FROM APPPAM TO IDIAAPPAM

I had a surprise breakfast a few months back. My wife S had hinted that I was going to go ga-ga with the breakfast that our new cook P had made. And indeed so. Made out of rice flour and passed through a sieve, these aappams come out in thin streaks like noodles. Steamed in a pressure cooker and served and taken with stew (or kurma) they taste delicious. It is a traditional Tamil, Keralite and Sri Lankan breakfast food. Separate Idyappam makers are available in the market. The ingredients are few. Raw rice, boiled rice, oil, scraped coconut and salt to taste. I recommend it highly as a nutritious and filling breakfast.

"SPECIAL 26"

Last weekend I saw a movie after a very long hiatus. I had too many things on my plate to afford another 3-4 hours of deviation from my focussed activities. But then when I read the review, I decided to find some time to see this rather unusual film. My s-i-l had received two tickets from the company that financed this movie and he was not interested in watching the film and sent them over to us. Who does not like to have a 'free lunch'? So, I jumped on the idea and persuaded my better half to join me though she was a bit reluctant. Another 'disshum disshum', she asked. I said "No, this is a different movie''.  And so it was. It was a decision that I did not regret.

The movie is about a gang of impostors who have perfected the art of fooling the very rich (politicians and businessmen) - those who keep loads of black money and are unwilling to report the con act to the police. Their 'modus operandi' is to pose as officers from CBI and Income Tax and conduct massive raids with force, precision and speed to unearth the cash and other valuables and scout with the loot. The inspiration for the movie has been derived from a real heist which took place in the 80's at TBZ jewellery shop near Opera House, Mumbai. Ajju (Akshay Kumar), P K Sharma (Anupam Kher), Iqbal (Rajesh Sharma) and Joginder (Kishore Kadam) are the four members of the infamous gang. Manoj Bajpayee as the honest CBI cop Wasim Khan who decides to outsmart the crooks puts in a stellar performance. Jimmy Shergill is the police officer who turns a mole for the crooks. He acts convincingly.

Brilliantly directed by Neeraj Pandey, there is no dull moment in the film. His attention to detail is awesome. Akshay Kumar and Anupam Kher's performances are superb. Ajju (Akshay Kumar) is very stylish- dressed like a geek, holding thick files under his arm. His accomplice P K Sharma (Anupam Kher) does a fantastic job and in particular the scene in which he breaks down when questioned by CBI cop Wasim Khan, brings to the front his remarkable acting prowess.  Kajal Agarwal as Akshay Kumar's girl friend has a small role. Divya, colleague of Jimmy Shergill does her job as the role demands. The audacious plot keeps one focussed on the screen all the time. Excellent cinematography is another big plus in the movie. It is a fiction movie based on an actual occurence and therefore is actually a projection of a real-life incident.

How does this sarcastic and humorous film end? It is not on expected lines. I would not like to take away the suspense. Take the trouble to go to the movie hall and watch it. Paisa vasool.

HAVE YOU TRIED AAPPAM?

Those who are fond of South Indian snacks drool over Idli and Dosai (commonly referred to in Mumbai as Dosa). The Udipi restaurants in Mumbai have given an unprecedented popularity to these iconic dishes from the South. The South Kanara restaurateurs who saw a business opportunity in this fast food deserve all the credit. Idli and Dosa joints are galore in Mumbai, thanks to the Shettys and Kamaths. These quick-service joints serve a wide variety of Dosas which include plain, masala, rava, and mysore  besides rava idlis and kancheepuram idlis too!

I & D have become international as well and have caught the fancy of discerning food-lovers. The Saravana Group  has many restaurants in the US and UK. It is a heaven sent for home-sick South Indian students in the US. In 2004, when I was in California, our daughter L took us to a restaurant where I had a masala dosai about two feet in length. Gujeratis have almost made these South indian snacks part of their staple food. These days, there are many stores mainly in the major cities where I & D batter is sold, easing the drudgery of making them. They fly like hot cakes.

Where does Aappam fit in this scenario? It belongs to the same genre as I & D. It is quintessentially a Kerala innovation. Syrian Christians have perfected the art of making aappams. They imbibed the art of making this difficult dish from the Jews who migrated to Kerala hundreds of years ago.The method of preparation of the batter is almost similar to that of idli and dosai though the ingredients vary. Aappam is prepared in an aappamchetty. It is a small and deep cast-iron kadai. My wife S coming from Madurai (closer to Kerala) is an expert. She has now taught our talented new cook P to prepare Aappam. A fortnight or so ago P prepared them for breakfast.
The recipe and the procedure are as under: ( Courtesy Tarla Dalal)

1 1/2 cup parboiled rice
1 coconut
2 tsp sugar
1/3 cup steamed rice
1/2 tsp dry yeast
oil for frying
salt to taste

Soak rice overnight and drain the water in the morning. Grate coconut,add water and take out coconut milk. Mix parboiled rice and cooked rice and add a little coconut, milk and grind. Add sugar,balance coconut milk and salt. mix the yeast with a little warm water, add to the rice paste and mix very well. Keep covered for 3 hours. Slowly rotate the Aappam chetty so that the batter is spread thin on the sides and the middle remains thick.Gentle swirls will ensure that excess batter remains in the centre-soft and spongy. serve it hot with coconut milk or stew. Cover and cook for 1 minute. The middle part will be swollen and sides thin and crisp and browney. It will look like a I & D combo. Fluffy in the centre and brown lace border are the hallmarks of a well made aappam. It is the cook's pride and the neighbour's envy.

Aappam is generally taken with coconut milk or a kurma as an 'accoutrement'. There are some who prefer to take them with thuvaiyal or saambaar.Three Cheers to the 'Queen of Kerala breakfast dishes'! as it is popularly known amongst Malayaalees. Will it become as popular as its siblings, I & D ? The jury is still out on this subject.

And finally how did our cook P fare?  As you can she from the pictures above, she kept it fluffy in the center and a thin and brown crisp lace in the outer periphery. Hallmarks of a well-cooked Aappam. I loved the Aappam and asked for many helpings.

She passed the test with flying colours. 

THE RISE AND FALL OF SHOOTING STARS

There is an old saying that shooting stars always fall. This adage has been proven time and again.  I greatly admired some persons who have recently fallen from grace. To see them fall/fallen makes me feel very sad. Rajat Gupta, Fareed Zakaria and Lance Armstrong are some of my heroes who have become zeroes. They all had a meteoric rise in their careers. But then like meteors they fell to the ground. It was a rapid but short stay in ascendency. Their growth was spectacular but they came crashing down with their reputation in tatters.

They are all unquestionably great achievers. Brilliant, persevering and ambitious. Rajat Gupta came from a humble background but scaled great heights. He became the CEO of the world's largest and best management consultancy firm. He rubbed shoulders with the high and mighty. Known to be a devoted husband and a loving father of three daughters, what went wrong?  Why did such an intelligent person have to indulge in insider trading and be so careless about it?

Fareed Zakaria was also a brilliant student. He studied at Yale and Harvard. He is a prolific writer and India's show piece to the US world for his excellence in reporting and news coverage. He was with Newsweek and then Chief Editor of Time magazine. He has written many books and some of them were best-sellers. Why did he have to plagiarise? Did he imagine that he would get away with it?

Lance Armstrong, six times winner of Tour de France, the toughest cycling competition in the world, has been recently accused of continuous usage of drugs over the years and he is being stripped of all his titles. He suffered from cancer and heroically fought the disease and wrote a best seller and inspired thousands of people by his courage and stoic determination. He battled all these charges all these years but now has given up fighting anymore. What made him take to doping to win competitions? And if it is true, did he not know that he will be exposed sooner or later? What made him to continuously take drugs before cycling competitions?

The answers are there for all of us to see.

Arrogance, over-confidence, ego and greed. All negative qualities which must be abhorred. There is a saying in Sanskrit- "vinasha kaale, vipeerata buddhi" which explains the behaviour pattern of these shooting stars. The very mighty fall when they become egoistic, arrogant, over-confident and greedy. History is full of such examples. In the above episodes, there is a lesson for our present younger generation. We see many of them very successful in India as well as abroad. Fame and wealth have come to them very fast. They must preserve what they have gained and scale greater heights. Modesty, integrity, sacrifice, helpfulness, empathy and concern with and for the down-trodden should be their guiding values. Then they can be called truly outstanding and remain at the top and not crash down like meteors.

Is 13 A Lucky Number ?

Many believe that 13 is an unlucky number. Horrible things have happened on the 13th. And if it is Friday 13th, then it could be really horrific for those believers. I did a blogpost in 2007 on this subject and I am inclined to do this post on the same subject after five years.

What is the provocation? Yesterday evening when I was having my evening walk on Marine Drive, I looked at Nana Chudasama's one liner on a banner on top of "not just Jazz by the Bay"restaurant. They are always witty and they carry a message. This one was on No 13.  He was referring to our new President Pranab Mukherjee's taking oath of office on 13th July and hoping that it would be a good omen for the country.

No 13 has always been a lucky number for Pranabda as he is called. He was married on 13th July 1957, elected to Lok Sabha on 13th May 2004. his office in Parliament was in Room No 13 and he lived in a house in New Delhi whose address is 13 Talkatora Road. Surely, he will do well.

Balbir Singh,87, who played hockey for India and won the 1948 Olympic gold for his country wore Jersey No 13 throughout his career.With the same jersey number, Balbir Singh played in the 1952 and 1956 Olympics and completed the golden hattrick in field hockey. Not only was 13 his jersey number, his house no was 1534 which adds upto 13, his car number added upto 13, his court case file number added upto 13 and his birthdate also added upto 13. This number 13 was so lucky for him that he restricted the number of chapters in his biography "The Golden Hat Trick" to 13. Didn't  Sikhism founder Guru Nanak kept repeating tera-tera once when he was weighing groceries for a customer. Who says 13 is an unlucky number?

As per Indian mythology and numerology, 13 is a lucky number. The Chinese also consider 13 a lucky number. In Mandarin, digit 1 when it is a ten sounds like "shi" which means definite. And 3 which is "san"means life/living. So the combined meaning is "definitely vibrant" or "assured growth". That should answer nana Chudasama's question. But ask a Westerner or even a Japanese. They would shun anything connected to 13. One man's meat is another man's poison.

Pranabda has proved that 13 is his lucky number. Let us hope that his term is 'vibrant' and that the country has an 'assured growth' and that he has a good run as the President of India.

THE ULTRAMARATHONER

I heard of marathon running since the time Standard Chartered Bank initiated and sponsored the Mumbai Marathon run many years ago. My son-in-law H runs marathons regularly both in India and abroad. He is a passionate runner. Of course many run the full marathon and some the half-marathon as well and some fall by the wayside. There are many examples of how many individuals have started running at advanced ages. Centenarian Fauja Singh who lives in England is an outstanding person who started running at 86 to get over the depression he was suffering from when his wife passed away. He has been running marathons ever since. There are other examples where middle-aged men with back and leg problems decided to do the marathon and completed it successfully. Courage, determination, endurance grit and risk-taking ability are essential to run the marathon. Marathons apart, running has become a way of life for many who believe that their day is not complete if they have not run at least 5km on that day. Passion many times becomes an obsession.

Recently when I read in the Time magazine about Ultramarathoner Scott Jurek running 165.7 miles in 24 hours, I couldn't believe my eyes. Why would someone run such a long distance? According to Scott Jurek running Ultramarathon is more of a head game. One has to be adaptable; strength to run need not necessarily be genetic. It is very discomfortable but at the end of the day it makes one stronger. He grew up in Northern Minnesota and enjoyed fast food. Now his diet has taken a 360 degree turn. He eats beans, legumes, soy products, plenty of vegetables and fruits. And for proteins tempeh is the king. Ironically, he hated running when he was young and hated vegetables too. Today running ultramarathons in his first love and he is a vegan. Scott thinks running marathons is cool. His favourite place to run is in the Swiss Alps, near Chamonix, France. He has written a best seller Eat & Run. Scott Jurek is a superhuman man with extraordinary capabilities.

BEKAL BY TAJ

When my son-in-law H and daughter L came up with a suggestion for a short Easter weekend holiday in Kerala, I was very excited. But then, when I asked them about the location, they said it was going to be Bekal. I had never heard about this place and I was not really sure what I was in for. Before I could even change my mind and suggest a better known place, they assured me that I was going to love every bit of my stay. They had booked the air  tickets and accomodation was reserved at the Taj Vivanta which hardly gave me any choice to opt out. After all, L's birthday was falling during that period and our two cute grandaughters were coming with us. To cut a long story short, I agreed to join them. It was an unforgettable holiday.

Bekal is a small sleepy seasidetown in the North of Kerala. One has to take a flight to Mangalore and then drive down for about one and half hours to reach Kasargod and finally Bekal. Taj Hotels manage the huge property of beach-front rooms and villas in the midst of lush greenery all around. It is a spanking new hotel with luxurious rooms and a plunging pool in each villa. All of us spent a lot of time  in the water, either in the plungepool or in the main swimming pool or taking long morning walks on the pristine beach with the strong waves lashing at our feet. R enjoyed the excitement of picking up sea shells and preserved them as a present for her grandmother who could not make it to Bekal. Holding R's hand and walking along the beach early in the morning was an unforgettable experience. We enjoyed the food which was a combination of North Indian and Kerala cuisine and ate to our heart's content.  I took several massages in the makeshift spa as the main spa was under some renovation. It was very relaxing and enabled me to recharge my batteries.

On L's birthday, Taj Vivanta took great pains to decorate our room with flowers and baloons and kept for us the choicest of wines. And of course a big birthday cake which L cut surrounded by her beaming two daughters. All of us immersed ourselves in cake and champagne while R & R enjoyed every bit of the chocolate cake.

We visited the huge Bekal fort next day. It is a massive key-hole shaped laterite structure. It stands imposingly on the beach with supposedly many secret tunnels into the sea. During Tipu Sultan's period the fort was of strategic importance to him. A surprise in store for me was the Anathapadmanabhaswamy lake temple in Anathapura, an hour's drive from Bekal. The only one of its kind in Kerala, it is supposed to be the moolasthanam of Lord Ananthapadmanabhaswamy. There are many legends associated with the temple.

It is said that all good things must come to an end. I felt sad when we packed our belongings to leave. It was a fine holiday, well spent. Good food, good ambience, soothing massages, lovely beach and wonderful hospitality at the Taj. What more could one ask for? After all isn't it God's own country? 

THE WANDERING FALCON-A BOOK REVIEW

THE WANDERING FALCON : JAMIL AHMAD: PENGUIN: PAGES 180: PRICE: RS 399


It is a stunning debut novel by the author Jamil Ahmad, a septuagenarian and a retired member of the Civil Service of Pakistan and a gifted storyteller whose hallmarks are restraint and brevity. He takes us to the tribal areas where Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran seem to converge. These inhospitable areas are today hotbeds of conflicts and conspiracies. Mahsouds and Wazirs are two among many nomadic tribes who often clash with each other. It is the survival of the fittest. The protagonist is a young boy called Tor Baz (black falcon). He is the hunting falcon. He mingles with people of three different nationalities. Men who are fighting for their countries and women who have to honour their society’s code of conduct if they wish to survive. Who is Tor Baz.? From where did he come? And where shall fate take him? Is he a device or a metaphor than a character? It is a tightly plotted and engaging novel, superbly crafted by a writer who brings a high degree of tenderness and sensitivity in dealing with a complex subject of which he shows extraordinary knowledge and understanding.

Varalakshmi Vratam

This is a very important and sacred observance (Vratha) followed by pious Hindu married women seeking the blessings of Goddess Mahalakshmi (Varalakshmi-boon granting Goddess) for longevity for their husbands and wealth and happiness for the family. It is observed in the month of July/August in the Tamil month of Aadi on the Friday before the full moon. This year it fell on 12th August. It is a very common observance among married women in the Southern states and to some extent in Maharashtra and Orissa. According to Skanda Purana, Lord Shiva recommended to his wife Parvathi to observe the vratham to obtain wealth and prosperity.

Starting with cleaning of the house in the early hours of the morning, women decorate the entrance of their homes with mango leaf festoons and beautiful garlands. New clothes are worn on this occasion and women deck themselves with their best jewellery. The ceremony begins with Kalasha puja. A sacred pot (Kalasha) is worshipped,filled with water and kept on a mount of rice placed on a plaintain leaf. A thread is tied around the the kalasha. Sacred symbols are made on the kalasha by the purohit using vermillion paste. A coconut is placed in the centre of the sacred pot surrounded by mango leaves.Then the puja commences by worshipping Vishwaksena or Ganesha as the case may be. After completing the Vishwaksena Aaradhana or Ganesha Puja, holy water from the kalasha is sprinkled on all those present. After that, Mahalakshmi stotram, Laksmi Sahasranamam and Sri Suktham are chanted.Various food and fruit offerings are made to Mahalakshmi. Then an aarathi is performed.In the evening women are invited to get Mahalakshmi's blessings and partake of the prasadam.

Mahalakshmi is the consort of Lord Vishnu. Vishnu means pervading everywhere. And Mahalakshmi is symbolic of the forces pervading everywhere.There are eight forces of Mahalakshmi (Ashtalakshmi). These are known as Bhuh (earth), Sri (wealth), Saraswati (Learning), Keerthi (Fame), Shaanthi (Peace), Tushti (Pleasure), Preeti (Love) and Pushti (Strength). By worshipping Lakshmi we obtain good health, wealth and happiness which depend on these forces.

We were invited last Friday to a Varalakshmi Vratam evening by a good friend of ours.Her mother( her name was Lakshmi) observed this ritual every year from the time she was married till she passed away a few years back. Her daughter has picked up the mantle and has been continuing this tradition.

MEMORIES OF AKBAR THE GREAT BY DIRK COLLIER-A BOOK REVIEW

THE EMPEROR’S WRITINGS-MEMORIES OF AKBAR THE GREAT : DIRK COLLIER : AMARYLLIS PRESS : PAGES : 629 : PRICE : RS 695/-

The author researched for seven years while simultaneously writing his in-depth debut novel on Akbar who was considered to be the best of the Mughal Emperors. While researching the Spanish Inquisition, Dirk Collier, a Belgian historian and writer, first came across references to Akbar who had invited Jesuit priests to his court to learn about Christianity. Written in the form of a long letter from Akbar to Jehangir, the book is a compilation of all that he wanted to convey to his dear son who was a rebel. Well-known for his secular outlook which led him to attempt a fusion of three religions- Hinduism, Christianity and Islam which he named Din-e-Illahi which unfortunately failed, Akbar held a modern vision of a prosperous and tolerant country with rich diversity and unity. He conquered the strife and intrigues in the palace and rose spectacularly to absolute power. He had a harem of 5000 women out of which 300 were his real companions. Dirk Collier refers to Akbar as basically “an eclectic, a rationalist as well as a mystic”. His Hindu queen Jodha amassed huge wealth derived from her commercial skills of trading in silk and pepper about which Akbar often discussed with her. Akbar ruled for 49 years till his death in 1605. Jehangir valued his father more when dead than when alive. The conflict between father and son was bitter and never fully resolved. Akbar’s favourite wife Salima personally travelled to Allahabad and brought about the official reconciliation between father and son. Jehangir who held his father with the highest respect often visited his father’s tomb, dismounted, knelt down and rubbed his forehead on the doorstep of the mausoleum. The book is well written and a compelling read. It relates the true story of Akbar’s life and times and can be considered to be an authentic genre in historical fiction.

"BATTLE FOR BITTORA " BY ANUJA CHAVAN -A BOOK REVIEW

"BATTLE FOR BITTORA": ANUJA CHAVAN : HARPER COLLINS : Rs 299.

Only two years back Anuja Chavan’s debut novel “The Zoya Factor” was a runaway success. She has done an encore with her new book, a romantic comedy. She has mastered the right mix of ingredients that go to make a novel a hit. Bittora is a constituency in the state of Pavit Pradesh caught in an election frenzy. Jinny and Zain are childhood friends who contest with each other in the Lok Sabha elections. Jinny(Sarojini Pande) is from a political family but has very little interest in politics. She works in Mumbai in an animation studio. Her opponent is the handsome Zain Altaf Khan. The opponents belong to BJP and Congress in disguise which are named IJP and Pragati Party respectively. Drawing inspiration from her mother-in-law Margaret Alva, the author’s characters and incidents are very real which give the book a touch of reality. Anuja Chavan carries this chicklit book beyond the parameters of a love story. Her message is that there is place for youth and idealism in politics. And she conveys all this in a breezy and humorous style.

A WOMAN ON WALL STREET- A BOOK REVIEW

SUITS: A WOMAN ON WALL STREET : NINA GODIWALLA : ATLAS & CO : PAGES 352 : PRICE : $ 24/:

It is a memoir on the author’s two years’ stint at one of the topmost investment banks in the world - Morgan Stanley. It is a saga of the trials and tribulations of a young woman interning in Wall Street. Equipped with four cheap suits and two pairs of Payless shoes, she makes her beginning and by sheer hard work and performance she gets an offer in the coveted Corporate Finance Division on the completion of her internship. It is an insider account of the masochist culture in the world of investment banking and the extreme biases against women.

A decade earlier, Michael Lewis had written a similar book on the goings-on at Salmon Brothers and how their cigar smoking, high-flying executives fraternized among themselves forming an exclusive club and bullied the others. After interning with J P Morgan for a short period, the author joined Morgan Stanley on a two-year scholarship programme. It was a high-stress and male-dominated work ambience.

Nina is one of three children of Zorastrian immigrants from India (Parsis) who settled in Houston, Texas. She was driven by a burning ambition to succeed and prove her worth and win the respect of her father. This book gives an alternate view of children growing up in a Parsi household while the debate over “Tiger Mother” is still raging. She describes her grandmother’s cooking in delicious and mouthwatering detail. A brilliant student who walked into the world of high finance so to say, found the office atmosphere stifling and disgusting due to overtones of gender bias and class consciousness. Unable to accept such an environment, she walked away from her job to pursue her dream. Not that she did not know of what lay in store for her when she accepted the Morgan Stanley offer. She had heard and read all the horror stories from middle-aged women who bitterly complained on how they were sexually harassed; even ordered to wear short skirts. But things were changing as it was not easy anymore to get away with harassing co-workers. However, inappropriate behavior still prevailed and to add salt to the wounds, these high-falutin bankers were callous as well.

Though brought up by parents who insisted on hard work, long hours of study and holding the Parsi culture, the author did not exactly fit the mould. She was in a way a rebel. She dated and even brought a blind date home during her New York days. She drank but now she has reduced it as she has a baby. The irony is that she is married to an investment banker but he understands the fat-boy culture. Nina has started her own company which offers stress-reduction courses to professionals. Her rich experience of dealing with the stress in the almost all-male culture in Morgan Stanley must be holding her in good stead. The book is a gripping read. It is funny and heartwarming. There is a strong message. Ask yourself what are you working for. Is it worth it? Money is not the only goal.

GOD'S OWN TEMPLE-II

Nammaazhwaar, the 9th century Vaishnavite mystic saint had composed in
Anthaadi style, eleven paasurams which are part of the Thiruvaaimozhi, on the
Lord of Thiruvananthapuram.

Starting from

kedum idar aaya ellam, kesava enna, naalum
koduvinai sheiyyum, kootrin tamargalum kurukakillaar
vidam udai aravil palli, virumbinaan shurumbu allattrum,
tadam udai vayal, ananthapuranagar pugudam inre. 10-2-1

and ending as

andam il pugazh, ananthapuranagar aadi tannaik,
kondu alar pozhil,kurugoor maaran shol, aayiratthul:
aindinodum aindum vallar, anaivar poy amar ulagil,
paintodi madantaiyar-tam, vai maru tol inaiye. 10-2-11


All our difficulties will disappear when we chant the name Kesava. The
dreaded Yama's messengers too will come nowhere near us.
Let us, therefore, all go to Thiruvnanthapuranagar, surrounded by
fertile fields, where the Lord reclines on his poisonous serpent
couch. 10-2-1

This composition of thousand songs composed by Kurugur Satagopan
on the Lord of eternal glory will ensure the embrace of well-
bede,cked women in the celestial world. 10-2-11

In 10-2-7, Nammaazhwaar says that even sweeping the yard there will
undo all the karmas. In 10-2-9, he urges everyone to worship Vaamana's
feet as that would end the seeker's woes. And in 10-2-10, Nammazhwaar says
that those who worship Him with sandalpaste,lamp,incense and fresh
lotus petals will attain eternal glory.

The Aazhwaar says that the Nityasuris living in Paramapadam come to
Thiruvananthapuram for service. 'Sarveshwaran' is sleeping here. Thiruvanantha
Himself is praapya. The Lord has made HIs 'Nitya Sannidhi' here and therefore
whatever kainkaryam I would like to do when I reach Paramapadam after leaving
this mortal coil, I can do it here says Nammaazhwaar.

It doesn't matter if you have been a sinner. It is better to repent now than never.
Without hesitation take his name. Not necessarily only the name Kesava.
Take any one of His thousand names. Before you leave this body hasten to
Thiruvananthapuram; the Lord who has Vamanatva and Madhavatva will remove your 'samsaarabandhanam' (worldly attachment) and make you a Nityasuri
(a permanent resident in Paramapadam)
says Nammaazhwaar.

Rush to Thiruvananthapuram and chant one of His thousand names. You
will attain Moksha.

GOD'S OWN TEMPLE-I

Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram is literally in the eye of a storm with the discovery of an estimated Rs 1 lakh crores (Rs 1 trillion) in the temple's treasure trove on June 30th. The discovery consists of gold, silver, gems and precious coins from the vaults of the 9th century temple. As per temple records, the temple was built around the 10th century by the Ay dynasty who ruled prior to the Travancore royal family. There is a raging nationwide debate on what should be done with the treasure which has got accumulated over thousands of years. The Kerala Government insists that the assets belong to the temple and that it should not be relocated outside the temple premises. It has also beefed up security to protect the temple's wealth. The treasures have immense heritage value and under constitutional obligation these objects have to be preserved.

The costliest of the treasure found is perhaps a multi-gem studded golden icon of the deity Lord Vishnu. The kallaras are the six chambers around the sanctum sanctorum. Out of these four are routinely opened and shut while two have not been opened for centuries. Most of the treasure found was offered by the Travancore kings and their family members to their family deity Sree Padmanabhaswamy which is substantiated by the temple records which is preserved in the Kerala Archives Department. Marthanda Verma (1729-58) is known as the founder of modern Travancore. He was a dedicated devotee of the Lord unto whom he surrendered his kingdom and sovereignty making the Lord the sovereign Head of Travancore. Thereafter the rulers were called Padmanabha Dasas who ruled the kingdom on His behalf. Marthanda Verma, Swati Thirunal Rama Varma and the last king Sri Chitira Thirunal Bala Rama Varma continued to gift the Lord with precious gems and gold . Situated in the southwestern tip of the country, the temple was safeguarded from marauding invaders.

Why this sudden flurry now? After all, the residents of this holy city and particularly the Lord's ardent devotees have been aware of the wealth lying in the temple's vaults (Thiru-Aras) for hundreds of years. It is one T P Sundararajan,70, a retired IPS officer living just 100 feet away from the temple,and an advocate who literally set the ball rolling. He filed a petition in the High Court alleging mismanagement of the temple's funds by the Trustees and asked for an inventorisation of the wealth lying in the vaults. The High Court issued an order to the State asking it to take over the temple, its assets and management. Uthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma, the 89 year-old king who is fighting a battle in court and is striving to hold on to the last vestige of his empire, the Padmanabhaswamy temple,moved the Supreme Court which stayed the High Court order and asked for a detailed inventory to be listed of all the valuables in the six vaults of the temple. On June 27 when the vaults were opened for stocktaking, the treasures saw the light of the day. Sundararajan was one of the seven member panel formed by the Supreme Court that inspected the six vaults.Sundararajan, a bachelor, who takes his father to the temple every day and prays in the temple thrice a day, has indicated that there is a subterranean vault full of copper pots containing gold coins.His motive for taking the matter to the court was to prevent the royal family from siphoning off the huge treasure.The head of the erstwhile royal family said that he nor any of his family members were not making any claim to the temple wealth.

One vault, the kallara B, has not yet been opened.There is a sign of 'serpent' visible at the entrance and it is felt that it is inauspicious to open it as it may invite the wrath of the Lord. A 'deva prashnam' which is an age-old religious custom and practice may have to be conducted so as not to incur the displeasure of the Lord.

The questions that crop up are:- a) who owns the treasure, b) who will manage it, c) what will the apex court say, d) why is the government unsure of taking over the temple and e) how are the enormous treasures going to be secured and preserved for posterity? And simultaneously there are many who have offered various suggestions for utilising the staggering wealth for the benefit of the temple, the poor and the State.

The eighteen feet long idol of Lord Padmanabha, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu cannot be viewed in one glance. He is shown as reclining on the five-hooded serpent Adisesha, whose body is coiled thrice. The idol is made of a special material and there are about 12,000 saligramas collected from the bed of River Gandaki in Nepal which have been placed inside the idol. Some say that the the idol is made of gold and that it has been covered with soot. Nammaazhvar, a Vaishanavite mystic saint has sung eleven paasurams (verses) on the Lord which is part of the Thiruvaaimozhi section of the Naalayira Divya Prabandham.The temple architecture is a fusion of the Kerala style with the Dravidian style. Before the reorganisation of States after India attained independence, the Travancore kingdom consisted of the modern day southern Kerala and Kanyakumari district and the southernmost parts of Tamil Nadu.

continued in part II

URLAI ROAST

During my latest visit to Bhubaneswar last week, I stayed at the Trident. I usually stay here because I love the ambience around. It gives one a calm and serene feeling. Trident has a large swimming pool, gym with masseurs and a 900m jogging track. Two rounds early in the morning gives you a one-mile walk which prepares you for the day.The breakfast spread is huge but the southy stuff is my preference. Hot steaming idlis and vadas. And of course, I start with fruits supposed to drive away the toxicity in the body. I top up my breakfast with a large cup of yoghurt. I have a very light lunch and a light dinner too. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a commoner and dinner like a pauper is my motto.

This time though I couldn't stave off my hunger pangs at around 3pm when I was back in the hotel after my morning meetings. I decided to try a mulagutanny soup, urli roast with two chapatis and a bowl of yoghurt. I must admit it was a very satisfying lunch. The urli (urlakazhangu in Tamil and potatoes in English) roast was a big dish with plenty of baby potatoes with their skin, nicely tossed in a spicy curry-leaf masala. It was delicious. For those interested in cooking it at home, here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

Baby Potatoes with skin
Chilli Powder 1 tsp
Coriander Powder 2 tsp
Turmeric Powder ½ tsp
Mustard Seeds 1 tsp
Urad Dal 1 tbsp
Oil 2 tbsp

How to make it: KISS (KEEP IT SIMPLE SILLY)

Heat oil in a pan add mustard seeds and allow to splutter.
Add urad dal and fry until light brown.
Add chilli powder,coriander powder and turmeric powder.Stir it for 3 minutes.
Add baby potatoes and salt.Mix it well.
Cover and roast on a medium flame.
Keep stirring in between.
When they turn brownish and crispy, remove from stove.

Easy to make, urli roast goes well with chapatis.

WE ARE A NATION OF GEEKS

NOT ONLY THAT WE ARE ALSO SWOTS,NERDS,DWEEBS,BOFFINS AND DORKS. READ "GEEK NATION" BY ANGELA SAINI TO KNOW MORE ABOUT OUR SCIENTIFIC TEMPERAMENT.


GEEK NATION : HOW INDIAN SCIENCE IS TAKING OVER THE WORLD : ANGELA SAINI : HACHETTE : PAGES : 280 : PRICE : RS 499/-




The British author is 31years old, of Indian origin, an award winning science journalist and daughter of a chemical engineer. She is also an engineer by training. She is a self-professed geek. The svelte woman with a chic haircut calls herself a “pretty girlie geek.” She argues passionately that the nation of her ancestors is geared to become a scientific superpower. Her book is a journey through the colleges and laboratories of India to discover the scientific capability of the students and researchers and the changing scientific landscape.

She considers Indians and people of Indian origin as swots, nerds, dweebs, boffins and dorks. Words many of us had not heard before. Neither did Narayana Murthy of Infosys. Nor the legendary U R Rao of ISRO. She refers to Jawaharlal Nehru as the other important geek after Vikram Sarabhai. They pushed us into frontiers that were held earlier by the likes of Aryabhatta and Bhaskara. Though not equipped with the best of hardware for their research, the Indian scientists are using their mental software (read creativity) to compensate for the lack of quality equipment and they are developing cheap technologies for day to day applications. This is bringing about a scientific revolution. Indian science is according to Angela definitely riding a crest.

There are many who do not agree with her line of thinking. Her critics say that she is being carried away by the large presence of Indian engineers, doctors, technologists and forensic experts and IT professionals to jump to such conclusions. Undeniably, her book is an interesting travelogue. She visits ISRO, BARC and the IT corridor in Bangalore. Her interactions with Dr Manish Gupta who heads research at IBM India are very interesting. IBM is working on a new technology called the Spoken Web which put simply is a voice-based web which lets people use spoken words to surf spoken information on their mobile phones. With a large mobile subscription base coupled with large illiteracy this invention could create a large number of internet users through the mobile phone. She praises our TB research at Chennai and the work on mind-reading machines. She is excited with superstition and scientific temper in the same mindset of Indians.

After her visits to these centres of excellence, Saini’s optimism takes a hit. She is disappointed as she does not find them the hothouses of intellectual curiosity and innovation. The flip-flop of high praise and disenchantment goes on almost continuously. She calls Lavasa the hi-tech new township in the Western Ghats and as a Geek’s paradise lost to the poor. She is very impressed with our competence and achievements in international chess tournaments and physics Olympiads. She even visits the Vaishnavite stronghold in Karnataka where Ramanujacharya lived for many years to observe how scholars are interpreting ancient Sanskrit esoteric texts in the Academy of Sanskrit Research to show to the world that our rishis knew a lot of what we term as modern science. There is no doubt that India is emerging as a scientific superpower. But Angela Saini, a part of a group called Girl Geek Dinners, a kitty party kind of group where science is the common interest, needs more clarity in what she is looking for in the New India. It is a fascinating, weird and wacky world allright for this science journo who thinks she has the best job in the world. She is making her own little bit contribution to science writing in a domain of masculine imagery where women are very under-represented. She must know that people being in the thrall of science does not make their nation very scientific .

LOVELY LYCHEES

In July 2008, I had posted in this blog on the wonderful fruit Lychee also spelt Litchi. It is one of my favourite fruits. I am happy to post again on this great fruit because this year there has been a record production. Nearly 300,000 tonnes against last year's 225,000 tonnes. Lychees are grown mostly in Bihar and that too near Muzzafarpur. 80% of the country's production is concentrated in Bihar. The flowering in lychee trees was good this year and showers in March and April helped in their growth and ripening.

Lychee has a firm and rough skin which is bright pink-red in colour. Lychees are grown abundantly in China. The fruit grows in bunches of 5 to 30 pieces in trees. The trees are very tall and in the range of 30 to 60 feet. The inside consists of a layer of sweet, translucent white flesh. The texture is somewhat similar to that of a grape. The centre contains a single glossy brown nut-like seed.The fruit is commonly eaten out of hand. Lychee is also put in salads, pie and made into jams and jellies. Furthermore lychee is used to make tea. The seed can be eaten after roasting it. Lychee is also called ‘Chinese Strawberry’. In China, lychee is a symbol of romance and love.

Good production is a double-edged sword for the poor farmer. Shelf life of lychees after ripening is only a couple of days. They have to be despatched to the markets immeditaely after plucking. If smooth and fast transportation is not available, the advantages of a bumper crop are lost. If there are lychee-processing factories near the fruit plantations, it solves the dilemma of the farmers. Also Shahi lychees are the best among lychees. There is a huge demand in the export markets for this variety. Why can't Bihar produce more of these high value lychees?

Nitish Kumar's government must seriously look into increasing lychee production, in particular the Shahi variety, reduce tranportation bottlenecks and establish processing facilites in the vicinity of the lychee producing areas which the Government has been promising for many years now.

RETURN OF THE AMAZON OR CAN SHE BECOME A GANGA NOW?

JJ (J.Jayalaitha) is back in power after a long hiatus.The people of Tamil Nadu fed up with the Himalayan corruption of the DMK patriarch and his family had to choose between the devil and the deep sea.They have chosen to give another chance to JJ hoping that she would have put her bad ways behind her and that this long Vanavas would have chastened her and that she would be a true leader for the people,by the people and of the people. This is the last chance that JJ is getting. If she can capitalize on this unique opportunity provided by a combination of her own popularity and the negative votes cast in her favour due to a groundswell of public opinion against Kalaignar and his family, she could get elected and reelected for many more terms. Whether she will grasp this moment or squander the chance away is difficult to say. She was ferocious,revengeful,diabolic and untrustworthy in the past. For the sake of Tamil Nadu and her people, if she is a transformed person now, it will be a great blessing. But if she lives up to her past performance, it will indeed be a sad day for Tamil Nadu.

I am reproducing below from the web, a reaction of a youngster to her recent success. I think it reflects the mood of her fans very well.

"Kowsik 14 hours ago
Madam JJ

Dedicate this victory to the People of Tamil Nadu
Make your swearing in Ceremony as a grant Public Function
Make common people close to you.
Put in your head that YOU ARE A PEOPLE'S LEADER

Make one poor old elderly person come to the dias and garlend you with a blessing for you.

These are the thing people like Madam, always do not forget that the one vote that one person put in favour of you only made you the CM here now.

Remember this always and make always your public appearance with a poor person, let it be a elderly lady, elderly man, small child etc.

People really love it and like it, be a MGR hereafter madam JJ, you will see the love overwhlem you all around and all the while.

When in office you are a CM, but when you come out to the Public function, you put yourselves as MGR to people, they love and like it from you.

People wave to you, you also wave, do not site quite, it may be paining but they are your supporters

receive garlands from them, mingle with them, they want to see you close and affectionately

We write all these because, we know all the section of the People really love and like you to be their leader and CM

Do not fail us, Do not fail them, Do not fail Tamil people.
You are really a gift of God to this good Tamil People
Be a good gift to them always for many more years to come.
Good Luck Madam JJ"

40 SUFI COMICS

40 SUFI COMICS : MOHAMMED ALI VAKIL AND MOHAMMED ARIF VAKIL : CREATESPACE : PAGES : 96 : PRICE : RS 256/-

It is a very noble attempt by two brothers to teach spiritual/Islamic life lessons through the medium of comics. It is an amazing collection of comic strips, forty in all, each on a single page, illustrating key spiritual concepts and teachings. Relevant excerpts from the Koran are shown on the page facing each comic. The age of the reading audience could be anywhere from six to sixty of any religion. It is likely to appeal to them all. Life’s lessons are taught in a perceptive, subtle and humorous way. A short comic is a preferable medium these days for many to read and assimilate new subjects. One can go back to it as often as one wants because they are not boring, They convey esoteric philosophy in simple language and cartoons without compromising on content or quality.

The Vakil brothers work together with their father in the family business of developing residential properties in Bangalore. They started with an e-newsletter called “our monthly dose of inspiration”. Then it became their company blog named the “Arif and Ali blog”. The Sufi Comics is a project which they started in 2009.

Sufism focuses on the spiritual dimension of Islam such as faith, respect, piety, love and truth. The brothers learnt to draw cartoons from the bare basics after they started this venture but they learnt the techniques of drawing very fast from some Youtube videos and books. To speed up the process, they used a Tablet PC. They were aware that their project had started off around the time there was such an uproar over the Danish cartoon of the Prophet. Islamic art does not draw the faces of revered personalities. They have respected that tradition.

The book has been published by opening it through the “ Creative Commons” license. This allows anyone to make copies and distribute them. There is one caveat though. No changes are permitted. The print version of the book was published using CreateSpace.com which is an Amazon.com company. The book can be bought online from Amazon.com & Flipkart.com. The good news is that the Vakil brothers will be soon working on Volume 2 of 40 Sufi Comics.

Sufi music has been popularized among the youth by Bollywood, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and A R Rehman. I hope these comics will generate the interest among the youth to know and learn more about Sufism, a subject of great interest to me.

BOOK REVIEWS

Dear Readers
I have decided to post on my blog the reviews of books that I do for a monthly magazine called Dignity Dialogue meant for senior citizens.
I have been doing book reviews for a couple of years or more now. The first of this series will be on '40 Sufi Comics'. Look forward to your comments.
I will of course continue on other topics of interest to me as well.
Best regards.
Gopal