Horse carts

People of my age (73) would remember how cows, bullocks, horses and donkeys were used for transport without harming them.

People used to travel from one place to another using bullock and horse carts. Washermen used donkeys to carry dirty clothes collected from households, get them washed in local rivers and bring them back to their residences. On Sundays, they used to collect dirty clothes from households and bring the washed and ironed clothes. They used to apply starch to strengthen fabric. In this manner, there was a mutual trust between humans and animals. 

I have seen donkey carts in Ethiopia, Southern Africa and Cambodia.

This evening, NHK WORLD JAPAN TV CHANNEL telecast an interesting documentary on how a team from Japan help people in Senegal, West Africa, in showing how donkey carts can be used to generate electricity. Like in most developing countries, electric power is expensive in Senegal.

Let me share the documentary here.

Akshaya thritheeyaa

Today is a very auspicious day in the Hindu Calender. It is the birth anniversary of Lord Parashuraamaa.

Today is a very auspicious in another manner also. This day is celebrated as Akshaya thritheeya.

Jai Shree Lakshmi Naaraayanaa🙏.

My mother's shraadha

According to our Maadhwaa community calender, today is the death anniversary of my beloved mother. Usually I and my beloved brother used to perform the shraddha ritual jointly.  But as he himself is no more, I performed the ritual alone as usual with guidance from a purohit.

I wish that my beloved mother's soul rests at the Lotus Feet of Lord Shree Krishnaa.

Jai Shree Krishnaa🙏.

Cultural architecture

This evening ABC AUSTRALIA TV CHANNEL telecast an interesting documentary on how a family has integrated cultural aspects in house building and interior decoration.

Cost of such buildings are high for middle class and low income group people. 

I think that the same concept used to be adopted by village folk in their thatched roof mud houses, bamboo cots etc. until 30 years ago or so in our own country. Unfortunately we have ignored this aspect and embraced western concepts.

Bad MLAs and Government employees

It is 9.03 pm now. Electric power in our area went off 5 minutes ago. As I mentioned in my previous posts, this is a frequent happening in our area in Chennai. 

I understand that the area's MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly) has a political obligation to communicate problems such as power cut to the State Government officials and try to fix the problem. It is a very well known fact that powercuts are common and many times they are as long as one hour in our area.

I tried to find the phone number or email ID of our MLA several times, but in vain.

This afternoon I heard from Polimer News TV Channel that the Tamilnadu Government has increased the monthly allowance of former MLAs from Rs 30,000 to Rs 35,000. It is obvious that the salary of MLAs who are still in their posts is much higher.

I think that instead of giving large salaries to irresponsible, insensitive and evil MLAs, the Government should punish such MLAs severely with a minimum punishment of dismissal (not mere suspension) from service, alongwith imprisonment in single cells with only common toilets. Punishment should also be given to bad employees in Government departments.

Punishment should be so severe that evil MLAs (across barriers) don't even imagine contesting in any election in future. 

My beloved brother

This afternoon Amrita TV Channel telecast a very touching malayalam language movie named Edakkad Battalion 06.

The hero of the movie reminded me of my handsome and beloved brother.

During his college years, my brother was Battalion Under Officer in the Airforce Branch of National Cadet Corps unit in the College. It was a treat to the eyes when he used to dress up in his uniform to attend frequent training sessions and parades in the college grounds. He was tall and handsome.

I find it mentally very painful to bear the fact that I have lost my beloved brother.

I wish that his soul rests at the Lotus Feet of Lord Shree Krishna.

Jai Shree Krishnaa🙏.

Getting old

It is a proven fact that our physical well being gradually gets reduced as we become older. I am no exception.  

I don't have diabetes, breathing difficulty etc. My medical report is fine. My resting heart rate is fine. 

However in the past few weeks, I get dizzy for a few seconds more frequently than before; I also find myself weaker than before. Some times even making a cup of tea seems exhausting.

I wish that I die as early as possible before getting into complications, admittance in hospital etc. I wish to die without worrying my sister who is my only close relative, now that my beloved brother is no more.

Jai Shree Lakshmi Naaraayanaa🙏.

Shree Mahaa Vishnu Fest

Today is a very auspicious day to Shree Mahaa Vishnu devotees. Today is Ekaadashi; I have described about it in my previous posts. Today is also the aaraadhana day of Shree Satyavijaya Theerthaa. The place where the saint entered Brindavana is located near Arani, a town in Tamilnadu. (This place known as Satyavijaya Nagaram is the native place of my maternal grandmother. I fondly remember her. One of her brothers known as 'Vaasu maamaa' was a Sanskrit scholar and served as Principal of a Sanskrit College near Mysuru, Karnataka, many years ago).

Jai Shree Lakshmi Naaraayanaa🙏.

Pope Francis

WION TV CHANNEL telecast a detailed documentary on Pope Francis who passed away yesterday. Let me share the documentary here.

Let his soul rest in peace. 

Culture by design

I think that we like to integrate elements of our culture in interior designing, fabric designing etc. ABC AUSTRALIA TV CHANNEL has begun telecasting an interesting  series on this aspect. Let me share the first episode here.

Raw mango gravy

This morning I tried to cook raw mango gravy as side dish for my lunch. As mango itself is sour, I didn't add vinegar. It seemed to come up well as shown in the following photo:

By God's Grace, it was delicious. I think that this item is a perfect side dish for roti, chappathi or bread.

Divine discourse

In this evening's discourse on Shreemad Bhaagavath Kathaa, telecast by Aashthaa TV Channel, Shree Devkinandan Thaakurjee Maharaaj explained how people in Brindhaavan consedered Lord Shree Krishna very close to them. When relating to our current day to day relationships, he explained the inportance of a good brother and brother in law in a married man's life. I was fortunate in having a good brother in law by name Arun when I got married in 1982. Unfortunately his voices were suppressed by his evil minded parents and siblings leading to my divorce. I fondly remember Arun. I also remember Ramesh, my own brother (whose photo is given below). 

I wish that the souls of these two people are blessed by Lord Shree Krishna.

Jai Shree Krishnaa🙏.

Indian contributions ignored

This afternoon as I was viewing a news report on FRAANCE 24 TV Channel, it showed a building inside the famous Harvard University in the US. The building top displayed names of Greek philosophers. As any one would guess, this is a gesture of appreciation of Greek contribution. I don't object to it. But I find it uncomfortable that ancient Indian contributions are completely ignored not only in buildings in other countries but also in our own country, provided numerous evidence backed facts that most scientific discoveries that are believed to be made by Western Scientists were made by Hindu sages (who were engineers, doctors etc. as well) thousands of years earlier. Even our own school and college textbooks don't mention these facts. 

Let me give one example: It is believed that Captain Cook proved that our Earth is spherical in shape. According to ancient Indian scriptures, our Earth has always been known as 'Bhoo Golaa', meaning 'Spherical Earth', tens and thousands of years before Captain Cook. 

I don't think that school and college textbooks mention contributions by scholars such as Chanakya.

(I used to encourage my teaching staff to browse the Net, recognise reliable websites for appropriate information on contribution by our own ancestors, and provide the links to students).

I think that our Governments should bring in drastic improvements in how our textbooks are written.

New Year Greeting

Best wishes to all those who celeberate their traditional New Year Day today🙏.

Jai Shree Raam🙏

Traditional New Year Day

Today, people in Punjab celeberate their tradotional new year day as Baisaakhi. Tomorrow, people in Tamilnadu and Kerala celebrate the beginning of their new year. In general, tradional new year day is celeberated by people all over India and by people of Indian ancestry all over the world.

Tomorrow marks the beginning of three days long tradional new year day festivities in cointries such as Cambodia as well.

Best wishes for a happy and prosperous new year.

Trump's tariffs

It is good news for residents in USA that Mr Donald Trump has reduced tariff on smartphones, laptops etc.

Although I am neither an economist nor a political analyst, I am an ordinary middle class senior citizen who has been experiencing consumer issues like all people across barriers.

Every one would know how tariffs can influence our day to day living. In the early 1990s, when returning to India, I liked to bring my car that I had been using in Southern Africa, for my use in India. Unfortunately our Central Government had imposed 300% tax for import of cars that had been used even 3 years or more. At that time, buying a new car in India was relatively economical. It was after a few years when Shree P V Narasimha Rao was our Prime Minister and Shree Manmohan Singh, our Finance Minister, that drastic changes were made in the Government's Tax Policies and economic liberalisation began. It was a golden era.

Hanumaan's birthday

Today is a very auspicious day in the Hindu Calender. This day is celebrated as Hanumad Jayanthi, birth anniversary of Hanuman Ji, the greatest devotee and servant of Lord Shree Raam. Hanumaanji is well known for his valour, courage, simplicity and total devotion to Lord Shree Raam. 

(Former US President Barack Obama keeps a tiny prathimaa of Hanumaanji according a media report).

Saint Madhwaachaarya is considered to be a manifestation of Hanumaanji. 

Jai Shree Hanumaanji antargatha Shree Seetha Devi sametha Shree Raamaa🙏.

Vaishno Devi

It is nice that our National Channel has been telecasting highly spiritually enriching excellent quality programs. One of these is Vaishno Devi. 

Immediately after this program, the channel telecasts Kushmandi Raamaayanam. Today's episode featured evil attendant woman Mandaraa's brain washing Kaikeyi, wife of Dasaratha Maharaaja, and the consequences. As every one knows, this is a perfect example of how an evil minded wife can ruin her husband's life however good he may be. I can quote today's examples of such women; one is the woman to whom I got married in 1982 leading to divorce in 1991 or so; the other is a woman named Sarada, to whom my beloved brother got married.

I experienced the joy of viewing the former serial this evening and how it soothed my troubled mind.

I fondly remember my beloved brother's taking my beloved mother and me to the Vaishno Devi Temple near my residence in 2004 or so. I remember a Veena recital by Gayathri Devi in the temple primises that evrning.

Jai Shree Lakshmi Naaraayanaa🙏.

My niece's birthday

Today is the birthday of Sushma, my niece (sister's daughter). She was born on 10 April 1982. My blessings and best wishes to her. (I sent birthday greetings to her yesterday itself). 

Jai Shree Krishnaa🙏.

Divine discourse

It was joy viewing Shreemad Bhagavath Kathaa by Shri Atul Krishna Shastriji on Sanskaar TV Channel this evening. The charismatic youngster mentioned the importance of keeping close relationship with Lord Shree Krishna; he also mentioned the importance of keeping a distance in all all other relationships.

I fondly remember some thing that happened in January 1982 when I got married. My mother had arranged for a seperate accommodation for me and my newly married wife, near where my parents resided. I asked my mother why we could not stay in the same house where my parents stayed. She replied that it was better for us to stay separately and maintain a distance such that mother in law and daughter in law would be like good friends. She said that once the friendship improved, they could be accommodated in the same house where my beloved parents lived. She meant that being too close could breed contempt and that this was not good. 

I and my newly married wife stayed in the ground floor and my parents, in the first floor. We used to meet during breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

But unfortunately it so happened that I and my parents were cheated by my newly wed wife and her parents. The marriage had to end in divorce.

I also fondly remember my beloved brother who was a devotee of Lord Shree Krishna.

Jai Shree Krishnaa🙏.

Divine discourse

This evening, Sanskar TV Channel telecast Shreemad Bhagavath Kathaa by Shree Athul Krisha Shaasthreejee. As far as I know this charismatic youngster is a newcomer on stage. His discourse seemed to sooth my troubled mind.

Jai Shree Krishnaa🙏.

Lord Shree Raam Fest

Today is a very auspicious day in the Hindu Calender. This day is celebrated as Shree Raama Navami.

I fondly remember Shree Seshacharyulu Gaaru. He was my colleague when I was working in Nalanda Vidhya Niketan, Vijayawada. He used to take me to his house in Ibrahim Putnam near Vijayawada on some Friday evenings and provide delicious dinner. He also used to take me to Shree Raamaa's Temple near his residence. He and his brother used to maintain and serve in the Temple. I remember his having taken me on a visit to Kondapalli, a small village that is well known for it's Kondapalli toys.

Jai Shree Raam🙏.

Shree Swaami Naaraayan

Whenever possible, I derive the joy of listening to Shree Swaami Naaraayan Temple's Shree Nithyaswaroopadaasjee's divine discourse. It soothes my troubled mind.

I fondly remember my flights from Vadodara to Delhi and back in 2009 on some work. I just stayed overnight in a 5 star hotel in Delhi. Before checking out from my room, as I was packing my luggage (2 small briefcases full), I observed that my dhothi was made dirty and was a bit wet. There was very clear evidence that some one misused my dhothi in my absence. This kind of nasty happenings is not uncommon even in 5 star hotels due to evil employees and customers.

I left my dhoti, pants and shirt as well as the vessels that I used to perform daily Sandhyavandhanam, in the room itself.

By the time I returned to Vadodara, it was nearly 9.30 pm. My neighbour Jagdeesh, offered to drop me from the airport to my residence in his auto. En route, he took me to Swaamy Naaraayan Temple. I derived the Joy of having had the Dharshan of Swaamy Naaraayan. It was a great night. I remember Jagdeesh with with fondness.

Jai Shree Swaamy Naaraayanjee🙏.

Bhavaani Jayanthi

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

Jai Shree Bhavaani anthargatha Shree Lakshmi Naaraayanaa🙏.

Jai Shree Bhavaani sametha Shree Rudraa🙏.

Food online

Although I had some dosa batter ready for my dinner this evening, due to toresomness, I placed order for mini tiffin from the popular Hotel Saravana Bhavan via  Swiggy. Swiggy and the supplying restaurants charge unreasonably heavily for the service. But still, most often, the food is very substandard. My tonight's dinner was no exception.

There are households that run catering services and deliver 100% vegetarian food items to single people as well as families at very reasonable charge. These establishments have a standard of supplying four side dishes (such as saambaar, rasam, curry and koottoo) at a fixed price of Rs 100 such that it is sumptuous for two people. When a person like me, who is not a big eater, who needs no more than two side dishes, requests these establishments, they reject the request stating that it is not cost effective unless the customer buys the whole package for Rs 100.

I think that neither our State Government nor Central Government are doing anything worthwhile in this direction so that numerous senior citizens who have no other option can have some relief from these catering outlets, irresponsible restaurants and supply chains such as Swiggy.

Culinary skills

I think that single senior citizen men of my age (73 years) don't really enjoy cooking food as they would have, when younger. 

I usually order my lunch and dinner from 100% vegetarian restaurants via Swiggy. As the quality of the food stuff ordered is usually substandard, I decided to cook some food myself this morning. I had a few tomatoes and ochra  (known in our country as ladies fingers) along with essential ingredients such as vinegar, sambar powder and green pepper. Instead of the common method of boiling rice, vegetables and lentils in separate containers in the pressure cooker, I cooked a mixture of the above mentioned items using my pressure cooker, as it is easier. The cooked product looked good as in the following photograph:

But when I ate it, it never tasted like a quality sambar rice.

All that glitters is not gold.