Shree Raam Fest

Tomorrow being Shree Raama Navami, I remember Shree Seshaacharyulu, who worked with me in a school in Vijayawada, many years back. A excellent gentleman, he was teaching Sanskrit in the school. I remember how I used to spend some weekends at the Shree Raama temple which was being served by him and his family. I have mentioned about Mr Seshaacharyulu in my earlier posts.

Shree Raam Fest

Tomorrow is a very auspicious day in the Sanaathana Dharmaa (Hindu) calender. This is the birth anniversary of Shree Raam, an incarnation of Shree Vishnu. Shree Raam was born in Tretaa Yugaa, more than 8, 64, 000 years back,  as the son of king Dasarathaa and queen Koushalyaa in Ayodhyaa. Shree Raama avathaaram is one of the 10 main incarnations of Shree Hari.

I fondly remember my beloved mother who used to perform special pujaas meant for this day regularly (except during her last few years when she couldn't, due her health condition).

(By the way, even in her last few years when her health went bad with a few hospitalisations following loose motion, lung problem etc., she used to pluck jasmine flowers and place them in a bowl of water so that I could use them in my daily puja).

Grand daughterly affection

A few weeks back I went to a local Siddha herbal clinic to get my piles and severe constipation treated. After taking their medicines  my health improved. When I went there for the second time, one of the staff members told me that one of the girls at the reception desk said, "Anda thaathaa alagaa irukkaaru " meaning "That grandpa is good looking". I thanked the girl and told her that if I take take birth as a human being in my next birth, I wish to have someone like her to be my daughter or grand daughter. It is nice for any person when children or grandchildren admire him/her, of course from an affection point of view without any odd or perverted feeling.

I have always thought that my parents were a very good looking couple.

Sanskar has always been one of my favourite TV channels due to their religious content. This morning there was a nice rock music performance by 'Madhav Rock Band' consisting of Krishna concious youngsters singing "Krishna my Hero". The song featured dance by children in praise of The Almighty. I think that children need to be exposed to such programs instead of trash ones that are featured in our TV programs today.

New year's day

Today is the beginning of Tradisional new year for Kannada, Telugu and Marathi speaking people. My best wishes for the day to those who celebrate this day. According to Vedic Scriptures, this is the day on which the 9 day battle between Good and evil (between Lord Shree Raam and demonic Raavan) began and ended with the Lord's Victory. The day on which the battle ended is celebrated as Shree Raama Navami by Hindus all over the world.

Orange peel chutney

As I write this post, I am viewing 'Seasoning the Seasons' on NHK WORLD. It an interesting program  (like many on this channel) explaining 'Mikan' (a local citrus fruit resembling Orange).

At this time I fondly remember my beloved mother who used to cook delicious chutney from orange fruit peels.

As I write this post, I have the pleasure of viewing 'Direct Talk' on NHK WORLD TV. It is an interesting program with an interview with Ivan Penn, a young Afro-American journalist. The program includes a lot of material on American Civil Rights movement and works by Afro-American leaders like Dr Martin Luther King Jr. I remember my first ever article published nearly 50 years back in my College Magazine when I was a teenaged student working for my first degree. The inspiration to write the article entitled 'Racial Discrimination' came from the the circumstances in the US at that period of time. 

It is a well known fact that Dr Martin Luther King Jr himself was inspired by Mahaatma Gandhiji and Gandhian values.

Shree Thyaagaraajaa Fest and Kumbh Mela Fest

Today is one of the most important days in the Sanaathana Dharmaa (Hindu) calender. This day, reveredly known as 'Ekaadashi', occurs twice every month. I have described the significance of this day in my earlier posts.

A few days back, annual aaraadhanaa of Shree Thyaagaraajaa (one of the three most revered classical music composers and singers from Thanjavur district in Tamilnadu) was performed with classical musicians from all over the world at Thiruvaiyaaru. The fest went on in different places in the country and abroad.  Shree Thyaagaraajaa was not only a revered composer,  musician and singer, but also a great devotee of Lord Shree Raam. He was also blessed with the Dharshan of Lord Shree Ram and His Consort.

Another event that is inexplainably divine is the Mahaa Kumbh Melaa Festival that is being celebrated in Prayaagraaj  (Formerly Allahabad), where three divine rivers Gangaa, Yamunaa and Saraswathi meet. It is a great treat to view saints and experts under one roof delivering religious discourses and performing satkarmaas. 

As I am waiting for my fracture to heal further, I have decided to move in to a Senior Citizens' Home as soon as my orthopaedician gives his green signal after review on Wednesday.  Meanwhile it is comforting to receive calls from friends and well wishers including fellow patients at the hospital where I was admitted. I remember what my beloved mother used say: "If we are good to others, others will be good to us."

Blessing in disguise

As I write this post, I am in the inpatient ward of a local hospital canvalescing from a knee fracture a few days back. By God’s Grace, I am considered to be fit for discharge tomorrow.

I will miss the kind hospital staff, fellow patients and their attendants who had always been there to extend their physical help to me though my brother used to visit me once or twice daily and help physically in all possible ways whebever I needed, as usual. Despite her family commitments my sister too helped by being in the hospital for two days.

These few days kept me somewhat occupied, thanks to mobile based Internet and gadgets such as UTube.  I could derive the pleasure of listening to programmes of least importance (eg. Softrock) as well as those of most importance (eg. Devotional songs by Anup Jalota and K J Yesudas).