National Siblings Day

Many countries celebrate today as National Siblings Day.

I am blessed with a brother and a sister. I fondly remember my beloved brother who passed away last year.

My beloved brother 

This morning Suresh, a friend of mine sent the following photo to me:

Suresh and his younger brother Ramesh

Suresh's parents and my parents were great friends. Suresh spent his career in Life Insurance Corporation of India and has won awards.

There are numerous examples of strong brotherhood and sisterhood in our ancient Hindu Scriptures. Well known ones are that between Lord Shree Raam and his brothers, that between Paandava brothers, and that between Lord Shree Krishna, Lord Shree Balaraam and Shubadhraa.

Lord Shree Raam with Shree Seethaa Devi, His wife, Hanumaanji and His three brothers

Paandava brothers 

Lord Shree Krishna with Lord Balaraam and Shubadhraa 

Brotherhood between Vibheeshan and demon King Raavan. Although they were siblings, Vibheeshan was a great devotee of Lord Shree Raam whereas Raavan had enmity with Lord Shree Raam. In spite of Vibeeshan's advice that what Raavan was doing was not good, Raavan didn't listen. 

Vibheeshan advising Raavan

Hence Raavan was killed by Lord Shree Raam, and Vibheeshan was placed as King of Sri Lanka by Lord Shree Raam.

Vibheeshan placed as King of Sri Lanka by Lord Shree Raam 

Sathyam Param Dheemahi🙏

Sarvam Krishna Mayam🙏.

My niece's birthday

Tomorrow is the birth anniversary of Sushma, younger of the two daughters of my beloved sister. I have already conveyed my birthday greetings to Sushma.

Sushma is 4th from left, during the wedding of Reshma, her younger sister, a few years ago.

Krishnam Vande Jagad Gurum🙏.

DD Serial

As far as I know there are a few good programs telecast on DD Malayalam TV Channel. One such is Dheera, a serial depicting community realities. I happened to bump in today's episode. It was nice to seea well disciplined Sub collector of a District who likes to help the community. She self drives her car to the office and back. As we all know this is something unique in people holding high profile positions in the Government. It seems that the serial is educative and should be seen by the masses.

Screenshot from today's episode of Dheera

Krishnam Vande Jagad Gurum🙏.

African Legacy

As a former expatriate Indian who worked abroad for many years, I have always been keeping in touch with development scenario in countries where I worked. Thus African countries are of interest to me. 

Russia Today TV Channel's episodes of African Legacy is one program that I don't usually miss. Episodes of this program are presented by descendants of legendary African leaders such as Nelson Mandela, Kenneth Kaunda, Oliver Tambo,  Sir Anerood Jugnath, F W de Klerk and Kwame Nkrumah. These episodes give an insight into issues from main stakeholders'  points of view.

Climatic change

Although summer season has already begun with hot spells during days, today the weather in Chennai is very cloudy with some rain in parts of the city. 

According to Hindu Almanac, it is time for summer. But we find erratic untimely weather conditions, some thing which was never there a few decades ago. Any sane person in our country would know that the culprit is ourselves. Being completely self centred with no respect to Nature, people cut trees, destroy forsets and build apartment complexes etc. in those areas. I have literally seen how merciless construction company owners extract underground water using massive machines. 

We are paying the price for disrespecting God's Order of not obeying laws of Nature.

Our politicians regularly include Nature conservation in their election manifestoes with due responsibility in fulfilling their promises. Voters seem insensitive to this issue and vote to the party which gives free pre-election gifts to them.

Our country needs a drastic change in the political system and governance. .

Jai Shree Raam🙏.

Boat race

Water sports enthusiasts are delighted to watch or participate in boat races. Some famous boat races are Cambridge Oxford Boat Race in UK and Nehru Trophy Boat Race in Alappuzhaa, Keralam, India.

I remember viewing boat races in Cambodia when I worked in that country.

I remember the 1960s when Raman Subbarow (of Indian origin) used to be a regular participant in the Cambrdige Oxford Boat Race.

His Master's Voice: Gramophone Company

On the 25th of last month, I described a documentary show about Shibuya Railway Station near Tokyo; in the post I mentioned about 'His Master's Voice', a Gramophone Company. It was interesting to find HMV gramophone in a building in Old Delhi, as telecast in 'Wion Wings' TV Show about Old Delhi, this afternoon. Let me share the show here.

Maadhwa Saint

Today is an auspicious day in the Maadhwaa community of Brahmins. It marks the beginning of three days festivities of Aaaraadhanaa of Shree Vaageesha Theertha.

Krishnam Vande Jagad Gurum🙏.

Shree Raam's Devotee

Yesterday was the birth anniversary of Lord Hanumaanjee, greatest devotee of Lord Shree Raam. In some parts of Bharath Varsh (India) and the world, it is celeberated today.

Ususlly I view a few Hindu religuous programs on TV daily. One such is a series of discourses on Lord Shree Raam given by Shree Rajiv Lochan Das. 

Shree Rajiv Lochan Das

He mentioned something which most people including me don't know. He said that on advice from Vasishta Maharishi, Guru of King Dasarathaa had Ashwamedha Yaag conducted by Rishya Shring Maharishi. Many people including me would know that this Maharishi conducted a Yagnaa on request from King Romapaadaa to recover the kingdom from famine.

I rember that I bought the folk three videotapes in the late 1980s, in an Indian shop in Durban, South Africa: 'Seargent Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band' by The Beatles, 'Rishya Shring', a Malayalam language movie about the Maharishi, and 'Londonil mandan maar' a Malayalam language comedy meaning 'Idiots in London'. I think that late Shree Nedumudi Venu , one of my favourite actors, played King Romapaadaa's role in the movie.

Late Shree Nedumudi Venu 

Sathyam param dheemahee🙏.

Jai Shree Raam🙏.

Broccoli stem surprise

I think that vegetarians like me have no option except self cooking when living and working abroad. Although I never actually liked to cook, there was no option during my years of work abroad. I fondly remember how my portable radio receiver kept me engaged as I used to be busy in my kitchen. 

My kitchen when I was working in South Africa 

My favourite companion in my kitchen

Like most people I have experienced ups and downs in my cooking. Interestingly some times we learn different kinds of cooking which we never imagined, when watching cookery shows on TV. One such was NHKWorld TV Channel's Trails of Oishi. 

In this evening's episode, I was surprised to know that Broccoli's stem can also be cooked and that the stem contains more nutrients and vitamins than the flower. Japanese use the inner part of Broccoli stems for coooking. When fried in oil, they look like pumpkin slices. Probably they taste that way too. Let me share the show.