Day before yesterday's death of Pamela Bach at 62 is sad news. Her fans will remember her action in TV shows such as Baywatch telecast in late 1980s. This was a period when TV Channels used to telecast shows such as Bold and the Beautiful. (These shows were very popular among educated middle and upper middle class folks like me, all over the world).
May Pamela's soul rest in peace.
This evening there was a spiritually enriching programme on Sri Sankara TV Channel. In this program entitled 'Raghavendra Bhavayami', Shri Dushyanth Sridhar, explained how evil Mantharaa brainwashed Keikeyee etc. He also mentioned about Shree Madhwaachaarya, Chief Aacharyaa of Maadhwaa community to which I belong.
Although Shree Raghavendra Swamy shed his mortal remains and called by Shree Mahaa Vishnu, many years ago, he is believed to continue to bless Shree Mahaa Vishnu devotees; his Ashram is popularly known as Shree Raghavendra Swamy Mutt.
The programme featured melodious religious songs by Sivasri Skandaprasad
As I have mentioned before, my brother was a devotee of Lord Shree Krishna to the extent that most of his computer related online passwords were related to Lord Shree Krishna's Names and that he donated his reasonably new (a few months old) TATA Nono car to ISKCON Chennai, nearly 15 years ago.
With heavy heart, I remember that the last time I met my beloved brother last month, a few days before he passed away, I saw a laminated pocket sized picture of Shree Raghavendra Swamy on his bed near him.
Shree Dushyant Shreedhar
From my boyhood days, I have always had a fascination for good books. During college days, I used to spend my free time in the college library.
I fondly remember how the British Council Library and the USIS Library used to send books by mail to their members who reside in places away from Chennai. I was resident in Vellore, and I used to long for these books.
After entering the teaching profession, I used to spend my leisure times either in the School Library or in the Physics lab.
Wherever I got posted, I used to be a regular visitor to the local library. I fondly remember the UNESCO Library, German Cultural Centre Library and the British Council Library in Addis Ababa. I remember the British Council Library in Gaborone, Southern Africa; I used to visit it to collect books and media for me as well as for the Science Department of School in which I worked; I was Audio-visual Coordinator in the Department.
In the mid 1990s, I had the pleasure of obtaining Institutional Membership of the British Council Library, Chennai, for PREPARE, an excellent NGO in which I worked. This became the first NGO to be a Member of the British Council Library, Chennai.
This afternoon NHK WORLD JAPAN TV Channel telecast an interesting documentary on libraries. Let me share it here.
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This afternoon, NHK WORLD JAPAN TV Channel telecast an interesting documentary on Tofu, a very popular food item not only in Japan but also globally including in our country. The show featured different types of Tofu.
It is 100% vegetarian and delicious.
Tofu to Japan is what coffee is to Ethiopia, piezza is to Italy, noodles are to countries such as Thailand and Cambodia, Netherlands to cheese, Switzerland to chocolates, wine to Germany, beer to South Africa, and dosa is to India.
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Although I am neither an enthusiast in politics nor a competent person in commenting on political affairs, from a socio-economic perspective, I am a keen observer of the political scenario.
In the recently held meeting between Donald Trump and Volodymir Zelanskky, it looks like the former overplayed his role. Besides, it looked like the US side dominating the dialogue. I think that there should be no place for domination in any dialogue or bilateral communication.
It brings a ray of hope for peace in Ukraine and Russia, with today's meeting of European leaders convened by the Britsh Prime Minister.
Let us hope that the meeting strives to achieve peace in Ukraine and Russia.
I wish that Mr Volodymir Zelanskyy is not isolated and that he is given all support that he and his people deserve.
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This morning at around 6 am, some guy with horrible voice unsuitable for music began singing songs alongwith an orchestral accompaniment with loud sound level. It continues, the time being 10.15 am.
I found the cause of the above noise pollution to be the birthday of M K Stalin, 'honourable' chief minister of Tamilnadu.
I think that such arrogant displays of birthdays of bad people should be banned.
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In today's episode, Prof. Lumumba explained quoting several examples how colonisation robs ingenious culture and traditions of people. He mentioned a few famous African writers as well. One of them was Chinua Achebe, whose books are very popular in African countries. I have never come across any school library without books by Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Gebre Medhin Tsegaye etc. in Africa.
There are lots of debates on illegal immigration to developing countries.
Common perception seems to be that these illegal immigrants get punished. I think that they are punished for obvious reasons.
This evening, CNA TV Channel telecast an informative documentary that looked deeper into the issue.
It showed an illegal immigrant from Punjab. His parents are in Punjab and seem to lead a comfortable life with no sign of poverty. Father of the immigrant, a middle aged man with seemingly good health and capable of doing some work and earn money for him and his family says that if his son is deported from the US, the family will be ruined. I think that this is totally unacceptable. Besides, the State Government of Punjab seems to be striving hard to improve the economic status of it's citizens.
I think that TV and other social media give an exaggerated view of issues.
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Today is a very auspicious day in the Hindu Calender. This day is celebrated as Mahaa Shiva Raathree.
Lord Shiva (known also as Lord Rudraa) is a great devotee of Lord Shree Mahaa Vishnu.
It is said that when Brahmins perform Deva Pooja (Pooja of Shaligraam Form of Shree Mahaa Vishnu), Lord Rudraa stands behind Him holding a bowl on his hand to collect the holy water that flows from Shree Mahaa Vishnu Shaaligraamam after bathing Him.
Before Lord Shree Raam set His foot on Shree Lanka in search of Seethaa Devi, he prayed to Lord Shree Rudraa at what is known as Raameshwaram.
Raameshwaram Temple:
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Shree Rudra Devaa and His wife Paarvathee Devi:
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As a person born and brought up in India, I always identify with our culture and traditions although this identification gets a bit diluted when people like me leave the home country and work abroad for a few years. When they return home, their identification restores to the original level.
During my stay abroad in different countries, I have observed how people are interested in preserving their culture and traditions.
This evening I bumped in to a TV documentary featuring a young Cambodian entrepreneur who runs a snacks manufacturing unit in Phnom Penh. She uses locally available vegetables and traditional tools in her work. She visits her parents and daughter who live in a village that is 250 km away from Phnom Penh regularly.
I have come across a few people, including colleagues, like this woman in all countries in which I worked.
Let me share the documentary here.
News that Kashyap Patel won the Senate nomination as US FBI Director signifies good step by Donald Trump and his respect for our great Indian culture and traditions. In his name, the term 'Kash', an abbreviation of 'Kashyap' means that his ancestors were descendants of Kashyapa Maharishi, whose is remembered as mentioned in Sandhyavandhanam, a daily Vedic ritual.
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Donald Trump's team's Tulasi Gabbard is also a well known Shree Krishna devotee.
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I wish that my beloved brother were alive to hear the news about Kash Panel's confirmation as US FBI's Director. My brother was a great devotee of Lord Shree Krishna.
Jai Shree Krishnaa🙏.
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This morning I tried to cook banana curry from the pre-sliced banana that I ordered from Big Basket. The cooked product looked nice as shown in the following image:
But when tasting, it proved somewhat otherwise, indicating that the slices should have been more softened, with a little more salt than what I had used. I hope that I get my cooking improved in my next attempt.
In 1980s when I was working abroad, the day before I returned home for holidays, I used to phone my parents asking my mother to cook banana curry for me; she knew that it was my favorite side dish. I have never enjoyed the taste of this curry anywhere else. The best culinary expert besides my beloved mother was my maternal aunt by name 'Ahalya'. These two were the best cooks.
Ofcourse food items cooked by mother is the best to any person.
NHK WORLD JAPAN TV Channel's 'Document 72 Hours' is one of my favourite programmes. This evening's episode of the programme featured regular customers in a restaurant. These people are from different walks of life with different experiences in life, but with one objective: Dining out to experience good company of fellow customers for some time, however small it may be.
Among the customers, there is an elderly man (probably of my age); he comes with his daughter regularly to dine out at the restaurant. He lost his wife a year ago. He says that he feels incredibly lonely. I understand how he feels, as I myself feel very lonely from the time my beloved brother passed away. I am unable to bear the mental pain of missing him.
My beloved brother passed away last month. He was ill and suffered a lot during his last few months. My beloved mother became increasingly weak and underwent significant physical deterioration in her last few years. Both these people were very kind and good. They were also Shree Krishna devotees.
Shree Krishnaa was an incarnation of Lord Shree Mahaa Vishnu.
We come across many good and kind people who suffer during their final weeks, months or years. I used to ask the following question to myself: "Why do good and kind people who are Lord Shree Krishna's devotees suffer physically during their last few weeks, months or years?". I think that this question arises in many of us.
A few days back, when I was listening to a divine discourse by a respected Maadhwaa spiritual leader on Utube, he mentioned that even if a person may be good, kind and a Shree Mahaa Vishnu devotee, he/she suffers due to sins committed during any of his/her previous seven births. He mentioned the very popular Karma concept.
Jai Shree Lakshmi Naaraayanaa🙏.
I was viewing Prof. P.L.O.Lumumba's 'Lumumba's Africa' on RT TV Channel this morning. The episode featured Nelson Mandela and many others such as Ahmed Kathrada and FW de Klerk who fought against apartheid and paved the way for discrimination free South Africa. The documentary mentioned Mandela's ' Long Walk to Freedom', his association with Gandhiji, Martin Luther King etc.
In a previous post I have mentioned how discriminatory practices were obvious in South Africa's K-12 Education System during apartheid.
I think that Nelson Mandela's 'Long Walk to Freedom', Gandhiji's 'My Experiments with Truth' should be made as compulsory reading materials in schools and colleges in all developing countries.
It is important to know that Nelson Mandela was against not only white domination but also black domination.
Any kind of domination in any community is bad.
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Today marks the end of Maagha Snaanam. Today is also an auspicious day in the Hindu Calender; devotees offer special worship to Shree Vedavyaasa.
Jai Shree Lakshmi Naaraayanaa🙏.
Our Prime Minister's presence and his address at the Plenary Session of the AI Summit in Paris is a signifies the digital capability and traditionally driven desire for global welfare.
As a single senior citizen who likes to self-cook my food instead of ordering it from outside, I derive significant benefit by viewing cooking documentaries in TV Channels. As a vegetarian, I confine to vegetarian dishes.
The fact remains that I very seldom self-cook my food items. Most often, I order my food via online food delivery options such as Zomato.
This evening, Epic TV Channel telecast a few vegetarian dishes cooked by Ranveer Brar, a well known expert. The episode featured Ms Tsering Dolma, a Tibetan origin expert as well. (I was curious in the episode as from my experience in Bhutan, I have found Tibetan people to be more fond of non-vegetarian than vegetarian dishes). This evening's episode featured dishes such as samoosas.
When viewing the show, I was reminded of Ramesh, my beloved brother, who used to bring such vegetarian dishes for me.
I miss him very much and I carry an enormous pain of having lost him.
Central Government, Uttaraakand Government, NGOs and Social Service Organisations, Hindu Religious Organisations, Corporate Houses etc. deserve our hearty congratulations on how these manage the 6 weeks long Mahaa Kumbh Melaa, largest religious gathering in the world, at Prayaagraaj, Uttaraakand.
Jai Shree Lakshmi Naaraayanaa🙏.
Although not widely well known, today is a very auspicious day in the Hindu Calender. This day is celebrated as Simshumaara Jayanthi. This is on this day that Shree Mahaa Vishnu incarnated in his scorpion form.
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Jai Shree Lakshmi Naaraayanaa🙏
Today is a very auspicious day to Maadhwaa community (to which I belong). This day is celebrated as Madhwa Navami. On this day, Shree Mahaa Vishnu residing in the heart of Shree Madhwaachaarya is worshipped by Shree Hari devotees.
Jai Shree Lakshmi Naaraayanaa🙏
News that our beloved Prime Minister Shree Narendra Modi took holy dip at Prayaag Raaj is another example of how a leader of a country should be. UP Chief Minister Shree Yogi Adithyanath and Shree Narendra Modi seem to be an exemplary pair.
Jai Shree Lakshmi Naaraayanaa🙏
It's good news that The Beatles won this year's Grammy Award for best rock music performance in It's song 'Now And Then'.
It was highly spiritually enriching to view Shree Rajendra das ji's divine discourse 'Shree Bhakthamaal Kathaa' on Aashtha TV Channel this morning. He explained 'Aathma Samarpan' (Surrender of one's soul to the Lotus Feet of Lord Shree Krishna).
I fondly remember my beloved brother; he was a Lord Shree Krishna's devotee.
Jai Shree Krishnaa🙏
As I was viewing our Republic Day Parade on TV this afternoon, I couldn't help remembering my beloved brother who was Battalion Under Officer when he was in National Cadet Corps unit attached to his college during his college days.
Being tall and handsome, he was a treat whoever used to see and know him.
(Unfortunately I don't have any photo of him in NCC uniform).
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Ramesh, my beloved brother passed away yesterday and his mortal remains were cremated this morning. His death is an irreparable loss to me and to Jyothi, my sister.
It would have been good if I had passed away instead of him. He was 7 years younger than me.
He was an excellently handsome person internally and externally.
He had held senior management posts in several companies after obtaining silver medal in MA Defence Studies, followed by Postgraduate Diplomas in Marketing Management and Human Resources Management from the reputed Bharatiya Vidhya Bhavan.
He lastly served as Senior Vice President (HRM) in URC Constructions, a Construction Company headquartered in Erode, Tamilnadu.
(He was a very simple person, like his neighbour Dr Pandiaraja, a highly qualified Sidhha Doctor, and my landlord and his wife, who are highly qualified Engineers).
He was a Shree Krishna devotee to such an extent that he had kept Lord Shree Krishna's image as his WhatsApp profile photo.
My beloved mother was kind and simple. She used to say that we should not hurt any one, should ignore if any one behaves badly to us, and consider only the goodness in any one. My beloved brother inherited these qualities.
My beloved father was a hard working headmaster in Government higher secondary schools; he was a keen sportsman (who continued playing lawn tennis years after his retirement). My beloved brother inherited these qualities.
He was a great physical and emotional support to me. His demise has left a lasting impact in my life.
I experience unbearable mental pain and a heavy heart as I write this post.
I pray to God to let me die as early as He wishes. I am unable to bear my mental pain.
I wish that my beloved brother's soul rests at the Lotus Feet of Lord Shree Krishna.
My brother in 2017:
My brother in 2022:
Jai Shree Krishnaa🙏.
Since 13 January, we have been celebrating the divine Mahaa Kumbh Melaa in Prayaagraaj, Uttar Pradesh, India. The festivities will last until 25 February.
There have been a spectrum of religious programmes in this area. Aashthaa TV Channel telecasts a divine discourse on Shree Raama Kathaa as I am typing this post.
The discourse is given by Shree Chinmayanand Bapujee about whom I have mentioned in my previous posts. He mentions the significance of three paths of spiritual development by giving an analogy of the name 'Prayaagraaj', the divine confluence of three sacred rivers Gangaa, Yamunaa and Saraswathi.
Today is a very auspicious day in the Hindu Calender. This day is celebrated as Makara Sankraanthi. Devotees offer special worship to Shree Mahaa Vishnu seated in the Sun for blessing us with Solar Energy and all resources to lead our lives in a righteous manner.
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Today is the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, philosopher and spiritual leader of youth. He was a disciple of Shree Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, a spiritual leader.
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Today is also the birth anniversary of Dr Yellapragada Subbarao, Indian American Biochemist.
Day before yesterday's death of Shree Jayachandran is a loss to our film industry. I nostalgically remember his Malayalam movie songs released in 1980s. He will be remembered for his songs. Let his soul rest in peace.
Legendary British Pop singer Rod Stewart turned 80 yesterday. Best wishes to him for many happy returns of the day.
Today is a very auspicious day in the Hindu Calender. This day is celebrated as Vaikunta Ekaadashee. Vishnu devotees offer special worship to Shree Mahaa Vishnu on this day and observe fasting just like on other Ekaadashee days. Today being Wednesday, of which Shree Mahaa Lakshmi is the presiding deity, Vishnu devotees offer special worship to Shree Mahaa Lakshmi. Besides, this month being Dhanur Maasam, devotees chant Shree Mahaa Lakshmi Stotram this month.
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As far as I know, every country has many local communities with their own dialects. For instance, Hindi, Telugu, etc. in India, Dzonkha, Charshokpa in Bhutan, Amharic, Tigrinyaa etc. in Ethiopia, and Hausa, Yoruba etc. in Nigeria.
Each of these communities strive hard to preserve it's own culture and traditions.
This evening cna TV Channel telecast an interesting on how Ainu community works hard to preserve It's culture and traditions. I tried to provide a link to the documentary but couldn't access it.
As a professuonal who worked in Africa as well as Cambodia (based in Phnom Penh), I found one such documentary featuring Nigerian community in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Let me share the interesting documentary here.
I have been viewing BBC's Travel Show right from the time they began airing the episodes. But unfortunately, quality of the Show seems to have drastically reduced over the years. This afternoon (in India) it was about Antarctic. It was exactly the same that was aired a few months ago. I just don't understand why BBC can't air episodes featuring different destinations? Except on episode on The Bahamas aired last year, there has never been any episode about West Indies. Even the episode on The Bahamas was limited to deep sea diving and related issues and not about people and places in The Bahamas.
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I tried to provide a link to today's episode but found that it doesn't work outside the UK. Another form of discrimination?
In the meantime, my Wi-Fi stopped connecting and I had to use my mobile internet provided by Reliance Industries.
I think that our communication technology systems are abused by incompetent professionals.
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