The Art of Whistling

12.12.2009

Today at the meeting of my Rotary club, I had the opportunity to listen to Mr. Jagat Tarkas. Mr. Tarkas is the owner of a Sports Goods Shop on Wallajah Road. But his passion is for the art of Whistling. Due to circumstances of financial adversity, Jagat was forced to devote most of his youth and middle age to activities aimed at bringing his family up to an acceptable degree of financial stability. This meant that Jagat could not concentrate on singing, for which he had great aptitude and talent.

Later on in his life and especially after becoming a part of Alma Mater, he realized his loss, and decided to take up whistling as an alternate to singing. With continuous practice and efforts he is today an accomplished Whistler.

Jagat says there are many kinds of Whistling:

Outward Whistling- Where the air is sent out.

Inward Whistling- where sound is produced by sucking air in to the mouth. (Very Difficult)

Teeth Whistling- Where the air is sent out through the gaps between the teeth.

Puckering- Which is using whistling to imitate Bird Sounds.

Whistling is so popular in the States that people have quit jobs to rtake up whistling full time!

Jagat likens whistling to playing the flute. Longer and thinner flutes make shriller noise, while bigger and thicker ones have more bass.

Whistling can do all these; after all whistling is playing the flute without the bamboo! Flute is man made, while whistling uses the mouth which is a Gift of God!

Tharkaz went on to pl;ay a lot of Cine songs and melodies and held us enthralled for 45 minutes.

Tarkaz says he never knows what chemistry will happen when he whistles.

Our IPP Kishan Jain surprised us by whistling our Indian National Anthem in its entierity at the end of the meeting.

Inspirational Leadership

People have become cynical all over the world. What is worse, they have accepted hypocrisy and falsehood as the legitimate and only route to leadership not only in the political arena but in every aspect of human endeavor. As the subject of this blog is not politics, I eschew that topic and rather dwell on the implication of this apathy to the growth and sustained development of Corporates and other organizations.

During the “India Shining” phase of our recent economic history, we preferred to be blind to the “Value of Values” as Swami Dayananda Saraswathi calls it. The result was that we crowned people as highly value based who were paying no more than lip service to truly invaluable values.

Both Swami Vivekananda and Swami Aurobindo Maharishi are of the confirmed view that personal liberation invariably precedes public success. It is, therefore, essentialthat we liberate ourselves before we embark on our journey to attain greater heights in our chosen field of accomplishment.

Inspirational Leadership is not something that you have; it is something that you already are. Yes! You are already an Inspirational Leader! At least, the potential for becoming one is already in you.

Have you seen a temple tank or lotus pond? In the centre of the serene water-filled area you will notice lotus flowers sticking out from between the disc like leaves. In the rainy season the tank will be brimming with water and the lotus flower would ride high on the water! The heights that anyone can achieve in their life, similarly, depend, not on birth, wealth or even education, but on their own innate enthusiasm and energy. The Divine poet Thiruvalluvar says...“The spirit of a man is the measure of his fortunes…” .

If this spirit of pure positive energy can be accessed and unleashed, you can achieve anything you want!

Inspirational Leadership is the art and science of tapping into that extraordinary vein of potential in you and converting it into extraordinary results for yourself, your family, your organization and finally the whole world!

Insha Allah

I have often been asked as to why I keep repeating words like “Insha Allah” and “Bismillah” which are Islamic as well as quotations from the Psalms in the New Testament. This could, arguably, be a valid objection and a reminder that I claim to be a Hindu by religion. While it cannot be denied that my faith is rooted in the Vedic tenets, I have never claimed that I owe any allegiance to rituals and dogma, if any, of Hinduism. My conception of God and perception of a relationship with That Supreme Being is such that it is incapable of being confined within the dogma of any single religion, be it Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, or any other belief system. I have, therefore, endeavored to adopt the best practices in ALL religions and to adhere to them in the true spirit in which they were first propounded.

In this sense, Insha Allah, is an acceptance that the future is a closed book, the pages of which, only the Omniscient one could have seen. The last line of Alexander Dumas’ novel, “The Count of Monte Christo” clearly articulates our absolute lack of control over the future and total ignorance about it:

“Until the day, God deigns to reveal the future to mankind, the sum of all human wisdom is contained in these two words…Wait and Hope.”

Similarly, Bismillah is a surrender of ego before beginning anything. We dedicate the act to the Supreme and take away all expectations. We will be able to dedicate to Him only those acts that are worthy of Him. So every Act is examined for its suitability as an offering to God. Thereafter we perform action in His name and to His Glory.

This is quite similar to the concept of Nish Kaamya Karma that is extolled in the Bhagvad Gita.

The Goal of all religions should be to spread the need for

1. Surrender of Ego and submission to the divine will.
2. Cheerful Acceptance of the Divine Will.
3. Performing acts without concern or worry about the fruits or results.

Ujjain Dharshan

09.08.09

Ujjain Dharshan

Situated on the banks of the river Shipra, ujjain is one of the seven sacred cities of

Bharat.

As ancient as Varanasi (Kashi), it is a place where Lord Shiva in Linga Rupa can be seen in every nook and corner. But, the cities claim to fame is the Mahankaaleshwar temple, which is one of the Twelve Jyothir Linga Shrines. The temple complex is full of small shrines to various Gods and Demi-Gods liked Ridhi-Sidhi Vinayak, Dasa Hanuman, Guru Brhaspathi and Saakshi Gopaal.

The Jyothirlingsa at Ujjain is unique in that it is the only one that faces

south. The story of how this came about is related thus: This is the Ling that Markndeya Maharishi hugged when the Yama, the God of Death camre to claim his life. When Yama threw his rope, it fell on the Ling too. When he, who was standing in the Southern direction

from which he had come, tried to pull the rope, the Ling turned South too from its original east facing position. This is one of the two Jyothirlings in MP, the other being Onkareshwar.

After that we visited the Har Siddhi Deviji temple. We had breakfast of Hot Poha and Jalebis at a famous old time shop.

The other places of interest are:

• Sandeepani Ashram where Sri Krishna and sHri Balarama studied under the Rishi Sandeepani with Sudhama. A Shiva ling created by the sage for his daily pooja out of a Bilva Leaf van be worshipped here.
• Garh Kaalika the Patron deity of King Vikramaditya of Vikra Aur Betal fame. This is also the place where Kali made Kalidasa a great poet. The lonely atmosphere and the eerie surroundings can take one back to those times when Vikram and Kalidasa lived! There is a Cemetry nearby where Aghoris still perform there mysterious rituals.
• Bhrtrihari Gupa where Barthruhari the famous brother of Vikramaditya did penance. Also the shrine of Goraknath Maharaj. The place where Vikram overcame the Betal and made it his slave.
• Shri Mangalnath a shrine dedicated to Mars and Shive. Prefered spot for those desiring matrimony! The green parrots that flock here are a treat to the eyes.
• Those tiring of life itself (After all, Matrimony does that to you!) can go to the Temple of Kaal Bhirav. The idol is but a mere face with red shot eyes lined with black and a open gaping mouth which would instill fear in any one. Which is what such Gods are meant TO DO. These shrines are meant to keep evil doers in check by putting the fear of God in them. The deity is supposed to drink the wine that is the divine offering in this temple.

Indore Visit

This is possibly my second proper visit to Madhya Pradesh. The first was a visit to Omkareshwar when I was seven or eight.I made that trip with my parents from Khandwa in Maharashtra when we were visiting my maternal uncle who was stationed there.

Indore is an Industrial town, but luckily the factories are far away in Pitampura and Naghda. Indore is the focal point.

Indore, or Malwa, as the region is traditionally known was the royal seat of the Holkars, of whom Maharani Ahalya Bai Holkar seems to be enshrined in legend.

The weather was quite cool with mild showers in the evening. The roads are wide and have green trees and shrubs lining them. The whole place is by and large clean with numerous old heritage buildings nestled between ultra-modern and chic designer structures.

Another thing I noticed was that people are pretty friendly on the roads. Car and two wheeler drivers are more patient with pedestrians. The people are happy and show it. This is because of the quasi-urbanized nature of the city that permits the rural values and manners to survive.

I felt that this part of MP had no unique or clearly distinguishing features like language, food, dress or even a major difference in geography. The state is seamlessly merged with its surrounding states especially Maharashtra. Of course, in interior parts like Ujjain and beyond they speak Malwi.

We visited the Rajwada or Royal Residence of the Holkars. There is a huge gate facing the main market and a circular park. The gate gives access to an open courtyard. Across the courtyard is a covered platform with a Gaesha shrine in the center. This abuts the

museum cum temple that houses many royal artifacts, pooja idols and other objects of interest. One peculiar idol was that of Malhar Mahadev or Kandhoba. Lord Shiva is here depicted as mounted on horse together with his wife.

The Four Gates of Lalbagh

18.07.2009.

I was in Bangalore on a training assignment.

In the evening I went for a stroll in Lal Bagh. I was accompanied by my friend from

long ago. She had suggested that I come to

the West Gate to meet her. We walked together in companionable conversation discussing our mutual interests: a love for nature, poetry and good literature. While I am also interested in social issues, our views differ on this. She prefers activism and direct action in supporting the down trodden, while I prefer an approach that would enable people to become self sufficient and proactive.

As you must be aware Lal Bagh has four Gates:

The Main Gate which attracts most tourists.

The Double Road Gate which leads to a small hillock and thereafter the mai

n gardens. This is equally popular. The other two gates are less popular but offer natural attractions that are worth a look.

The West Gate, which gives access to the

small curved lake that is home to numerous birds. There are ducks, cormorants, pond herons and kingfishers.

The pathway that runs round the lake is a regular space for both Bangalore Walkers as well as Lovers. The Elephant grass thickets around the lake and a natural dyke raising in the landscape effectively conceal this lake and hence most “tourists” do not venture beyond the “main attraction”—The Glass House.

My friend mentioned a visit to the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary near Delhi when she saw people driving straight down the reserve to see a rare Australian bird and then make a bee line for the exit without pausing to enjoy the othe sights. It appeared as if they wore blinkers and were totally oblivious to the other equally interesting birds that my friend and her group saw as they cycled down the reserve park.

We quit Lal Bagh when it was almost dark through The Siddhapur Gate. This is a desolate and barren areaof the park least frequented by visitors both local and tourists possibly because this gate gives access to slums and othe lower income areas. But the peace and tranquility of the park is best enjoyed here where there is more opportunity to listen to the “Voice of Nature.”

A nice Quote

All Said and done

There's more said than Done!

Incentivising Corporate Social Responsibility

14.o6.2009

I was conducting a session on Business Ethics to day and while explaining Corporate Social Responsibility, made the following points:

Companies must make profits and maximize shareholders’ wealth. But, this is not to say that this is their only goal. They owe a duty to serve the community and society within which they exist, function, and derive the sustenance for their growth. If they fail to fulfill this duty, they will be no more than a cancer that destroys the very thing on which it feeds.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a conceptual framework that analyses the various ways in which the corporate community can pay back or return to society a portion of the profits they derive from it. This usually takes the form of social welfare and other measures taken in and around the geographical area where the company operates. The benefits from such CSR measures would accrue to the public at large, and not necessarily to those who depend on the company.

If rightly applied, CSR can be an engine, driving the economic and social upliftment of society.

Arising from this, a participant wanted to know whether there was any tax incentive for companies engaged in CSR activities. While sections like S. 80G of the Income Tax Act, 1961, are, no doubt, available, they are, in my view pathetic and inadequate to truly incentivize CSR from a fiscal perspective. For example S 80G restricts the deduction on contributions to Charitable Trusts to 50% of 10% of Gross Total Income. Thus if a company, having a Gross Total income of Rupees Twenty-five lakhs, has contributed Rs. 5 Lakhs to an NGO engaged in social upliftment in a remote tribal village, the company would get a tax write off of about Rs.1.25 lakhs! Let us remember that this figure is the total amount that this company would get as a tax incentive for that year irrespective of the total donations made.

Moreover, there is no tax incentive for amounts sent by companies directly on Rural Development as such amounts may be considered as not spent wholly and exclusively for the purpose of business!

There is, therefore, a serious need for providing tax incentives on amounts spent by companies directly on alleviating the sufferings of the people in their local community as fulfillment of their social responsibility.

For example, a company may build a school for children of a village in the vicinity of the factory. At least eighty per cent of this amount should be allowed as a tax deduction. The utilization and benefit arising from this activity shall be documented and certified by a designated NGO as well as five independently selected beneficiaries who are not part of the local government.

Thus companies would spend directly on social welfare amounts that are being unnecessarily paid to the Government as tax which is misued or improperly or inneficiently used by a combination of corrupt and lethargic bureaucratsand politicians.

Lament

I weep for my loss

I weep for yours

I weep for those things

We may never see again

I weep for the Royal Bengal Tiger

Striped, striding, strong and sure;

I weep for the life giving Paalaar river

Wide, winding and wondrous pure

I weep for the Banyan,

Pulled down to make way

For the convenient, useful

Four- lane Highway

I weep for lives that might have been

I weep for dreams undreamt

I weep for a childhood spent in joy

Running free with hair unkempt

Temple for each Brother

During my recent visit to Sabhari Mala for the Prathista Day, I had the opportunity to visit the Four Temples dedicated to Sri Ramachandramurthy and his three brothers Lakshmana Swamy, Bharatha Devan, and Shatrugna Devan. While Rama was the Avatar of Shrman Narayanan himself, the three brothers are embodiments of the divine objects associated with Vishnu. In this sense, Lakshmanan is Adhi Seshan, the 1000 headed serpent which forms the bed on which Shri Vishnu is in Anantha Sayanam. Bharathe and Shatrugna are the embodiments of the Conch and Disc. Thus worship of these four brothers is a hoilstic worship of Vishnu. 

Nalambala Pradhakshinam 

The idols of Sree Rama, Bharatha, Lakshmana and Satrughna which were adored by Sri Krishna during the Dwapara period are installed and consecrated at Thriparayar, Irinjalakuda, Moozhikulam and Payyammel respectively. A pilgrimmage to these four temples on a single day during the holy month of Karkadaka will shower the blessings of health, well-being and all round prosperity. 

At the top of this Blog you will find the Gopura Vasal of all these temples. Gopura Dharsanam Kodi Punyam!

River in the Backyard!

I was in Kerala on on 16th May conducting a "Communication Skills" Program for the executives of MIL Controls (India) Limited. MIL Controls is a leading supplier of Control Valves to various industries, particularly the energy sector. The valves manufactured by them are high precision contrlo instruments that are pivotal in any boiler installation or any other application where there is a need to control the flow of any substance in terms of pressure, volume or heat. Originally a joint venture between Best & CRompton and Masonelian (India) Limited, in 1997 it became a part of the KSB, a German  groupwith international brand in pumps and valves.

The factory is built on a sprawling 23c acre piece of land right in the middle of "God's Own Country", Kerala at Meladoor  (Male-uh-Door(OO as in Room) about 4 kms from Mala. Though Meladoor is in Thrissur district, it is nearer to Aluva which is just 14 kms away.

I stayed at their guest house at Aluva in a place called Periar Gardens, adjacent to the banks of the river Periyar. In fact from the garden at the rear of the Guest house I had a pleasant view of the wide periyar river.

Look Back! You are the Ocean!

A new wave was born in the ocean. It rolled about and splashed here and there, generally communicating its happiness to the other waves. The waves rolled on and approached the distant shore. Suddenly, our Wave sees a rock looming large in the horizon.

It looks on petrified and starts screaming. Another wave nearby asks what the problem is. Our wave says, 'Hey! See that Rock? We're going to crash and die!!!' 

The other wave says, 'So what? Look back you are the Ocean!" 

A Different Perspective

Pillar Rocks View Point  is one of the familiar view points in Kodaikanal. It is a regular “sight seeing” spot. A nice view of the 

valley and particularly a peculiar rock formation resembling three Pillars can be vie

wed from a circular platform protected by steel railings. A small rivulet rushes down the valley from this point, making a pretty tinkling sound as if of laughter.

 

But if you want to eschew the beaten track and decide to tread a different path, let me guide you to a spot a little distance above on the same road. You are now in the Pine Forest. As soon as you enter the Pine forest area through the gate start moving to your left. You will enter the forest area. On your right a small stream  gushes by. Follow the stream up to a point where you can cross it by stepping across! Then follow the forest track as it winds through the woods. While you are doing this enjoy the serenity and majesty of nature. Realize that you are but a small speck in the grand design.

 

Thus softened and cleansed you are ready for the majestic panorama of the green valley spread out below you as you reach the end of the path and come right up to the edge of the cliff face. Take a look at the valley from a different perspective. On your left you will glimpse the Pillar Rocks clearly demarcated and majestic in their height and splendor. 

A Hidden Paradise

I am now in Kodaikanal at the Sterling Lake View Resort. We left Chennai on 2^nd May by surface. While it cannot be denied that the new four lane highways coming up everywhere are a great comfort for the traveler, I could not help but notice the total devastation that the construction activities of these highways leave in their 

wake. Trees are uprooted en mass, all human settlements are evacuated leaving behind a perfectly featureless landscape that stretches plain and uninteresting on either side of the long road running towards infinity. I did miss the pleasure of viewing the constantly changing panorama

 of scenes and settings. And on this spic and span world, the sun beats down with its hot and unmerciful rays! 

At last we climbed the hills and on attaining Perumal Malai, breathed the cool fresh air of Kodai! Somehow, Kodai still retains its pristine splendor among the Hill Resorts in India. But arguably not for long! Deforestation has laid bare what must have once been verdant slops. Now they are brown and covered with patches of cultivated land and newly constructed buildings. Is Kodai going the way Ootacamund has gone?

 

We were in Sterling Valley View at Attuvanpatti till yesterday. Our room in the resort commanded a fabulous view of the Vilpatti Valley.

 

As we are regular visitors to Kodai in May, we generally avoid the usual “sight seeing” spots. Our favorite haunt in the evenings being the lakeside. My wife and I invariably take a brisk walk around the star shaped lake while the children are busy cycling or riding horses. This time we are accompanied by my wife’s sister, Usha  and her husband, Ramkumar.

 

Our sensibilities thus jaded by a surfeit, we craved for variety. Even the usual jaunt to Berijam lake was declared as not qualifying! We were, therefore, quite happy when Selvam, a local boatman and Ram’s good friend suggested we make a trip to Mannavanoor.

 

The road to Mannavanoor runs above Kodai lake. As we drive upwards on the winding road, Kodai lake can be glimpsed on our left. The road runs through thick forest land. The sylvan atmosphere ensures that the tree covered slopes are home to the Gaur, the elephant and a few leopards! We were not able to see even the Gaur herds that are a regular sight on this route. En route we passed Poombarai village another scenic locale.

 

About thirty kilometers away from Kodai on the Munnar road, Mannavanoor is a breathtaking sight! The Mannavanoor valley is almost a hidden delight. The valley floor is carpeted with emerald green grassland and down below at the deepest point is a  kidney shaped lake glistening like diamonds set amidst emeralds. We had a glimpse of this paradise from a view point before the road descends into the valley.

 

The descent to the hollow takes us through Mannavanoor village. The original settlers in this place were a group who had fled the wrath of Tipu Sultan and had made their way via Munnar to this spot where they settled down to a life in the forest. Later post 1819 and the establishment of Kodai by the British as their summer retreat, Mannavanoor was discovered by British surveyors who thereafter laid the road that connected the denizens of Mannav

anoor and Kavunchi (a hamlet situated further inside the valley) to the outside world! Now, the government has established a Central Wool Research Farm here and the entire valley is reserved for sheep and cattle grazing. The absence of tourists and crowds coupled with its scenic beauty makes it a popular shooting location. We were able to see the magnificient sets being erected for the movie Adhavan for a Surya/Nayantara dance number. We marveled at the extradinary attention to detail and exorbitant expenditure for put

ting in place a set that would be torn down almost immediately and would figure on screen for hardly two to five minutes!

 

A brisk walk is needed to reach the lake from the road. The unsullied waters of this small water body reflect the surrounding mountains and trees perfectly. The place is an ideal picnic spot. As the location is still not well known and the drive through thick jungle is a bit daunting, mainstream tourism is yet to reach Mannavanoor. A few people like us come here in their own vehicles with guides. Perfect silence and virgin landscape are the rewards for the efforts to reach this heavenly place. An ideal spot where we can practice the kingly art and science of doing nothing!

 

On the way back we passed by a Mahalakshmi Temple situated on a promontory overlooking a valley a short distance before Poomparai. The location amidst majestic mountains and green valley gave a primitive and powerful aura to the temple in the twilight. But as the doors were locked we had t o be satisfied with a Darshan of the Shikara.

City of Nawabs

Avadh or Oudh (if you are British) , as the region around Lucknow, the current capital of Uttar Pradesh, was known in historical times, was ruled by Nawabs claining their origins from the Persians. Basically Shias, they have given to Lucknow a reputation for high aesthetics, poetry and courtesy. The city is also known as the City of Nawabs. The Hindi spoken here has a lilt and poetic resonance which is found even in the colloquial speech of the commoners. The people, too, are very polite and courteous.
As witness, on our way from the airport, the succession of indigent men about town, who courteously, politely and elaborately gave us directions to our destination which were apparently wrong. The words "Aisa Karo..." i.e. "do like this.." were followed by a complex series of instructions to go straight, turn left...right and so on, which took us almost a kilometre away from our destination. But the courtesy and desire to help was touching. Suffice it to say that it was sheer luck that helped us to locate our hotel!

In the evening we decided to visit some of the more important sights in Lucknow. The chief among these are the two Imambaras. The larger or Bada Imambara was constructed by Nawab Asaf Ud Daula. This is essentially a Dharga or Prayerhall surmounted by spires and turrets. The intricate architectural work has made it a pleasant sight to view.

The Imambara is accesed through a wide gateway through which the broad frontage of the edifice may be glimpsed. On entering the complex we walk across a pathway surrounded by pleasing lawns and fountains.
On the right hand side as we proceed to the Imambara is the Jumma Masjid a splendid mosque with domes, tall towers and minarets.

The main chamber of the Imambara is a line of Dhargas of various renowned Imams or muslim religious leaders. AS our companion and unofficial guide M. Feroze was well known to someone in the Shia Waqf Board he got us through the guards everywhere by flashing a symbol written by ball point pen on his right palm. This acted as our passport every where including the Bhul-Bhulaiya or intricate of maze of passageways above the nain chamber. Those who enter the maze after a strenuous climb up a narrow and steep flight of stairs would find it very difficult to come out. The trick is to keep going up till you come to the terrace and locate the only stairwell that leads directly down to the ground floor.
By the time we came to the terrace there was quite a wind which swirled and picked up small grains of sand with which we were buffetted as we attempted to crosss the terrace. The view of the Jumma Masjid from the arches in the terrace of the Bara Imambara was impressive in the quickening darkness of dusk.
It started raining then and we had to run to our car. We, then, left for the Chota Imambara via the Rumi Gate amidst rain and wind.

The Chota Imambara as the name indicates is a smaller structure. But it has a beautifully constructed dome on top and there hung in it innumerable chandiliers and lamps, exquisite in design and workmanship. The hierloom or crown and otherr costly jewels are not the originals about copies made from the originals which are now in England.
After we enter the decorative archway there is a metal image of a flying fish surmounted on metal arch. This would turn continuosly and act as a wind vane, pointing out the direction of the wind. There is also statutte of a lady holding an iron chain attached to a metal rodon top of the entrance arch effectively acting as a lightning rod. The complex hasa centre aisle which runs almost the whole length from the gateway to the edifice. There is a canal in the middle of the aisle and lawns around it.
We also looked into the stables where there are two pure white horses with not a blemish on them. One of them a stallion was standing while the other was on its side, resting. These horses, presented by Sanjay Khan, actor to the Imambara, are used in ceremonial processionns at the time of the Urs festival of the Hazrat Immams.
Lucknow is also famous for its Chikan Work clothing. We visited the Lucknow Chikan Emporium which was highly spoken of by the locals.

Seven Habits Evangelism at Rajasthan Youth Association!

I was invited by the Rajasthan Youth Association to give a talk on "My Personal Experiences in implementing the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People in my life". A good friend of mine Mr. Sanjay Kumaar having requested me, I agreed to give a brief talk on this subject which is so near my heart.

Most ofthe participants had not even heard of the Seven Habits! In fact, when I asked them to share any of the Habits that they knew,one of the participants ingenuously remarked that Be Punctual was one of the Habits!

Given the time constraint I gave them a broad overview of the Seven Habits, the Maturity Continuum and the interconnection of the several parts of the entire discipline. I made my usual comparison with the multi storey building for which the First Habit (Be Proactive) is the deep pile foundation.

They were eagre listeners and during the activity that I conducted following the lecture, they were quite participative.

I am sure a few of them would buy or borrow the book.

Pondering on the Life Stream

Do we live our lives in chapters that have a beginning and an ending? I don’t think so.
It is not as if life occurs in a series of incidents that are complete in themselves. Life is a continuous link that connects a person’s youh through adulthood to old age.

There is an obvious continuity between the young boy, who ran rough and free; joyous and deeply resentful; boisterous and contemplative, and the mature (?) adult who is writing these words.

Life links. Life is the thead that links. Life just happens, so it cannot give meanings. But, meanings are perceived by people who look at their life stream in its entirety and ponder upon it.

Powerful patterns emerge that transcend the apparent motivations that drive present actions to the latent subconscious roots of all behavior.

The boy becomes the man. The man rarely ceases to be the boy, if not externally, definitely through his internal urges and spontaneous thoughts. He just learns to articulate them in ways that seem logical to the adult world.

We live as we once played.

The 32nd Chennai Book Fair

Money can buy books, never knowledge.

For three years now the Chennai Book Fair is being conducted at the St George Anglo Indian Hr. Secondary School Chetpet. I visited the fair on 10th Jan as well as yesterday (16th Jan).

The new venue is definitely an improvement on the earlier Quaid-e-Millat College Grounds. The area is bigger, the stalls are wider. The arrangement is rectangular with wide aisles running both vertically and horizontally. The aisles facilitate easy movement. The horizontal interstices enable retracing of our steps to locate a shop we had seen earlier and decided to visit later. The earlier circular arrangement meant one couldn’t do this when the fair is crowded. Ample parking space is another great advantage.

In the RK Mutt Stall the representative congratulated me on selecting the book ‘The Christ we all Adore’ by Swami Ranganathananda. I thanked him for the compliment. I bought many books on Philosophy, Religion and Tamil Literature.

Sugarcane Juice

On the way back from Shani Singnapur to Nashik, we passed through a belt of sugarcane fields. Throughout the route on both sides, we saw stalls selling freshly pressed cane juice. The juice was being prepared by squeezing the cane through wooden presses operated by oxen yoked to the wheel! This was a quaint sight and we decided to stop a one of these shady strips and enjoy a swig of the sweet fluid.

The dark, thick, brown drink was definitely sweeter than the watery variety available in cities, which stinks of the diesel fumes from the engine that operates the press.

A lively argument ensued between my wife and sister-in-law as to the efficacy of using oxen to do this burdensome task. My sister-in-law a gentle soul took the part of the dumb animal and argued that they should not be subjected to such tasks that were cruel. My wife who is of a more practical frame of mind countered that they had always been so employed since time immemorial and these tasks as such were not burdensome at all. The conclusion was that unnecessary cruelty should be avoided and that the animals be treated with affection and care both when useful and when old and useless.

Shani Singnapur

After spending time at Shirdi we went to Shani Singnapur about 70 kms away. This place is famous for the shrine of Saturn. The Swayanbhu or emanation of the God is placed on quadrangular terrace where it stands majestically. The myth says that about 350 years ago Shanidev came to this village. No one steals from this village which is under the protection of this malevolent God who meets ou the just punishment for all evil deeds. The shops and houses in this village have no doors!
In fact the four peculiarities of Shingnapur are
God is but templeless (Yes, the shrine is open to the sky!)
Houses are but Doorless
Tree is but Shadeless (The branches of a neem tree which spread over the idol keep breaking away!)
Fear is but enemyless (Where Shani protects, fear no enemy!)
There are some rituals that people perform here to ward of the "curse" of Shani.
Dr. Bapurao Desai, in his book "significance of Shani Shingnapur" argues that Shani is not malevolent at all. On the other hand Shani blesses all who obey the dictates of fate and accept the troubles and travails of their life as a just result of their own past actions and crimes. To accept and suffer is to remove the effect of the result of our actions. To those who are thus liberated by suffering, Shani showers his choicest blessings and, what is more, protects them forever. And if the feared Shani were to protect you, who can oppose you?

Visit to Shirdi

The New Year began on a pretty dismal note, with the global financial crisis, economic recession etc. etc. The SATYAM-MAYTAS fiasco has added fuel to the fire and has ensured that the Market Indices would take a little longer to start their march to the north-east!

This year we decided to spend the Pongal holidays visiting Shirdi. We reached Mumbai on 13th and left by surface to Shirdi. The amost eight hour ride is covered by good roads. NH3 takes you right up to Nashik. Thereafter the road to Shirdi is single track. To reach Nashik you have to climb a small range of hills and pass through a canyon. The route is picturesque with a series of flat topped mountain ranges that are coloured in multiple stripes of grey, black and green.

We reached Shirdi late in the evening and were able to have great Dharshan of Baba! “Whoever puts his feet on Shirdi soil, his sufferings would come to an end,” this is the first of the Eleven Sayings of Shirdi Sai Baba. As my feet touched Shirdi soil I prayed that Baba should chase away all my sorrows and (why not?) the sorrows of the whole world. As we entered the Samadhi Mandir and approached the murthi or idol of Baba sitting resplendent in on a golden throne with a Golden chatra over his head Baba seemed to smile enigmatically at me, as if challenging the validity of my prayer!

I bowed my head in humility and prayed instead for his presence with me throughout the year and his guidance and support in all my lawful undertakings.


The next day we visited the other places of interest like Dwarka Mayi, the Masoodhi-Mandir where Baba spent the day and the Chavadi where he spent the night. Those who have read Sat Charitram will understand the divine importance of these two places, as the shrines where Baba lived, loved and spread his light of Knowledge to the whole world.

We were also able to visit the house of Lakshmi Bai a devotee who was allotted the blessed task of feeding the Baba regularly. Once Baba gave Lakshmi Bai 9 (Nine) coins. This was symbolic of the nine types of devotion that have to be shown to the supreme Godhead. These coins, bearing the faces of the British emperors, are on display in this small shrine together with a small marble idol of the recipient.

We then went to the Kandhoba temple where Mahalsapathi the Priest of this shrine greeted Baba and said, 'Avoji Sayee Baba' when Baba entered Shirdi along with Shanti Patil's Marriage group. This spot where Baba placed his feet on Shirdi soil is a place of worship here.

Inside the Mandhir complex we can see the neem tree where Baba was first seen as a sixteen year old lad. This is called Gurustan.

When we were moving around the temple premises, there was a lot of activity and devotees were made to move aside and make a pathway. Assuming that it must be a politician or a film star, we moved to corner of the path and awaited the arrival of this VIP. This was none other than Shri Shri Ravishankar who then sweeped by with a whole gang of fawning devotees and “followers”. As the retinue passed there was a lot of shouting of “Jai Guruji” etc. The same procedure was followed when the “great man” left the temple. I colud feel no aura or power emanating from him. What truly pained me was the fan fare and unnecessary pompousness that was quite unbecoming in the shrine of the greatest saint who lived like a fakir and begged for his daily meal. Baba did not burn wood in his Dhuni. No! he burnt our sins in it, and purified in the fire of knowledge we may come out to lead lives of simplicity and happiness! He did not grind flour in his mill, he ground our ego there that we may emerge selfless, pure and emancipated!
I am sure the “Divine Fakir” was standing somewhere in the corner of the temple looking at Guruji Ravishankar as he made his way to the shrine of Shirdi Sai Baba. I am sure he was repeating the words “Allah Malik, Allah Malik,” as he watched this display of unnecessary and avoidable pomp and glory for someone who is, after all, a human being and thus equal to all. A true Sadhu considers himself to be nothing; he has no identification with the I. He observes as Saakshi, he is not tainted by actions!