World Yoga Day

Today is World Yoga Day. Thanks to efforts by people like Baba Swami Ramdev and our Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (However it is a pity that even today our school curricula do not contain Yoga as an important component). 

Sincerity and service to senior citizens

This morning I had a phone call from one of my former neighbours. Due to medical problems, he has an attendant to look after him round the clock. (Interestingly he and I are of nearly the same age). As he was speaking, he mentioned about how difficult it has been to hire a good attendant and how he needed to change 6 attendants in the past few months. I can very well understand his situation as someone who faces problem with lazy, insincere and incorrigible attendants. I have hired a female servant from 8 am to 8 pm to do daily household works and to take care of my ageing mother with a few medical problems. My experience with attendants is that they work sincerely for the first few days. I keep changing them for this reason. I myself administer medicines and serve food to my mother (like my cousin Shreedhar who took care of my maternal aunt after his wife passed away a few years back). Very often it is frustrating when the servant does not do even normal chores like washing utensils, mopping the floor, drying clothes on the clothes line etc. (If I were blessed with a good wife, I would have expected her to take care of our household so that the attendant and I can serve my mother from 8 am to 8 pm and the remaining time respectively). I wish that attendants do their work at least 75% sincerely.

Shree Hari's Avataars

Today is an auspicious day for Hindus. It is celebrated as Koorma Jayanti. Yesterday was no less auspicious as it was Narasimha Jayanti. `Jayanti' means `Anniversary' Shree Hari incarnated as a tortoise and Narasimha on these two days respectively. These are two out of ten main avataars of Shree Hari.

Cultural ties with Cambodia

Mekong is one of the longest rivers in our planet and it flows through many countries including Cambodia. (I nostalgically remember my frequent visits to the riverside in Phnom Penh and my morning coffee at Mekong river bank in Cambodian countryside during my official visits. But it never struck to me that 'Mekong' comes from 'Maa Gangaa' and that the Pallavaa kings who ruled ancient Cambodia considered the river to be as sacred as Maa Gangaa flowing in India, until I heard Dr. Krishnaswamy mentioning about it in his fabulous TV production 'Indian Imprints' on National Channel. (What we know is nothing compared to what we don't know).

British Bard 400 years on

Thanks to Sundar Pitchai and his wonderful team, we don't need to remember some important dates in history. Today is the 400th death anniversary of William Shakespeare whose works were core components of our English language curriculum during my student days. (I remember how I used to analyse commentaries by critics such as Granville Barker and Varity as part of my exam preparation). 

Hanumad Jayanti and World Earth Day

Today is considered to be a very auspicious day for Hindus all over our planet. This day is the birth anniversary of Hanumaanjee,  the greatest devotee of Lord Shree Raam and his wife Seethaa Devi. Devotees offer special prayers to Hanumaanjee and these prayers are communicated to Shree Raama and Seethaa Devi with utmost precision  (without technical bottlenecks that we experience in our humpty number of digitally driven social media) if our prayers stem from sincere devotion.

Today is ear marked as World Earth Day. I think that we should learn from obvious incidents such as the aftermath of floods in Chennai a few months back as we are damaging the environment by disrespecting God given flora and fauna.

Vedic scriptures are very clear in cautioning against human caused damage to the environment. Same is said by scientific communities as well. Let us try to be just.

Shree Raama Navami Fest

Today is a very auspicious day for Hindus. It is celebrated as Shree Raama Navami. According to scriptures, this is the day on which Lord Shree Raam married Seethaa Devi in Tretha yugam. They were avatars of Shree Mahaa Vishnu and Shree Mahaa Lakshmi respectively.

New Year's Day

Today is an auspicious day. It is celebrated as traditional new year's day by people in Kerala, Tamilnadu and some other regions in the subcontinent. This day also marks 3 days festivities to mark the beginning of new year in Cambodia and many other countries in South East Asia where Tamil kings established their empires and developed cultural and trade links. 

Best wishes to all those who celebrate this day. My greetings go especially to my friends in Kerala, Tamilnadu and Cambodia.

Traditional New Year

Today is an auspicious day for Hindus in some communities such as the one to which I belong. Today is our new year's day known as Ugadhi. I'll write more about its significance when I find time.  Best wishes for a happy Ugaadhi to all those who celebrate this day.

Mahaa Shiva Raarhri

Yesterday was an auspicious day for Hindus. It was Mahaa Shiva Raathri.