as big as the beatles

swami ramdev baba is a controversial wellness guru in india. he has shot to fame in the last several years by aggressively marketing himself, pranayama and ayurvedic medicine which he claims is a near cure-all for every conceivable disease including aids and cancer.his detractors which includes brinda karat and a few mncs tried to put him in the docks by allegations of use of human skull powder in his ayurvedic medicines,child labour etc etc.his followers at the top saw that he remained un scathed. his programme on yogasanas broadcast daily on the tv network has an enviable viewership.his disciples and followers certify that they have got themselves rid of their diseases which afflicted them by simply following ramdev baba's advice.

the latest to certify his efficacy is sunita poddar of scotland.she and her husband sam have bought a 1.75 sq km island in scotland,wee cumbrae, for nearly rs 17 crores to set up a ramdev baba wellness centre.the island has been rechristened 'shanti dwipam'. sunita claims that after following ramdev baba's pranayam exercises she has got rid of her fourteen tablets per day medication.recently a havan was performed on the inauguration of this setup- an extension of the patanjali yogpeeth, where 350 indians and many curious locals participated to watch the person who is 'as big as the beatles' in action.

ramdev baba it seems is spreading his wings.he is going global.the baba who has a cult following in india is trying what mahesh yogi and rajneesh did successfully. whether he will be a winner is something to be seen.the baba's followers who had chartered a yacht a year ago for a three week programme of 'yoga on the boat' (vedic cruise) probably were not on high seas; with the baba seamlessly conducting the programmes in turbulent waters of the indo-china sea outside. the conchshaped scottish island of course is a different kettle of fish. quiet,rocky and with hardly any tree,ramdevbaba expects the place to generate a lot of peace.

om shanti:,shanti:,shanti:.

mahalaya amavasya

mahalaya amavasya is the day of the moonless night before navarathri. during the krishna paksha(the fortnight of the waning moon),hindus propitiate three generations of ancestors from both their parents' sides.the departed souls are believed to be living in pitruloka,a region between earth and heaven.it is ruled by yama,the god of death.during this period the ancestors leave their abode and descend to earth to live in the homes of their descendants.

water added with sesame seeds is offered to the deceased who are represented by 'bhugnas' made of dharba grass.normally darbha grass is collected on amavasya day in the month of 'simha' at the fag end of the monsoon from nearby lakes and tanks where they grow wildly. the grass collected on this day can be used for a complete year. these rites are done accompanied by the chanting of mantras.the sound vibration makes the effort more beneficial than otherwise.it is called tarpanam(tharpanam).it means to satisfy,to please.

in tarpanam,pitrus are installed on a five strand dharba(bhugna). the five strands represent the the five life elements.dharba is considered to have come to earth from the hair of the creator (parama purusha) in the process of creation.if one does this act with sincerity and devotion,one immediately feels very contended.in the 'manusmriti',tarpanam has been described as pitruyagyam.it is a sacrifice dedicated to the memory of the forefathers.it is said that forefathers look forward to the offerings.in the 'yamapuranam' it is said that yama frees all souls in the dark fortnight of the month of 'kanya'(september-october),to enable them to visit their children and accept the food that they offer.the risk of not performing tarpanam can be huge. they may invite the wrath of the forefathers and if cursed by them suffer the consequences." vricchika darsanaat yanti nirasa pitaro gatah". doing tarpanam properly ensures happiness and contentment. "dine dine gaya tulyam"-the ceremonies honouring the pitrus performed during this fortnight are considered to be equal to the ceremonies performed in the sacred city of gaya.every devout hindu is careful not to annoy his pitrus. otherwise,the old women at home will not give him a peaceful time!

there is an interesting legend highlighting the importance of donating food. 'karna' of the epic mahabharatha was a great donor of wealth.but he never donated food.after his death,he received plenty of gold and silver in heaven for his charitable deeds.but his soul was hungry and yearned for food. when he was alive, he never did tarpanam in memory of his ancestors.realising his mistake of not donating food and not doing tarpanam for his ancestors,karna pleaded with yama to send him back to earth so that he could make up for this shortcoming.yama agreed to karna's request. he breathed life back to him. karna returned to earth and this time fed the poor and offered tarpanam.when he returned to the nether region after expiry of 14 days he had food to his heart's content.these 14 days are celebrated as 'mahalaya paksha'.donating food on the amavasya day is considered to be the most important ritual!the easiest way to access to God’s grace is by feeding a famished human being starving for food, and donating clothes to him. donating food(annadaanam) is considered to be the greatest charity among all the charities.it is believed that the person who donates food would attain an elevated status in life!

the ancestors are happy alright but not the shopkeepers.their sales dramatically drop during this period.in fact, no important activity is carried out during this inauspicious period of 'pitrupaksha'.no new cars are bought,no new flats are purchased and no new films are released. everyone awaits the departure of the souls of the ancestors after they have been fully satisfied with the tarpanam offerings to commence their auspicious activities.

oh sunday!

sunday is my happiest day of the week. i am under no pressure to get up early,i take my dogs for a long walk
and do not keep looking at the wallclock every now and then as i do on other days.i work on the home treadmill for half an hour and try to burn some calories.i remind myself that after all i need to lose atleast 10 kgs to remain fit. i have a leisurely and late breakfast,catch up with the latest news and film and book reviews from newspapers and magazines which i have not read during the week.lunch on sundays is usually bisibelebhath prepared very tastefully by gb.an afternoon siesta is not a must unless i am suffering from the previous night's hangover which is seldom the case.after lunch, i look into all my personal paperwork-investments,payment of bills,etc etc and normally ensure that there is no backlog.

it is time for the babies to come home.our two grandchildren arrive around 5 pm and fully engage us till about 7.30 when they leave. i sit with them and do some coloring,painting and even some puzzles.then i take our older grandaughter for fun and entertainment at the cooperage bandstand. incidentally,this garden dedicated to rajiv gandhi,has been nicely spruced up.she is uberexcited when she rides a horse. she makes 5 to 6 rounds on horseback and is never satisfied at the end of it.dil maange mor.then she sprints to the farther end and takes a few chakkars sitting on a wooden duckback and later climbs up the slide and comes down crashing. something that she enjoys. then when it is all over and the sun has set and it's time to go home she bids farewell: bye bye duck,bye bye swing,bye bye slide. carrying baloons in her hand and a bubble bottle she marches out triumphnatly watched by her doting little sister who watches her sister's antics with awe and wishfully waits for the day when her turn will come.

i am now ready to freshen up myself and do some blogging before it's time for dinner.now,wouldn't you envy me? i know i have had a great time.i have detoxified,destressed and recharged my battery for the full week ahead. i am not alone in this comfort zone on a sunday.

researchers at the University of vermont analysed 2.4 million blogs and internet messages to find out which days of the week we love the most by counting the number of positive and negative words used. sunday won the first prize as our most favourite day while wednesday got the booby prize.

confess to your mistakes and seek forgiveness

devotees of jainism observe an annual ritual of fifteen days called 'paryushan parva' culminating in 'kshama parva' when they confess to their mistakes during the year and ask all their family,friends and partners in trade for forgiveness. on august 24 they sought kshama(pardon) from one another. during these fifteen days,they live a life of purity and simplicity. between noon and 1pm they take a meal and live on that till the next day. a day after 'kshama parva' they live throughout the day on boiled water only.i have a jain business friend who sent me an sms on 'kshama parva' day seeking my forgiveness for whatever faults he might have committted during the year in his dealings with me.he ended with the words "micchami dukkhadam"(please forgive me for all the mistakes committed).i was quite surprised at the humility of my friend.

sometimes some people carry this noble practice to excess. a two and half year old jain boy inspired by his elder sister did 'paryushan' for the first time.it lasted 40 hours.he lived during this period only on boiled water.his father,a diamond merchant was proud and happy about what his son had done.this family has been doing 'paryushan' for the last 26 years.it is an old jain ritual and started some 1000 years ago.jains believe that fasting purifies the soul,kills greed and allows one to attain spirituality.

fasting and forgiveness are great virtues and almsot all religions have this practice in different variants. in the yajur veda there is a mantra which seeks the forgiveness of the supreme lord for all the sins committed in thought word or deed so that the body and self of the seeker become pure and that one can realise oneself as the light divine.

"to forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you".

"kaminey"- a film review

our daughter l recently expressed a desire to see a good hindi movie.when she asked for my suggestion, i recommended 'love aaj kal' or 'kaminey'.she opted for the latter.she is a shahid fan and i wasn't surprised.after all he is the chocolate hero.we landed up at 'inox' well ahead of start time. i was forewarned that if i missed the beginning,it would be very difficult for me to understand the story.'inox' is near home and has a genteel ambience.though i booked the tickets in the morning as soon as the counters opened,i didn't get the best of seats.when we were waiting for the doors to open,we quickly had some lovely icecream.she chose cookies with cream and i went for the guava which i thought was heavenly.and that was helpful. it saw me through the first half by keeping me cool.i just didn't know what the hell was going on.the movie was at a frentic pace,more than a dozen characters,each doing his own thing,leaving audiences like me in utter confusion. i had half a mind to walk out but then l insisted that i should be patient and that in the second half the plots will unravel and clear my confused mind.had she read any review or not i did not check with her,but as she predicted the haze got cleared and i did not repent having stayed back.

'kamina' in hindi means a crooked person.someone greedy.a rogue or a scoundrel.the film begins with a 'voice over'.charlie and guddie are morally incompatible twin brothers.played by shahid kapur.both hate each other and have speech impediments.charlie lisps endearingly and guddu stammers.charlie is a small time gangster.guddu works in a ngo.born and brought up in dharavi,asia's largest slum,the brothers lose their doting father while they are young.he gets involved in some petty theft and commits suicide.the brothers are devastated.guddu is a thinking person.he plans out his life till 2014 and displays it in a chart form in his room.enters sweety(priyanka chopra) on the scene who his head over heels in love with guddu. she wrecks his plan.she is the sister of a maharashtrian gangster politician bhope(amol gupte of 'taare zameem par' fame),who cannot live without his vadapav and his 'jai maharashtra' slogan which he belches out every now and then.sweety mothers guddu's child.hence the urgency to get married.the gangster cum politician brother comes to know about it and is furious and wants to stop the impending marriage.then there are three bengali brothers who fix the races in the mahalakshmi race course and charlie's alliance with them to make quick money.charlie gets doublecrossed by the jockey and furious to take revenge he chases him to a posh hotel to kill him.then there is the druglord tashi, two corrupt cops who kill three drugdealers and collect a guitar case supposedly having rs 10cr worth of cocaine.there is continous crossfiring between the cops and the gangsters in the hotel and charlie boots off in the police van which has the guitar case. charlie now thinks that his life is made. the crooked cops and bhope strike a deal.the bengali brothers on finding that their brother mikhail has been shot go on a killing spree and kill all of bhope's men.the police get hold of guddu and try to extract information from him thinking that he is charlie. they realise their folly. an exchange of captives takes place.the brothers meet and there is a huge clash.finally charlie saves guddu and gets shot. but he survives. he starts his offcial booking counter in the racecourse and settles down with his ex girlfriend. guddu becomes the father of twins! it is happy ending after a phenomenal show of gangsterism and stunning violence.

vishal bharadwaj of omkar fame and the new maverick of bollywood has writen and directed this film.another story on slum barons,police and politician nexus in the maximum city.the urge to get away from his wretched life to become prosperous and dignified drives charlie to lead a dangerous life.shahid kapur has come out with his best performance so far and gets into the A-list.priyanka chopra as the marathi mulgi acts below her normal standard.bhope is good in his characteristic style.some of the songs are very hummable."dhan tan tan" is the best of the lot.the cinematography is great.producer ronnie screwala has shown guts in introducing new age cinema to the indian audience.this movie also is having its share of controversy. a ngo has filed a defamation suit for hurting the sentiments of lord jagannath devotees for a scene iin which a semiclad model's picture is fixed on the toilet wall with the caption 'apna hath jagannath' running below it.

when we were coming out of the cinemahall, i overheard some young viewers saying it was "cool". one humorous guy said it was "fimply fuperb".song composer gulzar in an interview suggested that kaminey actually is a 'term of endearment'.when two persons have a healthy relationship they do address each other sometimes as kaminey with love and no malice.but to call someone 'kaminey kuttey' is really bad language.

to sum up, it is an edgy and cult film soaking in violence.it is a dark comedy. it is different,it's plot is complicated,it runs at a very fast pace and keeps you to the edge of your seat.if you want an adrenaline rush in your system you will enjoy it.'kaminey' is a box-office hit.i was told by a friend to take my brains along with me and not to leave it behind which one does for a run of the mill hindi film. for me one experience was sufficient. i wouldn't like to see it again. thank god my brain is in tact.

a taste of rajasthani food with a view of the see-through kitchen

i arrived in raipur yesterday for a stay of two nights.i am doing some senior management staff hiring for my company and i decided to stay at the babylon international.it is an excellent hotel with all amenities including wifi.the restaurant serves very tasty north indian food and the buffet breakfast has a wide spread(never knew that conjeevaram idlis share honours with paranthas and other stuff).there is the coffeeshop which is mandatory for all 5 star hotels.there is also another all-vegetarian restaurant called 'rangoli' which i went to last night with a business colleague for dinner.

we were welcomed by a lady in traditional rajasthani dress.she applied the tilakmark on our foreheads.she suggested we order a thali as they were serving special rajasthani 'khana' that evening.we thoroughly enjoyed the delectable rajasthani cuisine.mildly spiced and no overload of ghee. butte ke putali was the starter. followed by aloo baigan ki sabzi,bhindi peanut poukra fried,ker sangari,special panneer,dal tadka,baati/choorma(rajasthani food is incomplete without this) and gulab jamun to tickle the sweet tooth. all simple marwari fare.but the presentation was elegant,service very courteous,items tasty and the ambience just the right one for the rajasthan theme for the night.

the transparent glass-enclosed kitchen gave a feeling of comfort to the diner as one could see the high standard of cleanliness and hygiene . we saw everything being cooked by the chefs who wore traditional rajasthani headgears.as we were seated right in front of the kitchen, we got the puffed-up phulkas at the right temperature too. see,smell and eat.that was the message. and we liked it.the papads helped us to digest all that we ate and the thin paans left a pleasant feeling in the mouth.

though i am not like my daughter l a true blue foodie,i think we got a bite of the desert.the rajasthani ambience was there all over with nicely decorated mewari glasswork hanging at different places adding to the colour and true rajasthani flavour.one thing was sadly missing though.the rajasthani folk music. the soothing and sonorous notes would have added greatly to the ethnic feeling that we experienced.

mallipoo(jasmine flower)

me and my wife are extremely fond of mallipoo.in her case it is but natural.as she hails from the citadel of this absolutely enchanting flower-madurai.the fragrant smell is so unique that it leaves a deep impression in your mind.i crave for these mallipoos-white in colour and full of aroma to adorn my gods-photos and images for my puja. and to give it to my better half which immediately soars her spirits.

i was saddened to read an article recently in the 'outlook' magazine that thanks to the younger generation of south indian girls who have discarded the traditional dresses and have become hep in their attire and hairstyles that mallipoo is no more a 'hot cake' it used to be. in fact it has become 'infra dig' for them to wear mallipoo on their tresses.i never imagined that this famed flower will have such a dramatic fall in the eyes of the youngsters of today.

with an annual production of more than 70,000 tonnes the lower demand has made the producers look for alternate markets.besides exports of the flower to the middle east having a large south indian diaspora large quatities are being diverted to the perfumery industry.

i get my requirements from matunga.priced by the mozham(about 9 inches in length), about three mozhams can make your purse lighter by about rs 20 on a normal day.if it is special pooja day or a festive occasion or if the madurai malli special train has not arrived, then the prices skyrocket.some compare its price volatality to the fluctuation in prices of shares in the stock market.

mallipoo is also an accepted aphrodisiac. one of the reasons why many women adorn their tresses with malli is that it attracts the opposite sex(married women do for their husbands only) and always the bed on a wedding night is adorned with mallipoo.

we had a pet dog named mallipoo. my wife is fond of oxymorons. our dog was jet black and had the peculiar cocker spaniel smell. she couldn't think of a more appropriate name for her pet.and till i married off my daughter i never knew that men could be allergic to flowers and to mallipoo. flowers are taboo in my daughter l's house. so we make do with artificial flowers and garlands when the occasion demands.and that is no substitute.

here is help; that is if you want to lose weight.

some months back, my daughter l gifted me with a book.she thought her dad needed to lose some weight.she reminded me several times to read the book.one fine morning i started reading and finished it pretty soon.i also started losing weight.whether the credit goes to rujuta or me, i will leave it to the reader to guess. but i must say her theory works.no,no fears.i have no ambition to reach size zero. i need to lose another 10 kgs. phir to paisa vasool.and i'll buy my loving daughter something terrific as thanksgiving. read my review below. i'll urge you to buy the book.it will motivate you to eat all the lovely things and still lose weight. wishing you happy reading and happy weight loss.

A Book Review: “Don’t Lose Your Mind, Lose your Weight” By Rujuta Diwekar. Publisher: Random House: Year 2009: Pages 279: Price Rs 199/-

The present generation is obsessed with good looks and wellness. And why not? The fever is spreading to the older generation as well. Also many do not have the time to meet specialists for checking out their day to day health problems. The result is a plethora of books in the market with captivating titles to lure the wannabes with alternative therapies,special exercise regimen and DIY(Do it yourself) books. Whether it be yoga or reiki or ayurveda or weight-loss or nutrition. Besides the usual selfhelp books, there are autobiographies and memoirs from those who have done it. One such book by India’s top celebrity fitness guru and top-class dietician and written mostly in Costa Coffee,Oshiwara is the one under review. The entertaining and informative book has sold record numbers; for isn’t the author also behind Bollywood beauty Kareena’s size zero figure? Rujuta Diwekar’s Unique Selling Proposition ( USP ) is that she offers the reader a diet plan that allows eating your favourite foods at the right time and yet losing weight. Just follow her four simple principles. You can continue to eat your favourite paranthas and jalebis and still shed kilos. And she has a forward by the captivating Kareena(“Rujuta has not only changed my body but also my mind and soul”),to endorse her unique eating recommendations enough to get the cash registers ringing. Arguably,it is one of the best books on something that many of us neglect. Just grab a copy, keep eating your favourite snack and read the book page to page.You will love it. And you will also start loving yourself and become more beautiful. Losing weight has never looked so simple!

"Marrying Anita" by Anita Jain-A Book Review

MARRYING ANITA: A QUEST FOR LOVE IN THE NEW INDIA By Anita Jain.Publisher: Bloomsbury: Year 2008: Pages 307: Price Rs 299/-

It is a memoir by an Indian journalist who has worked in top international cities after graduating from Harvard. She is in her 30s and modern as she has been raised in America though her parents are conservative. She has done the works- latenight parties,barhopping,internet dating et al.Yet she hasn’t found a soulmate. Marriage by dating appears to be an illusion and a shattering of her expectations. Realisation dawns that after all marriage by the ancient Hindu tradition of arrangment may not be so bad.Her search for love and marriage brings her back to her parents’ roots. She discovers a whole new world.

Early on in the book Anita Jain quite familiar with American style dating describes a series of missed opportunities and disappointments. Her parents are overtly worried about her single status..Upon returning to the U.S. to live in New York City after a prolonged stint abroad as a journalist, Anita Jain finds herself under more pressure than before to change her single status and starts to question the unchallenged merits of the way Americans chose their mates. She describes the New York dating scene in alternately humorous and despairing terms and, ultimately, decides to travel to India in order to live and work and look for a romantic “broadminded” partner.

She writes in a honest, straightforward, courageous, engaging and humorous style. You don’t feel like dropping the book whatever maybe the distraction. Some of her escapades make delightful reading though one feels sorry that at the end she is a loser. She is in awe of her parents who seem to be made for each other. Her father who takes up the onerous task of managing her online dating profiles is hilarious. Her dates end up with shock and surprise seeing her drinking and food habits. Will Anita find a husband? I won’t let the cat out of the bag. But I promise that you will enjoy the journey with her. The book addresses a major and complex feminist issue. The concept of “choice” in marriage. How it pans out for the women of the current generation. And how conventional wisdom on love, marriage and happiness could be turned upside down. Anita also writes about the new urban India, the changes that have taken place in the last ten years or so.

"IDLI,ORCHID AND WILLPOWER" BY V V KAMAT-A REVIEW

English Version By Sanjit Narwekar: Orchid Books: Year 2008: Pages 246: Price Rs 150/-

It took me nearly four hours to finish reading this book. Almost twice the time I would have normally taken. Because I read and reread many words, sentences and chapters. I must confess that many times there were tears in my eyes while reading some of the heartbreaking incidents that the author so vividly describes. It is a book right from the heart with no pretensions.Vithal Kamat,an engineer by education and hotelier by profession has achieved success the hard way. And he is justifiably proud of it.

His father started as a small time restaurateur. Vithal, as an obedient and devoted son grew under his father’s tutelage. And enjoyed a deep and abiding relationship with his parents. He applied unwaveringly the Upanishadic sayings ”matru devo bhava,pitru deva bhava,athithi devo bhava” in his daily life. His parents were like God for him. At every step that he took in his business, he obtained their consent for his unconventional and daring actions. He did it before or after the decision but their stamp of approval was always there.

He dreamt big,very big.To become India’s biggest hotelier and overtake the Oberoi Group.Which he expressed with some chutzpa to Rai Bahadur Oberoi himself in a chance meeting. And he fulfilled his dream by building the world’s best environmentally sensitive hotel -‘The Orchid’ which has won innumerable accolades.

The book is divided into 35 chapters and filled with sparkling anecdotes that makes his autobiography most lively and interesting. The young formative years when the six siblings and parents lived cramped in an one room apartment, the family feuds, his affection for his youngest brother(the black sheep of the family) though misplaced and betrayal by friends and relatives which brought him to the brink of self-extinction. Perhaps his past karma saved him from near suicide and put him back on life’s journey with hope and courage to fight the many battles which lay ahead of him. He acknowledges with gratitude that the blessings of his parents and support he received from his wife and children and a few friends were what really helped him to maintain his sanity and reach the zenith of his profession.

Vithal Kamat is a shining example for young people to emulate.Sincerity,hard work,honesty,simplicity,self-confidence,a friendly and helping attitude,an open mind,creativity and an ability to face the toughest situations and most importantly the ability to dream big and to achieve the dreams is what this honest book is all about. Don’t take the book’s title lightly. The metaphor in the title of the book is very apt. His life is like an idli. Difficult to make but soft,tasty,white,clean and enjoyable. His creation of a fivestar ecotel-‘The Orchid’ was an unparalleled success against the heaviest odds. And what saw him through was his willpower. The modest and godfearing family man has proved right the French commander Napolean Bonaparte’s saying that “Nothing is impossible”.

“Veni,Vidi,Vici”- He came, he saw, he conquered.

balaji@tirumala

in june, alongwith my wife i did a pilgramage to tirupati. earlier in march i had worshipped lord varadaraja and lord yahtokthakaari at kancheepuram. i normally have no difficulty in getting the lord's darshan at kancheepuram.it does not have the type of rush as in tirumala and as my father hailed from kancheepuram,i have my contacts to ensure a hassle-free darshan. but in tirupati,i do not have such contacts. one can plan well in advance,book on the internet and have a reasonably peaceful darshan.in our case,we are unable to do such long-term planning which the net booking calls for.hence, i have to use 'influence' to get darshan. for the last twenty years or so,i have been managing in this manner. i wonder when my luck is going to run out.

the sacred abode of lord vishnu is nestled amidst the peaks of seven hills(representing the seven hoods of adisesha).this most venerated and richest temple of the world situated at a height of about 3000 ft above sealevel is more than 2000 years old and is a twenty minute uphill car ride from the base tirupathi. as per our family tradition,we chanted the vishnu sahasranamam and completed it just when we reached the top.also it has been the family practice to visit the padmavathi(wife of lord srinivasa) shrine at tirucchanur(6 kms from tirupathi) and obtain her permission and blessings and then embark on the steep climb and on return visit the sri govindarajan(lord srinivasa's elder brother) temple at tirupathi. lord venkateshwara(srinivasa) is the reigning deity of tirumala.services are offered to him round-the-clock excepting for about two hours after the 'ekanta seva' around midnight when he takes some rest. about one lakh piligrims visit the temple everyday and on special occasions the crowd could go to a staggering seven lakhs. the arrangements for accomodation though are satisfactory,it is a herculean task for the ttd authorities to manage such a huge gathering.many of those who seek the free darshan have to stand in serpentine queues sometimes for fortyeight hours!

so we feel guilty when we go for the break-darshan causing inconvenience to the regular devotees.reports keep on coming that ttd authorities are going to scrap this preferential treatment.break- darshan is a facility for vips enabling them to jump the lengthy queue for a darshan of the lord. from six hours in a day which were kept for break-darshan,it has now been reduced to one hour.even break-darshan worshippers have to stand in queue for some four hours at times. the final decision on scrapping now rests with the cm of andhra pradesh.the break darshan regulars include l k advani,bigB,s m krishna,anil ambani, jeetendra and his daughter ekta,anand mahindra,vijay mallya,sachin tendulkar,shilpa shetty(recently kissed by a priest but not in tirumala) and last but not the least janardhan reddy,minister for mines(gold?) who donated a crown for a staggering rs 40 crores.made out of 34 kg of pure gold it has an emerald of 880 carat and about 70,000 diamonds.

but that has set off a controversy of sorts.it is said that heavy lies the head that wears many crowns.the priests have a headache. they are worried that the lord's head is getting overburdened.they are afraid that this may cause a crack in the lord's moolavigraha(the main idol).lord balaji's jewellery kitty has already seven magnificent crowns plus eleven tonnes of gold,ornaments and many other precious jewels.on an average at any point in time the gold ornaments on the 'moola vigrha' weigh about 6o kg of gold.several years ago my wife's cousin,a professional expert in gemmology, was given the contract to clean all off lord srinivasa's jewels.she did it happily and in record time and which was well appreciated by ttd officials.

a closely guarded secret for centuries is likely to be revealed soon.the andhra pradesh high court has asked ttd to submit an inventory of properties and ornaments owned by lord srinivasa on the basis of a public interest litigation recently filed alleging certain irregularities by ttd officials.

the lord's(frequently called "govinda" by his devotees) pull is magnetic and his grace offers his worshipper the much needed solace." venkataadri samam sthaanam brahmaande naasti kinchana; venkatesha samo devo na bhooto na bhavishyati" ( there is no place equal to venkataadri in the whole universe; a god equal to venkatesha has never been nor will be). all pujas for lord srinivasa commence with"idam bhagawan" (this is god). if you want to know all about tirumala and lord srinivasa, i would recommend to you "Tirumala tirupati the legends and beyond" by sarita reddy and biraj yajnik.it is a beautifully illustrated coffetable book priced at rs 3600.there is another informative book on balaji by nanditha krishna priced at rs 295.early this year,i attended an exhibition of tanjore paintings from the personal collections of late sir c p ramaswamy iyer(dewan of travancore) at cymroza art gallery in mumbai.i took permission from nanditha krishna and took pictures of some very beautiful paintings.one that i liked very much and wanted to buy(the price was unaffordable) is the last picture shown above.now,i regret not having bought it.

i love loveasa(lavasa)

i took a short holiday after a long time.it was to a place which i might like to visit more often.a four and half hour drive from mumbai,it is the new free india hill city.i had heard about it from our daughter l and read about it in newspaper ads but came to see it for the first time.it is astonishing.it is awe-inspiring.it is amazing.the vision and the execution of the developers of this beautiful and nicely ensconsed hill city. at 2000 feet above sea level,this 25,000 acre land,lakes and hills terrain is the closest to a worldclass hill station you could get to. it is called lavasa.

based on the principles of new urbanism,lavasa(2500 feet above mean sea level) is about 200kms from Mumbai.we took the mumbai-pune expressway which covers about 140 kms of the total distance.the major portion of the remaining distance is on an excellent road built by hindustan construction company(HCC) who have developed this beautiful hill station. set amongst seven hills like sheffield in uk and tirumala in andhra pradesh,lavasa covers 25,000 acres of lakes(60 kms of lake front) and hills out of which HCC plan to develop 12,500 acres.lavasa is one fourth the size of mumbai and equivalent to the size of paris.it is being designed on the lines of a worldclass hill station by an american company.tieups with premier national and international institutes are being planned.ITC have set up a four star hotel.when completed around 2020 lavasa is expected to have a population of about 2 lakhs.by 2010,davase,the town in the the first phase of the project would be ready.

l had booked four rooms at the "ekaant" which has a capacity of 20 rooms.it has elegant and spacious accomodation,a well-equipped garden for children to play,a conference hall and restaurant with a breathtaking view. it was drizzling most of the time but we did get the breaks at the right time to explore the place and do some motorboat riding.there are many watersporting options like jetskiing,kayake,etc.we went to their hightech 'introduction' room housed in a huge building where we were shown 3D visuals of lavasa followed by a visual presentation of the upcoming hillcity. later we took a busride around downtown to see the new villas and apartments which were in various stages of construction.we also had a look at a sample flat out of many apartments available for booking(about 25,000 are expected to come up).perched as it was at a height of nearly six storeys, l must have wondered whether her old man would really make it to the sample flat.running alongside the waterfront, a beautiful promenade is being built with stylish cafes,boutiques,fancy eateries etc.you feel as if you are in some posh european resort.

on the whole,it was a calming,tranquil,soothing and refreshing experience. with no noise and no air pollution.of course, the whole stay was not hunky dory. we had a fair share of hassles. like our grandchildren falling a bit sick on the second day and yours truly suffering from a heartburn triggered by hyperacidity and followed by a stomach upset.all of us took it in our stride and did not allow it to dampen our enthusiasm. had our stay been longer we would have had the time to explore more of the flora and fauna that lavasa is supposed to have.it seems there are many rare birds which visit this place during winter.there is, as they say, always a next time.perhaps this coming winter.we will do it again.

2009-year of eclipses

we had a lunar eclipse on 7th july followed by a solar eclipse yesterday and there will be another lunar eclipse on 6th august this year. three in a row. how should we view this natural and interesting phenomenon? one cannot ignore the fact that throughout history cataclysmic events have occured after such manifestations.

as per hindu mythology, during 'churning of the ocean'(smudra manthanam) episode in the puranas,the amritam that was stolen cunningly by the asuras was taken back by mohini(lord vishnu's form) by enticing and enamouring them by her beauty.not so easily undone, rahu an asura took the form of a deva and sat between chandra and surya when mohini started distributing the amrita to the devas. when mohini came near rahu,chandra and surya realised that the person next to them was an impostor.mohini cut the head of rahu which flew into the sky.rahu lived as as severed head and decided to avenge surya and chandra. thus from time to time rahus gobbles up the moon and sun (lunar eclipse and solar eclipse) who fight to free themselves.

this rare celestial phenomenon ,astrologers say could be a percursor of natural disasters.the mahabharatha yuddha, world war II and indira gandhi's assasination all these events followed solar eclipses.one explanation is that eclipses charge the atmosphere with negativity. hence to neutralise it poojas and yagnas are performed.yesterday's solar eclipse was the longest of this century,lasting 6 minutes and 39 seconds.it also coincides with the international year of astronomy.scientists dismiss the views expressed by the astrologers as myths based on superstitions and that it is just a plain and simple natural phenomenon. a solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the earth.thus the sun is blocked and its rays do not reach the earth. that's it. period.

dk hari and hema hari who are founders of 'bharath gyan' have written a book entitled "will history repeat itself?". the first recorded eclipse took place in 3067 bce when the 18 day kurukshetra war took place. in 3031 bce,36 years later,the ancient city of dwaraka went under and between 1910 and 1945 during which a series of triple eclipses took place,according to the authors,world war I and II,hitler's holocaust and the the hiroshima bombings took place. six sets of triple eclipses will be taking place till 2020 following the current triple eclipses.the authors are not doomsday predictors but are raising questions based on actual events.the authors have used planetarium software which precisely dates the movements of various astral bodies for thousands of years in the past and also the future.they have juxtaposed the earliest observations of eclipses found in ancient texts with the actual events.they have tried to see the correlation between the events in the sky and happenings on earth.

the discussions and debates will go on.the astronomers and the astrologers will slug it out. there is no perfect explanation to this natural celestial occurence and the effects therof.one need not ridicule what the astrologers say. but view it with a scientific temper like what the 'hari' couple have done.

the friendly 'hotelwallah'

kamats are well known in mumbai.for their restaurants which serve idlis,dosas,vadas and other delectable south indian snacks at moderate prices.their cafes are neat and clean and very functional.when i first came to mumbai fifty years ago upon my father's transfer,my first visit to a udipi joint was near sir p m road in fort area where we lived.i liked the taste of the masala dosa and filter coffee and spent many memorable hours there during my first year in mumbai then called bombay.

in those days,television had not arrived.we followed the cricket test matches on the radio.after returning from st.xavier's college,i would rush to the 'udipi',order some vadas and idlis and hot south indian coffee and listen to the cricket commentary.there was always a huge crowd outside;they were the cricket fans who preferred to stand out and cheer loudly when some indian cricketer scored a boundary or a six.there would also be a deafening silence when team india lost a wicket. later we moved to backbay reclamation near churchgate. this time my favourite was 'satkar', another udipi restaurant.like mcdonalds in usa, kamats and other udipi restaurants have built a loyal clientale around them thanks to their quick and efficient service,neat and functional ambience and consistently good food and importantly reasonble rates.the udipiites are an intelligent and industrious lot.my father was very close to the tma pai family,the founders of the syndicate bank.i realised quite early in age that they are very shrewd businessmen and no wonder that they have excelled in banking and finance and in the hospitality industry too.

last monday when i was on a flight to bhubaneshwar,i happened to meet v v kamat,the pioneer of ecotel hotels in india. i had met him earlier once in a similar situation.we recognised each other and exchanged some pleasantries.we also exchanged our business cards and expressed our desire to remain in touch.at the back of his card in a small pouch lay some tulsi(holy basil) seeds.that conveys his care for the environment. kamat is a very modest,self-effacing,kind and helpful man. he is proud of his creation of the 'orchid' chain of hotels and rightly so.one who had the chutzpah to tell the chairman of the oberoi group of hotels that one day he would excel them.that needs tremendous self-confidence,courage and an ability to lead,motivate and see things through.

when i returned to mumbai,there was a pleasant surprise awaiting me in my office.it was a nice letter from v v kamat's office enclosing the book(seventh edition) he has written which i am currently reading. the book is titled-'idli,orchid and will-power!', translated from the original by sanjit narwekar. it's a book by a self-made man,his trials and tribulations,the support from his parents and his better half,the sibling rivalry that took him very close to committing suicide. surely i'll come across many more such anecdotes in his interesting book written in a simple and breezy style.

we see environmental degradation all around.we need many more kamats to make people sensitive to nature and not to treat it with disrespect.what you give you will get back.if you preserve and protect the environment,the globe will be a better place to live in. then the efforts of people like v v kamat and his ilk will not go in vain. we owe this to the coming generations.

the bandra-worli sea link (rajiv gandhi setu)

last sunday when i was returning from the airport my driver had a good suggestion. why not drive over the new bridge he asked. and there is no toll to be paid,he added. that was enough motivation for me to ask him to go ahead and go straight from the point where one normally takes a left turn to go to south mumbai via mahim. after all,i had read so much about this new bridge(5.6 kms long) that i wanted to experience the feel of cruising along this one of its kind sea link which has cost the exchequer Rs 1600 crores and which took ten years to make as it was mired in controversy almost from day 1.the bridge weighs a staggering 250,000 tonnes! i must say that it was an exhilarating experience.the fantastic view of the skyscrapers and the sea around you gives you a feeling as if you were on a cruise.

firstly, it is an engineering marvel.hats off to our engineers and hcc for having done such a good job.secondly,it is very functional and aesthetically pleasing to the eyes.only four lanes have come up now another four are to be added and then the worli-haji ali link has to be completed.once all this is finished,it will cut driving time very substantially from bandra to mumbai downtown. a speed limit of 50 km/hour has been enforced on the sea link.the whole distance takes about 8 minutes in normal traffic and four minutes if the traffic is less as i experienced it on monday when i was heading for the airport to take a flight to bhubaneshwar.the inlet and outlet points become bottlenecks as the traffic slows down substantially while approaching and exiting.

i have experienced the difference in kolkata when the vidyasagar setu was commissioned. earlier we had to cross the howrah bridge every day while going to work at andul road in howrah and even take the ferry many times to cross the hooghly river due to perennial traffic jam on the bridge. now,going over to howrah is a breeze. the rajiv gandhi setu is also likely to provide similar relief to harried motorists coming in to the fort area from the western suburbs.

there is considerable scope to reduce the pressure on the roads and local railways by using the waterways for transportation.though such ideas have been discussed many times in various fora,no proper feasibility study seems to have been done for making it economically viable. or is it caught in the usual bureaucratic red tape? i only hope that this idea too sees the light of the day soon.we must explore this option before rushing to construct an underground railway system.

let us hope that the second half of the sea link with connector to worli gets ready soon.estimates are that it might take 18 months for the 1.6 km connector to be fully operational.

akkaaravadisal (rice and bengal dal dessert)

now this may be a tonguetwister for those who are not familiar with the tamil language.but for those who are,it is the sweetest delicacy on earth.a close sibling of chakkarapongal(sakkarai pongal),only experts can tell you the difference.a friend of mine referred to akkaaravadisal as the vaishnavite chakkarapongal.he was probably close to the truth.it is a typical iyengar(vaishnavite) sweet dish.last month when i was in chennai,i visited my cousin sis j's home and what awesome food she had prepared! and to top it all it was akkaaravadisal that took the cake.

my mom used to make fantastic akkaaravadisal.hence, i was not surprised that her niece and my cousin sis even excelled her.i did some research on this supersweet from the south. i googled to know more about it,read some blogs on it,referred to books by authorities on south indian veg cooking- viji varadarajan,chitra padmanabhan and andal rangaswamy for the right combination of ingredients that make a perfect pudding.i consulted my wife,sis,co-brother's wife and even my cousin-sis who had prepared this sweet specially for me with her own hands, to understand the finer points of difference and the best way of preparing this wonderful dessert in the authentic iyengar way.

having armed myself with all the theoretical knowledge required to cook this lord vishnu's favourite sweet,i ventured into our kitchen to soil my hands and try it out myself.i have cooked sakkaraipongal before,so it was not, therefore, going to be some very difficult job.and i also decided to offer this as naivedyam before the family consumed it. the mystic srivaishnavite saint andal who was in love with lord krishna had vowed to offer him 1000 vessels of akkaaravadisal with tons of clarified butter if only he would appear before her:

"naru narum pozhil maalirumsolai nambikku
naan nooru tadavil vennai vaay nehzhndu paraavi vaitthen
nooru tada nirainda akkaaravadisal shonnen,yeru tiruvudaiyan
ivai vandu kollumgolo?"

this is what she sang to lord vishnu at the kalazhagar temple in srivilliputtur.and many hundred years later sri ramanujacharya fulfilled that vow at the same temple.andal moved by ramnujacharya's fulfilment of her vow came out of her garbhagriha and addressed him as "anna"(elder brother).in a tamilian wedding the "seer" (offering from the girl's side) is made by the bride's elder brother.because ramanujacharyar did it by offering 1000 vessels of akkaravadisal, andal the would be bride of lord krishna addressed him as elder brother.

and for those who would like to try it out ,here we go:

take 1 cup of rice,4 cups of whole milk,1/4 cup of chana dal,2 cups of jaggery,i tbsp of grated coconut,ghee 1/2 cup, cashewnut -100 gms,raisins- 50 gms ,saffron strings -10 nos and cardamom powder-1 tsp.

lightly wash chana dal and rice and drain the water.add saffron strings to this.place the above in a cooker for pressure cooking after adding about 5 cups of milk.no water.remove from cooker and mash it up nicely(in the form of a soft pulp). add jaggery and keep on adding ghee. stir continuously until the mixture solidifies.add cardamom powder and mix well. fry cashewnuts and raisins in ghee and also fry the grated coconut till golden brown. add to the soft pulp.serve it really hot with oodles of ghee.and don't forget to offer it to your lord krishna and seek his blessings.

so how does it differ from sakkarai pongal? only some difference in the ingredients.instead of chana dal you use moong dal. and skip the grated coconut.don't make it into a pulp.cook it a little more thicker.you have now learnt to cook both chakkara pongal(sakkarai pongal) and akkaaravadisal. what a melange of taste, flavour and fragrance!

forget the weight that you will be adding to your waist. you can knock it off next morning on your treadmill.
gb who helped me to translate my theoretical inputs into practical reality was herself very thrilled with the endproduct."cchaan hai",she said in marathi. which when translated into english means "super". and that was what it turned out to be.three cheers!

birthday night at the ' the intercontinental'

our daughter l decided to give me a treat on my sixtyfifth birthday. as my better-half and my s-i-l were travelling, it was just the two of us. we had to pick a place where we could go without much hassle and just chill out. we looked at several options. and then zeroed in on 'the intercontinental' at marine drive which is at walking distance from our home.

'the dome' at the intercontinental is a very interesting restaurant located on the eighth floor of the hotel and on the rooftop. one gets a kaleidoscopic view of the arabian sea and the marine drive promenade with a breathtaking look at the glittering 'queen's necklace'. with a stunning view that it has to offer and the comfortable lounging swish white sofas,you can have a very relaxing evening with your friend and choose from a varied selection of drinks and cigar.there is a private glass enclosed bar as well in the centre of the restaurant. a white tent was already provided in anticipation of the monoon.i ordered a mojita with plenty of ice which was excellent and very satisfying. it is a great place to unwind.we chatted for a while and i caught up on a lot of things that i had missed out.both of us travel a lot on work.we found the drinks a bit overpriced though; but then one rationalises it by saying to oneself that you are also paying for the ambience and the style statement.

when we dine at the 'intercontinental', we prefer to go to the 'dome' first for a drink and later descend to the 'kabab corner' on the first floor for a north indian meal. the sardarji steward is a friendly guy who makes our stay as pleasant as possible with his quick and witty service and wonderful manners. the 'kabab corner' is spacious,guest-friendly and the waiters dressed in black coats bend over backwards attending to every request that you make.the kebabs are to die for,even the vegetarian stuff.they just melt in your mouth.after all isn't it the top kebab place in town? we ordered a variety of indian bread,dal makhani and some baingan curry. the kebabs,the ambience and the service compensated to a large extent for the lack of real flavour in the food.

when the cheque arrived,i offered to pay up. l would have nothing of it and she graciously signed the cheque with heavy tips to the waiters.it was a wonderful treat from a loving daughter to a doting father.

'vepampoo'(neemflower) rasam

this is not a very popular rasam as it has a bitter tinge because of the flower of the neem leaves. the taste has to be cultivated.but neem has some great healing properties.it is an excellent deworming agent.also by regular consumption the digestive system can be strengthened. and if cooked well it can be a very stimulating and satisfying rasam.

when we lived in chembur in the mid-seventies, we had a large neem tree in our garden.it was the first tree that my mom had planted. during season,i enjoyed picking up the flowers.they have a good smell though when you consume the cooked rasam it tastes a bit bitter.

if what i have said above doesn't put you off, try this method with the following ingredients:

3 tsp ghee,one and half table spoonful dried neem flowers,one small ball of tamarind,1/2 tsp rasam powder,one tablespoon jaggery.i small tomato cut into four parts and add 1 tsp salt for taste. make a spice paste of 1 tsp ghee,1 tsp pigeeon pea,3 red chilies.1/2 tsp methi seeds.1/2 tsp hing.

take tamarind, make a small ball of it and soak it in about one cups of water.after some time squeeze the tamarind to the fullest.keep the water plus tamarind solution.put the tamarind water on the stove and add salt and asfoetida to the solution.boil this combination.take a pan,add some oil and red chillies.wait for the chillies to turn black.then add 'vepampoo'.once the 'vepampoo' also turns quite black for a good flavour add the chillies and 'vepampoo' to the boiling solution.add another cup of water,bring to boil and remove from stove.tadkafy with seasoned mustards.
dress it up with coriander leaves and curry leaves also.

serve it hot with plain rice or it can be taken separately as a soup.

a simple recipe for a delectable 'sundal'

sunday is a good day to have 'sundal'. as an evening tiffin when you are looking for a snack that can keep you going till dinner time. on normal working days,i return home rather late and there is just time to shower and head straight for the 'sappadu'(meals). our cook gb who is a maharashtrain makes delicious 'sundal'.since the main ingredient is dried beans,the protein in the beans makes it an energetic food and it is very easy to make. during navarathri, in traditional south indian homes,women are invited to participate in the golu festival-a festival of dolls. every evening a different type of sundal is prepared.

during my childhood days,i would visit my grandma who lived in a village about 100 miles south of chennai during the summer holidays. without fail, we would be treated to a cup of 'sundal' either made at home or taken as a 'prasad' from the village temple.old habits die hard, they say. i still have my sundal at least once a week.

here is the recipe for what gb made today:

what are the ingredients?

• 2 cups chana dal
• 6 green chilies
• some curry leaves
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut and 1 red chilli
• 1&1/2 tsp mustard Seeds and a dash of asfoetida
• 1 table spoon iodised salt
• oil for seasoning

and what is the method to be followed?

• wash and soak chana dal for 12 hours preferably overnight
• cook it in the pressure cooker with some salt.
• take the frying pan and pour oil,heat the oil and add mustard seeds to the heated oil.
• when it splutters add the chilies and fry for two to three minutes.
• add pressure cooked channa dal, curry leaves, shredded coconut, and salt and mix well.

quite easy to make and tasty to eat,it is nutritious as well. what are you waiting for? put on the apron and just do it.

parupppu urandai(balls) kozhambu

i have a great partiality for this kozhambu. on a first look, a north indian might think it is kofta curry. but a deeper look will reveal the truth and he will wonder how he was completely deceived. he wouldn’t have bargained for tur daal balls soaking in hot gravy. it is not easy to make. if the tur daal balls are too hard, your teeth could get into some trouble or if it is too soft, it will just crumble in the mouth and you have lost the taste and the fun.it should be just hard enough to breakdown when you bite into it and give you that lovely tangy feeling of tamarind and dal. when mixed with rice and eaten you don’t really need a vegetable accompaniment.

what are the ingredients that go into this explosive kozhambu?

for the kuzhambu- one small lemon size tamarind,one teaspoon sambhar powder,very little turmeric powder,one-half teaspoon mustard seeds, a dash of hing powder,two red chillis, two tablespoons of oil, some curry leaves and coriander leaves.

for the paruppu urandai- half cup tur daal,one red chilli,onehalf teaspoon of salt and a bit of hing powder..

and here is how you prepare the paruppu urandai:

1) soak the tur daal for an hour or so.
2) add red chilli,hing powder,and salt. grind into a thick batter with water.
3) take a kadai,pour one table spoon of oil add the daal batter and stir till it is cooked well and leaves the walls of the kadai.remove it and place it in a plate and allow to cool.then roll into small size balls . place it on a idli plate and steam cook.
4) it is not really necessary to steam it. if the paruppu urandais are not well cooked it may dissolve in the water.

and how about the kuzhambu?

1) soak the tamarind in a cup of warm water.extract the juice after some time.repeat and add salt and turmeric powder.
2) heat one table spoon oil in a kadai.allow the mustard seeds to splutter and then add the sambhar powder,hing powder.stir,add the curry leaves and add to tamarind water.
3) boil the tamarind water.add the paruppu urandais carefully.again boil in average heat.
4) add chopped coriander leaves and serve with rice.

our cook gb has been preparing it for the last so many years from time time to time.yet she has not mastered it.those of you who haven't tried cooking this delectable stuff,don't hesitate to try it. i have heavily borrowed the recipe from andu patti's cookbook.she can't be wrong! and there is paruppu urandai rasam too! wait for some hot rasams. they are coming.with the monsoon.

rest your head on the teddy bear and listen to the singing rabbit

about a fortnight back when i was in kolkata i visited the crossword book store.i like the place for its quiet and simple ambience. i spent a couple of hours browsing through the latest books,had some hot chai and picked up a few books in the process.i also went to the toys section as i coudn't imagine myself returning home emptyhanded without any gifts for our dear grandchildren-r1 and r2.

r1 will be completing 2 years early next week while r2 is 6 months young.both are lovely little girls.r1 is a puzzle guzzler.so,a puzzle is a must must gift. and she loves to play with colours.therefore, a colourbook is also 'de riguer' when i go outstation. r2 watches all the hungama her elder sister makes with absolute mirth in her eyes almost saying "hey sis,what's all this fuss about? in addition to the compulsory gifts,this time i got a teddy bear chair for r1 and a musical rabbit for r2. they are fond of our two cockerspaniels mango and cherry.i decided to bring in two more animals to provide them with a virtual zoo at home.

the bear chair is a cute bear headrest made out of vinyl and very portable(inflatable) hopefully durable and comfortable.the rabbit sings when a button is pressed and even taps with one leg and shakes the others.it's fun watching the rabbit in action.these toys are made in china and they are pretty inexpensive.one has to be careful with toys from china because of the toxicity in some of their products. sadly,our toys don't match up to the china standards.though i have bought wooden choppus from chennapatna and other toys in mumbai toy shops they fall far short of the ingenuity of the chinese. the toy market in india is huge.unlike when we were young and hardly played with toys,the present generation of parents literally dump their children with all sorts of toys.it is high time we start excelling in this industry and give the chinese a run for their money.

"nungu, nungu"

nungu is a very unique fruit.it is the kernel of the palmyra tree.the nungus are cream coloured and are heart shaped. each fruit has one or two kernels in it. whether it is mumbai or kolkata or titilagarh in orissa,i found roadside vendors stacking up these almost black looking fruits during this hot summer season. and they were getting sold like hot cakes.
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though many eat the nungu with the fibre, most peel off the skin and eat it with relish without biting it into pieces but by putting the whole nungu in the mouth and gradually sucking it . you get a lovely feeling when it travels down your mouth.it tastes like sweet white jelly. some like to add some chaat masala while others prefer to put a dash of sugar and cardamom powder on it. I like it plain.

from a nutrition point of view,the fruit is terrific. it has a high content of phosphorous and calcium and hardly any fat.

when we were young we would visit our grandma(paatti) living in a village near villupuram every year during the summer vacation. every afternoon during our stay which would be for about a month,she would select soft nungus from the seller who used to enter the village shouting “nungu,nungu” at the top of his voice. we would rush to our paatti and inform her that the nungu vendor had arrived. she would then tie up small change in her sari and come out of the main entrance door and bargain with the nunguwalla and get us the best nungus for the best price.my brothers,sister and myself woud rejoice once the purchase was made.paatt would then place them in a plate and gradually skn off the top creamy coloured layer. voila,the fruit was then ready to be gobbled up!

the shelf life of nungus is very poor.the taste is best when it is just taken out, have nungus in plenty and beat the heat.don't postpone your buying decision as the monsson is around the corner.

if you have any suggestions of how this delicious fruit can be used to prepare something very tasty,do send me your comments.