Sunday, July 28, 2019

Anmod In The rain !!

I have written enough about our walks here and I had decided that I would not
touch upon the matter anymore. And I have already dealt with Anmod ghat once.
But the beauty of the Ghat during monsoon, which we experienced this morning
was something beyond words. It was enchanting, exhilarating and extraordinary!


I have had an occasion to pass through the ghats during rains before, during my 
travel to Hubli and beyond. I had noticed the many waterfalls and streams gurgling
down. But I never had a chance to get close. I always wanted to experience them
close up and got my chance today. I got carried away by the experience and had to
share them. There are many pictures and one or two videos. 


Continuous rain limited the use of camera in my phone. If you are bored of my
pictures, thank god for the rain !!  

Washed road, green sides, foggy atmosphere, bird's music. Wonderful walk. 

Getting wild in the falls !

Wonderfully meandering streams



Great Landscape 


The Dudhsagar Ajoba Temple. Place of the protector of the place. 

A natural resident of the place, being tolerant towards intruders!





A wall of green by the roadside

One of my friends spotted the scorpion on the road. Black scorpion on a black
surfaced road in the dark. It was quarter to six when we started walking.
Keen eyes !! 

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Dashavatara Stuti - 11 "Dhairyambudhe Parashucharyaa..."




Dhairya + ambhude =  Courage + Ocean,(ocean of Courage) 
Parashu + charya = Axe + put to work, by working, Adhikritta = Cut to pieces, 
khalavarya - extremely wicked, avaneeshwara - avani + eeshwara = earth + lords,
meaning kings, kshatriyas,( An ocean of courage, who has cut extremely
wicked kings to pieces by the working of his axe) 
mahashaurya - (this pertains to parashuraama) very courageous,
abhibhuta - destroyed, cast aside, kritaveerya atmajaata - born off Kritaveerya,
(his son kaartaveeryaarjuna), bhujaveerya - strength of his shoulders,
avalepa nikara - avalepa + Nikara = Arrogance + heap of, lots of,
bhaaryaa + aparaadha + kupita + aarya = wife + crime + enraged + father
(father enraged by the crime of his wife) aagnaya - as per the orders,
galita  = cut off, nari = female, lady, aatmasu - one who gave birth,
Nari+atmasu = Lady who gave birth, meaning, mother, gala = neck,
taro = tree (cut it off like a tree), kaarya = work or please do
(this is to be taken in context with the last line - amita mayi daya)
aparaadha = crime, avichaarya - without bothering to think (if it is a crime),
aryama - sun, ogha - group of, jayi - surpassing, veerya = Valour,
amita - unfathomable, infinite, mayi = to me,   daya = Mercy 

You, who is an ocean of courage, whose axe cut to pieces extremely wicked
kings, who has great valour, who destroyed  son of kritaveerya - kaartaveeryaarjuna,
(who was) extremely arrogant because of his strength, who, as ordered by the
enraged parent, cut off the mother’s head like a tree, not waiting to consider if it
was a crime to do so, who surpasses many suns in brightness and valour, have
 endless mercy upon me.        

A Tribute To My Plant Loving Friends.



This morning when I went to my backyard, I saw this new plant (The one with a red mark around it). It is called 'Dodda patre' in kannada. I understand that the English name is 'Mexican Mint'. It is the latest addition to the plants which our domestic help Shabana has planted in our compound. The others which she had/has planted are Papaya, Lemon, Chillies, Pineapple, Maize, Aloe vera, and few leafy vegetables like Methi, Dhaniya etc etc.





Shabana is an inveterate planter. In the little bit of space available around our house, she plants any sapling that she can lay her hands upon. She plants them, waters them and leaves the rest to god almighty. Some survive and some do not. She is happy if they come up. If they wither away, for whatever reason, she will plant something else in the place. She never informs us what she has planted, never expects any returns from her plants, never expresses happiness or sorrow about them thriving/ dying!
As far as plants are concerned, she is a 'Karmayogi'!
Similarly there are many other plants around our house, which have been planted by people who were associated with us as helpers, either in my clinic or in the house.
Vasanti, Rajashree, Savita and Ajja are some of the names which come to my mind. All the plants, the pictures of which you see posted here are planted by these people. Their names are there on the pictures.
I wonder why they do it? The space does not belong to them. They are not paid for the job. They are not sure if they would be around to enjoy the fruits of their labour. They have nothing to gain from the activity. But they do it - just for the pleasure of bringing up a plant !
I consider them real lovers of plants/nature. They found a place where a plant could grow, they found a plant and they planted it. Just so that a plant comes up and thrives. Absolutely selfless service to nature!
We, ie my social group POP, did some service too. We planted about eighty plants around the walking track in our sports grounds. Not just planted them, watered and manured them over the last three years. Now they have grown tall and are trees ! Sixty five of them ! It is a very satisfying work. One of the pictures here, show me tying a number on one of them some six months after planting, nearly three years ago.

Incidentally this year we planted new saplings in places where our plants did not survive. What we have done is for the benefit of the society of which we are a part. We got credit for the work and some pats on the back. And it is a pleasure to walk on the track next to the trees and we are free to enjoy it like all others. I can’t call our work entirely selfless.
But no one noticed the work of those I have named above. They did not get any credit for their efforts. I just accepted their work as a matter of fact and did not even utter a word of appreciation. A lapse on my part.
I feel that these are the really selfless, well meaning lot. This post is to acknowledge their efforts. My tribute to all of them and their selfless act.














Sunday, July 14, 2019

Corrupt Politician ? Corrupt Society ?





What I have written below has been churning around in my mind for a
longtime. The latest political drama being staged in Goa and Karnataka
has brought them out. Unlike my usual short bits, this turned out to be a
little long. They are just my thoughts which one may or may not agree with.
You may even ignore it entirely. Nothing would be lost !

The dramas mentioned above, running for the last few days, have provided
considerable entertainment and material for ‘time pass’. I call it entertainment
and time pass because nobody takes these things seriously anymore. We
enjoy the drama without realising the fact that it is being enacted at our cost,
figuratively and literally. 

The congress party in Karnataka is fuming (since it still has some MLAs in the
party and is capable of fuming) and playing ‘tug of war’ for power, fortified by
the speaker’s strength on its side. 

The congress in Goa is capable of neither fuming nor playing tug of war.
Having been reduced to ashes, it is just giving out the last few wisps of smoke. 

There has been considerable out pour of disgust and anguish and there is a
sense of betrayal amongst many voters in Goa. It is very much visible on the
‘social media’ and is  being expressed without any restraints. 

This is not the first time that our politicians are evoking such responses from the
voters. Our leaders have thrown the morals out long back. Their party hopping,
corrupt practices, involvement in crime and so on have evoked very strong
reactions, rather abuses, from the voters.  

But what surprises me is that the same leaders, who are freely cursed and against
whom abuses are heaped, contest the elections within weeks/months, much before
the memory of their wrongdoing is erased, and win comfortably. Just look at the
very recent happenings in Goa and the happenings just a year or two ago, elsewhere. 

Sriramulu, Reddy brothers, Jayalalitha and Sashikala were not just accused but
convicted and put in jail to serve terms. But they themselves won the subsequent
elections or when they could not contest, people put up by them, have won. Not
barely won, won by thumping majority. 

Vishwajit Rane, Shirodkar and Sopte elicited aversion amongst the voters for their
cunning and changing of colours but all of them won the elections. (Elections
entirely for their benefit, for which we paid)

Babush is facing trial for serious crimes, but he contested the election and won !!
(Congress leaders campaigned for him and celebrated his winning -  now repenting
the same, too late !)

How does it happen? If you look at the reaction of the society immediately after
the wrongdoing of the politician comes to light, you would feel that he/she would
never ever be able to move freely in the society, let alone win an election. But
he/she does win. Nobody seems to rue their winning. On the other hand their
supporters celebrate and others watch !

It is very intriguing. I am not sure if any of my friends have given a thought to this.
I am sure that our politicians know what makes them win and are certain that they
would win again. That is the reason why they don’t care for the public opinion or
image and do what they please. What matters to them are their convenience and profit.  

I feel that most of the supporters/voters of a particular politician will have usually
obtained favours (mostly un due) in some form or the other. With the power and
money at the disposal of our leaders, it is not difficult for them to dish out such f
avours. It could be direct financial help, help in getting jobs, handing out local
body/government contracts, dishing out government freebies  (undue or out of turn),
arranging for government permissions, overcoming official hurdles and so on. 

By doing so, the leaders would have in their pockets hundreds or thousands of
voters who just care for their personal gain. These voters just ignore the wrong
doings of their politicians or even tacitly support the same. They want him/her in
power - morals and ethics be damned! 
These people are not unknown, faceless characters. They may be very well known
to me and you or even be me and you ! 

What I am coming to is, we as a society have become corrupt. Since we do not
want to accept ourselves as corrupt, we blame the politicians. Of course, they
( I mean most of them) are the personification of everything corrupt around us.
All our comments of disgust, talks about morality etc etc are for exhibition and
hence, our votes do not reflect these feelings !

So it is time to face it and accept the fact that we, as a society are corrupt - in some
form or the other and hence we keep electing our corrupt politicians again and again.
‘Yatha praja - Tatha Raaja’ !!  Whatever is happening on the stage is happening
because it has our backing. So let us not blame the politicians. Four fingers are
pointing towards us !! 

Wednesday, July 10, 2019

Monsoon Greenery

Monsoon was delayed this year and I was worried. That is one season
I enjoy the most. As I have mentioned earlier, it cleans the roads, eliminates
dust, washes away the trash and the abundant overgrowth of wild greenery
makes the surroundings green and beautiful. And most important, I am
assured of my water supply for another year. 

Two to three weeks into the season, everything around me is green. I get
excited and carried away. I take pictures of the roadside bushes, creepers
and wild plants and post them everywhere !  

Here I am, getting excited about the wild creepers grown around me which
have formed a festoon of green over the  fences, electric poles, tree trunks,
metal grills, cement balustrades and everything. Nothing great, just very
ordinary things which you may see all around you, all the time
but not notice !! 












I am just sharing my excitement.