An unwanted speech at a religious gathering

Recently, at my uncle's house, we had a very big pooja(ritual) called the "Seetha Raman Kalayanam", which is basically a marriage between Lord Rama and Goddess Seetha. Usually, we have several devotees attending this ritual. The ritual involves a group of vedic scholars singing and narrating the story of their marriage. And after that a small ritual is performed to end the bigger ritual. So, the same happened at my uncle's house but with a twist.

A gentleman, colleague to another uncle and also a staunch Brahmin with high moral values was asked to have a few words. When he took the mic, most of us assumed he was going to add his views about the ritual. But, what came after a minute of his speech was absolute nonsense. The gentleman started off talking about the ritual and soon started quoting the in famous song "why this kolaveri di" and how it is falling as a negative vibration in the minds of many today. Most of us including me laughed at it. I laughed at it because he used the words "negative vibrations" which are used by my dad literally everyday when I listen to a song which is never of his taste irrespective of what it means. Coming back to the gentleman's speech, he kept talking about how this song impacted on every youth's mind. I later realised how stupid or Ill mannered this person could be. He takes the mic to speak about a ritual but then diverts the topic to something else and makes the people laugh about it. I personally thought it was unnecessary during a ritual. What is wrong in people of any age listening to a song like kolaveri di? What is wrong in listening to a song which does not involve any religious meaning? Many people especially "old school" consider many songs which is of not their taste and preference as a negative vibration or a nuisance. The same set of people watch commercial movies, comedy scenes, use foul language, etc. But, for those who are the opposite or like me who enjoy all varieties of music or just the commercial songs still adjust, encourage and put up with those people who I consider irrational and lack humanity. 

There is no point talking about religion, positive/negative vibration, etc when the mind is not coming to terms to accept everyone's feelings, tastes and preferences and rather being self-centred. We all should be rational, accept everyone as how they are and stop criticising about their interests. Coming back to this gentleman, it would have been better had he just added his views about the ritual and made use of the opportunity of talking in the mic. "It is what you talk when asked to". I would like to quote, that today, after winning the Australian open women's singles final, the Grandslam winner, aged 22, spoke brilliantly and succinctly. Apologies if I hurt anyone's feelings through this post.

The Times of India Lakshminarayana Global Music Festival

Last night, I attended Dr L subramaniam's (violinist) fusion concert at Sir Muthu Venkata Subba Rao auditorium on Harrington road, chennai. The concert was organised by Times of India as part of the  Lakshminarayana Global Music Festival. Fortunately, with the help of dad's network, we got a few complimentary passes, thanks to the Deputy GM of Times of India. Having got some VIP passes, mom, dad and I managed to sit in the second row with a few dignitaries. The show was supposed to start at 7pm but commenced at 7:30pm.

The concert kick-started with Miya masaoka (Japanese artist) playing the Kota and Solo Cissokho (African artist) playing the kora. Then, the much awaited maestro Dr L Subramaniam along with his son and a few other musicians joined the stage and played a magnificent piece. Later, Dhafer Youssef (Tunisian artist) played the oud and also sang. What we witnessed was a topnotch composition and it was a visual treat. Furthermore, it was nice to see Ambi play with his father while his mom sang. What most of us loved is the humbleness of the maestro and his encouragement for the musicians. And, he continually introduced all the musicians to the audience.

 The meastro - Dr L Subramaniam

 Dhafer Youssef (Tunisian artist) playing the oud and singing

 Y Gee Mahendran (his birthday) who is a friend of the maestro

 Deva from Bangalore

 Solo Cissokho (African artist) playing the kora

 The maestro with his wife and son

 Ambi Subramaniam

 Kavita Subramaniam

 Ambi Subramaniam

 I did get goose pimples many a times during the show because of those wonderful compositions. Some say that the maestro's music is too commercialised these days.Commercialised or not, his music blew us all.

Vaikunta Ekadashi

Vaikunta Ekadashi is one of the most eminent and propitious days to the Hindus. Vaikunta Ekadashi occurs between December and January. This is observed with all solemnity in the temples of Lord Vishnu. Fasting is prescribed on all Ekadashis, that is, the 11th day of the lunar fortnight, twice a month. On the day of Vaikunta Ekadashi, devotees offer prayers to Lord Vishnu, fast for the entire day, and meditate. People who follow this vigorously are not allowed to eat rice on this day. During the night, devotees visit the temple, stay awake and burn the midnight oil. On this day, the Vaikunta Dwaram or the Swarga Vaasal, 'The Gates of Heaven' are believed to be kept open. The area encircling the sanctum is referred to Swarga Vaasal and devotees throng to gain entry into the temple, to seek the Lord.

The significance of Vaikunta Ekadasi is mentioned in the 'Padma Purana'. As per the legend, the Devas unable to bear the tyranny of 'Muran', a demon, approached Lord Shiva, who directed them to Lord Vishnu. A battle ensued between Lord Vishnu and the demon and the Lord realised that a new weapon was needed to slay Muran.In order to take rest and create a new weapon, the Lord retired to a cave called 'Himavati' in Badrikashrama. When Muran tried to slay the Lord, who was sleeping, the female energy that emerged from the Lord burnt him to ashes in one look. Lord Vishnu who was pleased, named the female energy 'Ekadasi' and asked her to claim a boon. Ekadasi, instead beseeched the Lord that people who observed a fast on that day should be redeemed of their sins. The Lord thus declared that people who observed a fast on that day and worshiped Ekadasi, would attain Vaikunta. Thus came into being the first Ekadasi, which was a Dhanurmasa sukla paksha ekadasi. - (wikipedia)

 This morning, my dad, his friend and I woke up at 3:30am, got ready and reached the mylapore srinivas perumal koil temple by half 4. We had a fantastic dharshan of the Lord. People kept queuing up to have a dharshan. Later, around 4:00pm, I was astonished to see people queuing up at TTD temple on venkatnarayan road beyond 200 metres. This clearly indicates people do give so much of importance for this auspicious day despite their busy schedules.


God bless! Peace!

The Rumi Dance - the secrets of the dancing dervishes

The Rumi dance is now widely celebrated in Turkey and is performed by dervishes. In Turkish, the word 'dervishes' means beggar and comes from a Persian word for 'wandering monk'. The Rumi dance originates from Persia (now Iran). The movement grew out of Sufism, a branch of Islam based on direct experience of God. Another name for Sufi is 'dervish'. The devotion of the dervishes is construed that there is a spark of divinity within the soul, and that this knowledge must be released for man to achieve perfection. The dervishes clad in black gowns and their distinctive conical felt hats, first quickly walk through three rounds. Soon, they take off their gowns and reveal their white garments underneath.

For those of have seen the song 'khwaja mera khwaja' from the Bollywood film 'Jodhaa Akbar', you will remember a group of men clad in white garments (generally woollen) whirling around and extending their arms, the right hand towards the heavens and the left hand towards the Earth. All the time, the dancers whirl around in ever-faster circles. The master joins them in the last round and turning on the middle line. In the song, one will find Hrithik Roshan joining the dance and whirl in the middle. Believers require the guidance of a master familiar with the ritual called 'Sama', a mystical dance composition. The purpose of the dance is to train the spirit to feel the divine. The dance urges the spirit to discover how the world both conceals and reveals the creator. "The sama consists of three sections. The first signifies the blinding of consciousness. In the second, the music is a means of transforming the senses. The cleansing of the soul takes place in the last section. The site of the white gown under the black cloak symbolises that the dervish is free of if his body, and ready for rebirth." The whirling symbolises the rotation of the planets. And the position of the master indicates the all is an illusion. He staying in the middle symbolises God. The positioning of the dervishes' hands is important as the right hand is the one that receives divine grace and the left passes it on to the world. They symbolise the passing of wisdom from a master, to his disciple, and the point where heaven and earth meet.

Coming back to Sufism, the beliefs of this system is 'oneness of God'. Classical sufi scholars have defined Sufism as " a science whose objective is the reparation of the heart and turning it away from all else but God. Sufism asks us to live and so move, so act and so aspire as to advance spiritually. For those who don't know, there is a temple called 'Sufidar' in chennai. At Sufidar, one will find pictures of all the Hindu saints, Sufi saints, the Hindu gods, Lord Jesus, etc. The idea is that every visitor beholds his favourite deity and feel home at Sufidar.

Changes in Chennai in 2012

What changes would you like to see in Chennai in 2012?

Some of the changes I would like to see in Chennai in 2012 are:

1. Clean streets - Cleaning of streets should be done twice a day through out the city.
2. Good traffic sense - People should follow the traffic rules, if not, they should be punished. And, there should be lanes for different vehicles.
3. Eradicating corruption - One should not bribe or bribed. If one is wrong, accept the blame and take the punishment.
4. Proper bin system - Bins should be kept every 75 yards in a street.
5. Super quality of roads - Road contractors should start using super quality of materials to lay the best roads.
6. Plantation of trees - People should inculcate the habit to grow plants and trees and not destroy them.
7. End the usage of plastic bags - People should start using their own bags for shopping and stop using plastic bags for the betterment of the environment and animals too.
8. Widened roads - Petty shops, etc should be removed in order to widen roads.
9. Many more traffic signals - To avoid accidents and people speeding, there should be more signals. Also, pedestrian signals should be used by people. 
10. Beggars, mentally challenged people and the poor should be picked by the Government and provided with proper shelter and food.

Separatism, vandalism, intolerance, racism, road rage etc. are all examples of lack of civic sense. People are becoming less and less tolerant of each other, of other's cultures, backgrounds, and other similar traits. When civic sense is absent in a society, it leads to a lot of problems. Disregard for the law is a primary cause for lacking civic sense. A person who has high civic values does not resort to shortcuts and unethical tactics to get his work done. And being unethical in daily activities does not benefit anyone, as the behaviour only gets emulated by other members of society. Ultimately, the situation will reach a point where hardly anything can be done to restore it. 

These changes are similar to tip of the ice berg as there are many more to worry about. But, if we could think about these basic changes, we can definitely see Chennai as a better place to live in and hopefully see our city as one of the most beautiful and safest cities in the country by 2013.

An evening of Philanthropy

Last week, Mrs Sudha Raghunathan invited my parents to attend an awards

Ceremony. The invitation mentioned the list of dignitaries attending. Captivated by the list, I chose to join them. 

The evening kicked off with a magician named Vasanth who entertained the audience with his tricks. Soon, the dignitaries came

to the stage and a lady sang a devotional song to commence the proceedings. 

Mrs Sudha Raghunathan started her speech thanking all the dignitaries for having come despite their busy schedules, people who have continually helped and supported her to not only lend a helping hand whenever needed but also be a part of her life to develop her foundation and run it successfully without any inhibitions. 

Then, Mr Murali, the proprietor of Sree Krishna sweets collected his award from Dr Kalam. He too made a speech thanking all those who have been a part of his success. People appreciated when he portrayed his sympathy for his cooks who take immense efforts to prepare such wonderful sweets for all of us. People appreciate him for his humbleness despite his immeasurable successes. 

Then, the ex election commissioner made his speech appreciating Mrs Sudha's philanthropic activities and helping the needy. 

Finally, Dr kalam spoke and appreciated Mrs Sudha for her efforts to run a foundation to help the needy. There was pin drop silence during his speech. Most of us were surprised to see him speak in Tamil. I was later told that Mr Kalam being a Muslim plays the Veena and has a photograph of lord nataraja in his house. It was a wonderful experience to meet one of india's most admired, liked and respected personalities.

Materialised substance - a miracle

A year ago, my father was watching television during the night and found this strange smell, neither perfumery nor pungent, appearing in the room. He immediately out of curiosity turned behind to find where the smell was coming from. To his surprise, he found kumkum (red powder) materialised on Shirdi Sai Baba's idol. At that time, I was in London and he immediately called to inform me about the same. I could not believe it for the fact we have never experienced such miracles in the past at our home, though we have seen in some of our friends' houses. Soon, families, friends and well wishers visited home to take a look at the materialisation and get blessings from Sai Baba. 

Within a few weeks, I got a call from dad telling me that turmeric powder and vibhuti (sacred ash) were materialised. But, the substances were found on most of the God's idols. Such miracles are definitely intriguing but it is best not to question and consider this as a blessing. 

Even in the 21st century, when the technology is growing so fast, we do have men and women pretending to be spiritual gurus and cheating people to earn money, status and power. Some materialise ash, some pretend to cure illnesses that even the so called doctors can not. But, nothing comes free. All these 'fake gurus' or 'spiritual leaders' only mesmerise people in different forms. And, no wonder people get biased or impressed by such acts. But, the materialisation which has happened in my house or happening in most houses is definitely some super natural power which can never be questioned. The above picture was taken last night where a great amount of turmeric powder was materialised. 

God bless!

Apologies if this article was disturbing or has offended someone. 

Khana galli (eat street)

During my recent visit to Ahmedabad, my friends and I visited the Khana galli (eat street). This is one of the most popular streets in Ahmedabad. This street filled with jewellery shops. Once these shops close down by about half seven in the evening, immediately, these chat or street vendors put up their stalls and start selling food. The food may not be hygienic but definitely tastes very delicious. One will find pizzas, pav bhajji, samosas, pani puri, etc. A few blocks away from this street, there are two shops which sell sweets and juices. There, rabadi and srikhand, traditional Gujarati sweets are sold. Both these sweets are made up of yoghurt, condensed milk, etc, and are generally eaten as desserts after lunch or dinner.


All the necessary utensils and paper plates stocked up - above picture


Pav (bread) being cooked - above picture


A view of the Khana galli - above picture


A street vendor and his chef preparing food to sell - above picture

@ PritishS

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Ahmedabad, India

Traditional Rajasthani food

                                         A COOK FRYING POORIS AND PAPPADS

                                         COUPLE OF WORKERS PREPARING DOUGH FOR CHAPATTIS

                                                      A COOK PREPARING SOME DISH

                                           A COOK POURING IN OIL TO FRY SOME DISH

                                          A COOK EXHIBITING A SWEET

                                             A COOK EXHIBITING A SWEET

                                                                   KAJJU KATLI

                                                               GULAB JAMUNS

                                                                 BOMBAY MIX

                                                                           PAPPADS

                                                                   SWEETS

                                                                 SWEETS

                                                            CHAAT ITEM

 RASAMALAI                         

                         

                                                     CHUTNEY AND SAMBAR

IDLI

 
                                                                       SILVER FOIL

I recently visited Rajasthan to attend a close friend's marriage. There, the breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner had an exorbitant menu. Every meal had a minimum of two sweets and savouries. The bride's side was feeding the groom's friends and families literally every hour. Some people brand this process as 'superfluous', some say it is 'pivotal', but it is a part of the Rajasthani tradition to treat the guests, and each family with abundant love and affection and make it conspicuous so people take notice of the same and appreciate. Some times, there are criticism despite all efforts made to have a happy environment but that is what marriages are all about.


Lack of adequate water and fresh green vegetables is the main reason behind the typical storage system of Rajasthani food. Though Rajasthani cuisine are simple but these cuisines need much spices as well as oil to cook.

What surprised me?? People eat everything and very often (every hour). There is no restriction when it comes to eating food.

Paella at portobello market

For those who enjoy Spanish food, please do visit this food stall at the portobello market to tickle your taste buds. You may also want to opt for a bit of retail therapy.

FYI- I did not eat here but definitely looks fresh.












@ PritishS

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:London,United Kingdom