WISH YOU A HAPPY DIWALI

Wish you all a Happy Diwali. Diwali is associated with light and everything related to brightness. The Sanskrit name “Bharat” itself joins the two roots “Bha” meaning light, a metaphor for knowledge and “rata” meaning to find happiness or bliss. We were a race that found bliss in knowledge! This great country of ours has always been a guiding light to the world and an incessant source of knowledge.  

Indian mythology is replete with stories and aphorisms that exude the brighter side of life and influence people to tread the path of happiness. Whether it is the return of Lord Ram to Ayodhya after winning over Ravan or the Victory of Lord Krishna over Narakasura are all stories that are personified examples of the victory of the Good over Evil.

Everything is of the Mind! Good and bad emanate from the mind. A bright mind sees everything bright and brightening of minds is the essence of all festivals. In some parts of the country, Diwali is an occasion to worship the goddess of wealth and prosperity. In the Indian ethos, wealth or “Artha” as it is referred to, comes only second to “Dharma” meaning “what it is ought to be” A simple example is of a pen however good it may be, will fail in its Dharma if it scratches the surface while writing ! Though the Dharma of a person cannot be simplified like a pen, let us strive to acquire wealth following the path of Dharma or righteousness.

Diwali is also associated with cleaning. Homes, workplaces and neighbourhood are all lit up. Midst all these, let’s also pause a bit and de-clutter our minds of all ill feelings, worries, anxieties and lethargy. Along with our surroundings, let’s brighten our mind with positivity, empathy, enthusiasm and noble thoughts.

This Diwali, may you always shine brighter day by day, be a guiding lamp for your family and friends, brighten your neighbourhood, enrich this country and always illuminate the world!

                                 

Ask for the Moon

The distance between earth and moon is said to be 384,400 Kms and we are just 2.1 Kms away from the Moon. The Chandrayaan - 2 is indeed a success though the whereabouts of the Vikram lander is unknown at this point in time.  A commendable job by the scientists and engineers of ISRO!

We the children of Kerala, in those days never knew that ISRO was headquartered at Bangalore. The model of a huge rocket seen while passing by train installed in Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) near the state capital Thiruvanathapuram (Trivandum in those good old days) was a source of inspiration. For us VSSC was synonymous with Rocket, Satellite and everything related to space. Our inspiration to become future engineers was to join this esteemed organisation.

At a time when the state of Kerala was bereft of many industries, VSSC meant a huge solace for the highly literate and educated people of the state. I have many friends working in ISRO and you can still see many scientists and engineers from southern states in coveted position there.

Those were the early days of maturing space technology and all their ventures were not as successful as today. There were failures galore that often invited ridicule.  We children had our own names for the Satellite Launch Vehicles (SLV) 

SLV – Sea Landing Vehicle

ASLV (Advanced SLV) – ‘Athe’  Sea Landing Vehicle (‘Athe’  in Malayalam means  ‘the same’)

PSLV (Polar SLV) – ‘Pinneyum’  Sea Landing Vehicle (‘Pinneyum’  in Malayalam means ‘Again’)

ISRO has travelled a long way from there, learned from each failure and consolidated its position in the league and today is a force to reckon with.  We have not only launched satellites but also explored the Mars and the Moon.

Failures are not new to this technology where one has to depend only on the communication systems. Every country that attempted has failed multiple times. No doubt we get stronger with each failure.

An emotional lecture during by engineering days my Dr P Radhakrishnan*, a scientist in VSSC is still vivid in my memory. Dr Radhakrishnan was trained in Johnson Space Centre, USA and slated to travel to space in September 1986 Challenger mission which was abandoned after the Challenger disaster of January 1986.

The world has changed, India has changed. Once upon a time, people used to ask Will launching an rocket alleviate poverty? But today space technology has helped build a better India with its contribution in the fields of communication, disaster management, medicine, education and many other.

We get up at midnight and sit glued to our TV sets, computers and mobiles to watch  Vikram land on the moon. The Prime minister spends sleepless night with the scientists, owns the slightest of the failures stands by them, consoles, boosts their morale, motivates and  leads them to courageously go ahead with their mission with an assurance that the country stands by them.

A country that started by carrying a satellite on a bicycle to the launchpad has touched the moon today! 

Ask for the moon! We will get you the moon in a platter soon. 

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P._Radhakrishnan_(scientist)

For the Foodie at Home

I never imagined one day you will sit at home like this unemployed! Anyway, you are at home, why don’t you do something for me?  commented my son this morning.

What else can I do for this foodie teenager at home, who was also requesting me since long to write something on food? Hence, I embarked on a journey to prepare Biriyani for lunch today. My better half too is relieved as she doesn’t have to cook lunch on a working Saturday. The foodie along with his mummy are relishing the biriyani while I am writing this blog. 

Last week our neighbour, the retired Maharashtrian uncle and aunty invited me for a cup of tea. The tea was different yet delicious with added ginger and jaggery.

In fact, the British taught us to drink tea. Otherwise serving tea to guests at home was not a traditional Indian way of hospitality. Not long ago, we used to serve other beverages, the likes of buttermilk, lassi, lemon juice, flavoured milk, “Panak” prepared from jaggery, dry ginger and other condiments. The beverages were healthy and rather served as that aiding digestion and soothing the mind and body. Today the tea coffee too has given way to colas and other drinks which jazz you up.

“अन्नाद्भवन्ति भूतानि” says the Bhagawad Gita which means all living beings subsist on food. You are what you eat! Food is that which nourishes the body & mind, sets the mood and enriches the soul. Ideally the food you eat must be conducive to your lifestyle, profession, climatic conditions, geography and time. The food should nourish and provide energy to carry on with our activities, rather than the body spending energy to digest it.

I am not sure how many remember the Rajesh Khanna’s dialogue from the 1972 Hrishikesh Mukherji movie Bawarchi

तीन चार सौ किसम की चटनी बना सकता हूँ | आज एक खाईये  ठीक  एक साल बाद उसकी बारी आयेगी |

If not one year, at home we have a simple rule not to repeat a dish for at least a fortnight. We prepare at least half a dozen type of Dosas from, Rice, wheat, Lentils etc, only one type a week. Rice, traditional Jevan or what we call in Kerala “Oonu”, twice a week. Different types of rice dishes prepared using tomato, lemon, tamarind, coconut, at least four types of pulao and  khichids, all vegetarian in addition to a variety of rotis, bakris, puris and parathas, the appams, idiappams, puttu and other items.

Typical Konkani dishes, the types of Ghassi, Valaval, Humman, Ambat, both sweet and sour. Also delicacies from at least a dozen states of India learnt during the different sojourns, the last one being the buckwheat roti and fern curry from Sikkim. 

India is a land of festivals and food is an integral part of our festivities. Each festival is unique with unique delicacies. Let’s not forget the sacrifice of mothers who over the many generations insisted, prepared and kept alive the tradition and passed on the traditional recipes to us. In my hometown even today 64 delicacies are prepared during one of the festivals.

The history of the Konkani speaking GSB community to which I belong is full of adversities and persecutions during the last 600 years. A civilization originally belonging to the now extinct Saraswati river in Kashmir have migrated multiple times and at last settled along the south west coast of India starting from Maharashtra to Kerala. Probably because of the migrations, greens are an integral of our diet that  include banana stem & flower, drumstick and pumpkin leaves other bitter, sour and sweet leaves, fruits and flowers. 

BTW, Last evening, I moved on from my job of last 8+ years. A short spell of unemployment has its own advantages as it liberates you to do whatever you love than other professional responsibilities however challenging they may be. 

It is never my intention to just talk about food. We also welcome you home to taste the delicacies but please let us know at least day in advance as I would be taking up another assignment next week and likely to remain employed for some more time. 

The picture you see above is a traditional Konkani preparation known as Hittu or Khotto, similar to Idli but prepared in cups made of Jackfruit leaves served with freshly prepared coconut chutney 

The great Indian Walkathon

Today, 12^th July 2019, is the eleventh lunar day (Ekadashi) of the bright fortnight (Shukla paksha) of the Indian calendar month of Ashadha (आषाढ)  also known as  Ashadhi Ekadashi or Ashadhi (आषाढि एकादशी).

We the “Warkaris” have been walking for ages. We have been undertaking this traditional annual pilgrimage (Wari) that started over 800 years back. We, more than an estimated 3 lakh devotees walk over 250 kms in 21 days from different parts of Maharashtra, culminate at Pandharpur on this day just to have a glimpse of our beloved lord Vittala.

Pandharpur is a small temple town in the Solapur district of Maharashtra about 350 Kms from Mumbai. The presiding deity here is Lord Vittala also known as Panduranga, an embodiment of Lord Vishnu, one among the triad (Trimurti’s) of Hindu Gods. Vishnu in Sanskrit means one who is omnipresent.  In Marathi we call him विठेवरि  उभा, meaning standing on a brick, with both hands on his hips कर कठावरि ठेवून  to bless his devotees.

Going to Pandharpur  is “Homecoming” for us and we call it तीर्थाचे महेर, सर्व सुखाचे भांडार, the storehouse of all happiness. We are not going there to seek anything, for we don’t need anything when He is there with us. However, we take with us whatever we have to offer him. If at all we need something from it is the boon that we never forget Him. हेचि दान देगा देवा तुझ विसर न व्हावा.  

He is both mother (विठू माउली) and father (विठोबा) for us. He is our God, Guru, our friend, guide and philosopher. He is our uncle, aunt and relative. We perceive him in all human beings, animals and birds and for us there is nothing in this world which is different from Him. With him always besides us, we don’t have even the slightest fear of this world!

This is the seat of the Bhakti Movement which renounced all vedic and ritualistic forms of worship. We believe that the only way to unite with the Lord is through an unwavering love for Him called Bhakti. Numerous saint philosophers of Maharashtra have composed innumerable devotional poems on Vithoba in Marathi popularly known as Abhang.  Warkaris sing and dance to these Abhangs throughout their journey to Pandharpur. Though people from all walks of like participate in this Wari, the majority of comprise the peasants and villagers form lower income groups. We may be materially poor but we are culturally rich.

Pandharpur, has the rare distinction of being awarded the title “One of the Most visited places in a day” by the World Book of records (WBR). We know after walking for all these days, it is possible that we may not be able to have a glimpse of You today as there are an estimated 1 million devotees congregate here. But we don’t have even the slightest discontent as We have not come here to achieve anything. Oh! Lord, You have always been mine and I have always been yours! Thinking about you has always been our way of life! रीत जीवनाची झाली तुला चिंतणे…… .

We will come again next year to see you……

Mummy Oh! Mummy

My tooth has been aching since the last few days. The dentist suspecting an infection of the leftmost molar prescribed an antibiotic and said if the pain doesn’t subside in the next 3 days, we would prefer an extraction. What else do I need than a “Mumbai Rain” drenched Saturday morning with a tooth ache, alone at home to ride the Doraemon’s time machine and travel back in time?

I met her for the first time about 21 years back. A flamboyant Delhiite lady draped in light green color kancheevaram saree with a handbag along with her husband had visited our home in a small town in Kerala. She was suave and loquacious and lovingly accepted by our clan into the family. She would soon be the Mother in Law to my only sister. Her only son, soon to be my Brother in Law lovingly call he “Mummy”. In our neighborhood, we addressed our mothers as “Amma” and the word “Mummy” was little strange though not unknown.

She loved to talk and whenever and wherever we met all these years, I used to sit beside her and listen to her stories. Originally from a joint family near our place in Kochi, she was married at a young age to a banker, widely travelled and stayed all over India particularly the north. Obviously, she had lots of stories to tell right from her childhood, family and of course her sojourns over the years. She was inspiring and we were always at an awe listening to her.  

I was her son and at times a younger brother. It was a unique relationship that we shared. She used to call me by my first name and at times “Sanna”, a name uniquely reserved by my sister. Sometimes I used to call her mummy, at times “mayi” which in our mother tongue meant aunty. When our children were born, along with them we all used to call her “bapami” meaning grandmother. Of course, when the basis of a relationship is love and affection what is there in a name?

She loved inviting people to their house. She was an excellent cook who loved to treat whosoever came her way. She prepared the cuisines of north to south, east to west and had those magical fingers that made any dish a delicacy. I always had the privilege of having those namkeens, the crispy chaklis, the chivdas and laddoos which she exclusively prepared for me whenever I visited her in Delhi or sent through anyone in the family who visited us in Mumbai.

The rain has subsided. My time machine has reversed its gears and is back to Mumbai. It is not travelling forward anymore. I would miss her. My tooth is still aching. I don’t mind an extraction of the molar for why do I need it anymore for Mummy is no more there to prepare those tasty Chaklis!!

#Respect

Thoughts are always random. You never know what and how they get triggered. Last evening when I was driving in the city, a sticker on the rear of a taxi plying in the front was the trigger for this thought. It read "Driver of this taxi respects Women". 

Probably the company that runs the taxi would have trained the drivers to be sensitive to women passengers. That may also be their unique selling proposition (USP). Good initiative! I only hope everyone follow this example.

The sad part is that even in this 21^st century when mankind is taking big leaps and aspiring to inhabit neighbouring planet, we still need to teach our men to #respect fellow humans and need strong laws and enforcement of the same to protect the citizens especially women and children from men!  

In an age when women stand shoulder to shoulder with men, we need an act of parliament to protect women from harassment at workplace. Few months back we had a session in office on the POSH (Prevention of Sexual harassment at workplaces Act). The Gentlemen are now being taught to treat women properly!  Sometimes I question myself - Are we progressing or regressing?

vidya-vinaya-sampanne
brahmane gavi hastini
suni caiva sva-pake ca
panditah sama-darsinah

vidya—education; vinaya—gentleness; sampanne—fully equipped; brahmane—in the brahmana; gavi—in the cow; hastini—in the elephant; suni—in the dog; ca—and; eva—certainly; svapake—in the dog-eater (the outcaste); ca—respectively; panditah-those who are so wise; sama-darsinah—do see with equal vision.

TRANSLATION

The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste].

Bhagawad Gita – Chapter-5 Shloka -18 (https://asitis.com/5/18.html)

 Is this the same India whose ancient scriptures teach us the virtue to respect humans and see the same divinity in a learned person, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog eater (an outcaste in those days)? In the 69 years since adoption, we have amended our constitution 103 times, on an average 1.5 amendments a year. New laws were formulated many of them prescribe and proscribe the actions of an average citizen. It is high time we ponder over and ask ourselves whether these constitution amendments and prescriptive regulations are a substitute for our inherent values.

This reminds me of a small parable told to us during my school days which goes like this…

Once upon a time, there was a guru, patriarch who used to teach children. One day when he was walking with his child army, the pencil fell down from his bag and the guru was unable to bend and lift it. The children were looking at each other undecided who will help the teacher. Upon return, the teacher made a list of things and a code of conduct for his children. It had a detailed list of things he had, the book, pencil, shawl and in case something is dropped accidently the children should pick the same. 

This day onwards children followed the rules diligently and life became so simple. One day during another stroll with the children, the guru tripped, and the puzzled children were found looking at the list for instructions!

All the laws come with a “enforcement cost”, the additional burden on the exchequer to implement and enforce the laws. In addition to the financial impact, the cost could also be irreparable damage to our behaviour. It is high time we move to consolidate our value system and start doing things ourselves without a stick by the state.

Else the day is not too far when we will stare at the laws and wonder what to do when we ourselves fall from grace!

The Marathi GPS

Hailing from a small town down south, surviving the #10YearChallenge in a city like Mumbai is a real one. But the city embraces you and nourishes you irrespective of who you are. 

In addition to the cosmopolitan outlook, the Maharashtrian culture is so vibrant in this metropolis. I have experienced and loved it in Mumbai and enjoyed it in other parts of the state as well. 

In a country diverse like India, the life style and culture of every state or the people is unique. The three major distinguishing features of their culture are the Food habits, their Gods & beliefs and Heroes & role models.  

Starting with the God, Ganapati or Bappa as he is fondly called in this part of the country is considered the presiding deity of Maharashtra. He is our friend, guide and philosopher! Wherever there is a Maharashtrian, in any corner of the world, there will be a Ganapati. Such is the devotion and love for Him.  

During the annual 10-day long Ganapati festival, we bring Bappa home, feed him our staple food, sing and dance with him make him a member of the family and one day immerse him in the sea with all respect and reverence. While it rains during the procession, we happily get wet but hold the umbrella over Bappa.

Oh Food!  No doubt food is an integral part the cultural heritage of Maharashtra. Forget the Rotis, Parathas and Kulchas and just indulge on the variety of Polis and Bakris. It is rare to find a restaurant in Mumbai that serves pure Maharashtrian food as neither the eatery nor we can survive without the Pizzas, Pastas, Burgers and Manchurians. 

Travels and sojourns across Maharashtra, I have cherished the delicious food so unique in different parts of the state the Gharguti Jevan or homely food.   If the Konkan or Malwani recipes are rich in coconut and kokum, the major ingredients of Marathwada region are peanuts and spices. 

The chutneys and Amtis, Pithla Bhakri, the Vangyacha Bharit, the Aloo or Kothmir vadis, Khaprachi Puran Poli are some cuisines which you just can’t  resist. The Misal pav and Vada pav are a must eat recipe when you are here. 

Oh Poha! fondly called Pohe in different varieties is an all-time favourite that generates an instant awe on the face of every Maharashtrian.

He is our Super Hero! We have innumerable edifices named after him that include airports and railway stations. Travelling across the state, I have always admired and adored the 17th century warrior king of the Maratha clan Shivaji Maharaj. 

There is no end to his stories and he has inspired the people and remained a super hero generation after generations. Shivaji is known for his governance, military tactics, kindness and respect for women. It is said that at one point in time he had control over 360 forts. 

While you criss-cross the state, look for the names ending with “Gad”or “Durg” and you will find a fort.  Rajgad, Pratapgad, Lohgad, Sinhagad, Sindhudurg, Vijaydurg, Shivneri … just to name a few.

Why do we need a GPS to navigate when we have Ganapati, Poha & Sivaji?

Rani's Father

During a recent family driving trip, when I was sitting in a dhaba flanked by my wife on one side and sister on the other, I proudly announced to my son and nephews that none of you have this privilege of sitting between the sister and wife. True! In our immediate and extended family, it's a boys world with only traces of a few girls here and there. Of course not by choice but only as a matter of destiny. In retrospective when our children were born, it wouldn't have mattered if it had been a girl or a boy. Recently when I mentioned to an ex-colleague of mine that our group miss her at the lunch table, she said “definitely you will as only a lady can bring the cohesion in the group”. She is right. Girls bring home a warmth compared to the ‘rebellion’ of the boys. Oops! no comparison between genders. Boys are boys and girls are girls. It is easy to say that a girl is equal to ten sons but for the society still considering a girl equivalent to a boy is tad difficult. 

During a visit to my friend with one son, I asked whether he had a sister and he answered in the affirmative. To my question as to how does it feel leading a nuclear family with just one son, he said the compassion, empathy and caring unique to girls is what sometimes he misses in life. We probably need to teach our sons some feminine traits to cope up more happily with life. Today’s world doesn’t differentiate between girls and boys at least in education and professional life. What boys do girls definitely do, rather they do better than boys. They are multi-taskers. A teacher, a manager, a cricketer, an athlete and even an astronaut is a daughter or wife at home and mother to her children. Girls are rather carved out that way by mother nature. But a question that we need to ask ourselves is whether our boys are capable of doing everything the girls do ? During our childhood, boys were taught and sometimes made to do all household chores like cooking, washing and cleaning which I feel has helped make life in this busy city more manageable. While our children read about the contribution of the women achievers of today, the likes of Nirmala Sitaraman, Sushma Swaraj, Indira Nooyi, Kalpana Chawla, Mary Kom and others, let us educate them to appreciate and respect the contributions of Hira bai’s and Ganga bai’s who help simplify our daily life. 

Once upon a time in my hometown, parents were known by the names of their children. There were Geetha’s mother, Uma’s mother, Krishna’s father et al. Today sometimes I feel I don’t experience the same pride being called Govind’s father that my father experienced being called “Rani’s Father”. btw Rani is my younger sister’s maiden name.

Sateesh