Tension in Tigrai

WION TV is one of my favourite channels as it's programs are versatile and interesting without the usual news items that overwhelm in other channels. Besides, this channel takes viewers to places and people that are not festured in other channels. This evening's WION news coverage that included the current unrest in Tigrai and it's capital city Makelle, brought back fond memories of the city in 1982 when I and my teacher friends from India used to spend our days. I remember viewing 'Noori', a Hindi (or Urdu) language movie in a cinema hall in Makelle. Bollywood movies were very popular among Ethiopians all over the country at that time. I also remember how I and my Malayaalee friend Sebastian used to frequent a local restaurant known as 'Abraha Castle' in Makelle. It was actually a castle turned restaurant. Good old days. I hope that Makelle and Tigrai return to normalcy.

BBC Earth

As many TV viewers would know, it is very unusual nowadays to find travel programs that feature people and places instead of food and cooking. BBC Earth Channel's 'Life off the Leash: A journey through India' is one such unusual, but interesting travel program hosted by two youngsters with their two dogs. This evening's program was about Odisha. (It reminded me of my visits to Odisha when I was working for a Chennai based NGO with Education Development projects in Rayagada District of Odisha. Good old days).

(I tried to provide a link to the program, but couldn't locate it from the website. I'll try to do do it when I find time).

According to today's TV news reports, Tamilnadu Government has relaxed its Covid restrictions. Like most common folk, I think that it is a good move.

But at the same time, it seems that bad officers in the government still continue to take the resrictions as a safe haven for their bad practices. In a previous post, I had mentioned a State Government notification about the function of Assistant Engineers in Tamilnadu Electricity Board  regarding consumer electric bills. Though it is nearly a week, I and many other consumers have still not had any response from the rogue Assistant Engineer to our request for the amount to be paid.

Divine Discourse

There is a growing number of saintly minded men giving discourses on Sanaathan Dharm and related aspects, via TV. 

One such man is Shree Abhinandanji Maharaj. It was joy viewing him on Aastha TV this evening. He explained as to how a person cannot attain the fruits of going to temple, performing pooja etc. if he or she is jealous and evil minded.  I tried to provide a link to his website, but I couldn't find any website of his own or his team. If I do find it, I'll try to provide the link in my post.

(According to the theory of karma as explained in Hindu Sciptures, a person will go to heaven or hell or both, depending upongood or bad deeds he or she comitted during life time on earth).

(From my own experience, I know of a few individuals who have succeeeded in destroying the lives of people unreasonably; some of them have died).

As BBC World continues to be one of my favourite TV channels, I happened to view a program entitled 'The Troubles With Naipaul' Episode 2 this evening as I was relishing my lime juice. It was a program featuring V S Naipaul, a popular Trinidadian writer of Indian ancestry. He won the English Literature Nobel Prize for his 'A house for Mr Biswas'.

Since my school days, I have been fascinated by novels written by Naipaul, Mark Twain, Wole Soyinka etc. as their works were like reading history books. I think that to a large extent, their works give an unbiased account of the complexities and difficulties associated  with people who leave their home countries to distant lands as labourers. (My interest in this area got ignited by a lesson entitled 'Tom whitewashes the fence' when studying in my school final class back in 1966 when I was 15 years old).

Although like in any work, there are unacceptable  ideas, these works are okay to have some glimpse of history.

Restrictions and responsibilities

Recently Tamilnadu Government announced stricter restrictions due to Covid Pandemic. One of them is that line staff will not be coming to consumers' residences to take meter readings of their electricity consumption and that consumers have to send photographs of their meter reading to the Assitant Engineer at the Tamilnadu Electricity Board, by WhatsApp, upon which the AE will let the consumer know the amount due to be paid. 

Although it is nearly a week since I sent my meter reading to the AE, I haven't still heard from him/her.

I think that Covid Pandemic has become an easy excuse in the hands of rogue Governments, rogue Establishements, rogue communities and rogue inndividuals to evade from basic responsibilities.

Digital Dependance

For the past few days, my mobile phone doesn't work properly. I think that it is my fault that I allowed some water to enter into the instrument while taking bath. (I rely on my mobile phone to view  religious verses and chant them when taking bath, and when performing daily religious rituals). As my mobile is of a relatively old version, I intend buying a new one. Until then, I think that I have to bear wtth the inconveniences associated with lack of a good mobile phone. I think that digital dependence is inevitable in today's circumstances. 

 

Divine Turtle Fest

Today is a very auspicious day in the Hindu Calender. Billions of years back, it was on this day, that Shree Mahaa Vishnu incarnated as a Divine Turtle. Hence this day is known as 'Koorma Jayanthi', meaning 'Divine Turtle's birthday'. Devotees offer special worship to this Avathaar of Shree Mahaa Vishnu on this day. 

Vedavyaasaa and Narasimhaa Fests

Yesterday was an auspicious day in the Hindu Calender. It was the birth anniversary of Lord Vedavyaasaa, an incarnation of Shree Mahaa Vishnu. Sage Vedavyaasaa is considered to have written the two epics 'Raamaayanaa' and 'Mahaa Bhaarathaa' as well as many other Divine Scriptures.

Today is also a very auspicious day in the Hindu Calender. It was on this day, billions of years back, that Shree Mahaa Vishnu incarnated as Shree Narasimhaa.

The following photograph shows Shree Ganapathi Sachithaananda Swaamiji of Daththa Peetam, Mysuru, India, performing Shree Lakshminarasimha Poojaa.

Apsara dance

It was a pleasure to view a programme on Cambodia on Travelxp TV channel, one of my favourite channels. The programme explained 'Apsara dance' that is popular all over the country and outside. This dance is usually used to depict the Cambodian version of the great Indian Epic 'Raamaayanaa', the life history of Lord Shree Raam, an incarnation of Shree Mahaa Vishnu. The programme brought pleasant memories of my tenure in Cambodia in 2008-09.