Horse carts

People of my age (73) would remember how cows, bullocks, horses and donkeys were used for transport without harming them.

People used to travel from one place to another using bullock and horse carts. Washermen used donkeys to carry dirty clothes collected from households, get them washed in local rivers and bring them back to their residences. On Sundays, they used to collect dirty clothes from households and bring the washed and ironed clothes. They used to apply starch to strengthen fabric. In this manner, there was a mutual trust between humans and animals. 

I have seen donkey carts in Ethiopia, Southern Africa and Cambodia.

This evening, NHK WORLD JAPAN TV CHANNEL telecast an interesting documentary on how a team from Japan help people in Senegal, West Africa, in showing how donkey carts can be used to generate electricity. Like in most developing countries, electric power is expensive in Senegal.

Let me share the documentary here.

Akshaya thritheeyaa

Today is a very auspicious day in the Hindu Calender. It is the birth anniversary of Lord Parashuraamaa.

Today is a very auspicious in another manner also. This day is celebrated as Akshaya thritheeya.

Jai Shree Lakshmi Naaraayanaa🙏.

My mother's shraadha

According to our Maadhwaa community calender, today is the death anniversary of my beloved mother. Usually I and my beloved brother used to perform the shraddha ritual jointly.  But as he himself is no more, I performed the ritual alone as usual with guidance from a purohit.

I wish that my beloved mother's soul rests at the Lotus Feet of Lord Shree Krishnaa.

Jai Shree Krishnaa🙏.

Cultural architecture

This evening ABC AUSTRALIA TV CHANNEL telecast an interesting documentary on how a family has integrated cultural aspects in house building and interior decoration.

Cost of such buildings are high for middle class and low income group people. 

I think that the same concept used to be adopted by village folk in their thatched roof mud houses, bamboo cots etc. until 30 years ago or so in our own country. Unfortunately we have ignored this aspect and embraced western concepts.

Bad MLAs and Government employees

It is 9.03 pm now. Electric power in our area went off 5 minutes ago. As I mentioned in my previous posts, this is a frequent happening in our area in Chennai. 

I understand that the area's MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly) has a political obligation to communicate problems such as power cut to the State Government officials and try to fix the problem. It is a very well known fact that powercuts are common and many times they are as long as one hour in our area.

I tried to find the phone number or email ID of our MLA several times, but in vain.

This afternoon I heard from Polimer News TV Channel that the Tamilnadu Government has increased the monthly allowance of former MLAs from Rs 30,000 to Rs 35,000. It is obvious that the salary of MLAs who are still in their posts is much higher.

I think that instead of giving large salaries to irresponsible, insensitive and evil MLAs, the Government should punish such MLAs severely with a minimum punishment of dismissal (not mere suspension) from service, alongwith imprisonment in single cells with only common toilets. Punishment should also be given to bad employees in Government departments.

Punishment should be so severe that evil MLAs (across barriers) don't even imagine contesting in any election in future. 

My beloved brother

This afternoon Amrita TV Channel telecast a very touching malayalam language movie named Edakkad Battalion 06.

The hero of the movie reminded me of my handsome and beloved brother.

During his college years, my brother was Battalion Under Officer in the Airforce Branch of National Cadet Corps unit in the College. It was a treat to the eyes when he used to dress up in his uniform to attend frequent training sessions and parades in the college grounds. He was tall and handsome.

I find it mentally very painful to bear the fact that I have lost my beloved brother.

I wish that his soul rests at the Lotus Feet of Lord Shree Krishna.

Jai Shree Krishnaa🙏.

Getting old

It is a proven fact that our physical well being gradually gets reduced as we become older. I am no exception.  

I don't have diabetes, breathing difficulty etc. My medical report is fine. My resting heart rate is fine. 

However in the past few weeks, I get dizzy for a few seconds more frequently than before; I also find myself weaker than before. Some times even making a cup of tea seems exhausting.

I wish that I die as early as possible before getting into complications, admittance in hospital etc. I wish to die without worrying my sister who is my only close relative, now that my beloved brother is no more.

Jai Shree Lakshmi Naaraayanaa🙏.

Shree Mahaa Vishnu Fest

Today is a very auspicious day to Shree Mahaa Vishnu devotees. Today is Ekaadashi; I have described about it in my previous posts. Today is also the aaraadhana day of Shree Satyavijaya Theerthaa. The place where the saint entered Brindavana is located near Arani, a town in Tamilnadu. (This place known as Satyavijaya Nagaram is the native place of my maternal grandmother. I fondly remember her. One of her brothers known as 'Vaasu maamaa' was a Sanskrit scholar and served as Principal of a Sanskrit College near Mysuru, Karnataka, many years ago).

Jai Shree Lakshmi Naaraayanaa🙏.

Pope Francis

WION TV CHANNEL telecast a detailed documentary on Pope Francis who passed away yesterday. Let me share the documentary here.

Let his soul rest in peace. 

Culture by design

I think that we like to integrate elements of our culture in interior designing, fabric designing etc. ABC AUSTRALIA TV CHANNEL has begun telecasting an interesting  series on this aspect. Let me share the first episode here.