Karnatic music

A few minutes back, I had the pleasure of viewing a teledrama known as 'Subbamma' on Chandana Channel.

It was a nice episode featuring a Kannada Brahmin family with a strong liking for 'Karnatic music' (Southern Indian Classical music).

I tried to provide a link to the teledrama, but couldn't access any.

Today, at nearly 72 years of age, when I look back at my college days and after, do I realise how foolish I was in getting attracted to western pop music, like many other youngsters from educated parentage, of those yester years.

When my father bought a guitar for me and a veena for my sister just before she got married, I should have tried to find a teacher to teach Karnatic music instead of fruitlessly searching for a western music guitarist to teach strumming with left hand (I am still a left hander when it comes to writing etc). I wasted my very formative years.

I don't mean that western pop music or non-Indian music are not worth listening. I still relish western Soft rock, reggae etc. to some extent.

What I mean is that as Indians, we should know that our own traditional music is the best. 

Our traditional music is not just music; it is embedded with divinity.

Divine discourse

It was joy to view Shree Ankush Tiwariji Maharaj's 'Shreemad Bhaagavath Kahaa' on my favourite Aashtha TV Channel, some time back.

In his discourse, Shree Ankush Tiwariji Maharaj explained the difference between being a 'dosth' and being a 'mithra'. He explained the meeting of Sudaama and Shree Krishna. Sudaamaa was a childhood friend and Sandeepani Gurukulam classmate of Lord Shree Krishna. I fondly remember a TV show on Shree Krishna that showed how the Lord went out to his palace entrance even without wearing foot wear, to greet his boyhood friend. Sudaamaa was a poor Brahmin who was a great devotee of Lord Shree Krishna and he had no selfish interests.

Sarath Babu

Today's news report that Sarath Babu passed away, is sad to many of his fans, including me. I cannot forget the dignified roles in which he acted in movies. I fondly remember movies such as 'Nenjaththai killaade ' about which I have mentioned in an earlier post. (Interestingly, he is 2 days younger than me).

Morari Bapu's Divine Discourse

This morning, in his Shree Raam Kathaa discourse on Ashhthaa TV, Shree Morari Bapu explained karuna aspect of Shree Raam. 

I fondly remember Mrs Karuna, who was Chief Inspectress in Social Studies, at the Cambodian Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, Phnom Penh, when I was working there. She was proud of her Indian ancestry. She mentioned to me how they were taught Hinduism in their schools and colleges, and how they respect our great religion (like Mr Son Sarath, a Director in the Ministry. He was one of my best friends).

Inherent indicipline

Although I continue being a regular viewer of BBC TV's programmes, I think that the contents of many of their programmes are not in good taste. This is one such programme. Of course the BBC is doing it's best to uncover the oddities and expose the 'icerberg' fully.

As long as rascal men and women continue in getting involved in such nauseating activities, things will continue to be bad. I think that the British Police and Judiciary should rise up to the occassion to bring such activities to a halt. But unfortunately this does not seem to happen. Otherwise, Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi etc. would be serving death penalty or at least rigorous life imprisonment. Same thing applies to Police and Judiciary in India; otherwise people such as Shashi Tharoor (Congress MP from Tiruvanathapuram, Kerala), 'Justice' Karnan (Karnataka) and Sashikala Natarajan (Close associate of late Jayalalitha), Rajiv Gandhi assassination involved Nalini, Perarivalan etc. would have also been given death penalty or rigorous life imprisonment depending upon the crime committed. 

Such incidents are a reminder that we are living in a community with significant number of criminals. From my experience, it looks like a global phenomenon.

In 2008-09 when I was working in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, I have literally seen very good as well as very bad guys from my home country, India. As I have mentioned in an earlier post, I happened to meet a thorough gentleman and his wife with a very disciplined son, as I was eating my dinner in 'Dosa Corner' in Phnom Penh. This gentleman was the Indian ambassador to Cambodia.

I have also seen a regular visitor to the same restaurant. This guy, named Sanskar, said that he was a UK educated medical doctor from Chennai and was working as Technical Advisor to the Health Ministry in Cambodia. (I was Technical Advisor to the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport) at that time. Like me, he was also based in Phnom Penh. As a person from Chennai, we shared Tamil, the common language. But I had always kept a certain distance from him, as he was an alcoholic and exhibited bad behaviour with women. I have seen him sharing the dining table with his friend, a Caucasian American (who worked as Technical Advisor in some Ministry) and his Vitnamese wife. Some times, this guy used to go to the bathroom in the restaurant. At that time, I have seen Dr Sankar holding and caressing the Vietnamese woman's hand in a very embarrassing manner. She did not seem to have any problem. But I pitied the American husband who was ignorant of this.

After a few brief meetings at the restaurant table, I stopped communicating with Dr Sanskar. 

There was another idiot visitor to the same restaurant. He was a young man wearing Vaishnavite Divine Marks on his forehead, but used to come to the restaurant with different women. I don't know whether he was a good guy or an undisciplined guy like many tourists in Cambodia at that time. God only knows.

Lizards, mosquitoes and bad neighbour's menace

Like many people, I am allergic to seeing animals such as lizards, frogs and cats. As mentioned in my earlier posts, I have done all I can to repel lizards from my residence, but in vain. When eating or drinking any thing, if I happen to see lizards, I get nauseating feeling immediately, just like I get headache if some one drinks nearby. 

Next to lizards come mosquitoes. However much that I try to keep my residence clean, whenever I open my apartment door, one or two mosquitoes with a lizard or two immediately enter my apartment. One reason is probably the manner in which the space in front of my apartment is being used. It is a small area that is common to me and my next door neighbour. The problem is that my 75 or 76 years old single neighbour's 60 or 65 years old servant maid, who stays in the apartment 24/7 on all days including Sundays and holidays, keeps her slippers and other things widely spread out in the area such that mosquitoes find the area a safe haven. She walks on the space every two hours or so, but never sweeps or mops the area except once in the morning daily.  

I don't care about personal aspects of my neighbour or his servant maid. What frustrates me is their indifference. 

However I am glad to hear from my apartment owner that my neighbour has been asked to vacate. My apartment and my neighbouring apartment are owned by the same person.

Some times I find it frustrating to be surrounded by lizards, mosquitoes and indifferent entities in human form.

Coronation of King Charles

In contemporary history, yesterday marked an important event as the day of formal coronation of Prince Charles. 

As far as I know, King Charles is moderate, secular and has great respect for India. 

According to a news report, invitees included Heads of State of several countries as well as Mumbai's 'Dibbaawaalaas' .

Domestic kitchen as School Science Lab

Throughout my professional life in K-12 Education, I have maintained the stand that most science classroom concepts at least upto Grade 9 level can be taught using household appliances and phenomena, as mentioned in an evidences based UNESCO Report in the '80s. 

As a teacher I was fortunate to have been liked by my students probably because I used very simple but often overlooked ideas that were close to children's environment. 

As I recollect those years, I remember the examples that I had asked children themselves to try when learning about a middle school physics concept known as 'Surface tension'. Following image shows one such example:

Water drops sticking to a stainless steel container.

Koorma Jayanthi

Today is a very auspicious day in the Hindu Calendar.  It was on this day, billions and billions of years back, that Shree  Mahaa Vishnu incarnated as Devine Tortoise. This day is celebrated as Koorma Jayanthi. Koorma avathaar is explained in this Malayaalam language video.

Koorma avathaar is one of the many Devine aspects of Shree Mahaa Vishnu as depicted in Angkor Wat, Cambodia.

Narasimhaa Fest

Today is a very auspicious day in the Hindu Calender. Billions of years ago, it was on this day, that Shree Mahaa Vishnu incarnated as Lord Narasimha.

Vedavyaasa Fest

Today is a very auspicious day in the Hindu Calender. This day is celebrated as Vedavyaasa Jayanthi.

The image shows Sage Vedavyaasaa dictating the story of Mahaa Bhaaratha to Lord Ganesha.