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.

Divine Fish Fest

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

Jai Shree Lakshmi Naaraayanaa 🙏.

Traditional New Year Day

In Bhaarath Varsh (India), we celebrate our New Year Day based on our own customs and traditions. In Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharaashtraa etc. people celebrate to day as traditional New Year Day. In Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh this day is known as Ugaadhi.

According to Bhavishya Puraanam, it was on this day that Lord Brahma began his creation task directed by Shree Mahaa Vishnu, millions and millions of years ago.

Let us wish a happy Ugaadhi to these people.

Today also marks the beginning of Shree Raama Navaraathri that ends on Shree Raama Navami, Lord Shree Raam's birth anniversary. 

Let me share the Ugaadhi blessings delivered by Shree Satyatma Theertha Swaamiji, our Guruji, in Kannada here.

Although today is supposed to be a day of happiness, I miss my beloved brother so much that my mind refuses to perceive today as a happy day; I didn't even like to order for sweets as is commonly done on such occasions. 

I only wish that I die as early as what God has decided and that I would meet my beloved parents and brother who had been with me in my present life time, in future, after a few days, months, several years or several hundreds of years. 

Jai Shree Raam🙏.

Lumumba's Africa

In today's episode of Russia Today TV Channel's 'Lumumba's Africa', Prof Lumumba spoke about the roles played by Non-Aligned Movement that consisted of several countries. At individual country levels, he mentioned the contributions by leaders such as Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe and Tanzania's Julius Nyerere in freedom struggles.

Shree Mahaa Lakshmi

Today being Friday, an auspicious day to Shree Mahaa Lakshmi, our Divine Mother, I viewed Tataplay TV Channel's 'Tata Play Darshan'. This program telecasts the Poojaas conducted at the Temple live.

The programme reminded me of how my beloved brother made appointment for me on specific days  when Dr Ms Haripriya, the Chief Eye Surgeon at Aravind Eye Clinic, conducted the cataract surgeries herself to patients. He had taken me to the Clinic that was about half an hour from our residence many times (for registraion, testing, preciew etc). Many times he had delayed his breakfast, lunch etc. for my sake. Some times, we used to take our breakfast, lunch or dinner at a well maintained Restaurant attached to the Clinic. Some times we used to take food at his favourite 'Skanda Vilas', a vegetarian restaurant near our residences.

I fondly remember my beloved brother and Dr Haripriya, a God given gift to humanity.

I miss him a lot with a heavy heart.

Jai Shree Krishnaa🙏.

Slow train tracks and laid back lives

Today, people all over the world seem to like fast food, fast life etc. Amazingly there seem to be exceptions. Japan is well known for it's trains and train tracks. This morning NHK WORLD JAPAN TV Channel telecast a very interesting show featuring a slow train track in it's Dive in Tokyo program. One of these trains running at a speed of 20 km per hour is very nice for a relaxed laid back sight seeing experience.

During my stay abroad, weekends were holidays that were very useful in relaxing our minds and enabling us to go for enjoyable outings with friends. 

Divine discourse

This morning, my favourite Aashthaa TV Channel telecast a divine discourse on Shreemad Bhagavath Mahaa Puraan by Dr Parasharji Maharaj. He was explaining the meeting of Shri Sudaama with Lord Shree Krishna, his Gurukul classmate many years ago.

The programme reminded me of an excellent TV Serial on Shreemad Bhagavatham that used to be telecast on our National Channel; I clearly remember how Lord Shree Krishna got up from his seat and ran to the main door of his palace even without wearing his footwear, to receive his boyhood friend. 

I remember my beloved mother who kept a few jasmine flowers (from the plant in front of our cottage) in a small bowl of water so that I could offer it to Lord Shree Krishna; this was during my mother's last few years when she had become very weak. Once, after my morning Sandhyavandhanam, I said that I was tired and was going to take some rest; my mother said that we should not say that we are tired after performing Sandhyavandhanam. I think that what she meant was that we should not think that we are tired after performing any meditation, Deva Pooja etc.

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

(After my brother's demise, I and my sister communicate over phone more frequently than before. Last week my sister told me that many times he had said "In my case and your case, we have family, and hence there are people to take care of us, if needed. But in Prasad's case, he has no one except you and me. Hence we should take care of him".

I experience some moisture in my eyes as I type these sentences). 

Thanks to Shree Parasharji Maharaj for bringing solace to very troubled minds like those of mine.

Lord Shree Krishna 

Jai Shree Krishnaa🙏.

Metro Project

Residents in Chennai know that the city Corporation has been conducting programs such as mosquitoe elimination. In doing so, the workers spray a nauseating chemical resembling kerosene to drive the creatures out. I think that this is a very irresponsible move by the Health Department of Govt of Tamilnadu. Instead they should use non chemical natural alternatives in such cleaning campaigns.

Private satellite channels

Many of us depend upon private satellite TV channel providers such as Tataplay. Although these are reasonably customer friendly, these remove channels with no customer approval. According to a Tataplay announcement as shown in the following image, Aashthaa Bhajan will be removed in a few days. I hope that Tata Play includes programmes that are being telecast in this channel are included in some other existing channel.

Jai Shree Krishnaa🙏.