The Lankan sojourn

Yes, it indeed wasa fantastic trip to the island nation. Few things notably came out namely

a. There was a distinct Indian presence: tyres, commercial vehicles, mobile phone companies, hotels, fast food joints, energy drinks etal. As I joked the other day, even the ocean is Indian.

b. The city of Colombo has recently come out of unrest. hey seem to have done so well in building the city economically and infrastructure-wise; clearly indicates teh sense of pride which each citizen must have taken in building the city. I am sure if this continues, this city would be on the global map much before a decade from now.

c. The cleanliness of not only the city lanes and sublanes but that of the country sie also attracts one.

d. Another thing Indians ought to learn is the sense of security that pervades in the city; we checked huge showrooms of Samsung, Nokia open just with a lock on a glass door at 1 AM. I cant imagine the same in India even 20 years from now.

I am planning to post a thanks letter to the Presient & Ambassador.

New innings for Sambhav

Its been a week since Sambhav debuted at school. Am still surprised; have I actually become a father of a school going kid.

Another thanks!

Amidst the regular chores of the day, we tend to take many things for granted. It is not that we do not know the importance of these things / happenings but the pace that we live with seldom leaves us moments to pause and ponder about these things

1. One would have heard many a spiritual and wellness gurus speaking of feeling and controlling the breath. This is THE most important miracle with the touch of the almighty. It goes on to prove that every instant the common mortal is connected with the un-explainable. It proves every milli secon that one is alive and is complicating the already existing chaos on earth

2. All our further senses like sight, smell, taste et al; we all seem normal. We follow after the mundane objects (read material things) and have the habit of passing gory comments on things which do not like or detest. Just imagine the plight of a blind / deaf / dumb / handicapped who is also alive like us but is unable to feel the same like us

We cannot give others beyond a particular point. All that we can do is to thank God for our present state of affairs and for creating all the wonderful moments, beings and things around us.

Alls Sambhav

The kid is back with a bang. He is in a vocabulary digesting spree. He picks up every word that is new and catches up with eager evertime as if that would be the last word. I will have to fend out ways to keep up to his eagerness. Unfortunately due to the constraints of my job, I am unable to be with him for a descent time. I hope he will excuse me for this.

Thanks Indian Railways

I do not remember getting up the wee hours of the morning in recent past. It was courtsey Indian Railways that I had to. Just imagine getting up at 4 only to realise that the train is running 1.5 hrs late. Anyways I am happy that it I up early.

Sita, Dhuba grass and Vishnu

Durbha or Dhuba grass has an important place in Hindu worship. The grass finds the highest position on a deity’s body i.e. the head. This grass belongs to the Poaceae family and botanically known as cynodon dactylon. It is the most sacred plant after Tulsi in India.
Since it has most of the body part like a creeper grass on the ground, it symbolizes humility; all living beings tend to walk on the same. This is one of the first reasons why it is placed on a deity’s head during worship. Humility as a virtue is an integral part of Hinduism.
A story also does the round that while Sita was asked to go through agni-pareeksha for the second time, she asked Mother Earth to engulf her. She being her daughter, an earthquake took place where she was standing. She stood with hands folded till the earth engulfed her. Lord Ram in grief hurried to the spot in vain. All he could muster to get hold was some of her hair. The Lord in deep anguish threw them on the side earth and was in despair. The hair fell on the earth and became Dhuba grass and spread its roots to a larger place. The grass thus stands as a memoir of the many talked about characteristic aspects of Sita i.e. humility, virtue, dedication, patience and love.
In another story we have the great king Ambarish waiting to complete his fast by taking a meal. At that instant, Durvasa saint came in mentioning that he would have food with the king after performing his bath. To this the king obliged and waited. However since the auspicious time of breaking the fast was passing over, he symbolically broke it by taking few drops of water. The sage got angry with him for the same. He was about to give a curse when the king, a devout Vaishnavite prayed to Vishnu to save him from the curse that was going to come. The lord sent his Sudarshan Chakra to slit the sage. The sage pleaded with Lord Vishnu but the lord said that it was not under his control as once the chakra was left free, it would complete its job of slitting the destined person. Durvasa pleaded mercy owing to the grounds not being that serious. Upon this, the Lord said that considering the meagerness of the crime, the slit body of the saint would become grass; however it would find place in the hair / head of the lord.
At some places it is mentioned that this grass represents the entire Universe. The universe as per Hindus is governed by the trio of Brahma, Vishnu & Shiva. Brahma is told to reside in the root, Vishnu in the middle and Shiva at the top. Thus worshipping the grass symbolizes worshipping the eternity. Besides worship on festive occasion, this grass also finds it unique position in the funeral rites of Hindus too.
Today this grass has found its way into the medicinal world as a cure to dispigmented skin, burning (being haemostatic), and wounds externally and as a cure for bleeding control in cases of piles, menorrhagia etc. and being an anti-toxin internally. Not surprisingly this grass finds mention in the writings of Sushruta and Charaka.
Next time we come across this grass, let’s pause and dwell about its importance.

Its paper time

Yesterevening I had 2 of my papers published. This has some way given vent to my writing spirit. These are not the typically reasearched ones with data analysis and number crunching. But nevertheless I beleive that research is a research with or without numbers. Any qualitative topic cannot have a figure attached to it and I beleive there is a necessity for such papers.
I have a sense of contentment now and a growing hunger now. I am somehow become an addict. I hope to maintain the same. Any collaborators are welcome!

The tale of two epics : Devdutt Pattanaik

The tale of two epics : Devdutt Pattanaik

East vs. West

http://www.ted.com/talks/devdutt_pattanaik.html

Mother for 3 generations....

It is but obvious to have a mother for one generation. The meaning of the word “mother” as we are all made to believe is one who cares for the growth of her close one(s). I have been lucky to have a mother who has done the same for 3 generations.
The working lady that she was (now she has taken voluntary retirement) was instrumental in lending a helping hand to my father in elevating the financial levels of my father’s family. She has touched upon their lives as if they were all her kids and related through her birth. Now that I am working, I am really surprised how one can be so saintly with regards to money. Despite earning, she used to ask my father for the slightest of the expenditure as if she was not self-reliant. God only knows how my father’s family would have been if it had not been for an earning daughter-in-law in the family.
And as they say I happened. Then it was only me and my sister for this lady. She became a mother and that is the most that I know about her. She became the most doting lady around and gave the best of the tips sometimes normally and sometimes sternly. Whatever I am today has been due to the hard work that she has undergone behind the scenes. While my father was the external chiseller, there was this lady for both of us supporting both of us in our respective endeavors.
We all yearn for a government job but here is a person who quits the same to be with her grand-child with the sole interest of inculcating our family values in him. I am told by my father that she has started routing her pension payments to the savings account of my kid. Aware of her husband’s habit of spending money in social service, it is her instruction to my father not to touch any of her earnings lest she find it difficult to route money to my son’s a`ccount. It is not just about money as we grown learning one thing that money and material things are all transitory and hence should not be given more importance than growth of the soul (read mind). The pains that she takes physically now as if my son were her another kid. I am not sure whether it is because of me or the kid but I see her maintaining the motherly continuity; now that my kid is her entire universe (thats what she has made me understand).
Indebted that myself and my father are to this lady, I hope that all ladies of our generation also stand up to our projected women of idle ladies. I do not know of others but yes I am lucky to be the kid of a mother for three generations.

The river of life

This was an impressive article for Speaking Tree; thought of permanently etching it on my blogspace...

Two young girls, Laukika and Samatha, set off on an adventure. Both of them had completed their formal education and before venturing into their respective samsaric enterprises, they thought of taking a break to contemplate life. And thus was born this hedonistic idea of journeying down the river.

Laukika was so overwhelmed with the river’s speed, energy and her own enthusiasm that she said to her friend: “I’m going to jump into the river, Samantha and be carried along with its great energies. Meet you later.” So saying, she took the plunge, without waiting for her friend to respond.

Laukika enjoyed the initial adventure. At times the river frightened her, its strong current sweeping her along. But she dismissed her fears as she was taken up by the full flow of the river. The current carried her afar, and she could now no longer see the shore. Laukika was euphoric and wanted more of the adventure. Forever engrossed in steadying herself from the speed of her journey, she managed mere fleeting glimpses of the beauty around her.

Now, the waves got bigger, the waters deeper, the river widened, the gushing became so forceful that she was thrown about, knocked about on the rocks all over, water and sand filled her nostrils and mouth, she was being bruised... by the gravel and creatures in the river. The girl panicked. She had had enough; she wanted to come ashore. “Help me to the shore, someone”, she cried, but no one heard her. Those who did hear her couldn’t do much, as they were not in a position to help her.

Meanwhile, Samatha had set out on foot. “I choose to walk down the river bank instead. I might be able to enjoy the vistas better this way”, she had thought to herself before embarking on her journey.

Many years passed. The two friends met again. They hugged each other, happy to meet once again. They shared their experiences.

Laukika admitted she did have her share of fun, but the journey had tired her out. Moreover, she felt vacant inside. There was so much she wanted to do, she said, but the sheer speed of her journey didn’t permit her to take those liberties.

Samatha spoke: “I too thought for long after you left me, Laukika. I was tempted to follow you. The river looked enticing. But then, there was no hurry, either. I chose to walk down instead. I got to experience and enjoy the scenic offerings around the river. I marvelled at the sunrise and sunsets that were so different each day. The open blue sky was so re-assuring, as were the stars at night. I played with the countless birds and butterflies that filled the forest. I stopped to smell the forest and waited with bated breath for the kingfisher to dive into the waters for a quick meal, and the seagulls that flew over my head. I was tempted many times to plunge myself into the racing river – but would spend only a little time in the waters before drying myself on the warm rocks on the banks, read a book and resume my journey.

The local people who collected firewood and fruits from the forest would invite me to their humble homes. I would play with their children and share with them simple tips on improving their health before bidding them goodbye. It has been an amazing journey.”

The friends sat in silence, mulling over the choices they’d made and the experiences they’d been through.

wah TAJ!

I had my first experience with TAJ Group of Hotels recently. It was courtsey our first bi-annual branchhead's meeting at Kolkata. The stay was for 2 days only. But given a chance I would always make it to the same hotel again and again. Few points to ponder

a) How can the staff be so perfect? One would hear a fresh tone during the wake-up alarm even in the wee hours of the morning. The coffee would smell of the freshest brew as if they also are expert beverage makers.

b) It is very difficult to maintain a good thing. But these people have been able to manage the great image for the past few decades I am told.

c) Hospitality simply emnates from each word that the staff speaks. The smile, the measured humility and the eagerness to check out the comfort of the customer simply makes them different. Sadly I belong to an industry which also requires being hospitable but atleast I have never found an equal quantum of smile, leave aside the other mentioned parameters in any of the branches that I have visited

d) At the end of the day one can but have only fond memoirs of the hotel

Awaiting to be part of the group some day...

few random food4thoughts and questions....

Some thoughts just penned down randomly...

a) Either be a leaf or a pebble if you cannot be a tree or a hill; only the later two can make rain and no one else

b) Cant we have people just thanking Him atleast once everyday

c) When was the last time you learned a new thing ?

d) Has any action today helped anyother living creature; human being or otherwise

e) If every single earning individual were to donate a single rupee at a time, no wonder a huge coffer would be generated in India

f) Cant we all simply stop comparing; ourselves with others and others between themselves

Can we have a countdown ?

Temeperatures have been soaring across the country. In my own state of Orissa, the change has been pathetic. We had few countable places like Titlagarh, Jharsuguda, Talcher, Angul, Belpahar, Sambalpur et al which have a historic record having high temperatures in the summers. But this time the story has been bad throughout. There has been media coverage on the same but no one is suggesting any action (leave alone doing something)
I sincerely beleive that we are all to blame. We grumble of narrow roads, we love travelling by the biggest four wheeler possible, we are lazy enough even for maintaining a lawn (leave aside a kitchen garden or a papaya tree)....where would these all culminate ? Simple in higher temperature. Mark my words; I have carefully not mentioned anything about industrialisation because in that case tree felling is natural.
I am told in Bhubaneswar alone 2250 trees have been felled in the past 3 years. The capital being just one of the many cities of the state, can I suggest a target of 50000 trees for the entire state in the whole year. The effect of these would come after 4-5 years but it is bound to come. In our rspective families, we would be having atleast a dozen of anniversaries; can we resolve to plant a tree (and maintaining it for atleast 2 more years) besides the normal cake-cutting ceremonies.
I urge all my readers one and all to go ahead, search the nearest vacant space in and around their dwelling and plant a sappling. As the ad of Patek Ohillip goes, "You never actually own a Patek Philippe. You merely look after it for the next generation". lets do it for some cooler years ahead and more important for our next generation. I am going ahead with the countdown from tomorrow, anyone interested may please let me know.

Hiatus....

My kid is back from his maternal uncle's place. The moment he saw me after a couple of months, he sprang up to me. I was all along besides him throughout the journey from the station. I was just recollecting the achievements of Watson & Crick. There really exists a DNA with a particular structure and this only is the connect between generations. Owing to this only this kid of not even a year old was able to recognise me. We adults have tendency of forgetting people/faces even when most of us have public dealing as part of their jobs.
Thank God for being there and thanking him once again for creating DNA

just a THANKS!

Ask anyone who is employed, he / she has great chances of telling you that he / she is not happy with his / her job / work. I would also partially agree to it because of the limitations in pursuing my personal interests while doing my daily chores. But I was analysing few jobs which are very thankless (people seldom thank them). They are as follows

a) Traffic police (wo)man: Me thinks the last time one stood away from everyone else and that too at a stretch for few hours would have been when one was at school and was penalised / punished for not doing homework or for playing pranks. Hats off to these people who make it to the same place everyday doing the same monotonous thing of standing and may be waving hands at non-traffic light points. Just imagine the chaos which would have occured otherwise.

b) Enquiry counter at Railways: Just force yourself to repeat the same set of lines every few minutes and I am sure one would get bored repeating some common lines or even say favourite lines/lyrics. I really pity the patience of these people across the caged counter who repeat the same train number and timing may be to atleast 20people in a minute.

c) Waiters at hotel: Why just the waiter even the floor manager or the lobby guys (gals) who stand at length just to make your fooding in their restaurant on new years/christmas a memorable one. Imagine like you, they also have their respective spouses, kids and in a single word a family.

We are so engrossed in our daily work and so self centred that we seldom have time for noticing this so called petty things. To all the readers of my blog: Please note to say a BIG Thanks when you enjoy any of these services.

O Lord ! Save me !! I am addicted

I never knew that I would ever get addicted to aparticular thing. Dont you worry with crossed foreheads; I am not at all talking marijuana or anything narcotic; anyways I would'nt have disclosed such things in the public domain otherwise.

The latest addiction in my life is my kid Sambhav. The day starts with a togetherness of an hour; both glossing through 3 newspapers. Sometimes it is preceeded by a small walk across the milieu of the house or a spray of water on the newly planted flower trees/bushes. Needless to say an early morning post getting childish blabbering relaxes me for any sort of mental pressure / agony for the day. There we share lot many sounds between both of us. He is at his highest excitement level. Possibly because he understands that this fella will be off for a long day; I dont know whether that is the reason or the reason that he has his breakfast in the wee hours of the morning makes him so. Whatever the reason may be; it would be known to him but I will always beleive that he misses me and thats why he shows up by expressing his excitement.

Throughout the day I just take his updates. His mom would always mention his pranks in meticulous details; touchwood I would have loved to be with him while he snapped the set-top box / pulled the referigerator cord / pulled and turned around the dining chair / attempted breaking my favourite case but alas...kambhakt job.

Offlate I have observed that the addiction has started creeping me a bit too far. I leave no minute outside office and in between. I have purposely missed calling upon some of my friends who have come from outside to visit their home town. I politely ask them to drop at my place. That does not mean that I keep him cuddled up at home; I do visit places but only with him (ofcourse I have to give company to his mom in the process). My socialising quotient if I can call it has reduced to almost zero. People familiar to me can vouche that I was never that type earlier.

I seldom miss any oppurtunity nowadays to be without him.

Am I doing anything wrong ??

A new beginning for Sambhav

Its one of the first red-letter day for Sambhav. He has been allowed by his doc to start solid food. It seems that he has become a man. I have to now think for spice up his pallette.

A new beginning of life

Sambhav....the newest entrant in our lives has already got his share of welcomings by all the family members. Infact he has brought a fresh sense of life to all our lives. The message that I am trying to give is that it has been long since a new entrant came to our family. It is but obvious that he would have gt it anyways.

However the pleasing things that followed was his physical imitating of all my activities. However I am not that pleased. I am awaiting to see him grow as an individual. In the words of Rudyard Kipling, "...you are a man, my son."; afterall that is more important (I believe). Physical looks are not important. Neither APJ is handsome and nor was GBS.

He has already traced his origins. He has been to Ninigan, the village in which his granfather grew. All the 3 generations have visited the said village atleast a half a dozen times.

Its impeccable to see the little one growing. The tooth-less smile, the unpredicted expressions on his face which change every now and then, the smooth/soft kiddish skin and the horrendous cries that he resounds sometimes at night has got along with me and everyone else in the family.

An article worth keeping pasted permanenetly on blogspot

THE SPEAKING TREE
A Letter From A Father To His Little Son

Rajesh Mani

Dear Pranav,
It’s been 20 months since you set foot in the world. When i held you for the first time in my arms at the hospital, your tiny hands were twitching and your eyes were shut tight. Your clenched fist reminded me of a science lesson that said to get an idea about the size of your heart, you should clench your fist. I could imagine the little heart throbbing inside you. The eternal miracle of birth. When it was my turn to witness it, i cried.
Before i married your mother, i used to debate one question endlessly with my friend. Which is, “Is it really worth bringing another life into this world?” Especially when terror has become an ugly leitmotif in the canvas of our lives?
When i switched on the TV that Wednesday night, the question of whether i was right in bringing you into this world haunted me again.
This is my attempt at an answer. Call it catharsis.
I feel there are two ways to raise you. One is to wean you on cynicism. Where you’ll erect a sky-high wall in your mind and live your life pouring scorn on everything you see. Which is one way of insulating yourself from fear... A kind of indifferent machismo.
The other way is to prepare you to live in this world. I can’t imagine the world for you, son. But i can certainly show you the way to live in an uncertain world. Make a pact with yourself. Understand the following early on.
Life is precious. And equally fragile. So every day is a gift. Get up early once in a while just to watch the sun rise. Stare at it intently and burn it in your memory. Be aware of every passing second. Look around you. There’s a thin stalk of plant finding its place under the sun in a crevice on the wall of our apartment.
Appreciate mother’s cooking. Praise it to heavens... Make it a habit to eat together as a family. No, make it a rule. Fall in love with books. Words will transport you to worlds far away. It will also keep you informed and prepared.
Follow your heart. The mind can waver but the heart seldom does. Respect your conscience. It’s like a post-it note from God.
When you grow up, seek a job you love. As you enter the world of careers and cocktails, you’ll get sucked into a vortex called rat race. Don’t be overwhelmed. We’re all human. But have the courage to step out of it. Nothing will be lost. Some illusions will shatter. Good riddance.
Money. It’s important. But it has its place. Don’t make the mistake of putting it right on top.
Find your love. Hold it dearly. Be a good husband. A patient father. Give your children space to make their mistakes. But hold them when they fall.
Speak up when you have to. Like this occasion. Whether we like it or not, we’re living in a democracy. Sure it has its pitfalls. But don’t forget the positives too. The real fight in a democracy is between remembering and forgetting. Go and vote. It’s your chance to give shape to the kind of society you want to live in.
Be alert. But try not to live in a state of fear.
It you were to get caught in a situation similar to what happened and should we lose you, then you will have left us with enough lovely memories for the remaining years. That will only happen if you start living every day like it is the last day of your life. Though it can never compensate your loss, at least we’ll find strength in your love for life.
Don’t have regrets. They defeat the very purpose of life.
Immersed as i am in work most of the time, this letter is also a wake-up call for me.
Love, Dad