Bengal, Ramachandi, the presiding deity of the Konark region is worshipped here with reverence. On the Marine Drive, the place is ideal for week-end picnic.

Astranga
(35 km)*
Right on the sea-shore, it is 91 km from Puri and 10 km from Kakatpur. Astaranga presents a panoramic view especially during sunset on a multi-coloured horizon as if to justify the literal meaning of its name. It is a centre of salt production and fishing.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

* Distance from Konark
Tourist Information :
(1) Tourist Office : Yatri Nivas, Konark -752111, District Puri. Ph: (06758) 36821


Need more info? Contact
The Director
Dept. of Tourism, Paryatan Bhawan, Museum Campus, Bhubaneswr - 751 014
Tel.No. (674) 2432177 email: ortour at orissatourism.gov.in

RICH PEOPLE OF A POOR COUNTRY. WHO SHALL TAKE CARE OF THE POOR? HE? YOU?? OR I???

RICH PEOPLE OF A POOR COUNTRY. WHO SHALL TAKE CARE OF THE POOR? HE? YOU?? OR I???

Cometh the March-2008, with the increase in wealth by 23.8 billion dollars Anil Ambani becoming the biggest wealth creator in the world, as many as four Indians made it to top 10 positions of the world’s richest as per the latest issue of Forbes magazine. Those four Indians are: steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal, Mukesh Ambani, his estranged younger brother Anil Ambani and realty baron K.P.Singh. So we have four in the list of top ten, which had just one, Mittal, a year ago. India has retained its position as the top source of billionaires in Asia with total 53 people, who have a cumulative networth of 340.9 billion dollars on Forbes' 2008 World's Billionaires list consisting of 1,125 people with a combined wealth of 4.4 trillion dollars. A year ago, there were just 179 billionaires.

With a networth of 62 billion dollars, Buffett has topped the list, followed by Carlos Slim Helu (60 billion dollars) and Bill Gates (58 billion dollars) on second and third positions. These three are followed by three Indians -- Lakshmi Mittal (45 billion dollars), Mukesh (43 billion dollars) and Anil (42 billion dollars) on fourth, fifth and sixth ranks. Besides, DLF's K P Singh (30 billion dollars) has been ranked, after Sweden's Ingvar Kamprad (31 billion dollars).Among Indians, Mittal, Ambanis and Singh are followed by Essar group's Shashi and Ravi Ruia at 43rd rank globally with a combined networth of 15 billion dollars, Wipro's Azim Premji (60th with 12.7 billion dollars), Sunil Mittal and family (64th with 11.8 billion dollars) and Kumar Birla (76th with 10.2 billion dollars).These are followed by Unitech's Ramesh Chandra (86th with 9.6 billion dollars), Guatam Adani (91st with 9.3 billion dollars), Savitri Jindal (110th with 8.2 billion dollars), Anil Agarwal (164th with 6 billion dollars), Adi Godrej (178th with 5.5 billion dollars) and GMR's G M Rao (198th with 5.2 billion dollars).

The wealth amassed by Indian billionaires – estimated at $340.9 billion – is nearly 31 per cent of the country's total GDP. This gives them nearly three times more weight in the economy than their American counterparts and over ten times of those in China. The net worth of all the Chinese billionaires is just about 3 per cent of the country's GDP, while that for the US billionaires is nearly 11 per cent. In its annual list of world's billionaires, Forbes said there are a total 42 billionaires in China and 469 in the US with a combined net worth of $95 billion and $1.6 trillion, respectively. The magazine put the number of Indian billionaires at 53. According to latest data available with International Monetary Fund (IMF), the GDP size of India, China and the US for 2007 are estimated at $1,089.9 billion, $3,248 billion, and $13,794 billion respectively. The percentage figures for the share of billionaires' wealth in the three countries are based on the analysis of Forbes net worth figures and the GDP size of these economies. The GDP share of Indian billionaires' wealth is more than four times of the global average also. Forbes magazine put the combined wealth of all 1,125 billionaires in the world at $4.4 trillion, which is just about seven per cent of the world's total GDP size. With $340.9 billion, Indians account for nearly eight per cent of the world's total billionaire wealth. This is nearly four times of about two per cent held by Chinese, but less than one-fourth of about 36 per cent owned by the Americans.

All these are certainly impetus enough to feel proud as Indian. But the reality in other side of the coin is not that glittering. The most intriguing fact is that none of those rich Indian appears in the list of top ten tax payers of the country. How they protect their wealth from the tax system of the country? Does it not indicate serious flaw in the tax system of the country? My sympathy to the middle class of the country who are always considered as milking cow as far as tax payment is concerned.

Now for a moment, let us slide down our view from the middle class to the downtrodden of the country. The Planning Commission has estimated that 27.5% of the population was living below the poverty line in 2004–2005. Despite significant economic progress, 1/4 of the nation's population earns less than the government-specified poverty threshold of $0.40/day. Then who eats the fruit of the economic progress? Does our economic progress aim at benefiting a few in the top?

Research says that economic growth of the country between eighties and nineties seems to be accompanied by an adverse inequality effect. This means growth effect and inequality have operated in opposite direction. However growth effect dominated over the inequality effect and this caused in decline of poverty.

Ok, this gives another food for thought. For a moment let us think that growth is accompanied by effort to reduce the inequality. Certainly, we shall all agree that the poverty level of this country will come down at a much faster rate.

So while the efforts are there for urbanized SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE, certain attention should go for rural SPECIAL AGRICULTURE ZONE. India lives in 6, 38,596 villages. Effort should be made to elevate to economic status of  villages without changing the basic fabric of a village. I am not suggesting all the villages should be industrialized or the industrialization is the only answer. Identify the strength of the village and try to work on that. For example in a village comprising mostly fishermen efforts should be made to improve the productivity of fishermen with latest methodology and develop the business module for profitable sale of their product. Help them to economically improve. Once a person is economically improved, he/she is intelligent enough to take care of the rest like education, health, and shelter etc. What is required is a tailor-made-the- village-specific approach rather than a broad approach.

But who shall take the initiation?

He?

 You??

Or

 I???

 

 

 

SUN TEMPLE,KONARK,ORISSA(PART-2)

FALL OF KONARK.

INCOMPLETE TEMPLE.
It is opined by some historians that, due to the early death of the king Langula Narasimha Dev, builder of the Konarak temple, the construction of the temple had been left in a haphazard state. As a result of this, the incomplete structure eventually collapsed. But this view is unsupported by historical data. The records of Madala Panji of Puri Jagannath temple, as well as from some copper plates dated 1278 A.D., state that the king Langula Narasimha Dev reigned till 1282. Many historians are of the opinion that the construction of the Konark temple was completed between 1253 and 1260 A.D. So the argument that the temple collapsed due to non-completion during construction is not tenable.
LODESTONE.
Legends describe a lodestone on the top of the Sun temple. Due to its magnetic effects, vessels passing through the Konark sea were drawn to it, resulting in heavy damage. Other legends state that magnetic effects of the lodestone disturbed ships' compasses so that they did not function correctly. To save their shipping, the Portugese voyagers took away the lodestone, which was acting as the central stone and keeping all the stones of the temple wall in balance. Due to its displacement, the temple walls lost their balance and eventually fell down. But there is no record of this occurrence in any historical records, nor is there any record of the existence of such a powerful lodestone at Konark.
KALAPAHAD
The most popular theory about the root of the fall of Konark temple rests with the Kalapahad. According to the history of Orissa, Kalapahad invaded Orissa in 1508. He destroyed Konark temple, as well as a number of Hindu temples in Orissa. The Madala Panji of Puri Jagannath temple describes how Kalapahad attacked Orissa in 1568. Including Konark temple, he broke most of the images in most of the Hindu temples in Orissa. Though it was impossible to break the Sun temple of Konark, the stone walls of which are of 20 to 25 feet thick, he somehow managed to displace the Dadhinauti (Arch stone) and thus made a way for the temple to collapse. He also broke most of the images and other side temples of Konark. Due to displacement of the Dadhinauti, the temple gradually collapsed and the roof of the Mukasala was also damaged, due to the stones falling down from the temple top.
Consequently, Orissa came under Muslim control in 1568. There were constant attempts to destroy the Hindu temples. The Pandas of Puri, to save the sanctity of the Puri temple, took away the Lord Jagannath from the Srimandir and kept the image in a secret place. Similarly, it is said that the Pandas of Konark took away the presiding deity of the Sun temple and buried it under the sand for years. Latter on the image was said to have been removed to Puri and kept in the temple of Indra, in the compound of the Puri Jagannath temple. According to others, the Puja image of the Konark temple is yet to be discovered. But others hold the view that the Sun image now kept in the National Museum of Delhi was the presiding deity of the Konark Sun temple.
However, the Sun worship in the Konark temple was ended upon the removal of the image from the temple. This resulted in the end of pilgrimages to Konark. The port at Konark was also closed, due to pirate attacks. Konark was as glorious a city for Sun worship as it was for commercial activities, but after the cessation of these activities, Konark became deserted and was left to develop as a dense forest for years.
In 1626 the then king of Khurda, Raja Narasimha Dev, son of Purusottam Dev, took away the Sun image to Puri along with two other moving deities - Sun and Moon. Now they are found in a temple in the compound of Puri Jagannath temple.
It is recorded in the Madala Panji of Puri temple that in 1028, Raja Narasimha Dev ordered measurements to be taken of all the temples at Konark. At the time of measurement, the Sun temple was in existence up to its Amalak sila, i.e. about 200 feet in height. Kalapahad had only destroyed its Kalas, the crowning stone and the Padma-dhwaja, the lotus finial and the upper portions.
As described earlier there was a big block of stone called Navagraha Paata placed in front of the Mukhasala. The then king of Khurda removed the block. The king had taken away many sculptured stones from Konark and constructed some portions of Puri temple with them. During Marahatta's time the outer compound wall of the Puri temple was constructed of stones from Konark temple.
It is reported that among all the temples the Naata Mandir or the Dancing hall of Konark was in its original form for the longest period, and that it was broken intentionally since it was considered an unnecessary structure during the Marahata administration.
In the year 1779, a Marhatta Sadhu had taken away the Arun Pillar from Konark and put it in front of the Lion's Gate of Puri Jagannath temple. Thus by the end of 18th century Konark lost all its glories and had been turned to a dense forest. In course of time, the temple area thus became devoid of people, covered with dense forest, full of sand, filled with wild animals and became the abode of pirates. It is said that even the locals feared to go to Konark in broad daylight.

GARBA DANCE OF GUJURAT.

Navratri!! The annual Navratri Utsav, or Festival of Nine Nights, provokes the cities of Gujarat into light, colour, dancing and music, during September-October. Navratri is held throughout Gujarat, at small villages as well as great cities. Amba Mata, the earth goddess bestowing strength and power against the forces of evil, enjoys special attention during Navratri by Puja in picsles and dances of the Ras Garba tradition. These dances normally begin at eleven at night and continue till dawn, at various sites, in different areas in each city.

Duha: Is in opening fast tracked song, at a very high pitch and after that the 'geet' follows! Men display an energetic form of dance synonymous with the tunes.
Raas: its roots lay from the days of Lord Krishna who played 'raas'on the shores of Yamuna river on a moonlit night with his beloved Gopis. The tradition still continues! Nowadays, men and women play in pairs with bamboo sticks called 'dandiya'.
Garba: Is a very graceful form of dance among the Gujaratis and it is performed on 9 nights, 'Navratri' to Goddess Ambica, where women dance gracefully in circles sometimes also using, 'Bedu, Kanjari' or just 'Taali' and 'Chapti' They are dressed in exquisitely embroidered, set in mirrors 'Choli', 'Ghagra' and 'Bandhani' dupattas, silver oxidised jewellery where in 'Tika' and 'Anklets' are a must! The dress code of men is Kehediyu, Chudidar and a Turban’
Aarti: Is sung in the beginning, genuflecting the Goddess. Prayers are offered and Prasies are sung and danced with diyas in hand.
Jaag: Is a slow paced dance where woman carry on their heads lamps lit in piecered pots. This form is associated with old traditions.

SUN TEMPLE,KONARK.ORISSA.(PART-1)

The Sun Temple of Konark often called as the Black Pagoda was constructed in mid thirteenth century by Raja Narasinghs Deva-I of the Ganga Dynasty. It is an ample testament to the artistic glory of the time. Conceived in form of a huge chariot drawn by seven spirited horses on twelve pairs of exquisitely decorated wheels, after the mythical seven horse chariot of Sun God, the temple was a unique in its architecture and implementation. Intricate carvings on the walls of the main temple and the Natya Mandap (a separate structure just in front of the temple) are a sight to behold. It is often considered to be the most artistically superior among the other temples and that is saying something when you are talking about the golden triangle of Orissa which boast of Sri Jagannath temple and Lingraj Temple of Puri and Bhubaneswar . Sun Temple has lost its many of its original structures to time and disrepair but the remaining structures and the remainder of the structures confirm till today the infinite imaginative power of the artistes of the time and their inspiring contribution to Vaisnav Culture.

The crowing glory of the temple architecture of Orissa the Sun Temple at Konark plays host to the annual dance festival featuring Odissi and other traditional dance forms. The open air stage against the back drop of the floodlit temple reverberates with the beats of classical ragas and thalas to transport the audience in sheer ecstasy. The accompanying divine music and the breathtaking movements of the performers turn the event a truly out of this world spectacle. It appears as if the entire monument has come alive. Besides this lavish feast for the eyes and ears, the festival involves display of traditional art and craft marking the glorious traditions of Orissa and an exhibition of exotic Sand Art.

OM NAMAH SHIVAYA.

OM NAMAH SHIVAYA.

MAHA MRITYUNJAYA MANTRA.

MAHA MRITYUNJAYA MANTRA.

EVOLUTION AEROCAR,THE CAR THAT CAN FLY.

TAGGED!!!

Well, again this game of “Tag” has come to my rescue, when I was struggling about my next blog. I was really in a fix. What to write? Lot of thanks to Kannan for tagging me. Easy now. There is no requirement to search for topic. Just Look back and introspect while keeping Kannan’s instruction in mind. It has to be all about “friend”,” family”, ‘work”,” love” and “anything you like”.

WHO IS THE BEST FRIEND?

Basically I am quite introvert and loner by nature. Close to everybody but not close enough to anybody. In my personal life I behave with utmost care to whomsoever I meet. But things are restricted to the purpose for which we have met. No evening party. No unnecessary telephone conversion. No visit to friends’ house and relatives’ house. An out and out loner. Friends are only friends for me. No better friend. No best friend. All are good friends. I do not why I am like that. But I find there is no harm in being like that. So life moves on. I move on. My friends too move on. When we meet I smile and they pay me the reciprocation smile too. Or it is vice-versa. But things are routine and simple. I am a friend to everybody. But I am not a better friend than somebody and nor am I a best friend to anybody in the regular sense. Therefore I do not have a particular blog on/for any friend as I think all my blogs are for friends both known and unknown.

From the concept of known- unknown and friendship, I remember a small story. The title of the story is “The Best Friend.” Let me narrate it in brief.

Once upon a time, in good old days, one man had many friends and he wanted to know who his best friend is. Somebody advised him to meet a God man who was living in the nearby jungle. Of course God men in those days were only staying in jungle. Unlike present day God men, they had no palace to stay, no car to move around, no film actresses to get coaching on Yoga, no politicians to ask for donations and of course no TV channels to broadcast their early morning sermons.

So the man went to the jungle to meet the God man. On meeting the God man he asked, “My Lord I want to know who my best friend is. Will you please tell me his name?” the God man did not answer that day and asked him to come next day. That day while returning the man was attacked by a tiger in the jungle. But to his good luck one jungle man came to his rescue and saved him from the attack of tiger.

Next day when he again came to the God man he heard the roar of tiger. So out of fear, he started running fast towards the hut of the God man and by the time he reached the God man, he had almost fainted. The God man took a good care of the man till he became normal. When the man became comfortable the God man asked him, “Now my son, do you know who your best friend is?” The man nodded his head in negative. Then the God man said, “My son, yesterday evening, your best friend was that Jungle man and today morning, it is me.” But the man was surprised. He asked the God man, “My Lord, both of you are not my friend.” Then the God man said, “My son, at a particular moment who-so-ever is near you, he is the best friend for you in that moment. Because of me now and that jungle man yesterday, you are alive today. Hence yesterday evening that unknown man was your best friend and today morning it is me.”

Yes, my friends in the walk of life and in every moment of life the person near us is our best friend, he/she may be known and unknown. Let us be the best friend to each other in that sense.

HERE IS A BLOG FOR YOU

ON

FRIENDSHIP:- PARIJAT-15.

FAMILY.

What is family? Who are the members of that family? My father. My mother. My wife/husband. My son. My daughter. My brother. My sister. The list goes on. Yes, they are part of our family. But how much time we spend with that family? Yes, my friends, your family is there wherever you are. If you are at your work place, your colleagues make your family.

Here is one of my old blog for you written on that concept of family.

PARIJAT-11.

WORK.

You must be knowing that I am a brick and sand Engineer. Yes, Civil Engineer. That is my profession. That is my work. Writing much on this will amount to blowing my own trumpet.

Here is a blog for you relating to Civil Engineering.

HEALTH CHECK UP OF BUILDINGS.

LOVE.

Well, this is a very difficult subject. Without much ado, I will guide you to one of my old blog.

Here goes the blog on love.

PARIJAT-18.

ANYTHING YOU LIKE.

It does not require much thinking to write about what I like. Undoubtedly, it is music. I listen to anything and everything irrespective of language. Though I have written couples of blogs on music, I would talk about a blog which for some unknown reasons remains relatively unnoticed.

Here goes that blog on music.

THERAPEUTIC VALUE OF INDIAN CLASSICAL MUSIC.

TASK FOR FRIENDS.

Well, my friend, when I have talked about music, let me give a musical treatment all of you. Here is a beautiful song for all of you along with its videos. The second video is by an unknown singer. But her voice is as good as original singer, Chithra. The language of the song is TAMIL, one of the Indian languages.

Here is a task for one of the respected blogger of my friends’ list. Yes, he is ShankarG♥2♥. The task for him is that he has to write lyrics of the song in English and its translation in English in the comment section of the blog.

Here is another beautiful song. This time the language is Bengali, another Indian language. Now it is turn of my Bengali friend, Mili to write about its lyrics and translation in English in the comment section.

WHO WILL BE TAGGED?

Here goes the list.

Los.

AJ.

Mrudula.

MOONRISE.

Retta D'Costa.

Gulshan.

P.K

Happy tagging, my friends.

THE CHEAPEST CAR IN THE WORLD.

THE CHEAPEST CAR IN THE WORLD.

The cheapest car in the U.S. is the $9,995 Chevrolet Aveo from GM. In Japan that distinction goes to the Daihatsu Esse at about $6,000. In Europe the Dacia Logan from Renault SA starts at just under 8,000 euros ($11,900). As per the news report ,with 107-hp,1.6-litre Ecotec engine capable of 26 mpg city ,34 mpg highway ,the 2009 Chevy Aveo5 of General Motor is going to be the cheapest car in the U.S. But how much cheap? It is yet to be disclosed. But for now, my friend may have a look on this photo and video to get a feel of AVEO5, the name derived from its five doors.

AVEO5

But can you think of a car which comes almost one fourth price of the present cheapest car of U.S. market and much less than the half of the price of the present cheapest car of Japanese market? I know my Indian friends might be feeling like hitting on my face for writing about this old news which happened on the 10^th of January 2008.Well, I think the news is not stale enough to present and its aroma shall linger and linger.

Yes, I am talking of NANO from the house of TATA. It is the cheapest car in the world with a price tag $2500. It is not an apology of car. The 4-door 4 seat 33-bhp 2-cylinder car, powered by a 643cc rear-mounted engine will meet Euro 4 emission norms. Although it is 20 percent shorter in length than Maruti 800, the present cheapest car in India, Nano has 21 percent more space and runs 20 km/liter. It is likely to hit the market in the second half of 2008, probably around festive season in October. Just have a look on this photo and video to get a feel of NANO.

NANO

The NANO is a watershed in independent India’s business history for two important reasons. Its affordability gives it the potential to be the most inclusive innovation of Indian corporate sector so far. For the first time in this country, those on the fringes of the middle-class can hope to fulfill their aspirations of owning a car. The second reason has significance as at present only 8 Indians out of 1000 own a car which is one of the lowest levels in the world. With the arrival of NANO, there is an every possibility that car would cease to be a status symbol. See what Mr.Ratan Tata, the Tata group chairman says while presenting NANO in Delhi’s Auto Expo on 10^th of January 2008.

I will conclude this blog with another piece of great news that NANO will soon arrive in the European market.

According to Reuters, Girish Wagh, head of compact car projects at Tata Motors, confirmed to German magazine Focus the Nano would reach Europe within four years. "We will develop a successor model in four years' time which will meet the Euro 5 emission regulations and the crash standards in Europe," Wagh was quoted as saying.

Thanks Mr.Ratan Tata. Your small car has made every Indian tall.

GAYATRI MANTRA.

Gayatri Mantra.

SISHUPALGARH,2500 YEARS OLD CITY IN ORISSA.

SISHUPALGARH,2500 YEARS OLD CITY IN ORISSA.

CHANDAN'S 10TH CLASS EXAMINATION.

Start:	Mar 3, '08 09:30a
End:	Mar 27, '08 2:00p

Who is Indian in India?!

“You do not find Indian in India. You find either Hindus or Muslims.” My weak memory does not help me to recollect from where I read these lines. My initial hunch tells me that it might be from the book “Freedom at Midnight” written by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre. But a quick and cursory glance on “Freedom at Midnight” did not help me to locate the quoted sentences though the chapter-“WALK ALONE, WALK ALONE” of the book deals extensively about the Hindu and the Muslim of India and the difference they possess. But one thing is sure that I did read those sentences from a book dealing with Pre-Independence scenario in India.

But the present happenings in India, particularly in the city of Mumbai, bring back the ugly and grotesque reminder of the sentence. “You do not find Indian in India.” Thanks to Nehruvian wisdom of creating Indian states in linguistic basis the second sentence requires little modification. “You find Marathi, Gujurati, Tamlian, Bihari, etc and etc”. We have forgotten the word “our.” It now “my,” “my” and “my.” My state. My city. My language. My water. My river. Everything has become “My’ and “I.” I am Marathi. He is Bihari. I am South Indian. He is North Indian. But where is Indian? Sad but true! This is the state of affair after 60 years of independence. Who is behind the creation of these ugly sentiments?

Or May be, we are inherently like that and we have not forgotten the Pre-British era of being ruled under numerous princely states. Each state covering barely a few square miles and there you find a King or MAHARAJA whose name along with his succeeding and preceding designations assumes a length more than the length between the one extreme corner to the other extreme corner of his kingdom. And the great MAHARAJA shall use his subjects at his whim and fancy. Most of the times you find those Maharajas are in battles with each other. Who becomes victim? Whose blood flows? It is of poor subjects. The common man.

Well, things have not changed much until now, I suppose. You only find a subtle change. The numerous princely states have been replaced by numerous political parties and Maharajas by Political Leaders. And those battles still exist in form of narrow political issues. But unfortunately the victim remains same. The common man. And for the present common man, the political leaders have become more powerful than the erstwhile Maharajas of Pre-British era because of the availability a potent weapon naming Audio-Visual Media. News reporting particularly Audio-Visual media has off late assumed a new dimension. There is a mushrooming of 24*7 News channels. But from where shall you get new News throughout the day? So the old marketing adage has come into the play. If you want to beat the market then you create the market. Hence for Audio-Visual media, it is “create the News” and if required, camouflage it. No harm. Everything is right in love, war and business. Ethics are for fools.

Now let us see how one of the present day’s so called Maharaja and the potent weapon at the hand of Maharajas’, the Audio-Visual media behaved in the recent Mumbai episode.Yes, the Maharaja is Raj Thackeray and the Audio-Visual media are the National News channels. I have no privy to vernacular Marathi media. Hence no comments about that.

The issue raised by Raj Thackeray is about influx of people from other states to the city of Mumbai. He considers these outsiders are burden on Mumbai and they have contributed nothing towards the growth of the city. He feels that North Indian culture is eroding away the Marathi culture. His supporters roared up with the call of the leader. Mumbai witnessed sporadic violence. Couples of North Indian taxi drivers were bitten up and their taxis were damaged. Raj played his political card for his popularity and the media picked up the thread. The sporadic incidents which might have gone unnoticed had it happened few years back became a hot News and video footage of the violence was telecast again and again to flare up the sentiments of people. Do you call it responsible journalism? Not only that you had many discussions on News channels where so called intellectuals vomited their intellectuality.Debated.Redabated.But as usual remained inconclusive in their conclusions. And when Raj was arrested one of the leading English news channel made a live telecast on that with running commentary by its Editor-in-Chief. I wonder whether it was arrest of Raj Thackeray or a Republic day’s parade! See how we made a HERO out of a PUPPET.

Coming back to the issue of influx of people to Mumbai, I do not think only outsiders are benefited in the process. It is mutually complementary. Mumbai is benefited too. It does not require an intellectual brain to understand the common economic equilibrium of “Demand and Supply.” Influx to a city shall take place as long as the city has a demand. If the city does not have a demand the influx shall die down automatically. If it is not true then why industries in Nasik of Mumbai have come to stand still after 10,000 North Indian left the place?

Those who left are “the common man” and those who are going to suffer because of this temporary closure of industries are also “the common man.” Who suffered in the violence of Mumbai? Again “the common man”. Who got benefited? Ah! “The politician.” Who made it possible? “The media.” Be aware Indian! Let us not allow anybody to question again. Who is Indian in India?!

LIFE IN SARTUN'S MOON?

LIFE IN SARTUN'S MOON?

DEAD HEART STARTS BEATING-2

SEE THE ADVANCEMENT OF MEDICAL SCIENCE.

LIFE IN MARS?

LIFE IN MARS?

HUMAN HEART BEATING IN A MACHINE.

HUMAN HEART BEATING IN A MACHINE.

LARGEST SWEET MARKET IN THE WORLD? OOPS! CERTAINLY LARGEST RASAGOLA MARKET IN THE WORLD.

Just imagine more than 50 shops in two rows with combined areas of nearly 40,000 sqft occupying both sides of National Highway No.5 of India and making and selling only three verities of Milk Sweets–RASAGOLA, CHHENA PODA, and CHHENA GAJA. That is not all! Believe me, the 95% of their combined productions amounts to RASAGOLA, the National Sweet of India. If you put all these shops in a modern shopping mall with adequate shopping areas, eateries and other facilities of a modern shopping mall, I am sure those shall occupy nearly 80,000 sqft. Will that not make the largest Sweet Market of the world? No! Ok. I am sure by shear volume of production it shall make the largest RASAGOLA Market in the world. The place I am describing is a tiny village named PAHALA, on National Highway No. 5, some 12 kilometers between Bhubaneswar and Cuttack of the state of Orissa. And here you find the champion Sweetmeat-makers, call Rasgola-makers of India. Every motorist, every trucker, every two-wheeler rider must pull off the Highway and come to a stop before one of the sweet stalls. First, everybody satiates himself by sitting on a wooden bench inside one of the stalls and eating to his heart’s content. Then parcels are packed and taken away for the people at home.

Now please have a look on this video above which shows that Sweet Market of Pahala. Please do not get confused by seeing those advertising boards of Telecommunication companies and other products. Yes, sweet shops of Pahala display advertising boards of other products for their Rasgolas need no advertisements.

Here is another video describing about Pahala and the Origin of Rasagola and how Rasagola is prepared at Pahal.

It is believed that the famous Rasagola and other similar sweets which are commonly referred to as Bengali sweets actually originated in the kitchen of Lord Jagannath temple at Puri and later were introduced in Bengal by the cooks of Orissa who were employed by rich Bengalis. Kheer or Payasam which is one of the most common desserts enjoyed all over India is originally from Orissa where it is called Kheeri. Incidentally the kitchen of Puri Jagannath temple is one of the biggest in the world where hundreds of skilled cooks work to produce fifty six varieties of offering for the deity every day and this is fed to over 10000 devotees. According to centuries older convention, the Hindu divinity of Jagganath in Puri is presented with Rasagola at the conclusion of his emblematic journey, during the Rath Yatra every year.

The Rasagola at Pahala comes in five sizes. The biggest one is as big as an apple. These are not the standard, rubbery Rasagola of Haldirams, K. C. Das, Sen Mahasey and Gongurams in neighboring Kolkatta. These are a softer version, more creamish in color than white, and not as spongy as the Bengali Rasagola for sure. The Pahala sweet-makers allege that one of the reasons why the Bengali Rasogola is tougher than theirs, is that the Bengalis want a longer shelf-life for their product. They add arrowroot powder to their Rasagola. In Pahala, they mix 25 gms of sooji with 1 kg of chhena (cottage cheese) in the making of their Rasagola. To this is added elaichi (cardamom) for flavour. A dough is made, it is rolled into little balls, and deep fried in sugar syrup. The sooji is used to hold the chenna together in the deep-frying stage. The Pahala Rasagolas sell for Re. 1 to Rs. 5 a piece depending on the size. They taste divine!

Visit this link if you want to order for Pahala Rasagola.

http://pahalarasagola.com/default.aspx

Rasagola, of course named in various names in different parts of India and some of the names are Rashogulla, Rasagolla, Rashogolla, Rasgulla, Rosogolla, and Rasgula, meaning JUICY BALL.

If you are interested to know the recipe of Rasagola, visit

http://www.ifood.tv/recipe/rasagulla_rasgulla

HAPPY RASAGOLA EATING MY FRIENDS.

May be some other day and some other time I will describe Chhena poda and Chhena gaja for you.

LET ME HAVE A NAP TILL MY COMPUTER BOOTS UP !!!

LET ME HAVE A NAP TILL MY COMPUTER BOOTS UP !!!

Old timers may not have forgotten the operating system MS-DOS. Ok, pretty good it was. Type the command on “C PROMPT” and the old 386 system shall carry out the needful for you. Sometimes in the middle of 1995, I got introduced to a 486 system with 4M.B.Ram and Window 3.1 operating system. Well, well,well. Put your palm on the back of the mouse and make the mouse to crawl, the Window shall take you to different doors. Pretty exciting it was too. But one important aspect we did not notice or choose to ignore amongst the din and bustles, hurrah and hoopla of the mouse’s clicks is the time consumed for the computer to start in new operating system called “WINDOW.” We have traveled a long way since then and the “starting time of computer” has now assumed an irritating and disgusting amplitude.

Well, as soon as you reach office you can start your computer and go the refreshing room and refresh yourself by splashing some cool water on the face and have a glass of plain water and comeback, your computer is still in start mode with many messages rolling in the screen, which mostly we do not understand. Experts say that there are many reasons for this sluggish start up of Windows.

Windows is pretty big.

Megabytes of instructions to follow i.e. starting from opening up applications to checking what is in memory.

Windows PC comes with a whole bunch of stuffs, we do not need. Starting all the programs takes time.

If the computer is loaded with anti-virus software, it too consumes time.

Unusual long time may be due to problem with a driver or a registry.

But the world is changing fast. Apple’s recently launched laptop, Air, has quick boot-up time as it comes with an optional Solid State Drive for data storage. Unlike hard drives, SSDs work on flash memory and require no moving parts to operate. This consumes less power and boots-up faster.

World largest chipmaker Intel is developing hardware and software that will shorten boot times. But before it hits market we can try some other thing.

Now Device VM, a startup based in Silicon Valley, has a product that circumvents the everlasting boot-up. The company has recently released a tiny piece of software that, when integrated with common computer hardware, gives users the option to boot either Windows or a faster, less-complex operating system called Splashtop. Depending on the hardware and Splashtop settings, a person using the software--which is based on the open-source operating system Linux--can start surfing the Web or watching a DVD in less than 20 seconds, and, in some cases, in less than five.

Hitting the power button on any computer loads software called the basic input-output system, or BIOS, which is often stored in flash memory. The BIOS checks for hardware drivers and sets up the operating system. Splashtop is embedded in the BIOS, so it starts before the operating system is up and running. The user sees a screen with a simple interface offering a handful of options, including launching the Firefox Web browser, a media player, Skype, or an instant-messaging program, or allowing Windows to boot. The applications are stored in a flash-memory chip on the motherboard, so they can be quickly accessed--even if the hard drive fails.

DeviceVM is not alone in its effort to give people a way to bypass Windows. Phoenix Technologies, a company that develops BIOSes that run on many computers, recently announced a technology called HyperSpace, a lightweight operating system that launches at the same time Windows does. (DeviceVM is also developing a version of Splashtop that can boot alongside Windows.) HyperSpace is expected to be available in laptops very soon.

OK, till these products become popular, enjoy your time in refreshing room as PC boots up.

RANDOM THOUGHTS: “EXPERIENCE OR SCIENCE?”, “PLANTS LISTEN TO MUSIC?”,

RANDOM THOUGHTS: “EXPERIENCE OR SCIENCE?”, “PLANTS LISTEN TO MUSIC?”, “INDIAN SCIENTIST” AND “SIR JAGADISH CHANDRA BOSE.”

In my school days, I remember listening to songs from “Radio Ceylon” or “Bhivida Bharati” while doing Mathematics. My mother was not all that happy with my style of studying and every now and then she used to ask,” Are you studying or listening to music?” Well, in my childhood I was known for my all absorbing and gulping attitude. I shall go on listening to others and shall never react to, even provoked. But sometimes I used to answer my mother queries with a very low voice to defend my radio listening habit. “Well, I am listening to one sound i.e. music from radio instead of many unnecessary sounds.” But as usual she would complain but she never insisted that I should switch off the radio. Perhaps, internally she was convinced as I was that listening to radio is probably helping me more in concentrating studies.

Looking back I could only say,” yes, listening to music did help in my study.” Well, it is my experience and belief only. I am no scientist to prove it scientifically. But universally it is accepted that music does help. Perhaps there is no scientific method available to quantify that. But experience is the greatest teacher. If collective experiences say something is good then it must be good. Perhaps science has not matured or evolved enough to prove our experiences within acceptable parameters, methodologies, and norms of science. But let us not reject our experiences as a dogma or for that matter as a psychosomatic manifestation. If “it” works let us accept “it” works. Be sure, one day it shall be scientifically proved and you should not reject it or keep it aside till it is scientifically proved. But one word of caution here. Do not get carried away with “experiences” only. Your act resulting out of “experiences” shall act only as a complement to what has already been scientifically proved, not as a supplement or not as a substitute. In other words “experiences” and “science” shall go hand by hand, not against each other.

Persons like me who are from rural back ground would remember that in our childhood when we fall sick our Grand Papa or Grand Mom while taking us to nearest health centre or coming back from the health centre, would also pay a visit to the village priest. The priest would utter some semi audible and sacred hymn called MANTRA and move his hand over the body of the sick person while not touching it as if he is sweeping away the dirt. Sometimes the priest would touch only the forehead, back, palms, and feet of the sick person. I firmly believe the so called modern alternative methods of treatment called “PARANIC HEALING”, “REIKI” and so many of those tribes are the offshoot of Indian “Mantra Method” though it is claimed that “Reiki” had its origin at Japan and “Pranic Healing” is from Philippines.

Ok, coming back to my “Radio Ceylon” experience, I must confess that I a firm believer in productive and therapeutic value (See my blog on “Therapeutic value of Indian classical music”) of music. So when I heard and saw this news article in popular news channel of NDTV INDIA that a farmer in Indian state of Punjab has managed to improve the yield of the crop by broadcasting Indian classical music twice in a day in his cultivation field, I was but excited. See this video.

CLASSICAL MUSIC FOR CROPS.

Memory goes back again to my primary school days when I studied about Indian scientist Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose who way back in 1927 had scientifically proved that plants have nervous system. In his research in plant stimuli, he had shown with the help of his newly invented Crescograph that plants responded to various stimuli as if they had nervous systems like that of animals. He therefore found a parallelism between animal and plant tissues. His experiments showed that plants grow faster in pleasant music and its growth retards in noise or harsh sound.

Believe me my friend I studied about Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose in my fifth class literature book. Never in a science book. Till today it is never taught in science book. My son confirms that he too studied about Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose in his fifth class Hindi language book. There is no mention about Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose in his science book.

Alas, this is India and this is all about Indian. It is a crying shame and not a crowning glory that we are never taught about our scientists and their scientific discoveries. Who discovered Radio transmission system? I know answer will be univocal \u201cMarconi.\u201d Not, Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose!!!

Many salutes to that Indian farmer of the state of Punjab. Thanks a lot that you have brought back the memory of SIR JAGADISH CHANDRA BOSE.

JALLIKATTU,BULL TAMING/BULL FIGHTING IN INDIAN STYLE.

The Sunday edition of Indian Express, a popular daily in India screams in the front page:

TAMIL NADU WANTS BAN ON BULL FIGHT (JALLIKATTU) REVOKED. THE TAMIL NADU GOVERNMENT WILL FILE AN APPEAL BEFORE THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA SEEKING TO VACATE THE BAN ON JALLIKATTU OR BULL FIGHTING.

Ok. Again I may sound controversial. But I feel very strongly against this tradition of JALLIKATTU/BULL FIGHTING/BULL TAMING. I am not a pro-animal activist who is supporting the ban in the name of cruelty towards the animal. Nor am I a so called pseudo-modernist who abhors anything which has something to do with Indian tradition. But can we justify the loss of human life in the name of tradition, sports, velour, and bravery?

Now my friends who wants to know about JALLIKATTU, please read on this article reproduced from 13^th February 2005 edition of “The Hindu,” a leading English daily of India.

A LONE bull against several hundred young men. But the contest is fairly even. When the animal is not running away from the men, the men are running away from the animal. In the end, however, the bull, though badly bruised, would have accounted for three or four youths: all gored to death.

Every year, about the time of Pongal, the harvest festival, the southern districts of Tamil Nadu play host to jallikattu, a rural sport that involves the taming of a bull by a crowd of unarmed youths in an open arena. Young men try to prove their valour by holding on to the hump of the bull for as long as they can. In the process, many are pierced by the horns, many more injured in the stampede caused by those fleeing from the scene of action, and the animal is put through great suffering. But the sport endures.

The origins of jallikattu date back several centuries. However, what was once a test of strength that pitted one man against a raging bull is now a free-for-all in a large open space. In the past, contenders for salli or coins in a kattu or bundle tied between the horns of the bull could also hope to win a bride from among the women who watched the game. Now, however, the rewards are household articles and some cash: young women are not so easily enamoured by bull-tamers. Fame too does not last for more than a few weeks and rarely travels beyond the hero's native village.

Jallikattu is then an adventure sport. Flirting with danger is intrinsic to it. Without the fear and the danger, there is no thrill. The young men get a kick out of overcoming their fear, and not in being oblivious to the danger. Thus the most ferocious and specially trained bulls are chosen; the horns are sharpened. Sometimes, the animals have lime squeezed into their eyes to make them wild; at other times, they are fed with liquor or their tail is twisted or bitten to achieve the same purpose.

The bull taming in Alanganallur, near Madurai, Tamil Nadu, is the most famous of all jallikattus drawing comparisons with Pamplona in Spain.Unlike in bull fighting, the animal is not killed in jallikattu. But the bull, beaten and battered into submission, often ends up maimed. The death toll of bull tamers, however, is at least four or five every year.

SEE THESE PHOTOS OF JALLIKATTU.

SEE THIS VIDEO WHICH GIVES A COMMENTARY ON JALLIKATTU.

SEE THE FEROCITY OF BULL AND FEEL THE RISK.

It has been reported that close to two hundred people have been gored to death in last ten years. Is it not irony that it is the same Karunanidhi’s government in Tamil Nadu who disregards the sentiments of million of Indian on RAMA SETU issue ,now talks of feeling of people to plead for lifting the ban on a 400 years old bull-taming sport?

But all credit goes to the Supreme Court of India which refused to lift the ban on this 400 years old tradition stating that “Men were not as civilized 400 years back as they are today. We can not allow such barbaric acts in the name of tradition.”

Sure, tradition must and should be disregarded if it does not respect the value of human life. Have the pro-traditionalists ever thought of those who lost their lives in so called act of bravery? Do you call it bravery?! Not at all.

A PILGRIMAGE--------------

Last month I had been in a pilgrimage to Lord Venkateshwara temple at Tirumala. This was my second visit to that famous temple after a gap of 24 years. It is a considerable time gap indeed, particularly when I had spent good amount of time in South India. Ok, it was all God’s will. You may call it a “lay back” attitude of a typical Hindu who leaves everything to God’s will though the reality is lack of effort or call it “we shall see later” attitude.

But this pilgrimage for me was memorable one as I made the last part of journey from Tirupati to Tirumala by foot. The foot way is 11 Kilometers in distance. It takes roughly between 3 to 4 hours to reach Tirumala by this way. To start the journey, pilgrims have to get to Alipiri toll gate in Tirupati, where the steps to the Tirumala begin. Alipiri is a suburb at the foot of the hills and the starting location of an 11 k.m. hill climbing route. Alipiri route is the most common route and used by pilgrims on most occasions. The first hill consists of 2500 steps and is the most difficult to climb. After the first hill, it is crossing the valleys till we hit the Mokala Parvatam (Kneecap Hill) which consists of another 600 steps. Out of total distance of 11 k.m., a distance of 9 k.m. comprises of approximately 3500 steps.

I covered this distance exactly in three hours, started at early morning 5 AM and reached at 8 AM sharp. Of course, I have to help myself with one glass of lemon and sugar water, two cups of coffee, one bar of chocolate, nearly 150 gram of Pongol (soft rice prepared with dal and ghee) and several glasses of plain water.

For my Non-Indian friends, let me tell something about the temple and the Deity.

LORD VENKATESHWARA.

Sri Varaha purana (Hindu scripture) describes the incarnation and significance of the Hindu Deity Sri Venkateshwara Swami, also known as Balaji. Lord Vishnu, the second God of the Hindu Trinity (Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshwar), is said to have reincarnated as Venkateshwara Balaji at the request of the sage Narada. Bhoodevi and Shridevi are the two consorts of Balaji. Bhoodevi represents Mother Earth and Shridevi is the Goddess of beauty. The different attributes of the majestic and superbly executed idol of Lord Balaji symbolize the nature and manifestations of the Lord of the World. The ornamentation features and expressions of the Idol carry immense significance and are regarded as objects fit for meditation.The Lord's image has four arms, signifying the four stages that may be found in every form of development of life. It also represents dominion over four directions of space and thus the omnipotence of the Lord. The upper right arm holds Sudarsana Chakra (discus) and right arm holds Pancha-Janya (Conch). The lower right hand is in Varada hasta (boon giving) pose and lower left hand is in Katyavalambita pose, turned inwards.

IMAGE OF LORD VENKATESHWARA.

The temple is located atop Seshachala Hills often called as “YAEDU KENDALU” (Seven Hills). It is in the town of TIRUPATI, in Southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the richest Hindu temple and most visited religious centre in the world followed by VATICAN.

FRONT VIEW OF TEMPLE (COURTESY WIKIPEDIA)

Now let me take all of you along with me in my journey by foot.

A VIEW FROM DISTANCE.

A VIEW OF TIRUPATI TOWN IN THE EARLY MORNING.

A MORNING VIEW OF THE VALLEY.

THE COVERED PATHWAY

ROCK VIEW.

LORD HANUMAN ON THE WAY.

WATER FALLS ON THE WAY.

WIND MILLS

STONE ABOVE STONE(MAY BE A RELIGIOUS BELIEF)

BEGINNING OF LAST 600 STEPS.

DO YOU KNOW HIM?