Capital performance.

The same enquiring look and the same winsome smile .Age has not dimmed the beauty nor has it robbed the yester year numero one of Hindi films, of her spirit and energy.

The spring in the  dance sequence 'Chadhuriam pesadhadi yen salagaikku padil solladi'of the Tamil film Vanchikotai valiban and in the 'Chado gayo papi bichua 'of the film Madhumati has not diminished though the yawning gap of years ,nay decades from then and now ought to have.

For all the movie fame sorrounding the dansuse there was not the slightest trace of filmy gestures in the dance recital i attended today in the ongoing, now,the world famous marghazhi [dec-jan] music and dance festival in Chennai,It was purely classical bharat natyam.

Except for the slightly stooping shoulders and sagging arms ,76 years rests very lightly on the tall and graceful frame of Smt Vaijayathimala/bali.

I held my breath and could sense others in the packed hall doing the same when she whirled around , bowed touching the ground and bent and sat in  postures many a younger woman dancers would have found daunting , hoping that she wouldn't trip. She didn't.Neither did she miss a step.Sterling stuff that only legends are made of.

When she rounded off her energetic ,yet graceful performance after an hour and a half . an performance that by itself warned the highly appreciative audience not to patronise her for her advanced years but only the performing artist in her ,pausing a few minutes at the mike to voice her regret ,with a catch in her voice at the untimely departure of that young woman at Delhi ,condemning the brutality of that barbaric act and requesting every one [fair sprinkling of youngsters amongst the largely greying ones]in there to join her in pressing for the severest of severe punishment  viz capital for ruthless rapists ,the entire hall rose to give her an standing ovation .For her performance, her undying spirit and her sensitivity and continuing involvement in matters other that the one that is so very obviously close to her heart, - dancing. 

Thirupaavai----10

Notru swargam pugukindra ammanai!
matramum thararo vasal thiravadhaar?

 Naatra thuzhaai mudi Narayanan nammaal, 
 potra paraitharum punniyanaal panduorunaal

Kootrathin vaiveezhindha kumbakarananum,

thotrum unnake perunthuyildhan thandhano?

Aatra anandhal udaiyai!Arungalame!
thetramai vandhu thirave lorembpavaai .

Meaning:

'O' leading lady.You are reeling in the heavenly experiences emanating from following the vows.
 You are neither opening the door nor are you replying.

 We are praising the pure one ,Narayana  who adorns his hair with aromatic tulsi .
He is sure to reward us for singing his sacred names.
But you are lost  in deep and heavy slumber and not paying any heed to our call !  [like bhagwatas immersed in their own world of spiritual experiences , immune to the distractions of the sensory world]

 Did Kumbhakarna cede his gigantic sleep to you for vanquishing him and sending him to the jaws of Yama?
 You are very lazy.'O' precious jewel! Wake up and open the door with a clear mind.


This 10 th hymn of thirupaavai of Andal's   co- incided with Vaikunta ekadesi celebrated on 23 rd of December 2012 .This is a masterly poetry characterised by wit and subtle humour.

Moving menaces.

My dear ppt's.
                          My outcry against intrusion [still continuing] into my privacy was stifled by branding me as delusional and mental.
Are all those people crying spontaneously against anonymous males insolent intrusion into a woman's privacy when travelling in Public be also labelled as delusional and silenced?Just asking a question.

To get a feel of this outrage that is simmering for decades ,even in other metros that has reached the tipping point send your young daughters ,sisters, wives as well as young woman MP's camouflaged as commoners just for a day in these public transports and to a crowded public place and place a KGB/double agent forcibly  and slyly [ if this operation is for my benefit why so much pains are taken to keep my immediate family in the dark?This itself makes the motive suspect] on top of each of those considered to be disturbed [there must be  at least one in each family ],  to  get my feel .

Thirupavai--3

The following hymn composed by Andal the woman vaishnavaite saint of 9 th cent AD is sung on the third day of Margahzhi month viz December to January.This gem out of the total of other equally precious gems of 3o hymns sung by her is specially noted for its poetic excellence in its description of nature and this nation's wealth.

Vongi ulagalanda uthaman perpadi nangul nam pavaikku satri neeradinaal,
Theengu indri nadellam thingall mummari peidhu vongu perun sen neloodu kayalkhalapa
poongkuvallai podhil porivandu kanndu pathengadhe pukkirundhu seerthu mulai patri
vaanga kudam niraikkum vallal perum pasukkal neengadha selvam niraindhe lorempavai

Meaning:  In pursuance of our penance if we sing the names of the self sacrificing superior one--Purushotaman ,who measured this entire world by stretching himself effortlessly,
Without fail , the entire country will be blessed with rains, thrice a month!
Fishes will play amidst towering and vast expanse of fields of ripened red grains,
And spotted bees ,after having their fill of heady nectar will drowse peacefully ,with eyes closed on soft and downy beds [fit for princes] of the petals of flowers blooming in profusion,
And the indestructible wealth of this land , the generous and gentle cows, will grow steadily in numbers , ready to be milked,
And the milking vessels will overflow , flooding the country.!

This poem is a testimony to this country's limitless wealth as well as Andal's inexhaustible literary wealth.

Moon rise.

The moon rose like a thin rind that glowed with the dull but sacred luminosity of the much polished silver vessels found in the dim interiors of the sanctum of temples over puffs of slate grey clouds that sailed gently in the huge  blue canvas that was stroked casually and yet masterfully at the horizon with pink and mauve ,by the spurts of rays sent out by the sun,  reluctantly setting ,with its stubborn signature for the day, invading my inner space with a bewitchment that chased the shadows cast within me, as  a wisp of smoke ,dissolved and carried away by the whispering winds.

Is it possible to conjure up this scintillating painting that no human ,how so ever rich and powerful could commission , whenever i slip into dark recesses ,and make me catch my breath once again at my own as well as others insignificance , around me, when elements and forces show the  face of real power .No , that beauty though occurring eternally is but momentary. It cannot be memorised or stored or retrieved. It has to be experienced ,once again all over again.

Curious to know.

An memsahib who is living in India for the past 30 years  or so ,on top of her m-i-ls' flat that ought to automatically qualify her according to her insight into Indians as a typical bahu has gently ,very gently chastised the exaggeration of sensitivities regarding religion of late by a section of Hindu society by referring to many incidents ,one such being the protests over the sari worn by a popular South Indian actress turned political activist  to a public function,that was either printed or woven with the images of 2 important avatars of Vishnu as well as other gods , 

My inquisitive poser ,as a person who has never set a foot out of Bharat , to this highly secular columnist full of catholicity  is,would the ordinary folks out there at her native country --Britain , digest and tolerate an evening gown embossed with the images of the saviour and the holy mother and saints,if it  is worn by an actress cum atheist cum  activist cum political commentator cum half Scottish  person like say Emma Thompson , to a public function?

PS. As a resident of Chennai for the past 30 years i have seen most of the box office hits of Tamill films  and in earlier years i found this actress's persona very pleasing. 

Photos of Lalbagh garden.

Bamboo grove

canopy

Lush Lawn

Pink blossoms

Low lying twin trees

Trees planted by Smt. Indira gandhi, Frontier Ghandhi and Queen Elizabeth11 at Lalbagh garden

The Asoka tree with the blue sign board at the front was   planted by Smt Indira Ghandhi in 1976  and the two tall pine trees at the back were planted by Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan and Queen Elizabeth 11 respectively in 1960's  either by themselves or in the memory of their visit to Bangalore .

Photo of a unique tree at Lalbagh

It is a man's world.

This piece is regarding the GO that confers the right to a share in the the family pension along with the legally wedded wife and children of a man ,on the 'other' woman and children of that person.
Hindu Marriages Act declares the marriage of a person who has a spouse living at the time of marriage as bigamous and  that person is  punishable with a jail term of not less than 2 years.

This go is in total contravention of the said section  and also shows the way to circumvent it and enjoy the spoils at the cost of betrayal , callously to the legally wedded wife  and indirectly affixes its stamp of approval on extra marital relationships  viz bigamy , polygamy that was sought to be eradicated from Hindu society by the enactment of the HM act.

According to me the legally wedded wife who has entrusted herself and her children's future with a deep faith and conviction in the institution of marriage as it subsits now should be the sole recipient of the family pension.
Why should she suffer twice?First by the betrayal of her errant husband and then by the State seconding this irresponsible act by rushing into support the other woman who has stolen [ even if she had been deceived that is her look out , there are other remedies] the company, affection and responsibilities of her spouse towards her and rewards  her [the partner out of wedlock] for doing so with guile or otherwise ,by splitting the monetary entitlements as well !Absolutely unfair.
There is already a provision in the said act that confers property rights on illegitimate children , which though a humane provision, is by itself an erosion of the sanctity of marriage ,Sharing of family pension is another concrete step in this direction, that of making a mockery of monogamous marriages.

How very assuring this GO would be to the deviant ,errant and philandering  man! He has the cake and also gets to eat it! After all it is a man's world.

He can close his eyes with complete peace in his heart without the tiniest prick to his conscience , absolved of all his sins since  the state will step in, so very compassionately to bear the cross for him.

Tirunedunthandagam day. at Sri Ranganathar Temple at Srirangam

Thiru nedundhandagam is the compilation of 30 verses composed by the  famous Sri Vaishnavaite saint Thiru Mangai Azwar in 10 th cent AD.

The first 10 verses describe the five forms of Bhagwan---Para, Vyuha, Vibhava or avatara,Antaryami and Archa or deity in a splendid manner  with special emphasis on Archa form that is deities  consecrated in temples like in Kovalur, Kanchipuram ,Sri Rangam, Tirupati and so on.

The next 20 verses express the Azhwars utter obedience or Sesvatam to Bhagwan.
At the end he entreats Bhagwan to protect [Rakshatvam] his soul .

All the 30 hymns are recited  and enacted at front of Utsavar of Sri Ranganathar at Sri Rangam by a sect known as Arayars  during Adyana utsvam  every year .This is believed to be at the behest of Lord Ranganathar himself.

This festival with the recitation of nedunthandagam falls today viz--13 th December 2012.
By reciting all the 30 hymns ,today one is assured of the blessings of Ranganathar .

His final entreaty of this composition runs thus ---"Minnum mazhai thavazhum meghavanna vinnavar tam perumane arulay."

Meaning: O bhagwan ,your colour is like  those sprawling clouds  that bear sparkling rains .You are also the leader of Nitya suri's. Kindly bless me.

Courtsey:Narsimha priya

Flux of time.

This weary time tested woman  with dried twigs gathered from this pretty park would have once been a blooming young woman and might  have  flitted with a bouquet of sweet scented flowers , adding to the  allure of this garden.

Place.Lalbagh park-Bangalore.

Cremation.

An well known authoress and columnist  , bollywood specialist,has very recently opined in a journal that it was scandalous that women are still prevented or even worse that they themselves choose not to witness the cremation of their near and dear ones.

At the pain of being branded retrograde and conservative i am compelled to state my view  that what our Shastra's have laid down in this matter is very relevant and need to be observed , that is of a woman at the eventuality of a death in her house should stop at her doorway itself and not proceed to the cremation grounds , more so if she is menstruating when her hormones that define femininity with the characteristics of shyness and timidity is at its peak.

Witnessing the cremation of a very close relative or to the one who is very attached to , is a horrendous sight.
A mud bowl of burning cinders , lit symbolically by the person performing the final ritual ,is placed on the chest of the body of the loved and cherished person resting in the dim interiors of an altar  and then  transferred and pushed into the slanting plank of the nearby furnace,head first.

One has to be really strong emotionally or absolutely hard hearted to come out unscathed from such an harsh sight.This dreadful scene is bound to haunt even the strongest of men for days to come.

However cremating by heaping logs of wood , looks less brutal , more humane and bearable.

Many of the rules laid down by our ancients are the sum total of keen observation of human nature and its frailties coupled with personal experiences , spanning over several generations.
It is a wise person who respects the widely followed practises emanating from shastras and thus escape the nightmares that are in store for those who are either ignorant or adamant in overlooking or overturning them .

Ask me an, confirmed feminist and i'll tell you that i learnt this in the hard way.

Thoopaki---Gun ---Film review.

Had a lot of time to burn ,hence landed on a movie hall and watched a Tamil film thoopaki..

It started well and then immediately lost track in a series of songs and dance sequences that were frivolous and certainly avoidable distractions from the main theme of the story that revolved around' sleeper cells ' but soon after picked up speed and was gripping.

The director cum story writer cum script writer cum etc etc has done a great job in explaining and clearly illustrating as to what is actually meant by the phrase' sleeper cells' that we often hear about on TV or read in newspapers without truly comprehending its deadly import.

Quite an educative film.

Photo's of Asoka tree.

 The Asoka tree.

The orange coloured flowers of Asoka tree.

Every one is familiar with 'Asoka vanam ' the garden at Lanka where Sita spent her days of abduction  by Ravana.But does one know how a Asoka tree looks like? I didn't and got to know only on my recent visit to the famous park at Bangalore --Lalbagh ,thanks to the blue name plate near the tree.

Photo of statue of Wodeyar --Mysore Maharaja in 1906 at Lal bagh park at Bangalore

Photos of the statue of Sri M.Ananthsayanam Aiyengar at Tirupati.

Suggestions to TTD.

Kindly install an escalator near the sanctum carrying one person at a time so that each devotee gets his or her fill of Lord Srinivasa and does not feel frustrated or cheated with a mere  trifling glance or even denied of that quick and hasty glimpse after undertaking long and arduous journey's and then come out with a feeling of seething rage of being insulted by the securities ,pushing and shoving at will, when one is seeking solace and peace from Srinivasa at his sacred sanctum.
One has to change with times .The old notion that purity and sanctity would be lost should be suitably shelved, in keeping pace with current reality ,viz that of population explosion and the massive surge of devotees. 
Hoping for a peaceful and fulfilling darshan ,next time.

Photos of Srinivasa temple at tirumala

 Way to papanasm falls from the temple at tirumala.

 Temple visible at the back

 Ananthaazhwars brindavan .

A distant view of Srinivasar temple at night

Vimanum of Srinivasar temple

Photo of Srinivasar temple's pushkarni at Tirumala.

Photos of sahasara deepa alankara pooja at Tirumala.Temple

Srinivaasr and His consort Sri Devi and Bhu Devi are being rocked on  a swing

last laugh.

Hey ppt's you rattled me literally to the bones on my way back in volvo bus from Bangalore with kgb/charli and co's cheap hallucinatory tricks and had your laugh at my plight.Now it is my time to laugh on seeing you all rattled by the black paper culled out of govt archives by Aap and flourished by ak and co..

Photo's of Ananthaazhwar's garden and pond at Tirumala.

 The garden laid down by Ananth aazhwar

 Entrance to the garden with the legend painted on its walls.

 The pond dug by Ananthaazhwar  to water the garden.

The maghizhampoo [small one under the banyan tree]said to be grafted from the original tree planted by the Aazhwar in 11th centAD. .Lord Venkateswara is said to visit this tree every day in recognition of the selfless devotion and services rendered by Anatha azhwar.