On a visit to a temple here - i was reminded of the benefits as well as the pitfalls of modern development within a short span. I was standing in queue at the Mangadu Amman Temple (One of the key sakthi sites dedicated to the godess) when one of the cellphones of a very religious devotee starting ringing - in the middle of the temple, embarrasing him for the thoughtlessness. Made me wonder - why can't people develop cellphone etiquettes. I dont like cellphones and this incident goes further in my cause against this 'modern marvel'. Not to be pegged down with the incident, i saw a near fight erupting near the enterance of the main temple - some 15 yards from the diety. Wonder, if the devotees came to pray or pick up fights!
A few minutes later, after a good darshan - went to the neighbour Vishnu temple (where legend has it, that the lord bought dowry for his sister's wedding & when it got cancelled, he holds the ring till date, in that location). The temple is not more than 20 Kms off downtown chennai - but has a huge complex. After a long time, saw a temple that resembles the old days with the priest & his associated families were bringing up a herd of cows. Seen a lot of large temples have a couple of elephants, but with domestic animals, the lifes of the temple residents are entwied with these children of god. Reminded me of a temple in Tanjore that raised deers and peacocks some time back.
A couple of minutes later, in the main temple - as i was going in for the darshan - saw the priest's son - a boy of 10/11 years getting prepared for his yearend school exams. In his traditional clothes of a dhoti, upparayanam (upper cloth) and the sacred thread, he was reading lens and a few lessons on reflection & refraction & its associated properties - the scene potrayed the mixture of 2 cultures - the old & ancient hindu culture along with the modern educational system
A few scenes of modern India in the temple world - one that adds joy to the heart; the other, something i wish no one ever repeats.
Saturday, April 16, 2005
Friday, April 15, 2005
Telugu & Tamil New Year
Yesterday - 14 April; traditionally has been celebrated as Tamil New Year Day. My mother tongue is Telugu and the Telugu New Year is always before the Tamil New Year and there is no fixed date. It is usually between the last week of March to the first week of April. This year, it was on April 8th.
Telugu is a modern language that has been derived from sanksrit and is 'proper' where all complex constanants can be pronounced. Tamil, on the other hand, is one of the oldest langauges and is popularly believed to have preceded Sanskrit. That might be the main cause for the langauge to be simple and bereft of any complex pronouciations. When compared head to head, it resembles the clash between the old, experienced & mature and the young, correct & dashing. Both the cultures are filled with pride, though i see the scale tipping towards the Tamilians with their coloured past
Moving on the New Year, both are eagerly awaited in my home. Ever since we moved to Coimbatore (1982) & Chennai (1986) - we have seen the 2 functions celebrated up close. Telugu New Year is special because of the Ugadi Chutney - a paste made of Tamarid juice, mango peices, jaggery, neem flowers - each signifying an aspect of life namely Sour, Sweet & Bitter. It is believed that the first taste that you feel, would be an apt reflection of the upcoming year. I also wish it was sweet; but am in no mood to tell me which one it was this year.
Talking of Tamil New Year, the pattimandrams - debates have attracted my attention for long. These debates entertaining, enriching and has everyone in splits. I admit that intellectual content & context is not the primary concern; but the intellectual capabilities of the participants on issues of culture and people behaviour are impeccable - most, if not all have doctoral background. These debates enrich the soceity on gray areas. The 2 that i watched yesterday where - Pleasures - Do you have it in Cities or villages? Importance to Culture; Who takes it to the limits - Man or Woman?
If you know Tamil & are in town for New Year, i suggest drop other things - pattimandrams are as great as the Ugadi Chutney of Telugu New Year
Telugu is a modern language that has been derived from sanksrit and is 'proper' where all complex constanants can be pronounced. Tamil, on the other hand, is one of the oldest langauges and is popularly believed to have preceded Sanskrit. That might be the main cause for the langauge to be simple and bereft of any complex pronouciations. When compared head to head, it resembles the clash between the old, experienced & mature and the young, correct & dashing. Both the cultures are filled with pride, though i see the scale tipping towards the Tamilians with their coloured past
Moving on the New Year, both are eagerly awaited in my home. Ever since we moved to Coimbatore (1982) & Chennai (1986) - we have seen the 2 functions celebrated up close. Telugu New Year is special because of the Ugadi Chutney - a paste made of Tamarid juice, mango peices, jaggery, neem flowers - each signifying an aspect of life namely Sour, Sweet & Bitter. It is believed that the first taste that you feel, would be an apt reflection of the upcoming year. I also wish it was sweet; but am in no mood to tell me which one it was this year.
Talking of Tamil New Year, the pattimandrams - debates have attracted my attention for long. These debates entertaining, enriching and has everyone in splits. I admit that intellectual content & context is not the primary concern; but the intellectual capabilities of the participants on issues of culture and people behaviour are impeccable - most, if not all have doctoral background. These debates enrich the soceity on gray areas. The 2 that i watched yesterday where - Pleasures - Do you have it in Cities or villages? Importance to Culture; Who takes it to the limits - Man or Woman?
If you know Tamil & are in town for New Year, i suggest drop other things - pattimandrams are as great as the Ugadi Chutney of Telugu New Year
Monday, April 11, 2005
Troubling the Tourists
I was not planning to make a blog this week because i am just overwhelmed with the amount of work that saps everybit of energy left. This blog is more as a mark of protest, to the kind of treatment that a few friends of mine from the US received during our trip to Mahabalipuram.
The minute, we got out of the car - they descended on us like vultures spotting fresh carcass. Constant harrasment, bargaining, thrusting gift items into the hands of these people and even invocing the recent Tsunami for those few rupees that they stand to gain. Whats more irksome is that they start foul mouthing anyone trying to come to the rescue of the visitors. They really have incorporated the doctrine - By Hook or Crook and are so shameless that a few rupees and they would not mind doing anything for it.
In the end, they nearly ended up picking a fight with me & the only thing that prevented me from responding to them - is the maturity & educational level difference. What upsets me the most - is not the treatment that i received, but the treatment that the visitors received.
Would you ever go to a holiday destination where you are surrounded by people trying to pressurize you to buy their products? Would you be ready to interact with hawkers who would take NO for an answer? Would you feel comfortable and relaxed when there are a dozen people who surround you and force you to buy gifts?
Of one thing, i am sure - If this was to happen in the US - one would cuss the people and the entire setup for having put you with this difficulty; but in India, a lot of people feel that the visitors should endure the beggers and the hawkers as that's part of 'our culture'?
The minute, we got out of the car - they descended on us like vultures spotting fresh carcass. Constant harrasment, bargaining, thrusting gift items into the hands of these people and even invocing the recent Tsunami for those few rupees that they stand to gain. Whats more irksome is that they start foul mouthing anyone trying to come to the rescue of the visitors. They really have incorporated the doctrine - By Hook or Crook and are so shameless that a few rupees and they would not mind doing anything for it.
In the end, they nearly ended up picking a fight with me & the only thing that prevented me from responding to them - is the maturity & educational level difference. What upsets me the most - is not the treatment that i received, but the treatment that the visitors received.
Would you ever go to a holiday destination where you are surrounded by people trying to pressurize you to buy their products? Would you be ready to interact with hawkers who would take NO for an answer? Would you feel comfortable and relaxed when there are a dozen people who surround you and force you to buy gifts?
Of one thing, i am sure - If this was to happen in the US - one would cuss the people and the entire setup for having put you with this difficulty; but in India, a lot of people feel that the visitors should endure the beggers and the hawkers as that's part of 'our culture'?
Saturday, April 09, 2005
Meaning of my name & Cricket
As i was looking to create a blog - i "googled" for the meaning of my name and turned up with this link - where the meaning of my first name is described as 'Fortunate'. That sets me of look for the meaning of my full name - which as i know stands as Chatrathi Venkata Aditya Vimal Kalyan. Once i know the results, will let you know. I thought the name meant "Good luck" as the term Tera Kalyan Ho would be used to bless someone with good luck but i guess the word fotunate goes too!
Enough of the name! but before we move on - i sure am very fortunate to have parents, family, relatives and friends as i have. I just hope i am bringing as much good fortunate to them as they are to me.
Today, India is playing Pakistan in the 3rd ODI of the series in Jampot (Short for Jamshedpur) - the place where XLRI is. It would have been fun if there was any international match during my MBA days - but the closest we had was a ODI in Kolkatta that we defeated England. I am not too sure if India will win today - but the whole series has been quite a lot of ups and downs and i believe that that does good for the game.
Enough of the name! but before we move on - i sure am very fortunate to have parents, family, relatives and friends as i have. I just hope i am bringing as much good fortunate to them as they are to me.
Today, India is playing Pakistan in the 3rd ODI of the series in Jampot (Short for Jamshedpur) - the place where XLRI is. It would have been fun if there was any international match during my MBA days - but the closest we had was a ODI in Kolkatta that we defeated England. I am not too sure if India will win today - but the whole series has been quite a lot of ups and downs and i believe that that does good for the game.
Friday, April 08, 2005
Small Pleasures
Last Saturday, i went to a movie after a long time (Night Shows in India usually start at 2200) along with my school friends & my brother.
The movie was called Mayavi (Magician) & deals with a young vagabond (Surya) kidnapping a cine star (Jyothika, playing herself!). Wonderful movie (music & songs are not too great!) and is a must watch!
Quite a few thoughts during the movie -
1. The fact that i was in a movie after nearly a year (discounting HPIII & Spiderman II - movies watched in cinema halls in US) did not escape my mind. In fact, wondered - Didn't one have time to enjoy small pleasures of life when quite young and not so much to do? I always looked forward to movies that the entire family went to - Dad used to take to family oriented movies (of Visu) & i always looked forward to the Rs 5 Icecreams. The evening of movie, i went to Movenpick along with friends & ran a bill of Rs 700; but the pleasure wasn't the same - no problems with the Movenpick product; However the pleasures of a crowded cinema hall ice cream was much more than the one consumed in the comfort of leather couches.
More can be named; however - the questions still remains: What happened to the small pleasures, have we lost the smaller details of life in pursuit of the 'bigger picture' or is it vice-versa?
2. In the movie, there is a role of a handicapped lady - wonderfully acted (Dunno if the lady suffers really or otherwise!) - leaving me to wonder the kind of treatment that we subject the handicapped people in India. When i visited US, the first thing that i noticed was the amount of effort taken to make sure these people lead normal life. When i came back from US, the lack of handicap facilities was the first thing i noticed in the Chennai Airport as well (No, the weather & air pollution are not even factors i feel, after 3 trips!)
What makes us treat people in such brutal fashion? Excuse of being a developing nation is a sham; while i keep seeing reports of the large handicap population in India; my heart feels for them.
The movie was called Mayavi (Magician) & deals with a young vagabond (Surya) kidnapping a cine star (Jyothika, playing herself!). Wonderful movie (music & songs are not too great!) and is a must watch!
Quite a few thoughts during the movie -
1. The fact that i was in a movie after nearly a year (discounting HPIII & Spiderman II - movies watched in cinema halls in US) did not escape my mind. In fact, wondered - Didn't one have time to enjoy small pleasures of life when quite young and not so much to do? I always looked forward to movies that the entire family went to - Dad used to take to family oriented movies (of Visu) & i always looked forward to the Rs 5 Icecreams. The evening of movie, i went to Movenpick along with friends & ran a bill of Rs 700; but the pleasure wasn't the same - no problems with the Movenpick product; However the pleasures of a crowded cinema hall ice cream was much more than the one consumed in the comfort of leather couches.
More can be named; however - the questions still remains: What happened to the small pleasures, have we lost the smaller details of life in pursuit of the 'bigger picture' or is it vice-versa?
2. In the movie, there is a role of a handicapped lady - wonderfully acted (Dunno if the lady suffers really or otherwise!) - leaving me to wonder the kind of treatment that we subject the handicapped people in India. When i visited US, the first thing that i noticed was the amount of effort taken to make sure these people lead normal life. When i came back from US, the lack of handicap facilities was the first thing i noticed in the Chennai Airport as well (No, the weather & air pollution are not even factors i feel, after 3 trips!)
What makes us treat people in such brutal fashion? Excuse of being a developing nation is a sham; while i keep seeing reports of the large handicap population in India; my heart feels for them.
Thursday, April 07, 2005
The First One
While i was thinking about the contents of the first post between the 2 ears - it struck me that most of all new activities that i started - usually began with a prayer to GOD & thus quite fast, i had recited a small prayer to my lord - Shri Saibaba
Having done the first part right, would welcome you to my new home in cyberspace. Earlier attempts to host a website ... forget about the past!., not a nice time to remind someone
Between, i am targeting one post a day ... the one for today is complete. See you next time.
Having done the first part right, would welcome you to my new home in cyberspace. Earlier attempts to host a website ... forget about the past!., not a nice time to remind someone
Between, i am targeting one post a day ... the one for today is complete. See you next time.
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