tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30132775870570233842024-03-14T09:26:38.791+05:30Light of the LampHi folks,
How are you all? This 'Lamp' is not limited to some specific topic, but a space from where I would like to spread 'Light' to as many spaces as possible.
Thankz for stopping by. Please feel free to leave ur comments, as it will make this 'Lamp' shine brighter.Deepa Nagarajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568890617413478281noreply@blogger.comBlogger138125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013277587057023384.post-66980876216918184862023-12-31T17:18:00.002+05:302023-12-31T17:18:32.683+05:30As 2023 comes to end<p> Hi folks,</p><p> Wish you all yet another New year that will give you courage and strength to deal with adversities that may lie ahead along with happiness, laughter and health. Wish you all more opportunities to travel and explore places around in coming years. </p><p> We ended our year with a short visit to Sringeri along with nearby amazing destinations. Instead of making this post long with details of each place, I decided to keep it light by posting more pictures of each place. I hope you all will feel lightness and happiness for sometime while waiting to receive 2024!! </p><p><br /></p><p> SRINGERI SHARADAMBA TEMPLE</p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6o2fHegF3r_7Uwjh2WSVxBJyL89E1u4Mx_J0PBCc9DOuD0Ts4_ca9NkLN4IR7o76gGcf7IvLoCO19KPGmkxbxHLcCt-VQSQgMAVjFKvwieeMJDWNhdjiSqt1Ta2N-ngPwPa10m9F2XMj_lgBJJy90wLYLcLT-1OArn5SFTtlt0A2vT4DBYQeX3_GJ0Bs/s2048/PhotoGrid_1704007191603.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6o2fHegF3r_7Uwjh2WSVxBJyL89E1u4Mx_J0PBCc9DOuD0Ts4_ca9NkLN4IR7o76gGcf7IvLoCO19KPGmkxbxHLcCt-VQSQgMAVjFKvwieeMJDWNhdjiSqt1Ta2N-ngPwPa10m9F2XMj_lgBJJy90wLYLcLT-1OArn5SFTtlt0A2vT4DBYQeX3_GJ0Bs/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1704007191603.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p> </p><p> Delightful Homestay which was 20 kms from Sringeri temple was such a delight to spend time connecting with nature and simple life!! </p><p> </p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPGxtNbe4pzw_VqTAo2wEEou_3csSzttIHwsDKSzM_QTog-c9kLtSxWy_HEZa8OgvTNDXD3iZhx4ucSsZcm47CgtslYgj8s-C7ylRUrjF7nbwReBoKfMX9USYBvHakjPxET2Y2SJ0_3qS1-hCub6a3WwEkyVNiR3BCkwqqLG8RpTv635i8PG4lRG0a_QQ/s2048/PhotoGrid_1704008408841.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPGxtNbe4pzw_VqTAo2wEEou_3csSzttIHwsDKSzM_QTog-c9kLtSxWy_HEZa8OgvTNDXD3iZhx4ucSsZcm47CgtslYgj8s-C7ylRUrjF7nbwReBoKfMX9USYBvHakjPxET2Y2SJ0_3qS1-hCub6a3WwEkyVNiR3BCkwqqLG8RpTv635i8PG4lRG0a_QQ/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1704008408841.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p> Siri Mane Waterfalls </p><p><br /></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC9r960ntqK30Jb1ffySBjM4oYMPzkS_Y8xnuFdMeWCHDXtm78A6tZHc_9GimPf0rliJToB8vmsHsXjwcRY1XGSN2LwRQRC9gOyzDK2np-JisJeJFEeLppCLw-W_rWO1eh20UE3ITSdYv_GMEmpDga_acrJxGe1A5j3cYgD4AGwos_uR1Puosx8ADEM50/s2048/PhotoGrid_1704020689085.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC9r960ntqK30Jb1ffySBjM4oYMPzkS_Y8xnuFdMeWCHDXtm78A6tZHc_9GimPf0rliJToB8vmsHsXjwcRY1XGSN2LwRQRC9gOyzDK2np-JisJeJFEeLppCLw-W_rWO1eh20UE3ITSdYv_GMEmpDga_acrJxGe1A5j3cYgD4AGwos_uR1Puosx8ADEM50/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1704020689085.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <p></p><p> Harihara pura Shri Narasimha swamy temple</p><p><br /></p><p> Some 30 kms away from Siri Mane Waterfalls, this temple is an amazing and a must visit place and as it is not well known like Sringeri temple and Udupi Shri Krishna temple, the crowd was much less and so it was much more calm and peaceful. The surrounding architecture and Sharada Math buildings with huge Anjaneya statue make the place look big and expansive. One of the big attraction there is the museum or gallery of all forms of Ganeshas housed in a hall named ' Shri Prapanja Ganesha '</p><p><br /></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7JV_CTIDExdUhKmBV8O054HRLDwQXzuGdbTc6G-WEk1UREMOZ84yYxIGafuVStbuTFTj_jVsey_3kc4-AofC3Tr_BYxqeDjHttA3DZQFrrqQ-_pst3dz_fwS7DTSC51s5ha5WGuPgFDPUbnf4dav8wjNYWhDN1z_i1OfWbFUBrHRWdJZLPEXyaBcO-l8/s2048/PhotoGrid_1704021438539.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7JV_CTIDExdUhKmBV8O054HRLDwQXzuGdbTc6G-WEk1UREMOZ84yYxIGafuVStbuTFTj_jVsey_3kc4-AofC3Tr_BYxqeDjHttA3DZQFrrqQ-_pst3dz_fwS7DTSC51s5ha5WGuPgFDPUbnf4dav8wjNYWhDN1z_i1OfWbFUBrHRWdJZLPEXyaBcO-l8/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1704021438539.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <p></p><p> HALIBIDU TEMPLE!</p><p> My longstanding wish to visit this architectural wonder was fulfilled this time!! This Shiva temple was restored many times, the recent one in the 20th century!! Just like Brihadeeswarar temple (it is also Shiva temple) in Thanjavur, this was/is a shooting location for classical dances for Indian films of yore!!</p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiybG_rFfzM8oimnGvRFVIf7FU6VTWoJ_D3p1-BWiIu_ser3WT4XZ64DLWJ8yPqlQuAnkA1BnDn2wXheFui7Xh14ANo2jqIzJ-i5QKgRbgpgKqKHhNjpaz8IsCmf3DjOT3BEtOG4tzV2zHlfeRk5NDWT1gkq5wXxvF7Sw6n7-NXLWHazOoJx8yQuhaeJbo/s2048/PhotoGrid_1704021976294.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiybG_rFfzM8oimnGvRFVIf7FU6VTWoJ_D3p1-BWiIu_ser3WT4XZ64DLWJ8yPqlQuAnkA1BnDn2wXheFui7Xh14ANo2jqIzJ-i5QKgRbgpgKqKHhNjpaz8IsCmf3DjOT3BEtOG4tzV2zHlfeRk5NDWT1gkq5wXxvF7Sw6n7-NXLWHazOoJx8yQuhaeJbo/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1704021976294.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p> Last but not the least, Yagachi dam in Attalgere area close to Halibidu temple. This is a fairly recent dam built in 2001 on Yagachi river. </p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN9Xv6Zi2BgTeuBtrsIRmC3xnzQv5ZKWS-qF3dZlwLLEHzJ6Je2O81IpR1s10BDDlAxiQn2Bw6-_E_ExQtx2-z5mYjhw2u5mo1XERrlcsbapmsLvJw2UW5pb9BPqpD9jiJEA5SO0jNEGn8jiSYmK5nJC5VQ8o6-HpGeGvpymfZew-2HCeq2KvqEoHy-EI/s2048/PhotoGrid_1704022406049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN9Xv6Zi2BgTeuBtrsIRmC3xnzQv5ZKWS-qF3dZlwLLEHzJ6Je2O81IpR1s10BDDlAxiQn2Bw6-_E_ExQtx2-z5mYjhw2u5mo1XERrlcsbapmsLvJw2UW5pb9BPqpD9jiJEA5SO0jNEGn8jiSYmK5nJC5VQ8o6-HpGeGvpymfZew-2HCeq2KvqEoHy-EI/w400-h400/PhotoGrid_1704022406049.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p> We went with a family who has a 9 year old girl. She is a bright, mature girl who entertained us all through the trip. In the last, I asked her questions. Who is the Prime minister of India or Bharat? Pat came the reply!! </p><p> Who is the president of India? She blinked and couldn't answer that!! That says it all!! </p><p><br /></p><p>Deepa. </p><p><br /></p><p> </p>Deepa Nagarajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568890617413478281noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013277587057023384.post-21011999892112448712023-11-24T17:22:00.004+05:302023-11-25T07:26:24.990+05:30Australia won 2 cups!<p> Hi folks,</p><p> After a fall from the grace with a painful thud this world cup, Indians have slowly got back to business of their lives.</p><p> Some of you may have guessed with what I meant when I said Aussies won 2 'cups ' this time!! The second cup we gave them without our knowledge! </p><p> 😡😩😣</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaIo7wLfHOF8VbD9koUNUPh0mZ-Ug6eO22D5r0275nComyB1fk4fPqsRm1NRG46NmB1ftlZSRQz7PcuP_sqA4yBubmahusIsia1Kk0pr2d7csi9t5Qh3UA1Ac258699M98XJGDTSPXxPl0ll9PHPSK0kKhEeI9VORpbZbUGD5R2cFPUfTlr78nthqupD0/s4032/20231124_175300.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaIo7wLfHOF8VbD9koUNUPh0mZ-Ug6eO22D5r0275nComyB1fk4fPqsRm1NRG46NmB1ftlZSRQz7PcuP_sqA4yBubmahusIsia1Kk0pr2d7csi9t5Qh3UA1Ac258699M98XJGDTSPXxPl0ll9PHPSK0kKhEeI9VORpbZbUGD5R2cFPUfTlr78nthqupD0/w156-h320/20231124_175300.jpg" width="156" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p> It was terribly disappointing and unbearable day for die hard Indian fans who made the gallery of the stadium uniformly blue to support 'men in blue!' Btw, how many of us will know or go and cheer 'women in blue ' like this? No one, including me, knows who the captain of women's cricket team is. Nature and biology being partial to men, women can never match the speed and agility of their counterparts of men! Oops, I veered away from the topic! When India won 10 matches in a row and looked to be invincible and a forgone conclusion, here came the men in yellow with a solid plan right from the winning of toss! And as they say, the rest is history and statistics! </p><p> When everything went wrong for our team on that crucial day, the fans in the stadium started showing the colours along with blue(envy) . Silence and disappointment followed as we wondered how can men in blue fall from the grace! Even I thought cricket belongs only to India! We forgot that cricket is just a game! Fans have paid lakhs of rupees in black for tickets and hotel accommodation to brag 'I was there!' When Travis Head hit century, we forgot to give him standing ovation irrespective of the result! We booed the umpires decisions! The blue colour gave way to empty orange coloured seats! There were very less spectators to cheer the winning team! The cup presentation ceremony brought out some awkward moments as there was no positivity visible!! The other set of dejected fans verbally targeted the wives of cricketers! Glen Maxwell's Indian origin wife was trolled for supporting her husband's team and not India! The other players wives were also not spared!! There are other instances which have exposed the lack of sportsmanship in our people. Of course, it should not be denied that they do not represent majority and lot of Indians congratulated the winning team that was observed in various websites!</p><p> The second 'cup' is Pat Cummins statement that nothing like silencing the crowd of 1.3 lakh audience and he succeeded or we allowed to succeed in that also! If the crowd stayed upto end and gave standing ovation to Australian team, he would have been forced to rewrite the script! Whether making a statement like ' I will silence the audience ' comes from a matured man or not is debatable!</p><p><br /></p><p>Deepa.</p><p> </p>Deepa Nagarajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568890617413478281noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013277587057023384.post-52453778324552482242023-11-09T15:48:00.002+05:302023-11-09T21:03:59.958+05:30A journey to the tip of India!<p> Hello friends, </p><p> Every travel is unique, but a few are more unique due to its geographical location. The border crossings between 2 countries, travelling to one edge of a country are more exciting and evokes more curiosity! Our journey to the tip of India recently was one such. A trip to Rameshwaram and dhanushkodi is not only exciting, but also spiritual!! </p><p>Yes, it is on one edge and we can experience the land waning out and oceans taking over and Sri Lanka is so near from there yet so far!!</p><p> This Navarathri holidays, it was destination Rameshwaram with our running buddies and their families! From Bangalore to Rameshwaram it is a very long drive by road and so we stopped at Madhurai to have a good darshan of Meenakshi Amman! We planned out in such a way that we did not have to wait in queue for long hours! Because it was Navarathri season, we were lucky enough to see the display of golu bommais ( dolls of deities) stretching lengthwise inside the temple!! Unfortunately, cameras were not allowed! Madhurai is a small and congested city with unmanageable traffic! The other thing I forgot to mention first is our visit to Alagar temple 20 kms from Madhurai. It is another ancient temple dated centuries back with Lord Vishnu as the main deity! There are old fort walls on one side which makes it look more attractive. For anyone going to Madhurai, this is a must visit for the interesting historical value it holds!</p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQNlBaTabpm6yyWj3OMsR8ouOBsepTH1D740KwiceuHsVBbjojkqDztdrH5ujtpfeXXNEog_sdUYaiFQiYFymxyWonGA1noICmsmnABVHqHzDq8pesTqrC4_4ryhDbh4uMyVucfvRFIagkogqGqK0cj75oEIkc9iTC5jkleH040NKpYKq9bN2PnxqBqUc/s2048/PhotoGrid_1699519999082.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQNlBaTabpm6yyWj3OMsR8ouOBsepTH1D740KwiceuHsVBbjojkqDztdrH5ujtpfeXXNEog_sdUYaiFQiYFymxyWonGA1noICmsmnABVHqHzDq8pesTqrC4_4ryhDbh4uMyVucfvRFIagkogqGqK0cj75oEIkc9iTC5jkleH040NKpYKq9bN2PnxqBqUc/w320-h320/PhotoGrid_1699519999082.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p> Alagar temple in Madhurai !!</p><p> Rameshwaram is a place which has not only lot of historical value, but also holds religious importance for Hindus. From Madhurai, Rameshwaram takes about 3 hours and the highway roads are pretty good. If Kanyakumari is at the southern tip of India, where 3 oceans meet, Rameshwaram is the part of Pamban island which is less than 3 kms away from the mainland and lies to the south east. The famous Pamban rail bridge was built over the sea from Ramanathapuram in 1924 by Britishers. That bridge is closed as it has become unusable due to its corrosive effect and other rail bridge is being built now. The road bridge was built in 1988 and as of now, it is the only easy and comfortable way to reach there. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKeRkVT0ja1CCEXykGKThDI9EqUbYIceiCDjAfSDt_NenVSowZ87BjoWP3bkzGWwS9_raKI6fDG1Yxn-nW3AyujEEDvStbCh-rsq7ZlNYGBgLI3fIaUW-FEZ33a8Cd2kSWmu3f8UJk6RJuYaIQy4nra7G9O2gSIrL8LDtt-6t8juQoMaOYaOzjEuhjT7U/s2048/PhotoGrid_1699520194743.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKeRkVT0ja1CCEXykGKThDI9EqUbYIceiCDjAfSDt_NenVSowZ87BjoWP3bkzGWwS9_raKI6fDG1Yxn-nW3AyujEEDvStbCh-rsq7ZlNYGBgLI3fIaUW-FEZ33a8Cd2kSWmu3f8UJk6RJuYaIQy4nra7G9O2gSIrL8LDtt-6t8juQoMaOYaOzjEuhjT7U/s320/PhotoGrid_1699520194743.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p> Pamban bridges, Kushi beach, Abdul Kalam museum!</p><p> </p><p> As we reached the Pamban island, I felt similarity to string of islands known as Florida Keys which are connected by road to the mainland of Florida. Though Florida Keys are much longer and spans about 120 miles! There also, the rail bridge remains closed as it was destroyed by a powerful storm! Many tourists like us stop over the bridge to take photos and selfies with sea water and rail bridge in the background. </p><p> Pamban island consists of 2 places Rameshwaram and Dhanushkodi. According to Ramayana, Lord Rama did Shiva pooja before proceeding to Sri Lanka to kill Ravana. After coming back, He took bath at 21 teertha wells before praying to Lord Shiva to atone for his sins! So, the devotees who go there have to take bath in waters of 21 teertha wells before going to the main deity! We felt fortunate enough to go there where Rama walked. Another attraction along with beaches is Dr A P J Abdul Kalam museum which was opened in 2017 to honour the scientist turned people's president whose birthplace is Rameshwaram. Kushi beach in Rameshwaram is good with calm waters and white sand. The beach could have been maintained better.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk9OVv4D2KIhD-zxDJzvNpgyCEkRutfsPpQS8RmT7Q9gUER8SYL-OUvxvqGy28OueeycqzvGs6bQBImiM-jm8-aXtmOdLuHKlTwXsz-Haa_m-jxUhEfpq_PhJ5NRQGAUkxireG6_bzpxYE9u-CV8gGyMNzjxVSqRQq35ShDeJSBrNg6YH101TqvjgyVPA/s2048/PhotoGrid_1699520356273.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk9OVv4D2KIhD-zxDJzvNpgyCEkRutfsPpQS8RmT7Q9gUER8SYL-OUvxvqGy28OueeycqzvGs6bQBImiM-jm8-aXtmOdLuHKlTwXsz-Haa_m-jxUhEfpq_PhJ5NRQGAUkxireG6_bzpxYE9u-CV8gGyMNzjxVSqRQq35ShDeJSBrNg6YH101TqvjgyVPA/s320/PhotoGrid_1699520356273.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p> Rameshwaram temple!!</p><p> Dhanushkodi is 20 kms from Rameshwaram. As the land of Rameshwaram narrows down on both sides in Dhanushkodi, it is wonderful sight of 2 oceans on either side. On the left side is calm and unassuming Bay of Bengal and on the right side is more ferocious Indian ocean! Dhanushkodi is a ghost town as Government of Madras declared it uninhabitable after a tsunami in 1960s which caused heavy destruction! There were lots of abandoned structures which I missed clicking. At the tip of Dhanushkodi, the oceans merge and Sri Lanka is only 18 kms from there. Tourists can get a faint glimpse of Sri Lanka from the telescopes kept there. We felt the telescopes can be upgraded to get a more convincing view! Locals try to make their end meet by selling souvenirs and other things. The beaches and water there are cleaner and less polluted. There is Kothandaramar temple where Rama crowned Vibheeshana and a coral stone which was supposed to have been used to build bridge by the army of monkeys to reach Sri Lanka. All these gives us the strong feel of incidents mentioned in Ramayana!</p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpebohp4PpVVGx9RKxF8VkXfFIKO7Z74aVM4qNn0Plil18xbrRbdkLdSAmvG2zcrvcNIlz6e009t2M8b9OXaetG3SfbGwIzve5Wu_LjfdI4kuwhXyVRf0vlVHW5qbg9IlYwppGAhTv1gcrACfSTT_CbqaJ90V5z0zcKdmKw66ts6-sesd4mbe6plE-T6A/s2048/PhotoGrid_1699520526415.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpebohp4PpVVGx9RKxF8VkXfFIKO7Z74aVM4qNn0Plil18xbrRbdkLdSAmvG2zcrvcNIlz6e009t2M8b9OXaetG3SfbGwIzve5Wu_LjfdI4kuwhXyVRf0vlVHW5qbg9IlYwppGAhTv1gcrACfSTT_CbqaJ90V5z0zcKdmKw66ts6-sesd4mbe6plE-T6A/s320/PhotoGrid_1699520526415.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> Dhanushkodi!!!<p></p><p> These places can bring in lot of money from tourists, but the hotels in Rameshwaram were not up to the mark. For hoards of tourists visiting at the end point of Dhanushkodi, there are not even toilet facilities! The authorities should give more attention to improving facilities there. </p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIVA-niandLy4Si4OW-833sO02dGPHxSgjrbCjUOU91pQsF0yEAPHMx3LRaDJG3WvK00TAeGshEMVUWyoEcV515kbGpZKYL-UrbiZJqt36Ht3vL6Hok-21Egz-LE5fiW-9IjspKzE-shSwyrxgjW1dngioDVj0vnt5hgvE4LcJ24iAiuuvSJ_pZWLpp08/s2048/PhotoGrid_1699520580226.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIVA-niandLy4Si4OW-833sO02dGPHxSgjrbCjUOU91pQsF0yEAPHMx3LRaDJG3WvK00TAeGshEMVUWyoEcV515kbGpZKYL-UrbiZJqt36Ht3vL6Hok-21Egz-LE5fiW-9IjspKzE-shSwyrxgjW1dngioDVj0vnt5hgvE4LcJ24iAiuuvSJ_pZWLpp08/s320/PhotoGrid_1699520580226.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <p></p><p> The clean and beautiful Pazhani malai...</p><p> I tried to keep this post short, but ended up becoming longer. I hope you will get the feeling of travelling these places when you read, as I got this again while recollecting the details of our trip. Until next time.</p><p><br /></p><p>Deepa.</p><p><br /></p><p> </p><p> </p>Deepa Nagarajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568890617413478281noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013277587057023384.post-66881333087813487322023-10-16T17:59:00.000+05:302023-10-16T17:59:17.054+05:30From the present to the past<p> Hi,</p><p> "In a world where you can be anything, Be kind."</p><p> Unknown.</p><p><br /></p><p> The months of January and February are seasons of weddings, especially in South India. Recently, we attended a wedding of one of our nephews. The celebrations and rituals lasted for 3 days in a resort and there was lot of fun and frolic, catching up with extended family members after a long time. After the traditional nischayathartham (betrothal) in the morning, we expected that the bride will take hours to dress up for the reception. But voila!! Here she enters in a simple saree devoid of heavy makeup, very minimal ornaments making the whole evening look like more of a casual affair. The 'performances' for the evening included bride's father giving a speech about his daughter's qualities, the same from the groom's dad, speeches by the wedding couple on how happy they are to be the part of each others' families, friends who came from abroad to be the part of the grand wedding, dance and musical performances by the bride and the groom along with younger cousins and the older generation alike. The highlight of the evening was the new mother-in-law who eagerly welcomed the bride into her family with a traditional Tamil song and a planned group dance. There were no stressful moments of boy's parents showing or behaving in a way that they were superior to the girl's side. The new mother-in-law put her daughter-in-law's photo as the dp in her WhatsApp after their wedding.</p><p> These scenes naturally made me throwback to my own wedding more than 23 years ago. The comparisons were inevitable. It was an era of no cell phones or social media and I belong to the generation of being brought up as 'good girls' to go and adjust in a totally alien environment of boy's family. As a Tamil Brahmin brought up in Kerala, associating with families based in Thanjavur district was close to unthinkable because of their strict and orthodox ways of living, but I was assured by my family that though the prospective groom has Thanjavur base , he was brought up in Hyderabad. We had some age difference between us which I have still not accepted to this day for various reasons, especially when the age difference between my parents, my sister and her husband is minimal. Today's girls are much smarter and have a lot more say in life matters. I agreed to go forward with usual fears and apprehensions in the mind. My parents conducted our wedding to the best of their ability and in a very traditional way, but there were spoilers on my in-laws' side. The rude behaviors by the immediate in laws and a friend on their side left some scars in what should have been memorable event. Surprisingly or not, all the spoilsports were ladies. One of them slammed my dressing room in anger as she felt she was excluded, one of them commented that the way I was wearing the wedding sarees looked like 'trash.' Their friend Asha* made rude remarks on the way I dressed up and commented I am not interested in dressing up and looking good! I wondered what would they have said if they saw this bride dressed in an ordinary manner!! Would they have apologized to me for their past behaviors? Much water has flowed since then and I need to forgive them for my own well-being though forgetting is hard. </p><p> I would like to conclude that it is almost a generation ahead from our wedding and things have changed for better at least for many, if not for everyone. These events may look trivial in the Indian culture of weddings and life after that. But it was definitely patriarchy in play. Why do these unpleasant events make strong impressions in our minds?</p><p>( Studies have shown that those memories are associated with high stress situations. <span face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 20px;">Negative events tend to be stressful and cause our body to release the stress hormones epinephrine and cortisol. </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK3907/" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #094566; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.25s ease-in 0s; vertical-align: baseline;">PET and fMRI</a><span face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 20px;"> studies showed that the action of stress hormones on the amygdala was crucial for controlling and strengthening memory.) - borrowed from Michelle Pereira in Science ABC.</span></p><p><span face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 20px;"><br /></span></p><p><span face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 20px;"> I hope after reading my anecdotes, readers will take much more care when they conduct major events like weddings to be remembered always in pleasant ways by the wedding couple and the associated families alike. </span></span></p><p><span face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 20px;">P.S . This article was written around March and kept as a draft , because I did not have enough courage to publish it...</span></span></p><p><span face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 20px;">Thanks,</span></span></p><p><span face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 20px;">Deepa</span></span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Deepa Nagarajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568890617413478281noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013277587057023384.post-3730014701952131122023-09-08T18:14:00.002+05:302023-09-08T18:14:51.468+05:30Finally a trip to Ooty!!<p> Hi,</p><p> When I informed my neighbour and relative that we were going to Ooty with our running group, they blinked and confirmed twice when I said I am going to see that hill station for the first time! In my school, my classmates used to circulate this small poem : </p><p> 'First do your duty,</p><p> Then marry a beauty,</p><p> Have honeymoon at Ooty, </p><p> Bring back a kutty.(child)'</p><p> My husband dismissed it by saying what sub standard poems we were circulating! </p><p> Majority of the readers would have gone to Ooty and so I do not feel I should give a grand description of the place! My first and perfect impressions of Udhagamandalam was shattered when I saw many of the places there was spoilt by commercialization and over population which has led to lot of deforestation and building houses and other structures on many of those hills! The houses on those hills looked colourful from the far though there was no uniformity as we see in western nations. Local population follows steppe cultivation and so we saw hills with tea gardens. Ooty, Kodaikanal, Nilgiris, Coonoor were popularised by Britishers who chose them as summer destinations to escape the harsh summer heat of Tamil nadu. That is why one can see many places and roads with English names. </p><p> There are not many 'must see' places that one needs to cover and make the vacation hectic. The main attraction were the various chocolate factories, Dolphins nose which we missed seeing, the train journey in the train that is more than 100 years old, the boat house that has not just boat rides but also various rides and other games. Our cottage was in Coonoor and we felt we need not roam around when we could get awesome views of nature right in front of the cottage. </p><p> The cottages were built in old English style with chimneys on the roofs and the windows in English style. There were lush green lawns in front of cottages with lots of flowering plants and bushes making them an inviting place to sip morning coffee or tea while listening to the peaceful chirping of birds which are lost to cities!</p><p> Going with couple of families and with kids means being pushed into pedal boating, games, thrilling and scary rides, stimulated 7D movies, horror house, toy train rides! I enjoyed everything as the child in me came out!! The dinner at the palatial dining area in Cherrie Berrie supermarket is something to be cherished with fondness!! </p><p> On our way back we took a detour to Coimbatore to visit the massive statue of Lord Shiva at Isha yoga foundation!! </p><p> We felt rejuvenated and fresh to go back to the city life after a short and sweet vacation !! I hope to be more active here with some more topics!! </p><p>Deepa.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3YKl-l_QoGK2XwU8hM2njlGjoFD4SYtQx3E1VfzoUr-84FH8BLB8CENQt7Kmup5ojHZdcB7vUSxq-ETlHqzn8qOKLbyNIL6Ytumc_UytxhB44QlxCm393sEsCKlBXSlwo2rOvYz-DDbG0SQuUtKz_6y49_Kb3n66pDAitti4OPr4CBxHelcL_DMKo-Yo/s4032/20230812_093912.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3YKl-l_QoGK2XwU8hM2njlGjoFD4SYtQx3E1VfzoUr-84FH8BLB8CENQt7Kmup5ojHZdcB7vUSxq-ETlHqzn8qOKLbyNIL6Ytumc_UytxhB44QlxCm393sEsCKlBXSlwo2rOvYz-DDbG0SQuUtKz_6y49_Kb3n66pDAitti4OPr4CBxHelcL_DMKo-Yo/s320/20230812_093912.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ygM5Dx3sGWwmvkaChWO9L56_jYlv2NjsJ2P7P5rw7KN5vhtbZ0yKikUmTi9HEOv6E-3XVBPnf2RJNeTEPK8pQNYW6pHVVHnQgjV34pS3GCOSFobqNQMaqn6tdAI1K4gA5pBm3VtjamYKd4kFSi7MrDRNM9t_-o1htMyRrkueQD6EYSmcv93s8M7DRTQ/s4032/20230812_132207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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Most of the runners who are into long distance running will have lots of stories to tell. But, only the fellow runners can understand that language which a layman will find it boring. </p><p> I started my running journey four years ago. The inspiration to start running for fitness was from my husband who is an expert and a fast runner and is highly respected in the running groups. Within few days, I realized that running is not easy and it is going to be a long and struggling journey!! My husband is now an ultra-marathoner and I am yet to run my first full marathon (42 km). I have never been into any kind of sports during my childhood. This makes my journey maybe harder than others, not to say that others are having it easy. Long distance running is a sport that demands lot of time and dedication and for ladies in India who are burdened with daily chores even more, it is not surprising to find negligible number of females in the groups. Anyways, I started my running by registering for 10km run organized by TCS every year around May in Bangalore. It took me more that one and a half hours to complete 10 km and earning a finisher medal for that was just the beginning of the journey. This was in the year 2018. I trained with the running group to attempt the 21 km distance which is also known as half marathon. Getting into the routine of going to the location to run itself was/is a great challenge. We have to eat early to go to bed early and get up at the dawn to get ready after the morning ablutions. So though many of the people join programs enthusiastically, some drop off after some weeks and dedicated lot continue and achieve goals after goals. If there are 3 days of running in a week, 2 to 3 days have to be set aside for recovery and strengthening so that we don't get into any injuries and be able to increase the pace. What keeps us going in spite of the difficulty of getting up early in the morning is experiencing fresh air and seeing the morning sunrise, meeting people, forming instant bonding with the fellow runners irrespective of their age, the positive energy we feel after the run and the cool down stretches, all of which helps one in combating depression and other ailments. </p><p> Completing the first 10K, 1st 21K are always special milestones and important part of dreaming the higher milestones like 1st full marathon (42 km), 1st ultra marathon that starts with 50 kms etc. Depending on a person's speed, agility, natural talent, some may achieve milestones faster, and for some it will take longer time. I belong to the 2nd category. While I earned the finisher medals for 10 K and 21 K within a year, which includes a medal for half marathon in Amsterdam, conquering the distances after 21 KM is a big challenge which I am slowly trying to overcome. The Covid years slowed down the running further as there were no events happening that time. </p><p> Post covid, I was looking for a breakthrough so that I can post something more. I started participating in the events so that I could train for them and up my mileage. Though the proverbial 'slow and steady wins the race' is yet to work for me, the important thing is to stay in the course. I registered for Malnad 30 km trail run which took place on November 26th last month. Malnad is a part of Chikmagallur district and is full of coffee estates and forests. The trail run was in the coffee estate which had a elevation gain about 1200 metres or close to 4000 feet. I could not complete 30 kms within the cut off time of 6 hours, but had to be content enough to see my 1st 30 km that I completed in 6:35 hours. It at least elevated my confidence levels to go forward with some hope. </p><p><br /></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiUhTe-wLu4lPQrQ0uF5WUN392BS4gcTNYs7_pOp3Lfc1IUJtkbZnR9VrINwKTahrD_Q1MN5dBAx7qfdbQSaCpSwbuiVAQJgSsrUuchWx_jeofJvxTlgkkguFOGeoEBEjQBKVhyVzIST9APTnuW3QMGa-hlUton_ghUeia0ytrp1uzyb_meHRkU-25T" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiUhTe-wLu4lPQrQ0uF5WUN392BS4gcTNYs7_pOp3Lfc1IUJtkbZnR9VrINwKTahrD_Q1MN5dBAx7qfdbQSaCpSwbuiVAQJgSsrUuchWx_jeofJvxTlgkkguFOGeoEBEjQBKVhyVzIST9APTnuW3QMGa-hlUton_ghUeia0ytrp1uzyb_meHRkU-25T=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p> I discovered I can!! I hope so....</p><p> Sometimes, the journey that you undertake is more important than the destination. Doing the trail run in the midst of coffee estates, with small streams of water, slushes here and there was itself an experience and the steep, repetitive elevations were humbling and seemed to teach us that climb in life is steep and hard to stand out!!! My husband is a winner or finisher of Malnad 80 km last year and Malnad 100 km this year!! As they say, for some the wins in the races come naturally and for others it is hard and may not even come!! But I will not stop!</p><p><br /></p><p>Love and care,</p><p>Deepa.</p><p><br /></p>Deepa Nagarajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568890617413478281noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013277587057023384.post-16405452199107365982022-11-09T20:01:00.003+05:302022-11-09T20:56:36.155+05:30Of Raagas and Dosas<p> Hi,</p><p> I published my last blog post 'Love hate relationship with British monarchy' exactly 2 months back but I found this topic lying as a draft from June 24th, unattended. I felt some connect between raagas and dosas but I was wondering how to put them in words. As a woman, I do cooking. As a Tambrham woman, I've learnt carnatic music in my childhood (something 'mandatory ' for girls in our community to sing before the prospective groom and impress 😂😁). </p><p> I revisited this page after a long time to proceed with this topic. The real learning starts only when we teach and it is true with any field. I started learning more when I started teaching music to children in my neighbourhood. The more I learn, the more I feel that I have learnt nothing. I love dosas just as I love ragas. Just like dosas being my comfort food, listening to Carnatic music everyday and identifying ragas and their characteristics have become my staple food. I don't know whether the varieties of dosas are more than the ragas in music. No one can claim the ownership other than South India when it comes to dosas and Carnatic music. </p><p> There are 72 parent ragas (melakartha ragas) in Carnatic music from which new ragas can still be derived that need not have 7 swaras in aarohanam (ascending swaras) and avarohanam (descending swaras). So the possibilities there are endless. Some of us would have seen the roadside stalls advertising 99 varieties of dosas. Whether they make that many types of dosas everyday is a question. As an Indian woman who has to cook and as a Tambrahm woman who has learnt Carnatic music and is teaching kids, I keep thinking about these all the time. Do dosas and ragas have any connection? I will explain the connect I felt over a period of time. </p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiKXJznkKbe_I-Mt7DKbWetJoun8J1roREyLpW3qrWY6SROd-1CHtnJxXf8k6ONDW4wsFeedMto8V0N5daxeZrM7HjX5FX8fxrDiNRkOcTQhzi0UVURweNXu_lgGTeaMWUS-nwb7e9gHurUuuIeTMOr0EgJAVYqKImTGj6eWtzL35Yri0p2kw0ht-79" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1460" data-original-width="1807" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiKXJznkKbe_I-Mt7DKbWetJoun8J1roREyLpW3qrWY6SROd-1CHtnJxXf8k6ONDW4wsFeedMto8V0N5daxeZrM7HjX5FX8fxrDiNRkOcTQhzi0UVURweNXu_lgGTeaMWUS-nwb7e9gHurUuuIeTMOr0EgJAVYqKImTGj6eWtzL35Yri0p2kw0ht-79=w400-h324" width="400" /></a></div> <p></p><p> The circle of Parent Raagas......</p><p><br /></p><p> We learn the basics of Carnatic music in Mayamalava gowla raga and not in any other ragas like shankarabhraranam, Kalyani etc. This raga's notes are symmetrically placed making it to be sung in a smooth flow making it ideal to sing the first lessons. Likewise, though the sheer variety of dosas are still invented by the passionate cooks, chefs, we can never forgo the dosas made out of smoothly ground and fermented batter of idli rice, urad daal, mehthi (til seeds). Just as small kids are fed the soft dosas and idlis made out of idli rice and urad dal as it is easy to digest, the basic lessons like sapthaswaras, Jantavarisais, Alankarams be sung much easily in Mayamalava gowla. </p><p> I make Rava dosas, Adai dosas, wheat dosas, rice and coconut dosas, peserattus, oats dosas, ragi dosas and so on by rotation. But I feel a sense of security only when I have the 'traditional finely ground idli-dasa batter' in my fridge. Likewise, I listen and sing in various ragas everyday as a part of warm up practice before gearing up for the classes. Some ragas like Hanumanthodi or Thodi (known as weighty raga) are tough to sing just as it is tough to digest Ada dosa (Lentils dosa) and is also heavy but delicious and filling..😅. Just as with food, some raagas are my favourites from the rest. Kalyani, Bhairavi, Begada, Lathaangi, Reethigowlai, vachaspathi, aabhogi, Sree Ranjini, Chakravaakam are just few of them. </p><p> Just like a child being fed without given much choice, I found singing those basic lessons boring and so the raaga Mayamalawa gowla. But, after long years with music and into teaching, I felt everything coming back in full circle just as with life. I have started to like Mayamalawa gowla much more and I feel singing in this raaga is like being in meditation. It is just like having the basic dosa from the fermented batter along with chutney, sambar, molagai powder and I get the comfort and security of coming back to base which no other variety dosa can give me!!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgrYZDGwL4YngtlrH-qoPWe26356GyGh2hWgmL9FgsXu98K52JQYB5PsOtUqWWdmLrOlt46t5Sepz1B5mpiRf9gWTf8SjAfeB1Mc-2Kijg7sApRe9AjqruuyyVnOZ7M8yjwV6SR36i2mBPhiODnt4bGRjJO8lrjOkCmkH6X6OxyXNn8PDl0YISNXEmf" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgrYZDGwL4YngtlrH-qoPWe26356GyGh2hWgmL9FgsXu98K52JQYB5PsOtUqWWdmLrOlt46t5Sepz1B5mpiRf9gWTf8SjAfeB1Mc-2Kijg7sApRe9AjqruuyyVnOZ7M8yjwV6SR36i2mBPhiODnt4bGRjJO8lrjOkCmkH6X6OxyXNn8PDl0YISNXEmf=w267-h400" width="267" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image of plain dosa borrowed from google.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Lots of love </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Deepa - Lover of dosas and raagas.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><p></p><p> </p>Deepa Nagarajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568890617413478281noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013277587057023384.post-28120802115814012952022-09-09T11:14:00.000+05:302022-09-09T11:14:25.338+05:30Love hate relationship with British monarchy <p> Hi friends,</p><p> As I write this, we are touring Kashmir and Ladakh for 2 weeks and which will come to an end in a couple of days. Of course, I will be writing about this major trip later.</p><p> As we are touring, we were updated on the news of prominent figures around the world like erstwhile president of USSR Mikhail Gorbachev, Queen Elizabeth 2, Carnatic vocalist T V Shankaranarayanan who was the nephew of Shri Madhurai Mani Iyer. But as they say, if it rains in Britain, people open their umbrellas all over the world. T V Shankaranarayan's demise made me sad as I had attended his concert recently. </p><p> Queen's death did not affect me much as she had led a long life and one anyone cannot even dream of. Of course, the news surprised me a bit as I thought she would cross 100 like her queens mother.That their monarchy had colonised many countries in the past and looted the wealth to expand their own empire is still not easy to digest for the current generations. The current generation of Britishers still argue that they have improved the infrastructure of the colonised nations like India and made it one instead of countless princely states fighting against each other. The queen was definitely the part of that empire who refused to apologise for the crimes they committed or return the stolen wealth to the respective nations which includes Kohinoor diamond. Of course, it can be argued that English is the most widely spoken language around the world and more Indians are fluent with English which helps them to settle in UK, USA, Canada etc in search of career opportunities and a better life which the home country is still not able to provide. </p><p> British royal family is still very popular with British people and for some around the world. They are like never ending soap opera and the reason paparazzi is always behind them to feed the gossip to the public and also deepen their pockets. The death of princess Diana, the rift between prince William and Harry, Harry leaving royal family, the affairs and divorces among Prince Charles, Prince Andrew , Princess Anne are all enough to keep the public interest alive in them. The birth of every royal child is eagerly anticipated and celebrated even today. It is to be seen how long their relevance will last and that depends on the public, who should realise that lot of money is spent as taxes to run the royal family. I also keep reading about the royal family as a pastime. </p><p> But one cannot escape the fact that Britishers are still racist and arrogant and it was displayed by Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth, Queen mother etc... Iam not sure of the current generation, but I believe they are little more approachable. But person of Indian origin like Rishi Sunak taking over the reins of Prime ministership!!! Impossible to stomach, right? And as queen Elizabeth is concerned, who else will be fortunate enough to lead a monarchy for 70 years beating Queen Victoria!!</p><p>Thanks </p><p>Deepa.</p><p> </p>Deepa Nagarajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568890617413478281noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013277587057023384.post-91390968827168295092022-06-19T14:39:00.001+05:302022-06-19T18:09:11.324+05:30Pondicherry finally!!<p> Hello folks,</p><p> I am back after a long time with yet another travel article. I love to travel and write on the journeys though most of the time what I do is armchair travel which means I watch lot of travel shows. Forget Pondicherry. There are lot of places around us waiting to be explored which we may miss out seeing in our lifetime. For me, during my school days, the erstwhile French colonies meant Pondicherry, Mahe, Yanam. Pondicherry or Pudhucherry was in my bucket list and it was so near yet looked far off. We had been to Chennai from our childhood times but never to this quaint little place. We had to go to Chennai for an event last month and after that, we headed to Pondicherry which was a smooth 138 km drive on ECR road or East Coast Road from Besant Nagar. It is a very scenic drive with small towns and greenery all the way. On suggestion of our nephew, we booked a room in Gratitude Heritage homestay which was housed in an attractive 200 year old French colonial structure. The ambience of the homestay was too good which makes me want go back and stay there again. The foliage in the centre courtyard with a big Ganesha idol, the wooden swing or jhoola, a dining hall with beautiful European styled ceramic items, a library room with impressive high ceiling and Mother's black and white photo adorning the wall. One can sit there for endless hours lost in that room!!</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiFUEb-xhDEscCkrKPbdyUiqt_85qRHuHKvMcMR8sqMV-gUlmqJ3PDu0Stk5UHFvLO4bfctX3PLgCHSpzAtaw_S6RXQ-J3FK2tXLdR3jMfdCwOFGhqOFT00KRpo8MvrxXQTCYdy_lRlRVpTRifl0cXo5FvOCpTEpBLm_HEFEPUiQMS6FVJlDcszpieO" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiFUEb-xhDEscCkrKPbdyUiqt_85qRHuHKvMcMR8sqMV-gUlmqJ3PDu0Stk5UHFvLO4bfctX3PLgCHSpzAtaw_S6RXQ-J3FK2tXLdR3jMfdCwOFGhqOFT00KRpo8MvrxXQTCYdy_lRlRVpTRifl0cXo5FvOCpTEpBLm_HEFEPUiQMS6FVJlDcszpieO=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">While entering Pondicherry</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjeQ0hXfbcq6GusHHZ0rdtikJiZkEYhhuGfNZ8hjq5Y8ZlCvPHdachyQXogcwMfYRrxnCyeSOUw_2Blct08U_tezTqmGZfC_ZNrh0nWxkIg7I4W_4gVchQafwAngcLqMzHrB7xzP81svr7AyHz4QNAxuVe1RpBlgbdgMePH9hhFCsoBZEKefvlOudZc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjeQ0hXfbcq6GusHHZ0rdtikJiZkEYhhuGfNZ8hjq5Y8ZlCvPHdachyQXogcwMfYRrxnCyeSOUw_2Blct08U_tezTqmGZfC_ZNrh0nWxkIg7I4W_4gVchQafwAngcLqMzHrB7xzP81svr7AyHz4QNAxuVe1RpBlgbdgMePH9hhFCsoBZEKefvlOudZc=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The beautiful Gratitude Heritage</div><br /></div><div><br /></div> <br /><p></p><p> I will be talking more about the homestay in the end. May month is off season as it is peak of summer there. We had to endure lot of sweat and heat while going round. Nevertheless, the cool breeze from the seaside was soothing. Walking on the beach sand, having lunch in a restaurant facing the beach were our initial activities. The sun headed further west and the walk on the well laid beach street or promenade was an experience by itself. Of course, one will find hard to miss the homeless people at different places of the streets. A visit to Manakula Vinayagar temple which is more than 500 years old was not to be missed. Inside the temple, the history of how the temple was saved from colonizers was written. Since renovations had happened over a period of time, I did not get the feel of an ancient temple. If you are a compulsive shopper, head out to Nehru street which is 2 to 3 kms away. I was surprised to to discover so many branded shops and other normal shops sprawled over 3 to 4 streets. Shopping streets and markets are the places where we can find local people and devoid of tourists. As we were wondering where to have dinner, the old and impressive India Coffee House caught our attention. The cutlets, which are almost the trademark of India Coffee House was the very 1st one in my mind to be ordered. Then what followed were tasty Podi dosa and a plate of puri-masala. Needless to say, this mouthwatering items were 'washed down' with 2 tumblers of filter coffee. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjAX60MPFZjF7T3M-b7Ik5DuCCvqbeVPm7hrT4kjkFng7O3uGSrU7YCJFGGQy0Aqb3e0w-k22A1FbSh70oH9VU8deJ1RDX0YQyXniwa8B_DspLXh-1ksoq3ghIrbfLihmkLNnXMMBsyzCClG6t453ak2XlMS1ewUmIUSpmrvaFW6P4UUDNLr7VxNguP" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjAX60MPFZjF7T3M-b7Ik5DuCCvqbeVPm7hrT4kjkFng7O3uGSrU7YCJFGGQy0Aqb3e0w-k22A1FbSh70oH9VU8deJ1RDX0YQyXniwa8B_DspLXh-1ksoq3ghIrbfLihmkLNnXMMBsyzCClG6t453ak2XlMS1ewUmIUSpmrvaFW6P4UUDNLr7VxNguP=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Few of those colonial structures....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjibNaJ5I-rFnUxfbxzi5wAa3IVitz3oZIw9j12Sbo6ZjTRQR2AAZfTIwKNW2rraaQr4uOVhbyZLjrq9S5F3TA-3BXAbyAP0qmb-ta6sM71oRORUg7NDoS8S1JPzr8u0hkIPw6yxQBnNwQdPHtblTj46A8yToOgs0AORn001wqDJMz0UKUBYyymF5az" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjibNaJ5I-rFnUxfbxzi5wAa3IVitz3oZIw9j12Sbo6ZjTRQR2AAZfTIwKNW2rraaQr4uOVhbyZLjrq9S5F3TA-3BXAbyAP0qmb-ta6sM71oRORUg7NDoS8S1JPzr8u0hkIPw6yxQBnNwQdPHtblTj46A8yToOgs0AORn001wqDJMz0UKUBYyymF5az=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></div><br /> In the world of Auroville!!!<br /><br /><p></p><p> </p><p> Our next day started off with a small run of 7 kms on the beach promenade. I wanted to run in tougher weather than in Bengalore to increase my endurance levels. After a tasty complimentary breakfast, we headed out to Auroville which was situated about 15 kms from our place. That was a different world by itself as it was established by Shri Aurobindo and The Mother in a forest. It is home to 3000 people of different nationalities who were engaged in some activity or other. There was a small museum, a coffee shop, and some shops selling clothes, accessories, food items. The presence of trees around makes us feel in the midst of the nature. Matrimandir, a domelike structure in Auroville which was opened only a few years back, unfortunately did not allow general public to go inside the structure to spend few quiet meditative moments and also experience the beauty of the structure by going inside it. The public were allowed to see it only from a distance. Even the pre-bookings were not there when we visited the place. That was, in a way, a dampener. Did they consider the Indian public to be unruly? The reasons are best known to them!! Before heading to the room, we visited a Botanical garden on the way which had nothing much to offer as it was made uninteresting and poorly maintained. All through, it was hot and sweating a lot. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipDkVsAJ9aenMiOhMnX406643DSdo8AopVJoQkz_gf94tzXJBycJs1cM-vJ2WFrZQOTJZ07e3ymgZpjZcKhVgBu6ZbWDbkQQtl-mRuPLxKtw0-3SgJK7YmFIZI5pq4Wna3Ef-zZp2Mlz35oN5bFEvsILnfiu6NSBj-sgCl2pcGZtGyGWMTRHLdQtiG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipDkVsAJ9aenMiOhMnX406643DSdo8AopVJoQkz_gf94tzXJBycJs1cM-vJ2WFrZQOTJZ07e3ymgZpjZcKhVgBu6ZbWDbkQQtl-mRuPLxKtw0-3SgJK7YmFIZI5pq4Wna3Ef-zZp2Mlz35oN5bFEvsILnfiu6NSBj-sgCl2pcGZtGyGWMTRHLdQtiG=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Promenade beach and Serenity beach</div><p></p><p><br /></p><p> As if it was an icing on the cake to our trip and a relief from the scorching heat, we had to welcome those unexpected mango showers after 7 o clock in the evening while walking on the Promenade beach. All the walkers scurried back to escape the rain. We made way to a pizza outlet and it was a memorable dinner amidst those heavy thunderstorms and power outage inside the pizza outlet. Even the generators could not withstand those power drips and we had a delicious medium sized pizza with the help of the light from the mobile phones!! It was a cooler night to end the scorching heat. </p><p> The next day, it was time to bid goodbye to the erstwhile French colony. As long as those few colonial buildings are preserved well in some of those streets with French names, the charm will be alive for tourists to come there. Gratitude Heritage does a good job in recreating those old days through the rooms with high ceilings, high cots with bedposts, a common living space with a gramophone, a typewriter, board games, old black and white photos. This homestay is situated in Rue Romain Rolland. </p><p> Pondicerry or Puducherry keeps beckoning me to visit, but I don't know when I will go back another time.</p><p>Deepa.</p><p>P.S. There are very few blogs I write which do not have photos, but I can't help posting photos when related to travel. A proficient writer will be describing a place in 1000 words, but I feel I still do not belong to that category. And as always, when I wrote about Pondicherry, I felt I traveled there again!!</p><p><br /></p>Deepa Nagarajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568890617413478281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013277587057023384.post-8689790058118740802022-02-26T20:17:00.001+05:302022-02-28T19:01:55.914+05:30Of Grandparents and great-grandparents<p> Hello everyone,</p><p> The word 'grandparents' for every adult usually invokes fond memories of their unconditional love and attachment. Normally, one has 2 sets of grandparents, 4 sets of great grand parents, 8 sets of great-great grandparents and so on. In Tamil, we address grandpa as thatha, great grand father as 'kollu thatha' , great - great grand father as ' ellu thatha'. The tree starts from parents and spreads out in multiples of 2. It is easy for us to know that there are 2 grandparents for anyone, as we would have seen and interacted with them during our childhood. But to imagine that one has 4 great- grandparents becomes a tad difficult. Depending upon the seniority of a child in a family, one can consider lucky if he/she gets to meet at least 1 or 2 of the great grandparents. </p><p> From my paternal side, I am one of the last among cousins. But that did not matter much as my paternal grandmother passed away when my dad was just 2 to 3 years old! We do not even have a photo of her, and so how she looked like remains an eternal curiosity. My paternal grandfather passed away just before the wedding of my parents. So we were not lucky enough to experience the love of our paternal grand parents. </p><p> My maternal side</p><p> --------------------------- </p><p><br /></p><p> As if it looked like a compensation, my maternal grandparents lived a long, good life. My grandfather passed away at the age of 97 and my grandmother passed away at the age of 89, though we thought either of them may touch 100! Every summer vacation of our childhood was spent in Chennai as my grandfather settled there after his retirement. And of course, myself and my sister have lots of stories of days spent with them in Besant Nagar. Our thatha who took us to the beach, temples, to libraries, nearby homes etc; thathi who cooked our favorite dishes, snacks. I do not want to deviate much from here describing the valuable time we spent with them. My grandmother had her own grandfather (her mother's father) who lived in Mandevalli (Chennai) with my grandmother's uncle!! So, he was my great-great grandfather whom I was lucky enough to visit though it was only once!! Unfortunately, I do not have a photo of him. He got so emotional seeing his great-grand daughter who is my mom, and myself (his great-great granddaughter). I remember him blessing me with all affection to grow up, get married and bring him his great-great-great grandchild! Of course, he passed away I do not know when! I got to meet my great-grandmother (of my maternal grandmother's mom) also only once. She lived in Mumbai with my thathi's brother and his family. I remember that she was gentle and smiling. Of course, just one visit is not enough to get to know more of them. I wish I could turn back the clock to make them come alive and take selfies with all of them!!! During her heydays, she lived near Vechur or Kottayam and my great-grandfather was a landlord. My mom doesn't know whether he had any other job. My amma's paternal grandparents i.e. my thatha's parents were well off. That ggf (great grandfather) was a school inspector and a famous astrologer. My thatha used to tell us lots of stories of his father's astrological genius. Many of the descendants of this side are academically and intellectually better off than my thathi's side. One of my grand aunts who is aged 97 has BA honours in Maths (equivalent to MSc these days) used to teach in a college and has good knowledge in many subjects. The senior grand-aunt's descendants are highly qualified and many of them settled abroad to chase their career dreams. There is still a photo of great grand parents (my maternal grandfather's parents) hung in my uncle's house. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhrd51NZVqvCWXPHbluE1SkZpbYA2rJsCDk6sK5xVBtOyl5EkxFaWcEscmadDN5ykej0MjYOL21y8H7tMnihOU_uQcuWDvE08HyCkzVQVsHbvpcsuLLyVEVhZxZDKW-CdNJaazb7f7SuA9ahuECwpZmqJWgau3Dxv07FWj3OCm0PfVGlOiPp4VSCPoU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="485" data-original-width="414" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhrd51NZVqvCWXPHbluE1SkZpbYA2rJsCDk6sK5xVBtOyl5EkxFaWcEscmadDN5ykej0MjYOL21y8H7tMnihOU_uQcuWDvE08HyCkzVQVsHbvpcsuLLyVEVhZxZDKW-CdNJaazb7f7SuA9ahuECwpZmqJWgau3Dxv07FWj3OCm0PfVGlOiPp4VSCPoU=w547-h640" width="547" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p> My great-grandparents (my mother's paternal grandparents) </p><p> Thanks Suresh </p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj8Wjo-uJ3lbWsDMrHGhdl7-wXOfYbiAoCEEBuUwtbF69fY1-z817UQuUqbP3g4NQgMbDkSBr5xlPc8llC-G6ZAtg3xeER1SKb-ITGZ06maiTJyFQrEiQpu-OdRvHkFbob2pg36k_mh9VY5pMu3qjhKNnOtTrZCN3jPO7aTm1NI07nbKQ5xdmo7CyS2" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj8Wjo-uJ3lbWsDMrHGhdl7-wXOfYbiAoCEEBuUwtbF69fY1-z817UQuUqbP3g4NQgMbDkSBr5xlPc8llC-G6ZAtg3xeER1SKb-ITGZ06maiTJyFQrEiQpu-OdRvHkFbob2pg36k_mh9VY5pMu3qjhKNnOtTrZCN3jPO7aTm1NI07nbKQ5xdmo7CyS2=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p> my maternal grandparents ....my thathi with her </p><p> eternal lovely glowing smile.</p><p><br /></p><p> My paternal side</p><p> ----------------------------</p><p> Forget about my paternal great grand parents, as I mentioned in the beginning we are not lucky to get the love and affection of my paternal grandparents as they passed away very early. My paternal grandfather used to work as an assistant in All India Radio and just earned enough to sustain the family of my dad, my 2 aunts. My grandmother passed away around 1949-1950 and she might have been in her 30s. My dad and my 2 aunts grew up in Pandalam with their maternal grandparents ( my paternal grandmother's parents). This great-grandfather used to maintain a big household of many of my dad's cousins along with my dad and 2 aunts. He was a cook who used to do mass cooking for weddings and other big functions. He was also a local priest (vadhyar) who used to go for rituals held in households for which he used to get a pittance as people hardly had generous money those days to pay these priests. Since their home was adjacent to Kaipuzha palace and close to Dharma Shastha temple, where Lord Ayyappa's jewels were kept, he was known to the people of the palace and the temple. During Ayyappa season, our ggf used to go with the procession who carried Lord Ayyappa's jewels on the journey to Sabarimala. The journey used to last for 10 to 12 days. He was the chief cook who used to supervise the cooking required for the army of men who travelled on the eve of 'Makara Jyothi.' My great-grandmother also used to cook in some homes to make the extra income required to feed the large family. My great grandparents (my dad's maternal grandparents) passed away in succession shortly after my parents' wedding. At least I have an image of them which I clicked when I went to my hometown. They would have had a humble background and lived hard lives trying to make both ends meet, but they are the reason that my dad had a commendable career as an Engineer 1st in BARC, Trombay and then in VSSC, Trivandrum!!! Yes, we owe to those rocket boys too!! ( Homi J Bhabha and Vikram Sarabhai). Not much is known about my appa's paternal grandparents. My dad told me years back that his paternal grandfather used to work in a temple somewhere close to Nager koil. </p><p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSp9WjCxJmTFQEVN3jhRy0K0VF2HIvt9n5JUN49GzvdtGs15NAIl-Te03MQQ-fF_2zZVwlW8rFnW-o1FTYSznbkvJ0cAJU_s1qy-I0f7mqYZ4iD6Z3bGSsQdVfGYSLa9G1bFKCrrgx_YZRWHhwNWiVmjoWpqNgoT14JAU52u115mfjtBu-zEs6jwjL" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSp9WjCxJmTFQEVN3jhRy0K0VF2HIvt9n5JUN49GzvdtGs15NAIl-Te03MQQ-fF_2zZVwlW8rFnW-o1FTYSznbkvJ0cAJU_s1qy-I0f7mqYZ4iD6Z3bGSsQdVfGYSLa9G1bFKCrrgx_YZRWHhwNWiVmjoWpqNgoT14JAU52u115mfjtBu-zEs6jwjL=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><br /> My paternal grandfather <p></p><p><br /></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi38AtoqkBzJUyBa044mHp_9d05hyY3EUQb6RZhUYHxnPpJdlkpRlxwlEG-rcXpZGjhnR0Z3ZY_KsHGJ5hkchAuueHvVuLdLNc9jxkig03PkrN1qN67L0srb3ElaKkuqrzAM9Du0KC08SXj88UiQ62GCuwN05F55pEW_2T4TX7mmCDPC9N5hvBug26p" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi38AtoqkBzJUyBa044mHp_9d05hyY3EUQb6RZhUYHxnPpJdlkpRlxwlEG-rcXpZGjhnR0Z3ZY_KsHGJ5hkchAuueHvVuLdLNc9jxkig03PkrN1qN67L0srb3ElaKkuqrzAM9Du0KC08SXj88UiQ62GCuwN05F55pEW_2T4TX7mmCDPC9N5hvBug26p=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"> My great grandparents ( my father's maternal grandparents)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQxq8ZvZuwoBoWBghHrSNYI9clSlQOjdEo6s-7QLNDM7nCWiE7Xbt65WEGN9Gi4AHHar-rg9V7d75-FXDMUV1IN5PLumbCgkGY-E_aAyZsrL-ZK_A8biYbC71157zQBw3LKjiUMetyDhikPDZKnvy2W4cpaSJZtwUJ6koMpLsgzPCxdHl8klfqGSPW" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQxq8ZvZuwoBoWBghHrSNYI9clSlQOjdEo6s-7QLNDM7nCWiE7Xbt65WEGN9Gi4AHHar-rg9V7d75-FXDMUV1IN5PLumbCgkGY-E_aAyZsrL-ZK_A8biYbC71157zQBw3LKjiUMetyDhikPDZKnvy2W4cpaSJZtwUJ6koMpLsgzPCxdHl8klfqGSPW=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p> My grand aunt or Chithi paati with her children ever so loving ( my dad's maternal aunt)</p><p> Thanks Chithra.</p><p> Writing about my ancestors most of whom I have not seen made me travel backwards and made me think about the lives they lived pre-independence and early post-independence period in India when the lives were really hard with less job opportunities. Though I\we have not seen them, we remember them with fondness and affection just by seeing their images. We owe to them in one way or other for the better and more comfortable lives we lead these days!!</p><p><br /></p><p>Love,</p><p>Deepa.</p><p><br /></p><p> </p><p><br /></p>Deepa Nagarajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568890617413478281noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013277587057023384.post-41242524289722217432022-01-16T18:39:00.003+05:302022-01-20T17:15:32.611+05:30Reticulated gas supply in India<p> Hi friends,</p><p>Disclaimer: My article may not be highly factual. </p><p> A wonderful new year to all of you. This time, i would like to write a few words on the fairly new way of supplying cooking gas to the Indian households which is piped gas supply. When my parents grew up in the post independence era, their families had to be content with laborious cooking on firewood or coal based hearths and kitchens which were blackened by the persistent smoke from the firewood. Slowly, the households in the cities started to use the single burner, portable kerosene stoves. I am not fully clear about the expenses for these kerosene stoves, but we used to keep one kerosene stove, for which we used to buy kerosene from the ration shops. I still have the smell of the ' infamous kerosene ' in my nostrils when I write this here. 'Infamous ' because it is/or was the favourite fuel in the Indian movies to self immolate or pour on an unfortunate soul to burn them!! Maintaining a kerosene stove and refilling it required a knack, and it needed to be attended all the time to avoid dangers. There used to be a valve or a knob on one side which was pressed up and down to bring up those bunches of wicks using the kerosene. The vessels used for cooking will be blackened, and cleaning is a task which cannot be imagined these days. </p><p> My parents were the 1st and proud owners to book the LPG connection and own a gas stove when they were newly married and living in a small neighborhood in Trivandrum. The other neighbours followed the suit. The gas stoves of those days had heavy bodies and the knobs were tight and one needs to have minimum strength to handle those knobs. The kerosene stove was still used for heating water, for deep frying snacks, and also as a standby in case the cylinder gets over. Happy days were when the 2nd cylinder was delivered within a day or 2 of booking. </p><p> In USA, where I stayed for a few years after my wedding, the gas stove which included the conventional oven, was connected by electric power supply. Unlike in India, there will always be uninterrupted power supply at all times, except in case of cyclones or tornadoes. If power breaks down there, the life comes to a total standstill. </p><p> When we shifted back to Bangalore few years back, our complex had newly introduced piped gas system or reticulated gas system. This was a/ and is still a new concept of supplying cooking gas to the Indian households in a more efficient way freeing lot of hassles. This facility is confined to newer and upcoming apartment societies. There will be gas banks in which a group of cylinders are placed near the walls , where they are attached to the pipes fixed on the walls. Through a series of gas pipes fixed from the basement to the individual apartments, the high pressure gas is regulated so that just enough fuel is circulated through the pipes. Just like a water meter, gas meter is fixed in a house for reading. For more technicalities and information, Google for reticulated gas supply and Mygate provides more accurate information. This eliminates so many hassles like keeping a full cylinder, booking for the next one, waiting for the person from the agency to deliver, switching on or off when not in use, changing the heavy cylinders each time which if not fixed properly can be a cause for the gas leak! I have been using the reticulated gas supply for some years and the convenience that comes with it is huge for not much of a cost difference. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibzhQfeiA6BXvw-BkZZ4YWOUoIGpmNxHRktwRNGikZgsEY92Xf_aVjVV3TlEZZ3kRy5ZcRCw8wgpiHs9SwlYmW8MZPRRy7kotOoBmjgasQm1dddXP9FfgP57HpfYaqxGofPTBHUFyc_NA/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1129" data-original-width="843" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibzhQfeiA6BXvw-BkZZ4YWOUoIGpmNxHRktwRNGikZgsEY92Xf_aVjVV3TlEZZ3kRy5ZcRCw8wgpiHs9SwlYmW8MZPRRy7kotOoBmjgasQm1dddXP9FfgP57HpfYaqxGofPTBHUFyc_NA/w298-h400/image.png" width="298" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs97t1k3D8BCBGQo1z4xaMtUL2tvHhfWKvAVmdjmNKPrVpO7i3c6m6g21A3ayQbjY8gLJVq3wJzZ16Bv4SFoUiL_lMGbsEfkv7l166bC0QPdsHmeHfAAXskbt6ULIFdRdCK8sVmp14_6g/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1129" data-original-width="843" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs97t1k3D8BCBGQo1z4xaMtUL2tvHhfWKvAVmdjmNKPrVpO7i3c6m6g21A3ayQbjY8gLJVq3wJzZ16Bv4SFoUiL_lMGbsEfkv7l166bC0QPdsHmeHfAAXskbt6ULIFdRdCK8sVmp14_6g/w298-h400/image.png" width="298" /></a></div><br /> The gas banks in our complex<p></p><p><br /></p><p> <span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;">Why is it confined to apartment societies?</span></p><p> As of 2019 census, only more than 50 lakh households are availing this option. In our country of 1.3 billion people, many of the rural households are yet to have a single LPG connection and use firewood for cooking. Our honourable Prime minister had announced to the 'rich and affordable' to 'surrender ' the 2nd connection so that a poor household can cook without using firewood. But in reality, the agents do not go to these less accessible rural areas to supply cylinders and hence refill cylinders fail to be supplied. Humans are slow in adapting to change. So in rural areas, families may keep cylinders aside and use firewood hearths, and in cities some families refuse to give up LPG cylinder connection for a change over citing cost variation. Also, to supply fuel through pipes to independent homes is an extensive task requiring innumerable common gas banks and digging up all over the areas for the installation of pipes. Though this will take a long time, Gas Authority of India is working with private companies like Reliance to realize the dream and move our country much forward. </p><p>Thanks,</p><p>Deepa.</p><p> </p><p> </p>Deepa Nagarajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568890617413478281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013277587057023384.post-84481491532549595792021-12-09T20:36:00.002+05:302021-12-09T20:36:35.393+05:30A trip to Mudigere<p> Hi friends,</p><p> Wishing all of you peaceful and good days this last month of this year. As with every year, this year too has almost whisked past us forcing us to welcome the approaching year and to look back this year with introspection. As always, I am the person who not only like to travel, but record the details of the journey to a new place. This year also, travel was restricted due to the deadlier second wave of the pandemic during April-May. It was heart-wrenching to witness many youngsters and middle-aged people in India die of Covid. As a result of that, there were crowds in the Government health centers and hospitals to get vaccinated at the earliest. Lucky people like us could wade through the second wave, hoping and praying there won't be any more waves and human losses.</p><p> Our leisure travel was also restricted this year. In the beginning of this year, we had gone to Mysore and renewed the details of that wonderful city again. After that, it was more of commitment travels. One place in my wish list is to visit the hill station Sakleshpur, which is more than 200 kms away from Bangalore. This is a hill station that is recently becoming popular with our folks, and I saw one of my friends describing it as 'Switzerland of India', though it sounded a bit exaggerated. But, Google gives us images full of greenery when we type 'Sakleshpur'!! We ended up going to a hill resort in a place known as Mudigere which is closer to Sakleshpur. This was because my husband had signed up to run an 80 km ultra run in Malnad , which is in the vicinity of Sakleshpur. Though, this was not the kind of trip I was looking for, it turned out to be a relaxing one, at least for me. One of the runners in our group had booked homestay in Kambalkaad resorts in Mudigere, which is 45 minutes away from the race location. </p><p> Some photos of Kambalkaad resort below...</p><p> </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXFd7scbNB2KpczHWiMEKDc0ik41Jt8HXYXQp8R_bQHmvpjqlKj1PAPv_P8aj2AK_6-T7o3vq1XAmLsMM8qnT1PX4X_fryI2v27DF245gvRmRMy_YcwvTP8bq-mnqjMoJlzUvDShpvtmU/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXFd7scbNB2KpczHWiMEKDc0ik41Jt8HXYXQp8R_bQHmvpjqlKj1PAPv_P8aj2AK_6-T7o3vq1XAmLsMM8qnT1PX4X_fryI2v27DF245gvRmRMy_YcwvTP8bq-mnqjMoJlzUvDShpvtmU/w300-h400/image.png" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYNxGE6yaHKIl0kZ3sJMc0Er0bIAiRM6hv95gmyxtV7WtXc_c9KUBntzp0EWq-P3bKHuYWEnSDgNnw9_xmYzA7aC_uyIPm8cK4NwkHen_5vVLlrG0wOfAMuBrBPTHLdvd5uL5uXNXDXZk/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYNxGE6yaHKIl0kZ3sJMc0Er0bIAiRM6hv95gmyxtV7WtXc_c9KUBntzp0EWq-P3bKHuYWEnSDgNnw9_xmYzA7aC_uyIPm8cK4NwkHen_5vVLlrG0wOfAMuBrBPTHLdvd5uL5uXNXDXZk/w400-h300/image.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0nszMy49HN-TSz6Z5Vnh1c_2Gz4S8F0UUX2EirVNjAMtyg2vudUKHcswTIeoz0pYk544q9VzqKzNcAxqfQuHOPuY55zr8Ea6zXaWMz7arOF1aCVjC8VhWZNZt-kq3It0zu8xTRKtE9FE/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0nszMy49HN-TSz6Z5Vnh1c_2Gz4S8F0UUX2EirVNjAMtyg2vudUKHcswTIeoz0pYk544q9VzqKzNcAxqfQuHOPuY55zr8Ea6zXaWMz7arOF1aCVjC8VhWZNZt-kq3It0zu8xTRKtE9FE/w400-h300/image.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCags_c7ceFGncmCXtu5-yo3DW1RiexBPBwlmPAyLr5v9x9dw8pfxPDJRCb4ExHsW6YqktefavwHhoc5qVnaGcbSlocCNyMG-jaFreSgrjzsnwMdy1j-HiqmU9AO5XXzHQp6wK1SjMMEA/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="450" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCags_c7ceFGncmCXtu5-yo3DW1RiexBPBwlmPAyLr5v9x9dw8pfxPDJRCb4ExHsW6YqktefavwHhoc5qVnaGcbSlocCNyMG-jaFreSgrjzsnwMdy1j-HiqmU9AO5XXzHQp6wK1SjMMEA/w480-h640/image.png" width="480" /></a></div><br /><br /></div> The quiet, contented doggie lady in front of the dorm room who is well taken care of by the people who work in resort!<p></p><p><br /></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwnODRF3HFcpmFin1V9W0aQD67gbGMKMOwaxiDDUSlw2X2YgrFujmaVrKtm5iIwwvUfn_zcyjhPR0R70r-TimdutWPKNj8dwOcEeLXuyRqvDosBb694AZqWWG4m-CP9GBaQHkyTWMETuM/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="330" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwnODRF3HFcpmFin1V9W0aQD67gbGMKMOwaxiDDUSlw2X2YgrFujmaVrKtm5iIwwvUfn_zcyjhPR0R70r-TimdutWPKNj8dwOcEeLXuyRqvDosBb694AZqWWG4m-CP9GBaQHkyTWMETuM/w220-h400/image.png" width="220" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><p></p><p> The run was held on November 27th and it was the 5th edition of the event which was started in the year 2016. This is considered as one of the toughest endurance runs in the midst of nature and wilderness, with some areas having the elevation of more than 2000 metres. Those who finish these runs, be it 50 kms or 80 kms, consider themselves to have reached the next level in their running. My husband who finished the 80 km run in 13.14 hours, is still on the top the world. I did not go to the race location, as one has to start off at the crack of the dawn to reach the location in Malnad. I decided to chill out in Kambalkaad resort, which was nothing short of heaven. This resort had very few home stays which included one dormitory room, and it was surrounded by coffee plantations and surrounded by huge mountains full of trees and plants. </p><p> Though the distance from our place to the resort was only about 230 kms which can be covered in 5 hours, our group decided to go to Belur Chennakeshava temple on the way. This was in my bucket list for a long time, though I had seen it many years back. That day, fortunately, it was not crowded. A guide was hired for half an hour for 400 Rs. He explained to us the stories behind those sculptures and the intricate carvings, and how it was restored from destruction after being originally built by the Hoyasala dynasty. Few temples like this one will be found in India and it is one of the most visited temples by the tourists. This one and Halibeed temple which is 30 km from Belur temple is worth visiting many times. I felt like I was transported to ancient Hindu temples in Cambodia or Thailand! Now is the best time to visit temple , if for tourist interest. During summers, it will be quite hot.</p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPrAZM4N3rITACLVtEcGH6-MbywRlpZz5GOD4XCI1w86C1gw7S3UyRQ_gScxDJlpgOtzFB1bn01JnXMFHh9HAPuvRAr82zc_Pb5cAPniKbxkO6nDPs1pHaoaTQxlL14NVbrVM_l9uC1z4/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="526" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPrAZM4N3rITACLVtEcGH6-MbywRlpZz5GOD4XCI1w86C1gw7S3UyRQ_gScxDJlpgOtzFB1bn01JnXMFHh9HAPuvRAr82zc_Pb5cAPniKbxkO6nDPs1pHaoaTQxlL14NVbrVM_l9uC1z4/w640-h640/image.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /> Belur Temple's timeless architectural beauty!!!<p></p><p> </p><p> Before heading to the resort, we stopped at Rock Garden restaurant to have a sumptuous lunch. After reaching Kambalakaad resort by evening, the ultra runners, which included my husband had early dinner, so that on the race day they could start off early. I stayed back just to spend a day slowly by watching coffee plantations outside and sipping coffee in the dining hall. There were no televisions in the rooms, but we do not miss any of it. Food is prepared everyday which is fresh from the kitchen, less spicy and oily and hence good for the stomach. I read some pages of non-fiction from my kindle. I took nature trail walks in the resort, and amidst the vastness of the nature, I felt so humbled and thankful. It was a day well spent. The staff were quite friendly and cheerful and they make one feel at home. </p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTOeTkiZTLMAfBSuMySs0h1jEoK4rDLLo2dKsCz3hcRz1HXj-AhXI9ANSa-UEskVMUJmn0yywLJajj-SVCh_yJV1-p-zcxenmHFgkFJomt7VLOzeOibXIJ2QhPgAXIaaAfBSMm3dPBU4k/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTOeTkiZTLMAfBSuMySs0h1jEoK4rDLLo2dKsCz3hcRz1HXj-AhXI9ANSa-UEskVMUJmn0yywLJajj-SVCh_yJV1-p-zcxenmHFgkFJomt7VLOzeOibXIJ2QhPgAXIaaAfBSMm3dPBU4k/" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Rock Garden restaurant on the way</div><br /><p></p><p> I will just write some sentences about Malnad ultra marathon in which my husband participated. First of all, I wish I was qualified enough to participate in that, but the race is quite tough because of distance and various levels of elevations. If I had the speed and pace in running which my husband has, I would have written some blogs on my running journey! But my pace is not great and it is going to take a long time to cross some landmarks like 1st full marathon. I have run a few half marathons though , and I will persist in running as it is one of my stress busters. My husband, along with his team, trained hard for a few months which included workouts in gym, running some full marathons almost every week which included a couple of 50 kms. Their hard work paid off , though it was challenging to finish the 80km distance!! My husband fell down while running downhill and ended up with minor bruises around 20 km, but that did not stop him from completing rest of the 60 kms. To achieve big goals in long distance running, I learnt that one needs to have a respectable pace and a good team to support you throughout. I have neither of that, except persistence . So, if circumstances persist, I may reach higher goals in running. Other thing which I noticed is that, women coming for running is comparatively very less due to morning commitments and the lack of support system here. This is comparatively better in the western world. </p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNOrJ8YSIdQSJRCOo0S5hac7hUmJOMpmBVFaIwgyCefUeDauZu0wjXk_EQzoFNUxcGOf47LDPaLTsg6R6Bls6cagtY821uoQ8JCL9gy-HZVsg2UP0KBlsS_xbTAJtfRw3Nrh-wD0mOCOE/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNOrJ8YSIdQSJRCOo0S5hac7hUmJOMpmBVFaIwgyCefUeDauZu0wjXk_EQzoFNUxcGOf47LDPaLTsg6R6Bls6cagtY821uoQ8JCL9gy-HZVsg2UP0KBlsS_xbTAJtfRw3Nrh-wD0mOCOE/w400-h300/image.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p> The awesome team of ultra marathon finishers!</p><p><br /></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjHk-PP9lNYyseKK4UMFhMeMLqUGWDWmVyB4Swt5R-vreJG2mNhcizleHEsE-iNsdLv81wkQv6OcYX0b1OLJYkSZF4ze_oVmwcoZ1LxbE1-7tiTH55_RQ7bttcPCjo6iFjbg5Lj9EB_RQ/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjHk-PP9lNYyseKK4UMFhMeMLqUGWDWmVyB4Swt5R-vreJG2mNhcizleHEsE-iNsdLv81wkQv6OcYX0b1OLJYkSZF4ze_oVmwcoZ1LxbE1-7tiTH55_RQ7bttcPCjo6iFjbg5Lj9EB_RQ/w300-h400/image.png" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My husband's prized 80 KM finisher medal!!</div><br /><p></p><p> On our way back, we took a slight deviation and visited a Shiva temple in Devar Mane. Close to that temple, we went for a short trek which offered breathtaking views from the top of the mountains, though it was a challenge to brave the strong winds while trekking. </p><p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdoBQZcFa2VUjEkjAGIvKyzz5rRFDtbMcT0m1-jSVp-jPpfBhz0ATjX-pgYivgdxK-iCcubqKH_2YnSj8HlvqCrxStB0DYETybG3yrilhyGKjW0bHi_B_5bDrNpswDuLcrScNJr3Er73g/" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdoBQZcFa2VUjEkjAGIvKyzz5rRFDtbMcT0m1-jSVp-jPpfBhz0ATjX-pgYivgdxK-iCcubqKH_2YnSj8HlvqCrxStB0DYETybG3yrilhyGKjW0bHi_B_5bDrNpswDuLcrScNJr3Er73g/w300-h400/image.png" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Devar Mane Shiva Temple</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje1N8jdolwPkObX5FYd5b0hemSRpJOISbsuRfYDKNctyYZEJd4VpK3lzkJDi04Z6hUUwC2znZ88QhfzA7m68xGGWPJ4cNsaACuSIH1GrQXBGmJ9AVv23cKs0Y9Ib85hn4a_5dtsIEc0kM/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje1N8jdolwPkObX5FYd5b0hemSRpJOISbsuRfYDKNctyYZEJd4VpK3lzkJDi04Z6hUUwC2znZ88QhfzA7m68xGGWPJ4cNsaACuSIH1GrQXBGmJ9AVv23cKs0Y9Ib85hn4a_5dtsIEc0kM/" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /></div> Beautiful view when we went for trek at Devar Mane<p></p><p><br /></p><p>Until next time,</p><p>Deepa.</p><p>P.S. Hope these photos wont detract you guys from reading....Happy reading and viewing photos!!</p><p><br /></p>Deepa Nagarajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568890617413478281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013277587057023384.post-31650288467315879432021-09-11T18:56:00.001+05:302021-09-12T09:39:38.144+05:30Behind the obvious!<p> Hi friends,</p><p> I had the intention of writing something about Tokyo Olympics, the Paralympics that followed and India' s sterling performances in both these Olympics. But because of postponement for no apparent reasons, it didn't happen and the steam died down. </p><p> Before I turn back again , another anniversary of the famous September 11 has arrived. This is a landmark anniversary as 20 years have passed after that fatal day, which changed the way America dealt with terrorism. It was my first trip to USA in 2001 and we were newly married. My husband left on September 4th, 2001 to California via Washington to arrange for our accommodation. I was to travel around end of September. Technologically, it was the early era of cell phones and also pre social media. I stayed back with my in-laws and tv, hotmail, rediffmail were the only other means to get information and stay connected. I was otherwise apprehensive as it will be real long hours by flight and I hate travelling by planes. But my love for exploring places beyond India keeps me going. My previous travel abroad was when my husband was posted in Isle of Mann, one of the British Isles between UK and Ireland. The stay in Isle of Mann and subsequent touring of London still remains special to me as my first trip abroad. Coming back to my US trip, I was preparing in every way for that debut journey. On the evening of September 11 (2001), I think it was raining incessantly for some hours in Hyderabad, and as a result we experienced power outage. That means we could not watch tv to see the updated news. My parents and my sister called from Trivandrum in our landline to check whether we watched the planes crashing into twin towers, World Trade Center etc. They wanted to confirm whether my husband safely reached California from Washington. Naturally, we were quite shaken up to hear that from them and my husband had not clearly communicated to us whether he reached San Francisco. It was a total feeling of helplessness and uncertainty, as the only means of communicating was through e-mail which he would not frequently check. I don't remember how I confirmed that he reached safe but I was trying all possible means. Maybe a colleague or someone confirmed that he already reached the West. He was just cool and calm, when he spoke to us after that and was oblivious to the kind of fears that we went through! After a few weeks, I headed to San Francisco with the thoughts that people like us will be heavily checked before being let off. I don't remember the security check in Mumbai airport, but after landing at San Francisco airport, I was just asked 1 or 2 questions like 'do you have pickles, sambar powder in your luggage' and that too with a smile. I felt relieved as we began our phase of life in US. </p><p> The 20th anniversary of the terror attack could not have come at a worse time, when US decided to pull out of Afghanistan after a failed war on combating terror leaving ordinary innocent Afghans at lurch when Taliban instantly conquered the presidential palace and re-establishing those nightmare days similar to 1996 to 2001. While some Afghan families, especially women and children, planned the escape to Western countries, millions remain trapped under the brutal rule. To add to that countries like Pakistan, China , Russia extend the support to this Government for their own ends. Every day, I keep praying for those women to escape that country to live freely. These kind of terrorist organizations continue to give bad name to the Muslim religion. For those uninitiated, and were too young during the 9/11 attacks, the ISIS and Taliban under Osama Bin Laden wanted to take revenge on US because of their continued support to Israel and their (US) army presence in some Middle East countries. </p><p> Before I sign out, I would like to say that the performance of Indian players in Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics were stellar. But the sad part is, we will remember only Neeraj Chopra and not paid attention to the Indian javelin thrower in Paralympics who not only won gold, but also created a new record. When our total medal tally in more than 100 years of Olympics is around 36, a small country like Netherlands which has population less than Kerala, had a total medal tally this time of 35! When the rewards for those medallists poured in from Government and other big companies, sportspersons like Aditi Ashok, the Indian men's relay team who came 4th and created a record for themselves were totally left out. Another irony is that most of these players including hockey teams had to hire foreign coaches to reach that level. There are lot of things to be said behind these obvious pictures, but I am stopping here.</p><p>Love,</p><p>Deepa.</p><p> </p>Deepa Nagarajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568890617413478281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013277587057023384.post-20600140035451829732021-07-26T11:35:00.007+05:302021-07-27T10:53:05.424+05:30My journey with music<p> Hi friends,</p><p>#longread #longpostalert </p><p> This is one area I was wanting to write for a long time. I am from a Tamil Brahmin family and it is common in our community to train girls in Carnatic music. When I was small, my dad arranged for a music teacher to come to my house to teach me in person twice a week. Those days, the music learning was more informal meaning that I did not pass certification courses of varied levels as is seen today. I learnt from basics up to keethanas for about 5 to 6 years and stopped when I reached 10th. My teacher or 'paattu vadhyar ' as we used to address her was short, soft spoken and simple and used to go to houses to make extra income other than from what she earned from a school. My parents did not have a musical background or knowledge and so I learnt just like a 'good girl ' without asking questions or doubts. We used to go to Chennai every year during our summer holidays to be with our grandparents and cousins. Our elder cousins were much ahead in Carnatic music and they were quick learners who sang songs at higher pitch (or sruthi) than what I could sing. One master used to come to teach my cousins in Chennai. As a child and very early into learning music, I was asked to sing the first geetham (short song) 'Shri Gana Natha' before that master. After I finished, instead of some encouragement and appreciation what I got to hear was the laughter from them at the way my teacher taught me and he started correcting me while my cousins were laughing. That was my first brush with comparison which continued for a long time. I was always hesitant to sing before them. Once, when they visited my hometown Trivandrum during their vacation, they sang 'Paadariye padippariye' from the Tamil hit movie Sindhu Bhairavi. They sang that complicated song, which included fast swaras in the end, with relative ease. This earned them lot of appreciation from our neighbours . When they sang this, I went and hid somewhere!!</p><p> My teacher diligently wrote down the lessons periodically in Malayalam language and marked the dates of each class in the last pages of the book for payment purposes. She used to give 8 classes a month for a nominal fees of only Rs 50 per month! The only thing that lacked in me was my willingness to practice all the time. I did practice to keep in touch but not enough to win competitions. I used to have stage fright while participating in competitions and naturally, I didn't win any prizes as it showed in my singing. I later sang in Brahmana sabha community gatherings with some training from another teacher and these performances boosted my confidence. I did not have any competition from my sister as she did not show much interest in learning music and I ended up learning what was taught to her. One thing which has stayed with me throughout my childhood upto now is listening to music which included Carnatic music, film songs, English songs, instrumental music etc. Being a true music lover, for me music is beyond language. This proved to be advantageous and disadvantageous as I could grasp tunes faster , but never the lyrics. We had a small transistor at home and I used to keep close to me most of the time and even took to bathrooms , so as not to miss out favourite programmes. As I learnt more lessons in Carnatic music, I got interested in finding out raagas of each song and I committed to my memory the characteristics of each raaga.</p><p> We have this funny tradition in our community where a girl is asked to sing a Carnatic song by the prospective groom's family during the fixing of the alliance. It is one of the 'qualifications ' a girl should be having other than cooking...😂😂..After the girl is married into another family, it is 'conveniently forgotten ' that she ever learnt music! It happened to me also. In my new family, some ladies claim to be experts in Carnatic music who would have been much ahead of M S Subhalakshmi, if not for the tiring domestic duties!! Of course, I was afraid to open my mouth and my little singing was buried under sand for many years. </p><p> To cut the long story short, after shifting back to Bangalore, I started singing during the annual day functions in our complex. After that, my friends requested me to teach their kids. I was hesitant at first not knowing what to teach and how to teach. I did not have sufficient depth of knowledge that is required for a ' vidwan ' or an expert. I started off with 5 students. During first few classes, I used to sweat a lot!! But after each class, I experienced some peace of mind which was not there before. Now I became a learner also. I started brushing up my old lessons and improvising on them. I took classes from another teacher through online for more guidance. I keep reading the theories in various media for more knowhow. Now with the conveniences never than before, I keep learning more devotional songs and slokas through YouTube to teach children. I started learning Pancharatna krithis of composer Shri Tyagaraja by listening to view and like Shri Balamurali Krishna, though there is long way to go. The thing with Carnatic music or music of any type is that the more you learn , the more you realise that you know very little about it. When each child joins to learn, it is renewed motivation for me irrespective of how long they stick around. I consider each class as a gift from the God and silently express gratitude to my teacher everytime. Many students have come and gone, but each of them taught me something. I have not reached the level to sing in concerts, but have sung in some big gatherings which has reduced my stage fright. As of now, I can sing anywhere without much fear, except in front of my own relatives who seem to know 'too much.' I still will not say I have a great voice and I have a limited range of pitch.</p><p> </p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIUIwJZdvO9J0KY0NBCT4HylIEgwBFhTFzzIeBNcaG3kwDm6Bzj-F7YzxsOpxmfD6x6IWZSWTLiJGmSw9XgMOj-GS44VoG685E7ZOXzrelIlb9gaR5XQgviScTjgU81kelzDIw-I9bKvw/s2048/16272794203951262241925323660063.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIUIwJZdvO9J0KY0NBCT4HylIEgwBFhTFzzIeBNcaG3kwDm6Bzj-F7YzxsOpxmfD6x6IWZSWTLiJGmSw9XgMOj-GS44VoG685E7ZOXzrelIlb9gaR5XQgviScTjgU81kelzDIw-I9bKvw/w300-h400/16272794203951262241925323660063.jpg" width="300" /></a></div> <div> My treasures!<br /><p></p><p> Before closing this topic, I would like to say that I have felt the regional differences and differential treatment meted out to singers from Kerala as compared to those from Tamil Nadu , Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka. There is still a kind of thinking doing rounds that all singers like me from Kerala know Swathi thirunal composition ' Deva Deva Kalayamithe ' and we have more nasal voice. When composers like Shri Tyagaraja are well known, Shri Swathi thirunal is still lesser known outside Kerala. Shri Swathi thirunal was a king of Travancore district who composed lot of krithis and a great patron of arts, but who unfortunately died in his early 30s. Whereas, Shri Tyagaraja lived upto 80 years. </p><p>Deepa.</p><p><br /></p><p>P . S. Some may observe whining going on here and there , but I couldn't help it. These points were there in my mind for a long time and I was looking for an outlet...Maybe, I need to grow up more!!</p></div>Deepa Nagarajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568890617413478281noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013277587057023384.post-52894347319302091302021-06-10T22:24:00.004+05:302021-06-11T07:47:35.216+05:30'Language problems' in India<p> Hi everyone, </p><p> In a multilingual country like India, it is of small wonder that there will be politics over different languages. A recent news of a hospital in Delhi banning the use of Malayalam among the nurses caught my attention. </p><p> As many of us are aware, majority of nurses working in the Indian hospitals are from Kerala. There are many nurses working abroad because of better pay than in India. Nursing job is among the thankless jobs which involves long working hours and in shifts and the pay being less compared to doctors. One day, a Nursing superintendent of G B Pant Hospital woke up and felt that he/she was tired of hearing too much of Malayalam and issued a notice directing the nurses to communicate either in Hindi or English among themselves while in hospital, as it was believed that the usage of the unknown Malayalam language was causing helplessness and inconvenience among the patients and colleagues. As expected, it received a strong backlash from the nurses and criticism from various quarters. This controversial order was withdrawn in a couple of days and an apology was issued for this insensitivity. It is appalling that when the whole of country is fighting the 2nd wave of pandemic and lot of medical staff including nurses are risking their lives, the priority was given to who should be speaking in what language! Nurses usually are quick learners and they do communicate with patients either in English or Hindi. Of course, it is anyone's fundamental right to converse in their mother tongue anywhere in the world. Talking in their mother tongue among themselves is a kind of stress buster and a way to deal with the never ending problems in the hospitals in a better way.</p><p> After independence, English became the unifying language and Hindi was declared as the national language as large population of North India spoke Hindi. This itself became more controversial as Hindi was imposed as one of the compulsory languages to be learnt in schools, especially in South India where the population is not comfortable with the imposed national language. But, the students of South India with dignity learnt it as another language and saw it as a vehicle to communicate in a better way with their North Indian fellow beings. Tamil Nadu still challenges this imposition of ' National language ' on them. As for rest of South Indians, even though they are not fluent in Hindi initially, if they have to be in North India, they quickly pick up the nuances of Hindi and converse very well. Recently, Hindi was declared as an official language. </p><p> The reverse is not always true. Many North Indians who migrate down south and be there for job opportunities do not make great efforts to learn the local languages and expect the locals to learn and talk to them in Hindi. Iam in Bangalore, the software city of India, for many years. Many North Indians have settled in Bangalore. I have read in school groups where the Hindi parents are cribbing about their wards having to 'compulsarily learn ' Kannada in schools! Of course, there will be backlash from others in support of their local language and arguing that ' when in Rome, do as Romans do .' There will be heated discussions and arguments as to if Hindi can be learnt by South Indians, why can't the North Indians learn the local language. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"> As of now, many kids of today in metro cities like Bangalore are losing their fluency in their mother tongue as they have to talk in English in schools and to their friends. Language is not just a language, but a combination of culture and emotions. All Indians should respect each and every spoken language and not try to suppress it like some politicians are doing now. Our country need to set aside these kind of petty politics and grow up more.</span></div><p></p><p>Deepa.</p><p> </p>Deepa Nagarajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568890617413478281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013277587057023384.post-78039799782537448762021-05-19T10:15:00.001+05:302021-05-19T10:15:48.087+05:30The advanced state where histories cannot be rewritten anytime soon!<p> Hi friends,</p><p> Some invicible ice blocks are much more hard to be broken than the real ice blocks! </p><p> When Mr, Pinarayi Vijayan won a resounding success this year to lead a successive term in Kerala as Chief Minister, a large part of it is to be attributed to the hard work put in by the health Minister K K Shailaja to contain COVID 19 crisis so that the positivity rate was one of the lowest not only in India, but around the world! Fondly known as Shailaja teacher, because she was a physics teacher before venturing into politics full time, the health ministry under her made lot of progress and put up a bold fight against Nipah virus. She gained international attention and some countries were looking her as a role model for their own fight against covid. Compared to many other states in India, the testing, tracking, spreading awareness and educating public about following covid protocol is much more efficient in Kerala. Everybody voted her hands down and she won the majority margin even more than the Chief Minister. Some are of the view that she is competent enough to even become a Chief Minister. Ok, in Kerala , a woman is not going to become a Chief Minister anytime soon which can be compared to USA, where Hillary Clinton couldn't become 1st woman president and instead , the country allowed the joker Trump to become president. Subsequently, the public were forced to swallow the bitter pills. </p><p> Did Shailaja madam know that there are chances she may not hold the much coveted portfolio again? Maybe. We can guess it either way! It looks like a dirty joke now , when she was allowed to contest again more for the benefit of the party than for herself. </p><p> The reasons given by the ruling Government like portfolios are to be rotated and new people should be given chance and that it is party's policy. But this is not easy to digest. It is beyond logical reasoning, that a hard working lady who was saving the state from the adversity should be dropped just like that. By doing so, she has become another K R Gauriyamma who held so many portfolios all through her life, except that of Chief Minister. If she were a man, she would have held at least 2 terms as Chief Minister. When some of the states already have a woman chief minister in the history and Mamta Banerjee being elected 3rd time as a woman Chief Minister, it is a shame that women like Shailaja teacher are not allowed to rise above certain point due to dirty tricks and continuing male ego!! </p><p> Rest in peace, gender equality! And for Shailaja teacher, a big salute for her sincere and exemplary services during her term!</p><p><br /></p><p>Deepa.</p><p> </p><p><br /></p>Deepa Nagarajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568890617413478281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013277587057023384.post-56068926974167822792021-05-13T19:56:00.007+05:302021-06-03T18:55:54.571+05:30A great Indian movie <p> Hello,</p><p> Fellow Indians, stay safe , healthy and follow covid appropriate behaviour to save yourself and people around you. This is obviously one of the toughest times India is facing due to the careless behavior of one section of population and the politicians who cared only about their own survival.</p><p> By seeing the title, I think some of you would have guessed what I am going to write about. 'The great Indian kitchen' which was released in January in the online platforms is a powerful, silently piercing movie, for which there will not be the likes of it anytime soon. Much has been said and written about it that I will not go into the length and breadth of this classic Malayalam movie. Those who are yet to watch this, I recommend this a must watch. If a movie needs to be good and powerful, the story, direction, cast should be good and it need not necessarily have superstars as this one has proved. It did prick the conscience of both the sexes in different ways. The film portrayed the lead women being the slaves of extreme levels of patriarchy in the so called 'prestigious ' family. The mother-in-law is not shown as cruel or domineering, but silently carrying out the daily monotonous chores which was to be borne with full responsibility later on when she leaves the home temporarily for family commitments. No one is demonized here. The daughter in law religiously carries out the repeated kitchen and other household chores. The lead roles played with perfection by Nimisha Sajayan and Suraj Venjaranmoodu deserves international recognition and even Oscar instead of some worthless Bollywood movies which are sent every year shaming the Indian cinema. We shudder at the repeated and unromantic way of showing the daily cooking, cleaning the whole mess after the men of the house eat. After sometime, it just starts piercing us and makes us feel to some extent uncomfortable and forces us to introspect our own trapped lives that is essayed by the society for centuries. Mentally , the ladies start defending by thinking that their lives are not this bad and trapped like what is shown. But many of them are still relatable and we grow up to the thought that it is a woman's responsibility to feed and look after her family wherever she is. The degree of responsibility may vary. There was one advertisement which caught my attention where the lady of the house trips and has leg sprain. The father-in-law hands over the pain reliever saying that 'tumhaare pair mein ek ghar padaa hai.' (The whole house runs on your feet...that much weight she is carrying). Men start defending themselves (at least some) by saying that they are not that insensitive and they 'help' the wives with the daily chores. Though the times are changing and easing out, we need to go a long way before we can pride on gender equality in the responsibility of household jobs. We should not be discussing like 'Oh, that lady does not cook and so she kept a cook ' instead of saying why can't he cook? Cooking is a skill required for survival and we need to stop attaching the gender to it. In the movie, the character who was a dance teacher had to pause her career to 'fit into ' the 'prestigious tharavaadu family.' The father-in-law softly and firmly does not allow her to become dance teacher by saying that her highly qualified mother-in-law was not allowed to be a working lady and that what these ladies do inside home are 'more valued' (by whom!!??) than those of collectors, bankers, engineers !! </p><p> Another topic which is usually not shown in Indian films, but which is very much prevalent is the untouchability and forced isolation during the days of menstruation. It would have brought back the painful memories to many ladies who were forced to isolate by other family members so that nothing is 'polluted ' by touching. It did bring in the memories to me of being isolated, lunch being given by my mother-in-law in a plate with katories for sambar, curry, curds and they to be washed and kept separately for 3 days. Also, like what was shown in the film, the announcement of periods invited shocked reactions as if something catastrophic took place!! Of course, it goes without saying that I needed to sleep on a mat and wash pillow covers and bedsheets on 'purification head bath ' during the 4th day. It was embarrassing for me if guests turn up during 'those days' and I have discouraged from some of them visiting during those days. Of course, for men of the house, sons-in-laws, no rules apply. As a last resort, her sex life was nothing but torture, forcing her to walk out of the house with dignity and become a dance teacher and alas, only to be replaced by another woman in the movie! </p><p> As expected, there was lot of heated discussions that followed all over the social media. Some of those which I saved are below. Please read them..It only highlights the relevance of this film.</p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijS7-mM_0ahyphenhyphen9EfuCrAtvOdU7lWiY83ucBDPLRHTz5y7BfeJKD_I_7nIY_46SaheZ3bRnfwb2AnpQtjQiZehsVA0ndcyqhWqvBWX3ik007OdLfRW8GPF1B2qIeeNaIxd57OWZRrz68Iwo/s2220/Screenshot_20210503-101802_Facebook.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2220" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijS7-mM_0ahyphenhyphen9EfuCrAtvOdU7lWiY83ucBDPLRHTz5y7BfeJKD_I_7nIY_46SaheZ3bRnfwb2AnpQtjQiZehsVA0ndcyqhWqvBWX3ik007OdLfRW8GPF1B2qIeeNaIxd57OWZRrz68Iwo/s320/Screenshot_20210503-101802_Facebook.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisb5FGz8beNgKH_oPXqU3Re3Omb_zPmqC0MMHWCKUHACv55VQR51kJFvaeeo-5YtdJMbm8-soP49E2q5pAVIvva9aiWs4fr3mTQr7_baHbT-LwzWGZfh3skidZQIadY8BmewTNE9t-jjo/s2220/Screenshot_20210503-101715_Facebook.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2220" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisb5FGz8beNgKH_oPXqU3Re3Omb_zPmqC0MMHWCKUHACv55VQR51kJFvaeeo-5YtdJMbm8-soP49E2q5pAVIvva9aiWs4fr3mTQr7_baHbT-LwzWGZfh3skidZQIadY8BmewTNE9t-jjo/s320/Screenshot_20210503-101715_Facebook.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFLcZSEqpIcU7BZhX-eX6618aJPlu7DUkhv87GkRvpQX7LdipAF1Vv_BW6NUSEGS788Nuu-Z4sWQBPhPMoHt1MHzrcvccnvvs77f5mG5dRLNmgQIvYwF_Kb41lUu7qP3Djt4SvE0UEUfI/s2220/Screenshot_20210503-101606_Facebook.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2220" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFLcZSEqpIcU7BZhX-eX6618aJPlu7DUkhv87GkRvpQX7LdipAF1Vv_BW6NUSEGS788Nuu-Z4sWQBPhPMoHt1MHzrcvccnvvs77f5mG5dRLNmgQIvYwF_Kb41lUu7qP3Djt4SvE0UEUfI/s320/Screenshot_20210503-101606_Facebook.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU-72ygSip-EsfZX9KlpOnZsdNLUifDkVeuBZDFW1cXnPOsrsTRqVnq6Q0Rv8KaMW5YgizWdw73feYFRn-KlR2al2o976V9N39FcAW4q-fvvRore9IHptVJKxkKGseLGDJ42nAgNryD6c/s2220/Screenshot_20210503-101524_Facebook.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2220" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU-72ygSip-EsfZX9KlpOnZsdNLUifDkVeuBZDFW1cXnPOsrsTRqVnq6Q0Rv8KaMW5YgizWdw73feYFRn-KlR2al2o976V9N39FcAW4q-fvvRore9IHptVJKxkKGseLGDJ42nAgNryD6c/w195-h400/Screenshot_20210503-101524_Facebook.jpg" width="195" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHk4JdUmT3wYNfwbvawrGda4lEsnKH2XY3waVD9S8jabhT-WEbCDTvricKvRC5rKnQQaM8qS5hb-ipgj5f7wN1ThFCqC3n76J38GpWGNhDqssBDbK2BHj9hvVEktAPl92a_HsEDUjf6oc/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1315" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHk4JdUmT3wYNfwbvawrGda4lEsnKH2XY3waVD9S8jabhT-WEbCDTvricKvRC5rKnQQaM8qS5hb-ipgj5f7wN1ThFCqC3n76J38GpWGNhDqssBDbK2BHj9hvVEktAPl92a_HsEDUjf6oc/w195-h400/image.png" width="195" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Below this is copy pasted the review posted by the macho man named Vijay Pathi who can very much fit those characters of the two men in the movie. He has 2 sons. Hope his daughters-in-laws pour muddy water on his face !!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="dati1w0a f10w8fjw hv4rvrfc discj3wi" style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding: 16px 16px 12px; text-align: start;"><div style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="a8nywdso j7796vcc rz4wbd8a l29c1vbm" style="font-family: inherit; padding: 14px 0px;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v knj5qynh oo9gr5id" dir="auto" style="color: var(--primary-text); display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;">Great for Swiggy & Zomato types to produce and sponsor !!!!<br /><br />MNC pharma companies and corporate hospitals can Co Produce too !<br /><br />First ...the beautiful.....Indian Joint Family system was systematically damaged with stupid notions of lack of privacy , independent living & sheer selfishness ..self centred thinking. The consequences are old age homes....aged parents being abandoned.....tiny kids being left in creches and playschools to be taken care by ayahs and staff .<br /><br />Now ....liberal Filmmakers are attacking the fabulous Indian Kitchen.....in the name of drudgery , patriarchy , female emancipation and what not .<br /><br />Already , thousands of Indian homes ... particularly nuclear families and millenialls have stopped cooking at home and ordering from Swiggy & Zomato types.<br /><br />Consequences are life style based diseases ... mushrooming of hospitals .... surgeries and annual diagnostic pilgrimages. Corporate hospitals have unique packages....keep deserting our kitchens and feed the coffers of multinational pharma companies and corporate hospitals.<br /><br />Kitchen is the heart of our homes.....our cooking....our recipes are treasures ....passed down from generation to generation . Many homes and families have already lost the treasures....forever . It's a disaster.<br /><br />There are atleast hundred different varieties of rice.....tens of varieties of pepper ....if kitchens don't exist....then.... families depend on packaged food or hotels churning out standard food made from unhealthy ingredients. We will lose our wealth of knowledge and understanding of our cooking methods and techniques....each ingredient has a role to play....each season has a particular food ....winters .. have their own food....summers have special food... pregnant women have specific needs....each comes out beautifully from Our Indian Kitchen .<br /><br />Our cooking process is elaborate... making the best use of every ingredient....every flavor...every nuance....it's medicinal too....it's therapeutic ...it's an stellar art.....this film portrays it as drudgery , boring and stretched.<br /><br />During Covid19 pandemic.... millions of kitchens saved millions of lives....Kadha , Kashayam became the norm.....India handled Covid19 way better than...modern , advanced nations....& our kitchens had a major role to play.<br /><br />Vastu Shastra has specific methodology in both placement and design of the kitchen....and gives it utmost importance.<br /><br />Not entering the kitchen during menstruation...is basically to ensure a holiday from work and physical exhaustion....it's implementation is through the notion of impurity.....may be it's flawed ...but...the reasoning is sound....even sexual absentation is executed by the same notion of impurity. Else...we will never listen or implement.<br /><br />It's a 4 days painful period ....bad design by the almighty....don't know...why such a seriously dented design was chosen by God for the female anatomy. Unfortunately...the notion of menstrual impurity has taken prominence .... overlooking the underlying reasons , which are eminently scientific and based on our body physiology.<br /><br />The word " impurity " was used to enforce the restrictions required for the wellbeing of women during menstruation....it should not be taken literally<br /><br />This film .... seriously destroys everything fabulous about Our Indian Kitchen...Our Traditions & Culture .<br /><br />Food is intrinsic part of our Culture....Our way of Life....and that takes lovely shape in The Great Indian Kitchen !!!!<br /><br />I am not venturing into...writing about...why only women must control the kitchen.....and why men must work on road construction projects....coal mines....steel plants , mechanic garages or be a rickshaw puller or a truck driver.<br /><br />That's for a different day.<br /><br />If cooking is drudgery .....what should a rickshaw puller say about his work......he toils in hot sun for 14 hours....just to feed his family.....or ....even better....to ask a truck driver....who spends months together on highways ....away from his wife and kids.<br /><br />One must avoid making a big scam about men reading newspapers for 20 minutes in the mornings ....while women of the house are brewing fresh ....hot filter coffee !!!! <div class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl oo9gr5id gpro0wi8 lrazzd5p" role="button" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--primary-text); cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0">See Less</div></span></div></div><div class="j83agx80" style="display: flex; font-family: inherit;"></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: start;"><div style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="l9j0dhe7" style="font-family: inherit; position: relative;"><div class="bp9cbjyn m9osqain j83agx80 jq4qci2q bkfpd7mw a3bd9o3v kvgmc6g5 wkznzc2l oygrvhab dhix69tm jktsbyx5 rz4wbd8a osnr6wyh a8nywdso s1tcr66n" style="align-items: center; border-bottom: 1px solid var(--divider); color: var(--secondary-text); display: flex; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; justify-content: flex-end; line-height: 1.3333; margin: 0px 16px; padding: 10px 0px;"><div class="bp9cbjyn j83agx80 buofh1pr ni8dbmo4 stjgntxs" style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-grow: 1; font-family: inherit; overflow: hidden;"><span aria-label="See who reacted to this" class="du4w35lb" role="toolbar" style="font-family: inherit; z-index: 0;"><span class="bp9cbjyn j83agx80 b3onmgus" style="align-items: center; display: flex; font-family: inherit; padding-left: 4px;"><span class="np69z8it et4y5ytx j7g94pet b74d5cxt qw6c0r16 kb8x4rkr ed597pkb omcyoz59 goun2846 ccm00jje s44p3ltw mk2mc5f4 qxh1up0x qtyiw8t4 tpcyxxvw k0bpgpbk hm271qws rl04r1d5 l9j0dhe7 ov9facns kavbgo14" style="border-bottom-color: var(--card-background); border-left-color: var(--card-background); border-radius: 11px; border-right-color: var(--card-background); border-style: solid; border-top-color: var(--card-background); border-width: 2px; font-family: inherit; height: 18px; margin-left: -4px; position: relative; width: 18px; z-index: 2;"><span class="t0qjyqq4 jos75b7i j6sty90h kv0toi1t q9uorilb hm271qws ov9facns" style="border-radius: 9px; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; height: 18px; width: 18px;"><span class="tojvnm2t a6sixzi8 abs2jz4q a8s20v7p t1p8iaqh k5wvi7nf q3lfd5jv pk4s997a bipmatt0 cebpdrjk qowsmv63 owwhemhu dp1hu0rb dhp61c6y iyyx5f41" style="align-items: inherit; align-self: inherit; display: inherit; flex-direction: inherit; flex: inherit; font-family: inherit; height: inherit; max-height: inherit; max-width: inherit; min-height: inherit; min-width: inherit; place-content: inherit; width: inherit;"><div aria-label="Like: 27 people" class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl l9j0dhe7 abiwlrkh p8dawk7l" role="button" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: none;" tabindex="0"><img class="j1lvzwm4" height="18" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' xmlns:xlink='http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink' viewBox='0 0 16 16'%3e%3cdefs%3e%3clinearGradient id='a' x1='50%25' x2='50%25' y1='0%25' y2='100%25'%3e%3cstop offset='0%25' stop-color='%2318AFFF'/%3e%3cstop offset='100%25' stop-color='%230062DF'/%3e%3c/linearGradient%3e%3cfilter id='c' width='118.8%25' height='118.8%25' x='-9.4%25' y='-9.4%25' filterUnits='objectBoundingBox'%3e%3cfeGaussianBlur in='SourceAlpha' result='shadowBlurInner1' stdDeviation='1'/%3e%3cfeOffset dy='-1' in='shadowBlurInner1' result='shadowOffsetInner1'/%3e%3cfeComposite in='shadowOffsetInner1' in2='SourceAlpha' k2='-1' k3='1' operator='arithmetic' result='shadowInnerInner1'/%3e%3cfeColorMatrix in='shadowInnerInner1' values='0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.299356041 0 0 0 0 0.681187726 0 0 0 0.3495684 0'/%3e%3c/filter%3e%3cpath id='b' d='M8 0a8 8 0 00-8 8 8 8 0 1016 0 8 8 0 00-8-8z'/%3e%3c/defs%3e%3cg fill='none'%3e%3cuse fill='url(%23a)' xlink:href='%23b'/%3e%3cuse fill='black' filter='url(%23c)' xlink:href='%23b'/%3e%3cpath fill='white' d='M12.162 7.338c.176.123.338.245.338.674 0 .43-.229.604-.474.725a.73.73 0 01.089.546c-.077.344-.392.611-.672.69.121.194.159.385.015.62-.185.295-.346.407-1.058.407H7.5c-.988 0-1.5-.546-1.5-1V7.665c0-1.23 1.467-2.275 1.467-3.13L7.361 3.47c-.005-.065.008-.224.058-.27.08-.079.301-.2.635-.2.218 0 .363.041.534.123.581.277.732.978.732 1.542 0 .271-.414 1.083-.47 1.364 0 0 .867-.192 1.879-.199 1.061-.006 1.749.19 1.749.842 0 .261-.219.523-.316.666zM3.6 7h.8a.6.6 0 01.6.6v3.8a.6.6 0 01-.6.6h-.8a.6.6 0 01-.6-.6V7.6a.6.6 0 01.6-.6z'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/svg%3e" style="border: 0px; vertical-align: top;" width="18" /></div></span></span></span><span class="np69z8it et4y5ytx j7g94pet b74d5cxt qw6c0r16 kb8x4rkr ed597pkb omcyoz59 goun2846 ccm00jje s44p3ltw mk2mc5f4 qxh1up0x qtyiw8t4 tpcyxxvw k0bpgpbk hm271qws rl04r1d5 l9j0dhe7 ov9facns tkr6xdv7" style="border-bottom-color: var(--card-background); border-left-color: var(--card-background); border-radius: 11px; border-right-color: var(--card-background); border-style: solid; border-top-color: var(--card-background); border-width: 2px; font-family: inherit; height: 18px; margin-left: -4px; position: relative; width: 18px; z-index: 1;"><span class="t0qjyqq4 jos75b7i j6sty90h kv0toi1t q9uorilb hm271qws ov9facns" style="border-radius: 9px; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; height: 18px; width: 18px;"><span class="tojvnm2t a6sixzi8 abs2jz4q a8s20v7p t1p8iaqh k5wvi7nf q3lfd5jv pk4s997a bipmatt0 cebpdrjk qowsmv63 owwhemhu dp1hu0rb dhp61c6y iyyx5f41" style="align-items: inherit; align-self: inherit; display: inherit; flex-direction: inherit; flex: inherit; font-family: inherit; height: inherit; max-height: inherit; max-width: inherit; min-height: inherit; min-width: inherit; place-content: inherit; width: inherit;"><div aria-label="Love: 3 people" class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl l9j0dhe7 abiwlrkh p8dawk7l" role="button" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: none;" tabindex="0"><img class="j1lvzwm4" height="18" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' xmlns:xlink='http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink' viewBox='0 0 16 16'%3e%3cdefs%3e%3clinearGradient id='a' x1='50%25' x2='50%25' y1='0%25' y2='100%25'%3e%3cstop offset='0%25' stop-color='%23FF6680'/%3e%3cstop offset='100%25' stop-color='%23E61739'/%3e%3c/linearGradient%3e%3cfilter id='c' width='118.8%25' height='118.8%25' x='-9.4%25' y='-9.4%25' filterUnits='objectBoundingBox'%3e%3cfeGaussianBlur in='SourceAlpha' result='shadowBlurInner1' stdDeviation='1'/%3e%3cfeOffset dy='-1' in='shadowBlurInner1' result='shadowOffsetInner1'/%3e%3cfeComposite in='shadowOffsetInner1' in2='SourceAlpha' k2='-1' k3='1' operator='arithmetic' result='shadowInnerInner1'/%3e%3cfeColorMatrix in='shadowInnerInner1' values='0 0 0 0 0.710144928 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.117780134 0 0 0 0.349786932 0'/%3e%3c/filter%3e%3cpath id='b' d='M8 0a8 8 0 100 16A8 8 0 008 0z'/%3e%3c/defs%3e%3cg fill='none'%3e%3cuse fill='url(%23a)' xlink:href='%23b'/%3e%3cuse fill='black' filter='url(%23c)' xlink:href='%23b'/%3e%3cpath fill='white' d='M10.473 4C8.275 4 8 5.824 8 5.824S7.726 4 5.528 4c-2.114 0-2.73 2.222-2.472 3.41C3.736 10.55 8 12.75 8 12.75s4.265-2.2 4.945-5.34c.257-1.188-.36-3.41-2.472-3.41'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/svg%3e" style="border: 0px; vertical-align: top;" width="18" /></div></span></span></span></span></span><div class="" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="tojvnm2t a6sixzi8 abs2jz4q a8s20v7p t1p8iaqh k5wvi7nf q3lfd5jv pk4s997a bipmatt0 cebpdrjk qowsmv63 owwhemhu dp1hu0rb dhp61c6y iyyx5f41" style="align-items: inherit; align-self: inherit; display: inherit; flex-direction: inherit; flex: inherit; font-family: inherit; height: inherit; max-height: inherit; max-width: inherit; min-height: inherit; min-width: inherit; place-content: inherit; width: inherit;"><div class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 a8c37x1j p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl l9j0dhe7 abiwlrkh p8dawk7l gmql0nx0 ce9h75a5 ni8dbmo4 stjgntxs" role="button" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; max-height: 1.3333em; outline: none; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: none;" tabindex="0"><span aria-hidden="true" class="bzsjyuwj ni8dbmo4 stjgntxs ltmttdrg gjzvkazv" style="float: left; font-family: inherit; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; width: 100px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="gpro0wi8 pcp91wgn" style="font-family: inherit; padding-left: 6px;">30</span></span></span><span class="gpro0wi8 cwj9ozl2 bzsjyuwj ja2t1vim" style="background-color: var(--card-background); float: left; font-family: inherit; margin-left: -100px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="pcp91wgn" style="font-family: inherit; padding-left: 6px;">30</span></span></span></div></span></div></div><div class="bp9cbjyn j83agx80 pfnyh3mw p1ueia1e" style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: inherit; height: 22px;"><div class="gtad4xkn" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: 7px;"><div class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl l9j0dhe7 abiwlrkh gpro0wi8 dwo3fsh8 ow4ym5g4 auili1gw du4w35lb gmql0nx0" role="button" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; appearance: none; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: none; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v knj5qynh m9osqain" dir="auto" style="color: var(--secondary-text); display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;">21 Comments</span></div></div><div class="gtad4xkn" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: 7px;"><span class="tojvnm2t a6sixzi8 abs2jz4q a8s20v7p t1p8iaqh k5wvi7nf q3lfd5jv pk4s997a bipmatt0 cebpdrjk qowsmv63 owwhemhu dp1hu0rb dhp61c6y iyyx5f41" style="align-items: inherit; align-self: inherit; display: inherit; flex-direction: inherit; flex: inherit; font-family: inherit; height: inherit; max-height: inherit; max-width: inherit; min-height: inherit; min-width: inherit; place-content: inherit; width: inherit;"><div class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl l9j0dhe7 abiwlrkh gpro0wi8 dwo3fsh8 ow4ym5g4 auili1gw du4w35lb gmql0nx0" role="button" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; appearance: none; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: none; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v knj5qynh m9osqain" dir="auto" style="color: var(--secondary-text); display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;">4 Shares</span></div></span></div></div></div></div><div class="tvfksri0 ozuftl9m jmbispl3 olo4ujb6" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: 12px; margin-right: 12px;"><div class="rq0escxv l9j0dhe7 du4w35lb j83agx80 pfnyh3mw i1fnvgqd gs1a9yip owycx6da btwxx1t3 ph5uu5jm b3onmgus e5nlhep0 ecm0bbzt nkwizq5d roh60bw9 mysgfdmx hddg9phg" style="align-items: stretch; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: inherit; justify-content: space-between; margin: -6px -2px; padding: 4px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="rq0escxv l9j0dhe7 du4w35lb j83agx80 cbu4d94t g5gj957u d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz rj1gh0hx buofh1pr n8tt0mok hyh9befq iuny7tx3 ipjc6fyt" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex: 1 1 0px; font-family: inherit; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; padding: 6px 2px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div aria-label="Like" class="oajrlxb2 gs1a9yip g5ia77u1 mtkw9kbi tlpljxtp qensuy8j ppp5ayq2 goun2846 ccm00jje s44p3ltw mk2mc5f4 rt8b4zig n8ej3o3l agehan2d sk4xxmp2 rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 pq6dq46d mg4g778l btwxx1t3 pfnyh3mw p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x tgvbjcpo hpfvmrgz jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso l9j0dhe7 i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of du4w35lb lzcic4wl abiwlrkh p8dawk7l" role="button" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; align-items: stretch; background-color: transparent; border-bottom-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-left-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-right-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-style: solid; border-top-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline-flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: row; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: none; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><div class="rq0escxv l9j0dhe7 du4w35lb j83agx80 g5gj957u rj1gh0hx buofh1pr hpfvmrgz taijpn5t bp9cbjyn owycx6da btwxx1t3 d1544ag0 tw6a2znq jb3vyjys dlv3wnog rl04r1d5 mysgfdmx hddg9phg qu8okrzs g0qnabr5" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; flex: 1 1 0px; font-family: inherit; height: 44px; justify-content: center; margin: -6px -4px; min-width: 0px; padding-left: 12px; padding-right: 12px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative; white-space: nowrap; z-index: 0;"><div class="rq0escxv l9j0dhe7 du4w35lb j83agx80 cbu4d94t pfnyh3mw d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz ph5uu5jm b3onmgus iuny7tx3 ipjc6fyt" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: inherit; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; padding: 6px 4px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><span class=" pq6dq46d" style="display: inline-flex; font-family: inherit;"><i class="hu5pjgll m6k467ps" data-visualcompletion="css-img" style="background-image: url("https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/rsrc.php/v3/y3/r/E8rIjMCmUd1.png"); background-position: 0px -126px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: auto; display: inline-block; filter: var(--filter-secondary-icon); height: 18px; vertical-align: -0.25em; width: 18px;"></i></span></div><div class="rq0escxv l9j0dhe7 du4w35lb j83agx80 cbu4d94t pfnyh3mw d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz ph5uu5jm b3onmgus iuny7tx3 ipjc6fyt" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: inherit; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; padding: 6px 4px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v lrazzd5p m9osqain" dir="auto" style="color: var(--secondary-text); display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Like</span></span></div></div><div class="n00je7tq arfg74bv qs9ysxi8 k77z8yql i09qtzwb n7fi1qx3 b5wmifdl hzruof5a pmk7jnqg j9ispegn kr520xx4 c5ndavph art1omkt ot9fgl3s" data-visualcompletion="ignore" style="border-radius: 4px; font-family: inherit; inset: 0px; opacity: 0; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; transition-duration: var(--fds-duration-extra-extra-short-out); transition-property: opacity; 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flex-direction: row; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; outline: none; padding: 13px 0px; position: absolute; right: 6px; text-align: inherit; top: 1px; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: none; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><i class="hu5pjgll m6k467ps" data-visualcompletion="css-img" style="background-image: url("https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/rsrc.php/v3/yy/r/honU5q1wPnq.png"); background-position: 0px -1021px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: auto; display: inline-block; filter: var(--filter-secondary-icon); height: 16px; vertical-align: -0.25em; width: 16px;"></i><div class="n00je7tq arfg74bv qs9ysxi8 k77z8yql i09qtzwb n7fi1qx3 b5wmifdl hzruof5a pmk7jnqg j9ispegn kr520xx4 c5ndavph art1omkt ot9fgl3s" data-visualcompletion="ignore" style="border-radius: inherit; font-family: inherit; inset: 0px; opacity: 0; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; transition-duration: var(--fds-duration-extra-extra-short-out); 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z-index: 0;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v lrazzd5p m9osqain" dir="auto" style="color: var(--secondary-text); display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;">Comment</span></div></div><div class="n00je7tq arfg74bv qs9ysxi8 k77z8yql i09qtzwb n7fi1qx3 b5wmifdl hzruof5a pmk7jnqg j9ispegn kr520xx4 c5ndavph art1omkt ot9fgl3s" data-visualcompletion="ignore" style="border-radius: 4px; font-family: inherit; inset: 0px; opacity: 0; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; transition-duration: var(--fds-duration-extra-extra-short-out); transition-property: opacity; transition-timing-function: var(--fds-animation-fade-out);"></div></div></div><div class="rq0escxv l9j0dhe7 du4w35lb j83agx80 cbu4d94t g5gj957u d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz rj1gh0hx buofh1pr n8tt0mok hyh9befq iuny7tx3 ipjc6fyt" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex: 1 1 0px; font-family: inherit; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; padding: 6px 2px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div aria-label="Send this to friends or post it on your timeline." class="oajrlxb2 gs1a9yip g5ia77u1 mtkw9kbi tlpljxtp qensuy8j ppp5ayq2 goun2846 ccm00jje s44p3ltw mk2mc5f4 rt8b4zig n8ej3o3l agehan2d sk4xxmp2 rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 pq6dq46d mg4g778l btwxx1t3 pfnyh3mw p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x tgvbjcpo hpfvmrgz jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso l9j0dhe7 i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of du4w35lb lzcic4wl abiwlrkh p8dawk7l" role="button" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; align-items: stretch; background-color: transparent; border-bottom-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-left-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-right-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-style: solid; border-top-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline-flex; 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font-family: inherit; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; padding: 6px 4px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><i class="hu5pjgll m6k467ps" data-visualcompletion="css-img" style="background-image: url("https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/rsrc.php/v3/y3/r/E8rIjMCmUd1.png"); background-position: 0px -145px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: auto; display: inline-block; filter: var(--filter-secondary-icon); height: 18px; vertical-align: -0.25em; width: 18px;"></i></div><div class="rq0escxv l9j0dhe7 du4w35lb j83agx80 cbu4d94t pfnyh3mw d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz ph5uu5jm b3onmgus iuny7tx3 ipjc6fyt" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: inherit; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; padding: 6px 4px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v lrazzd5p m9osqain" dir="auto" style="color: var(--secondary-text); display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;">Share</span></div></div><div class="n00je7tq arfg74bv qs9ysxi8 k77z8yql i09qtzwb n7fi1qx3 b5wmifdl hzruof5a pmk7jnqg j9ispegn kr520xx4 c5ndavph art1omkt ot9fgl3s" data-visualcompletion="ignore" style="border-radius: 4px; font-family: inherit; inset: 0px; opacity: 0; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; transition-duration: var(--fds-duration-extra-extra-short-out); transition-property: opacity; transition-timing-function: var(--fds-animation-fade-out);"></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /><p></p><p> The movie that gave us lot of 'food for thought '. </p><p><br /></p><p>See you folks yet again in next post...</p><p><br /></p><p>Deepa.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> </p><p> </p><p><br /></p>Deepa Nagarajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568890617413478281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013277587057023384.post-7487505552289468352021-04-16T21:35:00.001+05:302021-04-16T21:35:40.706+05:30Dosas<p> Hi friends, </p><p> Why don't I write something on my birthday? As I have told before, in this space, I can write about anything under sun. Well, not always. I can't freely express my political views because they are contrary to the majority. Since, I have not joined any political party, it is waste of energy putting down my political thoughts here. </p><p> One safe and universal topic I can always write about is food. I am a medium foodie which does show in my body!! I like all kinds of food which are vegetarian and that includes global varieties of cuisines. Some of them are Mexican, Chinese, Thai, Italian, English, Mediterranean, a host of unknown cuisines and of course Indian. Indian means all of South Indian cuisines and North Indian. South Indian means Madaraasi, as addressed by Hindi people! And Madaraasi means idlis, dosas, sambar, chutney! I am a Tamilian from Kerala, who is always fond of dosas. That does not mean I am less fond of idlis. Dosas definitiely have much deserved global recognition, even though late, due to its crispiness, spice and its endless varieties. USA's Huffington post listed Masala dosa as among the top 10 dishes to be tried before one dies. This was way back in 2012. </p><p> In my home, I usually have at least 2 varieties of dosa batter in the refrigerator any day. I do not buy readymade batters except in the case of emergencies, as I will never know fully what its contents are and in which proportion. The idle/dosa batter will be there all the time. The other dosa batters are that of rava dosa, 2 varieties of Pesarattus ( moong daal or green gram daal), Ada dosa which is made of 3 to 4 varieties of lentils, dosa made of raw rice and coconut, oats dosa, wheat dosa. Did I miss out anything? There are many avataars with idli/dosa batter alone. Idlis made out of fresh and fermented batter are the soft, fluffy and steaming idlis accompanied by gun powder or molagai podi or chutney/sambar are something to die for. Then the items that follow are crispy plain dosas, masala dosas, kuzhi paniyarams, onion oothappams or soft fluffy thick dosas etc. The idli/dosa batter is a kind of back up which we keep. All other dosa batters are prepared every week in rotation. Most of the time, I make one variety dosa and one basic/plain dosa. My favorite accompaniment is gun powder or coconut chutney. My kind of comfort dosa is the one made from the batter of raw rice and coconut. I can have it anytime of the day! </p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSghZZhV6vnvmjUZmJezr1XnC_M8Yu7sH-ud7WyKsAeaH5EKtbVndU-UHemmUoidBSQrD8HlmBvqTh37PPhpm8vHF4YgvBfpBbaBnSPQdvEp6ZJJ1SI4ddJgv-P_YKR_JZ3PMmiRz9Xtw/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="476" data-original-width="476" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSghZZhV6vnvmjUZmJezr1XnC_M8Yu7sH-ud7WyKsAeaH5EKtbVndU-UHemmUoidBSQrD8HlmBvqTh37PPhpm8vHF4YgvBfpBbaBnSPQdvEp6ZJJ1SI4ddJgv-P_YKR_JZ3PMmiRz9Xtw/w400-h400/image.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p> Oats dosa with spices and ingredients added.</p><p> Well, this topic had been lying as a draft for the past few months and as I intend to post this before my birthday ends, I am stopping here and making it short and sweet. Happy dosa eating, all of you.</p><p>Love,</p><p>Deepa.</p><p><br /></p>Deepa Nagarajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568890617413478281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013277587057023384.post-7251689035961933152021-04-06T18:40:00.000+05:302021-04-06T18:40:42.223+05:30Birdies of different feathers flocked here!<p> Hi friends,</p><p> Just as we thought the pandemic is under control in India, it is spiralling upwards and we are watching with helplessness and also hoping that vaccines will start working soonest bringing back the carefree life we had BC or before corona. </p><p> Well, the purpose of this topic is not to write about COVID. It is about the bird paintings I have been into for the past few years. I would have mentioned before that I have ventured into artworks of different kinds after my marriage. I still don't have an answer as to why I did not draw or paint during my school days. As they say, for everything there is a time. From pottery paintings, I have done nib paintings, acrylic paintings, oil paintings, pastels, water colour paintings and some mixed media. I love to sketch, draw faces, eyes, though I need to explore in depth in that area. Somewhere, I started drawing and painting birds from the photos, mostly from Google. Bird-watching and capturing their right poses is still a luxury which most of us cannot afford to have. It needs lot of time away from the families which is not possible most of the time. Birds are the species which has innumerable varieties of sizes and colours which other land animals will not have. There will be astounding varieties of sea animals , but those living in the land are more visible. Painting the birds give me the sense of happiness, wonder, satisfaction for the soul which is beyond the description. I love drawing their eyes, which is relatively easy and which brings life to the picture. The only painting which I did from my own photo is that of painted storks which I took when we visited Rangannathittu bird sanctuary few years back. I will not call many of these paintings as perfect ones, and there are ones which have come out very well and ones that have fallen below my expectations. Nevertheless, they are all like my children and I have deep attachment to each of these bird paintings. I hope to visit some bird sanctuaries or forests in future and capture nice images. Some of them are oil paintings and some are water colour paintings. </p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipF24Cn9m8SMI8_Zt_uolPaCfAEl8GKODR8zgWlZwL_AHIkbdVGQexNqFatevdh1A1i6aIssJWjIgwp9foy1mA0MjkHBPJQOZXyPdeP1oFmFTrgxVAtKVMzr8x2bt8gFsQHrhIwyq0gQk/s4032/20210402_194543.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipF24Cn9m8SMI8_Zt_uolPaCfAEl8GKODR8zgWlZwL_AHIkbdVGQexNqFatevdh1A1i6aIssJWjIgwp9foy1mA0MjkHBPJQOZXyPdeP1oFmFTrgxVAtKVMzr8x2bt8gFsQHrhIwyq0gQk/s320/20210402_194543.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p> The latest one....painted bunting with water color and pastels.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvmI8qTMILJKq5-j-UfIrzbRbR90xVkECMXpxkj1GR-l5vwNEq6-eY5Lo9YbL4WKOXXie8BEJcuijJKZd6m-rNH2LNrfUnE7ugzsY_QAkvpD0hrjL8U1qbAOu1cETSpyPDMfnqBdL5O1w/s4032/20210403_203334.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvmI8qTMILJKq5-j-UfIrzbRbR90xVkECMXpxkj1GR-l5vwNEq6-eY5Lo9YbL4WKOXXie8BEJcuijJKZd6m-rNH2LNrfUnE7ugzsY_QAkvpD0hrjL8U1qbAOu1cETSpyPDMfnqBdL5O1w/s320/20210403_203334.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p> From top left to bottom right...scarlet macaw, silver-breasted broad bill, Himalayan blue capped rock thrush, painted bunting. </p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS9qoCdLyHTIHm2SNXOOuKtDY4UP-Jxpa14PF5GxdAhqeA1Ok5A4i1tYRiLnWhqE5SqN9OOti45I-4W6j8jmW1Urvxv7OmfcG95yQQP6zjVbdKoxKDbyKeCnds2P79vrOZXh5JKEHmYCE/s4032/20210403_210933.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS9qoCdLyHTIHm2SNXOOuKtDY4UP-Jxpa14PF5GxdAhqeA1Ok5A4i1tYRiLnWhqE5SqN9OOti45I-4W6j8jmW1Urvxv7OmfcG95yQQP6zjVbdKoxKDbyKeCnds2P79vrOZXh5JKEHmYCE/s320/20210403_210933.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>From top left to bottom right...blue macaw, 2nd copper Smith barbet, bee eater, love birds.<div> </div><div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOZOVmxqRt6r1VdJl2DcaesAWy_jXlf1JIpuMa4lWDpuR0ec7zKM7SriHiRypI99wU92YCWbPH-_TtP_P3OapltQX44Zkz1RdrF7ISppgI9tDep-U9EuiQuzxb5OcGSynlOlQ_5WwXNJM/s4032/20210404_200238.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOZOVmxqRt6r1VdJl2DcaesAWy_jXlf1JIpuMa4lWDpuR0ec7zKM7SriHiRypI99wU92YCWbPH-_TtP_P3OapltQX44Zkz1RdrF7ISppgI9tDep-U9EuiQuzxb5OcGSynlOlQ_5WwXNJM/s320/20210404_200238.jpg" /></a></div><br /> Top one , I don't know the name ( anyone can tell if u know), bottom is blue jay.</div><div><br /></div><div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY_HL9ihOcxF8D0O9t-Gv9IBaWLxQTWiwxL-XvjXX3B5y1eRdD6T9Qbk_7XDB9y4xvkqLN3bWR6IVSqfysc-sLbezGlwa97tVvvRNGdXCOhaH7ShUyupU4tGRz-K2RkNBAxiLE6xXxCro/s4032/20210404_221810.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY_HL9ihOcxF8D0O9t-Gv9IBaWLxQTWiwxL-XvjXX3B5y1eRdD6T9Qbk_7XDB9y4xvkqLN3bWR6IVSqfysc-sLbezGlwa97tVvvRNGdXCOhaH7ShUyupU4tGRz-K2RkNBAxiLE6xXxCro/s320/20210404_221810.jpg" /></a></div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div> Black-headed oriole, gold finch, Bottom right not known to me<br /><p></p><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh581HUovb-KgzFArphjpC4TQgIYgEwnN0jMNW6LaMhxB3MP-SEC_MH1MaLjLWKWTuCBB-CohrljAWSyL0JjDHs3cEcXWTxZz5Hd154rxhZw-cMYlrRN6MDrNAid_wYqs-Ym3yN3Ehn9uo/s4032/20210405_104736.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh581HUovb-KgzFArphjpC4TQgIYgEwnN0jMNW6LaMhxB3MP-SEC_MH1MaLjLWKWTuCBB-CohrljAWSyL0JjDHs3cEcXWTxZz5Hd154rxhZw-cMYlrRN6MDrNAid_wYqs-Ym3yN3Ehn9uo/s320/20210405_104736.jpg" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> Hudhud after which a cyclone was named, Kingfisher</div><div><br /></div><div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXygIIcGjBTmgi7fj7PO2qFfLkl0tKojZ85hX0bmZVz0iP3s7raoUvmRn7zaAFTJ8PfXq5PUBgjyRZWXvxDzvoRE2HFbq2MmJav7lI9SyQHj8yxQoHthd5UqP5DcotxYXj5PdMSskvt2k/s4032/20210405_104705.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXygIIcGjBTmgi7fj7PO2qFfLkl0tKojZ85hX0bmZVz0iP3s7raoUvmRn7zaAFTJ8PfXq5PUBgjyRZWXvxDzvoRE2HFbq2MmJav7lI9SyQHj8yxQoHthd5UqP5DcotxYXj5PdMSskvt2k/s320/20210405_104705.jpg" /></a></div><br /> </div> A group of painted storks in Rangannathittu bird sanctuary. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /> </div> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBbySXIll0v4f0_HsyQolzHmSO0NL_Ez3JssEC_q1ZsBPvKvtZbGFmXADJHUny5I-hYO4ZOb1KRGDe3uyATSzL6BK-0nEZlH54FBOYAvMzz49hcDWIaiIjCKQbiuWjBdpM_I0nY4XZzXQ/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1224" data-original-width="1632" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBbySXIll0v4f0_HsyQolzHmSO0NL_Ez3JssEC_q1ZsBPvKvtZbGFmXADJHUny5I-hYO4ZOb1KRGDe3uyATSzL6BK-0nEZlH54FBOYAvMzz49hcDWIaiIjCKQbiuWjBdpM_I0nY4XZzXQ/" width="320" /></a></div><br /> This one is one of my favorites....Crimson-crested sunbird.</div><div> </div><div>I take periodical breaks from the birdies and try something else. Next one maybe crow!</div><div><br /></div><div>Thank you,</div><div>Deepa.<br /><div><br /></div></div>Deepa Nagarajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568890617413478281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013277587057023384.post-83045804267880418912021-03-06T07:27:00.007+05:302021-03-12T15:36:51.531+05:30A paradigm shift...nothing is permanent <p> Hi friends, </p><p> Iam back again sooner than expected, as I would like to share something which will always remain close to my heart. As with any of us, the home where we spend our childhood years will be etched in our minds throughout our life. Wherever we go and settle or go out in search of better prospects or career, revisiting the childhood home stirs up sentiments, feelings of attachment similar to seeing our parents, brings up lots of memories. I still keep having dreams of my childhood home, though my parents no longer live there.</p><p> Our childhood home was quite a charming one. It was at the heart of Thiruvananthapuram city and we just had to walk for less than 10 minutes to school. The area was Chirakulam road which was close to Secretariat and lot of other Government offices and banks. In MG road, there were lots of shops of different kinds, and hotels too. There was a British council library, Eloor lending library which we used to go frequently. The college that I used to go was little more far. Our neighbours were Tamil Brahmins, some Malayalee families. The house opposite of ours has quite a big compound that had a clean and well-maintained garden and it belonged to the family of doctor and bankers. It was about 30 cents or equivalent of 5 grounds in area. As we did not have that much open space, my sister and myself used to go to that home to enjoy the vast garden, water the plants there and spend time with the family until we were pulled back. There were lots of rose shrubs, flowering trees, mango trees, breadfruit trees. A family photographer in that house had clicked lots of unforgettable childhood and family photos of ours which we still preserve with great care. There are many more memories associated with that big house and I will have to devote space for them separately. The house adjacent to us was occupied by a Malayalee family. The other homes were occupied by Tamil families. As children , we used to go to all these houses and we were pampered by our neighbours. They were all an integral part of our growing up years. Initially, our home was small and tiled and had lot of leakage problems. Though it was a lovely home, it was becoming no longer suitable to live in. My dad demolished it and constructed a spacious and wonderful duplex home. We happily began our new phase of life. Shortly afterwards, the neighbourhood began to change. The family in the big house opposite to us got into complications and had to move out from there. The hurried and distress sale of that home with the big plot happened later on. It was heartbreaking for us to witness that major change. It was the moment when I realised that nothing around me is permanent and anything can change anytime when circumstances demand. When the family moved out from that big home, it was as if the soul of the big compound went out along with them. It was never the same neat garden again. Different families stayed there, but it was the last place we would like to go. It changed the face of our neighbourhood. Slowly, the families next to us moved out to be with their sons/daughters who would have settled elsewhere. </p><p> We stayed on and finished our school and college years and used to go to workplaces from there until myself and my sister got married. After that, my parents chose to move out from there because the old familiar neighbours had gone and the area was becoming more suitable for commercial purposes. When I visited there recently during my stay in Trivandrum, I painfully found a row of faceless commercial offices instead of old neighbours. As sad as it may seem, I accepted it as a period of those bygone years which can never be back.</p><p>Some photos from my recent visit .</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTqBFVboBteLtFUaqYpcqzqR1Zwvk0JxOMqjZmMnh8ZnuhYCSVUmG8W1rv849dLriQqQb-_sTFYMJ4C8RSTqI75xLJl7yyhj7enh5qRdOoXAzNnAyfrqz_7f546v9DpuXRG7sVAEai18/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="180" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTqBFVboBteLtFUaqYpcqzqR1Zwvk0JxOMqjZmMnh8ZnuhYCSVUmG8W1rv849dLriQqQb-_sTFYMJ4C8RSTqI75xLJl7yyhj7enh5qRdOoXAzNnAyfrqz_7f546v9DpuXRG7sVAEai18/w300-h400/image.png" width="300" /></a></div><br />Our dear old home which looks more beautiful!<p></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzAXyZ3FHmpJ0xz2bcCPQOMtUJx30sBVVAX7bBbgcEdUxHmIUGhavEDRzZTxjsfULa8Sm8wQgPnmDmff48zR1BnJhVd_a4ltQeFIMdDkAL7gB_8SUKgCZRbnWxYELY84yhx8sjSn77Ck4/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="180" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzAXyZ3FHmpJ0xz2bcCPQOMtUJx30sBVVAX7bBbgcEdUxHmIUGhavEDRzZTxjsfULa8Sm8wQgPnmDmff48zR1BnJhVd_a4ltQeFIMdDkAL7gB_8SUKgCZRbnWxYELY84yhx8sjSn77Ck4/w300-h400/image.png" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p> A family home then, now a full-fledged commercial office.</p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2jyZhvUmp4UyX8fZ5T_pyftgF99BwyQ0agt18lzLDzPM1SnV9zVQ7BIQDxiRWH6xLJQNIV-T1S-8lPo2mx01NPMbBPeTrM8vF1NpoSfcoOiYnwkUk3QR53g7mBYi0f-luae24z3LXs_g/s4032/20210304_083226.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2jyZhvUmp4UyX8fZ5T_pyftgF99BwyQ0agt18lzLDzPM1SnV9zVQ7BIQDxiRWH6xLJQNIV-T1S-8lPo2mx01NPMbBPeTrM8vF1NpoSfcoOiYnwkUk3QR53g7mBYi0f-luae24z3LXs_g/s320/20210304_083226.jpg" /></a></div> <p></p><p> The big compound opposite of our old home.</p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_r_nFPWGortK7a4st7DwCDuiiBdg9MCwzOervO6QiOlw5cECMgmUBtt9YggnvYPLPlDO50t3DxwZ5e2b58kDUPUlw11eS6BxoTBtWKqqm3Fc0yL33Rh-M6UWBMMK4GR4gqU9tVfGS6_U/s4032/20210304_083355.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_r_nFPWGortK7a4st7DwCDuiiBdg9MCwzOervO6QiOlw5cECMgmUBtt9YggnvYPLPlDO50t3DxwZ5e2b58kDUPUlw11eS6BxoTBtWKqqm3Fc0yL33Rh-M6UWBMMK4GR4gqU9tVfGS6_U/s320/20210304_083355.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Breadfruit tree or cheema chakka plavu in that big compound. </div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjQCls2_TJVRfC3b2rlPMIh7zM76YD-zaTTpm7mJGF8BEQwzovKDaIw2Yxb1SCNpHo4Lte2op75QgvLJciPLlsFbUAhQEBI8Q1yc4Ia0kqRpppUjYtfZEUMpBNHE9t1TMsQG7KuGqJhy0/s4032/20210304_082032.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjQCls2_TJVRfC3b2rlPMIh7zM76YD-zaTTpm7mJGF8BEQwzovKDaIw2Yxb1SCNpHo4Lte2op75QgvLJciPLlsFbUAhQEBI8Q1yc4Ia0kqRpppUjYtfZEUMpBNHE9t1TMsQG7KuGqJhy0/s320/20210304_082032.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>The house where I used to go for Maths tuition, now a driving school.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkhuKHUSu3nfAjRzDADUydc3rnHupwVReVCnPssiyT5AODufitE8jfCr-zKBU5L6c0LzeBQJBj0cz4kAwR9faNQDmqGNjZs0f6_oxFoFrGEX5dWllsAsj1P_Oi719jMKYrjugLRffUDvA/s4032/20210304_083316.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkhuKHUSu3nfAjRzDADUydc3rnHupwVReVCnPssiyT5AODufitE8jfCr-zKBU5L6c0LzeBQJBj0cz4kAwR9faNQDmqGNjZs0f6_oxFoFrGEX5dWllsAsj1P_Oi719jMKYrjugLRffUDvA/s320/20210304_083316.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>From the top of our house.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnsTbDVivN7biSnBfEhm8n_BqAzhGPSFyQvn9-Sdn2KpFiiCGM20rj5rZbYHXMf3AMc4AVqsFCivTJ4HY4bddpSRfYQ6Fwoc0YnA73imRirSUEP2Iw6-AQcXwdK4rt2brmCwbbT6brk10/s4032/20210304_092445.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnsTbDVivN7biSnBfEhm8n_BqAzhGPSFyQvn9-Sdn2KpFiiCGM20rj5rZbYHXMf3AMc4AVqsFCivTJ4HY4bddpSRfYQ6Fwoc0YnA73imRirSUEP2Iw6-AQcXwdK4rt2brmCwbbT6brk10/s320/20210304_092445.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p> Our childhood doctor's clinic close to our school.</p><p>Love,</p><p>Deepa </p><p><br /></p>Deepa Nagarajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568890617413478281noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013277587057023384.post-22813989989893967462021-02-24T23:38:00.002+05:302021-02-25T12:45:59.471+05:30Where the mind is without fear, head is held high<p> Hi friends, </p><p> Rabindra Nath Tagore's Nobel Prize winning poetry Gitanjali, carries words of profound wisdom. 'Where the mind is without fear, where the head is held high, where the world has not been broken into pieces by narrow domestic walls, where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way. ' I have mentioned before that Iam not a great fan of poetry for unknown reasons, but these lines of that great poet was and is still my favourite. These words will be valid as long as the human race exists.</p><p> We the ordinary citizens live in perpetual fear of something or other throughout our lives. Sometimes, the fear is less, sometimes it is more, but never gone. For the 'weaker sex ' and that too in developing and unsafe countries like India, the fear is more . We fear society and we shape our lives according to the ' expectations of the society ' , and not what we really like/want to do. This is mostly the root cause of so many stresses , tensions and health problems. We fear those who rule us. We fear bureaucracy, confronting corruption that is steeped in our daily lives , the law enforcing agencies. The fear is so ingrained in us that we do not know what all we are afraid of and how it has shaped our behaviour. The fear in me has shaped my behaviour and made me an introvert to some extent. Iam not talkative, but I express myself through my writings. Like many of us, I am an armchair critic, but for that also, we need a constraint-free environment around. These days, if I think twice before putting my thoughts which go against the majority, then the fear is more. At one point, I decide not to waste energy in putting controversial thoughts which are fruitless and therefore divert my energy somewhere. </p><p> Unfortunately, the world is still broken and more fragmented than ever by the narrow domestic walls. Narrow-mindedness and divisive thinking leads to the rise of those invisible walls which divide people further and treat the fellow beings with hatred. Hitler tried to make Germany the most superior by highlighting the Aryan race and killing lakhs of Jews. His ideologies failed. Berlin wall was constructed by USSR and allied forces only to be demolished after 28 years by Germans themselves. They proved that a United Germany is a stronger Germany. Seeds of hatred and narrowness is sown somewhere only to be brought out at opportune moments by the leaders and politicians to keep their vote banks alive and not for the good of the people and the country. When the majority of the population are swayed by the repeated extremism of ideologies, a small percentage of population will doubt the validity of their thoughts which are opposed to the thinking of the majority. Out of helplessness, they will be forced to painfully accept this new normal. Maybe, this is just a phase in the history which will be there for some years. The clear stream of reason has lost its way in lots of noise and chaos all around. The countries may be bleeding, but the picture painted by the leaders will be otherwise to keep its population under perpetual illusion that everything is fine. </p><p> That is when we turn to the pages of history and find that all through the ages, many of the kingdoms have been ruled by all kinds of rulers which has shaped a place either progressively or otherwise. </p><p> I close this article by quoting George Santayana 's words " Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it." </p><p>See you again,</p><p>Deepa.</p>Deepa Nagarajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568890617413478281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013277587057023384.post-79988482669472796542021-02-08T21:35:00.002+05:302021-02-23T21:54:59.105+05:30Amma's Bombay memories <p> This time Iam presenting you some glimpses of childhood years my mother spent in Bombay decades back. Enjoy.</p><p> Hello friends, </p><p> If I were given a chance to turn the clock backwards, I would love to revisit my childhood years that I spent in Bombay (Mumbai now) during 1950s to early 1960s. Since my father had a transferable job in Telephones department, we frequently shifted from one place to another. I still consider my childhood years that I spent in Bombay as precious, formative years. Our residence was in Jansukh Nivas, Kandivali. All our houses were single storeyed. During those days , the toilet facilities were common to the group of residents and naturaĺly they were away from our homes and less convenient. There were not even taps in the toilets and we had carry our own bucket of water. One frightening incident I remember even today was a natural calamity. In our next compound, separated by a boundary wall, a fierce lightning struck the three coconut trees which burnt the upper portions to ashes leaving those trunks standing bare. Since we had gone out, we were lucky to have escaped the wrath of nature!</p><p> My neighbours were a mix of Gujarathis, Punjabis, Biharis, Marathis, Sindhis and Tamil Brahmins. Of course, during those days privacy was not at all an issue like today. We were all like one big family. My mother was addressed as 'Kamla ki maa'. Every morning, when we opened our front door, 'Iyer Saab, good morning ' was the friendly greeting from the opposite Ojha Saab uncle. His son Baba and me used to walk and go to see films in the nearby Meena Talkies. We were just 6 to 7 years old! I also remember going to a couple of cinema shootings in a white building which was surrounded by garden and vast areas of lawns. My other friends were Bharathi, Kusumbala, Poornima, Ramesh Narayanan. We used to play games like ' chor aur police, marble games( gotti), carrom board, hopscotch, 7 tiles, card games like rummy, do teen paanch ( 2 3 5) , 28 and a variety of other card games. At the house of my Marathi friend, Poornima, a dance master used to come and I, along with her, learnt the steps of the song Nain so nain naahi mila from the film Jhanak jhanak paayal baaje. Poornima's mother used to lovingly give us Marathi delicacies. We used to exchange our food items like Mysore paak, homemade fryums, idli-sambar and they were hot favourites with our neighbours. My first taste of aaloo paraatha and thick curds was when I attended my Punjabi friend Kusumbala's uncle's wedding which I cherish forever. Once my mother had to go to Pune to take care of my aunt who was sick. I was under the care of Ramesh Narayanan's parents. Ramesh's mother used to pamper me with good food and hot Ovaltine drink (like horlicks, Boost) in silver tumbler. Ramesh and I went to the same school which was 'Fathima something' in Malad. We used to go to school by electric train. In those days it was less crowded and the journey was comfortable and enjoyable. One favourite snack we used to buy near the railway crossing was a packet of crisp potato wafers costing 25 paisa or naya paisa. I remember those potato wafers were uniformly crisp and cream in colour. </p><p> My school headmistress was Miss D'Cruz who was a Goan Christian. In our school canteen we used to get a unique combination of soft and white bread sandwich with juicy coconut chutney as spread which iam sure most of you would not have heard of. Marathi and Gujarati were optional languages out of which I chose Gujarathi. Of course, I have forgotten Gujarati. I still remember that for scoring good marks in a subject, I received a story book as a prize which I was quite proud of. The comedian Mehamood 's brother was my senior in that school. During our school days, we were taken to famous Minerva theatres which was far away from our school. I remember watching two famous English movies , Ben Hur and Ten Commandments. I was in that school upto the 5th standard.</p><p> Since there were 35 to 40 houses in Jansukh Nivas, many vendors used to bring eatables at our doorstep . Each house used to face each other without any boundary walls. My favourites among the snacks were Bhel puri, khulfi, special type of crushed channa ( brown chickpeas) tempered with salt, chilli powder, lemon juice, corriander leaves. The vendor who brought Bhel puri used to position himself in the middle of 2 houses and the way used to make the snack was a delight to watch with anticipation. I remember that channawala singing "Channa jor garam babu, mein laya mazedaar channa jor garam." He might have borrowed it from a film of those days. During the days of Navrathri and Deepawali, we used to go to houses greeting 'Saal Mubarak' to get our share of dried fruits which was attractively arranged on a plate covered with eye catching lacy crochet patterned cloth. </p><p> We were known as 'Madrasis ' among our friends as generally South Indians are addressed by North Indians like that. As a child, it was a matter of pride that I spoke Hindi fluently and I used to show off to my South Indian guests by talking non stop in Hindi to my little sister. One of my favourite radio programmes which I regularly used to listen to was Binaaca Geet Maala by Ameen Sayani. </p><p> We shifted to Trivandrum from Bombay and i continued with rest of the education. But memories of Bombay years were something which I keep revisiting off and on like ornaments stored in a locker. Thanks for reading this treasure of memories and hope you all enjoyed this time travel with me.</p><p>Love,</p><p>Kamala. </p><p>As narrated by my mom and edited by me.</p><p> Dear mom, thank you so much for bringing out those precious days in your childhood and giving a glimpse of life lived decades back.</p><p>Deepa.</p>Deepa Nagarajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568890617413478281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013277587057023384.post-38870424178182282282021-02-01T22:06:00.004+05:302021-02-18T12:37:47.624+05:30My colour green<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJbH2_qFGfOJlru_t2qken2n5rpjgS4IUVGp9q0cKAhARiLalD3HyfjxxkocPunsQeQaeeHrBpHFa5mpXxsSq3xSkkN-jCNHONOCRscMPTEBzt-5R1D2AooF4W_F0IkrmhMjvaRoFQdM/s4032/20210102_114812.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJbH2_qFGfOJlru_t2qken2n5rpjgS4IUVGp9q0cKAhARiLalD3HyfjxxkocPunsQeQaeeHrBpHFa5mpXxsSq3xSkkN-jCNHONOCRscMPTEBzt-5R1D2AooF4W_F0IkrmhMjvaRoFQdM/s320/20210102_114812.jpg" /></a></div><br /> Hi friends,<p></p><p> What is your favourite colour? This is a question which is usually asked to children. Blue for boys and pink for girls because men are from Mars and women are from Venus. The arrival of boys are celebrated by decorating the crib with the theme of blue colour while the arrival of girls is celebrated with pink colour. I do not know why blue is the colour of 'macho' and pink is the colour of 'delicates.' These fixation of colours for the genders should change. If this change has to happen, it is for parents to decide to stop celebrating birthdays of their wards with blue colour or pink colour cakes.</p><p> Well, my favourite colour from childhood upto now remains green. In school, I always belonged to the green house in every grade when rest of the houses were red, blue, yellow. It is not that I don't like other colours, but I like green more because it is the colour of flora. Can we imagine pink or blue colour for leaves of the plants and trees. If I had cut a pink cake, would my colour preference have changed? I don't think so. I have grown in Kerala, which is the land of coconuts and of Western ghats. Even today, the state remains more or less the same because of less industrialisation. Land of coconut trees, jackfruit trees, plantain trees, mango trees. Green is always the colour of hope and positivity. Before leaving the trees bare during winters, the colour of a leaf change from green to yellow, orange, red, brown after which it falls down. Of course, we do not get to see this in most parts of India, but in cold countries this is an annual phenomenon which attracts lots of tourists. The colour change in a leaf signifies various stages in life. If green is the colour of childhood and youth, the rest of the colours indicate the later stages in life until the last breath in living beings. If bare trees mean death and stillness, the sprouting of fresh leaves during spring indicates new birth and the spread of hope to live on. If red carpet is rolled out to welcome important persons and dignitaries, our mother nature has green carpets rolled out when we look out from the flight windows to see a place full of trees instead of endless concrete jungles. Which one gives us happiness- green carpets or concrete jungles? Green is the sign to go forward while red is the sign of danger and to stop. Green logo is the sign for vegetarian dishes. When we see a beautiful, fresh garden full of plants and flowers, the happiness and the calmness our minds experience cannot be expressed in words. We exclaim that he/she has got green fingers. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIHLo6WVaG8SfmKOzU4Fu8OylSyuWfsYh_gl6BaPmiRPi-GSJkfizcNUzJ7HhPP9L2uut4HqCaUwjQ2KKdjVlh0xMF_ApZNP17XsJiXcYVpZjhFGgui4fnNUf4F3hZm-N7YFKZiyGhUBw/s4032/20210102_112115.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIHLo6WVaG8SfmKOzU4Fu8OylSyuWfsYh_gl6BaPmiRPi-GSJkfizcNUzJ7HhPP9L2uut4HqCaUwjQ2KKdjVlh0xMF_ApZNP17XsJiXcYVpZjhFGgui4fnNUf4F3hZm-N7YFKZiyGhUBw/s320/20210102_112115.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkuIvYUgwpG9ydXT-8SoQ4gFpcee1XShrGeIIn6yWg7kum5wqckpXovQb0b5w_oSsVA_HpOMRijhDiEH6RyUO0h9zfyWawkG9uwKbEFqjaHUvcKCtV7HBBWI9YlPtNGYjClE14h4r1D6Q/s4032/20210122_173618.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkuIvYUgwpG9ydXT-8SoQ4gFpcee1XShrGeIIn6yWg7kum5wqckpXovQb0b5w_oSsVA_HpOMRijhDiEH6RyUO0h9zfyWawkG9uwKbEFqjaHUvcKCtV7HBBWI9YlPtNGYjClE14h4r1D6Q/s320/20210122_173618.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>Aerial view of greenery or green carpet before landing at Trivandrum airport. </p><p><br /></p><p> But why do I love the colour green? It is just an ordinary person's preference for one colour over other colours. There is nothing official, religious or political connection to it!! What is your favourite colour or colours?</p><p>Deepa.</p><p><br /></p>Deepa Nagarajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568890617413478281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013277587057023384.post-33967617257431228322021-01-21T17:19:00.002+05:302021-01-21T20:10:44.515+05:30The priority of showing news in our TV channels and a tribute to Dr. V Shanta<p> Hello again,</p><p> January 19, 2021 will go down as one of the important days in the history for the Indian cricket. India or our cricket team won the 'Border -Gavaskar ' test series in Gabba, Brisbane with not so nail-biting finish. What made the win so special is that the last match was won with the absence of major stars like Viraat Kohli with the help of unbeatable score of 97 from Rishabh Pant. One of the players had to encounter racial attacks against which a police case has been filed. Of course, a win is always doubly sweet when it is won in a foreign soil and beating the hosts! Indian team won against all odds. It was celebration for whole of India which is united at least once with cricket as a religion. It is of no wonder, almost all the news channels were in the celebratory mood throughout the day! I have nothing against this game but I stopped following cricket matches for a long time except during world cups. There were forwards in a lighter vein like "If a boss is on leave, it should be short enough for the team to miss him, but not long enough for the team to realize it can function well without him." </p><p> Another prominent news is the preparation at Capitol Hill for the swearing in of the new president Joe Biden on January 20th with his team which includes 1st woman Vice president 'of Indian origin' as seen by Indians. Of course, Donald Trump's exit was most dramatic and controversial in the American history and the super power entertainer will be missed.:) :) Everybody around the world knows who is the new American president , but would have forgotten the name of the president of the country they belong to! </p><p> Because of these sensational mega news items, our news channels conveniently forgot to mention a few lines on the demise of Dr. V. Shanta, an Oncologist who totally dedicated her life to making cancer care affordable to common man. When the word cancer still continues to give anyone chills, she worked hard in changing the mindset that with early detection and treatment, Cancer can be curable. She belonged to the illustrious family of Nobel Laureates Sir C V Raman and Dr. S. Chandrasekhar. But with her hard work and total dedication, she carved a niche for herself and also for the society. She joined the famous Adayar Cancer Institute in early 1950s, when lady doctors mostly specialized in obstetrics/gynecology. This did upset her family members. She focused on the study of the disease, developing more awareness on its prevention and cure, developing specialists and scientists in various subspecialties of oncology. She was the recipient of the second highest civilian award, Padma Vibhushan. She lived up to the ripe old age of 93 being active till the end. She died on January 19, the same day India won the series at Brisbane. Except for news channels in Tamil Nadu, no other channels reported her death and describing her achievements, especially her valuable contribution towards the mankind. Maybe, there is nothing 'sensational' about her life other than her long and illustrious career. If she had moved to America and became well-known there, she would have got some news coverage in TV channels. It was a sad day for medical fraternity in India which was ignored. Every one in India knows Kamala Harris and try to 'root' her as much possible to India, but very few know Dr. Shanta. My humble tributes to a great doctor and a greater human being. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYF6e0vDNnEcg98chcHo2KxkGWD5uzJ05YE6wcZDFVxoLVQhXtCcgt_MbXPJhXcDNTWyfgctVSx9SqDRtM7I3fVvE6fHLR3reCVZcR_DSAhd2HTpSicyIj5INWKXPINqdWy1f1EQX6wKE/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="309" data-original-width="548" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYF6e0vDNnEcg98chcHo2KxkGWD5uzJ05YE6wcZDFVxoLVQhXtCcgt_MbXPJhXcDNTWyfgctVSx9SqDRtM7I3fVvE6fHLR3reCVZcR_DSAhd2HTpSicyIj5INWKXPINqdWy1f1EQX6wKE/w400-h225/image.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />Thanks,<p></p><p>Deepa.</p>Deepa Nagarajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568890617413478281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013277587057023384.post-33852158846297881222021-01-08T23:38:00.003+05:302021-01-09T13:29:06.827+05:30Our short and sweet Mysore trip to start this year!!<p> Hello,</p><p> Happy New year, dear friends!! Wish you all a vaccinated, corona free year filled with more health, happiness and travels! Last year taught us many lessons. One of them was to be thankful for what we have which we took for granted all along. All those years of before corona or BC, as is now known, we just plan a trip within the country or abroad, look out for best of deals and head out. During the last year, for some months, getting out of the house for that breath of fresh air looked very precious! Let us not curse the last year and write off as a forgettable one. We need to evolve as better human beings from the lessons that the mother nature taught us last year. With these thoughts, I am going to write a few words on our trip to Mysore to begin this year. </p><p> I think I have completed 10 years of blogging by writing on any topic I feel about. Out of these, I have written quite a few travelogues as I enjoy travelling and every leisure travel remains close to my heart. It is of any wonder that I am also praying and hoping for better days to travel without any restrictions. After almost a year, a trip to Mysore which is just 150 kms from Bangalore is 'closer home' and was just refreshing. Mysore needs no introduction. It is one of the cleanest cities in India and I call it 'Vienna of the South.' This is because there will be lot of horse chariots parked around the palace with the hope of attracting the tourists. We have been there before, but it used to be shorter day trips. This time, I wanted it to be more than a day trip to get little more feel of this city. Though Mysore palace which belongs to Wodeyar dynasty is a major attraction, there are smaller palaces around which are worth visiting. Unfortunately, Jaganmohan palace which was converted to art gallery was closed due to covid restrictions. </p><p> The main palace looks quite impressive with four gates in four directions and a well maintained gardens. As the members of the royal family still live there, we get to see only a part of the palace. The architectural style is influenced by Hindu, Mughal, Rajput and Gothic styles. A person like me who is full of curiosity to see these palaces would have wanted to see the whole of palace , but had to be content to see just little more than corridors and those ornate durbar halls. Usually, the palace will be lighted up in the evenings, but that was also temporarily stopped to discourage from crowding around it. We were a tad disappointed but when we took an evening stroll close to palace. The palace was still looking beautiful with those inside lightings. </p><p><br /></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL0cUpegYsaoKe1kj2-85KhIZaVn0TLXTdhuLfwB-iPG-aJWUfPpvCylHhzPLYfATGG-Fi6wIcgbTGlZk-M6IwY4DVe957yEVNduMPLooqJXfGiAkW7YuoHVehFbukv8R9LlAOlpwF9f4/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="933" data-original-width="1920" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL0cUpegYsaoKe1kj2-85KhIZaVn0TLXTdhuLfwB-iPG-aJWUfPpvCylHhzPLYfATGG-Fi6wIcgbTGlZk-M6IwY4DVe957yEVNduMPLooqJXfGiAkW7YuoHVehFbukv8R9LlAOlpwF9f4/w400-h195/image.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnoixL-UKinlYnI2jaC-1KV-tF_oIZvajlzwZCRKFs10yvTHptO_n1kYIxyFGhglVKnGFKj-7E7KzwW-F2AO8WQhrut6mtyvg0uUtPsJEYya_q8LS5f8bGhLtPJP6WAPnfLgRAU_3IVbE/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="933" data-original-width="1920" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnoixL-UKinlYnI2jaC-1KV-tF_oIZvajlzwZCRKFs10yvTHptO_n1kYIxyFGhglVKnGFKj-7E7KzwW-F2AO8WQhrut6mtyvg0uUtPsJEYya_q8LS5f8bGhLtPJP6WAPnfLgRAU_3IVbE/w400-h195/image.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNHCQeN5C_uuVkQgzBL3-JkS6UIcTP5bSbx6gvfr-4yf8KgoGhxS5w3GRPkiTnw7duRp5ZPd_8lR2cTWPM440JKIIMkSvnUqQU8wrIixtPGWVSs57O54dW1DXNVop87l5MK2nDQcZeFTw/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="933" data-original-width="1920" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNHCQeN5C_uuVkQgzBL3-JkS6UIcTP5bSbx6gvfr-4yf8KgoGhxS5w3GRPkiTnw7duRp5ZPd_8lR2cTWPM440JKIIMkSvnUqQU8wrIixtPGWVSs57O54dW1DXNVop87l5MK2nDQcZeFTw/w400-h195/image.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqKGLdoB3FviUM6eVlIO1x9swTraNMsQP6O7NXlR8cG9FHIO0dCf6g-Efb18lipuCKj5xQ0mAqzEnybD8IVeddV-xKTLOsHX0JZph2aBfIovvlzysoJUdYEzsTyHPXSeFrm-T9oBwAF-s/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="933" data-original-width="1920" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqKGLdoB3FviUM6eVlIO1x9swTraNMsQP6O7NXlR8cG9FHIO0dCf6g-Efb18lipuCKj5xQ0mAqzEnybD8IVeddV-xKTLOsHX0JZph2aBfIovvlzysoJUdYEzsTyHPXSeFrm-T9oBwAF-s/w400-h195/image.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy0VK3ze6Heed_NONpTquL39M-uDod3JS2zliCAE3ENhGLCEjdjcCJJdOboWmGd1Bpj11YzGX7NJIJta8RYbDQhPFyT3HBV8TDK5SIXvB-WIlcKphbyGIdzGBD_DBZ5M-7Xd6JxMfoUj4/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="933" data-original-width="1920" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy0VK3ze6Heed_NONpTquL39M-uDod3JS2zliCAE3ENhGLCEjdjcCJJdOboWmGd1Bpj11YzGX7NJIJta8RYbDQhPFyT3HBV8TDK5SIXvB-WIlcKphbyGIdzGBD_DBZ5M-7Xd6JxMfoUj4/w400-h195/image.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /> We booked a 4-star hotel and a detailed complimentary breakfast to fill our tummies for the </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>whole day is what I look forward in each and every trip. After having a sumptuous breakfast, we headed out to Shri Chamarajendra zoological gardens which is otherwise known as Mysore zoo. We were not fed with high ranking about the zoo and so we went there with low expectations almost thinking that we were wasting few hours. Of course, there were big crowds of families making us wonder whether it was safe. But the zoo turned out to be a pleasant surprise with almost all varieties of birds and animals. Though it was small compared to the size of the zoos in capital cities of Bangalore , Hyderabad, it was well-maintained. Most of these animals and birds are adopted by somebody and their names were displayed. Like anybody, giraffes attracted me most as we get to see them rarely in India. There were five giraffes and all were looking well fed and healthy. It is my opinion that anyone going to Mysore should not miss this zoo, which is one of the oldest ones in India. a big restaurant is strategically placed near the exit of the zoo. Here are some photos of the zoo. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7snZJXTVfkvDuisScfFpnvhBXfcl3sIXW1m15NejkbGjQU0-nQMP4LgGnSJR5cR_razjD_g4CLs-TebZGy78abMSfU8v5OG_dUkrSJQ3kU6IVvZDLBgivz8IduX9r1eePtlXTGd76Jv4/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="933" data-original-width="1920" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7snZJXTVfkvDuisScfFpnvhBXfcl3sIXW1m15NejkbGjQU0-nQMP4LgGnSJR5cR_razjD_g4CLs-TebZGy78abMSfU8v5OG_dUkrSJQ3kU6IVvZDLBgivz8IduX9r1eePtlXTGd76Jv4/w400-h195/image.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGhkTu02VNlgeEAMQ9ySYYxU8WKuNgLjcsWlg-htWaRoospvRdSPyilcItW0VRXKemoLCLHGCO22z-x2XlSxEb915AqYjlWDptKdZq-6oTXrZ7lssnYlBLwbtZ-6UgNIOU-TAMpZ3PZTQ/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="937" data-original-width="703" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGhkTu02VNlgeEAMQ9ySYYxU8WKuNgLjcsWlg-htWaRoospvRdSPyilcItW0VRXKemoLCLHGCO22z-x2XlSxEb915AqYjlWDptKdZq-6oTXrZ7lssnYlBLwbtZ-6UgNIOU-TAMpZ3PZTQ/w300-h400/image.png" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid2plaBBkbeve3MSZSRQFM3ExWeXm8clYCeC2wOy2mw-sLHY5TtyoKUVGE4NwSqBoXwlcs8egtF51vJh0Hk1XbfhVnARxXKeoRHur-zAjAi6mrqESYzUpu81l-QDvsJfNIOK7xK5T28qU/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="937" data-original-width="703" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid2plaBBkbeve3MSZSRQFM3ExWeXm8clYCeC2wOy2mw-sLHY5TtyoKUVGE4NwSqBoXwlcs8egtF51vJh0Hk1XbfhVnARxXKeoRHur-zAjAi6mrqESYzUpu81l-QDvsJfNIOK7xK5T28qU/w300-h400/image.png" width="300" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Not the real one, but observe behind the names of people who have adopted animals!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUJByq1PUlQ1N267s4rWyIPlFIYxJVZi4OFcYaUQCQ-_wqTKMug26v_fwdUmEKJRMhIHjrg-OrF5fouU2LE7PVrCNbU0SYXTf2PErHRjef2ZvLmpq21Fnmbi42nvt7PBt_0lbs44AN93s/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="937" data-original-width="703" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUJByq1PUlQ1N267s4rWyIPlFIYxJVZi4OFcYaUQCQ-_wqTKMug26v_fwdUmEKJRMhIHjrg-OrF5fouU2LE7PVrCNbU0SYXTf2PErHRjef2ZvLmpq21Fnmbi42nvt7PBt_0lbs44AN93s/w300-h400/image.png" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> Those giraffes were a feast for our eyes!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It took us about nearly 4 hours to cover the zoo and we decided to extend our stay by one more night by booking a room in ITC's Fortune JP palace hotel. The quality of service in this hotel is pretty good compared to the earlier one and I recommend anyone to book there. We took some rest after coming back from the zoo and headed out to Brindaavan gardens in the evening. This was 23 kms away from Mysore and a visit there will take whole of the evening or half of your day depending on what time you start. This one also needs no introduction as it was one of the preferred locations for many of the Indian films of yesteryears. I recommend that one should start to go there around 4 o'clock so that one can enjoy the layout of the sprawling garden by walking around before it gets dark. There is KrishnaRaja Sagar dam close to the garden which we couldn't see due to lack of time. The gardens are tastefully lighted up with coloured lights around the fountains. The sound and light show which happens from 7 to 8 in the evening draws huge crowds though it is no longer a novelty. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYTv7apfyiLkP5UYB-YR9ia5r09EXxvijEhHTXi5fQ5_5_5raYncBpt9haWTd2IK5HK4YhyphenhyphenoiXmJDjJdg1MtuKUhuLNHxs8uX1kZrFco5BxP1bOiJ7MTYZQuY38bpnXqnGhcPuAY-wRYs/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="937" data-original-width="703" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYTv7apfyiLkP5UYB-YR9ia5r09EXxvijEhHTXi5fQ5_5_5raYncBpt9haWTd2IK5HK4YhyphenhyphenoiXmJDjJdg1MtuKUhuLNHxs8uX1kZrFco5BxP1bOiJ7MTYZQuY38bpnXqnGhcPuAY-wRYs/w300-h400/image.png" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLklcVilBixcBJ7qhb2xEfrjZcxOtbYUj-k8VuQ-VyJp86A-Ql93i87wZCdz-_1euQ4g9lLANd4_Hb2_8hc8R1Df0Wov84sx6FAZ9O-GEf-W-Rauhiy8UcHtm4gAY9ryQgK7iZFpvAmaw/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="937" data-original-width="703" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLklcVilBixcBJ7qhb2xEfrjZcxOtbYUj-k8VuQ-VyJp86A-Ql93i87wZCdz-_1euQ4g9lLANd4_Hb2_8hc8R1Df0Wov84sx6FAZ9O-GEf-W-Rauhiy8UcHtm4gAY9ryQgK7iZFpvAmaw/w300-h400/image.png" width="300" /></a></div><br /><br /> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBgRzeNuZWmt3iG2d37Lp1IMIkYdKIFL1JbE9lpoXEvpnmuYGmPHXRmnMhTdH6vU0Xfn5c6N_zJ4QXwUjTj11ZxSq_ndL98uuqRTfdH_b7l8R79WXfw78FVmSQCXtdBx-HBPoG-HbQeNY/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="937" data-original-width="703" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBgRzeNuZWmt3iG2d37Lp1IMIkYdKIFL1JbE9lpoXEvpnmuYGmPHXRmnMhTdH6vU0Xfn5c6N_zJ4QXwUjTj11ZxSq_ndL98uuqRTfdH_b7l8R79WXfw78FVmSQCXtdBx-HBPoG-HbQeNY/w300-h400/image.png" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">For me, no trip is complete without walking on the roads of that place to get the feel of the city. Before heading out back, we walked on the roads of Devraj Urs marketplace just to have a glimpse of the shops there. There is one stretch of the road close to palace which has well-laid pavements and tree-lined which is a great tourist attraction. There are autowallahs and horse carts lined there waiting for tourists. These auto drivers try to pull in tourists like us to be taken to one of the numerous Cauvery Emporium shops where lots of items like Mysore silk sarees, dress materials, paintings, varieties of sandalwood statues, sandalwood beauty products like soaps, powders, creams, perfumes, pooja items all will be kept. We were trapped into buying some items from one of these shops. Mysore is famous for lot of attractive roundabouts at almost all the junctions which are maintained quite well. Local people generally are more simple and helpful. If a place you visit leaves a lasting impression in you, cleanliness plays a huge part and Mysore has proved that quite well. The city is not polluted and there are no high rise buildings. We were back to our routine lives with loads of pleasant memories!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxKob27xui7D0QHqcvIL6-8qGqe0ZJcZXenHDI3B8Vq-PqNvdUsCSKR91-DS6EOmkt8wx-MN6xWjvbN3uuiq-n3jb5-3LkQPAPdR4xQ4VdWnWn1_uxZfLe6pHEKfVb7-36IOc6KkkS96Q/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="937" data-original-width="703" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxKob27xui7D0QHqcvIL6-8qGqe0ZJcZXenHDI3B8Vq-PqNvdUsCSKR91-DS6EOmkt8wx-MN6xWjvbN3uuiq-n3jb5-3LkQPAPdR4xQ4VdWnWn1_uxZfLe6pHEKfVb7-36IOc6KkkS96Q/w300-h400/image.png" width="300" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">St Philomina's church, one of the largest in Asia built in neo-gothic style influenced by a Church in Cologne, Germany.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnhfJr192IFG_S947-gIWO8LNIshl465DQlqFUATaf0AwwyUSbTTnbC33HjpHGO4c-xdQWruYci0nZgI1q0TfCJNOppBCybxbcw6wMQVM9v00g5cQ2JgK3SWXD_fgW_bpKLM-zByUCGcA/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="937" data-original-width="703" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnhfJr192IFG_S947-gIWO8LNIshl465DQlqFUATaf0AwwyUSbTTnbC33HjpHGO4c-xdQWruYci0nZgI1q0TfCJNOppBCybxbcw6wMQVM9v00g5cQ2JgK3SWXD_fgW_bpKLM-zByUCGcA/w300-h400/image.png" width="300" /></a></div><br /> Devraj Urs Market road<div><br /></div><div><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvcPB54lP5IHEtQjYS9zRYbK9Htj0MVWMySVOekh5sUDmCFTroFq6AuF8fF0Ruh8nEGHS8dKQm9NNJ9z9-_fQ4x6C677I4Jx57OfoeuipSB1E93VjD81lHGyHAw91wL3Pq35T2xgsK50Y/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="937" data-original-width="703" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvcPB54lP5IHEtQjYS9zRYbK9Htj0MVWMySVOekh5sUDmCFTroFq6AuF8fF0Ruh8nEGHS8dKQm9NNJ9z9-_fQ4x6C677I4Jx57OfoeuipSB1E93VjD81lHGyHAw91wL3Pq35T2xgsK50Y/w300-h400/image.png" width="300" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p> One of those roundabouts with clock tower in the other end</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWf-spMAT3EUMFx9PIuQOEtW6y8yN4vD_76zFQcg9QTnfpcvi4pydMVgPTttf1FDvNJpB2V0ruDhLoHeRZXNxtQ88a0KjLXnOHvqrcYNoxQefEesdMYFvhR1M3cJxHM3Ul1TV1irkV4-c/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="937" data-original-width="703" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWf-spMAT3EUMFx9PIuQOEtW6y8yN4vD_76zFQcg9QTnfpcvi4pydMVgPTttf1FDvNJpB2V0ruDhLoHeRZXNxtQ88a0KjLXnOHvqrcYNoxQefEesdMYFvhR1M3cJxHM3Ul1TV1irkV4-c/w300-h400/image.png" width="300" /></a></div><br /> Clock tower and a chariot in the front!!<p></p><p><br /></p><p> Hope you will all enjoy this virtual tour.</p><p>P.S. This is not related to our trip, but the description of Mysore is not complete without referring to its rich carnatic musical heritage which dates back to centuries when I compare this place with Vienna or Austria which is the cultural capital of Europe and the birthplace of Mozart. The kings of Wodeyar dynasty have been patrons of carnatic music and dance, making Mysore a prominent cultural center of the South. One can check this link in Google to read more.</p><p>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musicians_of_the_Kingdom_of_Mysore#:~:text=Javali%20in%20Carnatic%20music%20have,of%20the%20Haridasas%20of%20Karnataka.</p><p>Prominent among them were Muthaya Bhagawathar, violinist Mysore T Chowdayya, Shri Tiger Varadachary, Mysore Brothers, Veena Venkata Subbaiyyah, Mysore Vasudevachar, Dr. V. Doraiswamy Iyyengar. </p><p> I am sure many of our fellow Indians are unaware of this heritage of Mysore, but may be knowing more about Vienna and Salzburg. It is the question of how well we market ourselves like those Western countries do!</p><p><br /></p><p>Thanks,</p><p>Deepa.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>Deepa Nagarajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568890617413478281noreply@blogger.com0